Photo of Jeffrey Neuburger

Jeffrey Neuburger is co-head of Proskauer’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group, head of the Firm’s Blockchain Group and a member of the Firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Group.

Jeff’s practice focuses on technology, media and intellectual property-related transactions, counseling and dispute resolution. That expertise, combined with his professional experience at General Electric and academic experience in computer science, makes him a leader in the field.

As one of the architects of the technology law discipline, Jeff continues to lead on a range of business-critical transactions involving the use of emerging technology and distribution methods. For example, Jeff has become one of the foremost private practice lawyers in the country for the implementation of blockchain-based technology solutions, helping clients in a wide variety of industries capture the business opportunities presented by the rapid evolution of blockchain. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Emerging Digital Finance and Currency.

 

Jeff counsels on a variety of e-commerce, social media and advertising matters; represents many organizations in large infrastructure-related projects, such as outsourcing, technology acquisitions, cloud computing initiatives and related services agreements; advises on the implementation of biometric technology; and represents clients on a wide range of data aggregation, privacy and data security matters. In addition, Jeff assists clients on a wide range of issues related to intellectual property and publishing matters in the context of both technology-based applications and traditional media.

The SEC is expanding its team policing the crypto space by adding enforcement staff to its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit.  We previously noted that regulatory focus on new technologies in the decentralized finance space and further developments on the application of securities laws to digital assets were two of

As reported last week, it appears that a state-sponsored security hack has resulted in a major security compromise in widely-used software offered by a company called SolarWinds. The compromised software, known as Orion, is enterprise network management software that helps organizations manage their networks, servers and networked devices. The software

As reported last week, a state-sponsored hacker may have breached multiple U.S. government networks through a widely-used software product offered by SolarWinds. The compromised product helps organizations manage their networks, servers and networked devices. The product is not only used by government agencies, but is widely used in both the

On Friday, the WSJ published an article detailing how companies are monetizing smartphone location data by selling it to hedge fund clients.  The data vendor featured in the WSJ article obtains geolocation data from about 1,000 apps that fund managers use to predict trends involving public companies.  However, as we’ve noted, the use of alternative data collection for investment research purposes may give rise to a host of potential issues under relevant laws.

In his recent remarks at the Securities Regulation Institute, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton had some stern words for market professionals, especially lawyers, involved in initial coin offerings (ICOs).  He expressed concern that lawyers in the space “can do better” in their role as gatekeepers to the securities markets, particularly in advising clients whether the “coin” being offered is a security requiring registration.

Initial Coin Offerings (“ICOs”) are generating attention from both investors and the SEC. Investors’ interest is indicated by the more than $1.2 billion that ICOs reportedly have raised so far this year.  Meanwhile, the SEC has recently asserted its authority in the space, releasing a report stating that digital tokens

Proskauer partners Jeff NeuburgerRobert LeonardJosh Newville and Jonathan Richman recently invited hedge fund executives to discuss the complex regulatory and compliance issues raised by the use of alternative data.   Jeff, Robert and Josh also contributed an article to the Hedge Fund Law Report on Best Practices for Private Fund Advisers to Manage the Risks of Big Data and Web Scraping.

Fund managers have been capitalizing on methods to refine and analyze big data to assist investment decisions.  What types of alternative data are being used to gain new insights?  Sources include: e-commerce receipts and credit-card transaction data; sensors from internet-connected machines or smart devices; and online data collected via “screen scraping” (or “web scraping” or “spidering”).

Yet alternative data does not come without risks.  For example, data collected as a result of web scraping may be considered material nonpublic information (MNPI).  If that data were collected in a manner considered deceptive, then trading on that information might implicate the anti-fraud provisions of the securities laws.  Circumventing security protocols or disguising a scraper’s identity on a site (where required), among other behaviors, could be viewed as misrepresentations or “deceptive devices” under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act.d