As you may likely have surmised, the vast bulk of Glenn’s practice since the 1980s has concentrated in science and technology, especially information technology (IT) — known internationally as “information and communications technology” (ICT) — and its effects on law and public policy. Although many attorneys describe themselves as high-tech lawyers because they handle corporate or transactional matters for technology clients, that is only a small proportion of technology law issues, and certainly not the really interesting and controversial ones. Having successfully participated in some of the first, ground-breaking “inside the Beltway” lobbying campaigns by Silicon Valley — for instance on encryption, governmental standards and regulation of the Internet — Glenn’s domain expertise and passion remains in helping the IT industry navigate the complexities of its relations with the law and government.
While the descriptions here are divided into three areas (technology policy, Internet law and “social media” law), these are essentially artificial cubbyholes for purposes of exposition. The reality is that, to gain traction on law and policy matters, technology companies and ventures need to assess their exposure early in the business plan and product life cycle, and cannot segment issues into separate “silos.” It is not uncommon for Glenn to be asked by a new venture, “What am I?” To which the most appropriate — and 100% genuine — response is “What would you like to be? I’ll tell you how to get there.” With the breakdown of old legal and regulatory classifications, this sort of strategic counsel is increasingly important to the success of technology ventures large and small.