Entities regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) may be surprised to learn that use of certain online tracking technology may result in inadvertently sharing information protected under HIPAA with unauthorized third parties. On December 1, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance with far-reaching implications for HIPAA regulated entities highlighting their HIPAA compliance obligations when using third-party online tracking technologies designed to collect and analyze information pertaining to a user’s interaction with the regulated entity’s webpages and mobile apps.

A client recently received a litigation hold letter from an attorney representing a former employee. It demanded retention and preservation of all “documents and data” relating to or concerning the former employee, their work performance, and termination. The definition of documents and data also included all electronically stored information, “. . . such as e-mail, voicemail, . . . digital audio or video recordings, instant messages, text messages, social media posts, . . . and any other electronic information created, maintained or received by you.”

Join Michael Denbow on March 23rd for this Thirsty Thursday networking event in our Louisville office to learn more about the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) topic!

Join Mandy Decker and the UK Office of Technology Commercialization for the UK Women Innovators Network panel discussion of the book "Funded Female Founders: How to traverse the uneven playing field and secure funding to grow your business."

Don't miss the 56th GDLA Annual Meeting at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida from June 15-18. Earn CLE hours* and network with your friends and colleagues at various social events. Atlanta office attorney Jennifer Guerra will be a speaker at the event.

ATLANTA—The 2023 edition of Georgia Super Lawyers recently honored three Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys based in the firm’s Atlanta office. The attorneys named on this years list are Dan Douglass, Joe Kingma and Billy Newcomb.

Louisville office attorney Calesia Henson will be a member of the panel discussing "When Race & Gender Meet: Experiences of Black Women in Law" following the Louisville Bar Association's Justice William E. McAnulty Jr. Trailblazer Award presentation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has warned that Digital Mortgage Comparison-Shopping Platforms may violate the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act’s (RESPA) anti-kickback rules. At issue are digital platforms or “online marketplaces” that enable potential borrowers to comparison shop options for mortgages and other settlement services. These websites allow potential borrowers to enter limited information that is typically part of a mortgage application, and then the platform operator purports to compare various mortgage options based on the information. The provided options typically generate paid leads for the suggested lenders and the website operator often sells the potential borrower’s contact information.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney T. Dylan Reeves as a Member (Partner) based in the firm’s Nashville, Tenn., office. He joins the Business Litigation and Torts & Insurance Practice Service Groups.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Commerce Lexington has appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Cassidy Rosenthal as Chair of its Board of Directors for 2023. Rosenthal previously served as Chair-Elect, a member of the Board of Directors and as the organization’s General Counsel.

Rule 7.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure has long required each “nongovernmental corporate party” to file a disclosure statement when that party takes its first action in a federal court lawsuit. Effective, December 1, 2022, however, the rule was amended to require that when a case that is in federal court because of diversity jurisdiction is filed or removed, each “party or intervenor” must file a disclosure statement that provides the “name—and identif[ies] the citizenship of—every individual or entity whose citizenship is attributed to that party or intervenor.”

ATLANTA—Emerging 100 of Atlanta (E100 Atlanta) has inducted Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Brandon D. Sartin as one of 27 new members. The induction ceremony was held in December of 2022.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2023 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 49 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 37 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 12 attorneys to the Rising Stars list.

MASON, Ohio—The 2023 edition of Ohio Super Lawyers recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Robin D. Miller on its Super Lawyers list.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today that seven attorneys have been promoted: five to Member (Partner) and two to Counsel. The promotions are effective January 2023.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The 2022 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers recently honored nine Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys. Six attorneys were named to the Super Lawyers list and three were named to the Rising Stars list.