Brandon N. Robinson, partner in the Birmingham office and member of the Energy and Data Privacy Practices, served as a panel moderator at the Energy Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 10, 2022.
The panel topic was “Utility-Broadband Partnerships: Solving the Rural Broadband Access Problem”, featuring panelists Arnab Ghosal (Grid Inform and Connectivity General Manager, Alabama Power Company), Todd Holt (CEO, Point Broadband, LLC), and Sean Strickler (Vice-President of Public Affairs, Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA)).
Panelists highlighted the partnerships they share with one another, and discussed how electric utilities can play a unique role in making fiber infrastructure available to broadband service providers, facilitating high speed broadband access to rural and low-income areas throughout the United States. The group also spoke about legal/regulatory and operational challenges that are often faced, as well as solutions for overcoming them.
Brandon represents clients in a variety of industries with respect to energy, cybersecurity, data privacy, and emerging technologies. Specifically, as a member of the firm’s Energy Practice, Brandon represents energy companies in a wide variety of matters, including issues before FERC and NERC related to: electric reliability, smart grid, physical security, electric transportation, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and other generation and transmission issues.
As chair of the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Practice, Brandon regularly counsels clients in a wide variety of industries to proactively manage data privacy- and security-related risks and compliance while maintaining innovative customer service. He serves as regulatory and transactional counsel on a wide range of projects associated with innovative and emerging technologies, including technologies such as drones, blockchain, fiber/broadband, and artificial intelligence. Brandon is editor of The Data Privacy and Security Observer Blog . He has spoken on these topics at conferences around the country and has been quoted in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Law360 to Business Alabama and more.
