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Erik Harssema joins DLA Piper's Data Protection, Privacy and Security practice in New York
DLA Piper announced today that Erik Harssema has joined the firm’s Data Protection, Privacy and Security practice as a managing director in the New York office.
Harssema has extensive experience in cyber response, investigations, threat intelligence, privacy, computer crime and forensics. He focuses on the financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, insurance and consumer market industries and has experience in both professional services and industry positions, including seven years leading cyber response and investigations at two major US airlines.
Harssema has consulted on a broad range of matters relating to cybersecurity, incident response, computer forensics, privacy, operational application audits, software/application development and electronic discovery. He advises clients on effective strategies to mitigate risk exposure, bolster defensibility and reduce the costs associated with cyber response, forensics and information management. Harssema also assists clients with investigations, litigation and regulatory inquiries resulting from security breaches.
“Erik’s strong cybersecurity background will bolster our ability to advise on a broad spectrum of data privacy and data security issues,” said Andrew Serwin, global co-chair and US chair of DLA Piper’s Cybersecurity and Data Protection, Privacy and Security practices. “His skillset will enable us to deliver a valuable suite of legal, advisory, assessment and risk management services to clients seeking to protect themselves from cybersecurity threats.”
Other recent additions who have expanded the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity capabilities include partners Ronald Plesco in Philadelphia, Marius Domokos and Michael Hazzard in Washington, DC, Scott Weber in New York and Edward McAndrew in Wilmington, as well as Serwin in San Diego.
Harssema, who previously served as director of cyber services at KPMG International, received his B.B.A. from Texas Christian University and is in the process of earning his M.S. in cybersecurity from Utica College of Syracuse University.
DLA Piper advises Flightdocs in its acquisition by Aircraft Technical Publishers
DLA Piper represented Flightdocs, a Delaware-based company that develops flight maintenance tracking software, in its acquisition by Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP), a global information services and software solutions company focused on making flying safer and more reliable.
The acquisition of Flightdocs will enable ATP to deliver powerful, cloud-based software solutions for aircraft maintenance tracking, troubleshooting, recurring defect analysis, inventory management and flight scheduling, combined with a robust library of technical publications and regulatory content. DLA Piper partner Adam Ghander led the deal team representing Flightdocs.
“Adam and the team at DLA Piper were absolutely incredible to work with,” said Rick Heine, CEO and Chairman at Flightdocs. “Their level of professionalism, attention to detail, and responsiveness was off the charts. They were there to help with every aspect of the process, and we’re extremely grateful for all of their hard work to close our deal with ATP.”
In addition to Ghander (Boston), the DLA Piper deal team included partners Seth Bonneau (Boston), Ryan Vann (Chicago), Paolo Morante, Naftali Dembitzer (both of New York), William Bartow (Philadelphia), Nathaniel McKitterick (Silicon Valley) and Julia Kovacs (Washington, DC); of counsel Nia Brown(Washington, DC); senior attorney Jerami Davidson (Boston); attorney Mike Jamieson (Boston); and associates Karun Ahuja (Chicago), Jennifer Gardner and Kurt Weaver (both of Boston).
With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex cross-border transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for ten consecutive years, according to Mergermarket.
DLA Piper's global Technology sector lawyers work across practice areas and offices to support technology clients – from startups to fast-growing and mid-market businesses to mature global enterprises – doing business around the world.
DLA Piper advises Needham & Co. as underwriter in Vicor Corporation's US$115 million common stock offering
DLA Piper represented Needham & Company, LLC as underwriter in the US$115 million public offering of common stock of Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ: VICR). Vicor is a leading provider of high-performance power components and systems.
Vicor intends to use the proceeds from the offering to expand its manufacturing facilities and corporate operations and for other general corporate purposes. Needham & Company, LLC acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering.
“We appreciated the opportunity to leverage our extensive technology sector capabilities with our robust experience advising underwriters in sophisticated capital markets transactions to help Needham deliver this transaction for Vicor,” said John J. Gilluly III, global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate practice, who led the firm’s deal team.
In addition to Gilluly (Austin), the DLA Piper team representing Needham & Company included Drew Valentine (Austin/New York), Chen Zhang and Rebekah Rodriguez (both of Austin).
DLA Piper’s global capital markets team represents issuers and underwriters in registered and unregistered equity, equity-linked and debt capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on equity offerings, equity-linked securities offerings, and offerings of investments grade and high-yield debt securities.
DLA Piper’s global Technology sector lawyers work across practice areas and offices to support technology clients – from startups to fast-growing and mid-market businesses to mature global enterprises – doing business around the world.
Hyattsville, MD: Inspired Bodies Exhibit
The “Inspired Bodies” exhibit, which will be on display until Oct 31. at Maryland Meadworks in Hyattsville, features works curated by local artists Hannah Chertock and Alice Gardner-Bates, as well as works created by artists in the DMV area, all of which are inspired or influenced by physical or mental disability and chronic illness or pain.
The concept for the “Inspired Bodies” exhibit — the celebration of disability awareness and the resilience of the human body — came to fruition when Hannah Chertock and Alice Gardner-Bates met at the National Museum of Women in the Arts two years ago when Chertock was presenting some of her work there.
Gardner-Bates said she immediately wanted to talk to Chertock, after viewing her body-focused artwork which centers around anatomy and disability. The pair quickly found common ground in the personal hardships they’d each endured due to their respective disabilities. Though Chertock and Gardner-Bates’s disabilities are different in nature, they both shared that being disabled has precluded them from being hired as artists — something they believe that many artists in the disabled community face.
“We focused on that [this lack of opportunity for disabled artists] as a problem,” Gardner-Bates said. “And what a better solution for that would look like.” Chertock’s younger sister, Marlena Chertock, who is also part of the disability community, read her poetry at the exhibit. Marlena has two published books of poetry, including “Crumb-sized,” which details her experiences living with skeletal dysplasia, a rare bone disorder.
Aimee Becker, another artist at the exhibit, had photos displayed of her doing Burlesque, a sensual style of dance, at a D.C. theater. Becker began doing Burlesque at her alma mater, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and now performs to raise awareness about chronic bronchitis and cyclothymia, which according to Becker, is like a “like baby bipolar disorder.”
In the photos displayed, Becker is almost fully nude with various words written across her skin that illustrate negative qualities people have attributed to her due to her cyclothymic disorder. Though she admits she was initially afraid to do Burlesque, Becker said she would encourage others to do it, as it helped her to overcome some of her own insecurities.
“I don’t ever do anything that is sexy at all,” Becker said. “I like to make people uncomfortable or make people laugh.”
Senior engineering major Adith Thummalapalli said the exhibit is a great event to showcase the various ways people use their own hobbies to start the conversation about accessibility.
“It’s ironic that the concept of discussing accessibility is oftentimes inaccessible to people,” Thummalapalli, who performs standup comedy that often features sketches on his own disabilities, said. “I just try to make that conversation easier and more natural using humor.”
The “Inspired Bodies” exhibit is a passion project for Chertock. It stems from her own experiences with chronic pain, including when she got her hip replaced three years ago.
“That was probably the time that I was in the most pain,” Chertock said. “But it also taught me how amazing and resilient bodies are, and it transformed my outlook on bodies. I came to a place of love and appreciation for what my body can do rather than how it was limiting me.”
‘Inspired Bodies’ Opens at Maryland Meadworks
For artist Hannah Chertock, the human body is an inspiration. In art exhibits and her Etsy shop, she displays intricately layered paper art depicting organs like the body, the brain, the lungs and individual cells, among other body parts. Chertock, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016, first came to the subject after a hip replacement three years ago.
“That was probably the time that I was in the most pain,” she told the Hyattsville Wire. “But it also taught me how amazing and resilient bodies are, and it transformed my outlook on bodies.”
“Inspired Bodies,” features artworks by Chertock, Alice Gardner-Batesand other artists from the greater D.C. area who focus on their own disabilities and chronic illnesses. The exhibit recently opened at Maryland Meadworks at 4700 Rhode Island Ave in Hyattsville, and will be on display through Oct. 31. Gardner-Bates said the two first discussed doing separate shows on physical and mental illnesses, but ended up deciding that the overlap between the two is strong enough that “it would be almost pointless” to differentiate.
Still, Chertock and Gardner-Bates hope to work together on a similar show in the future, perhaps as a benefit to help artists with disabilities.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Alcohol?
Due to the sensitive nature of this story, student sources have been credited anonymously.
Roughly 3 out of 4 University of Maryland students will drink alcohol at some point during their college careers, according to the University Health Center. With that being said, roughly 75% will also deal with the excruciating effects of the dreaded post-partying hangover. With symptoms ranging from fatigue to nausea to vomiting and even diarrhea, a hangover manages to be just about anything but pleasant.
Some choose to bounce back by beginning to drink again, while others decide to take a more laid-back approach to cure their hangovers - not getting out of bed unless absolutely necessary.
“After a night of drinking, I’ll typically stay in bed until around 2 p.m. or so just recovering,” said junior psychology major Ariel.
For those who have lived in on-campus dorms, most are probably aware of The Gold Code, the school’s attempt to instill healthy drinking habits in kids who are getting their first tastes of freedom. Unfortunately, The Gold Code, a set of principles meant to function as a safe-drinking initiative, were made into a campus-wide meme, meaning that “pregaming with protein” is more of a punchline now than anything else.
Though all students at the university had to endure the hours-long AlcoholEdu training prior to enrolling in classes, you could probably use a refresher about alcohol consumption. So, let’s dive into the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
Consumed in moderate amounts (roughly two glasses per day), alcohol does actually contain a host of health benefits. According to a study conducted by The School of Public Health at Harvard University, moderate amounts of alcohol decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease due to the fact that alcohol raises “good” cholesterol in the body.
Alcohol, specifically red wine, can help prevent the common cold as well. This is likely because of the antioxidant properties in wine, according to Spanish researchers who conducted a study published in the New York Times. So, perhaps we should all treat ourselves to a wine Wednesday every once in a while - strictly for our health, of course.
“Excessive drinking just isn’t fun anymore anyways,” said senior marketing major Marley Niesz. “Nobody wants to be that dude throwing up in someone’s backyard. I’d much rather have a low-key wine night with my friends.”
Alcohol can also lengthen your lifespan. A study conducted at the Catholic University of Campobasso concluded that consuming a couple of drinks per day could lengthen your life by up to 18%. Because this study mimicked the Mediterranean diet, which encourages red wine in moderation, as it was found to be the most beneficial alcoholic drink.
The Bad
Alcohol impacts multiple parts of the body. Though oft-mentioned, the effects of excessive drinking on the liver are actually very important to note, as they are the most prevalent and likely to occur. According to alcohol.org, alcohol inflames the liver, which can cause scarring, and eventually other complications like cirrhosis, or the degeneration of cells coupled with inflammation and thickening of tissues. These effects essentially mean the liver is not working at its full capacity. Impacts of alcohol on the liver also include alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver disease and liver cancer.
Another downfall of excessive alcohol consumption are the effects it has on the brain. Alcohol physically shrinks the brain, impacting memory, learning abilities and mental health over time, according to alcohol.org. In addition, alcohol interferes with brain activity during sleep, meaning part of your hangover could be chalked up to sleep deprivation, according to Harvard Health Publishing of Harvard Medical School.
Alcohol intake lowers inhibitions too, meaning you are less in control of your behavior than when you are sober.
“Alcohol suppresses the most active neurons in the brain the most. Thus, the vigilant frontal cortex and the wary amygdala that sees danger at every corner get turned off and people feel safer and less in touch with reality,” said psychiatrist Dr. Herbert Gross.
Drinking can also worsen depression and other mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Because alcohol is a depressant, it can exacerbate underlying issues, which explains why some of your friends (or even yourself) might be described as “sad drunks.”
The Ugly
Along with all of the aforementioned health issues associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, alcohol also wreaks havoc on your appearance.
According to Medical Daily, there is an app called “Your Face as an Alcoholic”developed by the company Rehabs, which shows the effects of drinking on your face over five-year intervals. It’s worth taking a look at if information about the effects of alcohol consumption on health do not scare you into practicing safer drinking habits but potential wrinkles will.
All in all, drinking alcohol isn’t an inherently bad thing - there are important health and social benefits that the substance can provide, if it is consumed safely and responsibly. Cheers!
Weights vs. Cardio: The Strengths and Weaknesses
While cardio burns more calories per session than weight-training, weight-training helps the body to burn more calories at rest, after the workout has already ended, according to the National Institute of Health.
Weight-training is more effective than cardio at building muscle, and muscle burns more calories at rest than other tissues, which explains why weight-training can help increase resting metabolism. In fact, a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which measured participants’ resting metabolisms over 24 weeks of weight-training, found a 9% increase in resting metabolism in men and a 4% increase in women.
With this being said, weight-training is not extremely helpful for weight loss, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. But even if your weight isn’t changing, that doesn’t necessarily indicate a lack of progress, as your body composition could be improving (i.e. losing fat, gaining muscle).
“Cardio is really beneficial to improve your stamina, vascular endurance and VO2 max, which is how you use oxygen during exercise, and it also burns a lot of calories,” said certified zumba instructor Tatiana Traore. “But strength training is also very beneficial, as it allows you to build and maintain muscle mass and this helps lower your overall body fat and increase your metabolism.”
A common fear when it comes to weight-lifting is “getting bulky,” but this is actually a misconception. Due to women’s hormonal makeup, weight-lifting doesn’t typically result in gaining bulk, but rather, lean muscle, according to Livestrong.com.
With this being said, there are some things you can do to ensure that you get the results you desire from lifting. If building lean muscle is your goal, you should perform a full-body strength-training workout at least twice a week, planning your workouts so that you have a minimum of 24 hours between sessions, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
While strength-training, you should complete at least one set of eight to 12 repetitions for each muscle group, taking short breaks between sets (between 30 to 60 seconds). Additionally, you should minimize the number of sets you lift. This can be achieved by doing compound exercises, which work several muscle groups at once, as opposed to exercises which target only one muscle group.
“I go through phases of what I prefer between cardio and lifting, but from the research I’ve done and my own personal experience, you need 50/50 of both. So, I always alternate each day between cardio and lifting,” said junior biology major Noor Singh.
Ultimately, your workouts should be tailored to you and your goals and not feel like a chore. “I enjoy just going on walks with friends or my roommate’s dog. I figure it’s better than nothing,” said junior Finance and Operations Management and Business Analytics major Yosi Talaminaei.
There are a lot of fun ways to get moving and to get fit, so there’s no need to pigeonhole yourself onto a treadmill or into the weight room if that’s not what you enjoy.
5 Reasons 'Cuffing Season' Is A Lot More Than Meme Fodder, According To Science
Though we may think of all the many pop culture references and memes when we hear the phrase "cuffing season," you might be surprised to hear that there is actually science behind the concept. In fact, there's quite a lot of it.
Here are 5 reasons everyone feels the need to get "cuffed up" when the weather gets colder:
1. We are constantly surrounded by outside influence and pressure. Entertainment and advertising industries, as well as our own friends and families, prime us to believe we should have a special someone around this specific time of year. There are the jewelry commercials, which feature overly happy couples, the seasonal romantic comedies airing at all hours of the day, and the questions from relatives, which usually sound something like, "You dating anyone yet?" or maybe even, "When are you planning on giving us some grandkids?"
The association between the holiday season and romance makes sense. Holidays revolve around the idea of spending time with loved ones and spreading joy. And who wouldn't want to do that with a significant other?
2. We have a natural human need for safety and security.
Another explanation is that people crave the literal and figurative heat that being in a relationship provides. Snuggles are never bad, but when it's particularly cold outside, it really doesn't hurt to have a warm body to cuddle up next to. The desire to feel warmth during the winter months goes back to the most basic human need for safety and security. Being with someone during these months helps to satisfy that need.
3. Everyone knows winter is sad boi szn.
Feelings of sadness and loneliness also tend to increase during the colder months, and some people believe finding a partner might help to compensate for the negative emotions. Having a specific person you can depend on to hang out with is particularly helpful in combating feelings of isolation that might arise during the months when people tend to socialize less.
4. Our hormone levels change.
According to social psychologist, Dr. Justin Lehmiller, humans (particularly men) produce higher levels of testosterone in the fall season, which subsequently drive their urge to partner up.
5. We produce less serotonin.
Humans also produce lower levels of serotonin, or the "happy chemical," in the fall due to less exposure to sunlight, meaning pleasure must be sought out in other places… or people.
Whether or not you decide to seek out a significant other this cuffing season, remember to gear up: Winter is coming.