Month: January 2021

E.O. 13950 Revoked: Biden Administration Signals Focus on Equity

By: Kaitlyn Richards

My previous post found here explained how Former President Trump’s Presidential Executive Order 13950 Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping (“E.O. 13950”) prohibited the federal government, its contractors, subcontractors, and grantees, from offering certain racial and gender sensitivity training. On September 22, 2020, this order was issued and prompted widespread criticism and uncertainty from both businesses and civil rights groups. On his first day in office, President Biden revoked E.O. 13950.

E.O. 13950 revocation

The previous Executive Order 13950 stated that contractors shall not use any workplace training that “inculcates in its employees any form of race or sex-stereotyping or any form of race or sex scapegoating.” Any contracts that violated this order could have been canceled, terminated, or suspended, and contractors could have been deemed ineligible for future federal contracts.

It was widely expected that this order would be revoked by President Biden, which was confirmed on January 21, 2021. Before this revocation, a recent federal injunction had already halted the enforcement of particular provisions of the order that applied to federal contractors and subcontractors. The nationwide preliminary injunction was issued on December 22, 2020, and prohibited the federal government from implementing sections 4 and 5 of the Executive Order. However, now President Biden’s Order has formally revoked all parts of E.O. 13950.

new order: equity agenda 

Biden’s recent order titled “Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” (“the Order”) expresses a commitment to addressing disparities in the law and public policies, removing barriers to equal opportunity for all communities, especially those underserved, and a broad whole-of-government equity agenda. The term “underserved communities” was defined within the Order as “populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of “equity.”

The Order broadly encourages the advancement of equity for all. To achieve this goal, the Order calls for many actions across the Federal government, including:

  • Identification and assessment of whether federal programs and policies create or exacerbate barriers that prevent underserved communities from accessing benefits and opportunities
  • A reallocation of budget priorities to promote equity among Federal programs and agencies
  • Establishing an Interagency Working Group on Equitable Data that will study and provide recommendations identifying inadequacies in existing programs and supporting agencies in implementing new actions.

While many groups have not yet had time to release statements on the Order, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund has released a statement supporting  the revocation of E.O. 13950. Janai Nelson, LDF’s Associate Director-Counsel, stated “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration’s swift revocation of this divisive and harmful Executive Order on its first day in office and are encouraged by its commitment to embedding equity in all aspects of federal government and removing barriers to equal opportunity for all communities… LDF will remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure racial justice and equity for Black communities across the nation and we look forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to make this a reality.”

Where do we go from here?

The Order does not have an immediate, pressing impact on federal contractors and subcontractors. However, the Biden administration has clearly signaled that advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities will be a priority. Employers should expect additional programs to prevent discrimination and encourage diversity and equity during the future of this Biden administration.

For those limited number of contractors and grant recipients who had already signed federal contracts, after November 21, 2020, in compliance with E.O. 13950, you may wish to contact the government contracting officer who signed the contract or speak to a lawyer about the provisions.

Kaitlyn Richards, at the time of this post, is a third year law student at Penn State Dickinson Law. Originally from Wilson, North Carolina, Kaitlyn attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her undergraduate degrees. She is interested in employment law, corporate compliance, and education policy. Kaitlyn plans to move back to her home state after graduation to pursue a career in employment law with a focus on employee discrimination and disability rights.

Sources:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/

https://www.hranalytical.com/news/executive-order-13950-revoked-by-president-biden/

https://www.hranalytical.com/news/injunction-prevents-enforcement-of-executive-order-13950/

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/eo-13950-imploded-even-before-biden-6062895/

https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-statement-on-revocation-of-trump-administrations-anti-diversity-executive-order/

Photo Sources:

https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/opinion/workplace-diversity-it’s-more-just-gender-issue

https://www.naacpldf.org

Your Business: The Fight Against Robocalls

By: Jered Osterby

You may have noticed that suspicious calls to your phone have recently started being labeled “scam likely” or “spam likely.” This results from the most recent effort by Congress and the telecom industry to combat the growing problem of robocalls. The Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (“TRACED Act”) was recently passed in December of 2019 as the first step in diminishing the number of intrusive robocalls. It gives telecom providers the tools necessary to identify robocallers and protect consumers.

the problem with robocalls

The rise of fraudulent robocalls is a common nuisance for individuals, including entrepreneurs who have their personal number “out there,” but it can be a bigger problem for businesses. Business owners must constantly deal with incoming robocalls that slow down efficiency in the workplace. Businesses are having a difficult time connecting with clients and business partners who no longer answer their phones. And who can blame them for leaving the phone down? According to Consumer Reports, U.S. phone users received billions of robocalls this past year, and that number is continuing to grow. It is no mystery most people these days simply do not answer calls from unknown numbers!

how the traced act may help

With the TRACED Act, business owners can be assured that the end of bothersome robocalls is drawing closer. Legislators and the telecom industry praise the new legislation as the first meaningful protection for American phone users.

 “This bipartisan bill unquestionably moves the ball forward to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls, especially by requiring that all telephone systems in the U.S. implement a coordinated authentication methodology to improve the accuracy of the caller-ID displayed on our phones.” – Margot Saunders, National Consumer Law Center Senior Counsel

However, the fight is far from over. The new legislation does not clarify what constitutes “consumer consent” to receive robocalls and how one may go about withdrawing their consent. It also increases penalties for domestic robocall offenders but lacks the reach to deter international robocallers from targeting U.S. phone users. Quite simply, the law has not yet caught up to the technology, and robocallers will continue to exploit the gaps and loopholes for as long as they can.

what you can do now

For the time being, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your business from robocalls:

  1. Screen your calls

Not answering unknown numbers is the easiest way to avoid robocalls. Still, if your business uses phones to connect with clients often, you should record a voicemail message that lets clients know you are screening your calls and will return calls from clients right away. Unfortunately, you will still have to listen to all the voicemails you receive (including the robocalls) and respond to each appropriately to ensure your business continues to run efficiently.

  1. Hang up and do not say anything

Despite your best efforts, robocalls will inevitably get through at some point. If you do happen to answer a robocall, hang up at once. You should resist any temptation to respond to the robocaller you inadvertently find yourself on the line with. Responding to a robocall will only encourage the robocaller to keep calling your number; they will now know your phone number is active. The key is to hang up at once. Robocall scammers will often use any response to justify charging fees to your phone number. If it is important, the person will leave a voicemail. However, be mindful that robocallers are still very capable of leaving voicemails that sound important by impersonating a credit card company or Social Security agency. So, the responsibility is still on you to screen your voicemail messages carefully.

  1. Do your homework

To avoid future inconvenience, do not feel obligated to return all missed phone calls without first researching the unknown call’s origins. If you are unfamiliar with a number, try searching the number online before calling back. Most companies have their number listed online, and individuals can be found in online directories quickly. The responsibility to verify a caller’s identity is unfortunately on you for the time being. It can be time consuming but worth the time.

  1. List your phone numbers with the DNC

By signing up to the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, you, as an individual, can ask that your landline or cell number be removed from the legitimate telemarketing company’s call list. As a result, you will get fewer calls from legitimate businesses trying to hawk the latest gizmo or budget insurance plan. However, robocallers do not exactly play by the rules, and the registry will not stop illegal robocallers from ignoring the list and contacting you. Unfortunately, the DNC registry does not apply to business numbers. Currently, business numbers cannot sign up for the DNC Registry. This is an oversight that hopefully will be fixed in the future.

  1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has compiled a database of known robocallers. This list is used by call-blocking services and telecom providers to update their call blocking lists and protect their customers. In the past, reporting robocallers to the FTC had little deterring effect on robocallers. However, with the advent of the TRACED Act and the stronger enforcement provisions it carries, the authorities now have more power to hunt down and prosecute the more prolific offenders.

  1. Set up an automated receptionist

Businesses that use landlines are less prone to robocalls in part to the growing use of automated receptionists. Robocallers tend to lack technical sophistication or the patience to get through an automated receptionist to a real person. Rather than engage a fellow robot on the line, most robocallers will quickly move on to the next number on their list, leaving you in peace. Setting up an automated receptionist in your office is highly recommended as it will save you time and hassle blocking robocalls manually.

  1. Consider added robocall-blocking protection

Most major telecommunications companies, such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, offer services that automatically block calls or alert you of incoming calls that may be from potential scammers at no added charge. However, you may be able to buy further protections from your carrier or third-party app for an added fee. There are also free apps such as Hiya, Mr. Number, RoboKiller, and YouMail. If you use a landline, Nomorobo, which normally charges $2 per month for its service is also free.

NOTE: If you are planning to download a robocall-blocking app, keep in mind that it involves sharing a lot of sensitive personal information with these companies. Nomorobo does not access your contact lists, but some free apps do.

Alternatively, if you use a Google Pixel smartphone, it should come equipped with the program Call Screen. When receiving a call from an unknown number, you can simply tap the “screen call” choice on your screen, and Google Assistant will answer the call for you, asking the caller to identify themselves and why they are calling. The caller’s response is displayed in real-time on your screen, and you can choose to answer the call at any time. If it is a robocaller, you can report the call to Google as spam and hang-up with a single tap. The number will then be permanently blocked on your device. The tool also lets you select a few automated responses, such as “I’ll call you back,” if preferred.

This technology should become available on other Android devices soon.

  1. Update your contacts list

The easiest way to avoid robocalls without missing important clients’ calls is to keep a comprehensive contact list and let Caller ID do the work for you. It seems intuitive, but for many business owners, the hassle of imputing names into one’s phone was unnecessary as caller ID could easily be relied upon in the past before the robocallers began disguising their number.

If you feel you have a comprehensive and up-to-date contact list, you may wish to enable whitelisting. Whitelisting is similar to the Do Not Disturb feature on most cellphones, except you will only receive alerts from your phone for callers already in your contact list. Of course, enabling this feature will not stop robocalls, and you may miss calls from someone who is not on your contact list, like a new customer or a supplier, etc.

  1. Upgrade to a larger telecommunications carrier

The TRACED Act has allowed for modern technology and strategies to be implemented in the fight against robocalls, but smaller carriers are slower on the uptake and have not yet upgraded their digital infrastructure to the level needed for these strategies to work effectively. Many small businesses, especially in rural areas, are still using old analog technology and cannot afford to upgrade to digital. It often presents a huge financial and logistical challenge. These businesses are particularly susceptible to illegal robocallers. The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has yet to find alternative effective robocall mitigation methodologies to protect these businesses. If your business has the resources to go digital, it will reduce intrusive robocalls.

  1. Be on the lookout for impostors

Robocall scammers could be exploiting your brand. This is a growing issue for large businesses with easily identifiable and trustworthy brands. Robocallers can use your reputation by impersonating your business on the phone. They can then get credit card information and commit various fraudulent acts. Unfortunately, businesses need to carefully manage their reputation on phone networks until a more permanent solution is found.

  1. Play your part

Unfortunately, individuals do not have much power in the fight against robocalls. However, you can still play a part by supporting the adoption of new standards for telecom providers such as the TRACED Act. You can also choose to support telecom providers actively combating robocalls with modern technology as the lasting change will require an industry-wide effort.

Businesses that cold call or utilize robocalling to solicit new customers must pay heed to the DNC Registry. The Registry can be downloaded and the business can “scrub” its potential call list with those numbesr on the registry. In other words, the Registry provides a business with a list of numbers it cannot call. The Federal Trade Commission is the enforcement agency of the DNC Registry and it will be in contact with any business that does not do this.

Jered Osterby, at the time of this post, is a first-year law student at Penn State’s Dickinson Law. He is from Vancouver, Canada, and a graduate of Simon Fraser University. He intends to pursue a career in transactional law after graduation.

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.consumerreports.org/robocalls/how-traced-act-robocall-law-will-protect-consumers/

https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/newsletters/2019/aug/stopping-scam-calls.html

https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/blog/2020/03/09/robocall-relief-springs-forward

https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/31/traced-act-signed-into-law-putting-robocallers-on-notice/

Photo Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2020/09/13/google-has-a-fix-for-robocallsand-other-small-business-tech-news/?sh=60460c4450ac 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2019/07/31/robocalls-not-only-interrupt-business-they-can-costly-small-firms/1872431001/

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23020-bbb-tip-what-you-should-know-about-robocall-blocking-apps

 

 

EEOC violations in the age of COVID-19

By: Casey Dennis

Maintaining a business during COVID-19 is no small feat, and protecting your patrons and employees should be at the top of your list of concerns. But it is just as vital to protect your personal interests and business from federal laws that are enforced through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). The majority of employers are covered by EEOC laws, and as a business, you should assume you are covered if you have at least 15 employees. Some of the laws that the EEOC enforces are the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (“Title VII”). Title VII prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, and sex, and whether your business comes under the purview of Title VII or not, it is recommended that you comply regardless.

Title VII applies to all business decisions you may make including hiring, firing, promotions and even administering or requiring COVID-19 tests and protocols.

While preventing discrimination under Title VII should not be new to any employer, there are novel issues related to COVID-19 that could be of concern to your enterprise. As your business reopens or even complies with pandemic regulations, it is important to prevent discrimination. And to adhere to Title VII, returning to in-person work may require administering COVID-19 tests, enforcing social distancing, contact tracing, and limiting employee’s exposure to various departments within your workforce—all of which need to be done in a non-discriminatory manner.

what constitutes discrimination under title vii? 

Discrimination can take many forms in the workplace. To ensure you are not violating Title VII provisions, consider the following before taking any employment actions.

  1. Title VII violations can occur during recruiting, hiring, promoting, transferring, training, discipline, firing, assigning work, giving benefits & wages, measuring an employee’s performance, and COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, or rules.
  2. Employees cannot be denied or prevented from any of the above occurrences based on actual or perceived: race, religion, national origin, or sex.
  3. Employment decisions may not be made on the basis of any stereotypes.
  4. Employment decisions may not be made on the basis of any associations with fellow employees or associations with the protected classes listed above.

Further, discrimination can be present in your organization by disparate treatment or disparate impact. Disparate treatment is overt discrimination that is often done purposefully or intentionally against an individual of a protected class, for example, only requiring individuals from a certain national origin or race to take COVID-19 tests before returning to the workplace.

Disparate impact is when policies or rules disproportionately affect a protected class and often are unintentional and neutral in character but discriminatory in effect, for example, if your company recently implemented diversity hiring and is being forced to furlough new workers and retain more senior employees. This could disproportionately affect individuals of certain races or national origins, even if your business goal is to retain the senior and experienced employees. Both disparate impact and disparate treatment are illegal forms of discrimination.

how can you prevent title vii violations related to covid-19? 

COVID-19 has changed the way we do almost everything in our lives, and discrimination has been able to take new forms that could affect business decisions. One of the major concerns that COVID-19 has caused is discrimination based on national origin and race. In order to protect your business against lawsuits for discrimination, the following should be considered when formulating COVID-19 protocol in the workplace:

  1. Testing requirements should be enforced against every employee if general testing before returning to work is the policy.
  2. Testing for individuals who are traveling should be enforced against all travelers as recommended by local, state, and federal authorities—not against individual travelers to a destination you determine.
  3. Vaccination requirements should follow the phased vaccine rollouts and not be enforced on employees of only certain races, national origins, sex, or religion.
  4. Tele-work should be enforced on a business-wide or on a department basis based on national origin, race, or other protected classes.

These represent just a few examples of common COVID-19 concerns with employment discrimination, and in order to fully protect the interests of your enterprise, it is vital to follow local, state, and federal policies and regulations.

resources and tips for businesses

Additional information that can protect your business from discrimination suits can be found through local, state, and federal pandemic policies. Additionally, eeoc.gov has information related to Title VII and, more specifically coronavirus resources for both employees and employers. You can find up-to-date employment information on the EEOC website homepage that will link you to various resources, including specific information for small businesses and pandemic preparedness planning.

conclusion

COVID-19 has impacted businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. In order to maintain your business successes and support your employees during this time, it is critical that you protect employees from illness and discrimination in the workplace. The pandemic has created a number of issues but preventing discrimination remains integral in any entrepreneurial effort.

Casey Dennis, at the time of this post, is a 3L Law student at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law.  She is a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, and a graduate of Texas Tech University. Casey is a Law Lion Ambassador, Student Bar Association Representative, and a Research Assistant for Professor Brand. She intends to pursue a career in Sports & Entertainment Law or Employment Law after graduation.

 

Sources:

https://www.eeoc.govhttp

//www.eeoc.gov/coronavirushttps

//www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-lawshttps

//www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discriminationhttps

//www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/facts-about-racecolor-discriminationhttps

//www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/facts-about-racecolor-discriminationhttps

//www.eeoc.gov/statutes/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964https

//www.eeoc.gov/wysk/message-eeoc-chair-janet-dhillon-national-origin-and-race-discrimination-during-covid-19https

//www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html

Photo sources:

https://www.insperity.com/blog/avoid-discrimination-promoting-employees/

David Breschi | Entrepreneur of the Month | January 2021

By: Matts Batryn

While other words not fit for publication may be better suited describing 2020, it suffices to say that 2020 was an unpleasant year. Everyday life came with unprecedented modifications, some easier to implement and accept than others. While personal day-to-day life changed for many, 2020 also changed the landscape for businesses across America; many faced a heightened “sink-or-swim” environment. Businesses struggled not only to maintain revenue during these difficult economic times but had difficulty integrating their business online for a new, predominately at-home population.

However, some businesses were more than ready to meet the challenges of this new and confusing economic environment.  Madison Settlement Services has met the challenges of 2020 head-on and is now poised to enter 2021 stronger than ever.

defining “settlement services”

I was fortunate enough to sit down with David Breschi, the founder, President & CEO of Madison Settlement Services, and an alumnus of our own Dickinson Law. Of course, by “sit down,” I mean a video call from 3,000 miles away. David practiced law for over 13 years before founding Madison Settlement Services, a successful real estate title insurance business that is headquartered in central Pennsylvania.  The company has grown to include 12 local offices, 90 employees, and over 13,000 combined real estate closings in 2020 alone. David currently resides in Carlisle, Pennsylvania just a stone’s throw from the law school.

David is not shy about the everyday challenges that 2020 has brought, and this is reflected in the successes of Madison Settlement Services.

Much like my initial self, you may be wondering: What are settlement services? This is a fair question to be sure, as I have now learned that the world of “settlement services” is a broad one with many avenues. For David and his ever-expanding team, the focus is on residential & commercial real estate purchases, as well as refinancing and escrow services. The experts at Madison Settlement Services help with title examination, legal review, title insurance, closing cost estimations, and more.

When considering the ramifications of COVID-19 and the real estate market, it is easy to assume that all businesses associated with real estate would be negatively impacted. However, the changing world in 2020 has led to unprecedented trends in both residential and commercial property.

the covid exodus

More and more people are working from home and no longer need to relocate to NYC or DC for their job. They can stay comfortably in surrounding areas such as Pennsylvania; and with record low-interest rates, more people are taking advantage. This trend of an almost mass exodus from large urban areas is a nice dichotomy from the post-war push toward city centers, and it is undoubtedly a tendency that property owners will continue long after the new COVID workforce changes have been implemented.

“We’ve increased our market share and are poised to have our most successful year on record,” says David.

Nevertheless, any success in the realm of real estate can be fleeting, especially during turbulent economic downturns. But Madison Settlement Services has been ahead of the curve in terms of bringing its entire workforce remote and online. “We had everyone set up and working remote within four business days,” beamed David. “I had days where I was personally driving from employee’s house to employee’s house delivering printers and scanners, making sure everyone had the tools to succeed, especially when people were forced to remain at home.”

want success? go the extra mile & create a “culture of caring”

It’s not often you see a CEO moonlighting as a courier and delivering supplies to his employee’s homes, but it’s that type of personal touch that goes a long way in the paperwork-heavy world of real estate settlements. As David explains, this notion of going the extra mile for everyone involved is the overall culture of the company and has been a huge catalyst in recent successes. Personalized aspects of business are all but a distant memory of a COVID-free past decade, and David wants to ensure that will never happen at Madison Settlement Services.

“We have a culture, and the culture is caring. It doesn’t matter if you’re a broker we deal with once a month or if you’re our largest client. We have a policy to answer any calls or emails within 5 to 15 minutes. Having someone to actually talk to that isn’t a voice recording is huge in building trust in today’s climate.”

Clients aside, David also instills the culture of caring into each business decision and employee relationship. He has ended what seems like fortuitous business partnerships or expansions because it becomes evident that the other party does not fit into the culture of caring within Madison Settlement Services.

your legal path may not be “legal”

When one thinks of possible law career paths, Settlement Services is far from the top 100 that normally come to mind. David started his career with similar thinking, as he changed between conventional legal jobs in criminal law and in a law firm.

“You just have to GET IN’’ laughs David.“How can you know if you like or don’t like something without trying it? I wanted to see if these were the careers for me, and ultimately they were not.”

It’s a simple concept, but it is one that resonates with me and I’m sure most other law students. Often those new in the field of law are bombarded with career choices and paths that they have little to no experience with. The analysis paralysis is real, and the fear of choosing the wrong career in law holds many fledgling law students back from broadening their career horizons.

“I wasn’t happy with the work I was doing and after a decade of practicing law I didn’t know where I wanted to go next.”

This “next” arrived quickly when one of David’s associates offered him the opportunity to enter the settlement service industry. David wasted no time securing his foundation of clients and starting Madison Settlement Services. True to his own mantra, David “just got in” and kept going. In real entrepreneurial fashion, David made zero profits for the first four years until the ball really got rolling in year five. Madison Settlement Services is now thriving with well over a dozen regional and national offices across most of the United States. But how does one go from a pure legal background to a business career focused on building a successful business that has now spanned more than 17 years?

the lessons of law in a career in business

“I started with the mindset that you cannot be afraid to fail,” says David. “I saw my goal of wanting to make this my career and I knew what needed to be done. I still wake up every day excited to build on what I’ve started.”  While these elements of wanting it and “entrepreneurial spirit” cannot be measured objectively, David also chalks up his success to his law school education and legal background. He says his experience doing litigation has probably the most influence on the way he approaches business.

“Litigation is all about anticipating and figuring out what the other side needs or wants and what they are likely to do. I do the same by always seeing what the needs of my clients are or what other settlement companies are doing… I learned to think this way through my experiences fighting in litigation.”

Secondly, and I’m not just saying this because I know my Legal Writing professor will read this, David credits the skills he learned in Legal Writing class, as they helped him establish his writing style for business and for writing clearly and concisely; a skill I’m hopefully not too dense to learn.

Seeing David’s unconventional career path with a JD is something I’m grateful for. It’s reassuring for me, and I assume for most other 1Ls, that your first job doesn’t define who you are or that your career path is always linear. The choices upon graduation are often endless, even if it does not seem that way initially. All you have to do is take a chance and “just get in” to something you might enjoy.

Matts Batryn, at the time of this post, is a first-year student at Penn State Dickinson Law. He is from Vancouver, Canada and his future endeavors are set on litigation and trial law.