Last week, BBDO, one of the world's most celebrated agencies, launched a new global positioning: Do Big Things. What's working well about it and what's not working so well about it? Here are my thoughts.By Vasanth

On this special edition of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast series, technology and IP transactions partner Regina Sam Penti is joined by Dr. Vasanth Sarathy, a professor of computer science at Tufts University and a Ropes & Gray alum. Together, they delve into the technical and business implications of DeepSeek, a Chinese app and model tha…

One of the most common conundrums in AI is the ideal level of regulation. Are we regulating it sufficiently to prevent the well-documented risks of AI such as copyright violations, amplification of human biases, and the extreme scenario of an AI apocalypse? At the same time, are we ensuring that a quagmire of over-regulation doesn't strangle this n…

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, M&A counsel Sarah Davis is joined by alums Jenn Borggaard and Rob Shapiro to discuss the rewarding experience of serving on boards. Rob, a retired partner, and Jenn, a former associate and now a co-founder and partner at AlderBrook Advisors, share their personal journeys to board members…

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, private equity partner Carl Marcellino interviews #1 New York Times-best-selling novelist, comic book writer and musician Charles Soule, who was an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2000-2004. They discuss how Charles built a creative life while practicing as a lawyer. Charles shares his ex…

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, health care partner Christina Bergeron interviews alum Eric Yecies, chief legal officer and general counsel at LifeMD. Eric discusses his journey from practicing IP litigation as an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2004–2008 to becoming a key figure in a publicly traded telehealth company.…

In this installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions group co-leader Marko Zatylny interviews alum George Kopcsay, general counsel of Atlas Air. George was an associate at Ropes & Gray for five years before going in-house at Atlas, where he has been for 13 years. George talks about the experience of taking the co…

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, life sciences partner Amanda Austin, who’s also a member of the firm’s alumni committee, interviews alum and friend Heidy (Abreu) King-Jones, former chief legal officer at Provention Bio. Heidy was an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2008 – 2013, after which she took in-house rol…

Did you know you can shop for surgeries, and not compromise on quality? Did you know direct pay surgeries may actually save you money? How are surgery prices decided? If you find a place that can get you the surgery for cheaper, how do you navigate insurance? Dr. Kainkaryam joins a conversation with founders of Wellbridge Surgical Dr. Eric Inman, D…

Do you need insurance to see a Physical Therapist? Is everyone an athlete? How do you become a physical therapist? What is the difference between evidence-based vs. evidence-informed medicine? How do you choose the right Physical Therapist? When does imaging play a role? Dr. Kainkaryam chats with Roger St. Onge, founder of Move Athletics and host o…

What is an Occupational Therapist? What does does integrative medicine like Yoga have to do with Occupational Therapy? How does an Occupational Therapist differ than a Lactation Consultant for newborn feeding? How can Journey Dance help you? Dr. Kainkaryam chats with Jennifer Hirschberg-Wise, an Occupational Therapist and founder of Radiant Journey…

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions partner Abby Gregor interviews Beibei Sun, senior corporate counsel of global licensing and business development at Sanofi. Beibei was an associate in the life sciences group at Ropes & Gray before joining Sanofi in 2021. At Sanofi, she supports the speci…

How do you set goals? How do you figure out what to achieve? How do you plan success? Can a vision board help? Why is it important to say "no"? Can ikigai help us? How do we change our behaviors, especially when the largest determinant of health is human behavior? Dr. Kainkaryam discusses it all with our guest Scott Weiss, Founder of Kay Journal an…

Are you struggling feeding your child? Are you frustrated that one day they love their food but another day they don’t? What tools do you use to ensure your kids get good nutrition? What about organic or non-organic foods? What role does dessert play? How do we eat healthy knowing the rising epidemic of pediatric obesity? We discuss it all with our…

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, health care partner Ben Wilson interviews Erin Abood, senior university counsel at Stanford University. Erin was a health care associate at Ropes & Gray for five years before joining the in-house team at Stanford in 2010. Her practice focuses on digital health, international me…

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast series, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Ryan Dickey, a cybercrime and intellectual property prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. Ryan started his legal career at Ropes & Gray with plans to become a patent litigator. He talks about how his career goals sh…

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, life sciences and health care partner Michael Beauvais interviews Julie Constable, vice president of legal and compliance at Blackstone. Julie spent almost a decade at Ropes & Gray as an associate before taking a senior legal role at Blackstone. Julie talks about…

My second book and first novel, The People From Beyond The Mountains, came out recently. Here are my thoughts about this climate change novel and how I went about writing it. Please get your copy from the links below. E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C38C5G5 Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BY81SNV…

People often think that HIPAA is there to help prevent people from finding out about their personal information. In actuality, the law actually focuses on the "portability" and "accountability" of such data, and where and how it can be shared. In casual lingo, people often joke around, "oh that's HIPAA" or "that's a HIPAA violation," and even medic…

When Coca-Cola fans went to town with memes after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a water bottle, it showed the power of a brand like Coca-Cola to inspire people to build the brand for them. Is it just a case of lightning in a bottle, or is there more method to fan-driven brand building?By Vasanth

People often confuse health insurance with health care. They are NOT the same. Insurance is a way of PAYING for care, and is not care in itself. Health insurance is also just ONE way of paying for higher cost care. There are other ways to pay for care, one of which is medical cost sharing. Many individuals have chosen this method of paying for high…

COVID has changed the way we work and live. Unemployment rates went up. But did you know that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have an unemployment rate of over 80% at baseline? Imagine if you went through school only to be told that you may not have a job afterwards? So what is life like in these families? In this authe…

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes in a doctor's life? Or why your visits may last only 8-12 minutes? Did you know doctor's may get pay cuts if they don't see a certain number of patients a day, or if they don't bill a certain amount of money? In this behind-the-scenes season premiere of 4 Elements of Health Care, Dr. Vasanth Kainkaryam, Fo…

Why do we always need to go back several decades for the greatest examples of advertising copywriting? Has the craft taken a beating in recent years? Or has it simply evolved?By Vasanth

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, asset management partner Jason Brown interviews Jacob Comer, general counsel and chief compliance officer at NovaQuest Capital Management, a leading investor in life sciences and health care companies. Jacob began his career at Ropes & Gray in 2003 as an investme…

The year of COVID - is there an end in sight? Well, besides the fact that the calendar year is coming to a close, there may be a vaccine soon! But it's the first of its kind. What do we know about it? What do we know about vaccines in general? Why do we vaccinate? In this episode, we explore some of these questions and share some insights on the ne…

Advertising's portrayal of men gravitates towards two extremes: Powerful alpha males and powerless weaklings. Why don't we have a more nuanced portrayal of men and masculinity?By Vasanth

Ageism in advertising is a topic that rears its head from time to time. What can older professionals do to shield themselves from it? What can they learn from those who have successfully stayed relevant in their 60s and 70s?By Vasanth

A sneak peek into my new book (Cultural Engineering: The role of brands in a changing world) and the philosophy underpinning it. For the full scoop, get the Paperback from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6MVD12 or the E-book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXKRPMTBy Vasanth

A picture's worth a thousand words...but is it worth over a thousand dollars? In this episode, we explore the world of medical imaging, as we look at access and costs, and learn about a company that is fundamentally shifting how that is approached. Join us in discussion with with Lucas Takahashi, CEO and Co-Founder of Medmo, as we explore their inn…

As we reflect over the past few months and look ahead, it has been a time when big decisions have been made, and will continue to be made. But how are some of these decisions made - at the town level, state level and federal level? What is the role of advocacy, and how do we ensure that our voice is heard? Join us in discussion with CT State Senato…

It's Father's Day. That's a good day to look at one of the most enduring tropes in advertising: the father-son trope.By Vasanth

Brands today know that they cannot be silent on social issues. Black Lives Matter is no exception. But are brands wading into the topic in the right way? Which brands are a shining example of brand purpose and which are just virtue signaling?By Vasanth

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Jason Idilbi, general counsel at Passport Labs, a mobility software platform that facilitates mobile parking and transit ticketing applications. Jason reflects on his “non-linear” legal career path, which began at Rop…

Healthcare marketing has become a happening space over the past few years. What has caused this wave of excitement in a category that was not always exciting in the past?By Vasanth

A new marketing discipline has exploded onto the scene in recent years: Trendjacking. What's the best way to do it? Why are some attempts more successful than others?By Vasanth

There's a big difference between a good idea and a good piece of work. So many ideas get lost in the gap between idea and execution. What can ensure that the original vision comes to fruition?By Vasanth

Physical activity and exercise - it's important, and we struggle. 42% of adults in the US have obesity, so why isn't our health system working? Do we struggle with motivation? Do we surround ourselves with the right people? Are all approaches to fitness the same, and how do you think about your own? And now more than ever, with COVID-19 stressors a…

We've often extolled the virtues of local insights in advertising. But how many of these local insights are truly local? Are universal insights masquerading as local insights?By Vasanth

Some people think of it as a conflict between Data and Creativity. I believe that Data and creativity can do wonderful things together, and the symbiosis can power creativity and the greater good.By Vasanth

In the latest episode of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Alex Roberts, who left the firm eight years ago and is now an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. In this lively conversation, Alex gives a vivid picture of her life as a professor—from t…

Amid the stressors that are impacting the entire world in this pandem(ic)onium, let's pause for a second to reflect on how we cope. Why do we have stigma against those afflicted with communicable disease? How do we cope with our stress? Can Qi Gong help us be more mindful and centered? Can something as simple as being aware of our breathing help? J…

In conversation with Dr. Geeta Nayyar, one of the Top 25 Women in Health IT, we discuss the current reality of technology in health care. Can doctors access all of your records? Will artificial intelligence be a part of your care in the future? What is your relationship with the health record - both as a patient and as a provider? And finally, how …

Kicking off The Sunny Side podcast with a hot topic in advertising today: Are marketers better-off with in-house creative teams or external creative agencies?By Vasanth

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, health care partner Christine Moundas interviews her former colleague, Jennifer Bealer, who left Ropes & Gray in 2017 to become executive vice president and general counsel of Progyny, a leading fertility benefits management company. Within two years of joining P…

In conversation with Gil Addo, CEO and Co-Founder of RubiconMD, e-consult platform, learn about how they are extending the knowledge of medical subspecialists to primary care physicians. Did you know that up to 40% medical specialist consults may not be necessary? Did you know there are options to tap into the knowledge of subspecialists without bu…

When 36% of health outcomes is determined by individual behavior, how do we tap into the mind-body connection to influence some of those behavior challenges? Perhaps hypnosis can help us? Learn about what hynpotherapy is, how to find a good hynotherapist, and what studies have shown in terms of the benefit of hypnosis on conditions such as irritabl…

The "M" Word - "Money" - something that is not often discussed in the clinical encounter. Let's learn about different ways of paying for healthcare, find out some fascinating statistics, and learn how to better be informed on options for how to contain your costs when you get care. Learn about medical cost-sharing communities, and other insightful …

Health care in America is broken. We spend the most out of many countries on health care, and yet among developed countries our quality is among the worst. Why? Because the system doesn't allow us to develop true relationships with our patients. In our inaugural episode, we are joined by Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, CEO and Co-Founder at Iora Health …

In the second installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, strategic transactions partner Megan Baca is joined by Ropes & Gray alum Sabrina Ross for a wide-ranging conversation about Sabrina’s journey from Ropes & Gray associate to global head of policy for Uber’s ridesharing marketplace. This candid and engaging convers…