The FCBA New England Chapter held its Annual Fall Event on October 27, 2026, at Boston College Law School. The Event brought together government, industry, academic, and public-interest perspectives for an afternoon of discussion on cybersecurity and cutting-edge issues involving social media, artificial intelligence, and age assurance.
FCBA President Mia Guizzetti Hayes opened the program with remarks on behalf of the FCBA. Kevin Roberts, General Counsel of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable, welcomed attendees on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Dean Daniel Lyons welcomed the group to Boston College Law School. Sarah Jameson, Assistant Attorney General with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and FCBA New England Chapter Co-Chair, served as emcee.
The first panel examined real-world cybersecurity challenges and the evolving threat landscape, with discussion focused on cybersecurity preparedness, incident response, regulatory and breach-notification obligations, and coordination among government and private-sector stakeholders. The panel also considered the operational challenges organizations face when responding to security incidents and the importance of planning and communication before an incident occurs. Panelists included Louis Kaczmarek, Operational Technology Manager at the Massachusetts Port Authority, John Petrozzelli, Director, Massachusetts Cybersecurity Center, and Pete Saldino, CEO of OpenCape. Michael Baldino, Director and General Counsel of Massachusetts Broadband Institute, and Barlow Keener, Special Counsel, Phillips Lytle LLP, co-moderated the discussion.
The second panel explored cutting-edge issues involving social media, artificial intelligence, and age assurance. The conversation addressed approaches to regulating social media platform design, the privacy and practical challenges associated with age assurance, the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in online services, and the First Amendment and other legal considerations raised by state efforts to regulate social media and protect younger users. Panelists included Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Massachusetts State Representative, Megan Iorio, Senior Counsel and Director of the Platform Governance and Accountability Program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and Kyle Sepe, State Policy Manager for the Northeast Region at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA). Sarah Jameson moderated the discussion.
The New England Chapter thanks Boston College Law School for hosting the event; our sponsors, Day Pitney LLP, Granite Telecommunications, LLC, and Verrill Dana LLP; the FCBA New England Chapter Steering Committee; the event planning subcommittee—Michael Baldino, Sean Carroll, Barlow Keener, Greg Kennan, and Rob Munnelly— and FCBA staff for helping make the program possible. We also thank all of our speakers and attendees for another successful New England Chapter event.
