New York State Bar Association President appointed to NYU Metaverse Collaborative Advisory Board

New York State Bar Association President appointed to NYU Metaverse Collaborative Advisory Board

10.13.2022

By Susan DeSantis

Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, has been appointed to a newly-formed ten-member advisory board that will help steer NYU’s School of Professional Studies as it collaborates with industry partners to prepare for the transformative effect of the rapidly-developing virtual world.

“I am honored to be at the forefront of this collaborative effort,” Levin Wallach said. “Web3 and the metaverse will have implications on all aspects of our lives. NYU is bringing together students, industry leaders, researchers and the legal profession to educate about the impact of these new technologies and engage in the metaverse. Lawyers are critical for envisioning the best way to shape and support the future.”

Levin Wallach discussed the importance of the legal community’s role in the metaverse at a fireside chat with Marc Beckman, senior fellow NYU Metaverse, and best-selling author of “The Comprehensive Guide: NFTs, Digital Artwork, Blockchain Technology.” The chat took place  October 14th at the NYU Kimmel Center of University Life, 60 Washington Square South, New York City. Topics included celebrity promotion on Web3, an artist’s use of protected intellectual property for creative expression and the conveyance of rights via smart contracts.

The New York State Bar Association announced earlier this month that it had launched a task force to educate the legal community and make recommendations about how and if the state should regulate the digital economy. It will also advise the association about what the new technology can do for its operations. Alfred David Steiner, a partner at Mesiter & Steiner and a member of the NYSBA Task Force on Emerging Digital Finance and Currency, will also take part in the fireside chat.

“The rapid growth of the metaverse, Web3 and the digital economy present a confluence of issues for lawyers,” Levin Wallach said when she launched the task force. “At the same time, this technology has the power to significantly change the way we do business, bank, and interact both personally and professionally. It’s important that we are in front of the issues and able to engage productively in this quickly evolving space.”

Beckman, founding partner and chief executive officer, DMA United, is a consultant to the New York State Bar Association’s task force and a member of the newly-appointed NYU Metaverse Collaborative Advisory Board.

In announcing the board, NYU’s School of Professional Studies said the advisory panel would help NYU develop strategic alliances and partnerships that benefit industry partners and the NYU community. The New York State Bar Association is proud to be a part of this collaborative.

The NYU Metaverse Advisory Board will be chaired by the School of Professional Studies Dean Angie Kamath. In addition to Levin Wallach and Beckman, the NYU advisory board includes:

• Dele Atanda, founder and chief executive officer, metaMe and Metaiye Media
• Rustom Dastoor, EVP Marketing Mastercard
• Dale Imerman, global director of metaverse partnerships, WPP
• Charlie Isaacs, chief technology officer, customer connection, Salesforce.com
• Joanne Sheppard, senior vice president, strategy and investment, Holtzbrinck
• Mandeep Singh, senior research analyst, Bloomberg
• Clay Shirky, vice provost, educational technology, NYU