Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping industries and creating unprecedented opportunities. However, this transformative power comes with complex legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges. Establishing robust AI governance is no longer just a best practice—it’s a fundamental necessity for organizations aiming to innovate responsibly, ensure compliance, and build trust. At Richt Law Firm, we provide a range of artificial intelligence (AI) legal services, including AI governance and related privacy compliance, to help clients navigate this intricate landscape.
Why AI Governance Matters in Today’s Digital Age
AI governance encompasses the comprehensive framework of policies, standards, procedures, and oversight mechanisms that direct the ethical, transparent, lawful, and secure development and deployment of AI technologies. As highlighted by industry resources like Diligent’s guide on AI Governance: What it is & How to Implement It, effective governance is crucial. With the advent of groundbreaking regulations such as the European Union’s AI Act, emerging U.S. state laws, and increasing global regulatory scrutiny (including guidance from the FTC on AI), organizations lacking proper governance face significant risks. These include hefty regulatory penalties, complex litigation, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.
Key objectives of a strong AI governance program include:
- Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to AI-specific laws, as well as privacy laws from around the world, intellectual property with a focus on copyright implications, and consumer protection regulations.
- Mitigating Critical Risks: Actively identifying and reducing risks associated with bias, discrimination, and unfair or unintended AI outcomes.
- Establishing Accountability & Transparency: Implementing clear lines of responsibility and ensuring AI decision-making processes are understandable and explainable.
- Protecting Valuable Assets: Safeguarding personal and otherwise protected or sensitive data used in AI systems from vendors and protecting the intellectual property embedded within them.
- Preparing for Adversarial Scenarios: Building readiness for AI-related litigation, regulatory inquiries, and investigations.
Our Comprehensive AI Governance Legal Services
We offer a full suite of legal services tailored to meet your organization’s unique AI governance needs. We guide you through creating and implementing effective governance that supports innovation while managing risk.
1. AI Governance Framework Development
We partner with you to design, develop, and implement structured AI governance frameworks that are meticulously aligned with your business objectives and current regulatory landscapes. This foundational service includes drafting bespoke AI policies, operational procedures, ethical guidelines, and practical checklists to manage AI systems throughout their entire lifecycle—from initial concept and development through deployment, ongoing monitoring, and periodic auditing. We draw upon established best practices, such as those outlined in resources like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, to inform our tailored approach.
2. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Assessment
We conduct thorough AI risk assessments in conjunction with related privacy impact assessments (PIAs) to identify your organization’s specific compliance obligations. We analyze the impact of global and domestic laws, including the EU AI Act, FTC directives, GDPR, state comprehensive privacy laws such as the CCPA, and evolving U.S. state AI legislation. We then advise on robust mitigation strategies and assist in implementing effective controls and top AI compliance strategies to minimize legal exposure and prevent costly fines and penalties.
3. AI Contracting & Third-Party Vendor Management
The procurement and integration of third-party AI solutions requires careful legal scrutiny. We focus on drafting and negotiating AI-related contracts with data processing agreements (DPAs), including critical vendor agreements with major AI platform providers such as Amazon’s AWS Bedrock AI and Microsoft Azure AI. Our focus is on ensuring favorable terms that address data usage rights, model training restrictions, robust indemnification clauses, and clear liability protections.
4. AI Ethics, Bias Mitigation & Public Affairs
Beyond legal compliance, ethical AI deployment is paramount. We provide strategic counsel on establishing ethical AI principles, implementing bias detection and mitigation strategies, conducting fairness audits, and developing corporate social responsibility initiatives. Our goal is to help you foster trustworthy AI adoption that aligns with public expectations and enhances your brand reputation.
5. Employee Training, Corporate Governance, & Board Advisory on AI
We provide AI employee training and advise boards of directors and senior management on their fiduciary duties concerning AI risk oversight. This includes helping to establish appropriate corporate governance structures and reporting mechanisms to ensure responsible AI deployment and maintain compliance with rapidly evolving legal and ethical standards.
Why Partner with Richt Law Firm for Your AI Governance Needs?
- AI Legal Experience: We possess deep, focused knowledge of the multifaceted legal landscape surrounding AI, encompassing privacy, intellectual property, employment law, and complex regulatory frameworks.
- Proactive Regulatory Foresight: We are committed to staying at the forefront of global AI legislative and regulatory developments, including new U.S. state laws and international standards, ensuring your AI governance strategy remains current and effective.
- Tailored, Actionable Solutions: We understand that one-size-fits-all solutions are inadequate for AI governance. Our frameworks are customized to your organization’s specific industry, size, risk appetite, and operational realities, ensuring practical and effective implementation.
- Integrated Cross-Disciplinary Approach: Our counsel uniquely blends technological understanding, legal acumen, and ethical considerations to provide holistic and robust AI governance advice.
- Your Trusted Advisor in AI Law: We aim to become an extension of your team, working collaboratively with your legal, compliance, IT, and business units to embed strong AI governance principles into your corporate DNA and operational processes.
Chart Your Course in the Age of AI
The responsible adoption of AI technology requires a proactive and comprehensive approach to governance. To discuss how your organization can build a resilient AI governance program that ensures legal compliance, effectively manages risk, and fosters sustainable, ethical AI innovation, please contact the Richt Law Firm for a consultation.
AI Governance Legal Developments
- AI Data Security: Best Practices for Securing Data Used to Train & Operate AI Systems: CISA, the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and international partners released AI Data Security: Best Practices for Securing Data Used to Train & Operate AI Systems. This guidance highlights the critical role of data security in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and trustworthiness of AI outcomes. It outlines key risks that may arise from data security and integrity issues across all phases of the AI lifecycle, from development and testing to deployment and operation. Read More
- FPF and OneTrust publish the Updated Guide on Conformity Assessments under the EU AI Act: The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and OneTrust have published an updated version of their Conformity Assessments under the EU AI Act: A Step-by-Step Guide, along with an accompanying Infographic. This updated Guide reflects the text of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AIA), adopted in 2024. Read More
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework: In collaboration with the private and public sectors, NIST has developed a framework to better manage risks to individuals, organizations, and society associated with artificial intelligence (AI). The NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) is intended for voluntary use and to improve the ability to incorporate trustworthiness considerations into the design, development, use, and evaluation of AI products, services, and systems. Read More