Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • November 9, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com OPINION & COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Bronin's time to lead L uke Bronin's coronation was completed last week as the Hartford lawyer was officially crowned mayor of the Capital City. The former Rhodes Scholar's victory came as no surprise, but like he, and all candidates who win an election typically say, "the hard work begins now." Bronin's first, and potentially most important task, will be filling out his administra- tion. The top lieutenants he chooses to help run the city will have major influence on policy ideas and implementation and we recommend Bronin establish a committee of business, civic, religious, union and other city leaders to help him fill out his cabinet. As we've seen, having competent leaders in key administrative posts can make or break an administration. For example, the Dillon Stadium debacle, in which a no-name developer with an extensive history of civil lawsuits was granted the rights to oversee a $40 million redevelopment project, caused city hall to lose more of the people's trust. Bronin must not only work hard to untangle the Dillon Stadium mess, but also re- establish credibility in the mayor's office. The tone on election night at the Real Art Ways, where Bronin's campaign camped out, was celebratory, but there was also a sense that the first-time mayor won't be greeted by much of a honeymoon period. Indeed, with budget talks set to get underway shortly after the new year, Bronin will have little time to bask in his victory, especially when another sig- nificant deficit awaits. Much of the low-hanging fruit to cut expenses or move around city funds has already been picked at in recent years, leaving incredibly tough decisions ahead. Bronin's strong alliance with his former boss, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, bodes well for Hartford, because the city needs state legislative support to help rectify its problems. Building a long-term sustainable budget and curbing Hartford's exorbitant com- mercial property tax rate remain top priorities for the business community, along with reducing poverty, gun violence and the education gap. Bronin brings much hope to Hartford's city hall. Let's hope he delivers on his promises. E. Hartford casino makes most sense We don't believe a third Connecticut casino will be an answer to Connecticut's budget crisis, but if a new gambling hall is to be built in the state, it should be in East Hartford. A casino at the former Showcase Cinemas property, just off the town's Silver Lane business corridor, makes the most sense to curtail gamblers from going to the MGM Springfield casino, which is currently under construction. East Hartford's central location and access Connecticut's major highways, particu- larly those that guide travelers to Springfield, makes the town a natural choice. But it's also the location that could leverage the most economic impact. The gaming facility, for example, would draw more traffic to support the proposed Outlet Shoppes at Rent- schler Field, a long-delayed project that could revive a once-vibrant commercial strip that Pratt & Whitney and Rentschler Field now anchor. In addition, vibrant East Hartford retail and gaming destinations would have a positive spillover effect on the Capital City, drawing more patrons to fill Hartford's bars and restaurants as well as sporting venues, including the new Dunkin' Donuts stadium and the XL Center. Other towns interested in a casino, including East Windsor, could potentially make good gaming destinations. But they lack the central location and nexus to the Capital City that East Hartford offers. Of course issues like increased traffic and crime are a concern, but East Hartford's potential offers the most upside. n HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL What is Mayor Luke Bronin's biggest challenge? ● Running the city more efficiently ● Balancing budget ● Improving schools ● Reducing unemployment To vote, go online to HartfordBusiness.com. Last week's poll results: Where is the best location for a third CT casino? 45.9% East Hartford 11.8% Hartford 10.6% East Windsor 31.8% Bradley Airport OTHER VOICES Patent trolls: Extortion at the expense of innovation By Ben Berman A n unforeseen burden has plagued Con- necticut businesses over the last decade. Between 2005 and 2015, a practice known as "patent trolling" has increased fivefold. Patent trolls use vaguely written patents to threaten or file frivolous lawsuits against their victims, mostly small and medium-sized business owners. Then they take advan- tage of the extremely high cost of patent lit- igation to force settle- ments, even when the victim knows they've done nothing wrong. For the last four years the company where I work, KAYAK, has been battling a lawsuit brought by a patent troll called Source Search Technologies. More than $3 million in legal costs and nearly a half decade in the courtroom were lost to this battle — resources that should have been invested in innovation, job creation and continuing to make online travel better. The experience we faced at KAYAK is far from unique. The latest numbers from Uni- fied Patents show 2015 is on track to be the most litigious year yet, with trolls account- ing for 68 percent of all patent suits and 90 percent of high-tech patent suits. While we recently celebrated a victory in our case, Source Search also extracted $9.5 million from another company on the same patent we just invalidated. They know that few small busi- nesses have the means and resources to pursue a case to its verdict. Regardless of whether you choose to settle or fight, these troll suits have a long-lasting and irreparable impact on busi- nesses that may include a reduction in employ- ees, slowed product development, delayed mar- ket entry and stymied customer trust. Though we pride ourselves on being a global brand and the world's leading travel search engine, KAYAK was founded, and remains headquartered, in Connecticut. Instead of putting our resources toward add- ing more talent to our team and fueling our innovation pipeline we are diverting resourc- es to attorney fees. Unfortunately, the current system does little to discourage trolls, and defendants don't have the tools to fight back. That's why I am encouraged to see growing support behind patent reform bills in both the U.S. House and Senate. Connecticut has an important role to play in this fight; our legislators in Congress are in key positions to help pass these bills and stop patent trolls from abusing our legal system. Both the House's Innovation Act and the Senate's PATENT Act discourage the troll model that has destroyed far too many small businesses. These bills aim to bring clarity to patent litigation so a company can make informed judgments about whether the case is valid and give them the means to fight back if they believe a case is without merit. It is essential that we pass this legislation to ensure companies like KAYAK are able to continue to contribute to a thriving economy here in Connecticut and beyond. n Ben Berman is the general counsel, cor- porate secretary and compliance officer of Stamford travel software developer KAYAK. Ben Berman EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT Habits of highly effective networkers By Andy Singer I f you are in business, you need to network, it's that simple. Some are better at it than others are, but we all need to seek continu- ous improvement of this critical skill. You may not feel the need to grow your network today, but trust me, at some point you will. With this in mind, here are several habits of highly effective networkers: 1. Think win- win-win: Network- ing is best when you spread the love. Not only should you look for opportunities to help others, but you should also seek to leverage your net- work and become a rainmaker by bring- ing people together to achieve more. Think about how you can maximize value for a new contact and your existing network. 2. Be prepared: Being prepared means you need to be open to networking and place yourself in the right venues. Be certain to bring enough business cards for the event and always have a few in your wallet no matter where you go. You should also have a well rehearsed "ele- vator pitch" about how you and your organiza- tion add value. 3. Seek first to help: You will find that life is more fulfilling when you seek to help others first. Ask questions to show your interest and learn about the other person. Once you know what they are involved with you can share tips that may help them and also offer to introduce them to people in your network that may prove useful. 4. Be proactive: Activity is always better than inactivity. Don't wait until you get fired to network. Additionally, when networking, be pro- active, but don't act like a vulture seeking its prey. 5. Don't ignore your current network: Always allocate time to maintain your rela- tionship inventory with your current network. Remember, quality always beats quantity. Set time aside each month to work through part of your list of contacts and see how people are doing and how you can help them. n Andy Singer is the president of Singer Executive Development, a professional training and development company that helps optimize business performance. Andy Singer

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