Expert Analysis

• What's Ahead As Transparency Act Comes To A Crossroads

  

  Synthesizing the contrasting federal district and appellate court rulings on the Corporate Transparency Act’s validity reveals several main areas of debate that will likely remain at issue as challenges to the law continue winding through the courts, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

• Preparing For Mexican Drug Cartels' Terrorist Designation

  

  In the event President-elect Donald Trump designates Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, businesses will need to consider how their particular industry is affected and evaluate previously legitimate practices given the cartels' involvement so many sectors of the economy, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• UBS Ruling Shows SDNY's Pro-Award Confirmation Stance

  

  A New York federal court's recent ruling upholding an arbitration award in Lakah v. UBS, a long-running dispute over a bond debt default, serves as a reminder that New York courts carry a strong presumption toward binding parties to arbitration agreements and enforcing arbitral awards, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

• Where Payments Law And Regulation Are Headed In 2025

  

  The Trump administration will likely bring significant changes to payments regulations in 2025, but maintaining internal compliance efforts in the absence of robust federal oversight will remain key as state authorities and private plaintiffs step into the breach, say attorneys at Stinson.

• How Decline Of Deference Will Affect Trump Policymaking

  

  An administrative law regime without Chevron deference may limit the Trump administration’s ability to implement new policies in the short term, but ultimately help it in the long term, and all parties with an interest in regulatory changes will have to take a fresh approach to litigation, say attorneys at Covington.

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  Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.

• National Trust Bank Charter Can Widen Reach Of Fintech Cos.

  

  U.S. fintech companies that want to expand nationwide are at a competitive disadvantage with foreign companies, which can much more easily branch into the U.S., but setting up a national trust bank charter could offer a path forward, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

• 6 Predictions For Cyber Risk And Insurance In 2025

  

  This year is likely to bring with it some thorny and expensive cyber challenges, including increased ransomware activity, more data breach class actions and continued efforts to define business interruption loss calculations, say attorneys at Wiley.

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  Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  While the last quarter of 2024 didn't bring any notable state financial legislation, Illinois banks did see developments in the challenge to the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, and received some awaited guidance on credit line disclosures and bank-fintech relationships, say attorneys at Dykema.

• 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

  

  President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

• How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

  

  Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

• E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

  

  Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Impact Of Successful Challenges To SEC's Rulemaking Ability

  

  In 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission faced significant legal challenges to its aggressive rulemaking agenda as several of its rules were vacated by the Fifth Circuit, which could hinder the SEC's ability to enact rules extending beyond express statutory authority in the future, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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  NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  In 2024's final quarter, the New York State Department of Financial Services published guidance on mitigating the rising cybersecurity risks of artificial intelligence and remote technology workers with North Korean ties, and the state attorney general launched an antitrust investigation into Capital One's proposed Discover merger, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

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  Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.