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Cannabis
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September 12, 2024
Mass. Pot Regulator Gets Acting Head, Fired Chair To Appeal
The Massachusetts cannabis regulator has a new acting chair, as state Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg on Thursday appointed a temporary replacement after her decision to fire Shannon O'Brien, who intends to appeal the termination.
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September 12, 2024
UK Says Illicit Cigarette Crackdown Halves Tobacco Tax Gap
HM Revenue & Customs said Thursday it has slashed the tax gap on cigarettes and other tobacco products by more than half since 2005.
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September 12, 2024
Verrill Lands Pot Pro To Build New Cannabis Practice
Verrill Dana LLP has brought in a veteran attorney with extensive experience in cannabis law and criminal justice initiatives, including co-founding the Georgia Innocence Project, as a partner in its Portland, Maine office, as it looks to grow its services for the state's booming marijuana industry.
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September 11, 2024
Litigation Spending To Rise As Cases Grow More Aggressive
A substantial number of large companies are expecting to increase their litigation spending by double digits next year in the face of more complex and hard-fought cases — and they are more open to bringing in new legal talent to navigate the matters, according to a report released Thursday.
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September 11, 2024
Top Calif. Biz Bills Sitting On Gov. Newsom's Desk
Among the hundreds of bills awaiting California Governor Gavin Newsom's signature are a number that would create new guidelines for Golden State employers, healthcare industry players, as well as artificial intelligence labeling, textile recycling and increasing criminal penalties for corporate malfeasance by tens of millions of dollars.
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September 11, 2024
Department Of Homeland Security's Top Lawyer Steps Down
The Department of Homeland Security's top lawyer has resigned from his position in the administration, according to a LinkedIn post.
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September 11, 2024
Federal Pot Ban Out Of Step With The Times, 1st Circ. Told
A group of cannabis businesses told the First Circuit the federal government no longer has a reasonable basis for prohibiting state-regulated marijuana, saying Congress has clearly changed its tune on pot commerce in the more than half-century since the ban was passed.
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September 10, 2024
Security Co. Loses $300M Pot Suit Over Lack Of Attorney
A New York federal judge tossed a $300 million lawsuit from an Illinois security company that claimed the business was convinced to do free surveillance camera work at hundreds of New York cannabis facilities with promises of a state contract that never came, because the plaintiff missed a pretrial conference and can't represent themselves anyway.
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September 10, 2024
Womble Bond Eyes Growth, Not Layoffs, With New Tie-Up
The merger between Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP is not about cutting costs because of mounting competition, the international law firm's U.S. boss told Law360 on Tuesday. It's about growth in the U.S., the U.K. — and beyond.
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September 10, 2024
Manatt Phelps Grows Pot Practice With Special Counsel Hire
Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP on Tuesday revealed the latest expansion of its cannabis and CBD practice, saying it has hired a former Barclay Damon LLP attorney who specializes in corporate, tax and regulatory issues for clients including retail dispensary licensees, cultivators and multistate operators.
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September 10, 2024
Ballot Selfie Can't Tank Cannabis Firm Election, Union Argues
A United Food and Commercial Workers union local blasted a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary for trying to throw out a union election based on one worker's voluntary photograph of his ballot, telling the National Labor Relations Board that its precedent supports tossing only that vote and not the whole election.
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September 09, 2024
Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: Benefits, Cannabis, Taxes
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's September schedule will have the justices pondering when to cancel tax exemptions for hospitals, if stormwater fees are taxes in disguise, and the potential resurrection of requiring medical marijuana products to be tested and approved by two separate laboratories.
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September 09, 2024
Wash. Justices Disbar Atty For Theft From Cannabis Investors
Washington state's high court has ordered an attorney be disbarred for mishandling client funds, lying to investors who poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into a cannabis venture and failing to disclose conflicts of interest, adopting the state bar association's disciplinary recommendations despite objections from the lawyer.
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September 09, 2024
Student Vaping Down By Half-Million Kids, CDC Says
The number of young people who vape has decreased by roughly half a million, a "monumental public health win," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but anti-tobacco advocates say more progress must be made through "crackdowns."
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September 09, 2024
Meta Wants Mike Huckabee's Fake CBD Ad Suit Tossed
Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. asked a Delaware federal judge to throw out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's suit alleging it allowed false advertisements claiming he endorsed CBD gummies on its popular social media platform, arguing the claims are clearly barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
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September 09, 2024
NJ Court Won't Rush UAW's Smoking Law Case Appeal
The New Jersey Appellate Division rejected the United Auto Workers' emergency bid to overturn the dismissal of its suit alleging a law excluding casino workers from secondhand smoking protections violates the state constitution, according to a Friday order.
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September 09, 2024
Ore. Seeks Dismissal Of Psilocybin Disabilities Suit
Oregon's health regulator has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging aspects of the state's pioneering regulated psilocybin treatment program, saying that the program's illegality under federal law makes the lawsuit untenable.
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September 06, 2024
Payroll Co. Didn't Pay For Cannabis Client Referrals, Suit Says
The founder of a now-closed payroll and human resources provider that largely served the cannabis industry claims he was never compensated for selling its client list to a Colorado rival, Comploy Inc., and is now demanding $161,000 and interest.
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September 06, 2024
Calif. Gov. Targets Hemp Intoxicants With Emergency Ban
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced emergency regulations banning products derived from industrial hemp that contain any intoxicating cannabinoids, and setting an age minimum of 21 years to purchase hemp products.
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September 06, 2024
Three Defendants Settle SEC's $14M Pot Co. Securities Suit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached settlements with three defendants who allegedly misappropriated $14 million in investment funds intended for a cannabis enterprise, with the three agreeing to pay back a total of more than $4 million in disgorgements and interest and $3 million in civil penalties.
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September 05, 2024
Lawmakers, AGs Urge Justices To OK Denial Of E-Cig Apps
A coalition of state attorneys general and a group of Democratic Congress members are backing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its fight to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision striking down the denials of applications to market flavored vapes.
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September 05, 2024
Colo. Cannabis Co. Manager Stole $150K, Suit Claims
The two marijuana entrepreneurs behind the Euflora chain are once again back in court, with one of them accusing the other of stealing at least $150,000 from their enterprise, possibly to cover unpaid loans and taxes, according to a lawsuit filed in Colorado state court, which claimed the alleged theft comes after a string of erratic behavior.
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September 05, 2024
Attys' Group Urges Justices To Back Trucker's CBD RICO Suit
The American Association for Justice is urging the Supreme Court to side with a trucker whose racketeering claims against CBD companies allege their false advertisements cost him his job, arguing that the plain text of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows his claims of injury to "business or property."
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September 04, 2024
4th Circ. Sets Legal Hemp Standard In THC Firing Case
A split Fourth Circuit panel on Wednesday set a standard for the legality of hemp products, although it still found that a real estate company worker claiming she was illegally fired for testing positive for a THC substance didn't back her disability bias claims.
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September 04, 2024
Mich. Voters Can't Advance Pot Initiatives, Panel Rules
A Michigan state appeals court sided with four cities Tuesday to block ballot initiatives that would have created regulatory schemes for the licensing and zoning of cannabis businesses, finding state law limits citizens' say and gives the power to write marijuana regulations only to cities.
Expert Analysis
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Series
Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
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FDA's Multifaceted Role On Display In MDMA Therapy Scrutiny
Ongoing deliberations at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder serves as a window into the intricate balance of scientific innovation and patient safety oversight, and offers crucial insights into regulatory nuances, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Kevin Lanzo at Pharmaka Clinical Consulting.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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Series
Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.
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Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice
The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.