Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Rule Of Law Requires Gov't Engagement With Bar, Not Retreat

  

  A federal agency's absence from national and local bar conferences, most recently illustrated by the U.S. Department of Justice's withdrawal from a New York City Bar Association white collar conference, disserves the bar, the government lawyers themselves and, ultimately, the administration of justice, says Muhammad Faridi at Linklaters.

• AG Watch: Oregon's Strategic Civil Enforcement Approach

  

  Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s recent antitrust litigation activity and proposed staffing increase are the latest in a series of structural and policy changes that signal that the state Department of Justice is taking a more aggressive approach to civil enforcement, says Keturah Taylor at Cozen O'Connor.

• How Nasdaq's 23/5 Rule Will Alter Public Offering Strategies

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent approval of Nasdaq's proposal to extend trading hours to 23 hours a day, five days a week, may reshape how certain public offerings are executed, particularly for confidentially marketed public offerings, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

• How Boards Can Shrink The AI Governance Gap

  

  While companies have overwhelmingly embraced artificial intelligence, most lack corresponding governance structures and director-level fluency to oversee these programs, highlighting the importance of board and executive supervision to keep pace with growing litigation risk, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• Fannie, Freddie AI Rules Raise Stakes For Mortgage Lenders

  

  Artificial intelligence governance frameworks recently released by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac impose monitoring and vendor oversight standards on mortgage lenders, potentially reshaping secondary-market eligibility, fair lending reviews and risk management as compliance deadlines approach, says Brendan Palfreyman at Harris Beach.

• Aviation Watch: Product Safety Lessons From The UPS Crash

  

  The National Transportation Safety Board's recent hearing concerning the crash of a UPS jet late last year highlighted the importance of maintaining records documenting analysis of design defects, adequately warning users of defects and related safety issues, and requiring use of improved designs, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

• Regulatory Rollbacks Complicate Car Co. Compliance Plans

  

  As federal fuel economy and emissions regulations undergo seismic changes, and gas prices surge, automakers seeking to position their product lines for the future face a difficult strategic choice: whether to treat today's regulatory rollback as a lasting shift or as a temporary opening in an uncertain market, says Thomas Healy at Honigman.

• How PAGA Proposal Could Expand Calif. Labor Agency's Role

  

  The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency's recently proposed regulations governing the Private Attorneys General Act signal a more structured and agency-driven enforcement approach, so risk management will depend on employers' ability to evaluate opportunities for effectuating a cure and navigate a more active administrative process, say attorneys at Lathrop.

• The Paradoxical Duty To Adopt AI When You Can't Bill For It

  

  Both billing for hours saved using artificial intelligence and preserving billable time by not adopting AI may violate rules of professional conduct, but until bar associations' ethics rules catch up to this emerging economic dilemma, firms must decide how to adjust fee structures themselves, says Ines Lassalle at Peyrot & Associates.

• Sripetch May Prove To Be An Empty Victory For The SEC

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Sripetch v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission held that the SEC need not prove pecuniary harm for disgorgement, but if the commission must still identify victims and distribute funds in a compensatory way, it faces the same economic problem as before the ruling, says Erin Smith at Compass Lexecon.

• Mapping 5 Fronts Of The Prediction Markets Regulatory Battle

  

  The legal framework governing prediction markets is under simultaneous challenge in five independent areas, and the outcomes will determine not just who can operate prediction markets, but the compliance obligations of every participant in the ecosystem, says Ivor Wolk at Manatt.

• UCC Digital Asset Update Is Altering Lender, Obligor Diligence

  

  The rollout of the Uniform Commercial Code's Article 12 is transforming digital asset secured lending, forcing lenders and obligors to rethink diligence, control, custody, monitoring and contract terms, as well as collateral practices and financing structures, as jurisdictions continue to adopt the amendments, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

• How Federal PFAS Bill Would Expand Liability For Companies

  

  Recently proposed federal legislation governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances would not only phase out nonessential uses of PFAS and prohibit detectable environmental releases, but would also expand liability in ways that will matter to companies with current or historical PFAS exposure, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

• Using Past Tech Transitions As A Lens For Calif. Worker AI Bill

  

  Examining previous workplace automation battles reveals the goals of a California bill that would impose obligations on employers for layoffs and hiring cessations caused by artificial intelligence, and illustrates where it may prove difficult to administer and how to prepare for its enactment, say attorneys at Skadden.

• 3 Misconceptions About Justices' FCC Fines Ruling

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's June 4 Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T decision rejecting AT&T’s and Verizon’s argument that the commission's forfeiture process violates the Seventh Amendment has yielded three common reactions that misunderstand the decision as a matter of law and how the FCC actually operates, says Samuel Feder at Jenner & Block.