Expert Analysis

• Recent Suits Show Antitrust Agencies' Focus On HSR Review

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice's suit this month against KKR for inaccurate and incomplete premerger filings, along with other recent cases, highlights the agency's increasing scrutiny of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance for private equity firms, say attorneys at Willkie.

• The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

  

  Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

• Private-Bidding Compliance Lessons From Siemens Plea Deal

  

  Siemens Energy’s recent wire fraud conspiracy guilty plea shows that U.S. prosecutors are willing and able to police the private, domestic bidding market to protect the integrity of the competitive marketplace, and companies will need a robust compliance program to mitigate these risks, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

• Kansas Bank's Suit Could Upend FDIC Enforcement Authority

  

  ​​​​​​​Should CBW Bank's federal lawsuit in Kansas challenging the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s enforcement authority gain traction with a post-Chevron U.S. Supreme Court, it could have profound implications for the FDIC and the banking industry at large, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

• 10 Key Worker-Friendly California Employment Law Updates

  

  New employment laws in California expand employee rights, transparency and enforcement mechanisms, and failing to educate department managers on these changes could put employers at risk, says Melanie Ronen at Stradley Ronon.

• FTC Report On AI Sector Illuminates Future Enforcement

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's report on cloud service providers and their partnerships with developers of artificial intelligence's large language models suggests that the agency will move to rein in Big Tech with antitrust enforcement to protect startups, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

• End-Of-Year FCPA Enforcement Surge Holds Clues For 2025

  

  The last three months of 2024 saw more Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement actions than any quarter in the previous four years, providing lessons for companies — even as a new administration raises doubts about whether this momentum will continue, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

• What's Next For Accounting Enforcement After SEC's Big 2024

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Trump administration will likely continue to focus enforcement efforts on many of the same accounting and auditing issues that it pursued over the past year — but other areas, such as ESG, internal controls and cryptocurrency cases, may fall out of focus, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

  

  Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

• Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2025

  

  The critical policy milestones for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances expected in 2025 will not only shape the trajectory of PFAS regulation, but also set key precedents for environmental accountability, potentially reshaping the corporate approach to these "forever chemicals" for decades to come, say attorneys at MG+M.

• Inside New Commerce Tech Restrictions: Key Risk Takeaways

  

  While there are a few limitations on the scope of a new final rule restricting certain foreign adversary products and technologies, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security retains sweeping authority to regulate an array of risk areas, says Peter Jeydel at Troutman.

• PE Strategies To Manage Adjacent Portfolio Firm Conflicts

  

  A variety of tools can mitigate potential risk for a private equity director sitting on the board of directors of multiple companies, including the disclosure of potential conflicts in fundraising documents to help mitigate risk under the securities laws, says Michael Kendall at Goodwin.

• Series

  Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

• 7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

  

  A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.

• How Fintechs Can Respond To New CFPB Supervisory Rule

  

  Even though a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule pulling large payment apps into supervision faces an uncertain fate in the new administration, providers should still examine the rule's definitions and prepare for increased compliance costs and more consumer-friendly practices, say attorneys at DLA Piper.