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Compliance
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August 07, 2024
Tax Court's Economic Substance Foray May Clarify Limits
A U.S. Tax Court judge plans to address an ill-defined provision governing the relevance of the economic substance doctrine in a microcaptive insurance case, offering the courts another chance to clarify an anti-abuse tool the IRS has been deploying more often.
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August 07, 2024
Dentons Hires Former CFTC Commissioner As Partner In DC
Dentons has hired a former Commodity Futures Trading Commission commissioner, who has joined the firm to continue advising clients on financial market regulatory issues and compliance matters, the firm announced Wednesday.
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August 07, 2024
Morgan Stanley Loses Bid To Arbitrate Background Check Suit
A Boston federal judge ruled Tuesday that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC can't force arbitration in a proposed class action claiming the bank illegally used protected criminal history information to discriminate against job applicants.
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August 07, 2024
Split 7th Circ. Axes Forced Labor Suit Against Salvation Army
A group of former participants in the Salvation Army's rehabilitation programs didn't show how the work they performed for the organization represented forced labor, a split Seventh Circuit panel ruled, keeping an Illinois federal court's decision tossing their suit.
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August 07, 2024
CFPB Backs Homeowners In Nationstar Mortgage Fee Suit
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asked a Washington federal court to allow it to file a brief in support of a proposed class action accusing Nationstar Mortgage of illegally charging fees whenever homeowners request payoff statements for their loans.
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August 07, 2024
FERC Defends Rejection Of Grid Operator's Project Cost Plan
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is asking the D.C. Circuit to deny two electricity cooperatives' petitions challenging its decision to reject a Southwest Power Pool plan to regionally allocate the costs of some transmission projects within the grid operator's 14-state footprint.
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August 07, 2024
Pennsylvania Legislation Passed In 2024: A Midyear Report
Despite a divided legislature in Pennsylvania — the parties have been trading a narrow majority in the House of Representatives and Republicans compose most of the state Senate — lawmakers have managed to send dozens of bills to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk in the first half of 2024, including tighter controls on a veterinary drug showing up in heroin, changes to business registrations with the state, and adding arbitration to the tools for family courts.
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August 07, 2024
Estée Lauder Finds New GC In Former Kraft Heinz CLO
Estée Lauder said on Wednesday that it has recruited the former top lawyer at the Kraft Heinz Co. to take the helm of its legal department later this month.
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August 06, 2024
Ex-US Atty, Mayor Poised To Face Off In Wash. AG Race
Seattle's former U.S. attorney and an Eastern Washington mayor who's also a gun rights advocate were leading the statewide primary Tuesday night to become the state's next attorney general.
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August 06, 2024
2nd Circ. Says Citi Whistleblower Can't Get Cut Of $400M Fine
The Second Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a Citibank executive's whistleblower lawsuit seeking a piece of a $400 million fine the bank paid, finding that she failed to allege a valid False Claims Act claim and therefore has no right to a portion of financial recovery.
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August 06, 2024
Zelle Fraud Victims Seek Class Cert. In BofA Refunds Suit
Consumers suing Bank of America NA for allegedly stiffing them on reimbursement for Zelle fraud and scam losses asked a California federal judge to grant class action status to their case, seeking certification for several classes of customers with denied refund claims from the past four years.
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August 06, 2024
Microsoft's Dechert Attys Slam Delta On Outage Suit Threat
Microsoft's attorneys at Dechert LLP fired back Tuesday at Delta Air Lines' recent threat to pursue litigation to recoup hundreds of millions in losses from last month's global CrowdStrike outage, saying the airline repeatedly refused Microsoft's offer for technical assistance.
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August 06, 2024
NTSB Door Plug Hearing Spotlights Boeing Production Gaps
Boeing still hasn't pinpointed who removed and reinstalled the door plug that subsequently blew off a 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines in January, as the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday examined what employees described as disjointed protocols and high-pressure production lines.
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August 06, 2024
4 Takeaways From Landmark Google Search Ruling
A landmark ruling in D.C. federal court Monday found that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly, and experts say the case could have broad implications for the company as well as the wider internet and shows how existing antitrust laws can apply to modern technology.
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August 06, 2024
Piper Sandler Says It Will Pay $16M In Recordkeeping Fines
Piper Sandler Cos. disclosed Tuesday that it has reached tentative agreements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to end investigations into off-channel business communications for a total of $16 million.
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August 06, 2024
Feds Say Bid-Rigging Bros. Aren't Owed New Trial
Federal prosecutors moved Monday to block two brothers' bids for a new trial after they were convicted last month of involvement in a coastal Georgia concrete bid-rigging and price-fixing scheme, telling a judge a few offhand remarks from witnesses can't topple the mountain of evidence behind the guilty verdict.
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August 06, 2024
EPA Seeks DC Circ. Remand Of Good Neighbor Plan
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked the D.C. Circuit to let it take a second look at its plan to reduce smog-forming emissions across several states, arguing a remand is necessary to solve issues recently identified by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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August 06, 2024
Cable Biz Likely To Oppose Cybersecurity Reporting Rules
Cable providers bristled at federal agencies' plans to impose new requirements aimed at beefing up network security, arguing that rules for reporting cyberattacks within certain time frames and sharing detailed security plans would be overly burdensome.
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August 06, 2024
EPA Emergency Bans Pesticide Chem Over Risks To Unborn
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it's imposing an emergency ban on all pesticide products that contain a chemical used since the 1950s that it says puts fetuses at risk of thyroid problems and a cascade of other health issues.
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August 06, 2024
Pharma Co. Founder Beats Suit Over Short-Swing Trading
The founder of Y-mAbs Therapeutics Inc. beat back a suit alleging he realized more than $2.5 million in so-called short-swing profits after he exchanged his Y-mAbs stock for those of another company, with a New York federal judge saying in a ruling of first impression that the founder does not need to return the gains he received.
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August 06, 2024
CFPB Pans Bid For 5th Circ. To Reopen Payday Rule Fight
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged the Fifth Circuit to deny a rehearing bid for a payday loan industry rule challenge that previously foundered at the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing it's time to put the long-running case to bed.
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August 06, 2024
Dem Lawmakers Back FTC's Kroger-Albertsons Challenge
A group of Democratic lawmakers is supporting the Federal Trade Commission in its suit to block Kroger's $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons, telling an Oregon federal judge in a friend-of-the-court brief that the agency's fears the deal would harm grocery workers and consumers are well-founded.
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August 06, 2024
Feds Seek $3.5M Premerger Penalty From Sporting Events Biz
Federal prosecutors have struck a deal requiring sports and entertainment event company Legends Hospitality to pay a $3.5 million penalty to settle allegations that it illegally conducted business with acquisition target ASM Global Inc. before finalizing the deal.
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August 06, 2024
NJ Justices Remove 'Routine' Barrier To Compressor Hub
The New Jersey state appeals court misinterpreted the word "routine" in a decision that paused a plan for a natural gas compressor station in the Highlands Preservation Area, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
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August 06, 2024
SEC Decries Coinbase's 'Sweeping' Discovery Demand
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has urged a New York federal judge to deny crypto exchange Coinbase's "additional, sweeping" request for all documents and communications the regulator may have made surrounding how securities laws apply to digital assets, arguing most of the documents are privileged or irrelevant to the case.
Expert Analysis
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Heading Off Officials' Errors When Awarded A Gov't Contract
Government contractors awarded state or local projects funded through federal programs should seek clarification of their compliance obligations, documenting everything, or risk having to defend themselves when they seek reimbursement months later, with only their word for support, says George Petel at Wiley.
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Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries
A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.
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Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar
At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Eye On Compliance: New Pregnancy And Nursing Protections
With New York rolling out paid lactation breaks and extra leave for prenatal care, and recent federal legislative developments enhancing protection for pregnant and nursing workers, employers required to offer these complex new accommodations should take several steps to mitigate their compliance risks, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.
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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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FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare
As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.
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Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest
Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.
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Opinion
Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age
Outdated data breach reporting laws are inadequate to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI’s ability to determine relationships coupled with its improvements to deepfake technology mean that the very definitions used in breach reporting laws are no longer sufficient, says Collin Walke at Hall Estill.
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Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs
A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.
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New FARA Letters Offer Insight Into DOJ's Approach
The U.S. Department of Justice's recently released batch of 15 advisory opinions from the Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit provides important guidance on FARA registration triggers and exemptions, underscoring the breadth of FARA's scope, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.
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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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How 5 States' Deal Notification Laws Are Guiding Healthcare
Healthcare transaction notification laws at various stages of implementation in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and Washington are shaping sector mergers and acquisitions, with significant transparency, continuity of care and compliance implications as providers tackle complex regulatory requirements, says Melesa Freerks at DLA Piper.
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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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Recent Settlement Shows 'China Initiative' Has Life After Death
Though the U.S. Department of Justice shuttered its controversial China Initiative two years ago, its recent False Claims Act settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation demonstrates that prosecutors are more than willing to civilly pursue research institutions whose employees were previously targeted, say attorneys at Benesch.
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Takeaways From Tossed Deal In Visa, Mastercard Class Action
Given the rejection of a proposed deal in the long-running merchant antitrust class action against Visa and Mastercard in New York federal court, sweetening the proposed settlement pot likely will not be an option, leaving few possible outcomes including splitting the class and allowing opt-outs, say attorneys at Davis Wright.