Expert Analysis

• SEC Prioritized Enforcement Sweeps As Cases Slowed In '24

  

  Following three consecutive years of increasing activity, fiscal year 2024 marked the lowest number of cases the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has brought since Gary Gensler assumed office in April 2021, buttressed by some familiar enforcement sweeps, say attorneys at Covington.

• Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

  

  For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

• 2 Cases Show DAOs May Face Increasing Legal Scrutiny

  

  Two ongoing cases that recently survived motions to dismiss in California federal courts concerning Compound DAO and Lido DAO threaten to expand the potential liability for activity attributed to decentralized autonomous organizations — and to indirectly create liability for their participants, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

• The Fed. Circ. In October: Anti-Suit Injunctions And SEPs

  

  The Federal Circuit's holding in Ericsson v. Lenovo, a complex global case involving standard-essential patents, will likely have broad consequences for practitioners, including by making it easier to obtain an anti-suit injunction, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

• Pa. Ruling Highlights Challenges Of Employer Arb. Appeals

  

  A Pennsylvania federal court's recent ruling in Welch Foods v. General Teamsters Local Union No. 397 demonstrates the inherent difficulties employers face when seeking relief from labor arbitration decisions through appeals in court — and underscores how employers are faced with often conflicting legal priorities, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

• How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

  

  In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

• California Supreme Court's Year In Review

  

  Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

• 3 Changes Community Banks Should Expect Under Trump

  

  A second Trump administration promises a sea change for regional and community banks, including shifts in the regulatory environment, Community Reinvestment Act rules and the M&A landscape, say attorneys at Manatt.

• Navigating 4th Circ.'s Antitrust Burden In Hybrid Relationships

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to review the Fourth Circuit's Brewbaker decision, a holding that heightens the burden on antitrust prosecutors when the target companies have a hybrid horizontal-vertical relationship, but diverges from other circuits, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• The Challenges Of Abandoned Retirement Plans In Ch. 7

  

  The Department of Labor's rule for unwinding retirement accounts when plan sponsors file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was intended to alleviate trustees' administration issues, but practical challenges, like unresolved fee and identification matters, could hinder its implementation, say David Goodrich at Golden Goodrich and Nancy Simons at Stretto.

• How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

  

  The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Opinion

  FTC Actions In Oil Cases Go Against Its Own Rulemaking

  

  Two recent Federal Trade Commission actions concerning the oil and gas industry appear to defy its own merger guidelines, with allegations that fall far short of the commission's own standard — raising serious questions about the agency's current approach, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

• Best Practices For Effective Employee Assistance Programs

  

  Employee assistance programs can be a powerful tool for establishing health and wellness initiatives in workplaces, and certain implementation steps can help both employers and workers gain maximum benefit from EAPs, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

• Series

  Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

• How Crypto Cos. Can Take Advantage Of 'Mini-IPOs'

  

  Against the backdrop of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement in the crypto space, mini-initial public offerings, with less burdensome requirements than full registration, can serve as an alternative way for token issuers to raise funds, say attorneys at O'Melveny.