Expert Analysis

• Series

  ESG Around The World: Japan

  

  Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.

• How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

  

  Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• New Calif. Hemp, CBD Rules Affect Nationwide Compliance

  

  Because of its huge market share, it is imperative that operators in every state understand the nuances of California's hemp and CBD regulatory regime, including policies refined over the past year and pending legislation that would allow cannabis licensees to sell, manufacture and distribute hemp and CBD products, say Alexis Lazzeri and Meital Manzuri at Manzuri Law.

• Opinion

  Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

  

  Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

• Assessing D&O Coverage Amid Challenges To DEI Policies

  

  As the recent backlash against corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies leads to shareholder litigation and other legal challenges, companies bolstering their DEI efforts should ensure that their directors and officers and employment practices' liability insurance policies provide sufficient coverage for potential claims, say Peter Gillon and Patrick Blood at Pillsbury.

• How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

  

  Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

• Navigating Over-The-Counter Product Ads After FTC Warning

  

  Attorneys at Hunton examine advertising substantiation requirements under both the Federal Trade Commission Act and Lanham Act, following recent FTC letters informing hundreds of companies that over-the-counter product marketing claims must be corroborated by scientific evidence.

• AGs' Distaste For Food Bill May Signal Other State Issues

  

  States' recent opposition to a proposed federal law that would block them from regulating out-of-state agricultural production could affect issues beyond this narrow debate, such as the balance of state and federal regulatory power, reproductive rights post-Dobbs, and energy production and water use, say Christopher Allen and Stephen Cobb at Cozen O'Connor.

• Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

  

  Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

• Cases Linking Baby Food, Autism Pose Causation Challenges

  

  Major baby food producers are now in the crosshairs of regulators, consumer advocates and plaintiffs attorneys over allegations their products contain heavy metals that harm children's development — but it will be difficult for plaintiffs to establish causation, as shown by the lengthy court battles over tobacco and talc, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

• What Marijuana Status Change Would Mean For Industry

  

  If the Drug Enforcement Administration accepts the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent recommendation to change marijuana’s classification under federal law, it would be a significant regulatory shift that could foster many industry benefits — but questions, risks and uncertainties at both the state and federal levels would remain, say attorneys at Neal Gerber.

• 6 Lessons From Direct Selling Industry's Win Over FTC

  

  A Texas federal court’s recent decision in favor of a direct selling company in Federal Trade Commission v. Neora offers long-awaited clarity on what constitutes a pyramid scheme, and lessons for companies seeking to prove their sales are consistent with genuine demand, say Monica Zhong and Branko Jovanovic at Edgeworth.

• Calif. Climate Disclosure Bills Promise Challenges For Cos.

  

  Two novel climate disclosure bills recently passed by the California Legislature will pose challenges for many businesses — especially private companies that are less familiar with climate-related reporting obligations — and will require investments of significant time and effort in processes, procedures and personnel, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

• Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

  

  As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

• Tips For Student Visa Applicants Mired In Processing Delays

  

  Notwithstanding procedural changes at the U.S. Department of State that provided hope for more timely and predictable visa processing outcomes, international student applications continue to risk becoming bogged down in administrative processing, but certain steps may improve the situation, say Carl Risch and Lauren Epstein at Mayer Brown.