Cannabis Industry Stakeholders Weigh In On Rescheduling

By Sam Reisman

As the period for public comment on the Biden administration's proposal to reclassify marijuana came to a close Monday, anti-legalization activists, marijuana industry advocates and state cannabis regulators each submitted their thoughts on the potential policy shift.

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Wyoming Hemp Regulations Not Preempted By 2018 Farm Bill

By Mike Curley

A Wyoming federal judge won't block enforcement of a newly enacted law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products, saying the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp products doesn't preempt the regulation.

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Disney Cruise Can't Pause Suit As It Awaits Arbitration Ruling

By Joyce Hanson

A Florida federal judge won't let Disney Cruise Line postpone filing a required case management report until after the court rules on the company's pending motion to compel arbitration in a case over an ex-employee who was fired for testing positive for marijuana use.

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The Biggest Trademark Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a California attorney's arguments that registering "Trump Too Small" as a trademark constituted speech protected by the First Amendment, and a split Ninth Circuit concluded district courts have the power to cancel trademark applications during litigation. Here's a look at some of the most notable trademark decisions so far this year.

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Cooperator In Cannabis Bank Fraud Case Dodges Prison

By Stewart Bishop

A U.K. national who testified against two businessmen accused of fooling banks into processing federally illicit transactions worth $150 million for California cannabis delivery company Eaze Technologies Inc. on Tuesday was spared from serving any time in prison.

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Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.

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Analysis

Knives Out For Another Pro-Agency Landmark After Chevron

By Jeff Overley

Only weeks after U.S. Supreme Court conservatives took a hatchet to the judicial deference shown to federal agencies, right-leaning lawyers are imploring the justices to rock the administrative law realm again by gutting a New Deal-era precedent at the heart of the modern regulatory system.

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4 Firms Guide SPAC Mergers Targeting AI, Cannabis Sectors

By Tom Zanki

An AI-powered startup that vows to combat "disinformation" and a medical cannabis developer have agreed to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition companies through separate deals unveiled this week, guided by four law firms and a law office.

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FDA's Multifaceted Role On Display In MDMA Therapy Scrutiny

Ongoing deliberations at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder serves as a window into the intricate balance of scientific innovation and patient safety oversight, and offers crucial insights into regulatory nuances, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Kevin Lanzo at Pharmaka Clinical Consulting.

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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

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Dentons Brings On Former Big 4 Exec As New Global CEO

By Aebra Coe

Global law firm Dentons, which has made a name for itself by aggressive growth through combinations, has tapped a new global chief executive officer with leadership experience at accounting giant EY, the firm's first change at the top in over a decade.

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Mintz Reelects Bodian To Final Term As Managing Member

By Tracey Read

Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC announced Wednesday that Bob Bodian, who was already the longest-serving managing member in the firm's 91-year history, has been elected to a sixth and final three-year term.

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Jenner & Block Wants Out Of COVID Vax Refusal Firing Suit

By Katryna Perera

Jenner & Block LLP has asked an Illinois federal judge to toss a former employee's claims that she was fired after being denied a religious exemption from the firm's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying she didn't do enough to spell out her religious beliefs or how they conflict with the vaccine.

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Parts Of Klehr Harrison Bills Not Privileged, Pa. Panel Finds

By Emily Sawicki

Pennsylvania journalists can view the subject lines of invoice requests sent to the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel by outside law firms including Klehr Harrison, with a state appeals court panel determining the information falls under the state's Right-to-Know Law and is not privileged, nor is it protected by a court order.

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Series

Being A Luthier Makes Me a Better Lawyer

When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

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