Expert Analysis

• Case Law Is Mixed On D&O Coverage For Gov't Investigations

  

  As the Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Brown Goldstein v. Federal Insurance Co. demonstrates, federal appeals courts take different approaches to determine whether government investigations are covered by directors and officers liability insurance, so companies and individuals must review their policy language, say Chloe Law, Jan Larson and Caroline Meneau at Jenner & Block.

• NBA Players Must Avoid Legal Fouls In CBD Deals

  

  The NBA’s recently ratified collective bargaining agreement allows athletes to promote CBD brands and products, but athletes and the companies they promote must be cautious of a complex patchwork of applicable state laws and federal regulators’ approach to advertising claims, says Airina Rodrigues at Brownstein Hyatt.

• How Attys Can Avoid Exposing Their Firms To Cyberattacks

  

  Attorneys are the weakest link in their firms' cyberdefenses because hackers often exploit the gap between individuals’ work and personal cybersecurity habits, but there are some steps lawyers can take to reduce the risks they create for their employers, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy & Protection.

• 4th Circ. Ruling Continues Trend Of Insurer Bump-Up Wins

  

  The Fourth Circuit's recent decision in Towers Watson v. National Union Fire Insurance, finding no directors and officers insurance coverage for underpayment in a reverse triangular merger, supports an emerging consensus that "acquisition" encompasses a variety of transaction types for the purposes of D&O bump-up exclusions, say Joshua Polster and Charlotte McCary at Simpson Thacher.

• Virginia 'Rocket Docket' Slowdown Is Likely A Blip

  

  After being the fastest or second-fastest federal civil trial court for 14 straight years, the Eastern District of Virginia has slid to 18th place, but the rocket docket’s statistical tumble doesn't mean the district no longer maintains a speedy civil docket, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

• 4th Circ. Ruling Outlines Defense Against Retaliation Claims

  

  The Fourth Circuit's surprising decision in Johnson v. Global Language Center eschewed the low standard typically applied to demonstrating protected activities under Title VII and could affect internal complaint processes and the retaliation defenses available to employers, say Tory Summey and Zack Anstett at Parker Poe.

• High Court Cert Denial Puts New Spotlight On Plea Bargains

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Davis v. U.S. — provoking two justices’ dissent — highlights a lesser-known circuit split on whether an attorney's failure to pursue a plea agreement constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel, and will likely spur several key changes in criminal law practice, says Spencer Gottlieb at Perkins Coie.

• How Courts Are Treating SEC Disgorgement 3 Years After Liu

  

  Following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2020 Liu decision on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ability to seek equitable disgorgement of defendants' net profits, case law is veering significantly in the SEC's favor, and there are four key issues to follow, say Amy Jane Longo and Brooke Cohen at Ropes & Gray.

• Now Is The Time For State And Local Sales Tax Simplification

  

  In the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, state and local governments increasingly rely on sales tax, but simple changes are needed to make compliance more manageable for taxpayers, wherever located, without unduly burdening interstate commerce, says Charles Maniace at Sovos.

• 5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving

  

  Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.

• The Texas Two-Step May Be Losing Steam

  

  The Texas Two-Step is a powerful bankruptcy strategy that has been used in recent high-profile cases, including Johnson & Johnson’s talc unit bankruptcy case, but ongoing debate and legal challenges raise the question of whether this maneuver is losing reliability, say Brendan Best and Justin Allen at Varnum.

• 3 Abortion Enforcement Takeaways 1 Year After Dobbs

  

  A year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, confusion continues to abound amid the quagmire of state-level enforcement risks, federal efforts to protect reproductive health care, and fights over geolocation data, say Elena Quattrone and Sarah Hall at Epstein Becker.

• Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention

  

  The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Opinion

  ALI, Bar Groups Need More Defense Engagement For Balance

  

  The American Law Institute and state bar committees have a special role in the development of the law — but if they do not do a better job of including attorneys from the defense bar, they will come to be viewed as special interest advocacy groups, says Mark Behrens at Shook Hardy.

• High Court Ruling Wouldn't Change Federal Affirmative Action

  

  If the U.S. Supreme Court's eventual decision in two cases concerning affirmative action indicates that using race or ethnicity as a factor in college admissions is illegal, it would align with how the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs already enforces nondiscrimination regulations for government contractor hiring, say Joanna Colosimo and Evan Szarenski at DCI Consulting.