Public Policy

  • December 06, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates more than 80 times in November as they sought to sway the FCC on new rules for hyper-local FM broadcasts, making it easier to attach broadband gear to utility poles, revamping the 6 gigahertz band and more.

  • December 06, 2024

    Feds Want Full DC Circ. To Reverse Panel's NEPA Regs Ruling

    Two D.C. Circuit judges who ruled a White House agency lacks authority to issue regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act violated a cornerstone legal tenet and must be overturned, according to the federal government.

  • December 06, 2024

    New EU Antitrust Head Leaves Google Breakup 'On The Table'

    A potential breakup of Google, particularly its advertising placement technology business, remains on the table on both sides of the Atlantic, based on comments from the European Union's brand new antitrust chief.

  • December 06, 2024

    Google's Payments Unit Sues Over CFPB Supervision Order

    Google on Friday sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in D.C. federal court almost immediately after the regulator said it ordered formal supervision for the tech giant's payments arm based on potential risks to consumers, a designation to which Google previously objected.

  • December 06, 2024

    Nat'l Spectrum Strategy Advances With Move On 37 GHZ

    The Biden administration made a late push to advance its National Spectrum Strategy by floating a plan in recent days to open the lower 37 gigahertz band for shared federal and commercial use, but experts say there's still much work ahead on the proposal.

  • December 06, 2024

    Trump DOJ Antitrust Pick Means 'Google Should Be Nervous'

    President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division signaled the aggressive push against major technology giants is likely to continue, but may also suggest a somewhat friendlier reception for mergers.

  • December 06, 2024

    CFTC Tells DC Circ. Election Bets Turned Kalshi Into 'Casino'

    The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has told the D.C. Circuit that trading platform KalshiEx LLC "promptly turned its futures exchange into an online casino" when courts gave it the green light to list election contracts, urging the appeals court to overturn a lower court decision that the contracts don't involve unlawful gaming.

  • December 06, 2024

    Axon Gets FCC Waiver On Contentious Surveillance Devices

    Body-camera maker Axon Enterprise Inc. will be allowed to market three new contentious surveillance devices after it was granted a waiver by the Federal Communication Commission of two sections of the agency's rules, according to an order issued by the commission.

  • December 06, 2024

    House Poised To Take Up JUDGES Act As Some Dems Balk

    A bipartisan bill to create more federal judgeships to meet increasing caseloads is on the House's schedule for next week, but its support from some Democrats appears to be waning.

  • December 06, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Utility Execs May Get Reprieve From 2nd Indictment

    Two former Connecticut utility company executives who are weeks away from beginning federal prison sentences entered pretrial diversion agreements with the government on Friday that would allow them to escape a second raft of charges alleging that they conspired to misuse public money.

  • December 06, 2024

    Huizar's Big Brother Avoids Jail In LA City Hall Bribery Case

    The older brother of former Los Angeles City Councilor José Huizar on Friday avoided prison for lying to investigators about his role laundering bribes for the disgraced politician, with a California federal judge crediting the defendant's cooperation after he "finally decided to tell the truth."

  • December 06, 2024

    NYC Council OKs Mayor's Affordable Housing Plan

    The New York City Council passed a package of zoning reforms designed to spur housing production, greenlighting Mayor Eric Adams' City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan after the city and state agreed to earmark $5 billion in funding to accompany the zoning overhaul.

  • December 06, 2024

    Ex-City Officials In California Cop To Cannabis Permit Bribes

    Two former officials of Los Angeles County cities have pled guilty to bribing another local politician in an attempt to influence his votes for cannabis dispensary permits.

  • December 06, 2024

    NC Lt. Gov. Fights Porn Store Clerk's Exit From Defamation Suit

    North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has hit back at a former porn store clerk's dismissal bid in his defamation suit that includes CNN, saying the motion is based on a bogus pleading violation under state court procedures even though the suit is now before a federal judge.

  • December 06, 2024

    Feds, NC Insurance Mogul Want Grier Wright On $2B Liquidation

    Convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg and federal prosecutors have come together to ask a North Carolina federal judge to appoint an attorney from Grier Wright Martinez PA to serve as special master for liquidating Lindberg's billions in assets as restitution for his $2 billion fraud scheme.

  • December 06, 2024

    FDIC Asked Banks To 'Pause' Crypto Activity, Letters Show

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. directed some financial institutions to pause cryptocurrency-related activity while the agency evaluated regulatory concerns with the services, according to letters made public Friday in response to a suit a research consultancy filed on behalf of the crypto exchange Coinbase Global Inc.

  • December 06, 2024

    Senate OKs Bill To Ease SEC Reporting Regs On Rural Telcos

    The Senate has unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to expand access to broadband in rural areas by reducing the "red tape" on smaller broadband providers.

  • December 06, 2024

    AI Hype Won't Wash With Canadian Securities Regulators

    The Canadian Securities Administration is warning market participants against hyping ties to artificial intelligence in order to drum up interest for investments — a practice called "AI washing" — as the agency invites public comment before crafting AI-focused regulations.

  • December 06, 2024

    Off The Bench: Kyrie Irving Sued, Golf's New Transgender Ban

    In this week's Off The Bench, the New York Knicks and Rangers sue the unknown masses of people selling counterfeit team gear, a therapist who put on a family retreat for Kyrie Irving sues him over the bill, and two major golf organizations block transgender players from women's tournaments.

  • December 06, 2024

    Gov't Appeals Texas Judge's Block On Anti-Laundering Law

    The U.S. government has appealed a Texas federal judge's order that halted the rollout of new reporting requirements aimed at unmasking anonymous shell companies, setting the stage for the Fifth Circuit to weigh in on the nationwide preliminary injunction.

  • December 06, 2024

    1st Circ. Affirms Mass. Wind Energy Permits

    A three-judge First Circuit panel rejected a pair of fishing industry challenges to environmental permits for the massive — and now paused — Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.

  • December 06, 2024

    Canada's Chinese Import Surtaxes Expected To Raise $334M

    Canada's new surtaxes on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products are estimated to generate CA$473 million ($334 million) over the next five years, though the EV surtax on its own is likely to cause a dip in revenue, a government analysis said.

  • December 06, 2024

    EU Finalizes Deal With South American Trade Bloc

    After 25 years of negotiations, and five years after a deal was initially struck, the European Union finalized a sweeping trade accord with the South American trading bloc Mercosur Friday, but is likely to face stiff headwinds from European farmers.

  • December 06, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Revisit Retroactive FARA Registration

    The D.C. Circuit rejected a bid asking the en banc court to reconsider a panel ruling that bars the federal government from suing to compel former foreign agents to retroactively register their onetime foreign influence.

  • December 06, 2024

    Boston City Councilor Indicted In Bonus Kickback Scheme

    A Boston city councilor stole thousands of dollars in public funds through a bonus kickback scheme she orchestrated with a relative she hired to work in her office, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • How Biden Admin Has Used Antitrust Tools, And What's Next

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    The last four years have been marked by an aggressive whole-of-government approach to antitrust enforcement using a broad range of tools, and may result in lasting change regardless of the upcoming presidential election result, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Cos. Face Increasing Risk From Environmental Citizen Suits

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    Environmental citizen suits stepping in to fill the regulatory vacuum concerning consumer goods waste may soon become more common, and the evolving procedural landscape and changes to environmental law may contribute to companies' increased exposure, say J. Michael Showalter and Bradley Rochlen at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How BIS' Rule Seeks To Encourage More Voluntary Disclosure

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    Updated incentives, penalties and enforcement resources in the Bureau of Industry and Security's recently published final rule revising the Export Administration Regulations should help companies decide how to implement export control compliance programs and whether to disclose possible violations, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Series

    Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    With the implementation of H.B. 989, the third quarter of 2024 has been transformative for banking law and regulation in Florida, and this new law places a strong emphasis on fair access to banking, and prohibits ideologically or politically motivated decisions by financial institutions, says Sha’Ron James at Gunster.

  • 8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney

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    A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races

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    This year's 10 attorney general elections could usher in a wave of new enforcement priorities and regulatory uncertainty, but companies can stay ahead of the shifts by building strong relationships with AG offices, participating in industry coalitions and more, say Ketan Bhirud and Dustin McDaniel at Cozen O’Connor.

  • How A Trump Win Might Affect The H-1B Program

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    A review of the Trump administration's attempted overhaul of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program suggests policies Donald Trump might try to implement if he is reelected, and specific steps employers should consider to prepare for that possibility, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.

  • Challenge To Ill. Card Fee Law Explores Compliance Hurdles

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    A recent federal lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that will soon forbid electronic payment networks from charging fees for processing the tax and tip portions of card transactions, fleshes out the glaring compliance challenges and exposure risks financial institutions must be ready to face next summer, says Martin Kiernan at Amundsen Davis.

  • How The 2025 Tax Policy Debate Will Affect The Energy Sector

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    Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming U.S. election, 2025 will bring a major tax policy debate that could affect the energy sector more than any other part of the economy — so stakeholders who could be affected should be engaging now to make sure they understand the stakes, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Compliance Considerations For Calif. Child Labor Audit Law

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    California employers will need to conduct a fact-intensive analysis to determine whether a new state law that imposes transparency rules for child labor audits applies to their operations, and should look out for regulatory guidance that answers open questions about deadlines and penalties, says Sylvia St. Clair at Faegre Drinker.

  • Harris Unlikely To Shelve Biden Admin's Food Antitrust Stance

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    A look at Vice President Kamala Harris' past record, including her actions as California attorney general, shows why practitioners should prepare for continued aggressive antitrust enforcement, particularly in the food and grocery industries, if Harris wins the presidential election, says Steve Vieux at Bartko.

  • Opinion

    Barrett Is Right: Immunity Is Wrong Framework In Trump Case

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    Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s concurrence in Trump v. U.S., where the majority opinion immunized former presidents almost entirely from criminal prosecution for official actions, rests on a firmer constitutional foundation than the majority’s immunity framework, says Matthew Brogdon at Utah Valley University.

  • Opinion

    This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process

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    In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • The Complex Challenges Facing Sustainable Food Packaging

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    More and more states are requiring recycled content to be used in product packaging, creating complex technological and regulatory considerations for manufacturers who must also comply with federal food safety requirements, say Peter Coneski and Natalie Rainer at K&L Gates.

  • Navigating HHS' New Reproductive Healthcare Privacy Rule

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new final rule regarding protections for the privacy of reproductive health information will require regulated entities to grapple with difficult questions about whether to comply with state law requirements or federal privacy prohibitions, says Christine Chasse at Spencer Fane.

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