Public Policy

  • August 09, 2024

    Rural Broadband Cos. Worry FCC Deadlines Are Too Tight

    The Federal Communications Commission should seriously consider pushing back deadlines for certain federally funded rural broadband projects so that they mesh with those of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, a group of broadband service providers have told the agency.

  • August 09, 2024

    The Long Road To Legalizing Pot In Florida And South Dakota

    Voters in Florida and South Dakota will have the opportunity this Election Day to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over, and while the two efforts vary in their particulars, they both follow years of work by legalizers to craft a proposal that could gain court approval.

  • August 09, 2024

    Dem Lawmakers Ask OpenAI To Disclose Safety Processes

    Two members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation are calling on OpenAI to provide information about its safety processes and how it handles whistleblowers and conflicts of interest, in a letter to the company.

  • August 09, 2024

    Colony Ridge Mortgage Co. Says It Was 'Office Geek' For Site

    A Texas mortgage company pushed Friday to be released from a lawsuit accusing a Houston-area real estate developer and lender of predatory lending practices, telling a federal judge that it never met with the Hispanic consumers allegedly preyed on through the scheme and that the company was "just doing paperwork."

  • August 09, 2024

    DC Circ. Says Animal Group Can't File Perdue False Ad Suit

    The Animal Legal Defense Fund doesn't have standing to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture over labels the agency approved for Perdue poultry products that the advocacy group says mislead customers into believing the animals have access to the outdoors, the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday.

  • August 09, 2024

    'Outrageous': Dems Grill JPMorgan Over Potential New Fees

    Two Senate Banking Committee Democrats have ripped into JPMorgan Chase & Co. over an executive's recent warning that it may hike some costs for customers in response to pending fee rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, calling it an "outrageous" threat and demanding more details from the megabank.

  • August 09, 2024

    Congress Pushed To Revamp FCC Programs After Court Loss

    Free market advocates want lawmakers to overhaul the Federal Communications Commission's array of telecom subsidies to turn them into a much smaller, "voucher-like" program after the Fifth Circuit found the existing system unconstitutional.

  • August 09, 2024

    Marketer Seeking Dismissal Of Mass. Data Privacy Suit

    Texas-based online marketing company InMarket Media LLC is asking a Massachusetts federal judge to toss a proposed class action by two women who say the company secretly collected and sold location data through its apps, arguing in a motion to dismiss that the court lacks jurisdiction over the company.

  • August 09, 2024

    Immigrants In Ind. Jail Resist ICE Bid To Dodge Detention Suit

    Immigrant detainees challenging conditions at an Indiana county jail resisted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's attempt to duck claims that it kept paying the county to detain immigrants, even though the prison's sanitation and medical services fell short of federal standards.

  • August 09, 2024

    Former Syrian Prison Chief Accused Of US Immigration Fraud

    Federal grand jurors in California have charged a former Syrian official with covering up his time running a Syrian prison where political dissidents were physically abused on U.S. immigration applications.

  • August 09, 2024

    Wash. AG Says Kroger Refusing To Delay Merger For Ruling

    The Washington Attorney General's Office told a state court that Kroger will not agree to put off closing its planned merger with Albertsons until after a final ruling in the state's merger challenge, but the companies say they've already agreed not to finalize the deal until litigation plays out in another state.

  • August 09, 2024

    CFTC's Proposed Election Trading Ban Garners Mixed Feedback

    The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has fielded a range of comments on its proposed rule to ban trading on the outcome of elections, with certain politicians and advocacy groups throwing their weight behind the measure and others accusing the agency of overstepping its authority.

  • August 09, 2024

    Colo. Panel Says Vail Resorts' Land Spat With Town Is Moot

    The Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled against Vail Resorts in its suit challenging a local ordinance that allegedly blocked the company's development of 23.3 acres of land that was subsequently taken by the town via eminent domain.

  • August 09, 2024

    DC Circ. Makes Case For Restarting FERC Gas Policy Revamp

    The D.C. Circuit's recent wipeout of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals of gas infrastructure projects is a sign that the agency should restart a stalled effort to update its decades-old pipeline approval policy, FERC watchers say.

  • August 09, 2024

    Highway Contractor, Exec Charged With $100M Price-Fixing

    Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of an Oklahoma highway runoff contracting business and two of its employees for their involvement in a price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation conspiracy that impacted over $100 million in publicly funded construction contracts in the state.

  • August 09, 2024

    NY Counties Say Cayuga Nation's 911 Suit Not An Emergency

    Two New York counties have urged a federal district court to toss the Cayuga Nation's lawsuit accusing the counties of refusing to forward the reservation's 911 calls to the tribe's police department unless it pays, arguing the tribe's civil rights protection claims are not enforceable.

  • August 09, 2024

    RFK Jr. Can Stay On State's Ballot, NJ Secretary Of State Says

    New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way has said Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid does not violate the state's "sore loser" law, rejecting an election attorney's challenge to Kennedy's placement on the Garden State's ballot.

  • August 09, 2024

    Judge Nixes Ex-Defender's Bias Suit, But Calls For Reform

    A former public defender in North Carolina failed to show how her equal protection and due process rights were violated during an allegedly botched internal investigation of her sexual harassment claim, a federal judge ruled Friday in a candid opinion that nevertheless called out what he described as a "flawed" dispute resolution process for judiciary employees.

  • August 09, 2024

    Pa. Firm Seeks Over $790K In Employee Retention Credit

    The Internal Revenue Service has failed to pay Ostroff Injury Law PC the more than $790,000 it is owed in pandemic-era employee retention credits, the Pennsylvania firm alleges in a federal court complaint, despite satisfying two separate tests the firm says qualify it for the relief.

  • August 09, 2024

    Illinois Appeals Court Nixes $7B Power Line Certification

    A state appeals court scrapped Illinois regulators' authorization for part of the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission line, ruling that they issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the project even though the company behind the line had not shown any ability to pay for it, as required.

  • August 09, 2024

    Cars' 'Unique Place' In Mich. Justifies Tough Laws, Panel Says

    A Michigan Court of Appeals panel said Thursday that cars "occupy a unique place in the lives of Michigan citizens," which supports the constitutionality of the state punishing carjacking more harshly than other robberies.

  • August 09, 2024

    Off The Bench: NCAA Antitrust Woes, Ohio Trans Sports Ban

    In this week's Off The Bench, the NCAA still faces pushback from athletes after an NIL settlement, transgender youth athletes in Ohio lost their legislative battle, and the Seventh Circuit set an insurance broker straight on its actions in an NFL team's settlement with a former player.

  • August 09, 2024

    3 Notable Trade Disputes Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    This year the U.S. Supreme Court refused its last outstanding challenge to the president’s tariff power, a split Federal Circuit panel expanded decades-old duties on plumbing pipes, and the first North American trade pact labor panel tossed Washington’s claims. Here, Law360 revisits the most notable international trade cases of 2024 so far.

  • August 09, 2024

    Newest Mich. Justice, 3 GOP Contenders In Top Court Race

    Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra H. Bolden, preparing to defend her seat for the first time, says she doesn't like to label her judicial philosophy and that her flexible approach is informed by her experience creating law as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. She will face one of three Republican opponents in November, after the GOP picks a nominee this month. 

  • August 09, 2024

    4th Circ. Will Hear FERC Grid Policy Overhaul Fight

    The Fourth Circuit is set to take on consolidated challenges to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's sweeping overhaul of its regional transmission planning policy, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said in an order Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • What's In NYDFS Guidance On Use Of AI In Insurance

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    Matthew Gaul and Shlomo Potesky at Willkie summarize the New York Department of Financial Services' recently adopted circular letter on the use of artificial intelligence in insurance underwriting and pricing, and highlight the material changes made to it in response to comments on the draft circular letter.

  • Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

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    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

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    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Considerations For Federal Right Of Publicity As AI Advances

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    Amid rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence technology, Congress should consider how a federal right of publicity would interact with the existing patchwork of state name, image and likeness laws, as well as other issues like scope, harm recognized and available relief, says Ross Bagley at Pryor Cashman.

  • FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare

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    As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • What Patent Litigators Should Know About CHIPS Act Grants

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    With the U.S. Department of Commerce now actively awarding grants under the CHIPS and Science Act, recipients should ensure they understand the implications of promises to construct new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, especially in jurisdictions with active patent litigation dockets, say Gabriel Culver and Peter Hillegas at Norton Rose.

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • Opinion

    Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age

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    Outdated data breach reporting laws are inadequate to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI’s ability to determine relationships coupled with its improvements to deepfake technology mean that the very definitions used in breach reporting laws are no longer sufficient, says Collin Walke at Hall Estill.

  • Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs

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    A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • How 5 States' Deal Notification Laws Are Guiding Healthcare

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    Healthcare transaction notification laws at various stages of implementation in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and Washington are shaping sector mergers and acquisitions, with significant transparency, continuity of care and compliance implications as providers tackle complex regulatory requirements, says Melesa Freerks at DLA Piper.

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