Public Policy

  • April 22, 2025

    Audit Finds Calif. Universities' Repatriation Efforts Still Slow

    The University of California system, despite years of demands for compliance to a federal law designed to protect Indigenous burial sites, still lacks accountability and urgency to return to tribes the thousands of Indigenous remains and artifacts in its collections, according to a state audit on the process.

  • April 22, 2025

    Wind Farm Work Stoppage Raises Energy Project Risks

    The Trump administration's recent move to freeze construction of a federally approved offshore wind farm has energy infrastructure developers concerned that their permits may not protect them from the government pulling the plug on their projects.

  • April 22, 2025

    Minn. Sues Over Funding Threats Tied To Trans Athlete Policy

    Minnesota on Tuesday sued President Donald Trump to stop him from "bullying" transgender individuals after his administration threatened to pull federal school funding if the state does not reverse a formal opinion from its attorney general that allows children to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.

  • April 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Deny Jan. 6 Cops' Bid To Shield Identities

    The U.S. Supreme Court should reject an appeal from Seattle cops who joined the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" demonstration in D.C. and now want to stay incognito, according to a former law school student on Tuesday who sought police records identifying the officers and who said U.S. Supreme Court rules require the officers to seek relief in Washington state court. 

  • April 22, 2025

    US Intends To Proceed With Ariz. Copper Mine, Justices Told

    The U.S. government says there has been no doubt that it intends to proceed with a land exchange in Arizona for a planned multibillion-dollar copper mine, telling the U.S. Supreme Court that its recent notice of publication of a final environmental impact statement for the project does not constitute urgent review.

  • April 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Otonomo's Escape Of Calif. Car Tracking Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday unanimously refused to revive a California man's proposed class action accusing autotech company Otonomo Inc. of surreptitiously tracking drivers' movements in violation of California privacy law, finding that a device installed in the man's BMW wasn't an "electronic tracking device" under the relevant state law.

  • April 22, 2025

    District's $59M Building Contract Void Over Undisclosed Gifts

    A state appeals court freed a West Texas school district from a suit over the termination of a $59 million construction contract, finding that the construction company didn't properly disclose multiple gifts to district employees.

  • April 22, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Panel Revives State Patrol Commute Pay Suit

    Washington state troopers can sue their employer directly in superior court over alleged minimum wage violations before exhausting the grievance process under collective bargaining agreements, an Evergreen State appellate court said Tuesday, distinguishing the challenged policies from the union contracts.

  • April 22, 2025

    Reporters Extend Block On Plan Threatening Voice Of America

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday extended an earlier order blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the agency that oversees Voice of America, saying the coalition of journalists, unions and a reporter advocacy group seeking the preliminary injunction demonstrated the likelihood of "irreparable harm" absent the relief.

  • April 22, 2025

    CFPB Waves White Flag In Prepaid Rule Fight With PayPal

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has abandoned its D.C. Circuit defense of a rule that subjected Venmo-style digital wallets to some of the same fee disclosure requirements as reloadable prepaid cards, walking away from an appeal of PayPal's legal challenge to the regulation.

  • April 22, 2025

    CFTC Wants Input On 24/7 Trading, Perpetual Contracts

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is asking the public for feedback on how it should address the availability of 24-hour trading as well as so-called perpetual derivatives that are sometimes used to speculate on the price of cryptocurrencies.

  • April 22, 2025

    Trump Admin Fights Groups' Bid To Stop Library Agency Cuts

    The Constitution vests President Donald Trump with the authority to reduce the size of the agency that disburses grants to U.S. libraries, the Trump administration told a Washington, D.C., federal judge, opposing two groups' attempt to reverse recent cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

  • April 22, 2025

    Panel Unsure If Suspension For Off-Campus Arrest Holds Up

    A Washington appellate court panel on Tuesday asked if Washington State University had the authority to suspend a student charged with conspiracy to riot at an off-campus Pride parade, with one judge questioning if an anonymous tip was too speculative to launch a student conduct probe.

  • April 22, 2025

    Kalshi, Crypto.com Fight Md. Regulator On Sports Contracts

    Trading platform KalshiEx LLC and the derivatives platform owned by Crypto.com have each sued Maryland gaming regulators for allegedly preempting federal authority with directives to shut down sports event contracts the agency contends are unregistered wagers.

  • April 22, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage For $668K Housing Funds Dispute

    An insurer says it owes no coverage to a low-income housing nonprofit in an underlying dispute involving a Washington county that seeks to claw back nearly $668,000 that was allegedly paid out to ineligible recipients.

  • April 22, 2025

    Michigan Panel Remands Pot Cos.' Secret Meetings Suit

    A suit challenging a Michigan city's cannabis licensing program should get a new airing at trial court, a state appellate court ruled Monday, saying the lower court erred by finding that the cannabis selection committee was not a "public body" subject to the state's Open Meetings Act.

  • April 22, 2025

    DOJ Says Google Ad Tech Win Supports Apple Antitrust Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a New Jersey federal court its recent win against Google in the ad tech monopolization case supports allowing claims that Apple monopolizes smartphone markets to proceed.

  • April 22, 2025

    Judge Urged To Return Asylum Applicant Sent To El Salvador

    Lawyers representing a class of young asylum-seekers told a Baltimore federal judge Tuesday that the federal government wrongly deported a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum applicant to an El Salvador prison, arguing the Trump administration should be ordered to facilitate his return, just as it was in Kilmar Abrego Garcia's high-profile case.

  • April 22, 2025

    Phillips Steps Down As FERC Commissioner

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Willie Phillips stepped down from his role on Tuesday, paving the way for President Donald Trump to install a Republican majority at the five-member agency.

  • April 22, 2025

    Calif. Judge In Migrant Kids' Funding Suit Keeps Aid Flowing

    A California federal judge denied Monday the Trump administration's request to dissolve a temporary restraining order blocking the government from cutting off migrant legal services programs for unaccompanied minors, rejecting the government's arguments that the stay runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

  • April 22, 2025

    Montana Farmers Union Asks To Join Tribe's Anti-Tariff Suit

    The Montana Farmers Union wants to be included in a suit filed by members of the Blackfeet Nation challenging President Trump's tariffs on imports from Canada and abroad, arguing that the duties under scrutiny hurt the state's farmers the same way they hurt tribal members.

  • April 22, 2025

    Ark. Offers Credit For 50% Of New Payroll For HQ Relocations

    Arkansas created an income tax credit for businesses that relocate their corporate headquarters to the state equal to up to 50% of their payroll for qualifying employees under a bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

  • April 22, 2025

    FCC Clears Remaining Roadblocks For Smart Car Tech

    There won't be any more need for waivers of technical rules to kickstart smart car technology in the 5.9 gigahertz spectrum band now that recent regulations have paved the way for the advancement, the Federal Communications Commission said.

  • April 22, 2025

    Jay Clayton Sworn In As Interim US Atty For SDNY

    Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, was sworn in Tuesday as the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan on an interim basis while he awaits confirmation from the Senate.

  • April 22, 2025

    Hogan Lovells Adds Ex-HHS Atty To Health Practice

    Hogan Lovells on Tuesday announced the arrival of a former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services attorney to the firm's global regulatory and intellectual property practice group.

Expert Analysis

  • How Fla. Is Floating A Raft Of Bills To Stem Insurance Woes

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    Proposed reforms that follow a report skewering Florida's insurance industry offer a step in the right direction in providing relief for property owners, despite some limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • Include State And Local Enforcers In Cartel Risk Evaluations

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    Any reassessment of enforcement risk following the federal designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations should include applicable state and local enforcement authorities, which have powerful tools, such as grand jury subpoenas and search warrants, that businesses would be wise to consider, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • How Del. Supreme Court, Legislature Have Clarified 'Control'

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's January decision in In re: Oracle and the General Assembly's passage of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law this week, when taken together, help make the controlling-stockholder analysis clearer and more predictable for companies with large stockholders, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Service By Token Is Transforming Crypto Litigation Landscape

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    As the Trump administration advocates a new course of cryptocurrency regulation, courts in the U.S. and abroad are authorizing innovative methods of process service, including via nonfungible tokens and blockchain messaging, offering practical solutions for litigators grappling with the anonymity of cyber defendants, says Jose Ceide at Salazar Law.

  • What To Expect For Stem Cell Regulation Under Trump Admin

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    The new administration's push for deregulation, plus the post-Chevron legal landscape, and momentum from key political and industry players to facilitate stem cell innovation may create an opportune backdrop for a significant reduction in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulatory framework for stem cells, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Rebuttal

    6 Reasons Why Arbitration Offers Equitable Resolutions

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    Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article, arbitration provides numerous benefits to employees, consumers and businesses alike, ensuring fair and efficient dispute resolution without the excessive fees, costs and delays associated with traditional litigation, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Executive Orders Paving Way For New Era Of Crypto Banking

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    Recent executive orders have already significantly affected the day-to-day operations of financial institutions that have an interest in engaging with digital assets, and creating informed strategies now can support institutions as the crypto gates continue to open to the banking industry, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Opinion

    After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing

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    Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers

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    California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Jurisdiction Argument In USAID Dissent Is Up For Debate

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    A dissent refuting the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent order directing the U.S. Agency for International Development to pay $2 billion in frozen foreign aid argued that claims relating to already-completed government contract work belong in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims – answering an important question, but with a debatable conclusion, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • How Importers Can Minimize FCA Risks Of Tariff Mitigation

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    False Claims Act risks are inherent in many tariff mitigation strategies, making it important for importers to implement best practices to identify and report potential violations of import regulations before they escalate, says Samuel Finkelstein at LMD Trade Law.

  • Explaining CFPB's Legal Duties Under The Dodd-Frank Act

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    While only Congress can actually eradicate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Trump administration has sought to significantly alter the agency's operations, so it's an apt time to review the minimum baseline of activities that Congress requires of the CFPB in Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

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