Public Policy

  • September 27, 2024

    Miami Approves $12.5M Deal To End Little Havana Bar's Suit

    The city of Miami has agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle claims from the owners of several popular Little Havana businesses who alleged city officials repeatedly harassed them and deliberately crafted ordinances to destroy their business rights.

  • September 27, 2024

    Off The Bench: College Sports Dominates Legal Landscape

    In this week's Off The Bench, the NCAA and the athletes in the big name, image and likeness settlement try to redo the terms to satisfy the overseeing judge, Reggie Bush says his image has been exploited by his alma mater and the NCAA for years, and the Pac-12 claims that it's being strong-armed by a rival conference for coaxing away its teams.

  • September 27, 2024

    Ex-Mass. State Sen. Says Conviction By All-White Jury Unfair

    A former Massachusetts state senator has said his conviction on pandemic unemployment aid and tax fraud charges should be thrown out in part because the jury was all white.

  • September 27, 2024

    Connecticut City Denies HR Chief Had Viable Work Contract

    A Connecticut federal judge should toss a lawsuit against the city of Derby in which the municipal human resources director alleges that her pay was inexplicably cut because the plaintiff has not shown that she had a valid employment contract in the first place, the city has argued.

  • September 27, 2024

    NY's Midtown Bus Terminal Clears Enviro Review Hurdle

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Federal Transit Administration said on Friday that the agencies have signed the final environmental impact statement for the replacement of Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal, bringing the $10 billion proposed project closer to becoming reality.

  • September 27, 2024

    EPA Will Review Wood Stove Emissions Rules To Settle Lawsuit

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed to revisit its emissions standards for residential wood-burning stoves, resolving 10 states' D.C. federal court lawsuit accusing it of slacking on its obligation to do so.

  • September 27, 2024

    FCC's Latest Subsidy Fees Disputed Again In 5th Circ.

    A free-market litigation group has filed another challenge in the Fifth Circuit to the Federal Communications Commission's quarterly calculation of fees to support an array of telecom subsidy programs.

  • September 27, 2024

    Disbarred Ex-DA Must Face Rival's Malicious Prosecution Suit

    A Colorado federal judge on Thursday declined to throw out a malicious prosecution claim by a former elected district attorney alleging his disbarred successor falsely charged him with felony embezzlement, concluding that the disbarred prosecutor is not entitled to absolute or qualified immunity.

  • September 27, 2024

    11th Circ. Vacates $456K Fine Against Ex-Fla. Congressman

    The Eleventh Circuit has vacated a judgment and $456,000 fine against a former U.S. congressman accused by the Federal Election Commission of violating campaign finance laws after finding that the lower court improperly discounted the ex-congressman's competing testimony.

  • September 27, 2024

    Honigman Not Conflicted Out Of $40M Detroit Embezzling Suit

    A Michigan state judge said Friday that the law firm that investigated suspected fraud at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy can also represent the organization in its civil suit against its former chief financial officer, who is accused of embezzling $40 million.

  • September 27, 2024

    Supreme Court Keeps RFK Jr. Off New York Ballot

    The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s request to have his name printed on New York state's presidential ballot Friday.

  • September 27, 2024

    Arctic Seal Habitat Nixed By Alaska Federal Judge

    An Alaska federal judge vacated the National Marine Fisheries Service's designation of critical habitat for bearded seals and Arctic ringed seals.

  • September 27, 2024

    FERC Can't Defend Backtrack On Grid Plan, DC Circ. Told

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can't legally justify its about-face on a Southwest Power Pool plan to regionally allocate the costs of some transmission projects within the grid operator's 14-state footprint, the D.C. Circuit heard.

  • September 27, 2024

    Indiana Gov.'s Ex-Deputy Chief Of Staff Joins Taft Stettinius

    Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP has hired the longtime deputy chief of staff for Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to join the firm as a partner in its public affairs strategy group, the firm recently announced.

  • September 27, 2024

    Sen. Bill Would Curb ESG Factors In Retirement Fund Choices

    A bill in the Senate would prohibit asset managers from prioritizing environmental, social and governance, or ESG, factors over financial gain when selecting retirement investments.

  • September 27, 2024

    Feds Charge 3 Iranians In Trump Campaign Hack

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday unsealed an indictment accusing three Iranian citizens of hacking Donald Trump's presidential campaign as part of a "wide-ranging" cyber scheme that sought to sow distrust in U.S. elections.

  • September 27, 2024

    'No Question' Google Faces Ad Tech Competition, Judge Says

    The Virginia federal judge weighing the fate of Google's display advertising placement technology signaled potential trouble for the Justice Department on Friday, during a dramatic last day of the bench trial where she suggested the market is as competitive as the search giant maintains.

  • September 27, 2024

    Adams Pleads Not Guilty As Atty Mocks Charges

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams pled not guilty to federal corruption charges Friday in a packed courtroom in Lower Manhattan, with his attorney deriding the indictment outside the courthouse as not "a real case" and vowing to file a motion to dismiss.

  • September 26, 2024

    Texas Supreme Court Leaves State Fair Gun Ban Intact

    The state's high court rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to toss out the State Fair of Texas' new policy prohibiting fairgoers from carrying handguns, with three justices finding in a late Thursday opinion that, as a private entity, the State Fair has the right to determine if people carry guns at the fair.

  • September 26, 2024

    1st Circ. Won't Disturb Ex-DraftKings Exec's Noncompete

    The First Circuit on Thursday rejected an appeal from a former DraftKings executive looking to undo his noncompete contract, ruling that Massachusetts law — not California law — applies to his agreement with his Boston-based former employer and that an injunction barring him from competing with DraftKings stands.

  • September 26, 2024

    Google Lacks Power To Dictate Market, Ad Tech Judge Told

    Google's lead expert witness described an online advertising placement technology industry rife with competition Thursday, telling a Virginia federal judge that the U.S. Justice Department's monopolization allegations exclude key competitors from an improperly defined market.

  • September 26, 2024

    Attys Worry OpenAI IP Row Will Drag On Amid AI Policy Push

    A BigLaw attorney and consumer advocates found common ground during the seventh annual Berkeley Law AI Institute on Thursday expressing concerns that courts won't timely adjudicate copyright claims against OpenAI and others, while an FTC attorney noted the commission is already enforcing the Federal Trade Act against companies for over-hyping their AI.

  • September 26, 2024

    Legal Pros Grapple With Best Use Of AI As Clients Divide

    BigLaw attorneys and in-house counsel speaking at the annual Berkeley Law AI Institute on Thursday talked about how they've recently grappled with using the tools known as artificial intelligence in representing clients, saying some clients have either demanded or prohibited attorneys from using the tools, and others have taken seemingly contradictory positions.

  • September 26, 2024

    HHS Flags Ransomware Rise In New Deal With Wash. Provider

    A Washington state-based healthcare provider has agreed to pay $250,000 and boost its data security to resolve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's enforcement action over a 2017 ransomware attack, amid what the agency said has been a steep rise in reports of such cyberattacks over the past six years. 

  • September 26, 2024

    Sen. Warren Presses OCC, Fed For Tighter Leash On NYCB

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., demanded Wednesday that federal regulators slap New York Community Bancorp with a higher minimum capital requirement, calling out what she alleges has been lax oversight of the bank.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Examining Chancery's Relaxed New Confidential Filing Rules

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery’s overhauled Rule 5.1, which governs confidential filings, risks permitting nonconfidential information to be shielded from public review unless and until a challenge notice is filed — but several potential solutions could help to override this issue, says Delaware attorney Daniel J. McBride.

  • Recent Settlement Shows 'China Initiative' Has Life After Death

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    Though the U.S. Department of Justice shuttered its controversial China Initiative two years ago, its recent False Claims Act settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation demonstrates that prosecutors are more than willing to civilly pursue research institutions whose employees were previously targeted, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • How Orange Book Antitrust Scrutiny Is Intensifying

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    Pharmaceutical patent holders should be reviewing Orange Book listing practices, as the Federal Trade Commission takes a more aggressive antitrust approach with actions such as the Teva listing probe, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration calls attention to potentially improper listings, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • What To Know As Children's Privacy Law Rapidly Evolves

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    If your business hasn't been paying attention to growing state and federal efforts to protect children online, now is the time to start — there is no sign of this regulation slowing down, and more aggressive enforcement actions are to be expected in the coming year, says Susan Rohol at Willkie Farr.

  • Opinion

    OFAC Sanctions Deserve To Be Challenged Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision opens the door to challenges against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions regime, the unintended consequences of which raise serious questions about the wisdom of what appears to be a scorched-earth approach, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

  • Behind The Delay Of Final HSR Premerger Filing Rules

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    Erin Toomey at Epiq discusses the wait for the final version of the revised Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger filing requirements that were first introduced in June 2023, the factors that might be behind the delay, and how to plan for the potential data-focused rule change

  • What Cos. Should Know About New Global Plastics Regs

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    As the global regulatory landscape for plastics and recycling changes rapidly — with new policies coming into effect in California, at the federal level, in the European Union and at the United Nations — businesses that operate across jurisdictions must stay informed to remain compliant, mitigate legal risk and achieve stewardship goals, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • How Calif. Ruling Alters Worker Arb. Agreement Enforcement

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    The California Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Ramirez v. Charter Communications should caution employers that while workers’ arbitration agreements will no longer be deemed unenforceable based on their number of unconscionable provisions, they must still be fair and balanced, says Sander van der Heide at CDF Labor.

  • Opinion

    After Jarkesy, IRS Must Course-Correct On Captive Insurance

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision has profound implications for other agencies, including the IRS, which must stop ignoring due process and curtailing congressional intent in its policing of captive insurance arrangements, says Peter Dawson at the 831(b) Institute.

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