Public Policy

  • July 05, 2024

    High Court Flexes Muscle To Limit Administrative State

    The U.S. Supreme Court's dismantling of a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine, coupled with rulings stripping federal agencies of certain enforcement powers and exposing them to additional litigation, has established the October 2023 term as likely the most consequential in administrative law history.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Sharpest Dissents From The Supreme Court Term

    The U.S. Supreme Court's session ended with a series of blockbuster cases that granted the president broad immunity, changed federal gun policy and kneecapped administrative agencies. And many of the biggest decisions fell along partisan lines.

  • July 05, 2024

    5 Moments That Shaped The Supreme Court's Jan. 6 Decision

    When the high court limited the scope of a federal obstruction statute used to charge hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol, the justices did not vote along ideological lines. In a year marked by 6-3 splits, what accounts for the departure? Here are some moments from oral arguments that may have swayed the justices.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

    In a U.S. Supreme Court term teeming with serious showdowns, the august air at oral arguments filled with laughter after an attorney mentioned her plastic surgeon and a justice seemed to diss his colleagues, to cite just two of the term's mirthful moments. Here, we look at the funniest moments of the term.

  • July 05, 2024

    Full 5th Circ. Will Hear Book Ban Case After Split Panel Ruling

    The full Fifth Circuit will weigh in on a divisive battle between librarygoers and Llano County, Texas, officials who removed books dealing with racism and sexuality from the shelves, following a contentious split panel decision that had the majority call the minority "the true library police."

  • July 05, 2024

    Trade Groups Sue Denver Over Gas Stove Ban

    A coalition of trade groups representing the restaurant, home construction, rental housing and propane gas industries have claimed in Colorado federal court that two Denver ordinances that restrict the use of gas appliances can't be enforced because they're preempted by federal law.

  • July 05, 2024

    Walmart Again Gets FTC's Money Transfer Suit Trimmed

    An Illinois federal judge has again pared down the Federal Trade Commission's allegations that Walmart violated consumer protection laws by knowingly processing more than $200 million in fraudulent money transfers, dismissing the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule allegations but keeping intact other claims under the FTC Act.

  • July 05, 2024

    Colo. Appeals Court Invalidates Sheriff's ICE Agreement

    The Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled that a state law prohibits an agreement between the Teller County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement permitting state and local law enforcement to arrest and detain noncitizens.

  • July 05, 2024

    SEC Issues Guidance On Confidential IPOs

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Corporation Finance Division has issued updated guidance explaining how companies can file confidential registration statements when preparing go-public transactions such as initial public offerings and blank check company mergers.

  • July 05, 2024

    Full 5th Circ. Urged To Revisit Fight Over CFPB Payday Rule

    Payday lender trade groups have formally asked the Fifth Circuit to take another look at parts of their long-running challenge to a payday loan regulation issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, filing a petition that seeks to reopen the case after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned their prior win.

  • July 05, 2024

    Justices Told Revoked Visa Petition Is Reviewable

    A woman whose visa petition for her Palestinian husband was revoked two years after being approved urged the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that courts can review secondary decisions, saying that lower courts' refusal to do so creates an irrational system in which only initial decisions can be reviewed.

  • July 05, 2024

    Mich. Atty Ethics Board Moves Trump Allies' Cases Forward

    The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has refused to dismiss misconduct claims against six attorneys for challenging the results of the 2020 election in the Great Lakes State and ordered their disciplinary proceedings to move forward.

  • July 05, 2024

    The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

    This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.

  • July 05, 2024

    Farmworkers Union Wins Partial Block Of DOL Wage Rules

    A Washington federal judge partly blocked U.S. Department of Labor rules on prevailing wage rates that a union claimed depressed farmworkers' wages, saying the agency failed to consider effects on workers and must reinstate wage rates from 2020.

  • July 05, 2024

    Georgia DAs Say Discipline Panel Already Harming Them

    A legal challenge to Georgia's new prosecutor disciplinary panel should move forward now that the panel has been cleared to begin investigating prosecutors, a bipartisan group of district attorneys told a Georgia state court.

  • July 05, 2024

    Trump-Appointed Alaska Judge Abruptly Resigns

    Judge Joshua Kindred of the District of Alaska informed President Joe Biden on Wednesday that he will be resigning Monday.

  • July 05, 2024

    Unilateral Climate Policies Threaten Trade, WTO Deputy Says

    Touting a new trade agreement between Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Switzerland, a World Trade Organization deputy director-general said the multilateral system is at a crossroads where more countries must work together to address the link between trade and climate change or risk harming progress on both fronts.

  • July 05, 2024

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    A Federal Trade Commission loss became a win when a Fourth Circuit pause spurred Novant Health to walk away from its plans to purchase two North Carolina hospitals, Assa Abloy complained about the monitor observing its compliance with a U.S. Department of Justice merger clearance deal, and a Colorado judge preserved the state attorney general's challenge to Kroger-Albertsons.

  • July 05, 2024

    4 Benefits Policy Moves To Watch In 2024's 2nd Half

    The U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies are expected to issue a final rule implementing a mental health parity-in-coverage statute, and DOL regulations expanding who qualifies as a fiduciary under federal benefits law are set to take effect in the fall. Here are four policy developments benefits attorneys are watching out for in the second half of 2024.

  • July 05, 2024

    3rd Circ. Preview: Ponzi Scheme, Merck Vaccine Heat Up July

    The Third Circuit's July argument schedule is sizzling with several high-stakes cases, including two whistleblowers attempting to make drugmaker Merck answer for allegedly inducing the U.S. government to pay for substandard mumps vaccines.

  • July 05, 2024

    DOJ Says Ayahuasca Church Doesn't Deserve $2.2M Fees

    The U.S. government is urging an Arizona federal judge to deny a Phoenix church's request for $2.2 million in fees and costs following a settlement allowing it to use ayahuasca in its religious practices, saying no fees are warranted for an unnecessary suit that would've reached the same resolution through normal processes.

  • July 03, 2024

    HHS Scores Early Win In Boehringer's Medicare Pricing Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge on Wednesday sided with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Boehringer Ingelheim's challenge to a new Medicare drug price negotiation program, rejecting the pharmaceutical company's claim that the program is unconstitutional.

  • July 03, 2024

    6 Things To Know About The Post-Chevron Finreg Impact

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Chevron deference last week may make it tougher for financial regulators to defend a range of rules and regulations pursued by the Biden administration, although experts anticipate the ruling will have an uneven impact across the financial services industry.

  • July 03, 2024

    Menendez's Focus On Ally's Case Was Legitimate, Jury Told

    Sen. Robert Menendez rested his bribery defense Wednesday after a prominent criminal defense attorney testified that Menendez was not alone in finding a certain prosecution "abusive," rebutting the notion that the lawmaker's interest was part of a quid pro quo.

  • July 03, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Goodwill Exec Says Whistleblowing Ended His Job

    The former top executive at Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut Inc. has launched a state court lawsuit alleging he was fired for complaining about the nonprofit's governance, questioning statements on its IRS filings and expressing doubts about a proposed merger. 

Expert Analysis

  • Big Banks Face Potential Broader Recovery Plan Rules

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent call for potentially subjecting more banks to recovery planning standards would represent a significant expansion of the scope of the recovery guidelines, and banks that would be affected should assess whether they’re prepared, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • New Laws, Regs Mean More Scrutiny Of Airline Carbon Claims

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    Recent climate disclosure laws and regulations in the U.S. and Europe mean that scrutiny of airlines' green claims will likely continue to intensify — so carriers must make sure their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through use of sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen and carbon offsets measure up to their marketing, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

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    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • What Employers Need To Know About Colorado's New AI Law

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    The Colorado AI Act, enacted in May and intended to regulate the use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems to prevent algorithmic discrimination, is broad in scope and will apply to businesses using AI for certain employment purposes, imposing numerous compliance obligations and potential liability, say Laura Malugade and Owen Davis at Husch Blackwell.

  • What DOL Fiduciary Rule Means For Private Fund Managers

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    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the U.S. Department of Labor's recently released final fiduciary rule, which revises the agency's 1975 regulation, could potentially cause private fund managers' current marketing practices and communications to be considered fiduciary advice, and therefore subject them to strict prohibitions.

  • Best Practices For Chemical Transparency In Supply Chains

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    A flurry of new and forthcoming regulations in different jurisdictions that require disclosure of potentially hazardous substances used in companies' products and processes will require businesses to take proactive steps to build chemical transparency into their supply chains, and engage robustly and systematically with vendors, says Jillian Stacy at Enhesa.

  • What 11th Circ. Fearless Fund Ruling Means For DEI In Courts

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent backing of a freeze on the Fearless Fund's grants to women of color building new companies marks the latest major development in litigation related to diversity, equity and inclusion and may be used to question other DEI programs targeted at providing opportunities to certain classes of individuals, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Opinion

    Paid Noncompetes Offer A Better Solution Than FTC's Ban

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    A better alternative to the Federal Trade Commission's recent and widely contested noncompete ban would be a nationwide bright-line rule requiring employers to pay employees during the noncompete period, says Steven Kayman at Rottenberg Lipman.

  • Opinion

    Flawed Fintiv Rule Should Be Deemed Overreach In Tech Suit

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    A pending federal lawsuit over the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's unilateral changes to key elements of the America Invents Act, Apple v. Vidal, could shift the balance of power between Congress and federal agencies, as it could justify future instances of unelected officials unilaterally changing laws, say Patrick Leahy and Bob Goodlatte.

  • Unpacking The Latest Tranche Of Sanctions Targeting Russia

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    Hundreds of new U.S. sanctions and export-control measures targeting trade with Russia, issued last week in connection with the G7 summit, illustrate the fluidity of trade-focused restrictions and the need to constantly refresh compliance analyses, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • High Court's Abortion Pill Ruling Shuts Out Future Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine maintains the status quo for mifepristone access and rejects the plaintiffs' standing theories so thoroughly that future challenges from states or other plaintiffs are unlikely to be viable, say Jaime Santos and Annaka Nava at Goodwin.

  • Navigating New Safe Harbor For Domestic Content Tax Credits

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    The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s recent notice simplifying domestic content calculations for certain solar, onshore wind and battery storage projects, which directly acknowledges the difficulty for taxpayers in gathering data to support a domestic content analysis, should make it easier to qualify additional domestic content bonus tax credits, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

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