Public Policy

  • October 09, 2024

    Unclear Road For $275M Biz Tax Plan, DC Panel Chair Says

    The District of Columbia Tax Revision Commission may scrap a proposal for a business activity tax that could raise $275 million annually to reduce other business taxes, the panel chair said Wednesday.

  • October 09, 2024

    SEC Equity Trading Reforms Spark DC Circ. Challenge

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is facing a legal challenge in the D.C. Circuit over recent equity trading regulatory changes that allow stocks to be quoted in half-penny increments and lower access fee caps. 

  • October 09, 2024

    EPA Will Clean Up 7 Abandoned Mines On Navajo Land

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has committed to cleaning up seven abandoned uranium mine sites via projects aimed at addressing more than 1 million cubic yards of contaminated soil and restoring approximately 260 acres of Navajo Nation land.

  • October 09, 2024

    NYC Housing Bribe Case Is 'Guilt By Association,' Jury Told

    Counsel for a New York City public housing superintendent accused of taking nearly $38,000 in bribes told a Manhattan federal jury Wednesday that the defendant is a victim of "guilt by association," kicking off the first trial after an antibribery sweep saw 70 people charged.

  • October 09, 2024

    12 More NJ Towns Join Affordable Housing Suit

    Twelve more New Jersey municipalities have joined a lawsuit challenging new legislation intended to create more affordable housing, bringing the number of plaintiffs to 21.

  • October 09, 2024

    USPTO Won't Let Non-Patent Attys Take Lead At PTAB

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday announced it would not move forward with its proposal to allow attorneys who don't belong to the patent bar serve as lead counsel at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

  • October 09, 2024

    Lame-Duck Judiciary Confirmations? Wait And See

    Democrats have been signaling that they want to surpass former President Donald Trump's record on judicial confirmations, but President Joe Biden's prospects for the post-election period are likely going to be contingent on the election results, according to an analysis published Wednesday.

  • October 09, 2024

    Ex-NC Govs. Back Cooper In Power Struggle With Lawmakers

    Five former governors of North Carolina have thrown their support behind the current Democratic governor as he wrestles with Republican lawmakers over appointment powers, telling the state appeals court that the legislature has trampled on "bedrock constitutional principle" by seeking to divest the governor of his ability to select members of executive branch agencies.

  • October 09, 2024

    47 Members Of Congress Urge EPA To Ban Paraquat

    Democratic Rep. Greg Casar from Texas led a coalition of 46 members of Congress in urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of a herbicide known as Paraquat, calling it a toxic substance "linked to life-threatening diseases and grave impacts on the environment."

  • October 09, 2024

    Final Treasury Rules Shut Off Inclusion For Repatriated IP

    The U.S. Treasury Department adopted final rules Wednesday that shut off an annual income inclusion associated with intangibles for companies in certain situations that have transferred intellectual property back to the U.S. from overseas.

  • October 08, 2024

    NY Discharge Law Usurps Feds, Nuclear Plant Owner Says

    The owner of the shuttered Indian Point nuclear power plant on Monday urged a federal judge to invalidate a New York state law banning discharges of radioactive material into the Hudson River, saying it's clearly preempted by federal nuclear safety authority and violates the Constitution's supremacy clause.

  • October 08, 2024

    Texas Looks To Sink Suit Challenging Anti-ESG Law

    Texas officials have asked a federal court to toss claims brought against them over a law restricting state investments with financial firms and businesses that want to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, arguing they have sovereign immunity and the law doesn't violate the First Amendment.

  • October 08, 2024

    PetroSaudi Says US Not Entitled To All Of $380M Award

    A PetroSaudi unit said it wants a California federal court to make clear that only 5% of funds should go to the Biden administration in a dispute over the proceeds of a nearly $380 million arbitral award allegedly tied to embezzled 1Malaysia Development Berhad funds.

  • October 08, 2024

    Wash. Families Claim Judicial Bias In Tribal Eviction Saga

    A trial judge for Washington state's Nooksack Indian Tribe has paused a series of evictions against a group of families after they argued judges on a tribal appeals court were biased for ruling they can be removed from homes purchased using a federal tax credit program.

  • October 08, 2024

    Minn. County And Feds Must Meet In Person Over Land Fight

    A Minnesota federal judge has ordered counsel for a county and two townships to meet in person with U.S. Department of the Interior representatives for settlement talks involving claims the DOI wrongly acquired about 3,239 acres of land into trust for an Ojibwe tribe.

  • October 08, 2024

    ND Secretary Of State Can Skip Arguments In VRA Row

    The Eighth Circuit is excusing North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe from participating in upcoming arguments in his attempt to reverse a lower court's order that required state lawmakers to correct Section 2 Voting Rights Act violations against two tribes, according to a Monday order from the court.

  • October 08, 2024

    5th Circ. Urged To Seal Industry Win Over CFPB Exam Policy

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups on Monday defended their Texas federal court win against a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau policy to expand the agency's anti-discrimination oversight, telling the Fifth Circuit that the agency's effort to reverse its loss is revealingly substance-light.

  • October 08, 2024

    Dem Rep. Reintroduces Death Row Appeal Bill

    U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., announced Tuesday that he is reintroducing a bill that would ensure inmates on death row would have the opportunity to present new evidence pointing to their innocence.

  • October 08, 2024

    TMX Unit Can't Sue In Texas To Void $52M Pa. Fine, Court Told

    The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has urged a Texas federal judge to toss a suit from an affiliate of consumer lending company TMX Finance, challenging an order from the department seeking more than $52 million in civil penalties over claims tied to loan agreements that allegedly carry interest rates up to 720%.

  • October 08, 2024

    Texas AG Says USCIS Must Hand Over Voter Citizenship Data

    Texas is re-upping its demand that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services turn over any information it has regarding the citizenship status of nearly half a million people the state believes might be illegally registered to vote.

  • October 08, 2024

    SEC Texting Sweep: Message Received, Guidance Needed

    After financial firms have paid billions of dollars in recordkeeping fines around employees' use of off-channel communications, recent criticism of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's approach by its Republican members has drawn support from attorneys who worry the agency is pushing for an impossible standard of perfect compliance.

  • October 08, 2024

    Jackson, Kagan Target Loper Bright In Ghost Gun Case

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was uncharacteristically quiet during initial arguments Tuesday over the federal government's authority to regulate ghost guns. While her colleagues debated whether kits of unassembled parts qualify as firearms, she waited patiently to post a different question: Can courts now toss agency interpretations they don't like?

  • October 08, 2024

    FCC Chair Denounces Fla. Officials' Threat Over Abortion Ads

    The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday blasted Florida officials for suggesting broadcast stations could be unlawfully airing ad claims by an abortion rights group.

  • October 08, 2024

    House Panel Probes FCC's Revoking Starlink's $885M Subsidy

    The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee is investigating the Federal Communications Commission's 2022 decision to pull an $885.5 million broadband subsidy for SpaceX's Starlink, calling the Elon Musk-owned satellite internet company an asset in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and accusing the agency of "partisanship," in a new letter Monday.

  • October 08, 2024

    GOP, Trade Groups Urge 6th Circ. To Void Highway GHG Rule

    Republican lawmakers and construction trade groups are urging the Sixth Circuit to snuff out for good a U.S. Department of Transportation rule requiring states to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects.

Expert Analysis

  • Strategies To Defend Against Healthcare Nuclear Verdicts

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    The healthcare industry is increasingly the target of megaclaims, particularly those alleging medical malpractice, but attorneys representing providers can use a few tools to push back on flimsy litigation and reduce the likelihood of a nuclear verdict, says LaMar Jost at Wheeler Trigg.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Opinion

    Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority

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    Recent measures by Portland, Oregon, that expand the voter-approved scope of the Clean Energy Surcharge on certain retail sales eviscerate the common meaning of the word "retail" and exceed the city's chartered authority to levy tax, say Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig and Jeff Newgard at Peak Policy.

  • Series

    After Chevron: SEC Climate And ESG Rules Likely Doomed

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    Under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright, without agency deference, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate disclosure and environmental, social and governance rules would likely be found lacking in statutory support and vacated by the courts, says Justin Chretien at Carlton Fields.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • Assessing Whether Jarkesy May Limit FINRA Prosecutions

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Jarkesy v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, holding that civil securities fraud defendants are entitled to jury trials, may cause unpredictable results when applied to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority prosecutions, say Barry Temkin and Kate DiGeronimo at Mound Cotton.

  • The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar

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    The importance of federal preemption for financial institutions will only increase as technology-driven innovations evolve, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America and vacatur of Kivett v. Flagstar Bank have real modern-day significance for national banks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Examining Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Of AI Inventions

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    In light of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office data showing that patent applications for artificial intelligence inventions are likelier to get rejected based on patent-ineligible subject matter, inventors seeking protection should be aware of the difficulties and challenges pertaining to patent eligibility, say Georgios Effraimidis at NERA and Joel Lehrer at Goodwin.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • What Cos. Need to Know About Battery Labeling Law

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    With new labeling requirements for button cell battery packaging taking effect in September, manufacturers and importers must review compliance, testing procedures, and necessary paperwork as the consequences of noncompliance can lead to costly penalties and supply chain woes, says Aasheesh Shravah at CM Law.

  • What Drug Cos. Must Know About NY Price Transparency Law

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    Drug manufacturers must understand the contours of New York's recently implemented law requiring self-reporting of drug price increases, as well as best practices for compliance and challenges against similar laws in other states, say Elizabeth Bierut and Angie Garcia at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Landscape Of Solar Tariffs

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    Solar cell and module manufacturers, exporters and importers must navigate an uncertain compliance landscape, given ongoing challenges to U.S. Department of Commerce antidumping and countervailing duty determinations, which have been mounted both by U.S. and non-U.S. manufacturers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Amid SEC Rule Limbo, US Cos. Subject To ESG Regs In EU

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    Though the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is facing legal challenges to its climate-disclosure rulemaking, the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in the European Union will force U.S. companies to comply with exactly the kinds of ESG disclosures that are not yet mandated in the U.S., say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Pros, Cons Of Disclosing Improper Employee Retention Credit

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    Employers considering the Internal Revenue Service’s second voluntary disclosure program, which allows companies to avoid penalties for erroneously claiming employee retention credits for the 2021 tax year by repaying the credits and naming the tax advisers who encouraged these abusive practices, should carefully weigh the program’s benefits against its potential drawbacks, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Until Congress Acts, EDNY 'Insider Betting' Case Is Premature

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    The Eastern District of New York’s novel wire fraud conspiracy indictment in U.S. v. Pham may have prematurely heralded a new era in federal gambling enforcement, but in the absence of an “insider betting” statute, sportsbooks — not prosecutors — should be responsible for enforcing their terms of use, says attorney Jonathan Savella.

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