Public Policy

  • February 13, 2025

    Packaging Co. To Pay $6.25M Over Shuttered NC Paper Mill

    Food and beverage packaging company Pactiv Evergreen has agreed to pay $6.25 million to settle the state of North Carolina's lawsuit seeking to recoup $12 million in financial incentives to keep a local mill operating in the town of Canton, after suddenly closing its facility in 2023.

  • February 13, 2025

    Trump Ally Seeks To Limit Judges' Sway Over White House

    A conservative legal group run by an ally of President Donald Trump is working on legislation to restrain judges that it deems politicized, in the wake of rulings against the Trump administration's actions.

  • February 13, 2025

    Trump Reciprocal Tariff Plan Could Spur Supply 'Nightmares'

    The U.S. will explore imposing reciprocal tariffs that equal rates levied by other countries importing American products, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, a move some experts worry will lead to "compliance nightmares" and COVID-level disruptions to supply chains.

  • February 13, 2025

    Maryland Judge Blocks Trump's Orders On Trans Healthcare

    A Maryland federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from restricting gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19 and required the administration to keep in place federal funding for healthcare providers that provide transgender care. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Sens. Hope To Clear Up Delays In Broadband Supply Chain

    A bipartisan group of senators has renewed legislation to more quickly identify issues that could cause delays in the flow of equipment needed to build out U.S. broadband networks.

  • February 13, 2025

    Denver Schools Sue DHS Over Protected Area Removals

    Denver Public Schools slammed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the agency's rescission of longstanding protections against immigration enforcement on school grounds, saying the DHS has offered no facts to back its decision. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Profs Back Hotel Guests In 3rd Circ. Algorithmic Pricing Case

    A group of academics has joined antimonopoly groups to support hotel guests accusing several Atlantic City casino hotels of using shared software to fix room rates in their Third Circuit fight to revive their suit.

  • February 13, 2025

    Mass. Auto Telematics Data Law Not Preempted, Judge Says

    A Boston federal judge's dismissal of an auto industry group's challenge to a Massachusetts vehicle telematics data law centered on a limited interpretation of the statute's reach and the lack of a clear conflict with federal laws, according to an order unsealed Thursday explaining the decision.

  • February 13, 2025

    DC Judge Says Utah Tribe Can't Restore Reservation Lands

    A District of Columbia federal judge refused to hand over ownership of federally managed land in a Utah reservation to a Utah tribe, ruling Thursday that the tribe wasn't entitled to ownership.

  • February 13, 2025

    Court Must Curb Elon Musk's 'Limitless' Power, States Say

    Fourteen states filed suit against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency on Thursday, saying the cost-cutting agency and its leader have been granted unprecedented power over the federal government without Congress' approval.

  • February 13, 2025

    Menendez Files Notice Of Appeal Of Corruption Convictions

    Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez filed a notice of appeal Thursday at the Second Circuit, formalizing his earlier pledge to challenge his convictions on bribery and corruption charges.

  • February 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Trims Ex-NY County Official's Corruption Verdict

    The Second Circuit on Thursday undid part of the bribery conviction of a former Long Island county official accused of accepting kickbacks in return for helping a restaurateur secure a loan, saying his role as Nassau County executive did not make him an "agent" of a local municipality.

  • February 13, 2025

    Brazil, Spain Push For Global Wealth Tax Standards

    The international community must continue to strive toward establishing standards for the taxation of high-net-worth individuals, building on progress made last year, the leaders of Brazil and Spain said Thursday during a conference in Vatican City.

  • February 13, 2025

    Ga. House Speaker Sued Over State Senator's Ban And Arrest

    Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Burns has been hit with a lawsuit from constituents of a lawmaker who was barred from the chamber last month after he called Burns' predecessor "one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we'll ever see in our lifetimes."

  • February 13, 2025

    EPA Boss Says Biden Admin Wrongly Ceded Control Of $20B

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new leader said Thursday that $20 billion Congress appropriated for an EPA grant program had been inappropriately transferred outside the agency and is lacking adequate supervision — a claim disputed by a Biden-era official.

  • February 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds DEA Denial Of Psilocybin Petition

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday affirmed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's rejection of a Seattle physician's request to treat terminally ill patients with psilocybin.

  • February 13, 2025

    Pa. Sues Feds Over Withheld $2B In Energy-Related Grants

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sued several Trump administration agencies on Thursday claiming the federal government has frozen $2 billion in funds dedicated to state energy- and mining-focused projects in defiance of two court orders, in a "flagrantly lawless" move.

  • February 13, 2025

    EPA Asks 5th Circ. To Pause State Ozone Plan Decision

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked the Fifth Circuit to hold off on deciding whether it was allowed to deny three states' plans to comply with federal ozone standards to give the Trump administration time to evaluate the rule at the center of the litigation.

  • February 13, 2025

    Musk Must Pay Up For Illegal Access To Data, Class Suit Says

    Elon Musk should be forced to compensate taxpayers and recipients of government benefits after gaining access to federal databases housing their data, a proposed class told a D.C. federal court, saying the billionaire violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

  • February 13, 2025

    Duke Rate Hike Discrepancy Lacks Reason, NC Justices Hear

    The North Carolina Attorney General's Office urged the state's highest court Thursday to undo what it characterized as a glaring rate hike for Duke Energy Carolinas compared to what a sister entity received, saying state regulators offered no justification for the jump.

  • February 13, 2025

    Colo. Justices Won't Put City's Pot Question On April Ballot

    The Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday denied a petition from Colorado Springs seeking to upend a state court decision removing from the April general election a ballot question to repeal an ordinance allowing retail cannabis sales in the city.

  • February 13, 2025

    House Republican Debuts Independent Contractor Status Test

    A U.S. House Republican who has vocally opposed Democratic-backed analyses for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee announced two bills related to the issue Thursday, proposing a new worker classification standard in one of the measures.

  • February 13, 2025

    4th Judge Rejects Trump's Take On Birthright Citizenship

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday joined three other U.S. district courts in blocking President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, rejecting the administration's interpretation of the 14th Amendment.

  • February 13, 2025

    NYC Man Pleads Guilty To $62.8M Crowdfunded CRE Scheme

    A New York City man who raised $62.8 million through commercial real estate platform CrowdStreet for sham developments in Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami Beach, Florida, has pled guilty to a federal wire fraud charge.

  • February 13, 2025

    White & Case Environmental Partner Moves To Weil In NY

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP announced Thursday that it has hired a White & Case LLP environmental law partner for its regulatory transactions group in New York.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

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    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • Illuminating The Trend Of Florida's Unpaid Hurricane Claims

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    The sheer number of insurance claims closed without payment for damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene reveals a systemic problem within Florida's insurance industry exacerbated by complex issues, including climate change and state regulators' resource limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • 2025 May Be A Breakout Year For The Cannabis Industry

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    The cannabis industry faced a slow and frustrating 2024, but consumer trends continue to shift in favor of cannabis, and the new administration may provide the catalyst that the industry needs, says Lynn Gefen at TerrAscend.

  • Mass. Law Shows Patchwork Money Transfer Rules Persist

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    Though Massachusetts' recently passed law governing domestic money transfers means 26 states now have a version of the Model Money Transmission Modernization Act on the books, the national framework remains a patchwork that will continue to force industry players to pay sharp attention to state variations, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Opinion

    Firing Of Jack Smith's Team Is A Threat To Rule Of Law

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    The acting attorney general’s justifications for firing prosecutors who worked on the criminal cases against President Donald Trump rest on a mischaracterization of legal norms, and this likely illegal move augurs poorly for the rule of law, say Bruce Green at Fordham University and Rebecca Roiphe at New York Law School.

  • FDA's Red No. 3 Ban Reshapes Food Safety Legal Landscape

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent ban on Red No. 3 represents more than the end of a controversial dye — it signals a shift in regulatory priorities, consumer expectations, intellectual property strategy, compliance considerations and litigation risk, says Dino Haloulos at Foley Mansfield.

  • Top Considerations For Insurance Companies In 2025

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    As insurance industry participants look to plan for the year, regulatory changes, climate-related challenges, the ongoing effects of social inflation and the potential for significant mergers and acquisitions will be among the key items for insurer boards and management to have on their radar, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Scope And Nature Of Judicial Relief Will Affect Loper's Impact

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    The practical result of post-Loper Bright rulings against regulatory actions will depend on the relief courts grant — and there has been controversy in these types of cases over whether the ruling is applied just to the parties or nationwide, and whether the action can be left in place while it's corrected, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Trump's Day 1 Orders Augur Disruptions In Travel To US

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    While the orders President Donald Trump issued his first day in office didn't impose immediate entry bans as some speculated, they authorized greatly increased scrutiny of foreign nationals at U.S. consulates and ports of entry, and laid the groundwork for future actions that could significantly disrupt international travel, says Jennifer Kim at Moore & Van Allen.

  • The Implications Of E-Cigarette Cos. Taking Suits To 5th Circ.

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds over the definition of an "adversely affected" person under the Tobacco Control Act, and the justices' ruling will have important and potentially wide-ranging implications for forum shopping claims, says Trillium Chang at Zuckerman Spaeder.

  • Del. Dispatch: Lessons From Failed Albertsons-Kroger Merger

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    The allegations in Albertsons' lawsuit against Kroger following the grocery stores' blocked merger demonstrate how a target company can best ensure that a buyer timely and effectively complies with its obligations to pursue the necessary regulatory approvals for a deal, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

  • How Views On Healthcare Price Transparency Are Changing

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    Regulators' attitudes toward price transparency regulation have shifted over the past several years in ways that may seem contradictory, and research into detailed rate information published by hospitals and health plans has yielded mixed results, says Matthew List at Charles River Associates.

  • What Vinyl Acetate's Prop 65 Listing Means For Cos.

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    California's recent move to add vinyl acetate to the Proposition 65 list of carcinogens, with enforcement starting later this year, will have sweeping compliance and risk implications for businesses in the retail, food and beverage, paint, adhesive, industrial manufacturing, and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Cos. Can Respond To CFPB Digital Asset Safeguard Plan

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    Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposal to regulate online payment platforms via existing federal laws would create new challenges, digital payment companies that engage with the rulemaking process could help shape a win-win regulatory framework that protects consumer data and ensures the sector’s growth, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

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