Public Policy

  • August 22, 2024

    UK Antitrust Arm Pauses Google, Apple Probes For New Law

    United Kingdom antitrust authorities hit pause on investigations into Google and Apple policies allegedly locking app developers into their in-app payment systems, preferring to wait until new powers come online even as officials said commitments offered by Google aren't enough to address their concerns.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ga. Appeals Court Tosses Nearly $1M Slip-And-Fall Fee Award

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a trial court's decision to revoke nearly $1 million in attorney fees from a man who was allegedly injured after falling into a city of Atlanta water meter box while also affirming the trial court's imposition of spoliation sanctions against the city.

  • August 22, 2024

    9th Circ. Rebuffs Crypto Law Firm's Bid To Revive SEC Suit

    A Ninth Circuit appeals panel said Thursday that a California federal judge was right to toss a crypto-focused law firm's preemptive challenge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since the firm failed to show it faced any "realistic danger" of catching an enforcement case over its use of the ethereum network.

  • August 22, 2024

    Pennsylvania Hospital Gets 1 Week Reprieve In Steward Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved an order setting general closing procedures for bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care, but gave Pennsylvania authorities a week's reprieve as they try to arrange a hospital sale.

  • August 22, 2024

    Justices Allow Part Of Ariz. Voter Law To Take Effect

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Arizona can enforce part of a law that requires proof of citizenship when residents register to vote, but won't unblock a provision extending the requirement to voting by mail or in presidential elections.

  • August 22, 2024

    2 AGs Push Justices To Stay EPA Power Plant Emission Rule

    Ohio and Kansas are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a challenged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, arguing the unlawful rule forces plants to risk billions of dollars on unproven control technologies or shut down.

  • August 22, 2024

    State Bank Coalition Establishes AI Advisory Group

    The Conference of State Bank Supervisors has created a new advisory group to guide it on the development and use of artificial intelligence in the financial services sector, according to a Thursday statement.

  • August 22, 2024

    NC Hot Rod Shop Owner Admits To Not Paying $2M In Taxes

    A North Carolina automotive business owner has pled guilty to failing to pay more than $2 million in employment taxes and not filing employment tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    Texas Tells High Court It's Not Idaho '2.0' In HHS Abortion Row

    Texas and a pair of anti-abortion doctor organizations have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the federal government's appeal of a Fifth Circuit decision blocking the Biden administration's guidance that hospitals must provide emergency stabilizing medical care, including abortions. 

  • August 22, 2024

    6th Circ. Can't Say If Mich. Official Can Block Facebook Critic

    The Sixth Circuit can't apply the U.S. Supreme Court's new state-action test to decide if a city manager in Michigan is allowed to block critics from his personal Facebook page because it needs more information, the appellate court said, kicking the matter back to district court.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ex-Morgan Stanley Representative Concedes SEC Suit

    A former Morgan Stanley representative who was criminally convicted in a $4.8 million Ponzi scheme has conceded in a suit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying he agrees with the agency that judgment should be issued against him.

  • August 22, 2024

    New SEC Rule Provides Break To Smaller Venture Funds

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved rules that would raise thresholds before certain venture capital funds can be regulated as investment companies, enacting a congressional mandate aimed at easing costs for small funds.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ill. Exempts Certain Home-Delivered Meals From Taxes

    Purchases of certain home-delivered meals for older and lower-income residents are exempt from an array of state taxes, the Illinois Department of Revenue said.

  • August 22, 2024

    Smuggling Suspect Arrested Over '22 Migrant Deaths In Texas

    A Guatemalan national was arrested Wednesday in his home country at U.S. officials' request for his alleged role in a human smuggling operation blamed for the deaths of 53 migrants who were found in a tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    Local Property Tax Exemptions A Must For Solar, Va. AG Says

    Localities are required under state statute to provide an exemption for the taxation of property used for solar photovoltaic systems, or systems that use solar panels to create energy, the Virginia attorney general said in an opinion.

  • August 22, 2024

    Appeals Court Revives DC AG's Amazon Antitrust Suit

    A Washington, D.C., appeals court ruled Thursday that the D.C. attorney general can pursue an antitrust suit against Amazon, overturning a lower court order that tossed district enforcers' complaint against the e-commerce giant.

  • August 22, 2024

    Voter Claims NC 'Ballot Selfie' Laws Violate Free Speech

    A North Carolina voter hopes to take down the state's so-called ballot selfie laws, which make it illegal to take a photo with a completed ballot, arguing in a new federal lawsuit filed Thursday that the statutes trample her free speech rights.

  • August 22, 2024

    NJ Panel Rejects Dispensary's Bid To Revive Application Suit

    A would-be cannabis entrepreneur can't upend a New Jersey township's decision to decline her application for a retail license in favor of others, a state appeals court ruled, saying that she needed to name her competitors as defendants to keep the case viable.

  • August 22, 2024

    Feds, Ex-Detroit Mayor Spar Over Restitution, Residency

    Federal prosecutors and former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick are clashing over restitution, with the feds seeking to collect some $6,700 the Michigan Department of Treasury uncovered and Kilpatrick claiming the money is off limits, challenging how much he owes and pushing to have the case sent to Georgia.

  • August 22, 2024

    California Fires Back At Red State Attacks On Climate Torts

    California and a contingent of blue states told the U.S. Supreme Court that their climate change torts against fossil fuel companies are on solid legal ground and that an effort by Alabama and other red states to undercut them must be rejected.

  • August 22, 2024

    Apache Carry Petition To High Court With A Prayer Journey

    Members of an Apache nonprofit fighting to save an Indigenous worship site from destruction are making stops to visit other tribes throughout the country for prayers and support as they deliver a petition to the Supreme Court that seeks to undo a Ninth Circuit ruling and block a mining project.

  • August 22, 2024

    Auburn Wants Out Of 11th Circ. Arguments Over Burial Ground

    Auburn University has asked the Eleventh Circuit to be excused from oral arguments next month in a dispute between two Native American groups over a burial ground where centuries-old human remains were exhumed to make way for construction of a multimillion-dollar casino.

  • August 22, 2024

    Kroger-Albertsons Wrong On Labor Law In FTC Row: NLRB

    The National Labor Relations Board used an amicus brief Wednesday to call out Kroger and Albertsons for their "mistaken" citation to labor law as a defense against Federal Trade Commission claims that the grocery giants' $25 billion megamerger threatens union bargaining leverage.

  • August 22, 2024

    Nadine Menendez's Bribery Trial Delayed Until 2025

    The bribery trial of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's wife is delayed until at least January because she is being treated for cancer, a New York federal judge ruled Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    NY AG Tells Appeals Court To Uphold $465M Trump Judgment

    Donald Trump has barely challenged the extensive proof of financial statement lies undergirding a $465 million civil fraud judgment against him and his co-defendants, New York's attorney general said in an appeals brief looking to preserve the bench verdict.

Expert Analysis

  • Menendez Corruption Ruling Highlights Attorney Proffer Risks

    Author Photo

    The recent admission of slides used in a preindictment presentation as evidence during U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial highlights the potential pitfalls of using visual aids in attorney proffers, and the increasing importance of making disclaimers regarding information presented at the outset of proffers, say Carrie Cohen and Savanna Leak at MoFo.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

    Author Photo

    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • What's In NYDFS Guidance On Use Of AI In Insurance

    Author Photo

    Matthew Gaul and Shlomo Potesky at Willkie summarize the New York Department of Financial Services' recently adopted circular letter on the use of artificial intelligence in insurance underwriting and pricing, and highlight the material changes made to it in response to comments on the draft circular letter.

  • Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

    Author Photo

    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

    Author Photo

    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

    Author Photo

    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Considerations For Federal Right Of Publicity As AI Advances

    Author Photo

    Amid rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence technology, Congress should consider how a federal right of publicity would interact with the existing patchwork of state name, image and likeness laws, as well as other issues like scope, harm recognized and available relief, says Ross Bagley at Pryor Cashman.

  • FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare

    Author Photo

    As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • What Patent Litigators Should Know About CHIPS Act Grants

    Author Photo

    With the U.S. Department of Commerce now actively awarding grants under the CHIPS and Science Act, recipients should ensure they understand the implications of promises to construct new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, especially in jurisdictions with active patent litigation dockets, say Gabriel Culver and Peter Hillegas at Norton Rose.

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • Opinion

    Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!