Public Policy

  • December 19, 2024

    Feds Could Pay $1.1M To Settle WWII Refinery Waste Fight

    A Valero Energy Corp. unit is asking a Michigan federal judge to sign off on a deal that would have the U.S. government pay it $1.1 million for cleanup costs allegedly stemming from the government's wartime operations at a refinery in Houston.

  • December 19, 2024

    Generic-Drug Cos. Get State AGs' Trial Order Flipped

    A Connecticut federal court has sided with the generic-drug makers accused of price-fixing by state-level enforcers and will allow a narrower case involving 15 drugs to move ahead prior to a much broader case involving more than 100 medications.

  • December 19, 2024

    CMA Issues Guidance For New Digital Competition Rules

    Britain's Competition and Markets Authority released guidance Thursday laying out how the agency intends to use its new powers to impose rules and obligations on large technology companies, ahead of the regime's launch next year.

  • December 19, 2024

    Outgoing Wash. Gov. Proposes Wealth Tax In Budget

    Washington state would levy a 1% tax on residents with worldwide wealth of more than $100 million and increase taxes on businesses under a budget proposal from outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee.

  • December 19, 2024

    Ex-AT&T Exec Gets New Bribery Trial Date After Jury Deadlock

    The former head of AT&T's Illinois division, who is accused of bribing ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, will be tried again in June after his case resulted in a hung jury earlier this year, a federal court judge said Thursday.

  • December 19, 2024

    NJ Unclaimed Property Law Targeted In Class Claims

    A Chilean citizen on Thursday filed proposed class claims challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey's unclaimed property law, alleging that the state often auctions or sells off abandoned real estate without any prior notice to owners — which purportedly include pop superstar Taylor Swift — and keeps the proceeds for its own use.

  • December 19, 2024

    The Top 5 Immigration Cases Of 2024: Year In Review

    The Biden administration settled several lawsuits over family separations that happened under the Trump-era zero tolerance policy and persuaded courts that three state immigration laws infringe on federal authority over immigration enforcement. Here, Law360 looks back at five significant litigation developments in 2024 that bear on immigration policy.

  • December 19, 2024

    Graphite Cos. Seek Up To 920% Tariffs On Chinese Products

    A group of graphite producers is asking the federal government to impose tariffs as high as 920% on Chinese rivals to hamper that country's alleged tactics of producing and exporting natural and synthetic graphite at low, unfair prices.

  • December 19, 2024

    FCC Chief Floats Spectrum Revamp For Space Launches

    The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing new rules to revamp the spectrum band running from 2360-2395 megahertz to make room for commercial space launches.

  • December 19, 2024

    Denmark Says $500M Recovered In Dividend Tax Fraud Suits

    Denmark's tax administration has recovered a total of 3.6 billion Danish kroner ($500 million) in money lost to suspected dividend tax refund fraud after entering settlements of civil cases in several countries in 2024, Denmark's tax minister announced.

  • December 19, 2024

    Commerce Tightens Grip On State-Controlled Businesses

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday finalized a suite of changes enhancing its power to set duties on unfairly priced imports, including a bevy of new rules aimed at placing higher duties on companies that are effectively controlled by nonmarket economy governments.

  • December 19, 2024

    Tencent Removes 2 Epic Directors Following DOJ Scrutiny

    Two Epic Games directors appointed by Tencent Holdings are stepping down from Epic's board after the U.S. Department of Justice said their positions could constitute antitrust law violations, the agency has announced.

  • December 19, 2024

    GOP Candidate For NC Top Court Wants 'Unlawful' Votes Axed

    A Republican jurist trailing his Democratic opponent in the North Carolina Supreme Court race wants to stop the state Board of Elections from counting what he characterized as "unlawful ballots" after officials last week refused to throw out more than 60,000 votes at his behest.

  • December 19, 2024

    NYC Mayor Says Indictment Lacks Detail, Hampering Defense

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams told a Manhattan federal judge that the bribery and corruption charges against him are vague as to what he allegedly agreed to do and who he agreed to do it with, hindering his ability to defend himself.

  • December 19, 2024

    Cos. Press Justices To Review Contractors Min. Wage Dispute

    Opposite opinions over the scope of the president's authority "cry out" for the U.S. Supreme Court intervention in a case challenging President Joe Biden's increase of the federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups said, pointing to a Ninth Circuit's decision axing the wage hike.

  • December 19, 2024

    NYC Mayor's Former Top Adviser Charged With Bribery

    Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday announced bribery and money laundering charges against Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the former chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accusing her of using her influence to help two developers secure city approvals for hotel and bar construction projects in exchange for $100,000 in bribes.

  • December 18, 2024

    Sens. Hear Split Views On Bill To Boost Patent Injunctions

    A bill that would make it easier to obtain patent injunctions got a divided reaction at a Senate hearing Wednesday, with the sponsor and some speakers saying it would benefit patent owners and critics calling it an unnecessary change that only aids patent assertion entities.

  • December 18, 2024

    Feds Get Judge's OK On $150M Lower Passaic Pollution Deal

    A New Jersey federal judge Wednesday signed off on the federal government's $150 million consent decree with 82 companies that share some responsibility for the Garden State's Lower Passaic River pollution, calling the agreement "an important next step" in holding the companies accountable and furthering cleanup efforts.

  • December 18, 2024

    OCC Orders 'Comprehensive' Remedial Action For USAA Bank

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Wednesday hit USAA Federal Savings Bank with curbs on new product additions and membership growth as part of a fresh consent order that follows prior enforcement actions against the military-focused bank.

  • December 18, 2024

    Emissions Cheating Biz Gets Truck Tuning Co. CEO 10 Months

    The owner of a prominent Louisiana automotive tuning company will serve 10 months of a three-year probation term on house arrest in addition to paying a $1.55 million criminal fine after pleading guilty to selling illegal software that bypassed diesel trucks' emissions controls, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

  • December 18, 2024

    ITC Nominees Pressed On Tariffs And China

    A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday pressed two Biden administration appointees to the U.S. International Trade Commission on tariffs, China and how they plan on accessing "public interest" in patent investigations.

  • December 18, 2024

    Patent Limits For Biosimilar Litigation Lands In Spending Bill

    Congress' spending package to keep the government open through March would also limit how many patents a biologics maker can assert when trying to prevent a competitor from getting on the market.

  • December 18, 2024

    Schools Fighting Price-Fixing Suit Face $685M Damages Claim

    Students looking to hold a group of elite universities and colleges liable for an allegedly anticompetitive financial aid fixing scheme say they should be allowed to proceed as a class because they'll use common evidence to prove they suffered about $685 million in damages.

  • December 18, 2024

    FDIC Moves Closer To Suing Ex-Brass Of Silicon Valley Bank

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. leaders have given a green light for the agency to potentially sue former top brass of Silicon Valley Bank for alleged mismanagement of the bank that led to its collapse last year.

  • December 18, 2024

    Monsanto Protests DNA Damage Argument In PCB Closings

    An attorney in a toxic tort against Monsanto drew a sustained objection from the company's defense during closings Wednesday as he attempted to argue that some of the young girls allegedly exposed to PCBs "will give birth to children with altered DNA," as counsel sparred over whether the plaintiffs suffered "generational harm."

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    How Trump Admin Should Address Indian Country Priorities

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    The incoming Trump administration should consider four high-level policy recommendations if it wants to succeed at improving the quality of life for Native Americans throughout the U.S., says Mike Andrews at McGuireWoods.

  • 9 Things To Expect From Trump's Surprising DOL Pick

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    The unexpected nomination of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., to lead the U.S. Department of Labor reflects a blend of pro-business and pro-labor leanings, and signals that employers should prepare for a mix of continuity and moderate adjustments in the coming years, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • Preparing For More Limber Federal Supply Chain Oversight

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    Ahead of the Federal Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act, which would speed up federal acquisition security risk investigations and federal procurement bans, companies should take steps to identify indirect involvement with foreign adversaries in their supply chains and prepare to respond quickly to a FASC recommendation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Look At SEC, CFTC's Record Year For Whistleblower Awards

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    Another banner year shows that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission have developed the gold standard for whistleblower award programs, but a CFTC funding crisis threatens to derail that program's success, say Andrew Feller and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.

  • Green Projects Face States' Foreign Land Ownership Limits

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    As states impose restrictions and disclosure requirements around foreign investment in agricultural land — in some cases piggybacking on existing federal rules — renewable energy developers and investors must pay close attention to how the rules vary, says Daniel Fanning at Husch Blackwell.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • The Prospects Of Pa. Gaining Its Own Antitrust Law After 2024

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    In the only state that does not have its own antitrust law, Pennsylvania's business community's strong opposition to the Pennsylvania Open Markets Act signals a rough road lies ahead for passage of the bill after Republicans retained a narrow majority in the state Senate, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • California's New AV Law May Steer Policy Nationwide

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    California's new law establishing various requirements for autonomous vehicles is something other states should pay close attention to — especially because the Golden State's policies may become a de facto mandate for manufacturers due to its market size, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio Dubey.

  • Alpine Ruling Previews Challenges To FINRA Authority

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    While the D.C. Circuit's holding that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority can't expel member firm Alpine prior to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission review was relatively narrow, it foreshadows possibly broader constitutional challenges to FINRA's enforcement and other nongovernmental disciplinary programs, say attorneys at Stradley Ronon.

  • Wage Whiplash: Surviving A Compliance Roller Coaster

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    As the transition to the Trump administration causes mounting uncertainty about federal wage and hour policies, employers can transform compliance challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth by taking key steps to comply with stricter state and local requirements, says Lee Jacobs at Barclay Damon.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

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    Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Tips For Employers Facing Looming Immigration Changes

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    As Trump's second term heralds a challenging period for immigration policy, employers should look to lessons from his first administration as they implement strategies for their global talent programs and communications protocols, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • The Current State Of Play Around Corporate Transparency Act

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    Although a Texas court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act and paused an impending Dec. 31 reporting deadline, multiple states have similar requirements, so companies should continue to monitor compliance obligations regardless of the CTA's constitutionality, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

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