Public Policy

  • November 04, 2024

    Judge Tosses Michigan Clerk's Election DQ Lawsuit

    A Michigan clerk's lawsuit claiming he was wrongfully barred from administering Tuesday's presidential election over his plan to hand-count ballots was quickly shot down Monday for failure to comply with procedural filing requirements. 

  • November 04, 2024

    Colo. AG Underestimates Tenants, Rental Home Group Says

    A trade group has argued that Colorado's attorney general views tenants as "unsophisticated consumers" when he told the state Supreme Court that a group of tenants should be able to sue Blackstone subsidiaries over lease terms exchanging maintenance work for a rent discount.

  • November 04, 2024

    Colo. Justices Say Expert Testimony OK Without Formalities

    The Colorado Supreme Court held Monday that the formal offer and acceptance of an expert isn't required for that expert's testimony to be admissible, finding in a published opinion that there's no actual state requirement for courts to use such a practice.

  • November 04, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Block Coal Ash Rule During Challenge

    The D.C. Circuit has denied East Kentucky Power Cooperative Inc.'s effort to block the implementation of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that strengthened the federal regulations requiring safe management of coal ash dumped at operating and retired power plants.

  • November 04, 2024

    High Court Questions If False Claims Act Covers FCC's E-Rate

    Multiple justices seemed unconvinced Monday that the federal government plays such a limited role in requiring companies to pay fees for supporting telecom subsidies in schools that it can't seek to recover excess payouts from the fund under the False Claims Act.

  • November 04, 2024

    Wash. Tribe Inks Relationship Pact With State Commerce Dept.

    The Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the Washington State Department of Commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding formally establishing their government-to-government relations, the fourth such MOU in the state that affirms tribal sovereignty.

  • November 04, 2024

    Crypto Industry Hopes Election Will Bring SEC Shake-Up

    The White House is poised to take a fresh approach to the digital asset industry regardless of who wins the presidency, but experts said the crypto industry's hopes for more rules and fewer enforcement cases ultimately depend on a new head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a renewed push from Congress to pass crypto legislation.

  • November 04, 2024

    Harris' 'SNL' Sketch Didn't Break Rules, FCC Spokesman Says

    A Republican on the Federal Communications Commission is pushing NBC to follow equal airtime rules following Vice President Kamala Harris' appearance on "Saturday Night Live" just days before Election Day, but a spokesperson for the FCC chair says there is no foul play here.

  • November 04, 2024

    Conn. Justice Warns Against 'Amelia Bedelia' Tax Law Reading

    Whether a Connecticut judge properly restored a batch of tax appeals after dismissing them could center on the meaning of the word "may," a state Supreme Court justice said Monday, while also cautioning against an "Amelia Bedelia" approach to statutory construction, citing a children's book character known for her hyper-literalism.

  • November 04, 2024

    Coinme Crypto ATMs Suspended By Conn. Banking Chief

    Connecticut's banking commissioner has suspended cryptocurrency ATM company Coinme Inc.'s ability to transfer money in the Constitution State and has hinted toward possible fines, citing violations of know-your-consumer laws, complaints of scams, a negative multistate investigation and failures to meet minimum capitalization laws.

  • November 04, 2024

    DC Makes Housing Tax Break Competitive Process Permanent

    The District of Columbia made permanent its temporary authorization of a competitive process for tax abatements for housing developments under legislation signed by the mayor, though the measure is subject to congressional review before it becomes law.

  • November 04, 2024

    Philly DA Can't Stop Elon Musk's $1M Giveaway To Voters

    A Pennsylvania judge on Monday denied Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's bid to halt Elon Musk's $1 million giveaway to registered voters leading up to the 2024 presidential election, issuing a one-page order ending the prosecutor's claims that the tech mogul was operating an illegal lottery.

  • November 04, 2024

    Navajo President Signs Nearly $1M Election Funding Bill

    Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren approved emergency legislation that allocates nearly $1 million to pay poll workers who are manning its voting precincts with just days left before the presidential election, as the tribe continues without a full 2025 fiscal year budget.

  • November 04, 2024

    Worker Says Ga. City Fired Him For Opposing Mayor's Fraud

    The former finance director of Norcross, Georgia, has slapped the city, its mayor and a city council member with a complaint in Georgia federal court alleging he was subjected to "vicious retaliation" and fired after disclosing the mayor's "fraud, waste, abuse and violations of the law."

  • November 04, 2024

    Wash. Barred From Enforcing Anti-Bias Law Against Nonprofit

    A Washington federal judge paused the state from enforcing its anti-discrimination statute against a Christian nonprofit, saying the organization is likely to succeed in a lawsuit revived by the Ninth Circuit claiming it has a constitutional right to hire only like-minded employees who abstain from sex outside of heterosexual marriage.

  • November 04, 2024

    Texas Border Buoy Trial Delayed After En Banc Ruling

    An Austin federal judge paused an impending bench trial between the Biden administration and the state of Texas over a 1,000-foot buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, reopening discovery Monday in the wake of an en banc circuit court opinion that slammed the judge for ordering the removal of the buoys.

  • November 04, 2024

    US Must Pay Legal Fees To Challenger Of IRS Guidance

    A Michigan federal judge ordered the U.S. to pay roughly $220,000 in attorney fees to a construction company that won its challenge to Internal Revenue Service penalties and overturned underlying agency guidance, rejecting a magistrate judge's recommendation that the company foot its own bill.

  • November 04, 2024

    Developer And Mich. Township Reach Deal In FOIA Suit

    A developer and a Michigan township resolved the developer's nearly $18 million suit that accused the township of wrongfully blocking its industrial development project.

  • November 04, 2024

    Colo. Urges Appeals Court To Toss Netflix Sales Tax Ruling

    Netflix subscriptions in Colorado are tangible personal property subject to sales tax under long-standing state law, the state tax department told an appeals court, urging it to reverse a trial court ruling.

  • November 04, 2024

    Atty Moves To Oust DA Who Cleared Cops In Brother's Death

    A Littler Mendelson PC shareholder's effort to remove the Massachusetts district attorney who absolved officers in the 2021 fatal shooting of his brother left justices on the state's highest court grappling with the reach of a seldom-used state statute allowing them to oust government officials for "the public good."

  • November 04, 2024

    Texas Rips Feds' 5th Circ. Bid To Revive Highway GHG Rule

    Texas is telling the Fifth Circuit there's no reason to disturb a district court's decision to vacate a Federal Highway Administration rule that called on states to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects.

  • November 04, 2024

    IRS Finalizes Seized Property Rules To Include Online Sales

    The Internal Revenue Service issued final rules Monday meant to modernize regulations governing the seizure of property by levy, including facilitating the online sale of a property and the agency's ability to maximize sale proceeds for the property owner's benefit.

  • November 04, 2024

    Justices To Review 30-Day Appeal Window In Removal Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday accepted a case that could resolve a circuit split on whether noncitizens with final removal orders must appeal to courts within 30 days of the order, or 30 days after administrative appeals conclude.

  • November 04, 2024

    US IPO Activity Hits Standstill As Election Takes Center Stage

    U.S. initial public offerings have screeched to a halt amid peak election season, and dealmakers expect new listings to largely remain iced until next year as market participants sort out ramifications of Tuesday's presidential and congressional contests.

  • November 04, 2024

    Justices Will Review Use Of Race In La.'s Election Map

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear arguments over the constitutionality of Louisiana's new congressional map containing two majority-Black voting districts, in a dispute that asks the justices to harmonize the Voting Rights Act's objectives with the language of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

Expert Analysis

  • Exploring Practical Employer Alternatives To Noncompetes

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    With the Federal Trade Commission likely to appeal a federal court’s recent rejection of its noncompete ban, and more states limiting the enforceability of these agreements, employers should consider back-to-basics methods for protecting their business interests and safeguarding sensitive information, says Brendan Horgan at FordHarrison.

  • How Increased Sanctions Scrutiny Is Affecting Debt Markets

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    U.S. sanctions and export control regulators have recently taken several steps that broaden financial sector oversight, and banks, lenders and borrowers must adapt their syndication and risk assessment processes in different ways or risk incurring substantial penalties, say Cristina Brayton-Lewis and Kerrick Seay at White & Case.

  • What The SEC Liquidity Risk Management Amendments Entail

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    Fund managers should be cognizant of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission's recent changes to certain reporting requirements and guidance related to open-end fund liquidity risk management programs, and update their filing systems if need be, says Rachael Schwartz at Sullivan & Worcester.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Vertex Suit Highlights Issues For Pharma Fertility Support

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    Vertex Pharmaceuticals' recent lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute is influenced by a number of reproductive rights and health equity issues that the Office of Inspector General should address more concretely, including in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation programs, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health Law.

  • Expect More Restaurant Ch. 11s As COVID Debt Comes Due

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    The wave of restaurant bankruptcies is likely to continue in the coming months as companies face the looming repayment of COVID-19 pandemic-era government loans, an uncertain economy and increased interest rates, says Isaac Marcushamer at DGIM Law.

  • Calif. Bill, NTIA Report Illustrate Open-Model AI Safety Debate

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    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s balanced recommendations for preventing misuse of open artificial intelligence models, contrasted with a more aggressive California bill, demonstrate an evolving regulatory debate about balancing democratic access to this powerful new technology against potential risks to the public, say Stuart Meyer and Fredrick Tsang at Fenwick.

  • Commerce Proposal Could Ease Trade Remedy Administration

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    Recently proposed international trade enforcement regulations could help the U.S. Department of Commerce more easily administer antidumping and countervailing duty remedies, in turn maximizing relief to American companies adversely affected by unfair trade, says Natan Tubman at Buchanan Ingersoll.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

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    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews

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    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • 7 Takeaways For Investment Advisers From FinCEN AML Rule

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    With a new FinCEN rule that will require covered investment advisers to implement anti-money laundering programs and comply with extra recordkeeping requirements by 2026, companies should begin planning necessary updates to their policies and procedures by focusing on seven of the rule’s key requirements, identified by attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • What VC Fund Settlement Means For DEI Grant Programs

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    An unexpected settlement in American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund, based on specific details of an Atlanta venture capital fund's challenged minority grant program, leaves the legal landscape wide open for organizations with similar programs supporting diversity, equity and inclusion to chart a path forward, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Opinion

    A Fuzzy Label With Bite: FTC Must Define Surveillance Pricing

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    The Federal Trade Commission recently issued orders to eight companies — including Mastercard, McKinsey and Chase — seeking information on "surveillance pricing," but the order doesn't explain the term or make the distinction between legal and illegal practices, leaving any company that uses personalized pricing in the dark, says Chris Wlach at Huge.

  • Opinion

    CMS' New 'Breakthrough' Device Policy Shows Little Promise

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    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recent procedural notice outlining a new Medicare coverage pathway for breakthrough medical devices will, at best, be a failed experiment and, at worst, result in Medicare beneficiaries denied access to innovative treatments, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Missouri Injunction A Setback For State Anti-ESG Rules

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    A Missouri federal court’s recent order enjoining the state’s anti-ESG rules comes amid actions by state legislatures to revise or invalidate similar legislation imposing disclosure and consent requirements around environmental, social and governance investing, and could be a blueprint for future challenges, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

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