Public Policy

  • June 27, 2024

    DOL Says It Put Salary Levels In OT Carveout Since 1938

    The U.S. Department of Labor told a Texas federal court it included a minimum salary aspect in executive, administrative or professional rules since the Fair Labor Standards Act's inception, arguing a marketing firm doesn't have the basis to halt a final overtime rule.

  • June 27, 2024

    Commerce Defends Argentine Oil Pipe Levies On Remand

    The U.S. Department of Commerce did not double count companies backing the petition that prompted its dumping probe into oil and gas pipes from Argentina, the agency held in its response to a trade court remand order.

  • June 27, 2024

    Alaskan Land Trust Fight Remanded Over Misplaced Authority

    An Alaska federal judge has vacated and remanded a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior to take a 787-square-foot piece of land in downtown Juneau into trust for an Alaskan tribal government, saying the agency relied on an aboriginal title factor already established in a law designed to settle the state's land claims.

  • June 27, 2024

    AG Says Trump Recusal Bid Relies On 'Distortion Of Facts'

    New York's attorney general says Donald Trump is relying on a "distortion of facts" in seeking to oust the judge who ordered the former president to pay $465 million in penalties in his civil fraud case.

  • June 27, 2024

    Newsmax Can't See OANN-Smartmatic Defamation Settlement

    Conservative broadcasting company Newsmax Media Inc. may not force voting-machine provider Smartmatic USA Corp. to reveal the terms of its confidential settlement with One America News Network that resolved Smartmatic's defamation claims against the broadcaster, a Delaware court has ruled.

  • June 27, 2024

    6th Circ. Dismisses Doctors' ACA Trans Healthcare Appeal

    The Sixth Circuit dismissed on Thursday an appeal from a group of doctors attempting to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing prohibitions on gender-identity discrimination under the Affordable Care Act, finding subsequent agency action overruled the doctors' claims.

  • June 27, 2024

    SpaceX Says Local Regs Best Suited For Fixing 'Dead Zones'

    SpaceX is steadily deploying a fleet of satellites to cover mobile carrier "dead zones" across the globe, but cautions the Federal Communications Commission that it must allow each country's regulators to govern issues like signal interference on the ground.

  • June 27, 2024

    Coinbase Says SEC, FDIC 'Stonewalled' Crypto Info Requests

    Crypto exchange Coinbase filed suits against both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Thursday after it said the agencies "stonewalled" information requests for documents that could shed light on agencies' internal views on digital assets.

  • June 27, 2024

    CFTC Extends Comment Period For Election Betting Proposal

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Thursday that it is extending the deadline for comment on its proposal to ban the trading of event contracts tied to things like election outcomes, sporting events and the Academy Awards.

  • June 27, 2024

    House Panel Cans Vote On Data Privacy, Kids' Safety Bills

    The House Energy and Commerce Committee unexpectedly scrapped plans to discuss nearly a dozen bills Thursday morning, including a closely watched proposal to create a federal data privacy framework that has faced backlash from House leadership, consumer advocates and other stakeholders. 

  • June 27, 2024

    DOL Benefits Chief Defends Fiduciary Rule Before GOP Panel

    The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits agency on Thursday defended recently finalized policy expanding the definition of a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, drawing criticism from a Republican-controlled panel of House lawmakers at an oversight hearing.

  • June 27, 2024

    Feds Must Redo Tire Duties Again, After Writing Off One Co.

    The U.S. Court of International Trade ordered the U.S. Department of Commerce to again rework anti-dumping duties on Chinese tires, taking issue with how the department selected one of the mandatory respondents for the investigation.

  • June 27, 2024

    Free-Speech Orgs Tell DC Circ. TikTok Ban Is Prior Restraint

    A collection of free speech and press groups has urged the D.C. Circuit to strike down Congress' TikTok sale-or-ban law, calling the statute a "direct and serious threat" to First Amendment freedoms in an amicus brief.

  • June 27, 2024

    House Panel Votes To Hold Biden Ghostwriter In Contempt

    The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-11 along party lines on Thursday, to advance the contempt effort for Mark Zwonitzer, President Joe Biden's ghostwriter, for not turning over documents and recordings related to his work on the president's memoirs that were mentioned in a special counsel's report on the president's handling of classified documents.

  • June 27, 2024

    Fla. County Owes Tax To Other County, Fla. Justices Rule

    The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that counties are not immune from being taxed on properties they own in other counties, affirming a decision that said Pinellas County cannot claim sovereign immunity to duck taxes on property it owns in neighboring Pasco County.

  • June 27, 2024

    CFPB Urged To Set Standards On Rooting Out AI Lending Bias

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should give the financial industry more explicit instructions to minimize discrimination risk when harnessing artificial intelligence and other algorithmic technology for lending, a pair of prominent consumer advocacy groups told the agency.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ex-Mayoral Candidate Loses Law License For 1 Year In Fla.

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday suspended former Miami Beach mayoral candidate Michael Grieco's law license for one year after determining he had accepted an illegal campaign contribution and made misleading public statements about his involvement in a political committee.

  • June 27, 2024

    NTSB Rips Boeing For Blabbing About Blowout Probe

    The National Transportation Safety Board sanctioned Boeing on Thursday for sharing nonpublic details of an ongoing investigation into January's 737 Max 9 midair door plug blowout, deepening the American aerospace giant's regulatory troubles amid multiple probes into its safety culture and quality control.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Pleads Guilty In Bribery Scheme

    A former deputy mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has admitted in federal court that he conspired with two business owners in a bribery scheme involving the acquisition and redevelopment of various city-owned properties, federal prosecutors said.

  • June 27, 2024

    Fla. Judge Denies Trump's Bid To Toss Mar-A-Lago Warrant

    The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump's federal criminal case involving allegations of illegally keeping classified documents after leaving the White House denied the former president's bid Thursday for a hearing on the validity of the Mar-a-Lago search, but said she'd consider an evidence suppression hearing.

  • June 27, 2024

    Conn. Banking Dept. Defends $25K Fine Against Legal Funder

    The Connecticut Department of Banking is urging a state judge to affirm a $25,000 fine levied on a legal funding business, saying the court should reject the company's contention that it has no authority over transactions at issue in the penalty.

  • June 27, 2024

    Spencer Fane Lobbying Pro Joins Holland & Knight In Austin

    Holland & Knight LLP has brought on a veteran lobbyist and lawyer in Austin, who previously led the government affairs group at Spencer Fane LLP, to helm the firm's new Texas government advocacy team.

  • June 27, 2024

    High Court Allows Idaho Emergency Abortions, For Now

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed abortions in Idaho to continue in emergency situations under a federal law requiring doctors at Medicare-funded hospitals to provide emergency care, including abortions.

  • June 27, 2024

    Supreme Court Freezes EPA's 'Good Neighbor' Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to reduce cross-state pollution Thursday, finding several states and industry groups challenging it in court will likely prevail on the merits.

  • June 27, 2024

    Justices Limit SEC's Use Of In-House Courts

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday curtailed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's use of its in-house court system, saying the accused have a right to a jury trial when financial penalties are on the table.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • Key Priorities In FDIC Report On Resolving Big Bank Failures

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s report last month on the resolvability of large financial institutions contains little new information, but it does reiterate key policy priorities, including the agency's desire to enhance loss-absorbing capacity through long-term debt requirements and preference for single-point-of-entry resolution strategies, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Best Practices For Space Security In Our Connected World

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    NASA's recently published space security guide is another indication that cyber-resilience has become a global theme for the space and satellite sector, as well as a useful reference for companies and organizations reviewing their cybersecurity frameworks or looking to partner with the U.S. agency, says Hayley Blyth at Bird & Bird.

  • Opinion

    SEC Doesn't Have Legal Authority For Climate Disclosure Rule

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    Instead of making the required legal argument to establish its authority, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosure rule hides behind more than 1,000 references to materiality to give the appearance that its rule is legally defensible, says Bernard Sharfman at RealClearFoundation.

  • What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron

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    With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn or narrow its 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference, a review of 100 recent federal district court decisions confirm that changes to the Chevron framework will have broad ramifications — but the magnitude of the impact will depend on the details of the high court's ruling, say Kali Schellenberg and Jon Cochran at LeVan Stapleton.

  • FTC Noncompete Rule May Still Face Historical Hurdles

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    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule banning noncompetes might face challenges that could have been avoided with more cautious consideration of the commission's long history of failed lawsuits that went beyond the agency's statutory authority, as well as the mountain of judicial precedent justifying noncompete agreements in employment contracts, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • A Look At Subchapter V As Debt Limit Expiration Looms

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    If proposed legislation to extend Subchapter V’s debt eligibility ceiling sunset date in June is passed, bankruptcy professionals can seek ways to work with their local jurisdictions to advocate for code changes and guidance that bring more efficiencies and clarity to the process, say Matthew Brash at Newpoint Advisors and Melinda Bennett at Stretto.

  • Opinion

    SEC Should Be Allowed To Equip Investors With Climate Info

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rule to require more climate-related disclosures will provide investors with much-needed clarity, despite opponents' attempts to challenge the rule with misused legal arguments, say Sarah Goetz at Democracy Forward and Cynthia Hanawalt at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change.

  • 8 Fla. Statutes That Construction Cos. Should Prepare For

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    In this article, Jason Lambert at Hill Ward discusses a number of recent bills out of the Florida Legislature targeting construction companies in the Sunshine State that have been sent to the governor for signature, at least some of which will have broad impacts that affected companies should prepare for ahead of the July 1 effective date.

  • Game-Changing Decisions Call For New Rules At The NCAA

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    From a newly formed college players union to coaches transferring at the drop of a hat, the National College Athletic Association needs an overhaul, including federal supervision, says Frank Darras at DarrasLaw.

  • End Of Acquitted Conduct Sentencing Can Spark More Reform

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    The U.S. Sentencing Commission’s recent end to factoring acquitted conduct into federal sentences could signal the start of a more constitutionally sound advisory scheme, but Congress and the Supreme Court must first authorize the commission to resolve two constitutional errors baked into its guidelines, say Mark Allenbaugh at SentencingStats.com and Alan Ellis at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Manufacturers Should Pay Attention To 'Right-To-Repair' Laws

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    Oregon’s recently passed "right-to-repair" statute highlights that the R2R movement is not going away, and that manufacturers of all kinds need to be paying attention to the evolving list of R2R statutes in various states and consider participating in the process, says Courtney Sarnow at Culhane.

  • Opinion

    Viral Deepfakes Of Taylor Swift Highlight Need For Regulation

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    As the nation grapples with addressing risk from artificial intelligence use, the recent circulation of AI-generated pornographic images of Taylor Swift on the social platform X highlights the need for federal legislation to protect nonconsenting subjects of deepfake pornography, say Nicole Brenner and Susie Ruiz-Lichter at Squire Patton.

  • Opinion

    Time To Fix NYC's Broken Property Assessment System

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    A New York appellate court's decision to revive Tax Equity Now New York v. City of New York may force the city to revamp its outdated and unfair real estate tax assessment system, which could be fixed with a couple of simple changes, says Seth Feldman at Romer Debbas.

  • New Federal Bill Would Drastically Alter Privacy Landscape

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    While the recently introduced American Privacy Rights Act would eliminate the burdensome patchwork of state regulations, the proposed federal privacy law would also significantly expand compliance obligations and liability exposure for companies, especially those that rely on artificial intelligence or biometric technologies, says David Oberly at Baker Donelson.

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