Public Policy

February 10, 2025
Trump Administration Sued Over Passport Sex Designations

A group of transgender and nonbinary people sued the Trump administration over an executive order that directed the U.S. Department of State to issue passports showing their sex assigned at birth, claiming the policy is one example of the administration's "longstanding animus against transgender people."
February 10, 2025
Bannon To Plead Guilty In Border Wall Fraud Case, Avoid Jail

Former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon plans to plead guilty as part of a deal with New York state prosecutors to resolve fraud charges connected to fundraising for a U.S. southern border wall, allowing him to avoid any prison time, one of his lawyers said Monday.
February 10, 2025
'Stand Down': CFPB's Acting Chief Pulls Employees Off Job

The Trump administration's acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Russell Vought told agency staff on Monday to "stand down" from doing any work, the latest in a series of rapid-fire moves that are sidelining the agency and prompting employees to sue.
February 09, 2025
CFPB Suspends Activity, Closes HQ As New Chief Arrives

The Trump administration escalated efforts over the weekend to power down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, canceling the agency's next funding draw, suspending its examination activity and ordering a closure of its main office.
February 07, 2025
Fla. Gov. DeSantis Says State Officers Will Aid ICE Efforts

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he said empowers the state's Highway Patrol to interrogate certain non-U.S. citizens on their immigration status and execute arrest warrants for immigration violations, among other immigration officer duties.
February 07, 2025
Trump Isn't Obeying Order To Unfreeze Funds, States Say

The Trump administration is not complying with a temporary restraining order barring a freeze on funding for federal grant and aid programs, a coalition of states told a Rhode Island federal judge Friday, asking the court to enforce its order and to enter a stiffer injunction blocking the funding freeze.
February 07, 2025
FCC Aims To Expand 'Do Not Originate' Call Coverage

The Federal Communications Commission is getting ready to vote on a rule change that would expand the number of voice providers who must comply with the agency's "do not originate" rules, which aim to staunch onslaughts of scam calls.
February 07, 2025
Judiciary Dems Want Ethics Probe Into Musk's DOGE Work

A dozen Democratic lawmakers on Friday pressed the U.S. attorney general and the Office of Government Ethics to look into whether Elon Musk's personal financial interests mean his work as a special government employee violates federal ethics laws.
February 07, 2025
3 Firms Seek To Co-Lead Suits Over Banks' Synapse Ties

Attorneys from three firms are seeking to represent fintech customers in consolidated class claims in Colorado federal court against several banks over $85 million in funds that went missing after the failure of fintech-to-bank middleman company Synapse Financial.
February 07, 2025
Copyright Office Seeks Info On Performance Rights Groups

The U.S. Copyright Office wants more information about how performance rights organizations, or PROs, are being used to collect music royalties, in response to a letter from a trio of Republican lawmakers on the issue.
February 07, 2025
Attys Seek Guantánamo Access But Face Logistic Hurdles

A coalition of immigrant and civil rights groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union requested immediate access Friday to noncitizens the Trump administration transferred to Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, but getting there will be another matter.
February 07, 2025
Calif. Student Group Sues Ed Dept. Over DOGE Data Access

The University of California Student Association sued the U.S. Department of Education in D.C. federal court on Friday, claiming it unlawfully shared access to confidential student data with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
February 07, 2025
NJ Statehouse Catch-Up: Offshore Wind, AI, Neurodiversity

The retraction of New Jersey's fourth offshore wind solicitation came alongside a wave of legislative and regulatory activity that also proposed workplace rules to bolster inclusivity and a new compensation path for assault victims
February 07, 2025
Feds Defend Corporate Transparency Act In 5th And 4th Circuits

The U.S. government defended the Corporate Transparency Act in the Fifth and Fourth Circuits on Friday, urging the former to reverse a Texas federal judge's nationwide injunction on the law and the latter to affirm a Virginia federal judge's rejection of a bid to block the law's enforcement.
February 07, 2025
DOJ Tells DC Circ. Not To Delay Google Search Fix For Apple

The U.S. Department of Justice and state enforcers told the D.C. Circuit Friday that the remedies phase of the search monopolization case against Google is too important to wait while Apple appeals a ruling denying its last minute bid to intervene in the case.
February 07, 2025
Native American Legislative Moves: Land Bill Moves Forward

A bill that would give back a historic site to a Tennessee tribe is moving forward, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has done a leadership role reversal, and a federal lawmaker has his sights set on boosting the Alaskan Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act. Here, Law360 looks at the most recent major legislative efforts that affect Indian Country.
February 07, 2025
FERC Says Trump Orders Support DC Circ. Rehearing Bid

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has told the D.C. Circuit that President Donald Trump's revocation of two environmental executive orders dating back decades shows that the appeals court's vacatur of two FERC reauthorizations of liquefied natural gas projects was unjustified.
February 07, 2025
5th Circ. Pauses Suit Over CFPB's Small Biz Lending Rules

The Fifth Circuit on Friday paused a case challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new small business minority data rule after the bureau's counsel was unable to argue its case following a directive ordering the agency to stop much of its work to "promote consistency with the goals of the administration."
February 07, 2025
Ex-Mayor Gets Probation For Using Public Workers At His Biz

The former mayor of a New Jersey township was sentenced to three years of probation Friday after pleading guilty to using public employees to operate his private oil tank removal business and submitting fraudulent applications to other municipalities to obtain permits for the tank removals, the New Jersey attorney general and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability announced.
February 07, 2025
Medicaid Ride Co. Says Colo. Can't Back Suspension

A transportation company is asking a Colorado state judge on Monday to block a suspension barring it from providing rides to state Medicaid members, claiming a state agency doesn't have authority to suspend its work based on allegedly bogus accusations of fraud.
February 07, 2025
Landmark NC Ruling Finds Race Bias Tainted Death Row Case

Racial bias sullied the jury selection process during the trial of a Black man in North Carolina who was ultimately sentenced to death for his crimes, a state court judge said Friday in a landmark ruling that could have a ripple effect for more than 100 ongoing capital punishment challenges across the Tar Heel State.
February 07, 2025
Trump's Tariff Moves Put Energy Cos. In Scramble Mode

President Donald Trump's aggressive use of tariffs in the early weeks of his administration has roiled the energy industry's long-term planning, and the fast-changing environment has companies scrambling to insulate themselves from potential financial hits.
February 07, 2025
Ousted CMA Chair Says 'Misinformation' Remains A Challenge

The recently ousted chair of the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority reflected on what he said were great strides undoing the antitrust agency's "technocratic" character, but added it made the least progress in combating "lobbying and misinformation" intended to undermine the agency's decisions, including around the cleared Microsoft-Activision merger.
February 07, 2025
SafeMoon CEO Says Crypto Policy Shifts Warrant Trial Delay

The crypto executive behind the alleged SafeMoon fraud is fighting to delay his trial by a month in the hopes that a new approach to cryptocurrency by the Trump administration could ax the securities fraud charge from the counts against him.
February 07, 2025
CFPB Will Mull Axing Google Payment Oversight Order

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has told a Washington, D.C., federal judge that its acting director will review and could rescind the agency's recent order subjecting Google's payment arm to supervision, securing a pause of the tech giant's lawsuit against the order.

Expert Analysis

5th Circ.'s Nasdaq Ruling Another Piece In DEI Policy Puzzle

The Fifth Circuit's recent en banc opinion vacating Nasdaq's board diversity listing rule wades into the hotly debated topic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at a time when many public companies are navigating the attention that DEI commitments are drawing from activists and shareholders, say attorneys at Debevoise.
8 Trends And Predictions Following PE's Late 2024 Surge

Private equity will remain at the forefront of value creation in 2025, and anticipated market trends include sponsors' desire to return capital to investors and a more business-friendly tack by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, say attorneys at Weil.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
How Changes In State Gift Card Laws May Affect Cos. In 2025

2024 state legislative movements around the escheatment of unused gift card balances and consumer fraud protections should prompt issuers to consider whether changes in company domicile or blanket cash-back policies are needed in the new year, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
Health Tech Regulatory Trends To Watch In 2025

With an upcoming change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry should prepare for shifting trends, including a growing focus on health data and interest in technology-enabled delivery of healthcare, say attorneys at Orrick.
Expect Continued Momentum For Nuclear Power In 2025

With increasing electricity demand, growing interest in carbon-free energy and recent policy initiatives favoring atomic power, the future is looking bright for the U.S. nuclear energy industry — and the imminent switch of administrations in Washington is unlikely to change that, say attorneys at Venable.
An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.
Predicting The Lasting Changes CFPB May Face In 2025

President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress' likely attempts to reshape the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could significantly alter its rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement abilities for years to come, says Jim Sandy at McGlinchey Stafford.
5 Proactive Immigration Best Practices For Employers In 2025

Businesses that depend on foreign talent should take specific steps in anticipation of changes to federal immigration policies that could affect the H-1B visa and other programs, and likely require changes in organizational operations and compliance strategy, says Dustin O'Quinn at Ballard Spahr.
2025 Patent And TM Policy At USPTO: What We Know So Far

This upcoming year at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office promises a continued focus on artificial intelligence-related policies, as well as initiatives to drive efficiency and modernize standard processes, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
What To Watch For In The 2025 Benefits Landscape

While planning for 2025, retirement plan sponsors and service providers should set their focus on phased implementation deadlines under both Secure 1.0 and 2.0, an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and the fate of several U.S. Department of Labor regulations, says Allie Itami at Lathrop GPM.
5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel In 2025

Attorneys at Squire Patton evaluate the top areas where U.S. antitrust policy is likely to change in the next 12 months, including major challenges to the Federal Trade Commission's authority that could reshape enforcement.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
How White Collar Enforcement May Shift In Trump's 2nd Term

After President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House next month, the administration’s emphasis on immigration laws, drug offenses and violent crime will likely reduce the focus on white collar crime overall, but certain areas within the white collar world may see increased activity, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.