Public Policy

  • November 12, 2024

    Don't Let Broadband Maps Overstate Rural Overlap, FCC Told

    Rural telecoms are again urging the Federal Communications Commission to beware of overstated provider overlap in its National Broadband Map when allocating federal deployment funding, arguing that the map should be used as part of a holistic process to determine where money should be spent and not the sole determinant.

  • November 12, 2024

    SEC Quietly Shelves Private Fund Rules After 5th Circ. Loss

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has formally withdrawn rules that would have increased agency oversight of hedge funds and private equity funds after declining to appeal a Fifth Circuit decision that vacated the rules, which would have required fund advisers to disclose detailed information about their operations.

  • November 12, 2024

    Split DC Circ. Says White House Can't Issue NEPA Regs

    A divided D.C. Circuit determined Tuesday that the White House Council on Environmental Quality lacks the authority to issue legally binding regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, finding there is no statutory language showing Congress empowered it to do so.

  • November 12, 2024

    Mich. High Court Snapshot: 3M's PFAS Fight, Detroit Fire Fees

    The Michigan Supreme Court returns to the bench Wednesday in a packed oral argument sitting, including a major case on the viability of state PFAS regulations in a challenge brought by 3M Co.

  • November 12, 2024

    Ex-ComEd Exec Asked If Madigan Hires Truly An 'Exchange'

    Defense attorneys got their chance Tuesday to grill an ex-Commonwealth Edison executive who testified the utility hired people who did little to no work at the behest of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, asking if it truly traded those jobs for Madigan's action on ComEd legislation or if the company was just building goodwill with a key decision-maker.

  • November 12, 2024

    Trump Ally Bannon Seeks Delay Of 'We Build The Wall' Trial

    Former Trump administration strategist Stephen Bannon on Tuesday sought to delay his criminal trial on New York state charges stemming from an alleged scheme to con donors seeking to fund a southern U.S. border wall, two weeks after he wrapped up his federal prison sentence for contempt of Congress.

  • November 12, 2024

    J&J Says HHS Is Thwarting Transparency Of Drug Discounts

    Johnson & Johnson claims the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is thwarting its efforts to crack down on hospitals the company alleges are "reaping immense profits" on reduced-price medications without passing those discounts on to patients, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in D.C. federal court.

  • November 12, 2024

    Tempur Sealy Merger 'Surprisingly Bold,' Competitor Testifies

    The CEO of a Utah-based mattress company told a Houston federal judge Tuesday that Tempur Sealy's proposed remedies under its $4 billion planned Mattress Firm purchase were "surprisingly bold" as the Federal Trade Commission began its case in opposition of the merger.

  • November 12, 2024

    GOP Reps. Propose Another Bill On TRIPS Waivers

    A new bill from Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to force the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to file a report "before the negotiation of any international agreement relating to an intellectual property right."

  • November 12, 2024

    Gorsuch Says Feds Fleeing Regs Like Vampire Facing Garlic

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday rapped the Biden administration's inflexibility on a 60-day deadline for individuals on a self-deportation order, with Justice Neil Gorsuch saying the government is trying to ditch its own regulations like a vampire escaping garlic.

  • November 12, 2024

    University Of Washington Scores Worker Vax Suit Dismissal

    A Washington federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a group of healthcare workers who alleged the University of Washington denied their religious exemptions from a COVID-19 vaccination requirement, saying the university was justified in firing the workers to prevent patients and employees from being exposed to the virus.

  • November 12, 2024

    After Bribery Conviction, Insurance Mogul Cops To $2B Fraud

    An insurance mogul convicted on bribery and wire fraud charges turned himself into the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday in North Carolina after pleading guilty to separate charges stemming from a $2 billion scheme to defraud insurance companies, regulators and policyholders.

  • November 12, 2024

    Arkansas Fights Bid To Block Cherokee Casino Amendment

    Arkansas is looking to dismiss a challenge by two Cherokee Nation businesses that seeks to block an amendment revoking one of the tribal entities' casino gaming license, arguing that "the glaring obstacle" of the Eleventh Amendment bars lawsuits against states in federal court.

  • November 12, 2024

    Stop Bank Impersonation Scams 'Without Delay,' FCC Told

    Several banking organizations and a consumer rights group urged the Federal Communications Commission to forge ahead on rules aimed at stamping out scam texts that fraudsters use to impersonate banks.

  • November 12, 2024

    Kentucky Plunges Into 2nd Challenge To Waters Of US Rule

    Kentucky has refiled its lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule defining the scope of the federal government's jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, after the Sixth Circuit found that a federal district judge improperly dismissed the case.

  • November 12, 2024

    2nd Circ. Wary Of Ex-Yale Student's Bid For Asylum Evidence

    A Second Circuit panel on Tuesday seemed skeptical of an emergency bid by an acquitted onetime Yale University student to transmit a trial transcript containing his sexual assault accuser's name to immigration authorities despite a magistrate judge's ban on revealing the woman's identity, hinting that more litigation might be necessary.

  • November 12, 2024

    Ga. Health Board Fired Worker For Reporting Bias, Suit Says

    The Fulton County Board of Health has been sued in Georgia federal court by a white former employee who alleges she was suspended from her job and then fired for reporting racial discrimination.

  • November 12, 2024

    EPA Finalizes Waste Emissions Charge For Oil, Gas Facilities

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday issued a final rule implementing a waste emissions charge aimed at slashing methane emissions from high-emitting oil and gas facilities by 1.2 million metric tons through 2035.

  • November 12, 2024

    Trump's 'Pro-Business' Agenda Could Be A Boon For M&A

    President-elect Donald Trump's "pro-business" priorities and an anticipated relaxation of antitrust scrutiny are expected to boost mergers and acquisitions activity, but his tariff plan may have mixed results across sectors — and select deals could be subject to his "unpredictability," attorneys told Law360.

  • November 12, 2024

    Nuke Discharge Law Doesn't Usurp Feds, NY Says

    A New York state law banning discharges of radioactive material into the Hudson River is aimed at protecting the local economy as the Indian Point nuclear power plant is decommissioned and therefore isn't federally preempted, the Empire State told a federal judge Friday.

  • November 12, 2024

    Palin, NYT Set For April Retrial In Defamation Case

    Sarah Palin's retrial against The New York Times over defamation claims will start April 14, a New York federal judge ruled Tuesday after calling the parties' requests for a July date "out of the question."

  • November 12, 2024

    Freshfields Adds Ex-DOJ Atty To Co-Lead Investigations Team

    Freshfields has added the former associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice as the firm's new co-chair of its congressional investigations team, according to an announcement Tuesday.

  • November 12, 2024

    Pennsylvania Atty Text Solicitation Ban Stands, For Now

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday declined to temporarily halt the state's prohibition on attorneys soliciting potential clients using text messages while litigation filed by a legal marketer over the legality of the ban plays out, reasoning that there was no threat of irreparable harm to the company.

  • November 12, 2024

    Vidal To Leave USPTO For Private Sector

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal is stepping down from her role at the agency and will be heading back to the private sector in mid-December, she said in a Tuesday letter.

  • November 12, 2024

    Ohio Judge Reverses Senior Status Plans Post-Election

    Following last week's election, a federal judge for the Southern District of Ohio has reversed his decision to take semi-retired status, leaving President-elect Donald Trump with one fewer judicial vacancy to fill. 

Expert Analysis

  • Assessing Whether Jarkesy May Limit FINRA Prosecutions

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Jarkesy v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, holding that civil securities fraud defendants are entitled to jury trials, may cause unpredictable results when applied to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority prosecutions, say Barry Temkin and Kate DiGeronimo at Mound Cotton.

  • The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar

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    The importance of federal preemption for financial institutions will only increase as technology-driven innovations evolve, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America and vacatur of Kivett v. Flagstar Bank have real modern-day significance for national banks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Examining Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Of AI Inventions

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    In light of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office data showing that patent applications for artificial intelligence inventions are likelier to get rejected based on patent-ineligible subject matter, inventors seeking protection should be aware of the difficulties and challenges pertaining to patent eligibility, say Georgios Effraimidis at NERA and Joel Lehrer at Goodwin.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • What Cos. Need to Know About Battery Labeling Law

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    With new labeling requirements for button cell battery packaging taking effect in September, manufacturers and importers must review compliance, testing procedures, and necessary paperwork as the consequences of noncompliance can lead to costly penalties and supply chain woes, says Aasheesh Shravah at CM Law.

  • What Drug Cos. Must Know About NY Price Transparency Law

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    Drug manufacturers must understand the contours of New York's recently implemented law requiring self-reporting of drug price increases, as well as best practices for compliance and challenges against similar laws in other states, say Elizabeth Bierut and Angie Garcia at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Landscape Of Solar Tariffs

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    Solar cell and module manufacturers, exporters and importers must navigate an uncertain compliance landscape, given ongoing challenges to U.S. Department of Commerce antidumping and countervailing duty determinations, which have been mounted both by U.S. and non-U.S. manufacturers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Amid SEC Rule Limbo, US Cos. Subject To ESG Regs In EU

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    Though the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is facing legal challenges to its climate-disclosure rulemaking, the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive in the European Union will force U.S. companies to comply with exactly the kinds of ESG disclosures that are not yet mandated in the U.S., say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Pros, Cons Of Disclosing Improper Employee Retention Credit

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    Employers considering the Internal Revenue Service’s second voluntary disclosure program, which allows companies to avoid penalties for erroneously claiming employee retention credits for the 2021 tax year by repaying the credits and naming the tax advisers who encouraged these abusive practices, should carefully weigh the program’s benefits against its potential drawbacks, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Until Congress Acts, EDNY 'Insider Betting' Case Is Premature

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    The Eastern District of New York’s novel wire fraud conspiracy indictment in U.S. v. Pham may have prematurely heralded a new era in federal gambling enforcement, but in the absence of an “insider betting” statute, sportsbooks — not prosecutors — should be responsible for enforcing their terms of use, says attorney Jonathan Savella.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation

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    With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.

  • Banking Compliance Takeaways From Joint Agency Statement

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    Federal bank regulatory agencies’ recent joint statement warning of risks associated with third-party fintech deposit services spotlights a fundamental problem that may arise with bank deposit products that are made through increasingly complex customer relationships, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • What BIPA Reform Law Means For Biometrics Litigation

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    A recently signed Illinois law amending the Biometric Information Privacy Act limits defendants' liability exposure on a per-scan basis and clarifies that electronic signatures constitute a valid written release, establishing additional issues that courts will need to address in future BIPA litigation, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

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