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Public Policy
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August 26, 2024
Energy Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
Even after an action-packed first half of 2024, plenty of high-stakes energy litigation remains, including a new twist in the prolonged battle over climate change lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, as well as cases that could influence federal climate change policy. Here are several cases energy attorneys will be watching in the second half of the year.
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August 26, 2024
New Jersey Cases Attorneys Are Watching In 2024
Jersey City is fighting the Garden State's cannabis legalization law and argues it conflicts with federal gun control legislation, while the bankrupt former chief financial officer of McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP is facing civil claims he defrauded the firm and paid himself millions in unauthorized salary.
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August 23, 2024
FDIC Says Ex-Lender Can't Have 3rd Bite At In-House Apple
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday urged a Washington, D.C., federal judge to reject a former small-business financier's bid to immediately halt an agency enforcement proceeding against him, saying a key recent U.S. Supreme Court decision doesn't apply to his case.
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August 23, 2024
Ohio Constitution Dooms 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
An Ohio state judge on Friday preliminarily blocked multiple Ohio civil and criminal abortion-related statutes requiring informed consent and a 24-hour waiting period, among other restrictions, finding that the statutes likely run afoul of the recently passed voter-backed state constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion.
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August 23, 2024
Afghan Supporters Say US Arbitrarily Delayed Parole Requests
The U.S. government has been arbitrarily delaying action on requests of Afghans seeking humanitarian parole while expeditiously processing parole applications of those living in Ukraine, Cuba and Haiti for free and approving their travel authorizations, according to plaintiffs seeking to file an amended proposed class action in Massachusetts federal court.
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August 23, 2024
PE Fund Says SEC Is Overstepping With 'Fishing Expedition'
A large South Carolina private equity fund has sued the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly overstepping its authority by trying to regulate the business' activities through an unconstitutional "fishing expedition" investigation that threatens the building of thousands of housing units.
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August 23, 2024
Google Pushes To Depose A Texas Official In Biometric Suit
Google is crying foul in a state court of appeals over Texas' refusal to let it take a deposition of either a representative or an employee of the Texas Office of the Attorney General, saying in a petition that it was forced to defend itself without full discovery.
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August 23, 2024
Hong Kong Relaxes Listing Rules For Tech Startups, SPACs
Hoping to spur more investment into emerging businesses amid a dry spell, Hong Kong's securities watchdog and stock exchange leaders on Friday unveiled relaxed listing rules for technology startups and eased requirements needed to clear mergers involving special purpose acquisition companies.
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August 23, 2024
Slot Machine Apps Violate Kentucky Betting Laws, Suit Says
A Kentucky man is taking aim at producers of online game apps, arguing in his federal lawsuit that these "social casinos" are causing the same problems as real-life gambling and constitute illegal wagering.
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August 23, 2024
FTC Regroups After Noncompete Setbacks In Florida, Texas
A Florida federal judge on Friday suspended a deadline given to the Federal Trade Commission to respond to a lawsuit challenging a worker noncompete ban after the agency requested more time to discuss next steps following recent setbacks against the rule in Texas and the Sunshine State.
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August 23, 2024
Ill. Cheer Parents Can Join $82.5M Antitrust Varsity Brand Deal
A Tennessee federal judge on Friday allowed cheer parents from Illinois to participate in an $82.5 million antitrust class action settlement reached with academic apparel giant Varsity Brands, finding they could receive settlement benefits without delaying the process or increasing administrative costs.
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August 23, 2024
Wash. Justices Affirm Convicted Ex-State Auditor Disbarment
The Washington Supreme Court affirmed a recommendation to disbar convicted former state auditor Troy X. Kelley after he was imprisoned on felony theft charges, finding that Kelley's crimes justified the disbarment sanction.
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August 23, 2024
NY Lawmakers Hit With ADA Suit Over Contentious Mask Ban
A Long Island, New York, county that recently made it illegal for certain individuals to wear face masks in public has been hit with a lawsuit by a legal advocacy group alleging the ban discriminates against people with disabilities.
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August 23, 2024
737 Max Families Spurn DOJ, Boeing's 'Cozy' Plea Deal
Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes told a Texas federal judge on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice's "cozy" plea agreement with Boeing must be rejected because it's based on misleading facts and shoddy math that overlook the tragic deaths of 346 people.
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August 23, 2024
Biden White House Unleashes More Sanctions On Russia
The Biden administration issued a wave of sanctions against Russia on Friday — the eve of Ukrainian Independence Day — targeting 400 entities and individuals who are allegedly helping Russia avoid the sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
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August 23, 2024
NC Not Shielded From Racetrack's COVID Shutdown Suit
The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday ruled a racetrack owner's lawsuit accusing state officials of violating his constitutional rights with a COVID shutdown order can survive dismissal, reasoning the claims were sufficient to overcome the government's protections from being sued.
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August 23, 2024
Texas Sues To Halt Green Cards For Mixed-Status Families
Texas sued the Biden administration Friday seeking to block a new program for noncitizens and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to apply for green cards and work permits from within the country, saying it exceeds the administration's parole authority.
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August 23, 2024
La. Judge Smashes EPA Civil Rights Regulations In State
A Louisiana federal judge has granted the state's request for a permanent injunction blocking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing civil rights regulations in the state that involve disparate impact components.
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August 23, 2024
Albertsons-Kroger Deal Tests FTC's Stepped-Up Merger Policy
The Federal Trade Commission's highly anticipated hearing to block Albertsons' planned $24.6 billion merger with Kroger kicks off Monday in a Portland, Oregon, courtroom in what attorneys say will be a pivotal test of the Biden administration's newly formalized merger policy.
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August 23, 2024
Latino Group Seeks Inquiry Into AG Paxton's Voter Fraud Raids
The Texas arm of the League of United Latin American Citizens is calling for a federal investigation into reports of "police state tactics" used by the Texas attorney general's office during its investigation of voter fraud.
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August 23, 2024
Google Args Don't Erase 'History Is On, Jesus,' DOJ Says
Google employees were so conscious of hiding evidence of conduct "that leads to law suits" that they reacted quickly when forgetting to let internal chats delete automatically, the Justice Department said, pushing to punish the search giant for those policies in the looming advertising technology monopolization trial.
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August 23, 2024
Texas City Can't Avoid Improvement District Bond Payments
A Texas appeals court has affirmed a Dallas specialty finance company's win over the city of Hutto, finding this week that the finance company made valid transactions despite the city's protests that the bonds at issue weren't valid under state law.
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August 23, 2024
EPA Issues Guidance On Civil Rights Safeguards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidance to help its financial assistance recipients comply with civil rights laws and nondiscrimination regulations.
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August 23, 2024
Public Needs Full Record In Pebble Mine Row, Alaska Argues
Alaska is fighting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's push for a protective order for hundreds of publications and reports in the state's lawsuit challenging a Clean Water Act veto that essentially blocked development of the controversial Pebble Mine.
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August 23, 2024
Colo. Board Wrong In Nixing Fees From Valuation, Court Rules
The Colorado Board of Assessment Appeals improperly applied a state Supreme Court decision that erroneously revived a dispute over whether fees should be included in a resort's property valuation, a state appeals court ruled.
Expert Analysis
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A Timeline Of Antisemitism Legislation And What It Means
What began as hearings in the House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce has expanded to a House-wide effort to combat antisemitism and related issues, with wide-ranging implications for education, finance and nonprofit entities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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California Adds A Novel Twist To State Suits Against Big Oil
California’s suit against Exxon Mobil Corp., one of several state suits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for climate-related harms, is unique both in the magnitude of the alleged claims and its use of a consumer protection statute to seek disgorgement of industry profits, says Julia Stein at UCLA School of Law.
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Criminal Enforcement Considerations For Gov't Contractors
Government contractors increasingly exposed to criminal liability risks should establish programs that enable detection and remediation of employee misconduct, consider voluntary disclosure, and be aware of the potentially disastrous consequences of failing to make a mandatory disclosure where the government concludes it was required, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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New La. Managing Agent Law May Portend Growing Scrutiny
Recent amendments to Louisiana’s managing general agent regulations impose expansive new obligations on such agents and their insurer partners, which may be a sign of heightened regulatory, commercial and rating agency scrutiny, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Trending At The PTAB: Multiple Petitions In IPRs
Recent Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions and a proposed rulemaking indicate the board’s intention to continue to take a tougher stance on multiple inter partes review petitions challenging the same patent, presenting key factors for petitioners to consider, like the necessity of parallel filings and serial petitions, say Yinan Liu and Cory Bell at Finnegan.
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FERC Rule Is A Big Step Forward For Transmission Planning
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent electric transmission system overhaul marks significant progress to ensure the grid can deliver electricity at reasonable prices, with a 20-year planning requirement and other criteria going further than prior attempted reforms, say Tom Millar and Gwendolyn Hicks at Winston & Strawn.
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Series
After Chevron: Rethinking Agency Deference In IP Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Chevron deference could make it simpler to challenge the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s proposed rule on terminal disclaimers and U.S. International Trade Commission interpretations, says William Milliken at Sterne Kessler.
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Tricky Venue Issues Persist In Fortenberry Prosecution Redo
Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was recently indicted for a second time after the Ninth Circuit tossed his previous conviction for improper venue, but the case, now pending in the District of Columbia, continues to illustrate the complexities of proper venue in "false statement scheme" prosecutions, says Kevin Coleman at Covington.
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Series
Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.
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1st Gender Care Ban Provides Context For High Court Case
The history of Arkansas' ban on gender-affirming medical care — the first such legislation in the U.S. — provides important insight into the far-reaching ramifications that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti next term will have on transgender healthcare, says Tyler Saenz at Baker Donelson.
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CFPB's New Registration Rule Will Intensify Nonbank Scrutiny
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recently finalized nonbank registration rule aimed at cracking down on repeat offenders poses significant compliance challenges and enforcement risks for nonbank financial firms, and may be particularly onerous for smaller firms, say Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu at Cozen O'Connor.
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Series
After Chevron: FCC And Industry Must Prepare For Change
The Chevron doctrine was especially significant in the communications sector because of the indeterminacy of federal communications statutes, so the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the doctrine could have big implications for those regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, bringing both opportunities and risks for companies, say Thomas Johnson and Michael Showalter at Wiley.
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Series
After Chevron: Uniform Tax Law Interpretation Not Guaranteed
The loss of Chevron deference will significantly alter the relationship between the IRS, courts and Congress when it comes to tax law, potentially precipitating more transparent rulemaking, but also provoking greater uncertainty due to variability in judicial interpretation, say Michelle Levin and Carneil Wilson at Dentons.
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Series
After Chevron: Environmental Law May Face Hurdles
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning Chevron deference could prove to be as influential as the original 1984 decision, with far-reaching implications for U.S. environmental laws, including rendering recently promulgated regulations more vulnerable to challenges, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.