Public Policy

  • August 01, 2024

    House Workforce Chair Wants Mental Health Parity Regs Axed

    The Republican chairwoman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee told the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday it should not finalize regulations that aim to encourage employer compliance with a law requiring equitable mental health and substance use disorder treatments coverage, stating the rule burdens businesses.

  • August 01, 2024

    Mich. Regulators Sue Co. For Bringing In Out-of-State THC

    A Michigan-based maker of edibles, vapes and other cannabinoid goods is in hot water with state regulators, which filed a complaint accusing the business of incorrectly reporting shipments of 130,000 grams of cannabis concentrate brought in from outside the state.

  • August 02, 2024

    Meet The 4 Washington Supreme Court Hopefuls

    A career civil litigator, Seattle-area municipal judge, Naval officer-turned-tax attorney and solo family law practitioner are all vying this month for an open seat on Washington state's high court.

  • August 01, 2024

    Justices Uphold Chancery Toss Of Church COVID Suit

    Two religious leaders in Delaware who sued over restrictions the state imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic waited too long to file the case and have no standing to proceed with their claims, Delaware's Supreme Court ruled Thursday, upholding dismissals by both the Superior and Chancery courts.

  • August 01, 2024

    Pirate Broadcaster Hit With Max Fine For Ignoring FCC

    If the FCC could have fined the pirate radio station that it says has been operating out of the Bronx for years a penny more, it would have, but the agency ended up levying the maximum fine of just over $2.3 million against the operator of the station.

  • August 01, 2024

    6th Circ. Puts Net Neutrality Rule On Ice During Appeals

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday granted industry groups' bid to put a hold on the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules while appellate court challenges play out, saying there is a strong chance that internet service providers will eventually prevail.

  • August 01, 2024

    EU Approves $18B Grain Deal With Asset Sales

    European enforcers on Thursday approved grain and seed supplier Bunge Ltd.'s plan to buy global grain trader Viterra Ltd. in an $18 billion deal, conditioned on the sale of Viterra's oilseed businesses in Hungary and Poland.

  • August 01, 2024

    Nokia Backs Expanded Broadband Use In 900 MHz Band

    Nokia is joining the chorus of voices calling on the Federal Communications Commission to open up the 900 megahertz band of spectrum to other types of networks, a move they say will help utilities and other critical private enterprises.

  • August 01, 2024

    Groups Say DC Circ.'s Toss Of FERC OK Boosts Their Case

    Conservation groups and the city of Port Isabel, Texas, told the D.C. Circuit that its recent decision to vacate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a Northeast pipeline expansion supports their challenge of the commission's decision to approve two Texas liquefied natural gas facilities.

  • August 01, 2024

    Texas Juvenile Detention Centers Rife With Abuse, DOJ Says

    A U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Texas Juvenile Justice Department found a widespread pattern of physical and mental abuse and sexual exploitation at state-run facilities, with a report released Thursday calling for widespread reforms in juvenile detention institutions.

  • August 01, 2024

    Utah High Court Upholds Pause On State Abortion Ban

    The Utah Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a pause on the state's near-total abortion ban while a constitutional challenge to the law proceeds, agreeing with a lower court's conclusion that the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah had standing to bring its challenge.

  • August 01, 2024

    Direct File Will Be Available In New Mexico, IRS Announces

    New Mexico will participate in the Internal Revenue Service's free electronic tax return filing program known as Direct File in the 2025 tax filing season, the agency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Bistate Transit Agency Fights NJ Comptroller's Info Bid

    The Delaware River Port Authority accused the acting New Jersey state comptroller of overstepping his authority by attempting to compel it to produce documents and testimony via two subpoenas, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Garden State federal court.

  • August 01, 2024

    Colo. Panel Finds Campaign Disclosure Rule Unconstitutional

    A Colorado Court of Appeals panel on Thursday found that a requirement for ballot issue committees to list their registered agent on election communications is unconstitutionally compelled speech, reasoning that the public doesn't learn much from knowing a committee's legal representative.

  • August 01, 2024

    Missouri Gov. Announces Ban On Psychoactive Hemp Wares

    Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday announced a ban on the sale of intoxicating consumable cannabis products manufactured outside the state's regulated adult-use marijuana market, marking the latest effort by a state to rein in psychoactive wares derived from federally legal hemp.

  • August 01, 2024

    Novo Nordisk Loses Challenge To Medicare Drug Price Talks

    Another challenge to a Medicare drug price negotiation program has failed after a New Jersey federal judge ruled once again that the program is voluntary and rejected claims that it violates the constitutional rights of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.

  • August 01, 2024

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The Federal Trade Commission brought its latest case contesting a vertical merger, Tempur Sealy's bid for Mattress Firm, while continuing to battle Microsoft's purchase of Activision and Kroger's purchase of Albertsons, even as the agency allowed several oil deals to move forward without challenge.

  • August 01, 2024

    Texas Judge Pauses Border Buoy Trial After 5th Circ. Ruling

    A federal judge on Thursday postponed a bench trial in the Biden administration's suit against Texas over a border barrier in the Rio Grande after the Fifth Circuit vacated the district court's order for Texas to move the barrier during litigation.

  • August 01, 2024

    Pot Co. Says City Ignored Order To Review App In $14M Suit

    A California cannabis business is suing the city of Chula Vista for nearly $14 million, saying it failed to properly review and score its application for a cannabis license despite orders to do so from a state appeals court.

  • August 01, 2024

    EPA Objects To Colorado Air Permit For Oil And Gas Site

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is directing Colorado officials to revisit an operating permit issued for an oil and gas well site north of Denver, in response to concerns raised by a conservation group.

  • August 01, 2024

    Court Won't Stop FTC Judges In H&R Block False Ad Fight

    The Federal Trade Commission can proceed with its hearing against H&R Block accusing the tax preparation firm of false advertising, a Missouri federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting the company's argument that the agency's administrative law judges lack constitutional authority to preside.

  • August 01, 2024

    Judge Denies Bid For Financial Info Of Miami Official's Wife

    A Florida federal judge rejected a bid by two property developers seeking financial records of a Miami commissioner's wife in a garnishment hearing, saying Wednesday their claim isn't supported, although withholding them could work against the official claiming his salary can't be used to pay a $63.5 million judgment.

  • August 01, 2024

    Senate Panel OKs NLRB Nominees, Setting Up Floor Fight

    A Senate committee on Thursday voted to advance the nomination of National Labor Relations Board Chairman Lauren McFerran and a Seyfarth Shaw LLP partner nominated to fill a Republican vacancy on the board, setting up a high-stakes floor fight over key spots at the agency.

  • August 01, 2024

    DC Panel Wants 2-Year Sanction For Ex-DOJ Atty Jeffrey Clark

    A Washington, D.C., attorney disciplinary panel on Thursday recommended a two-year suspension for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, finding he acted "with truly extraordinary recklessness" when he sought to promote former President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.

  • August 01, 2024

    Ga. Law Allows For Unlawful Voter Removals, Nonprofits Say

    A lawsuit filed Wednesday by the New Georgia Project and A. Philip Randolph Institute seeks to block portions of a Georgia law that they claim makes it easier to unlawfully remove voters from the registration list and accuses a handful of Georgia counties of unlawfully removing voters from the list based on "unvetted documentation and unreliable information."

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    After Chevron: Good News For Gov't Contractors In Litigation

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    The net result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Chevron deference is that individuals, contractors and companies bringing procurement-related cases against the government will have new pathways toward success, say Joseph Berger and Andrés Vera at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Scale Tips Favor Away From HHS Agencies

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    The loss of Chevron deference may indirectly aid parties in challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretations of regulations and could immediately influence several pending cases challenging HHS on technical questions and agency authority, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FDA Regulations In The Crosshairs

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine is likely to unleash an array of challenges against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on areas of potential overreach such as the FDA's authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls

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    Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

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    As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Limited Changes In USPTO Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference will have limited consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given the USPTO's unique statutory features, but it is still an important decision for matters of statutory interpretation, especially those involving provisions of the America Invents Act, say Andrei Iancu and Cooper Godfrey at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • Series

    After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Impact On Indian Law May Be Muted

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    Agency interpretations of Indian law statutes that previously stood the test of judicial review ​are likely to withstand new challenges even after the end of Chevron deference, but litigation in the area is all but certain, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    Trump Immunity Ruling Upends Our Constitutional Scheme

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Trump v. U.S. decision elevates the president to imperial status and paves the way for nearly absolute presidential immunity from potential criminal prosecutions — with no constitutional textual support, says Paul Berman at the George Washington University Law School.

  • High Court Paves Middle Ground For Proceedings Obstruction

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Fischer sensibly leaves the door open for prosecutors to make more nuanced assessments as to whether defendants' actions directly or tangentially impair the availability or integrity of anything used in an official proceeding, without criminalizing acts such as peaceful demonstrations, say attorneys at Perry Law.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Series

    Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter of 2024 brought two notable bills that will affect Florida's banking and finance community across many issues, including virtual currency abandonment, cancellation of financial services on the basis of political opinions, and the exemption amount of motor vehicles, say Joshua Prever and Andrew Balthazor at Holland & Knight.

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