Expert Analysis

• DOJ Crypto Enforcement Is Shifting To Target Willfulness

  

  Three pending criminal prosecutions could be an indication of how the U.S. Department of Justice's recent digital assets memo is shaping enforcement of the area, and show a growing focus on executives who knowingly allow their platforms to be used for criminal conduct involving sanctions offenses, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

  

  The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

• Series

  Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

  

  Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

  

  Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

• Opinion

  4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

  

  As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

• Practical Implications Of SEC's New Crypto Staking Guidance

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent staff guidance that protocol staking does not constitute securities offerings provides a workable compliance blueprint for crypto developers, validators and custodial platforms willing to keep staking strictly limited to protocol-driven rewards, say attorneys at Cahill.

• How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

  

  E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

• AbbVie Frees Taxpayers From M&A Capital Loss Limitations

  

  The U.S. Tax Court’s June 17 opinion in AbbVie v. Commissioner, finding that a $1.6 billion break fee was an ordinary and necessary business expense, marks a pivotal rejection of the Internal Revenue Service’s position on the tax treatment of termination fees related to failed mergers or acquisitions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Series

  Georgia Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

  

  The second quarter brought a number of significant legislative and regulatory changes for Georgia banking, including an extension of the intangibles tax exemption for short-term notes, modernization of routine regulatory practices, and new guardrails against mortgage trigger leads, says Walter Jones at Balch & Bingham.

• Series

  Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

  

  Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

• Nev. Steps Up Efforts To Attract Incorporations With New Law

  

  Recent amendments to Nevada corporate law, which will narrow controlling stockholders’ liability, streamline mergers and allow companies to opt out of jury trials, show the interstate competition to attract new and reincorporating companies is still heating up, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

  

  The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

• Federal Construction Considerations Amid Policy Overhaul

  

  The rapid overhaul of federal procurement, heightened domestic sourcing rules and aggressive immigration enforcement are reshaping U.S. construction, but several pragmatic considerations can help federal contractors engaged in infrastructure and public construction avoid the legal, financial and operational fallout, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

• Can Companies Add Tariffs Back To Earnings Calculations?

  

  With the recent and continually evolving tariffs announced by the Trump administration, John Ryan at King & Spalding takes a detailed look at whether those new tariffs can be added back in calculating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — an important question that may greatly affect a company's compliance with its financial covenants.