Expert Analysis

• Total Stay Of CFPB Small Biz Data Rule Is Boon To Lenders

  

  The Southern District of Texas’ nationwide halt of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Small Business Lending Rule would end if the CFPB wins a pending U.S. Supreme Court case, but the interim pause allows valuable extra time for financial institutions to plan their compliance strategies, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

• Why The Effect Of Vivint Has Been Minimal

  

  A survey of recent ex parte reexamination decisions since the Federal Circuit’s 2021 In re: Vivint decision appears to support the court’s conclusion that the ruling was limited in scope and would have limited impact, says Yao Wang at Fish & Richardson.

• Opinion

  What 5th Circ. Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Ruling Got Wrong

  

  The Fifth Circuit’s recent ruling in National Press Photographers Association v. McGraw threatens to dilute the First Amendment rights of photographers using uncrewed aircraft systems and undermine federal control of the airspace, and is indicative of how other courts may misinterpret the Federal Aviation Administration's new fact sheet down the line, say attorneys at Wiley Rein.

• What Texas Business Court Could Mean For Oil, Gas Cases

  

  While the new business court in Texas might seem an ideal venue for the numerous oil and gas disputes litigated in that state, many of these cases may remain outside its reach under the rules governing the court's jurisdiction — at least for now, say Conrad Hester and Emily Fitzgerald at Alston & Bird.

• Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

  

  As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

• SEC Fines Mean Cos. Should Review Anti-Whistleblower Docs

  

  The Securities and Exchange Commission’s expanding focus on violations of whistleblower protection laws — as seen in recent settlements where company contracts forbade workers from reporting securities misconduct — means companies should review their employment and separation agreements for language that may discourage reporting, says Caroline Henry at Maynard Nexsen.

• SolarWinds Ushers In New Era Of SEC Cyber Enforcement

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent lawsuit against software company SolarWinds Corp. and its chief information security officer is the first time the SEC has ever filed suit over scienter-based fraud involving cybersecurity failures, illustrating that both companies and CISOs need to be extra cautious in how they describe their cybersecurity practices, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

• General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

  

  With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

• A Look At Successful Bid Protests In FY 2023

  

  Attorneys at Sheppard Mullin look beyond the statistics in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s recent annual report on bid protests, sharing their insights about nine categories of sustained protests, gained from reading every fiscal year 2023 decision in which the protester had a positive result.

• Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

  

  As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

• FDA's Lab-Developed Test Rule May Bring Historic Challenges

  

  If finalized, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed rule for regulating laboratory-developed tests will provoke some of the most interesting legal challenges that the agency has faced in decades, with outcomes that will likely reverberate across the agency's product centers, says Stacy Amin at MoFo.

• Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

  

  Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

• Keeping Tabs On Fight Over Board Diversity Rule At 5th Circ.

  

  Attorneys at Mintz dissect why the Fifth Circuit rejected a constitutional challenge to Nasdaq’s new requirement that listed companies disclose board diversity data, assess how a petition calling the decision pro-discrimination may fare, and discuss where companies that have yet to meet the exchange's diversity goals go next.

• 5th Circ. Ruling May Beget Fraud Jury Instruction Appeals

  

  The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Greenlaw decision, disapproving disjunctive fraudulent-intent jury instructions, will likely spawn appeals in mail, wire and securities fraud cases, but defendants must show that their deception furthered ends other than taking the victim's property, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

• Cos.' Trade Secret Measures Must Adjust To Remote-Work Era

  

  Several recent cases demonstrate that companies need to reevaluate and adjust their trade secret protection strategies in this new age of remote work, says Stephanie Riley at Womble Bond.