Expert Analysis

• Tech Company Trade Compliance Programs Need A Check-Up

  

  As sanctions and export controls continue to evolve, companies in the tech sector are often affected in ways that can be difficult to spot, say Carrie Schroll and Matthew Luzadder at Kelley Drye.

• Not To Be Outpaced: How The 2024 NDAA Addresses China

  

  Both the House and Senate versions of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act include numerous provisions aimed at strengthening U.S. deterrence and competitive positioning vis-à-vis China, while imposing significantly more disruptive burdens on government contractors and their suppliers than in prior years, say attorneys at Covington.

• How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

  

  When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

• How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

  

  Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

• Why The US-Japan-South Korea Summit Is Monumental For AI

  

  The recent trilateral summit shows that the U.S., Japan and South Korea are seemingly aligned on their approaches toward regulations governing artificial intelligence, though there are possible challenges to the creation of international standards, says California attorney Donna Etemadi.

• Dissecting The Proposed Foreign Extortion Prevention Act

  

  If the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — recently introduced in Congress seeking to fill a gap in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act — becomes law, it will be music to the ears of many U.S. businesses that feel that they bear an unfair burden when it comes to foreign bribery enforcement, say attorneys at MoFo.

• Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

  

  X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

• EU Privacy Framework Bodes Well For US Life Sciences Cos.

  

  U.S.-based life sciences companies could face data transfer challenges since they may be subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation even without having an EU presence, but a recently approved EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework may provide helpful protection at least for the near future, says Wim Nauwelaerts at Alston & Bird.

• Self-Disclosure Lessons From Exemplary Corp. Resolutions

  

  With scant examples of corporate resolutions in the wake of U.S. Department of Justice self-disclosure policy changes last fall, companies may glean helpful insights from three recent declination letters, as well as other governmental self-reporting regimes, say Lindsey Collins and Kate Rumsey at Sheppard Mullin.

• Trade Preference Program Revival: Is The Past Prologue?

  

  Attorneys at Squire Patton discuss what Congress' past reauthorizations of the Generalized System of Preferences reveal about the prospects for its revitalization in the current term, why this oldest of U.S. trade preference programs should be protected, and how importers can utilize its advantages in the meantime.

• The Benefits Of Preparing OFAC's Blocked Property Report

  

  Companies preparing to submit an annual report of blocked property, due Sept. 30 to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, can use the process to reassess whether existing sanctions compliance measures are appropriate and make adjustments to address new risks, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

• ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

  

  While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• Bid Protest Spotlight: Unfair Advantage, Buy American Waiver

  

  In this month's bid protest roundup, James Tucker at MoFo offers takeaways on one decision that considers unfair proposal development advantages in the context of an employee's access to nonpublic information in a prior federal government position, and another decision that reconsiders a contract award based on an inadequately supported waiver of Buy American Act restrictions.

• Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

  

  As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

• Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance

  

  The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.