Expert Analysis

• Why NYC Building Owners Shouldn't Ignore Emissions Rule

  

  New rules from the New York City Department of Buildings clarify the previously vague good faith efforts that building owners may make to mitigate penalties for not complying with a major carbon emission law that takes effect in January, and should discourage owners from simply paying the fines instead of decarbonizing, says William McCracken at Moritt Hock.

• 2nd Circ. Defamation Ruling May Chill NY Title IX Reports

  

  The Second Circuit’s recent decision, holding accusers in Connecticut Title IX sexual misconduct cases are not immune to defamation claims, means that New York higher education institutions should reassess whether their disciplinary hearing procedures both protect due process and encourage victim and witness participation, says Nicole Donatich at Cullen and Dykman.

• Series

  Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

• What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

  

  Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

  

  The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

• 3 AI Regulation Developments Insurers Must Follow

  

  Insurance regulators continue to actively develop regulations and guidance on the use of artificial intelligence, so insurers should be aware of recent developments from the Colorado Division of Insurance, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the New York Department of Financial Services, say attorneys at Willkie.

• New York Cybersecurity Amendments Raise Regulatory Bar

  

  Financial service providers both in and outside New York should study recent changes to the state financial regulator's cybersecurity requirements, which add governance controls, technical safeguards and incident response protocols to improve what is already becoming the national benchmark for robust cybersecurity compliance programs, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

• Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• 5 Steps To Meet CFTC Remediation Expectations

  

  After the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently updated its enforcement policies, organizations should implement elements of effective remediation — from root-cause analyses to design effectiveness tests — to mitigate the risk of penalties and third-party oversight, say Jonny Frank and Chris Hoyle at StoneTurn Group.

• Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials

  

  As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.

• An Overview Of Circuit Courts' Interlocutory Motion Standards

  

  The Federal Arbitration Act allows litigants to file an immediate appeal from an order declining to enforce an arbitration agreement, but the circuit courts differ on the specific requirements for the underlying order as well as which motion must be filed, as demonstrated in several 2023 decisions, says Kristen Mueller at Mueller Law.

• 3 Rulings Illustrate Infringement Hurdles For Hip-Hop Plaintiffs

  

  Three district court decisions dismissing hip-hop copyright claims recently came down in quick succession, indicating that plaintiffs face significant hurdles when they premise claims on the use of words, phrases and themes that are common in the genre, say Benjamin Halperin and Shiara Robinson at Cowan DeBaets.

• The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

  

  In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

• What SEC Retreat In Ripple Case Means For Crypto Regulation

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has chosen a regulation-by-enforcement approach to cryptocurrency policy rather than through rulemaking, but the agency's recently aborted enforcement action against two Ripple Labs executives for alleged securities law violations demonstrates the limits of this piecemeal tactic, says Keith Blackman at Bracewell.

• Why Employers Should Refrain From 'Quiet Firing'

  

  While quiet firing — when an employer deliberately makes working conditions intolerable with the goal of forcing an employee to quit — has recently been identified in the news as a new trend, such constructive discharge tactics have been around for ages, and employers would do well to remember that, comparatively, direct firings may provide more legal protection, says Robin Shea at Constangy.