Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Public Policy
-
May 07, 2024
Google Founder And CEO Eyed In Texas Deposition Push
Texas and allied states have pressed a Texas federal judge not to release Google co-founder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai from sitting for depositions in a suit alleging the tech company illegally dominated the online advertising market.
-
May 07, 2024
Novant CEO Vows To Improve Hospitals Facing FTC Scrutiny
Novant Health kicked off its defense Tuesday in the Federal Trade Commission's $320 million merger challenge with testimony from its longtime CEO, who vocalized the health system's promise to reinvest in the two struggling hospitals at the center of the case.
-
May 07, 2024
DOJ's 'Dr. Doom' Sees AI's Crime-Fighting Abilities, And Risks
The U.S. Department of Justice is using artificial intelligence to bolster its investigations, including into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, said U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on Tuesday at a cybersecurity conference at which she dove into the beneficial uses of AI alongside its threats to security and democracy.
-
May 07, 2024
85 Lawmakers Join Chorus Opposing Space Force Transfers
A bipartisan group of 85 federal lawmakers on Tuesday joined all 50 state governors in opposing a proposal to allow Air National Guard units to be transferred to the U.S. Space Force without gubernatorial approval, arguing the measure would undermine "the integrity and longstanding mission of the National Guard."
-
May 07, 2024
US News' Suit Over SF Ranking Probe Premature, Judge Says
A California federal judge on Tuesday tossed without prejudice U.S. News & World Report's lawsuit challenging the San Francisco City Attorney's subpoenas seeking information about its methodology for ranking hospitals, saying the suit jumps the gun because U.S. News is not bringing a valid pre-enforcement claim.
-
May 07, 2024
Federal Courts Choosing To Stay Out Of Texas Grid Fights
The Fifth Circuit has again refused to wade into fights over actions taken by Texas' grid operator during a 2021 winter storm, further underscoring federal courts' reluctance to disturb the historic independence of the Lone Star State's electricity sector, attorneys say.
-
May 07, 2024
10th Circ. Finds 'Religious Animus' In School's Vaccine Rules
The Tenth Circuit ruled Tuesday that the University of Colorado System's policies regarding COVID-19 vaccine exemptions violated constitutional religious liberty protections, saying its rules were motivated by "religious animus" and should have been blocked by a trial court.
-
May 07, 2024
2nd Circ. Weighs Border Wall Fraud Juror's Tie To Prosecution
A Colorado man convicted of scheming to defraud donors to a campaign to build a southern border wall told the Second Circuit on Tuesday that his trial was tainted by a juror's family connection to the prosecution team.
-
May 07, 2024
Fashion Cos. Say FTC Bid To Ax $8.5B Deal 'Makes No Sense'
The Federal Trade Commission's move to block the owner of Coach and Kate Spade from buying the owner of Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo for $8.5 billion "makes no sense," the companies argued in response, saying they aren't the only handbag brands in the game.
-
May 07, 2024
5th Circ. Urged To Reject Challenge To Board Diversity Rule
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund urged the Fifth Circuit not to upend a Nasdaq Stock Market rule meant to encourage corporate board diversity, saying in a brief Monday that the rule's opponents have staked out a "radical" position on the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution that threatens to "entrench ... barriers to opportunity."
-
May 07, 2024
Forest Service Says Court Should Fell Logging Climate Suit
The U.S. Forest Service on Monday urged a D.C. federal district court to toss most of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that alleges the agency failed to assess the impact of logging projects on carbon storage and emissions.
-
May 07, 2024
Microsoft Announces AI For Top Secret Gov't Cloud
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it will make generative artificial intelligence tools available for federal defense and intelligence agencies as part of its cloud system for classified information, using a private network not connected to the public internet.
-
May 07, 2024
DOI Gives States And Tribes $148M For Drought Resiliency
The U.S. Department of the Interior has said it has invested nearly $148 million to help states and Native American tribes prepare for water reliability challenges due to drought and other scarcity concerns, saying the money will go to 42 projects in 10 states.
-
May 07, 2024
Commerce Revokes Huawei Export Licenses
The U.S. Department of Commerce has revoked active export licenses for Chinese technology giant Huawei, an agency spokesperson confirmed Tuesday, the same day the company's Intel-powered Matebook X Pro 2024 laptop hit the international market.
-
May 07, 2024
NY Officials Tout Crackdown On Illicit Cannabis Market
New York state cannabis regulators on Tuesday touted new legislative changes empowering them to more swiftly crack down on unregulated marijuana sales, the same day that New York City officials announced a program to step up enforcement against unlicensed retailers.
-
May 07, 2024
DOJ Says Cross-Border Antitrust Trial Must Stay In Houston
Prosecutors have advised Houston's federal court against transferring a criminal case closer to the border, saying their witnesses fear testifying against defendants charged with using violence to control the cross-border sale of used vehicles and other goods in Central America.
-
May 07, 2024
Colo. Judge Iffy On DOJ's Missive In Kroger Merger Challenge
A Colorado state judge said he was unsure Tuesday about how to handle the Department of Justice's recent filing defending the state's authority to challenge Kroger's $24 billion merger with Albertsons, as Kroger claimed federal regulators were flip-flopping their antitrust stance.
-
May 07, 2024
Feds Tell 11th Circ. Justices' Ruling Saves DHS Parole Policies
The Biden administration has urged the Eleventh Circuit to vacate separate decisions from a Florida federal judge striking down two U.S. Department of Homeland Security parole policies, saying U.S. Supreme Court precedent mandates that outcome.
-
May 07, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Removal Fight Over Justices' Notice Ruling
A Honduran woman who received a notice to appear in immigration court without a time specified can resume fighting her deportation after the Ninth Circuit leaned on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring all court hearing information to be on a single document.
-
May 07, 2024
Ways And Means Chairs Decry China Tariff Review 'Inaction'
The chairs of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Trade Subcommittee chided U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a letter Tuesday over her office's purported "inaction" in reviewing tariffs covering $300 billion worth of goods from China.
-
May 07, 2024
NTIA To Dole Out $420M For Open RAN Development
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is putting another $420 million toward the radio equipment needed to develop open radio access networks, which many have pointed to as the solution for pivoting away from Chinese-made technology due to security concerns.
-
May 07, 2024
NLRB Signals Appeal Of Joint Employer Rule Spat To 5th Circ.
The National Labor Relations Board is fighting a Texas federal judge's decision striking down the board's 2023 joint employer rule, telling the court on Tuesday that the agency will appeal the ruling to the Fifth Circuit.
-
May 07, 2024
Starbucks Can't End Investor Suit Over Union-Busting Stance
A Washington state judge won't toss a shareholder suit accusing Starbucks' corporate leadership of diminishing stock values by allowing store managers to quash baristas' organizing efforts.
-
May 07, 2024
DOL Official Says Expect Pension De-Risking Report Soon
The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits chief said Tuesday the agency expects to submit a report to Congress shortly on so-called pension risk transfers, which involve the exchange of defined benefit pension plan liabilities for annuity insurance contracts.
-
May 07, 2024
Hospital Can't Force Nurse's Retaliation Suit Into Arbitration
A Texas appellate court said Tuesday that a former nurse does not have to arbitrate claims that she was fired after reporting that a patient slapped her buttock, stating that a recently enacted federal law barring sexual assault-related claims from out-of-court resolutions applies to her case.
Expert Analysis
-
New Wash. Laws Employers Should Pay Attention To
The Washington Legislature ended its session last month after passing substantial laws that should prompt employers to spring into action — including a broadened equal pay law to cover classes beyond gender, narrowed sick leave payment requirements for construction workers and protections for grocery workers after a merger, say Hannah Ard and Alayna Piwonski at Lane Powell.
-
This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
-
SEC Climate Rules Create Unique Challenges For CRE
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently adopted final rules concerning climate-related disclosures for public companies are likely to affect even real estate companies that are not publicly traded, since they may be required to provide information to entities that are subject to the rules, says Laura Truesdale at Moore & Van Allen.
-
Energy Community Tax Credit Boost Will Benefit Wind Sector
Recent Internal Revenue Service guidance broadening tax credit eligibility to more parts of offshore wind facilities in so-called energy communities is a win for the industry, which stands to see more projects qualify for a particularly valuable bonus in the investment tax credit context due to the capital-intensive nature of offshore wind projects, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
-
New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS
Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.
-
4 Ways AI Tools Can Improve Traditional Merger Analyses
Government officials at the American Bar Association's annual antitrust spring meeting last week reinforced the view that competition cases will increasingly rely on sophisticated data analysis, so companies will likewise need to use Big Tech quantitative techniques to improve traditional merger analyses, say Patrick Bajari, Gianmarco Calanchi and Tega Akati-Udi at Keystone.
-
What FinCEN Proposed Customer ID Number Change Means
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent request for comment on changing a requirement for banks to collect full Social Security numbers at account sign-up represents an important opportunity for banks to express their preferability, as communicating sensitive information online may carry fraud or cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
-
How China's IP Proposal Could Affect US Brands' TM Strategy
Proposed amendments to China's Trademark Law aimed at improving the application and enforcement processes could make some common U.S. brand protection strategies moot, and may require brand owners to more carefully explain marks' use or nonuse, say attorneys at Neal Gerber.
-
Traversing The Web Of Nonjudicial Grievance Mechanisms
Attorneys at Covington provide an overview of how companies can best align their environmental and human rights compliance with "hard-law" requirements like the EU's recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while also navigating the complex global network of existing nonjudicial grievance mechanisms.
-
An NYDFS-Regulated Bank's Guide To Proper Internal Audits
As certification deadlines for compliance with the New York State Department of Financial Services’ transaction monitoring and cybersecurity regulations loom, lawyers should remember that the NYDFS offers no leeway for best efforts — and should ensure robust auditing and recordkeeping processes for clients, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.
-
A Look At Global Employee Disconnect Laws For US Counsel
As countries worldwide adopt employee right to disconnect laws, U.S. in-house counsel at corporations with a global workforce must develop a comprehensive understanding of the laws' legal and cultural implications, ensuring their companies can safeguard employee welfare while maintaining legal compliance, say Emma Corcoran and Ute Krudewagen at DLA Piper.
-
Opinion
States Should Follow Federal Lead On Expert Evidence Rules
The recently amended Federal Rule of Evidence 702 will help ensure expert testimony in federal courts reflects adequate data and reliable methods properly applied to a given case, and state courts — home to the overwhelming majority of U.S. litigation — should adopt similar changes, says retired attorney Michael Harrington.
-
Opinion
Post-Moelis Del. Corp. Law Proposal Would Hurt Stockholders
The proposed Delaware General Corporation Law amendment in response to the Court of Chancery's recent opinion in West Palm Beach Firefighters' Pension Fund v. Moelis would upend the foundational principle of corporate law holding that directors govern corporations in the interest of stockholders — and the potential harm would be substantial, say attorneys at Block & Leviton.
-
Strategies For Navigating Compliance Monitorships
As independent compliance monitorships continue to be a favored tool of the government in resolving corporate enforcement matters, counsel should have a firm grasp on best practices for selecting a monitor, preparing the company and ensuring a productive relationship between the parties, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
-
How DEI Programs Are Being Challenged In Court And Beyond
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmative action decision last year declaring the consideration of race in university admissions unconstitutional, employers should keep abreast of recent litigation challenging diversity, equity and inclusion training programs, as well as legislation both supporting and opposing DEI initiatives in the workplace, say attorneys at Skadden.