Expert Analysis

• Series

  Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.

• Unpacking FTC's New Stance On Standard-Essential Patents

  

  Under its new chairman, Andrew Ferguson, the Federal Trade Commission is likely to bring more stand-alone Section 5 cases to challenge anticompetitive conduct, and it will be important for companies to see how the FTC responds to allegations of patent holdup by standard-essential patent holders committed to fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

• Calif. Antitrust Laws May Turn More Zealous Than US Regs

  

  California is poised in the next 18 months to significantly expand its antitrust laws, broadening the scope of liability and creating a premerger review process that could be more expansive than review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, say attorneys at Munger Tolles.

• Digesting A 2nd Circ. Ruling On Food Delivery App Arbitration

  

  The Second Circuit recently rejected Grubhub's attempt to arbitrate price-fixing claims, while allowing Uber Eats to do so, reinforcing that even broad arbitration clauses must connect to the underlying dispute and suggesting that terms of service litigation may center on websites' design and content, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.

• 5 Ways Banking Has Changed In 5 Years Since COVID

  

  Since the start of the pandemic five years ago, technology, convenience and shifting expectations have transformed compliance for the financial services industry in several key ways, from the shrinking role of the traditional bank branch to the rise of fintech and mobile payments, says Christopher Pippett at Fox Rothschild.

• E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

  

  Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.

• A Look At M&A Trends In An Uncertain Deal Environment

  

  Dealmakers are adopting more cautious and deliberate merger and acquisition practices, such as earnout agreements, joint ventures and strategic partnerships that mitigate risk and bridge valuation gaps, amid the slower pace so far in 2025, says Louis Lehot at Foley & Lardner.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

  

  Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

• FTC Focus: Synthetic Data Yields Antitrust Considerations

  

  Attorneys at Proskauer explore the burgeoning world of synthetic data, the antitrust implications involved, the Federal Trade Commission's role in regulating this space and practical takeaways from these emerging issues.

• Opinion

  Slater Heralds Return To US Antitrust Norms, Innovation

  

  Under recently confirmed Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice can fulfill President Donald Trump's objective to reestablish American economic dominance on the global stage while remaining faithful to antitrust's core principles, says Ediberto Roman at the Florida International University College of Law.

• A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

  

  The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

• How Latin American Finance Markets May Shift Under Trump

  

  Changes in the federal government are bringing profound implications for Latin American financial institutions and cross-border financing, including increased competition from U.S. banks, volatility in equity markets and stable green investor demand despite deregulation in the U.S., says David Contreiras Tyler at Womble Bond.

• Series

  Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

• How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

  

  Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

• 4th Circ. Health Data Ruling Opens Door To State Law Claims

  

  In Real Time Medical v. PointClickCare, the Fourth Circuit recently clarified that state law claims can rest in part on violations of a federal law that prohibits electronic health information blocking, expanding legal risks for health IT companies and potentially creating exposure to a range of competitive implications, say attorneys at BCLP.