Expert Analysis

• How Fla. Amendment Changes The State's Mini-TCPA

  

  Gov. Ron Desantis recently signed amendments that will roll back Florida's mini-Telephone Consumer Protection Act by getting rid of the capacious definition of an autodialer, leaving the courts to sort out where the lines fall in Florida Telephone Solicitation Act litigation, says Aaron Weiss at Carlton Fields.

• SEC Actions Show Tough Crypto Stance So Far This Year

  

  Through the first half of 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reiterated innovative arguments and heftier penalties within the cryptocurrency enforcement landscape, emphasizing its position that crypto assets are securities and thus under its jurisdiction, say attorneys at Willkie.

• Perspectives

  How Attorneys Can Help Combat Anti-Asian Hate

  

  Amid an exponential increase in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, unique obstacles stand in the way of accountability and justice — but lawyers can effect powerful change by raising awareness, offering legal representation, advocating for victims’ rights and more, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• Opinion

  Congress Needs To Enact A Federal Anti-SLAPP Statute

  

  Although many states have passed statutes meant to prevent individuals or entities from filing strategic lawsuits against public participation, other states have not, so it's time for Congress to enact a federal statute to ensure that free speech and petitioning rights are uniformly protected nationwide in federal court, say attorneys at Skadden.

• Sanctions Compliance In Era Of Record Enforcement Action

  

  The recent record-breaking penalties in separate actions against British American Tobacco and Seagate amid a sanctions violation crackdown are a reminder to prioritize factors emphasized by the National Security Division and other enforcement agencies, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.

• JetBlue-American Ruling Offers Fresh Angle On Antitrust Risk

  

  The District of Massachusetts' recent decision that the JetBlue-American Airlines pact combining some Northeastern operations violates the Sherman Act stands as a reminder that collaborations between competitors can warrant close scrutiny — even if they create real, tangible benefits for consumers, say Benjamin Dryden and Elizabeth Haas at Foley & Lardner.

• Financial Industry Must Beware Rising BIPA Litigation Tide

  

  As Biometric Information Privacy Act litigation engulfs more financial institutions, it’s important that they evaluate their practices for collecting biometric data, and to consider whether their vendors should comply with BIPA’s requirements, and even some related California laws, say attorneys at Katten.

• Dealing With Dogmatic Jurors: Voir Dire And Trial Strategies

  

  Dogmatic jurors — whose rigid reliance on external authority can inhibit accurate, objective decision making — may be both good and bad for plaintiffs and defense counsel, so attorneys should understand how to identify such jurors in voir dire and how to meet them where they are during trial, say consultants at Courtroom Sciences.

• Legal Pitfalls To Watch For When Advertising Psychedelics

  

  As psychedelic products and related therapeutic services make their way into the mainstream, companies engaged in creating or publishing ads for such products and services should consider several legal implications on federal, state and local levels, says Dorian Thomas at Frankfurt Kurnit.

• New FTC Policy On Biometric Information Creates New Risks

  

  In the absence of a comprehensive national data privacy regime, a new Federal Trade Commission policy shows the agency’s willingness to take action against companies using biometrics in ways the FTC deems unfair, but the guidance creates more questions than answers, and some of it appears unrealistic, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

• Opinion

  Federal Restrictions On Phthalates Are Long Overdue

  

  The health risks of phthalates — chemicals used to increase the durability and flexibility of plastics, and found in hundreds of household products — have been known for decades, so the lack of comprehensive federal policies restricting their use is a problem, given the compelling warnings of their hazards, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

• How The US And UK Differ On Crypto Regulation

  

  While the U.K. and U.S. share strong economic ties, their approaches to crypto regulation differ wildly, with the U.K. setting bespoke rules through legislation and the U.S. taking a fragmented, and arguably hostile, approach to regulating crypto-assets, most often happening through enforcement, say attorneys at BCLP.

• USDA Salmonella Proposal Propels New Food Safety Journey

  

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recent proposed policy to declare salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products could have major implications not only for the specialized products at issue, but also the entire poultry industry and beyond, say Bob Hibbert and Amaru Sanchez at Wiley.

• Endorsement Lessons From Google False Ad Settlements

  

  Google's recent settlements with Texas, the Federal Trade Commission and six state attorneys general over deceiving endorsements from iHeartMedia DJs hold lessons that apply to any company using endorsers to promote their products or services, and provides important insights into how multistate investigations work, say Gonzalo Mon and Paul Singer at Kelley Drye.

• Looking For Plausibility In FTC's Amgen Merger Challenge

  

  The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to block Amgen's acquisition of Horizon, alleging that, if consummated, the deal would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act — but this may be the first merger complaint in a generation that could be dismissed for failing to state a claim, say William MacLeod and David Evans at Kelley Drye.