Expert Analysis

• The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

  

  A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

• What The 2023 Bank Failures Taught Us, And What's To Come

  

  As 2023 draws to a close, it's apparent that the bank failures this past spring sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory and supervisory landscape for banking organizations, and the consequences are still continuing to be felt throughout the financial sector as we head into 2024, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• 5 Most Notable Class Action Standing Cases Of 2023

  

  Key appellate class action decisions this past year continued the trend of a more demanding approach to the threshold issue of standing during each phase of litigation, say attorneys at MoFo.

• How SEC And NY Cyber Reporting Rules Affect Key Industries

  

  The new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and New York State Department of Financial Services cybersecurity disclosure requirements, and their competing obligations, reveal the increasing complexity for organizations evaluating and reacting to cybersecurity incidents — particularly those in the healthcare and financial services industries, say attorneys at Manatt.

• Trends Shaping The 2024 Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

  

  The better-for-you segment within the consumer packaged goods industry is poised for a significant evolution in 2024, and industry players must remain agile and adaptive through M&A activities, legal considerations, sustainability initiatives and changing technology, says Christopher Cain at Foley & Lardner.

• Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

  

  Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

• 9th Circ. Scienter Ruling May Strengthen FDA's Leverage

  

  A recent Ninth Circuit decision in U.S. v. Marschall — regarding scienter and violations of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act — appears to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration another arrow in its quiver to lob in the direction of any repeat offender, with potentially very broad applications, say Elena Quattrone and Zachary Taylor at Epstein Becker.

• In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

  

  Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

• Opinion

  Why Challenges To FTC Authority Are Needed

  

  In spite of skepticism from courts, the Federal Trade Commission continues to advance novel legal theories — and Meta's recent federal suit against the agency over its alleged "structurally unconstitutional" administrative proceedings is arguably an expression of backlash to regulatory overreach, says Daniel Gilman at the International Center for Law & Economics.

• Analyzing 1 Year Of Comments On FTC's Green Guides

  

  A review of over 7,000 comments submitted in the year since the Federal Trade Commission requested feedback on its Green Guides reveals widespread concern over how the existing guidelines leave room for interpretation, putting businesses in a challenging position when marketing products, say Mark Levy and Emma Lombard at Eckert Seamans.

• The Key Laws Retailers Should Pay Attention To In 2024

  

  2024 promises to be another transformative year for retailers as they navigate the evolving regulatory landscape, particularly surrounding data privacy and sustainability laws, meaning companies should make it a practice to keep track of new legislation and invest in compliance efforts early on, say attorneys at Benesch.

• Fed's New Swipe At Debit Fees Stirs Up Dilemma For Banks

  

  The Federal Reserve's proposal to reduce the cap on debit card interchange fees charged or received by card issuers and payment networks comes as other bank account fees are taking regulatory hits, which could all culminate in an overall decline in access to banking products and services, says Kristen Larson at Ballard Spahr.

• SEC, NY Cybersecurity Rules Create Complexity For Insurers

  

  Two separate cybersecurity rules recently adopted by the New York Department of Financial Services and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pose distinct challenges for insurance industry participants, with important interactions, and potential tensions, for those required to comply with both frameworks, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

  

  Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

• A Look At FedNow Liability Allocation And A 4th Circ. Toss-Up

  

  Dsu-Wei Yuen and Andrew Lorentz at Davis Wright break down the current legal requirements that are directly applicable to common electronic payment systems like FedNow and Automated Clearing House and how they could be affected by a decision in Studco v. 1st Advantage Credit Union, currently on appeal in the Fourth Circuit.