Expert Analysis

• Key Maritime Law Issues In 2024: Environmental Challenges

  

  In the second installment of this three-part article examining key concerns for the maritime sector this year, Sean Pribyl at Holland & Knight considers how the industry will be affected by environmental concerns — including the growing push for decarbonization, and regulatory scrutiny around greenwashing and ESG issues.

• 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

  

  As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

• Following Banking Regulators' Breadcrumbs To 2024 Priorities

  

  Through blog posts, speeches, and formal guidance and regulations, prudential and other federal and state financial regulators laid out a road map last year pointing to compliance priorities that should be reflected in financial institutions' planning this year, say Laurel Loomis Rimon and Gina Shabana at Jenner & Block.

• How Biotech Deals May Help Competition, Despite FTC View

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's complaint against Sanofi's proposed partnership with Maze Therapeutics highlights increasing skepticism of so-called killer acquisitions, but a closer look reveals potentially legitimate reasons behind why entities might decide to delay or abandon the development of acquired products, say consultants at Analysis Group.

• Key Maritime Law Issues In 2024: Geopolitics And Sanctions

  

  Major challenges are on the horizon for the U.S. maritime sector in 2024, including geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea and ever-evolving sanctions targeting Iran and Russia — which may lead to higher shipping costs and greater compliance burdens for stakeholders, says Sean Pribyl at Holland & Knight.

• Directors And Officers Face Unique AI-Related Risks

  

  As privacy, intellectual property and discrimination lawsuits focusing on artificial intelligence increase, corporate directors and officers must stay aware of associated risks, including those related to compliance, litigation and cybersecurity, says Jonathan Meer at Wilson Elser.

• Series

  Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

• New Strain Of Web Tracking Suits Pose Risks For Retailers

  

  Amid an ongoing surge of California state and federal lawsuits that are using novel theories to allege companies used certain recording technologies to illegally track website users, retailers should take steps to develop a potential argument that customers consented to any alleged uses of these devices, say attorneys at Benesch.

• The Questions Around Prometheum's SEC-Compliant Strategy

  

  While the rest of the crypto industry has been engaged in a long-running battle to escape the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's jurisdiction, a once-obscure startup called Prometheum has instead embraced the SEC's view to become the first crypto special-purpose broker-dealer, but it's unclear whether it can turn its favored status into a workable business, says Keith Blackman at Bracewell.

• Series

  The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

  

  Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

• NC TikTok Order Holds Lessons On Handling State AG Probes

  

  Earlier this month, a North Carolina appeals court compelled TikTok to give the state attorney general information relating to 98,000 recorded Zoom meetings, reminding companies that successful civil litigation strategies may have the opposite effect in the state or regulatory investigation context, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• Money Transmitter Licensing: An Issue Too Costly To Ignore

  

  Money transmitter licensing has become particularly relevant in recent years as digital currencies and payment technologies have piqued regulator interest, and companies should consider whether they need to be licensed to avoid disruption of operations, as well as significant fines and penalties, says Clayton Swears at Hudson Cook.

• CFPB's Proposed Overdraft Rule Evokes A Dickensian Tale

  

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new proposed rule, declaring overdraft credit to be under Truth In Lending Act protection, creates tension between vigorous agency action and judicial concerns about administrative overreach that calls to mind Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," say Eric Mogilnicki and David Stein at Covington.

• Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial

  

  Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.

• Changes To Note In New AAA Mass Arbitration Rules

  

  The American Arbitration Association updated its mass arbitration rules earlier this month — clarifying issues that were previously being litigated in front of the AAA, and significantly streamlining the process of getting to a merits arbitration for claimants who have suffered similar wrongs and are bound by mandatory arbitration clauses, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.