Expert Analysis

• Cos. Should Review Pay Strategies In Light Of 2025 Tariffs

  

  Companies should think about what they can or should do to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of their compensation plans in light of rising material costs, reduced profit margins, market volatility and other impacts of the Trump administration’s evolving tariff regime, say attorneys at Cooley.

• 3 Tax Issues Manufacturers Should Watch In 2025 Budget Bill

  

  As Congress works toward a budget reconciliation bill, manufacturing companies should keep a keen eye on proposals to change bonus depreciation, the qualified business income deduction and energy tax credits, which could have a significant impact on capital-intensive industries, say attorneys at Frost Brown Todd.

• Key Aspects Of FDIC's Resolution Planning FAQ

  

  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent FAQ on changes to its resolution plan rule ease burdensome requirements for some large institutions and exempt others from discussion of franchise components, making it easier for banks to finalize submissions before the July 1 deadline, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• As Tariffs Hit The Radar, PE Counsel Should Review Strategies

  

  As tariffs compound existing challenges in the private equity sector, counsel should consider existing headwinds such as interest rates and industry-specific impacts like supply chains and pricing power, which may help mitigate risks and capture opportunity, says Nathan Viehl at Thompson Coburn.

• Chancery Ruling Raises Bar For Advance Notice Bylaws Suits

  

  The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent ruling in Siegel v. Morse will make it more difficult for plaintiffs to successfully challenge advance notice bylaws before the emergence of an actual or threatened proxy contest, presumably reducing the occurrence of such challenges, say attorneys at Venable.

• DOJ Memo Raises Bar For Imposition Of Corporate Monitors

  

  A recently released U.S. Department of Justice memo, outlining guidance on the imposition of compliance monitors in corporate criminal cases, reflects DOJ leadership’s concerns about scope creep and business costs, but the strategies for companies to avoid a monitorship haven't changed much compared to the Biden era, says James Koukios at MoFo.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Becoming A Firmwide MVP

  

  Though lawyers don't have a neat metric like baseball players for measuring the value they contribute to their organizations, the sooner new attorneys learn skills frequently skipped in law school — like networking, marketing, client development and case evaluation — the more valuable, and less replaceable, they will be, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

• How NY's FAIR Act Mirrors CFPB State Recommendations

  

  New York's proposed FAIR Business Practices Act, which targets predatory lending and junk fees, reflects the Rohit Chopra-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recommendations to states in a number of ways, including by defining "abusive" conduct and adding a new right to file class actions, says Christian Hancock at Bradley Arant.

• Expect Eyes On Electronic Devices At US Entry Points

  

  Electronic device searches are becoming common at U.S. border inspections, making it imperative for companies to familiarize themselves with what's allowed, and mandate specific precautions for employees to protect their privacy and sensitive information during international travel, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

• Big Tech M&A Risk Under Trump May Resemble Biden Era

  

  Merger review under the Trump administration may not differ substantially from merger review under the Biden administration, particularly in the Big Tech arena, in which case dealmakers and investors should shift the antitrust discount on M&A deals upward, says Jonathan Barnett at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

• FTC Focus: Interlocking Directorate Enforcement May Persist

  

  Though the Federal Trade Commission under Chair Andrew Ferguson seems likely to adopt a pro-business approach to antitrust enforcement, his endorsement of broader liability for officers or directors who illegally sit on boards of competing corporations signals that businesses should not expect board-level antitrust scrutiny to slacken, says Timothy Burroughs at Proskauer.

• How Cos. Can Navigate Risks Of New Cartel Terrorist Labels

  

  The Trump administration’s recent designation of eight drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations gives rise to new criminal and civil liabilities for companies that are unwittingly exposed to cartel activity, but businesses can mitigate such risks in a few key ways, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• What We Lost After SEC Eliminated Regional Director Role

  

  Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Regional Director Marc Fagel discusses the recent wholesale elimination of the regional director position, the responsibilities of the job itself and why discarding this role highlights how the appearance of creating a more efficient agency may limit the SEC's effectiveness.

• 4th Circ. Latest To Curb Short-Seller Usage In Securities Suits

  

  The Fourth Circuit's recent decision in Defeo v. IonQ will serve as a powerful and persuasive new precedent for corporate defendants as courts continue curtailing securities class action plaintiffs' use of short-seller reports to plead federal securities law claims, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• $38M Law Firm Settlement Highlights 'Unworthy Client' Perils

  

  A recent settlement of claims against law firm Eckert Seamans for allegedly abetting a Ponzi scheme underscores the continuing threat of clients who seek to exploit their lawyers in perpetrating fraud, and the critical importance of preemptive measures to avoid these clients, say attorneys at Lockton Companies.