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International Trade
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March 14, 2024
DOD's Weapons Monitoring In Iraq Fell Short, Watchdog Says
The U.S. Department of Defense failed to properly inspect and account for military equipment sent to Iraq to fight ISIS, raising the possibility of weapons going missing and falling into adversaries' hands, the department's internal watchdog said.
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March 14, 2024
Biden Comes Out Against $14.9B US Steel-Nippon Merger
President Joe Biden came out in opposition of U.S. Steel's planned $14.9 billion merger with Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. on Thursday, echoing lawmakers who have expressed concerns about the sale of an American institution to a foreign power.
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March 13, 2024
Treasury Says Crypto Mixer Is 'Corporation In All But Name'
The U.S. Department of the Treasury told the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday that it was justified in sanctioning crypto mixer Tornado Cash because the crypto project "is a corporation in all but name" rather than ownerless computer code, as its users contend.
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March 13, 2024
Importers Threading Chinese Rod In US To Duck Tariffs, Feds Say
Importers appear to be shipping blank steel rod from China to the U.S. to dodge tariffs on alloy and certain carbon steel threaded rod, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in a Federal Register notice posted Wednesday.
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March 13, 2024
Italy Defeats Investor Suit Against Solar Subsidy Reduction
Italy has beaten back a German investment fund's claims that the country's lowered solar energy subsidies breached treaty obligations to ensure a stable investment environment, after an international tribunal ruled that the scale-down was reasonable, foreseeable and in the best interests of the public.
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March 13, 2024
DC Circ. Affirms Trafficker Label For Venezuelan Businessman
The D.C. Circuit has refused to disturb a fugitive Venezuelan businessman's designation as a narcotics trafficker, rejecting claims that the Office of Foreign Assets Control failed to give fair notice before levying the sanctions.
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March 13, 2024
House OKs TikTok Divestment Bill Despite Free Speech Worry
The House voted 352-65 on Wednesday to pass legislation that would require ByteDance Ltd. to divest TikTok or face a ban in the United States, in a vote that transcended party lines.
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March 12, 2024
1st Amendment Only The Start Of Woes Facing TikTok Ban
Federal lawmakers are making an aggressive push to exclude TikTok from the U.S. market unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, but First Amendment concerns and questions over the proposal's breadth and its interplay with a recent executive order restricting certain foreign data sales threaten to hinder these efforts.
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March 12, 2024
Treasury Sanctions More Iran-Backed Terrorist Operatives
The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday unveiled new sanctions against a handful of individuals with ties to the designated terrorist group Al-Ashtar Brigades, singling out "key Iran-based operatives" as well as a financier for the group.
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March 12, 2024
Patent Deal Brings End To Philip Morris Import Ban
The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided to pull its import ban on a line of Philip Morris heated tobacco products following a settlement of its patent fight with British American Tobacco, over the objections of the agency's own in-house lawyers.
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March 12, 2024
Unions Say China's Shipbuilding Boom Is Based On Unfair Trade
The United Steelworkers and other labor unions called on the Biden administration to investigate unfair trade practices in China's shipbuilding sector in a 4,000-page petition Tuesday, calling empty U.S. shipyards a threat to national security and critical supply chains.
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March 12, 2024
Court Bars Ex-Exec From Sharing Info On Co.'s Body Armor
A North Carolina federal court granted a defense contractor's request to stop a former sales executive from sharing confidential information and export-controlled data with a foreign rival, while the court reviews the contractor's allegations.
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March 12, 2024
House Dems Seek Probe Of Claims X Verified Sanctioned Entities
Democrats on the House of Representatives' oversight committee say social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, must be investigated over recent allegations that it allowed terrorist groups and other U.S.-sanctioned entities to buy premium subscriptions and make money off advertising revenue.
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March 12, 2024
GOP's Crapo Wants Quick Resolution Of Tax Relief Package
The Senate Finance Committee's top Republican tax writer said Tuesday that he wants to quickly resolve sticking points in pending bipartisan tax legislation that contains key incentives for families and businesses in order to advance a bill that would boost U.S. manufacturing.
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March 12, 2024
CIT Accepts Revised Ruling Freeing Importer From Pipe Duties
The U.S. Court of International Trade accepted a U.S. Department of Commerce ruling freeing a piping products manufacturer from paying duties on Chinese pipe fittings to import its flange fittings, saying the reworked decision was supported by the evidence.
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March 11, 2024
Ford To Pay $365M After US Says Sham Seats Ducked Tariffs
Ford Motor Co. has agreed to shell out $365 million to put to rest allegations it installed "sham" rear seats in hundreds of thousands of cargo vans to avoid paying higher duties, according to an announcement made by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday.
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March 11, 2024
Forex Firm Wants CFTC Sanctioned For 'Bad Faith' Behavior
A foreign exchange firm accused by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission of defrauding customers is calling on a New Jersey federal judge to sanction the agency for a "pattern of misconduct" that includes knowingly submitting false statements to the court and attempting to intrude on attorney-client privilege.
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March 11, 2024
Senate Could Be Hurdle To House Plan For TikTok Limits
A bill to clamp down on TikTok that was unanimously approved by a House committee is expected to come to the House floor this week, but its fate in the U.S. Senate looks dicier.
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March 11, 2024
3rd Circ. Unsure Of Reasons To Halt Del. Assault Weapon Ban
A Third Circuit panel seemed to lean toward letting Delaware keep its ban on so-called assault weapons and extended magazines during arguments Monday, with Judge Stephanos Bibas pressing gun rights advocates on their claim the ban should have been blocked solely on the grounds that a Second Amendment violation may have taken place.
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March 11, 2024
Magnet Co. Says Feds' Leak On PACER Bars ITAR Charges
A rare-earth magnets manufacturer and executives facing an April criminal conspiracy trial asked a Kentucky federal judge Monday to trim charges that they violated the International Traffic in Arms Regulations by sending sensitive technical data to a Chinese company, arguing that prosecutors recently disclosed the allegedly sensitive materials in court filings.
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March 11, 2024
Steptoe Adds Dentons' Ex-Global Security Chief As Partner
Steptoe LLP has added a security and threat analysis expert who previously served as Dentons' global chief security officer as a partner in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Monday.
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March 11, 2024
Menendez Must Face May 6 Trial Despite Likely Appeal
A Manhattan federal judge on Monday refused to push back U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's May 6 corruption trial after the New Jersey Democrat and his wife pled not guilty to newly added obstruction of justice charges.
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March 08, 2024
Justices Urged To Take Up 'Who Decides' Arbitration Question
An international arbitration scholar has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve whether a court or an arbitrator should decide a dispute's proper venue in cases involving nonsignatories to an arbitration agreement, an issue that's arisen in antitrust litigation over National Association of Realtor rules.
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March 08, 2024
DOJ Eyes FCPA For New Whistleblower Rewards Program
U.S. Department of Justice officials on Friday signaled a renewed emphasis on fighting foreign corruption, saying its planned whistleblower rewards program should prove useful in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases against private companies, and warned companies against running afoul of new rules barring the sale of personal data to foreign adversaries of the U.S.
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March 08, 2024
Patent Case Over Air Conditioners For Boat Use Sinks At ITC
The U.S. International Trade Commission has decided that a Swedish manufacturer of air conditioners for use on boats doesn't have a patent case against a handful of rivals based in Florida and China after all.
Expert Analysis
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Industry Takeaways From OMB's Final Buy America Guidance
The Office of Management and Budget's recently released guidance on "Buy America" requirements for federal infrastructure projects provides clarity in certain areas but fails to address troublesome inconsistencies with state laws and international trade agreements, so manufacturers and suppliers will need to tread carefully as agencies implement the changes, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth Shaw.
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Opinion
Russia Ruling Should Lead UK To Review Sanctions Policy
The High Court's recent dismissal of the first-ever court challenge to Russian sanctions in Shvidler v. Secretary of State sets a demanding standard for overturning designation decisions, highlighting the need for an independent review of the Russia sanctions regime, says Helen Taylor at Spotlight on Corruption.
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Understanding China's Crypto-Blockchain Dichotomy
Even as China restricts cryptocurrency use, its actions frequently support blockchain as a complementary technology to real economy sectors, which is why the blockchain-cryptocurrency distinction is core to understanding the country's relationship with these technologies, say attorneys at Cravath.
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The Self-Disclosure Calculus After Tri-Seal Compliance Note
With the recent note from three government agencies emphasizing the incentives for voluntarily self-disclosing potential violations of sanctions, export control and other national security laws, companies’ risk-based analyses of whether to disclose even minor, technical offenses may shift, say attorneys at Akin.
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The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
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To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.
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Defense Practice Pointers In Venezuela Bribe Case Dismissal
A Texas federal court’s recent dismissal of charges in U.S. v. Murta — one of over two dozen prosecutions targeting bribes paid to a Venezuelan state-owned oil company — highlights the complicated issues presented by cross-border investigations, and provides lessons for defense counsel representing foreign clients in U.S. prosecutions, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.
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Strategies For Enforcing Arbitral Awards Against Sovereigns
When a large project or investment in a foreign country is unexpectedly expropriated by a new government, companies often prevail in arbitration — but if the sovereign refuses to pay up, collecting the arbitral award may require persistence, creativity, and a mixture of hard and soft approaches, say Gabe Bluestone and Jeff Newton at OmniBridgeway.
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A Closer Look At China's Landmark Pharma Antitrust Ruling
The Supreme People's Court's recent decision in Yangtze River Pharma v. HIPI Pharma — the first antitrust litigation in China's active pharmaceutical ingredient sector — indicates a balanced regulatory approach between competition concerns and intellectual property rights protection, say analysts at The Brattle Group.
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Key Takeaways From Agencies' Tri-Seal Compliance Note
In light of a recent compliance note issued by three government agencies, private sector firms should weigh several important considerations in deciding whether to voluntarily self-disclose potential violations of sanctions, export controls and other national security laws, say attorneys at Schulte Roth.
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Perspectives
More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap
Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.
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Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure
Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.
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Fed. Circ. Ruling Boosts Due Process In Agency Proceedings
The Federal Circuit’s recent watershed decision in Royal Brush v. U.S., holding that companies in administrative proceedings have the right to review — and rebut — confidential business information used against them, will smooth the path of many a regulated party hauled before state and federal agencies, says Sohan Dasgupta at Taft Stettinius.
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Opinion
OFAC Designation Prosecutions Are Constitutionally Suspect
Criminal prosecutions based on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s sanctions-related listing decisions — made with nearly unfettered discretion through an opaque process — present several constitutional issues, so it is imperative that courts recognize additional rights of review, say Solomon Shinerock and Annika Conrad at Lewis Baach.