Expert Analysis

• How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

  

  Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

• Opinion

  US Steel-Nippon Merger Should Not Have Been Blocked

  

  The Biden administration's block of the U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel merger on national security grounds was unconstitutional overreach and needs to be overturned, with the harms remedied in federal court, says attorney Chuck Meyer. 

• 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

  

  This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

• Compliance Pointers For DOJ's Sweeping Data Security Rule

  

  A new Justice Department rule broadly restricts many common data transactions with the goal of preventing access by countries of concern, and with an effective date of April 8, U.S. companies must quickly assess practices related to employee, customer and vendor data, says Sam Castic at Hintze Law.

• Exploring China's 1st Administrative Merger Control Ruling

  

  As the first judicial ruling in China's merger control regime, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court's recent upholding of Simcere's acquisition of Tobishi helps to clarify how the Chinese antitrust authority and court assess remedies, say attorneys at Tian Yuan Law Firm.

• Defense Strategies For Politically Charged Prosecutions

  

  Politically charged prosecutions have captured the headlines in recent years, providing lessons for defense counsel on how to navigate the distinct challenges, and seize the unique opportunities, such cases present, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

• Series

  Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

• The Syria Sanctions Dilemma Facing Trump Administration

  

  Parties looking to engage in transactions involving Syria will be watching the expiration of General License 24 in July, when the Trump administration will need to decide whether to make significant changes to the Syrian sanctions program and reconsider the de facto government's status as a foreign terrorist organization, says Charlie Lyons at Ferrari & Associates.

• The Case For Compliance During The Trump Administration

  

  Given the Trump administration’s shifting white collar enforcement priorities, C-suite executives may have the natural instinct to pare back compliance initiatives, but there are several good reasons for companies to at least stay the course on their compliance programs, if not enhance them, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

• Nippon Order Tests Gov't Control Over Foreign Investments

  

  The U.S. government is primarily interested in restraining foreign transactions involving countries of concern, but former President Joe Biden’s January order blocking the merger of Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel shows that all foreign direct investments are under the federal government’s microscope, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

• Opinion

  Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

  

  A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

• In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

  

  Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

• What Banks Need To Know About Trump's Executive Orders

  

  While the numerous executive orders and memos from the last few weeks don't touch on many of the issues the banking industry expected the Trump administration to address, banks still need to pay attention to the flurry of orders from strategic, compliance and operational perspectives, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• How SDNY US Atty Nom May Shape Enforcement Priorities

  

  President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Jay Clayton, will likely shift the office’s enforcement priorities, from refining whistleblower policies to deemphasizing novel prosecutorial theories, say attorneys at Cohen & Gresser.

• Emerging Energy Trends Reflect Shifting Political Landscape

  

  As the Trump administration settles in, some emerging energy industry trends, like expanded support for fossil fuel production, are right off of its wish list — while others, like the popularity of Inflation Reduction Act energy tax credits, and bipartisan support for carbon capture, reflect more complex political realities, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.