Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

  

  The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

• Calif. Delete Act Paves Way For Data Broker Accountability

  

  California's recent enactment of a law that will allow state residents to delete personal information held by some 500 data brokers shows there is renewed focus on holding an extremely lucrative but underregulated industry accountable — but doing so may require both legislation and litigation, says Karina Puttieva at Cohen Milstein.

• How 2nd Circ. Clarified A Key Right Of Publicity Claim Issue

  

  Mark Baghdassarian and Shannon Hedvat at Kramer Levin provide an overview of state law right of publicity claims, the federal Copyright Act, and how the two intersect in the Federal Circuit's finding in Melendez v. Sirius that the federal law preempts the state claims in cases like these.

• A Look At Competition Enforcers' 2026 World Cup Game Plan

  

  Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, competition authorities of the host nations, the U.S., Mexico and Canada, have recently launched a joint initiative to police collusive schemes, setting an example for other countries' cross-border collaboration — so companies pursuing tournament opportunities should take note, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at Norton Rose.

• TikTok Fine Highlights EU Approach To Children's Data Rights

  

  Following the Irish Data Protection Commission's recent fine against TikTok for breaching children's data protection rights, organizations should adopt a proactive approach and implement measures aiding compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, says Carla Murray at Myerson.

• Series

  ESG Around The World: Japan

  

  Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.

• How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

  

  Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• X Rebrand Of Twitter Will Keep USPTO Busy

  

  Trademark applications filed by X, formerly known as Twitter, for its namesake character mark face several registration hurdles at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including the ability to prove that the mark is sufficiently distinct and not generic, says Lindsey Sadler at Dorsey & Whitney.

• Opinion

  SEC Actions Against Musk Are Constitutionally Defective

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent subpoena enforcement action against Elon Musk may be constitutionally and statutorily deficient — and the commission staff who issued the subpoenas and the action may have been unconstitutionally appointed, say Alex Lipman at Lipman Law and Justin Weddle at Weddle Law.

• Opinion

  Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

  

  Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

• AI Artwork And The Thaler Copyright Roadblock

  

  A D.C. federal court's recent decision in Thaler v. Perlmutter casts serious doubts on the prospects for granting full copyright protections to the output of today's exponentially advancing artificial intelligence systems, but there are ways for applicants to prepare for hurdles, says Matthew Carey at Marshall Gerstein.

• How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

  

  Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

• How ESG Is Taking Women's Soccer To The Next Level

  

  Several elite soccer teams sharpened their competitive edges for the 2023 Women's World Cup by focusing on environmental, social and governance issues at home, demonstrating that many industries can use the principles of ESG investing to identify opportunities to increase growth, improve performance and address stakeholders' desires, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

• Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

  

  Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

• What An NCAA Drug Test Change Could Mean For Cannabis

  

  If the NCAA follows through with its decision to remove cannabis from its banned list of substances, it will affect college athletes, athletic directors, public relations employees, and marketing departments at universities and colleges, and it will have a significant economic effect on the cannabis industry, say Stanley Jutkowitz and Sydney Jenkins at Seyfarth.