Expert Analysis

• Drawing A Line Between Settlement Pressure And Extortion

  

  U.S. v. Luo, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, may force courts to address anew when settlement negotiations become criminal extortion, particularly in the age of easily fabricated digital evidence, says attorney Denis Kiely.

• California Antitrust Bill Raises New Risks For Dealmakers

  

  A pending California bill would turn the state attorney general's office into a more powerful antitrust enforcer, introducing a host of implications for dealmakers beyond whether deals close, such as deal certainty and risk allocation, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

• Risk Reduction Lessons For PE Firms From PowerSchool Suit

  

  A California federal court's recent orders allowing claims against Bain Capital to proceed based on a data breach at its subsidiary PowerSchool indicate that private equity firms need to strategically approach acquisition activities to avoid cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

• FTC Focus: Calibrating Biden-Era Issues In 2026's 1st Half

  

  In the first half of 2026, Federal Trade Commission actions have redefined which of the previous administration's theories it views as legally sustainable, institutionally worthwhile and consistent with a more restrained conception, including a pivot from rulemaking to case-specific noncompete enforcement this spring, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• Series

  Founding An Autism Academy Made Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Starting a nonprofit autism school with no building, no funding model and no guarantee that families would trust us taught me the importance of mission, patience and purpose — lessons that sharpened my practice and showed how meaningful work outside the office can make lawyers better, says Phillip Russell at Ogletree Deakins.

• Opinion

  Rule Of Law Requires Gov't Engagement With Bar, Not Retreat

  

  A federal agency's absence from national and local bar conferences, most recently illustrated by the U.S. Department of Justice's withdrawal from a New York City Bar Association white collar conference, disserves the bar, the government lawyers themselves and, ultimately, the administration of justice, says Muhammad Faridi at Linklaters.

• AG Watch: Oregon's Strategic Civil Enforcement Approach

  

  Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s recent antitrust litigation activity and proposed staffing increase are the latest in a series of structural and policy changes that signal that the state Department of Justice is taking a more aggressive approach to civil enforcement, says Keturah Taylor at Cozen O'Connor.

• The Paradoxical Duty To Adopt AI When You Can't Bill For It

  

  Both billing for hours saved using artificial intelligence and preserving billable time by not adopting AI may violate rules of professional conduct, but until bar associations' ethics rules catch up to this emerging economic dilemma, firms must decide how to adjust fee structures themselves, says Ines Lassalle at Peyrot & Associates.

• Meta's AI Deals Test Scope Of China M&A Scrutiny

  

  The Chinese government's recent approval of Meta's purchase of an AI and robotics company, shortly after blocking a similar deal, raises questions about how far China's legal authority extends over foreign companies connected to China, and highlights the regulatory and compliance risks involved in cross-border acquisitions of AI businesses, says Minda Huang at TsingLaw Partners.

• 7 Key Questions About SEC's Faster Tender Offer Path

  

  Following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent order permitting an accelerated offering period for certain tender offers, attorneys at Wilson Sonsini discuss key considerations for M&A transactions, addressing eligibility, pros and cons, and how a minimum offering period as short as 10 days may operate in practice.

• Del. Ruling Cautions Against Expanding Expert Authority

  

  The Delaware Chancery Court's determination that an accountant acted as an expert rather than an arbitrator in the Driven Intermediate Holdings post-closing purchase price adjustment lawsuit helped lead to a dismissal, and demonstrated not only how such a determination can factor into a dispute's resolution, but also whether a court has jurisdiction to hear it, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

• USTR Forced Labor Tariff Plan Pushes Trade Recourse Limits

  

  Tariffs recently proposed by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, which determined that 60 countries failed to implement adequate forced labor protections, expand the use of existing trade remedies to address global supply chain labor standards, potentially inviting both practical adjustments by businesses and careful legal scrutiny, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

• Series

  Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

• PowerSchool Data Breach Ruling Underscores PE Liability

  

  The recent California federal court decision in PowerSchool, where Bain Capital was unable to dismiss claims relating to a data breach based in part on Bain's preinvestment activities, is an important addition to the line of cases addressing investor liability for acts of a portfolio company, says Mark Kelley at MoloLamken.

• A Look At The Court's Next Steps In Live Nation Antitrust Case

  

  Following a recent jury verdict that Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly to fix ticket prices, a New York federal court stands to weigh Live Nation's bid for a new trial, approve the U.S. Department of Justice's March settlement with the defendants, and impose remedies that include full structural separation, say attorneys at Crowell.