Fed Sees Shrinking Number Of Open Exam Findings At Banks

By Jon Hill

The Federal Reserve on Monday reported broad declines in open supervisory issues at financial institutions under its oversight during the first half of the year, a shift that comes as the Trump administration is pursuing efforts to rein in examiner criticism of banks.

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Starbucks To Pay $39M In NYC's Fair Workweek Law Probe

By Irene Spezzamonte

Starbucks has agreed to shell out nearly $39 million following a New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection probe that found the coffee chain had violated the city's Fair Workweek Law, the department and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday.

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State AGs Demand Info From 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Lenders

By Joyce Hanson

A multistate coalition of seven attorneys general has launched a probe into the terms and fees set by "buy now, pay later" lenders that are popular with shoppers, saying they're concerned that the companies' products could be breaking consumer protection laws.

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CFTC's Pham Expands 'Due Process' For Enforcement Targets

By Jessica Corso

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced changes to its investigation process Monday that the acting chair said are meant to protect the due process rights of those who are accused of wrongdoing by agency attorneys.

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DC Circ. Wonders If SEC Arbitration Decision Was Too Brief

By Nadia Dreid

At least one judge on the D.C. Circuit wondered Monday whether the SEC presented too "bare bones" of an opinion when rejecting a petition to amend three long-running arbitration rules adopted by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

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White House Crypto Czar Hired Clare Locke Amid NYT Probe

By Aislinn Keely

The tech founder-turned-White House crypto and artificial intelligence czar David Sacks has hired defamation specialists at Clare Locke LLP to combat a New York Times investigation into potential conflicts of interest arising from his personal tech investments and role as a White House policy adviser.

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Terraform Founder Seeks Five Years At Most For Crypto Fraud

By Aislinn Keely

Terraform founder Do Kwon has asked a Manhattan federal judge to impose no more than five years of imprisonment after he admitted to misleading users about the stability of the crypto project, noting he still has to face "certain future detention in Korea" over the stunning collapse that wiped out $40 billion in value.

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Robinhood Looks To Block Nevada Sports Wager Order

By Katryna Perera

Robinhood Derivatives LLC asked a Nevada federal judge to pause state regulators from taking action over the trading platform's sports wagers while it pursues an appeal of a related court order, arguing the case presents important, novel and complex legal questions that warrant appellate review.

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Brief

5th Circ. Ends DOL Appeals Over Biden-Era Fiduciary Regs

By Grace Elletson

The Fifth Circuit shuttered two appeals from the U.S. Department of Labor that aimed to revive Biden-era regulations expanding the definition of a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, after the agency told the appellate court it intended to drop the cases.

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1st Circ. Tosses Omni's Medicare Fraud Suit Over UTI Tests

By Hannah Albarazi

A First Circuit panel declined to revive Omni Healthcare's False Claims Act suit accusing MD Labs of billing Medicare for unnecessary urinary tract infection tests, explaining in a published opinion Monday that Omni Healthcare's own staff ordered each test — sometimes even replacing doctors' orders for cheaper tests with the pricier ones.

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FTC Orders Security Fixes To End Education Data Breach Row

By Allison Grande

The Federal Trade Commission has become the latest enforcer to take action against technology provider Illuminate Education Inc. over a data breach that exposed millions of students' personal information, announcing a deal Monday that requires the company to delete unnecessary data and undertake other security enhancements. 

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Meta Can't Block 'Disgruntled' Researcher's Depo Responses

By Bonnie Eslinger

A California federal judge overseeing discovery in litigation against social media giants over their impact on youth mental health rejected Meta's bid Monday to block a "disgruntled" former researcher from sharing information it deems attorney-client privileged in an upcoming deposition.

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Brief

Texas Says Shein May Have Sold Unsafe Products

By Spencer Brewer

The Texas Office of the Attorney General has launched an investigation into global retailer Shein US Services LLC Corp. and its affiliates, saying Monday the fast-fashion company may have violated consumer safety laws.

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Chinese Equipment-Testing Co. Slams FCC's 'Bad Lab' Label

By Christopher Cole

An equipment-testing company controlled by the Chinese government chided the Federal Communications Commission for dubbing it a "bad lab" as the FCC looks to block the company's ability to test telecommunications devices flowing into the U.S. market.

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Ill. Dept. Analyzes State Property Tax System Per 2024 Law

By Zak Kostro

The Illinois Department of Revenue said Monday that it's conducting a study of the state's property tax system as required by a law enacted last year.

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Bitcoin Treasury Co. Names New General Counsel

By Lynn LaRowe

Bitcoin Treasury company Strategy announced Monday that it has brought on a new general counsel, the former legal chief of blockchain platform company Chia Network Inc., according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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DOJ Top Enviro Atty Joins Pillsbury In DC

By Adrian Cruz

The former assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division has come aboard Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced Monday.

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Takeaways From First Resolution After FCPA Pause Was Lifted

The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent deferred prosecution agreement with TIGO Guatemala — its first Foreign Corrupt Practice Act corporate resolution after issuing new guidelines and resuming enforcement — highlights several aspects of the administration’s approach to corporate foreign bribery enforcement, say attorneys at Cleary.

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The Future Of Digital Asset Oversight May Rest With OCC

How the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency handles fintechs' growing interest in national trust bank charters, demonstrated by a jump in filings this year, will determine how far the federal banking system extends to digital assets, and whether the charter becomes a mainstream supervisory pathway, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

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Why Justices Must Act To End Freight Broker Liability Split

The Sixth Circuit's recent ruling in Cox v. Total Quality Logistics Inc., affirming states' authority over negligence claims against transportation brokers, deepens an existing circuit split, creating an untenable situation where laws between neighboring states conflict in seven distinct instances — and making U.S. Supreme Court intervention essential, says Steven Saal at Lucosky Brookman.

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Series

The Law Firm Merger Diaries: How To Build On Cultural Fit

Law firm mergers should start with people, then move to strategy: A two-level screening that puts finding a cultural fit at the pinnacle of the process can unearth shared values that are instrumental to deciding to move forward with a combination, says Matthew Madsen at Harrison.

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Ex-Immigration Judge Accuses DOJ Of Political Retaliation

By Dorothy Atkins

A former Ohio immigration judge sued the U.S. Department of Justice in D.C. federal court Monday, alleging she was discriminated against and unconstitutionally fired for her liberal political beliefs while slamming the Trump administration's recent "unprecedented assault" against longstanding civil service laws that protect millions of federal employees.

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Feature

Meet The Attys Arguing Gov't Subpoena Power At High Court

By Mark Payne

Law360 introduces the lawyers appearing at the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in a case focused on an anti-abortion crisis center and a state attorney general's attempt to subpoena details on its donors.

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3rd Circ. Says Habba Barred From Serving As Acting US Atty

By Carla Baranauckas

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer cannot serve as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, the Third Circuit ruled Monday in a precedential opinion holding that her appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and undermined the constitutional safeguards of Senate confirmation.

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Calif. Ban On Fee-Sharing With 'Alternative' Firms Challenged

By Jack Karp

A new law barring California lawyers and firms from sharing fees with out-of-state law firms owned by nonlawyers is unconstitutional and will harm the state's mass tort lawyers and their clients, according to a lawsuit filed last week.

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Analysis

What MDL Judges Can Get Done With A New Civil Rule

By Cara Salvatore

As the first federal procedure rule geared toward multidistrict litigation goes into effect, judges will have a new buffet of best practices to guide them, but little in the way of hand-tying mandates.

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Suit Against Erika Girardi's Atty Tossed As 'Shotgun Pleading'

By Madison Arnold

A Florida federal court has dismissed a clothing company's abuse of process suit against an attorney of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Erika Jayne for being a shotgun pleading.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court saw a slate of corporate law clashes this past week, from fast-moving injunction fights in consumer product and real estate markets to multibillion-dollar oversight claims against crypto executives and fresh battles over control for two sports teams.

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