SEC Investor Panel Presses For Corporate AI Disclosures

By Jessica Corso

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission working group is urging the agency to adopt regulations that could standardize the way publicly traded companies report the way they use artificial intelligence, arguing Thursday that investors are not always being kept informed about the risks of the technology.

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Fla. Gov Floats AI 'Bill Of Rights' Amid Federal Pushback

By Allison Grande

Florida's Republican governor on Thursday put forth a proposed framework to protect consumers from potential risks posed by artificial intelligence systems, including unauthorized uses of their data and the harms that chatbots pose to minors, a move that comes as the Trump administration and some Republicans in Congress push for states to be blocked from regulating the emerging technology.

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Bipartisan Bill Would Set Guardrails On Employers' AI Use

By Anne Cullen

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that mandates employers include human oversight when using automated decision-making software, regularly test their tools and disclose to workers when they're in play.

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EU To Probe Meta's WhatsApp Restrictions On AI Providers

By Matthew Perlman

European enforcers have launched an investigation into recent changes Meta made to its WhatsApp policies over concerns that they block artificial intelligence providers from communicating with their users on the messaging platform.

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Prolonged FTC Review Kills $615M Healthcare Staffing Deal

By Matthew Perlman

Talent software and staffing company Aya Healthcare Inc. abandoned its planned $615 million deal for Cross Country Healthcare Inc. on Thursday, citing uncertainty from an ongoing Federal Trade Commission review that was extended by the government shutdown.

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OFAC Fines Real Estate Firm $7M Over Sanctions Violations

By Sarah Jarvis

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday fined a New York property management company more than $7 million for allegedly violating Russian sanctions by receiving payments on behalf of a company owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

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Kimmel Brouhaha Brings Out Levity At DC's 'Telecom Prom'

By Christopher Cole

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's roller coaster ride at the hands of the Federal Communications Commission took center stage Wednesday at a light-hearted Washington dinner for telecom lawyers, as FCC Chair Brendan Carr served up a comedic bit over the controversy that followed Kimmel's recent war of words with the agency chief.

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Crenshaw Blasts SEC Short-Selling Rules Deadline Extension

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's outgoing, lone Democratic commissioner has criticized the agency's decision to extend the compliance dates for a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market, calling the move a "repeal by extension."

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Gov't Watchdog To Probe FHFA Mortgage Fraud Referrals

By Grace Dixon

The Government Accountability Office will review whether Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte weaponized mortgage fraud investigations against the president's perceived political opponents and flouted the agency's typical investigation process.

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Dems Press CFPB's Vought On Mortgage Rate Shutdown Plan

By Jon Hill

Senate Democrats are demanding clarity on the fate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's benchmark mortgage-rate work if the Trump administration lets the agency go dark, warning of imminent potential chaos for the $13 trillion mortgage market.

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Ex-CEO Of Failed Okla. Bank Indicted On Fraud Charges

By Sydney Price

The former president and CEO of the now-defunct Oklahoma-based First National Bank of Lindsay has been charged with bank fraud involving sham deposits in customer accounts and falsified loan documents, according to a federal indictment.

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1st Spot Crypto Market To Launch Amid CFTC 'Crypto Sprint'

By Emilie Ruscoe

Derivatives exchange Bitnomial said Thursday it is poised to launch the first spot crypto exchange regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, with guidance from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

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Citadel Securities Sparks Crypto Clash Over DeFi Exemptions

By Aislinn Keely

Citadel Securities ignited debate with crypto advocates this week when it told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that decentralized finance projects dealing in tokenized securities should broadly be subject to the same obligations as traditional exchanges and broker-dealers.

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Kalshi Sues Conn. Over Online Gambling Enforcement Case

By Katryna Perera

Derivatives exchange KalshiEX LLC has sued the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and its leaders over a cease-and-desist order issued by the department directing Kalshi to stop operations within the state.

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9th Circ. Says Species' Competing Interests Impact ESA Cases

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The Ninth Circuit has ruled that when a court-ordered injunction would protect one animal or plant covered by the Endangered Species Act but harm another, the court must weigh their "competing" interests before taking action.

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Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Methane Rule Delay

By Tom Lotshaw

Environmental groups are challenging a final rule the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published Wednesday to extend a number of compliance deadlines for methane pollution control requirements, calling it an unlawful handout for oil and gas companies.

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Data Co. Seeks To Consolidate NJ Judicial Privacy Law Cases

By Jake Maher

The data privacy firm Atlas Data Privacy has asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to consolidate over 100 ongoing cases where it is suing data brokers under the state judicial privacy statute Daniel's Law into a single multicounty litigation, according to a notice to the bar filed this week.

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NAR Says Realtor Rule Changes Not Relevant To Antitrust Suit

By Grace Dixon

The National Association of Realtors and local Realtor groups at the center of a proposed class action have urged a Michigan federal court not to allow real estate brokers and agents to bring recent NAR handbook changes before the court in their antitrust suit.

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Pharma Cos. Denied Early Win In States' Price-Fixing Suit

By Aaron Keller

Twenty-six pharmaceutical companies failed to secure a quick win on overarching conspiracy claims in an antitrust case by the attorneys general of Connecticut and most other states, with a federal judge finding the "substantial bulk of evidence" points toward a broad industry scheme to fix 98 dermatology drug prices.

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LA Fitness Says FTC Can't Expand Online Shopping Law

By Gina Kim

LA Fitness urged a California federal judge to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit alleging the gym has burdensome cancellation methods, arguing Wednesday that it fails to state a claim under the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, which doesn't apply to brick-and-mortar businesses and only regulates online commerce.

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Brief

Credit Firm Fined $20K For Misleading Colorado Consumers

By Zach Dupont

The Colorado attorney general's office announced Thursday that it reached a $20,000 settlement with a credit repair service that operated a "piggybacking" scheme in violation of the Colorado Credit Services Organization Act, according to a news release.

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Mass. Justices Unlikely To Revive Verizon Tower Suit

By Julie Manganis

Justices on Massachusetts' highest court appeared unlikely to second-guess a local health board's decision to drop an enforcement action against Verizon over perceived health effects from a cell tower after the telecom filed suit.

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Boies Schiller Lands Former SEC Trial Leader In LA

By Christine DeRosa

Boies Schiller Flexner LLP has grown its securities litigation offerings in California with a former supervisory trial counsel in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Los Angeles Regional Office, the firm said Thursday.

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Nixon Peabody Hires Cybersecurity Atty For Boston Office

By Joyce Hanson

Nixon Peabody LLP has added to its cybersecurity and privacy team in Boston with a newly hired attorney from Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, saying she focuses on privacy, governance, risk, compliance and public policy matters.

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Democracy Forward Announces New Leadership Hires

By Jack Rodgers

Democracy Forward, a progressive nonprofit that has lodged some 85 actions against the Trump administration, announced Thursday it hired new staff, including a new deputy managing attorney and a new director of a collaborative initiative focused on reshaping the federal government with community-driven policies and public servants.

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What Trump's Scientific Discovery AI Order Will Mean For Cos.

Although private organizations will not see an immediate change in their compliance obligations from President Trump's recent executive order establishing a government effort to use artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery, large enterprises and critical infrastructure operators will face pressure to demonstrate that their AI practices are comparable, says Shawn Tuma at Spencer Fane.

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Why Digital Asset Treasuries Are Drawing Regulator Concerns

Financial regulators’ recent focus on potential insider trading and investor risk at hundreds of publicly traded digital asset treasuries may have been summoned by how quickly this rapidly expanding market responds to asset allocation decisions, as well as variations in risk disclosure practices across the sector, say attorneys at The Brattle Group.

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9th Circ. Ruling Upholds Employee Speech Amid Stalled NLRB

The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in National Labor Relations Board v. North Mountain Foothills Apartments shows that courts are enforcing National Labor Relations Act protections despite the board's current paralysis, so employers must tread carefully when disciplining employee speech, whether at work or online, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

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Opinion

California Vapor Intrusion Policy Should Focus On Site Risks

As California environmental regulators consider whether to change the attenuation factor used in screenings for vapor intrusion, the most prudent path forward is to keep the current value for screening purposes, while using site-specific, risk-based numbers for cleanup and closure targets, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

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New Drug Ad Regs Could Lead To A Less Informed Public

A federal push to mandate full safety warnings in pharmaceutical advertising could make drug ads less appealing for companies to air, which in turn could negatively affect consumers' health decisions by removing an accessible information source, say Punam Keller at Dartmouth College and Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

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10th Circ. Decision May Complicate Lending In Colorado

The Tenth Circuit's decision last month in National Association of Industrial Bankers v. Weiser clears the way for interest rate limits on all consumer lending in Colorado, including loans from out-of-state banks, potentially adding new complexities to lending to Colorado residents, say attorneys at Manatt.

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Series

Preaching Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a Gospel preacher has enhanced my success as a trial lawyer by teaching me the importance of credibility, relatability, persuasiveness and thorough preparation for my congregants, the same skills needed with judges and juries in the courtroom, says Reginald Harris at Stinson.

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Immigration Lawyers Battle Burnout Amid Deportation Surge

By Daniel Connolly

As the Trump administration carries out a mass deportation campaign across the country, immigration attorneys faced with heavy demand and changing norms are feeling the impact of burnout and stress on their practices and emotions, they told Law360.

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Calif. Agency Hires Ex-DOJ Crypto Enforcement Director

By Sarah Jarvis

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has brought on a new general counsel who previously served in leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Justice, including director of its cryptocurrency enforcement team.

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Fla. Judge OKs Release Of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

By Rae Ann Varona

A Florida federal judge on Friday ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from an investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing a newly enacted law that the government said overrides a prohibition on disclosing the documents to the public.

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Bonus Spotlight

Katten Exceeds Market Bonus Scale, Orrick Matches

By Tracey Read

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has joined a select few law firms that have gone beyond the BigLaw norm for year-end and special bonuses.

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Brief

Holland & Knight Adds Ex-House Speaker's Adviser In DC

By Tracey Read

Holland & Knight LLP has added the former senior policy adviser and counsel to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as a public policy and regulation practice group partner.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

An SEC panel has asked the agency to adopt regulations that could standardize the way publicly traded companies report details about AI use. Meanwhile, the FCC approved AT&T's $1 billion UScellular deal after AT&T became the latest of the big three mobile carriers to agree to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Gupta Wessler LLP and Block & Leviton LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Eleventh Circuit revived a proposed class action against NextEra Energy Inc. that seeks to hold the energy company liable for a share price drop that followed political interference allegations involving a subsidiary.

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Mass. IOLTA Panel Says It's Owed Slice Of Residual Funds

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts panel that oversees Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts asked the state's highest court Friday to at least partially unwind a $4 million class action settlement, saying a lower court didn't give it a chance to argue for a portion of what it says are "significant" residual funds.

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Judges Beat Ethics Suits For Dropping Retirement Post-Trump

By Jake Maher

A Fourth Circuit judge and two district court judges have defeated ethics complaints from a conservative legal organization alleging they improperly reversed their decisions to take senior status after President Donald Trump was elected.

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Court Staff Attys Settle Claims Of Undermining Colleague

By Julie Manganis

Six months after Massachusetts' highest court revived some of a former Appeals Court staff attorney's claims in a suit alleging two supervisors intentionally undermined him, the parties have reported reaching a settlement in the case.

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