Expert Analysis

• New CFTC Enforcement Policy May Finally Deter Recidivists

  

  The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s recently announced policies designed to crack down on market misconduct recidivists may finally raise the stakes enough to motivate institutions to improve their compliance infrastructure, say Dan Chirlin and Marc Armas at Walden Macht.

• Cos.' Trade Secret Measures Must Adjust To Remote-Work Era

  

  Several recent cases demonstrate that companies need to reevaluate and adjust their trade secret protection strategies in this new age of remote work, says Stephanie Riley at Womble Bond.

• Opinion

  Time To Ban Deferred Prosecution For Fatal Corporate Crime

  

  As illustrated by prosecutors’ deals with Boeing and other companies, deferred prosecution agreements have strayed far from their original purpose, and Congress must ban the use of this tool in cases where corporate misconduct has led to fatalities, says Peter Reilly at Texas A&M University School of Law.

• Working With Emergency Services: Tips For Frontline Attys

  

  The best version of a first responder-crisis lawyer relationship involves one where the first responder can trust the attorney enough to give them all the details, knowing they will exercise discretion in how much they release to the public, say Lauren Brogdon at Haynes Boone, Rick Crawford at the Los Angeles Fire Department and Christopher Sapienza at the Yonkers Police Department.

• Regulatory Shift May Offer Lifeline To NY's Cannabis Industry

  

  Recent developments may help to open up the regulatory log jam and increase the number of licensed dispensaries in New York state, and can eventually allow the licensed cannabis market to win out over unlicensed dispensaries, say attorneys at Davis+Gilbert.

• Key Points From NY Regulators' Crypto Listing Update

  

  Virtual currency entities should review the New York State Department of Financial Services' recently proposed guidance for self-certification of coins, which features heightened listing standards and a new delisting framework, and evaluate its impact on their existing practices and coin-listing procedures, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• California's Offshore Turbine Plans Face Stiff Headwinds

  

  To realize its innovative plans for floating offshore wind farms, California will face numerous challenges as companies investing in the industry will be looking for permitting transparency, predictable timelines, and meaningful coordination between jurisdictions, agencies, and stakeholders, say David Smith and David McGrath at Manatt.

• Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

  

  Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

• Inside The Current State Of International Crypto Compliance

  

  A recent Financial Action Task Force report regarding adoption of international virtual asset compliance standards reflects a fairly grim state of affairs, but a broader look at providers' risk mitigation efforts and developments is encouraging, say Leah Moushey and Franco Jofré at Miller & Chevalier, and Meredith Fitzpatrick at Forensic Risk Alliance.

• Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

  

  Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

• Planning Compliance For Updated FinCEN Reporting Rules

  

  Although the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's reporting deadline for beneficial ownership information may seem far off, companies should act now to determine which corporate entities must report and what information must be collected, given the potential time, resources and legal questions involved, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

• Opinion

  Test Results Signal Poor Odds For Lead Cables Litigation

  

  After sites in New York and New Jersey allegedly contaminated with lead by telecommunications cables were found by state and federal agencies to present no imminent threats to public health, it seems unlikely that mass litigation over this issue by plaintiffs firms or state attorneys general will succeed, says Andrew Ketterer at Ketterer & Ketterer.

• How Cos. Can Mitigate IP Risks After NY Labor Law Updates

  

  A recent New York labor law amendment limits the permissible scope of invention assignment agreements, leading to potential intellectual property risks for New York-based employers, which they can reduce through several steps, including the reevaluation of assignment provisions in employment agreements, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

• 3 Cases Show Tensions Between Arbitration And Insolvency

  

  The intersection of international arbitration and insolvency may influence the formulation of litigation strategy on a global scale, and several recent cases illustrate the need for counsel to understand how courts are varying in their approaches, say attorneys at Skadden.

• Bank's Penalties Highlight Key AML Compliance Expectations

  

  Recently, Shinhan Bank America faced coordinated enforcement actions from federal and state financial agencies for ongoing, unremedied anti-money laundering compliance failures, revealing current areas of regulatory oversight and focus, including expectations that AML compliance data systems provide a 360-degree view of customers, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.