Public Policy

  • May 29, 2025

    Monsanto Won't Get Damages Offset In $100M PCB Tort Loss

    A Washington state judge has denied Monsanto's bid to reduce the latest $100 million verdict in a chemical poisoning tort series that's yielded more than $1 billion in punitive damages, concluding that the agro-chemical giant hid the health dangers of PCBs for decades in pursuit of profit.

  • May 29, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Says Spa's Rule On Certain Trans Women Biased

    A divided Ninth Circuit refused to reinstate a Korean spa's constitutional challenge against the Washington State Human Rights Commission and ordered it to rescind its policy denying admission to trans women without gender-affirming surgery, noting Thursday the policy violated state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • May 29, 2025

    Fla. Appeals Order To Monitor Indian River Manatees

    Florida's Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday it is appealing an injunction requiring the agency to implement new manatee monitoring programs after a federal judge found it violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing wastewater pollution into the North Indian River Lagoon watershed.

  • May 29, 2025

    Baltimore Drops CFPB Suit Amid Denials Of Defunding Plan

    The city of Baltimore on Thursday moved to drop its lawsuit seeking to bar Trump administration officials from stripping unused funds from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, calling off the case while preserving the right to refile later.

  • May 29, 2025

    FTC Seeks To Push Amazon Antitrust Trial To 2027

    The Federal Trade Commission and Amazon on Wednesday fought over the agency's proposal to push back an antitrust trial into 2027 to account for the e-commerce giant's alleged efforts to obstruct discovery, with Amazon telling a Washington federal judge that it was the FTC that insisted on a burdensome discovery.

  • May 29, 2025

    TikTok Can't Duck NY Suit Over Kids' Mental Health

    TikTok cannot escape claims brought by the state of New York accusing the social media platform of harming children's mental health, a state court ruled Thursday.

  • May 29, 2025

    Colo. Builder Slams 'Unconstitutional' Affordable Housing Fees

    The city of Denver is unconstitutionally forcing homebuilders to contribute to an affordable housing fund before they can obtain development permits, a local developer said in a suit filed in Colorado federal court on Thursday.

  • May 29, 2025

    China Unicom Will Stay On FCC 'Covered List'

    The Federal Communications Commission has dashed China Unicom's hopes of being removed from the agency's so-called covered list, a list of companies whose telecommunications equipment the FCC says poses an unacceptable risk to national security.

  • May 29, 2025

    Khalil Files FOIA On Fed Collusion With Anti-Palestinian Groups

    Attorneys representing Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on Thursday seeking communications between the Trump administration and anti-Palestinian groups they say targeted him before his arrest.

  • May 29, 2025

    Colo. Court Says No Immunity For Telecom From Injury Suit

    Colorado appellate judges on Thursday ruled that a telecommunications provider lacked authority over a sidewalk where a cyclist was injured and can't be shielded from liability by a recreational use law, reversing a trial court decision in favor of the company.

  • May 29, 2025

    DOJ Officially Files To Drop Boeing 737 Max Conspiracy Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday formally moved to drop its criminal conspiracy case against Boeing over the deadly 737 Max 8 crashes and asked a Texas federal judge to vacate the June 23 trial date, saying a $1.1 billion nonprosecution agreement is a meaningful resolution that holds the company accountable.

  • May 29, 2025

    Judge Orders Immigration Parole Programs To Resume

    A Massachusetts federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume processing applications for parole and benefits filed by noncitizens already in the U.S. under certain categorical parole programs, saying it's necessary to prevent irreparable harm.

  • May 29, 2025

    Fla. Judge Denies Trainer's Bid To Block Horse Racing Law

    A Florida federal judge Thursday denied a horse trainer's bid to block enforcement of a horse racing law in his complaint challenging an anti-doping ban, ruling the trainer failed to show irreparable harm and that issues in his claim asserting a right to a jury trial aren't fully developed.

  • May 29, 2025

    Tariff Rulings Undercut Trump's Trade Authority, Dealmaking

    U.S. trading partners have inadvertently found new leverage in tariff negotiations with the Trump administration after federal courts found several of the president's duties were improperly imposed, raising larger questions about future tariff authorization in the midst of a global trade spat.

  • May 29, 2025

    KC Royals Say Mortgage Deal Doesn't Imply Move To Kansas

    The Kansas City Royals have made a third-party purchase of the mortgage on a potential site for a new ballpark in Overland Park, Kansas, but denied that the transaction meant the MLB team was moving from the city and state of Missouri that have been its home since launching in 1969.

  • May 29, 2025

    Ex-Copyright Chief Wants Fast Ruling In Trump Firing Dispute

    The fired director of the U.S. Copyright Office asked a D.C. federal court Thursday for expedited briefing in her lawsuit challenging her termination by the Trump administration, saying there is "a pressing need" to resolve the matter quickly.

  • May 29, 2025

    Big Oil Caused Woman's Heat Wave Death, Novel Suit Says

    The daughter of a Seattle woman who died during a 2021 heat wave filed a first-of-its kind wrongful death suit in Washington state court Thursday against oil and gas giants — including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell — alleging the companies knew for decades their fossil fuel products would one day "claim lives."

  • May 29, 2025

    Ore. Pot Regulator Will No Longer Require Labor Peace Pacts

    Oregon's cannabis regulator said Thursday that it would no longer enforce a voter-approved law requiring cannabis businesses to enter into labor peace agreements with their employees, following a federal judge's ruling that the law was preempted by federal policy.

  • May 29, 2025

    Judge Favors Vanda But Seeks Deal Over Drug Approval

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday seemed ready to rule for Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. in its challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's timelines for approving new drugs but asked both sides to first try negotiating remedies to resolve the dispute.

  • May 29, 2025

    Ex-USPTO Solicitor Says He's Against Squires Nomination

    A former solicitor for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has come out against the nomination of John A. Squires to be the next director of the agency, saying in a letter Thursday that he's concerned about the nominee's desire to make existing patents stronger.

  • May 29, 2025

    Judge Challenges Visa's Bid To Dismiss DOJ Antitrust Suit

    A New York federal judge on Thursday questioned whether Visa Inc. is inappropriately raising factual disputes in its motion to dismiss U.S. Justice Department claims that the company has illegally maintained a monopoly in the market for debit card networks.

  • May 29, 2025

    Drugstores Say Texas Flouted Rules To Update Pharmacy Regs

    The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Inc. told the Texas Supreme Court that updates to statewide policy governing how pharmacies report drug prices flouted Texas rulemaking procedures, telling the state's high court that even if the updates were "good policy" they weren't lawful.

  • May 29, 2025

    DC Court Blocks Trump's Tariffs As Overreach Of Power

    The International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not empower the president to impose tariffs, the D.C. federal district court said Thursday, ruling that President Donald Trump's global levies are unlawful and barring his administration from enforcing them on two toymakers who challenged the policies.

  • May 29, 2025

    Interior OKs Utah Mine In First Fast-Tracked Energy Review

    The U.S. Department of the Interior has greenlit a uranium and vanadium mine in southeastern Utah, the first to be approved under a new, expedited 14-day environmental review process.

  • May 29, 2025

    SD Tribe Issues State Of Emergency Over Police Resources

    The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has declared a public safety state of emergency on its reservation due to methamphetamine use and illicit drug trafficking, urging the federal government to give the tribe more law enforcement resources.

Expert Analysis

  • UK May Play Major Role In Corporate Misconduct Regulation

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    In light of the U.S.' pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office has released new guidance showing it may seize the opportunity to play a heightened role in regulating corporate misconduct by U.S. companies with a global presence, particularly over the next few years, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Tariff Strategies For The US Renewable Energy Sector

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    The Trump administration's tariff actions over the last few months are challenging for the renewable energy industry — but there are strategies for contending with the uncertainty, including diversifying supply chains, seeking certification about equipment origins, and adding tariff-related language to supply contracts and offtake agreements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

  • Opinion

    Why It's Time To Retire The Efficient Market Hypothesis

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    As agentic artificial intelligence systems increasingly affect financial markets, the efficient market hypothesis no longer offers a viable foundation for legal and regulatory engagement, and a new theoretical foundation is needed, say Zachary Brenner, a student at California Western School of Law, and attorney Gary Brenner.

  • Avoiding The Risk Of Continued AI-Washing Enforcement

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    A recent action brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, alleging a software developer defrauded investors by lying about his app’s artificial intelligence capabilities, suggests this administration will continue to target AI washing, so companies should adopt practices to mitigate enforcement risk, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 4 Ways Slater Is Priming DOJ For Continued Antitrust Success

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    Just as Jonathan Kanter did during his recent tenure leading the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater is following the effective blueprint set by Thurman Arnold when he modernized the division more than 80 years ago, says Perry Apelbaum at Kressin Powers.

  • 3 Tax Issues Manufacturers Should Watch In 2025 Budget Bill

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    As Congress works toward a budget reconciliation bill, manufacturing companies should keep a keen eye on proposals to change bonus depreciation, the qualified business income deduction and energy tax credits, which could have a significant impact on capital-intensive industries, say attorneys at Frost Brown Todd.

  • Key Aspects Of FDIC's Resolution Planning FAQ

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent FAQ on changes to its resolution plan rule ease burdensome requirements for some large institutions and exempt others from discussion of franchise components, making it easier for banks to finalize submissions before the July 1 deadline, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Why Texas Should Slow Down On Healthcare Merger Bills

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    More time is needed to study three Texas bills aimed at considering the effects of healthcare consolidation to increase affordability and access to healthcare, which could have the opposite effect, say John Saran and Harshita Rathore at Holland & Knight and Robbie Allen at U.S. Heart and Vascular.

  • As Tariffs Hit The Radar, PE Counsel Should Review Strategies

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    As tariffs compound existing challenges in the private equity sector, counsel should consider existing headwinds such as interest rates and industry-specific impacts like supply chains and pricing power, which may help mitigate risks and capture opportunity, says Nathan Viehl at Thompson Coburn.

  • Trump Rule Would Upend Endangered Species Status Quo

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    The Trump administration's recent proposal to rescind the regulatory definition of "harm" in the Endangered Species Act would be a tectonic shift away from years of established regulatory practice, with major implications for both species protection and larger-scale conservation efforts, says David Smith at Manatt.

  • DOJ Memo Raises Bar For Imposition Of Corporate Monitors

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    A recently released U.S. Department of Justice memo, outlining guidance on the imposition of compliance monitors in corporate criminal cases, reflects DOJ leadership’s concerns about scope creep and business costs, but the strategies for companies to avoid a monitorship haven't changed much compared to the Biden era, says James Koukios at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Becoming A Firmwide MVP

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    Though lawyers don't have a neat metric like baseball players for measuring the value they contribute to their organizations, the sooner new attorneys learn skills frequently skipped in law school — like networking, marketing, client development and case evaluation — the more valuable, and less replaceable, they will be, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • How NY's FAIR Act Mirrors CFPB State Recommendations

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    New York's proposed FAIR Business Practices Act, which targets predatory lending and junk fees, reflects the Rohit Chopra-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recommendations to states in a number of ways, including by defining "abusive" conduct and adding a new right to file class actions, says Christian Hancock at Bradley Arant.

  • Expect Eyes On Electronic Devices At US Entry Points

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    Electronic device searches are becoming common at U.S. border inspections, making it imperative for companies to familiarize themselves with what's allowed, and mandate specific precautions for employees to protect their privacy and sensitive information during international travel, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

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