Public Policy

  • June 11, 2024

    Prison Phone Cos. Want To Factor Security Cost Into Rates

    Prison phone call providers need to be allowed to factor the cost of safety and security features into the rates that they charge incarcerated people to contact their loved ones, a trio of companies has told the Federal Communications Commission.

  • June 11, 2024

    Trade Court Affirms Evasion Finding Against Pipe Co.

    A Cambodian pipe company should have been ready for U.S. investigators' scrutiny based on its owner's history of duty evasion, a U.S. Court of International Trade judge determined this week, rejecting its due process claims.

  • June 11, 2024

    Ga. Justices Affirm Toss Of Adult Shop's Ordinance Challenge

    Georgia's justices on Tuesday affirmed a trial court's dismissal of an adult novelty chain's challenge of a Gwinnett County ordinance that restricts adult entertainment stores to certain locations and requires them to obtain an adult establishment license to operate, concluding that the suit was barred as an already-adjudicated matter.

  • June 11, 2024

    Texas, Mont. Sue HHS Over ACA Trans Discrimination Rule

    Texas and Montana filed suit against the Biden administration seeking to halt its rule clarifying the application of the Affordable Care Act's nondiscrimination protections to gender identity, saying the new regulations infringe on states' autonomy and force them to violate their own laws.

  • June 11, 2024

    AI No Scarier Than Nail Guns Or Microscopes, Kappos Says

    Former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director David Kappos cautioned attorneys Tuesday to "keep ourselves grounded" about the use of artificial intelligence in intellectual property, saying it's just a tool like a microscope or nail gun, rather than something justifying "panic."

  • June 11, 2024

    Senate Dems To Bring Supreme Court Ethics Bill Up For Vote

    U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., plans to bring his U.S. Supreme Court ethics reform bill up for a vote Wednesday in a move Republican lawmakers have already vowed to block.

  • June 11, 2024

    Judge Says Fla. Trans Medical Care Ban Is Unconstitutional

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday declared that a state law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors and restricting it for adults is unconstitutional because it was motivated by animus for a specific group of people and serves no legitimate state interest.

  • June 11, 2024

    4 More States Join DOJ's Antitrust Suit Against Apple

    The attorneys general of Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada and Indiana on Tuesday became the latest to join the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court claiming Apple is monopolizing the smartphone market.

  • June 11, 2024

    Moelis-Inspired Del. Corporate Law Bill Clears Senate Panel

    A string of law professors turned out Tuesday to oppose a Delaware Senate bill that would let boards cede some governance rights to big stockholders and some Delaware Court oversight to other jurisdictions, with the measure nevertheless cleared for a full Senate vote.

  • June 11, 2024

    NCAA Hit With NIL Suit By '83 Wolfpack Players

    Members of North Carolina State University's 1983 championship basketball team have accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association of exploiting their names, images and likenesses for profit.

  • June 11, 2024

    FCC Looks To Fine Telecom $2.6M For Failing To Pay Fees

    The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it plans to fine a Texas telecom $2.65 million for failing to pay required fees to support an array of FCC programs, including low-income subsidies, services for disabled consumers and phone number portability.

  • June 11, 2024

    Biz Groups Urge 6th Circ. To Put Net Neutrality On Hold

    Industry groups want the Sixth Circuit to put the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules on hold while they are litigated and to reject an FCC bid to move numerous consolidated challenges to the D.C. Circuit.

  • June 11, 2024

    Deutsche Telekom Owed €1.8M In EU Fine Overcharge Interest

    The European Union's executive branch is on the hook to Deutsche Telekom for €1.75 million in interest for an antitrust fine overcharge after the bloc's high court on Tuesday rejected an appeal contesting lower court findings that there is an "absolute, unconditional obligation" to pay that interest.

  • June 11, 2024

    Army's Claims In Burial Dispute 'Unconscionable,' Tribe Says

    A Nebraska tribe seeking to repatriate the remains of two boys from an Indian boarding school cemetery in Pennsylvania has said the U.S. Army's claims that it is exempt from a federal law designed to protect Native American burial sites are "unconscionable."

  • June 11, 2024

    FTC Gets Short Extension On Novant Deal Pause

    A North Carolina federal court Tuesday extended an order preventing Novant Health from closing its $320 million deal for a pair of hospitals in the state by 10 days to give the Federal Trade Commission time to ask the Fourth Circuit to pause the transaction.

  • June 11, 2024

    Compliance Costs Outweigh Min. Tax Gains, Biz Reps Say

    Multinational businesses are concerned that the burden of complying with the 15% global minimum tax outweighs any potential revenue gains associated with the burgeoning system, tax attorneys and a trade association representative said during a panel Tuesday.

  • June 11, 2024

    Skechers Supplier Banned For Alleged Forced Labor Ties

    Federal authorities announced on Tuesday three new additions — including a shoemaker linked to the sneaker brand Skechers — to their blacklist of companies purportedly linked to systematic oppression of Uyghurs and other minority groups in China.

  • June 11, 2024

    Watchdog Says EPA's Lead Exposure Notice Program Lagging

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not on track to roll out a public warning system for exposure to lead in drinking water by an October deadline, the EPA's internal watchdog said in a new report.

  • June 11, 2024

    NY State Pot Regulators OK Adult-Use Homegrow

    New York state cannabis regulators gave final approval Tuesday to regulations allowing the home cultivation of marijuana for adult recreational use. 

  • June 11, 2024

    DOE Urges DC Circ. To Extinguish Furnace Rule Fight

    The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday defended its tighter energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters, telling the D.C. Circuit that arguments that the new regulations unlawfully force a costly switch to new appliances are meritless.

  • June 11, 2024

    Pa. County Can't Give Voting Machine Data To Mich. Atty

    A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday blocked Fulton County commissioners from giving data copied from the county's Dominion Voting Systems equipment to an attorney and Donald Trump ally facing criminal charges for illegally accessing voter information in Michigan.

  • June 11, 2024

    Texas AG Urges DC Circ. To Revive Media Matters Probe

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the D.C. Circuit to revive his investigation into progressive media watchdog Media Matters' reporting on the social media platform X, saying the D.C. federal court had no authority to interfere with the probe.

  • June 11, 2024

    Feds Want 10 Years For Ex-Chicago Alderman Burke

    Federal prosecutors asked an Illinois federal judge Monday to send former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke to prison for 10 years for "brazenly and boldly" using his official position to steer tax business to his law firm, while Burke requested a sentence of probation, bolstered by letters of support from prominent attorneys and retired judges.

  • June 11, 2024

    Enviro Suit Says BLM Well Policy Leaves Drilling Unchecked

    An environmental group is suing the Bureau of Land Management to invalidate drilling permits in and around Colorado's Pawnee National Grassland, claiming the agency has given up authority to regulate the surface impacts of certain wells in violation of its federal mandates.

  • June 11, 2024

    Federal Judgeships To Open In Pennsylvania And New Mexico

    Federal district judge seats in Pennsylvania and New Mexico will open early next year, as two appointees of former President George W. Bush have said they will step down.

Expert Analysis

  • What CRA Deadline Means For Biden Admin. Rulemaking

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    With the 2024 election rapidly approaching, the Biden administration must race to finalize proposed agency actions within the next few weeks, or be exposed to the chance that the following Congress will overturn the rules under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 5 Takeaways From FDA's Biosimilars Promotion Guidance

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    New draft guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expands upon other recent efforts to clarify expectations for biosimilar and interchangeable labeling, highlighting a number of potential missteps that could draw attention from regulators, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • The Legal Issues Raised In Minn. Rate Exportation Opt-Out Bill

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    A recent Minnesota House bill would amend state law by opting out of the federal interest rate preemption and introduce several legal gray areas if passed, including issues regarding loan location, rates on credit card loans and values of state charters, says Karen Grandstrand at Fredrikson & Byron.

  • Rebuttal

    Time For Congress To Let Qualified Older Pilots Keep Flying

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    While a previous Law360 guest article affirmed the current law requiring airline pilots to retire at age 65, the facts suggest that the pilots, their unions, the airlines and the flying public will all benefit if Congress allows experienced, medically qualified aviators to stay in the cockpit, say Allen Baker and Bo Ellis at Let Experienced Pilots Fly.

  • Does Expert Testimony Aid Preliminary IPR Responses?

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    Dechert attorneys analyze six years of patent owners' preliminary responses to inter partes review petitions to determine whether the elimination of the presumption favoring the petitioner as to preinstitution testimonial evidence affected the usefulness of expert testimony in responses.

  • Fostering Employee Retention Amid Shaky DEI Landscape

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    Ongoing challenges to the legality of corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs are complicating efforts to use DEI as an employee retention tool, but with the right strategic approach employers can continue to recruit and retain diverse talent — even after the FTC’s ban on noncompetes, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • Are Concessions In FDA's Lab-Developed Tests Rule Enough?

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    Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new policy for laboratory-developed tests included major strategic concessions to help balance patient safety, access and diagnostic innovation, the new rule may well face significant legal challenges in court, say Dominick DiSabatino and Audrey Mercer at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 5 Climate Change Regulatory Issues Insurers Should Follow

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    The climate change landscape for insurers has changed dramatically recently — and not just because of the controversy over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related risk disclosure rules, says Thomas Dawson at McDermott.

  • How New Rule Would Change CFIUS Enforcement Powers

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    Before the May 15 comment deadline, companies may want to weigh in on proposed regulatory changes to enforcement and mitigation tools at the disposal of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, including broadened subpoena powers, difficult new mitigation timelines and higher maximum penalties, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What's Extraordinary About Challenges To SEC Climate Rule

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    A set of ideologically diverse legal challenges to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate disclosure rule have been consolidated in the Eighth Circuit via a seldom-used lottery system, and the unpredictability of this process may drive agencies toward a more cautious future approach to rulemaking, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • 8 Questions To Ask Before Final CISA Breach Reporting Rule

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    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recently proposed cyber incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure entities represent the overall approach CISA will take in its final rule, so companies should be asking key compliance questions now and preparing for a more complicated reporting regime, say Arianna Evers and Shannon Mercer at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • Key Priorities In FDIC Report On Resolving Big Bank Failures

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s report last month on the resolvability of large financial institutions contains little new information, but it does reiterate key policy priorities, including the agency's desire to enhance loss-absorbing capacity through long-term debt requirements and preference for single-point-of-entry resolution strategies, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Best Practices For Space Security In Our Connected World

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    NASA's recently published space security guide is another indication that cyber-resilience has become a global theme for the space and satellite sector, as well as a useful reference for companies and organizations reviewing their cybersecurity frameworks or looking to partner with the U.S. agency, says Hayley Blyth at Bird & Bird.

  • Opinion

    SEC Doesn't Have Legal Authority For Climate Disclosure Rule

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    Instead of making the required legal argument to establish its authority, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosure rule hides behind more than 1,000 references to materiality to give the appearance that its rule is legally defensible, says Bernard Sharfman at RealClearFoundation.

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