Public Policy

  • January 02, 2026

    Merger Settlements Keep Rolling, With A Hitch

    The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission took a more business friendly approach to merger reviews in 2025 than the previous administration, with a string of settlements allowing deals to move ahead without a challenge.

  • January 02, 2026

    Guns, Taxes & Labor: Cannabis Litigation Trends To Watch

    In 2026, courts throughout the U.S. will consider cases weighing Second Amendment rights of cannabis users, a punitive federal tax policy that affects state-legal marijuana businesses, labor peace requirements in the cannabis space, and whether a constitutional doctrine bars states from preferencing their residents in doling out marijuana licenses.

  • January 02, 2026

    NC Legislation To Watch In 2026: Healthcare Funding In Focus

    A spate of healthcare legislation is on the line as North Carolina lawmakers get ready to return to the General Assembly in January, from tenuous funding for Medicaid and Planned Parenthood to efforts to control the Tar Heel state's skyrocketing healthcare costs.

  • January 02, 2026

    Marijuana And Hemp Policy Enters Uncharted Waters In 2026

    The final weeks of 2025 produced two monumental shifts poised to reshape the cannabis policy landscape in the coming year: Congress' approval of language to redefine lawful hemp nationwide and a presidential executive order directing the administration to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana for the first time in over five decades.

  • January 02, 2026

    The Top Telecom Developments To Watch In 2026

    As a new Republican administration hits its stride, agencies are looking to pare back regulations, and major tech and telecom mergers could be on the horizon. After a year of change at the Federal Communications Commission, experts are also watching to see how quickly the Commerce Department can roll out changes to a massive broadband program, and legal challenges to federal rules continue to ripple across the telecom sector.

  • January 02, 2026

    Cases To Watch In Native American Law In 2026

    The new year in Native American law is expected to usher in rulings on the rights of Indigenous nations and their citizens, including disputes over voting, hunting and fishing, and a possible expansion of the Supreme Court's 2020 landmark decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma.

  • January 02, 2026

    Copyright Cases To Watch In 2026

    U.S. federal courts this year will continue to review consequential copyright infringement suits involving artificial intelligence, while appeals court decisions remain pending in a pair of notable fair use cases involving ROSS Intelligence and Microsoft. Here are Law360's picks for copyright cases to watch in 2026.

  • January 02, 2026

    4 Compliance Trends To Watch In 2026

    Compliance professionals will be monitoring the risks brought on by the trade-related turmoil and deregulatory moves that have marked President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House, while new state regulations and artificial intelligence-related risks will also be top of mind.

  • January 02, 2026

    SEC Expected To Tackle Exec Comp, Private Investing In 2026

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to hit the ground running this year on fulfilling Chairman Paul Atkins' agenda to lessen the regulatory burden on public and private companies alike, with the agency potentially gearing up to propose changes to everything from the reporting of C-suite pay packages to the accredited investor definition. 

  • January 02, 2026

    California Cases To Watch In 2026

    Legal experts following California courts in 2026 are tracking high-stakes personal injury, antitrust and copyright battles against giants in the social media, artificial intelligence and entertainment industries, as well as wide-ranging legal disputes arising from Los Angeles wildfires and high-profile appeals pending before the California Supreme Court.

  • January 02, 2026

    Patent Policy To Watch In 2026

    After a year of significant shifts in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office policy on patent reviews and patent eligibility, attorneys will be closely following how the changes play out in 2026, along with proposals for further moves, and whether Congress decides to weigh in on patents.

  • January 02, 2026

    Washington Cases To Watch In 2026

    Evergreen State lawyers will be keeping a close eye on the Washington Supreme Court in 2026 as it wades into lawsuits against Amazon over online sales of a chemical used in suicides, along with battles over Trump administration policies that are making their way from federal district courts to the Ninth Circuit. Here are some of the top cases to watch in Washington in 2026.

  • January 02, 2026

    Food & Beverage Cases To Watch In 2026

    There are several issues food and beverage attorneys will want to keep an eye on in 2026, from litigation challenging the marketing of ultra-processed foods, to false advertising claims over the presence of "forever chemicals" and microplastics, to the federal government's efforts to regulate additives. Here, Law360 has rounded up a number of matters that attorneys should be watching.

  • January 02, 2026

    North Carolina Cases To Watch In 2026

    In the new year, North Carolina state and federal courts are set to consider the intricacies of class action certification at the behest of thousands of fast-food workers and whether Chinese company TikTok Inc. is deliberately designing the app to addict children.

  • January 02, 2026

    4 Colorado Cases To Watch In 2026

    In 2026, Colorado will be center stage for legal fights surrounding the guardrails of generative AI platforms, a second trial will take place to determine if the ethylene oxide output of a medical sterilization company caused some Lakewood residents to develop cancer, and the state will continue its fight to stop the move of Space Command's headquarters. Here, Law360 looks at four cases to watch in the state.

  • January 02, 2026

    New Jersey Cases To Watch In 2026

    In the coming year, New Jersey litigators will be watching for the outcome of an appeal in a constitutional challenge to school segregation and an employment discrimination case brought by a former Johnson & Johnson attorney. 

  • January 02, 2026

    Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice Cases To Watch In 2026

    Multidistrict litigation against the biggest tech companies over purported social media addiction and a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding state medical malpractice lawsuit requirements are among those that injury and malpractice attorneys will be following closely in 2026.

  • January 02, 2026

    Privacy & Cybersecurity Policy To Watch In 2026

    States are expected to continue their aggressive push to ensure that companies aren't misusing consumers' personal information in 2026, even as they face growing pressure from the federal government to curtail these efforts, particularly when it comes to the regulation of emerging artificial intelligence technologies. 

  • January 02, 2026

    Michigan Cases To Watch In 2026

    Environmental issues are taking center stage in Michigan courts in 2026, with an upcoming federal bench trial to determine whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is liable for how it handled the Flint water crisis, and the Michigan and U.S. Supreme Courts tackling disputes between the state and Enbridge Energy over a pipeline project proposed for underneath the Straits of Mackinac.

  • January 02, 2026

    The Legal Fights Set To Define Access To Justice In 2026

    In 2026, the fight for access to justice in the United States will be shaped by high-stakes legal and budgetary decisions affecting immigration, housing and civil rights. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge to President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, a case that could deny federal recognition of citizenship to certain U.S.-born children and upend long-settled constitutional law.

  • January 02, 2026

    California Legislation And Regulations To Watch In 2026

    Legal experts expect California lawmakers and regulators to continue to grapple with the artificial intelligence boom, various battles with the Trump administration and new climate disclosure requirements in 2026. Here's a short list of the major developments that Golden State attorneys will be watching.

  • January 02, 2026

    Gov't Contracts Policies To Watch In 2026

    Congress' ongoing crusade against frivolous bid protests at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Trump administration's implementation of the Federal Acquisition Regulation via official rulemaking headline a slate of policy initiatives for government contractors to watch for in 2026. Here, Law360 previews upcoming policy changes with significant potential impacts on government contractors.

  • January 02, 2026

    4 Key Immigration Cases To Watch In 2026

    On the heels of a whiplash year in immigration litigation marked by fast-tracked court fights and U.S. Supreme Court intervention, court battles in 2026 will continue apace with the justices poised to weigh in again on key components of President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.

  • January 02, 2026

    The Top 4 Immigration Policies To Track In 2026

    Following a tumultuous year of navigating President Donald Trump's immigration agenda, attorneys are bracing for more turbulence, anticipating ramped-up worksite enforcement, criminal charges against employers and more curbs on legal immigration. Here, Law360 explores four key immigration policies that could define the president's immigration agenda in 2026.

  • January 02, 2026

    Connecticut Cases To Watch In 2026

    The criminal prosecution of a law firm bookkeeper accused of embezzling $584,000 over a dozen years and the criminal trial of a strip club boss accused of failing to report $5.7 million in cash income to the Internal Revenue Service are just two high-profile cases scheduled for trial in Connecticut dockets in 2026.

Expert Analysis

  • Comey Case Highlights Complex Speedy Trial Rights Calculus

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    Former FBI Director James Comey’s decision to waive his Speedy Trial Act rights in the false statement prosecution against him serves as a reminder that the benefits of invoking these rights are usually outweighed by the risks of inadequate preparation, but it can be an effective strategy in the right case, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Breaking Down Article 12 Of The Uniform Commercial Code

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    Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have enacted Article 12 of the Uniform Commercial Code, providing the alternative to perfection by control of assets like cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens, but before accepting these assets as collateral, lenders and creditors should consider how to best maintain priority, say attorneys at Miller Nash.

  • Why Foreign Cos. Should Prep For Increased SEC Oversight

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    With the recent trading suspensions of 10 foreign-based issuers listed on the Nasdaq, an enforcement action against a U.K. security-based swap dealer and the announcement of a cross-border task force, it's clear that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will expand oversight on foreign companies participating in the U.S. capital markets, says Tejal Shah at Cooley.

  • How Litigating Antitrust Fix Helped GTCR Prevail In Court

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    An Illinois federal judge's recent denial of the Federal Trade Commission's injunction request in the GTCR acquisition of Surmodics joins a developing series of cases in which deal parties have prevailed against government antitrust challenges by proposing a post-complaint fix and litigating the as-amended deal, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • What Narrower FinCEN Reporting Spells For Industry

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    As compliance costs soar, the potential slimming down of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime is welcome news for banks, and would allow a shift in resources to ever-evolving cybercrime threats, say attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

  • Revisiting Jury Trial Right May Upend State Regulatory Power

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    Justice Neil Gorsuch’s recent use of a denial of certiorari to call for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit whether the Seventh Amendment jury trial right extends to states, building off last year's Jarkesy ruling, could foretell a profound change in state regulators' ability to enforce penalties against regulated companies, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Nasdaq, SEC Proposals May Transform Listing Standards

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    Both Nasdaq and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have increasingly focused their recent regulatory efforts on small and foreign issuers, particularly those from China, reflecting an intention to strengthen the overall quality of companies accessing U.S. markets, but also potentially introducing a chilling effect on certain issuers, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • New NCAA Betting Policy Fits Trend Of Eased Restrictions

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    Allowing NCAA student-athletes to bet on professional sports fits into a decade-long trend of treating college athletes more like adults in a commercial system, but decreasing player restrictions translates to increased compliance burdens for schools, say attorneys at Robins Kaplan.

  • Series

    Building With Lego Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Building with Lego has taught me to follow directions and adapt to unexpected challenges, and in pairing discipline with imagination, allows me to stay grounded while finding new ways to make complex deals come together, says Paul Levin at Venable.

  • How Banks Can Safely Handle Payments For Gambling Biz

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    As the betting market continues to expand, it's crucial for banks and fintechs to track historical developments in wagering and ongoing prediction markets litigation that can factor into a risk analysis for payment processing with respect to gambling operators, says Laura D'Angelo at Jones Walker.

  • Wading Into NY Wetland Regs' 2025 Changes And Challenges

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    Solar developers in New York should keep a weather eye on litigation challenging the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s recently expanded authority to regulate wetlands and waterways, which could erode the impact of a new permitting process meant to streamline solar development on protected wetlands, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

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    Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

  • Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

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    State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Takeaways As Justices Let 5th Circ. Pollution Ruling Stand

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent certiorari denial leaves intact a Fifth Circuit ruling that environmental justice organizations have standing to pursue a civil rights challenge to a parish's land-use practice, underscoring the importance of local governments proactively engaging with communities to address cumulative impacts of development, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • AI's Role In Google Antitrust Suit May Reshape Tech Markets

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    The evolution of AI in retail has reshaped the U.S.' antitrust case against Google, which could both benefit small business innovators and consumers, and fundamentally alter future antitrust cases, including the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Amazon, says Graham Dufault at ACT.

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