Public Policy

  • June 02, 2025

    Nebraska Tax Commission Upholds Farm's $1.89M Valuation

    A Nebraska farm valued at $1.89 million was accurately assessed in line with other agricultural property, the state's Tax Equalization and Review Commission found, rejecting claims by the property owner that it was over-assessed.

  • June 02, 2025

    Defamation Litigation Roundup: Cheetos, NASCAR, OpenAI

    In this month's review of ongoing defamation fights, Law360 looks back on developments in a man's case against Frito-Lay Inc. over what he called the company's defamatory statements disputing his role in the invention of a flavor of Cheetos.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices Take Ill. Rep.'s Case Over Extended Ballot Count

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a split Seventh Circuit panel's decision upholding the dismissal of an Illinois congressman's suit challenging the state's policy of counting ballots for up to 14 days after an election as long as they were postmarked or certified by Election Day.

  • June 02, 2025

    Immunity Shields Mich. AG From Flint Water Prosecution Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a wrongful prosecution lawsuit brought by a former aide to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder against the Michigan attorney general and Wayne County prosecutors, ruling that immunity shields the prosecutors from liability over their handling of charges against officials in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.

  • June 02, 2025

    Schumer Pledges To Fight GOP's Limits On Court Power

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to challenge a provision in House Republicans' budget reconciliation package that would curtail courts' ability to issue contempt citations.

  • June 02, 2025

    US Looks To Dodge Suit Over Gulf Oil Well Risks

    The federal government is asking a federal court to toss environmentalists' lawsuit alleging that it's ignoring the fact that owners of retired offshore oil and gas drilling infrastructure are failing to properly shut down the facilities.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices Turn Away Constitutional Challenge To FINRA Powers

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case calling into question the constitutionality of the in-house disciplinary process used by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, rejecting an appeal by a broker-dealer facing expulsion from the industry.

  • June 02, 2025

    High Court Skips AR-15 Ban Constitutionality For Now

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to weigh in on the debate over whether AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles are protected under the Second Amendment or potentially subject to state bans because of their military-like capabilities.

  • June 02, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Ex-Temple Biz Dean's Fraud Conviction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the fraud conviction of Moshe Porat, the former dean of the Temple University Fox School of Business, who was accused of falsely inflating the school's stats to boost its rankings in U.S. News & World Report.

  • May 30, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Won't Unblock Trump's Gov't Overhaul

    A split Ninth Circuit on Friday refused to lift a California federal judge's preliminary block of President Donald Trump's executive order directing layoffs at federal agencies, handing a win to a coalition of unions, nonprofits and cities that argue the order exceeded the president's authority.

  • May 30, 2025

    Kousisis May Boost Fraud Cases, But Questions Remain

    The U.S. Supreme Court's finding that inducing a transaction through lies, even with no intent of economic loss, is a valid basis for a wire fraud conviction opens the door for a wave of aggressive fraud prosecutions, but unanswered questions on issues like materiality may lead the court to again consider reining in the government's power.

  • May 30, 2025

    'Not Sure It Fits': Google Judge Challenges DOJ AI Boost Idea

    Generative artificial intelligence may be the future of online search, but a D.C. federal judge cast doubt Friday on the Justice Department's bid to force Google to share and syndicate its search results with companies like OpenAI as he mulls what remedies to impose against Google's search monopoly.

  • May 30, 2025

    Broadband Rate Regs Hurt Competition, Report Says

    Capping broadband rates for low-income families is a bad idea, according to a new study backed by cable trade group ACA Connects, which found that such caps negatively impacts competition.

  • May 30, 2025

    Construction Co. Owners Beat Long-Runing Fla. Qui Tam Suit

    A Florida federal judge ruled in favor of the owners of a construction company accused of defrauding a program for disadvantaged small businesses in a qui tam, or False Claims Act, lawsuit, saying in her dismissal of the nearly decade-long case that it violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • May 30, 2025

    No Sanctions For Stamford In Zoning Fight Over Gyms

    A Connecticut judge declined to sanction the Stamford Board of Representatives after a real estate company accused it of withholding and destroying documents relevant to their zoning fight, ruling that "the evidence of withheld discovery was equivocal at best."

  • May 30, 2025

    SEC's Staking Guidance Ignores Court Rulings, Crenshaw Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's dismissal of its lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance paved the way for its staff's same-day statement that many "staking" services are no longer subject to agency jurisdiction, according to the SEC's sole Democrat, who criticized the move as conflicting with a pair of court decisions the agency won.

  • May 30, 2025

    Trump Blames Federalist Society For Trade Court Loss

    President Donald Trump blamed his recent, short-lived loss in the U.S. Court of International Trade both on judges he accused of hating him as well as on the Federalist Society — the conservative legal group that helped him with judicial selection during his first term — in a Truth Social post highlighting tensions within the conservative legal and political movements.

  • May 30, 2025

    GAO Notes Shortfalls In Reevaluation Of Space Command HQ

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office said deficiencies continued in the U.S. Air Force's reevaluation of Huntsville, Alabama, as its preferred location for U.S. Space Command headquarters, before the Biden administration ultimately selected Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the agency's permanent location.

  • May 30, 2025

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Saying that June's circuit court calendars include important arguments in all practice areas would be hyperbolic — but just slightly. That's because significant showdowns are imminent involving appellate procedure principles, "click-to-cancel" rules, government procurement protests, judiciary employment protections and litigation risk insurance — as well as President Donald Trump's felony convictions and extraordinary deportation measures.

  • May 30, 2025

    Texas Panel Keeps Intact Judge's LGBTQ+ Wedding Challenge

    A Texas appeals court, in a Friday opinion, kept intact a judge's lawsuit against the state judicial ethics commission over sanctions for her refusal to officiate same-sex marriages, but left the issue of merits for the trial court to hash out.

  • May 30, 2025

    Enviro-Focused Community Bank Exits FDIC Consent Orders

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has freed Maryland-based Forbright Bank from the penalty box, terminating a pair of consent orders that had restricted its growth and required anti-money laundering improvements.

  • May 30, 2025

    Meta Looks To Nix FTC's Lead Econ Expert After Antitrust Trial

    Meta Platforms asked a D.C. federal judge Friday to strike testimony the Federal Trade Commission's lead economics expert gave during a bench trial in the antitrust case over Meta's purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp, saying the "biased witness" — a New York University School of Law professor — "advocated" for the case.

  • May 30, 2025

    Governor Wants Input If Dropbox Challenge Is Appealed

    Delaware's governor wants to weigh in on a potential Delaware Supreme Court midcase review of a controversial state corporation law overhaul that limits the liability of directors and controlling investors for allegedly self-interested corporate acts.

  • May 30, 2025

    Court Sinks Iowa Farm's Challenge To 'Swampbuster' Law

    An Iowa federal judge has rejected a farm owner's effort to overturn the "Swampbuster" conservation law that aims to protect wetlands in agricultural areas, ruling that the statute passes constitutional muster.

  • May 30, 2025

    Crowdfunding, Reg A Deals Grow Slowly As SEC Weighs Ideas

    Equity crowdfunding and expanded Regulation A offerings have grown slowly since going live over the past decade, according to new data, leaving open questions on whether regulators will ease rules to bolster these alternatives to traditional capital raising.

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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