Public Policy

  • October 10, 2025

    FCC Pushes For New Rules To Help Retire Copper

    The Federal Communications Commission plans to weigh a proposal this month to accelerate the transition to networks that rely on internet protocol rather than copper for voice services.

  • October 10, 2025

    Biz Groups, GOP Reps Ask Justices To Sink Colo. Climate Suit

    Business groups and over 100 Republican lawmakers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a decision by Colorado's top court allowing Boulder's climate change tort against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. to proceed in state court.

  • October 10, 2025

    NY State Courts Release AI Rules For Judges, Staff

    The New York State Court System on Friday released an interim policy on the use of artificial intelligence software by judges and staff, which goes into effect immediately and remains subject to change.

  • October 10, 2025

    Bill Would Let Judges, Prosecutors Carry Concealed Guns

    Two Republicans have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow current and retired federal judges and state, local and federal prosecutors to carry concealed firearms in response to increasing concerns about judicial security.

  • October 10, 2025

    Mass. AG Says Robinhood Suit Can't Halt Enforcement Action

    Massachusetts regulators say Robinhood is trying to make an "end run" around their efforts to enforce the Bay State's sports betting laws, in a motion asking a judge to toss the financial services platform's lawsuit against the state.

  • October 10, 2025

    NJ Senate President Calls For Monitor Of State AG Unit

    New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari on Friday called for the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, saying it has been troubled with failed prosecutions, botched investigations and misconduct.

  • October 10, 2025

    SEC Guidance Aims To Ease IPO Process During Shutdown

    As the federal government shutdown lingers, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has updated its guidance to advise companies on how they can still move forward with initial public offerings.

  • October 10, 2025

    Edward Jones Fined $100K For 'Unreasonable' Commissions

    Edward D. Jones & Co. LP has entered into a consent order with Connecticut's banking regulator, agreeing to pay a $100,000 fine and about $73,000 in restitution for charging "unreasonable" commissions to retail brokerage customers in the state.

  • October 10, 2025

    Oklahoma, Tribes Clash Over Hunting, Fishing Sovereignty

    Oklahoma's Indigenous nations are speaking out against a state Department of Wildlife Conservation directive that says its game wardens will continue to enforce state law and cite anyone in violation, regardless of tribal citizenship.

  • October 09, 2025

    9th Circ. Changes Stance On Appeals Of Anti-SLAPP Denials

    The full Ninth Circuit on Thursday held that denials of California anti-SLAPP motions can no longer be appealed in the midst of litigation, diverging from 22-year-old circuit precedent and finding that such orders aren't immediately appealable because they don't resolve issues "completely separate from the merits."

  • October 09, 2025

    Bessent Touts Trump's 'Community Bank Comeback' Agenda

    U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday pledged a wide-ranging regulatory push to spur a "community bank comeback," previewing plans that include easing capital rules, updating anti-money laundering standards and supporting expanded deposit insurance.

  • October 09, 2025

    Paxton Can Move To Close Houston Nonprofit, Panel Says

    Texas appellate court justices on Thursday said Attorney General Ken Paxton can initiate legal proceedings to take away an immigrant-led nonprofit's corporate charter and tax-exempt status, noting his allegations claiming it failed to comply with its purpose by engaging in political activities show there's probable ground to proceed. 

  • October 09, 2025

    Musk's X Posts Trigger Disclosure In NYT Suit, Judge Rules

    The government must produce a list of any security clearances granted to Elon Musk in response to The New York Times' Freedom of Information Act request, a Manhattan federal judge ruled, saying the billionaire waived his privacy interest by posting about his top secret clearance, drug use and foreign contacts.

  • October 09, 2025

    Judge Narrows Evidence Ahead Of Boeing 737 Max Trial

    A Washington federal judge on Thursday ruled on which evidence will be allowed in a Nov. 3 trial in LOT Polish Airlines' lawsuit against Boeing, in which LOT accuses the aerospace giant of tricking it into leasing defective 737 Max jets that were later grounded after two fatal crashes.

  • October 09, 2025

    Calif. Bans Some Ultraprocessed Foods In School Meals

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday signed a first-in-the-nation bipartisan law that will slowly phase out and eventually ban ultraprocessed foods from public school meals by 2032, marking one of the most significant changes in the state's efforts to reform nutritional standards for children in the Golden State. 

  • October 09, 2025

    Senate Crypto Bill Weakens State Fraud Protection, Experts Say

    State regulators and legal experts are urging leaders of the Senate Banking Committee to overhaul their draft crypto market structure legislation on the grounds that the current text would weaken state power to police fraud and protect investors in crypto markets and beyond.

  • October 09, 2025

    Trade Court Upholds Malaysian Wind Tower Duties

    The U.S. Court of International Trade on Thursday upheld the federal government's antidumping review of a Malaysian wind tower exporter, finding the Commerce Department supported its decision to decline the company's recommendations in reaching a final duty rate.

  • October 09, 2025

    ICE Accused Of Warrantless Arrests In Colorado Suit

    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and two directors with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were named in a proposed class action in Colorado federal court Thursday accusing immigration officials of making illegal, warrantless arrests of Colorado residents.

  • October 09, 2025

    US Wind Fights For Countersuit Against Offshore Project Foes

    US Wind Inc. is asking a Maryland federal court to allow it to proceed with claims against local governments and community, business and environmental groups that are challenging the approval of a wind energy project off the state's coastline.

  • October 09, 2025

    Feds Urge 9th Circ. To Allow Portland Troop Deployment

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared split Thursday on the Trump administration's bid to preserve its ability to send Oregon National Guard members to Portland, with one judge suggesting the president's decision is entitled to deference and another panelist skeptical that the federal government would suffer harm if the deployment plan is tabled.

  • October 09, 2025

    Feds' E-Verify System Resumes Operation During Shutdown

    The federal E-Verify system for employers to check people's eligibility to work in the U.S. has resumed operation, a little over a week after it went offline with the start of the ongoing government shutdown.

  • October 09, 2025

    House Republican Wants Pentagon Spectrum 'Veto' Scrapped

    A key House Republican on telecom issues said Thursday he would oppose a provision tacked onto this year's defense policy bill in the U.S. Senate that could give the U.S. Department of Defense a "veto" over sharing certain spectrum bands with commercial users. 

  • October 09, 2025

    2 NLRB Picks Advance, 1 Member Nom Stalls

    The U.S. Senate labor committee on Thursday cleared two of the president's nominees to the National Labor Relations Board — including the general counsel pick whose nomination appeared stalled — but withheld a third whose ties to Boeing drew criticism at his confirmation hearing last week.

  • October 09, 2025

    Treasury Looks To Cut Suspicious Activity Reporting 'Noise'

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury's enforcement arm Thursday released clarifications about requirements related to suspicious activity reports, specifying among other things that financial institutions do not have to document their decisions not to file the reports.

  • October 09, 2025

    Conn. Official Pushed Firm That Hired Family, Witnesses Say

    Two local Connecticut officials on Thursday testified that Kosta Diamantis, a former state budget official accused of corruption, pushed them to hire a construction management firm they considered expensive and unnecessary without disclosing that the firm had hired his daughter and was allegedly paying him kickbacks.

Expert Analysis

  • Budget Act Should Boost Focus On Trade Compliance

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    Passage of the One Big Beautiful Budget Act, coupled with recent U.S. Department of Justice statements that it will use the False Claims Act aggressively to pursue trade, tariff and customs fraud, marks a sharp increase in trade-related enforcement risk, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • NY Bill Would Complicate Labor Law Amid NLRB Uncertainty

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    The New York Legislature passed a bill that, if enacted, would grant state agencies the power to enforce federal labor law, potentially causing significant challenges for employers as they could be subject to both state and federal regulators depending on the National Labor Relations Board's operational status, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Trump Tax Law's Most Consequential International Changes

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    The international tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may result in higher effective tax rates for some multinational corporations, but others, particularly those operating in low-tax jurisdictions, may benefit from alignment with global anti-profit shifting efforts, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Associates Can Earn Credibility By Investing In Relationships

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    As the class of 2025 prepares to join law firms this fall, new associates must adapt to office dynamics and establish credible reputations — which require quiet, consistent relationship-building skills as much as legal acumen, says Kyle Forges at Bast Amron.

  • How 6th Circ. Ruling Deepens Split On Broker Liability

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    A growing divide in Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act jurisprudence is ripe for U.S. Supreme Court review, after the Sixth Circuit last month found in Cox v. Total Quality Logistics that brokers can be held liable for negligent hiring, says Gregory Reed at Hanson Bridgett.

  • How The Genius Act May Aid In Fight Against 'Pig Butchering'

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    ​​​​​​​The recently enacted Genius Act represents a watershed moment in the fight against crypto fraud, providing new tools to freeze and recover funds that are lost to scams such as "pig butchering" schemes executed from scam factories abroad, but there are implementation challenges to watch, say attorneys at Treanor Devlin.

  • Assessing Strategies For Mixed-Use Pro Sports Projects

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    Counsel managing mixed-use sports and entertainment districts must combine expertise ranging from stadium-arena finance to municipal law to public relations into a unified strategy, and a series of practice tips can aid project management from inception to completion, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Opinion

    Congressional Bid Protest Concerns Lack Evidence

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    The U.S. Government Accountability Office's most recent congressionally mandated report on the bid protest process showed little reason for concern, and underlined that further scrutiny should cease until data is collected that would enable the identification of purported problems, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.

  • Trending At The PTAB: IPR Memo And Its Fed. Circ. Backdrop

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    There are new rules for when and how evidence other than patents or printed publications can be considered in inter partes reviews, and while this change is intended to reflect current Federal Circuit precedent, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's memo seems to acknowledge tension with last month's Shockwave decision, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Biosolid Contaminants Spawn Litigation, Regulation Risks

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    While nutrient-rich biosolids — aka sewage sludge — can be an attractive fertilizer, pending legislation and litigation spurred by the risk of contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other pollutants should put stakeholders in this industry on guard, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • When Misconduct Can Trigger Bank Industry Employment Ban

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    The Federal Reserve Board recently settled an enforcement action in which a former employee of a Wyoming bank was banned from banking for conduct she allegedly committed at an entity unrelated to the bank, raising questions about the scope of regulatory enforcement authority, says Travis Nelson at Polsinelli.

  • Filing Clarifies FTC, DOJ's Passive Investment Stance

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    The antitrust agencies' statement of interest filed in Texas v. Blackrock clarifies that certain forms of corporate governance engagement are permissible under the "solely for investment" exemption, a move that offers guidance for passive investors but also signals new scrutiny of coordinated engagement, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Lessons From 7th Circ.'s Deleted Chat Sanctions Ruling

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    The Seventh Circuit’s recent decision in Pable v. Chicago Transit Authority, affirming the dismissal of an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, highlights the importance of properly handling the preservation of ephemeral messages and clarifies key sanctions issues, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • Adapting To USPTO's Tighter Inter Partes Review Rules

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent pivot regarding how it will address general knowledge in inter partes review petitions presents immediate strategic implications for petitioners, patent owners and litigants watching the contours of Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: Liability Lessons From 737 Max Blowout

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    The National Transportation Safety Board's recently released report on the 2024 door plug blowout on board a Boeing 737 Max airliner helps illuminate how a company's strategic mistakes can lead to flawed decision-making and supply chain oversight failures, ultimately increasing regulatory and legal exposure, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

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