Public Policy

  • October 15, 2026

    Tesla Says Gov't Brief Shows USPTO Wants 'Absolute Power'

    Electric carmaker Tesla told the U.S. Supreme Court that it should take a case over the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office leadership's discretionary standards for granting or denying patent review, saying a recent government brief illustrates how the office wants "absolute power" when it comes to restricting such reviews.

  • October 15, 2026

    GKN Says Insurers Owe Defense In Overheated Tank Suits

    GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems Inc. told a California federal court Thursday that its insurers are improperly refusing to honor their duty to defend the company in lawsuits and a civil investigation stemming from the overheating of a storage tank and subsequent evacuation of residents in Orange County.

  • October 15, 2026

    Sweden's Biggest Bank To Pay $33M NY Fine Over AML Gaps

    New York's financial services regulator has ordered Sweden's largest bank to pay a $33 million fine to resolve findings of past anti-money laundering deficiencies at its Baltic subsidiaries that allegedly exposed U.S. banks to heightened financial crimes risk.

  • October 15, 2026

    NYC Mayor Mamdani Taps New Risk Management Director

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that he appointed a former Manhattan assistant district attorney to lead the Mayor's Office of Risk Management and Compliance, a role that will put her at the forefront of efforts to eliminate the presence of lead in the city alongside several local agencies.

  • October 15, 2026

    11th Circ. Says Ga. Can Enforce Social Media Age Check Law

    The Eleventh Circuit struck down an injunction Thursday that blocked Georgia from enforcing its age verification law for social media platforms, finding that internet trade group NetChoice hadn't shown it was likely to prevail on its legal challenge to the statute.

  • October 14, 2026

    Unions, Nonprofits Get USDA Reorganization Plan Blocked

    A California federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture from closing offices and reshuffling staff, saying the department's planned reorganization likely amounted to "reprogramming" prohibited by statutory spending restrictions.

  • October 14, 2026

    OCC Says Big Banks Cut Off Customers Over Reputation Risk

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is leveling fresh criticism at the biggest U.S. banks over so-called debanking, releasing a report that finds their use of reputational risk policies led to numerous instances of customers being "disadvantaged" based on their ideological views.

  • October 14, 2026

    Justices Appear Wary Of Broad Reach For Video Privacy Law

    Several U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed hesitant Wednesday to take a more expansive view of the online activities protected by the Video Privacy Protection Act, raising concerns that such an approach would buck the statute's original intent and invite a flood of litigation against a wide range of companies.

  • October 14, 2026

    Kushner Is Unlawfully Serving As Envoy, Watchdog Says

    Jared Kushner is unlawfully wielding power on behalf of the United States government, an ethics watchdog alleged Wednesday, asking a Washington, D.C., federal judge to block the president's son-in-law from acting as a top diplomat without disclosing his personal finances and potential conflicts of interest.

  • October 14, 2026

    State Dept. Ordered To Open 2027 Diversity Visa Program

    A California federal judge ordered U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to swiftly open up registration for the 2027 diversity visa program and to make a public announcement of the registration period "no later than midnight" Thursday.

  • October 14, 2026

    Ex-Oakland Mayor Thao Put 'Power Up For Sale,' Jury Told

    Prosecutors told a California federal jury during trial openings Wednesday that Oakland's then-mayor Sheng Thao put "power up for sale" when she and her boyfriend accepted bribes in exchange for potential city contracts to build prefab "tiny homes" for the unhoused.

  • October 14, 2026

    NC Health Plan Can't Block Atrium's Cost-Sharing Program

    Atrium Health can move forward with a program to offer lower healthcare costs to members of North Carolina's state health plan, a state court judge ruled, handing a loss to the state treasurer in his lawsuit claiming Atrium's program will ultimately saddle the plan with more debt.

  • October 14, 2026

    High Court Won't Pause Mich. Activist Pretrial Jail Order

    The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a bid by a self-described "antifa" member to halt a Sixth Circuit order sending him back to jail pending charges that he cyberstalked and threatened a social media supporter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  • October 14, 2026

    Judge Probes Public Disclosure Bar In Fluor FCA Lawsuit

    A D.C. federal judge said Wednesday that a whistleblower's qui tam False Claims Act lawsuit accusing defense logistics contractor Fluor of labor trafficking could ultimately fall under the statute's public disclosure bar, given that "a bunch of stuff" had been floating around on the company prior to his complaint.

  • October 14, 2026

    DC Circ. Not Fan Of EPA's Citation Habits In Methane Appeal

    The D.C. Circuit didn't seem too sure Wednesday morning whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had behaved how it ought to have when extending compliance deadlines for initiating requirements to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sector.

  • October 14, 2026

    Conn. Committee Backs Monitored Return For Convicted Atty

    A former Connecticut attorney who pled guilty to moving money during a client's $3 million securities scheme can be readmitted to the bar subject to monitoring, insurance and mentorship conditions, a local ethics committee has recommended, though a three-judge panel will now decide whether to accept or reject that guidance.

  • October 14, 2026

    3rd Circ. Backs Pa. Regulator In Pipeline Approval Fight

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a Pennsylvania regulator's approval of a Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. project, ruling there was no evidence the water quality information pushed by environmental groups would have altered the outcome of the application.

  • October 14, 2026

    US Backs Alaska In High Court Fight Over Plane Forfeiture

    The federal government has told the U.S. Supreme Court that Alaska is well within its right to confiscate "instrumentalities of crime" and the state's attempted forfeiture of an 83-year-old bush pilot's $95,000 plane for transporting a six-pack of beer to a dry village wasn't excessive.

  • October 14, 2026

    GAO Says ICE, CBP Should Improve Body Camera Programs

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report recommending that immigration enforcement agencies improve their body-worn camera policies, noting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concurred with all of its recommendations, except over automated camera activation controls.

  • October 14, 2026

    Delay In 39% Audience Cap Lift Not Needed, Broadcasters Say

    The broadcast lobby urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject a bid from several cable industry groups to pause the agency's repeal of the 39% national audience share limit on TV station chains.

  • October 14, 2026

    LSU's Relent Hasn't Cooled College Football Roster Litigation

    The Southeastern Conference is looking to proceed with its suit over Louisiana State University's efforts to add former NFL players to its roster, telling an Alabama federal judge that its claims are live despite the school's decision not to bring those players aboard.

  • October 14, 2026

    Cannabis Reform Foes Cite GAO In Push To Reopen Hearings

    A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrative law judge on Wednesday ordered the government to respond to a bid by opponents of cannabis reform to reopen hearings on a proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana.

  • October 14, 2026

    9th Circ. Blocks Calif. Law Requiring Fed Agents To Show IDs

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday reversed the implementation of a California law requiring federal agents to display identification, saying the Trump administration is "certain to succeed" on its argument that the state statute violates the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause.

  • October 14, 2026

    DOJ Pushes Congress To Expand Death Penalty

    The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed a bill to Congress to bolster the use of the death penalty in both state and federal courts, in a bid to advance a related executive order President Donald Trump signed at the beginning of his second term.

  • October 14, 2026

    Brooklyn DA Busts Crypto Scam Targeting Russian Speakers

    The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office said Wednesday it has taken down hundreds of servers and domains used to defraud Russian speakers in the U.S., dealing a significant blow to the international cryptocurrency scam operation.

Expert Analysis

  • The State Of Prediction Market Litigation After 9th Circ. Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalshi v. Assad gives state regulators significant appellate backing to enforce state gaming laws over prediction markets, creating a direct split with the Third Circuit that will likely lead to Supreme Court review of the question, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • CISA Town Halls Signal Key Cyber Rule Changes Ahead

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    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently held a series of town halls to gather additional stakeholder input on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, offering potential insights into how the agency may address key issues in a forthcoming final rule, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 11th Circ. FCA Qui Tam Revival Queues Up Next Challenges

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    Though the Eleventh Circuit on Sept. 1 upheld the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's qui tam provision, it will probably face continued litigation since the appellate court declined to rule on other constitutional challenges and the decision will likely be petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Home Equity Products Face Expanding Regulatory Patchwork

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    Home equity investment providers, which have recently come under scrutiny from regulators and industry groups, face meaningful burdens as the U.S. Senate and a growing number of states take divergent regulatory approaches, with no uniform standard likely anytime soon, say attorneys at Bradley.

  • How Orbital Data Centers May Test NEPA's Reach

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    With environmental and scientific groups recently pushing back against the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to exempt massive data center satellite constellations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the question of whether NEPA even applies to projects in space turns on three closely related issues, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Subchapter V Bill May Change Restructuring Analysis

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    While a recently passed Senate bill would expand the pool of businesses eligible to use the streamlined Subchapter V process, its more significant influence may be on how distressed businesses and their lenders evaluate restructuring alternatives long before a bankruptcy petition is filed, says Robert Charbonneau at Agentis.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

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    A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

  • BIA Ruling Calls For Analyzing Advance Parole Travel's Risks

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    The Board of Immigration Appeals’ recent policy reversal, holding that a temporary trip abroad pursuant to advance parole counts as a departure under the Immigration and Nationality Act, means counsel should assess their clients' immigration history and potential risks of travel before they depart, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • What Cos. Should Know About DOE Energy Dominance Loans

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    With the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing set to become a vital resource for funding U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, interested companies must understand the terms of potential loans and take into account the applicable financial, technical, legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • How Jackson Walker Settlement Will Affect Conflict Checks

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    Jackson Walker's recently filed $15 million settlement with the U.S. Trustee is effectively a contract between one firm and the government that will nevertheless serve as a template of conflict disclosure practices for all firms practicing in the bankruptcy courts, says attorney Ken Rosen.

  • Scope Issues For Cos. To Consider Ahead Of Cyber Rules

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    As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency finalizes its proposed Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act rules, organizations can take steps to navigate the uncertainty that stems from inconsistent critical infrastructure sector definitions and overlapping sector boundaries, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • DOJ Fraud Declination Highlights Self-Disclosure Tradeoffs

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    As exemplified by the U.S. Department of Justice's declination of charges against Campus Eye Management under its new corporate enforcement policy, self-disclosure can be an attractive option for healthcare companies navigating criminal exposure, but should be weighed against potential costs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Nonbank Lenders Should Watch In 'Open Banking' Redo

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    Nonbank mortgage lenders should prepare for several key changes in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's anticipated open banking rule rewrite that could reshape verification costs, vendor relationships and loan workflows, says Kara Ward at Baker Donelson.

  • SEC's Long-Awaited Crypto Rule Is 1st Piece Of Larger Puzzle

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed crypto rule provides issuers with a workable exempt offering framework but leaves holder-side questions for forthcoming rules, meaning compliance officers and counsel will have to work from an incomplete picture for now, says Josh Burton at Silver Regulatory Associates.

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