Public Policy

  • June 16, 2025

    Ga. Panel Says Injured Worker Bound By Past Pleadings

    The Georgia Court of Appeals has upheld an early win for an auto transport company and one of its drivers who allegedly injured another employee in a crash, ruling that his only path to resolving the dispute ran through the Peach State's workers' compensation statute.

  • June 16, 2025

    Grubhub Can't Use FTC Deal To End Chicago's Deception Suit

    Grubhub cannot cite a deceptive practices settlement it entered into with the Federal Trade Commission and Illinois officials to terminate the city of Chicago's lawsuit targeting prices it shows to customers, a state judge said on Monday.

  • June 16, 2025

    Commerce Official Turned US Rep. Slams 'Absurd' AI Proposal

    Before coming to Congress in January, Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., was a top official at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she oversaw the rollout of a $42.45 billion broadband access program; now she's working to protect it from the "deeply dangerous" provision in the budget reconciliation bill that punishes states that attempt to regulate AI.

  • June 16, 2025

    Sanctuary Cities Rip Feds' Immigration Terms In Funding Fight

    So-called sanctuary jurisdictions told a California federal judge Friday the Trump administration has conditioned entire swaths of federal funding on cooperating with its immigration crackdown, against the judge's April injunction, while the government argued the injunction can't broadly "prejudge an array of distinct issues that are not properly before the court."

  • June 16, 2025

    Fla. Court OKs Atty Fees To Associations In Rent Control Suit

    A Florida state appellate court reinstated a lawsuit brought by real estate groups against a county rent control measure saying they're owed attorney fees and costs as a "collateral legal consequence" of a challenge to a local ordinance that is preempted by state law.

  • June 16, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Urged To Jump In Over Fintiv Memo Withdrawal

    SAP America wants the Federal Circuit to rein in the effects of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision to rescind a 2022 memo regarding when the Patent Trial and Appeal Board may deny review of patents based on parallel litigation.

  • June 16, 2025

    6th Circ. Denies Mich. Gov.'s Rehearing Bid In Pipeline Suit

    A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit on Monday rejected a request for a rehearing from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who had asked the appellate court to reconsider its earlier decision that she didn't have sovereign immunity from Enbridge Energy's lawsuit seeking to halt her efforts to shut down the Line 5 pipeline.

  • June 16, 2025

    Network Co. Sues Feds For $274M In 'Rip and Replace' Costs

    A Florida-based communications company is claiming that it was improperly denied reimbursement for replacing Chinese-made equipment from its network as part of the Federal Communications Commission's "Rip and Replace" program.

  • June 16, 2025

    Finance Influencer Admits To Tax Fraud In $20M Ponzi Scheme

    An Ohio social media finance influencer pled guilty to wire fraud and abetting a false tax filing tied to a $20 million real estate Ponzi scheme he was operating between 2019 and 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

  • June 16, 2025

    NRC Commissioner Says Trump Illegally Fired Him

    Former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman and current commissioner Christopher Hanson said Monday that President Donald Trump illegally fired him on Friday, becoming the latest member of an independent agency removed by the president.

  • June 16, 2025

    ABA Sues Over Trump's 'Law Firm Intimidation Policy'

    The American Bar Association sued dozens of federal officials and agencies in D.C. federal court Monday, saying President Donald Trump and his administration have used the executive branch's vast powers "to coerce lawyers and law firms to abandon clients, causes and policy positions" he doesn't like.

  • June 16, 2025

    Judge Orders DOJ To Address Cuellar's Grand Jury Request

    A Houston judge has given prosecutors until the end of the month to address whether they should provide U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar with certain grand jury materials connected to his bribery case.

  • June 16, 2025

    Vaping Interests Seek Halt On New NC E-Cigarette Law

    A coalition of vaping industry interests has asked a North Carolina federal judge to halt enforcement of a new state law regulating electronic cigarettes while its lawsuit alleging the policy is preempted by federal law plays out.

  • June 16, 2025

    High Court Will Hear Chevron, Exxon Pollution Liability Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to determine whether federal or state courts are the proper venue for Louisiana's bid to hold Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other major oil companies liable for damages to the state's coastal lands that were allegedly caused by World War II-era oil production activities.

  • June 16, 2025

    Feds Say U-Visa Seekers' Class Action Is Moot

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services urged a judge not to certify a class claiming unreasonable delays in processing visas for immigrant victims of crime, saying the named plaintiffs' applications for work authorization have already been resolved.

  • June 16, 2025

    Hemp Farm Says $3.9M Seizure Suit Wasn't Filed Too Late

    A California hemp farm is urging a Tennessee federal court not to throw out its suit as untimely against a Tennessee sheriff's office over $3.9 million in hemp flower the farm claimed was wrongly seized and then destroyed, saying it only learned that the hemp was illegally seized at a hearing for the hemp deliveryman months afterward.

  • June 16, 2025

    Calif. Bar Panel Upholds Recommending Eastman Disbarment

    A panel of the California State Bar Court's Review Department has affirmed the March 2024 recommended disbarment of President Donald Trump's former attorney, John Eastman, over attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

  • June 16, 2025

    GAO Says DOE Hasn't Held Funds Under Trump Wind Pause

    The U.S. Department of Energy has not unlawfully withheld any federal funds in response to a presidential memorandum directing it and the U.S. Department of the Interior to put all wind energy permitting and leasing activities on hold, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Monday.

  • June 16, 2025

    Ex-Mich. Worker Gets 3.5 Years For 'Awful' $1.5M COVID Fraud

    A former employee for the state of Michigan was sentenced Monday to spend 41 months in prison and pay $1.5 million in restitution, the amount of a conspiracy a federal judge called "awful" to defraud the government of money meant for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • June 16, 2025

    Mass. Judge Blocks NIH Grant Cuts, Points To 'Discrimination'

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday blocked the National Institutes of Health from cutting hundreds of grant programs to universities, hospitals and other organizations, saying that in his 40 years on the bench he had never seen such "palpable" racial and LGBTQ discrimination from the government.

  • June 16, 2025

    Wash. AG Sues Over Alleged Exploitation Of Senior Tenants

    Washington's attorney general has accused a property management company and the owners of several apartment complexes of deceiving low-income senior tenants by not telling them about the actual quality of properties or about how their rents were going to be calculated or raised.

  • June 16, 2025

    Ind. Net Revenue Through May Falls $28M Short Of Forecast

    Indiana's net revenue collection from July through May missed a target by $28 million, a state agency reported.

  • June 16, 2025

    High Court Turns Down Influencer's Jury Right Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear the case of a social media influencer who argued his case deserved to be heard by a jury after he was convicted of a misdemeanor in a bench trial.

  • June 16, 2025

    High Court Skips Laches Question In Trademark Disputes

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal that asked if it is proper for courts to adopt state statutes of limitations in trademark disputes to determine whether a party took too long to sue.

  • June 16, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' Win

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition to review a ruling finding that Ed Sheeran's hit song "Thinking Out Loud" did not rip off Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."

Expert Analysis

  • Breaking Down Ill. Bellwether Case For Bank Preemption

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    The banking industry's pending lawsuit against the state of Illinois stands to permanently enjoin state regulation of bank card processing, as well as clarify the outstanding and consequential issue of whether conflict preemption continues to cover third parties in certain circumstances, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • Despite SEC Climate Pause, Cos. Must Still Heed State Regs

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    While businesses may have been given a reprieve from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's rules aimed at standardizing climate-related disclosures, they must still track evolving requirements in states including California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York that will soon require reporting of direct and indirect carbon emissions, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • A Primer On The Trading And Clearing Of Perpetual Contracts

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently released a request for comment on the trading and clearing of perpetual-style derivatives, most common in the cryptocurrency market, necessitating a deep look at how these contracts operate and their associated risks, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • 5 Areas Contractors Should Watch After 1st 100 Days

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    Federal agencies and contractors face challenges from staff reductions, contract terminations, pending regulatory reform and other actions from the second Trump administration's first 100 days, but other areas stand to become more efficient and cost-effective, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Planning For Open Banking Despite CFPB Uncertainty

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    Though pending litigation or new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leadership may reshape the Biden-era regulation governing access to consumer financial data, companies can use this uncertain period to take practical steps toward an open banking strategy that will work regardless of the rule’s ultimate form, says Adam Maarec at McGlinchey Stafford.

  • Crunching The Numbers Of Trump SEC's 1st 100 Days

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    During the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought significantly fewer stand-alone enforcement actions than at the beginning of the Biden and the first Trump administrations, with every one of the federal court complaints including allegations of fraudulent conduct, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Charging A Separate Tariff Fee May Backfire For Retailers

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    In the wake of the Trump administration's newly imposed tariffs, retailers facing significant supply chain cost increases may be considering adding a tariff fee to offset these costs, but doing so risks violating state drip pricing bans, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Independent Contractor Rule Up In The Air Under New DOL

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    In several recent court challenges, the U.S. Department of Labor has indicated its intent to revoke the 2024 independent contractor rule, sending a clear signal that it will not defend the Biden-era rule on the merits in anticipation of further rulemaking, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Why Trade Cases May Put Maple Leaf Deference On Review

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    When litigation challenging the president’s trade actions reaches the Federal Circuit, the court will have to reevaluate the Maple Leaf standard in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 Loper Bright decision limiting Chevron-like deference to cases involving statutory provisions in which Congress delegated discretionary authority to the executive branch, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Risk Control Tips For Banks With Cryptocurrency Customers

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    Given federal policy shifts, cryptocurrency's presence within the U.S. banking system will doubtless increase, so banks should keep in mind key risk control considerations when accepting funds related to cryptocurrency transactions — and make sure they know their customers and the crypto industry, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.

  • How The USPTO Might Find A Path Forward After Job Cuts

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    Recent layoff plans and other cost-reduction initiatives at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office call for a corresponding adjustment to improve operational efficiency, such as adding post-filing examination request procedures and artificial intelligence enhancements, says James Gourley at Carstens Allen.

  • How Trump Orders Affect Health Orgs.' Care For Trans Minors

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    Two recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump regarding gender-affirming care for minors have put healthcare organizations in a precarious situation, and these institutions should prepare for various implications and potential scenarios, say attorneys at ArentFox.

  • FDIC Rules Rollback Foretells More Pro-Industry Changes

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s March withdrawal of Biden-era proposals to tighten brokered deposit rules and impose new corporate governance standards shows that acting chair Travis Hill’s commitment to reviewing regulations that may restrict growth and innovation for financial institution and fintech companies is unlikely to flag soon, say attorneys at Cooley.

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