Public Policy

  • May 05, 2025

    Novelist Owes $715K In FBAR Penalties, US Says

    A Japanese author with U.S. citizenship faces penalties exceeding $715,000 for failing to report accounts she held at a Swiss bank, the U.S. government told a California federal court.

  • May 05, 2025

    Mass. Justices Eye Potential Bias In Police Use Of Snapchat

    Justices on Massachusetts' highest court Monday pressed a county prosecutor over a police department's use of a fictitious non-white "bitmoji" and name on Snapchat to target suspected gang members in the city of Lowell, in the latest legal challenge to law enforcement's use of social media surveillance.

  • May 05, 2025

    Akin Hires Ex-Trump Trade Official From Hogan Lovells

    Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP said Monday it has hired the former co-leader of Hogan Lovells' geopolitical risk and national security program, who is bringing perspective from that role and experience navigating international economic issues at the White House to Akin's lobbying and public policy team.

  • May 05, 2025

    High Court Won't Hear Challenge To Miss. Ban On Pot Ads

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an opportunity to hear a First Amendment challenge to Mississippi's policy outlawing medical marijuana advertisements, effectively preserving a circuit court decision that upheld the state's ban.

  • May 05, 2025

    Supreme Court Won't Review Mass. Wind Farm Permits

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the federal government's approval of a large offshore wind energy project in the waters off the Massachusetts coast, rejecting allegations that the go-ahead ignored the risks the project poses to the commercial fishing industry.

  • May 02, 2025

    Judge Axes Trump's Perkins Order With Shakespearean Flourish

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Friday struck down as unconstitutional President Donald Trump's retaliatory executive order targeting Perkins Coie LLP, permanently blocking enforcement of the directive and likening the president's action to a Shakespeare character's suggestion that the way to amass power is to "kill all the lawyers."

  • May 02, 2025

    Fla. Lawmakers Vote To Repeal Law That Limits Death Suits

    Florida lawmakers have voted to do away with a statute that plaintiffs attorneys say unfairly and arbitrarily limits pain-and-suffering damages in fatal medical malpractice cases, but an attorney representing healthcare providers says that repealing the law will cause a flood of new lawsuits.

  • May 02, 2025

    DOJ's Climate Change Suits Test Feds' Powers In State Affairs

    The Trump administration's new lawsuits challenging state-level efforts to combat climate change are an unprecedented approach, several environmental attorneys say, and will test the judiciary's view of federal interests in state matters.

  • May 02, 2025

    9th Circ. Says USFS Must Reassess Wash. Forest Fire Plan

    A Ninth Circuit panel partly sided with a conservation group Friday in a challenge of a federal forest restoration project, finding the U.S. Forest Service should've considered the potential impacts of a nearby project that took shape after a 2021 wildfire before approving the proposal.

  • May 02, 2025

    DC Circ. To Decide If 14 Miles Of Trains Is Too Many

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether federal regulators used bad data to approve a $31 billion merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern that will see 14 miles of trains running through a set of Chicagoland communities each day.

  • May 02, 2025

    Feds Expand Hunting, Fishing Access In 16 Wildlife Refuges

    The federal government is proposing to expand hunting and fishing access on more than 87,000 acres within the 11 states in national wildlife and fish hatchery systems, saying on Friday the move would more than triple the number of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

  • May 02, 2025

    Musk, DOGE, Trump Look To Toss USAID Dismantling Suit

    Elon Musk, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others targeted in a lawsuit by U.S. Agency for International Development workers urged a Maryland judge to toss the suit alleging the gutting of the agency is illegal, saying Rubio's appointed role overseeing USAID legitimizes the action.

  • May 02, 2025

    Dems Urge Fed To Rethink $35B Capital One-Discover Deal

    Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., have formally petitioned the Federal Reserve to pause and revisit its approval of Capital One's $35 billion acquisition of Discover, saying the central bank's analysis of the transaction had glaring gaps that make its conclusion legally unsustainable.

  • May 02, 2025

    Fla. Says It's Likely To Appeal Block Of Migrant Transport Law

    The Florida attorney general indicated Friday that he is likely to appeal an injunction blocking a state law that criminalizes the transportation of immigrants living in the country illegally and asked a Florida federal judge to pause the proceedings until the Eleventh Circuit had looked at the case.

  • May 02, 2025

    O'Reilly Auto Pregnant Worker Suit Geared Up For Wash. Trial

    The Washington State Attorney General's Office may proceed to trial with claims that O'Reilly Auto denied pregnant employees' accommodation requests it was legally required to grant, an Evergreen State judge said Friday, while trimming certain retaliation claims from the suit.

  • May 02, 2025

    DOJ Says Ill. Law Encroaches On Feds' Immigration Powers

    The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Illinois over recently enacted legislation restricting the use of systems such as E-Verify to check prospective workers' employment eligibility, saying the changes impede the federal government's ability to identify unauthorized foreigners.

  • May 02, 2025

    DOGE Takes Social Security Data Access Fight To High Court

    The Social Security Administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to lift a Maryland federal judge's order that limits the Department of Government Efficiency's access to millions of Americans' data, in the first high court case involving the supposed fraud-busting actions of Elon Musk's group.

  • May 02, 2025

    Mozilla Says Google Search Remedies Are Major Threat

    A Mozilla executive told a D.C. federal court on Friday that preventing Google from sharing revenue from its search ads would eliminate the nonprofit browser developer's primary source of income.

  • May 02, 2025

    Judge Blocks Feds' Appeal In Khalil's Unlawful Detention Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge refused to pave the way for the government to appeal his opinion that the court has jurisdiction over Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil's lawsuit claiming the Trump administration is unlawfully detaining him for his political views, reasoning that he issued an opinion, not an appealable order.

  • May 02, 2025

    Nevada Takes Another Step Toward Business Court Stand-Up

    Nevada's Assembly has made another move to position state courts to handle corporate and commercial law disputes, with the first-step passage of a bill that would make judges, rather than juries, the triers of fact for fiduciary duty breaches or suits brought in a company name, among other matters.

  • May 02, 2025

    NY Officials Say Feds' Memo In Filing Mishap Is Fair Game

    New York officials told a federal judge on Friday that a mistakenly filed memo from the federal government detailing its weak rationale for trying to cancel Manhattan's congestion pricing program is fair game and cannot be shielded after media outlets widely reported on it.

  • May 02, 2025

    Texas-Led AGs Defend BlackRock Coal Investments Suit

    A coalition of Republican states led by Texas are arguing that BlackRock Inc.'s public commitments to reducing its carbon footprint are evidence that it and two other leading asset managers teamed up to suppress the production of coal in the United States, asking a federal judge not to dismiss their case against the firms.

  • May 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Allows Feds To Halt Funding To Int'l Media Outlets

    A D.C. Circuit panel has paused a lower court order that restored federal grant funding to international broadcasters while leaving intact other aspects of a ruling preserving the agency that oversees Voice of America.

  • May 02, 2025

    A Look At Trump's Pick For The 6th Circuit

    President Donald Trump's first judicial nominee, Whitney Hermandorfer, who's been tapped for a seat Democrats tried to fill while Joe Biden was in the White House, has been part of litigation on several politically charged issues due to her job with the Tennessee Attorney General's office.

  • May 02, 2025

    Trump Proposes Billions In Cuts To EPA State Grant Programs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would lose more than half of its funding compared with 2025 under the 2026 budget request released Friday by the Trump administration, with proposed cuts to drinking water infrastructure grants for states amounting to $2.4 billion. 

Expert Analysis

  • What PFAS-Treated Clothing Tariff Bill Would Mean For Cos.

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    In keeping with a nationwide trend of greater restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives would remove tariff advantages for PFAS-treated clothing — so businesses would be wise to proactively adapt their supply chains and review contracts to mitigate liability, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Tariffs May Affect Proxy Contests This Season

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    While global tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will certainly chill at least some activity this proxy season, and make defending contests significantly easier, there will likely be many new activist investments once there is more economic certainty, meaning more proxy fights this fall, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Running A Compliant DEI Program After EEOC, DOJ Guidance

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    Following recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice that operationalized the Trump administration's focus on ending so-called illegal DEI, employers don't need to eliminate DEI programs, but they must ensure that protected characteristics are not considered in employment decisions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • A Closer Look At New NYSE, Nasdaq Listing Rule Changes

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has recently approved changes to the New York Stock Exchange's and the Nasdaq's listing rules on reverse stock splits, minimum share price requirements and required liquidity for initial listings, meaning listed companies facing delisting will have fewer means to regain compliance, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Opinion

    GENIUS Act Can Bring Harmony To Crypto-Banking Discord

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    ​​​​​​​By embracing crypto innovation while establishing appropriate guardrails, the so-called GENIUS Act charts a path forward that promotes financial inclusion and technological advancement without compromising stability or constitutional rights, says J.W. Verret at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School.

  • Opinion

    US Reassessment Of OECD Tax Deal Is Right Move

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    The wholesale U.S. reevaluation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's global tax deal ordered by President Donald Trump is a positive step that could ultimately create a more durable international tax system, says Anne Gordon at the National Foreign Trade Council.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

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    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • The Path Forward For Construction Cos. After Calif. Wildfires

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    The increasing frequency of disastrous wildfires, like those that recently occurred in California, presents a set of complex challenges for the construction industry, including regulatory hurdles and supply chain disruptions that can complicate rebuilding efforts, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • What 2nd Trump Admin Means For Ship Pollution Compliance

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    As the second Trump administration's civil and criminal enforcement policies take shape, the maritime industry must ensure it complies with both national and international obligations to prevent oil pollution from seagoing vessels — with preventive efforts and voluntary disclosures being some of the best options for mitigating risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Know The Rules And Costs Of New Fla. Condo Inspection Law

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    Following the first report deadline for a structural integrity law meant to prevent disasters like the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida condominium associations and unit owners should understand the process of conducting compliant inspections and anticipate new assessments to fund required maintenance, say attorneys at Ball Janik.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

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    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • SEC Confidential Review Process Provides Issuers Flexibility

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently announced enhancements to the process for confidentially submitting draft registration statements will be immediately impactful for issuers seeking to access the public capital markets, and should provide more grounds to explore and plan public offerings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Pending FCPA Trials Suggest About DOJ Priorities

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order in February instructing the U.S. Department of Justice to temporarily pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, developments surrounding five FCPA cases already set for trial provide a glimpse into how the DOJ is attempting to navigate the situation at hand, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Measuring And Mitigating Harm From Discriminatory Taxes

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    In response to new tariffs and other recent "America First Trade Policy" pronouncements, corporations should assess and take steps to minimize their potential exposure to discriminatory and reciprocal tax measures that are likely to come, say economists at Charles River Associates.

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