Public Policy

  • October 08, 2025

    SoCal City Can't End Contract Dispute With Cannabis Co.

    A Southern California municipality cannot escape a multi-year legal battle over a controversial exclusive cannabis transport deal it made with Rukli Inc., a Los Angeles County judge has ruled, saying if the current contract is "void," as the city argues, then the original is revived.

  • October 08, 2025

    Oil Terminal Sale May Tank Conn. Climate Suit, Judge Hints

    A Connecticut federal judge appeared sympathetic Wednesday to Pike Fuels' argument that an environmental nonprofit is not suing the correct party over alleged permit violations at a bulk storage and fuel terminal in New Haven, since the defendant sold the facility at issue more than a year ago.

  • October 08, 2025

    Calif. Mandates Browser Ad Tracking Opt-Out In US First

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Wednesday that requires browser developers to offer a digital tool enabling consumers to more easily opt out of online behavioral advertising throughout the web, making the Golden State the first in the nation to enact the regulations.

  • October 08, 2025

    PTAB's Petitions Data Shows Decrease In Multiple Challenges

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has adjusted the way it calculates how many patents are subject to repeated scrutiny, a pet issue of agency leadership, releasing data Wednesday that says over half of challenges are "one of multiple petitions" filed against the same patent.

  • October 08, 2025

    Gov't Shutdown Essentially 'Freezes' IPO Market, Attys Say

    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission technically remains open during the ongoing government shutdown that has now exceeded one week, staffing shortages have made it increasingly difficult for companies to launch initial public offerings, leaving them with few options.

  • October 08, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Some NOLA Rental Rules Are Unconstitutional

    A Fifth Circuit panel partially revived a proposed class action filed by homeowners and two companies challenging New Orleans' short-term rentals regulations, ruling in a published opinion that some of the regulations are unconstitutional.

  • October 08, 2025

    Judge Rejects Feds' Bid To Reassign USPTO Union Cases

    A D.C. federal judge has rejected the Trump administration's claim that suits by unions representing employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office challenging an executive order ending their collective bargaining rights are not related to similar cases before him.

  • October 08, 2025

    Group Claims Mich. 24% Pot Tax Enacted Unlawfully

    Michigan's impending wholesale marijuana tax was approved by lawmakers unlawfully, an industry group alleged, saying the legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer authorizing the tax did not have the votes of three-fourths of the majorities required in each legislative chamber.

  • October 08, 2025

    AFL-CIO Opposes Draft Senate Crypto Bill

    A major labor organization, the AFL-CIO, has come out against a Republican draft bill on crypto market structure, saying the draft lacks "meaningful safeguards."

  • October 08, 2025

    Federal Court Tosses Challenge To DC Cannabinoid Rule

    A lawsuit seeking to upend Washington, D.C.'s statutes that placed hemp products containing delta-9 THC into same category as marijuana was dismissed on Wednesday when a federal judge ruled that a hemp retailer, who filed the suit after its shop was shut down, totally misunderstood the "2018 Farm Bill and its impact on D.C. law."

  • October 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Urged To Keep Ga.'s E-Commerce Regs On Ice

    Internet trade group NetChoice urged the Eleventh Circuit Wednesday to leave in place an injunction that for more than a year has kept Georgia from enforcing new requirements on e-commerce platforms, arguing the state's law tries to push past a regulatory "ceiling" already imposed by federal law.

  • October 08, 2025

    FCC Wants Caller ID Expanded In Anti-Robocall Regs

    The Federal Communications Commission will consider expanding the data that consumers receive on caller ID displays as part of a wider effort to stamp out scam robocalls from overseas.

  • October 08, 2025

    Trump Admin Cites Shutdown In Bid For CFPB Case Delay

    Amid growing calls for the full D.C. Circuit to revisit a recent panel ruling that would allow mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Trump administration is asking for a pause in the case until after the government shutdown is over.

  • October 08, 2025

    Power Cos. Want In On Challenge To W.Va. Regional Haze Plan

    American Electric Power Co. Inc. and FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiaries are asking the Fourth Circuit to uphold a federally approved air quality plan for West Virginia that spared their facilities from some potentially expensive upgrades.

  • October 08, 2025

    Justices Probe Standing In Suit Over Ill. Ballot Counting

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared open to reviving an Illinois congressman's suit challenging the state's policy of counting certain ballots after Election Day, with several justices pressing counsel for the state to address whether its position would require courts to analyze a candidate's potential success in an election to determine their standing to sue.

  • October 08, 2025

    Black Atty Hits Ga. Public Defender Council With Bias Suit

    The Georgia Public Defender Council and chief public defender in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit were sued by a former assistant public defender who claimed he was fired and faced an "unwarranted" bar complaint after expressing concerns about a demotion that would deprive his unit of its "sole Black male attorney."

  • October 08, 2025

    NJ US Atty Appointment Was 'Shell Game,' 3rd Circ. Told

    Two New Jersey criminal defendants this week blasted the Trump administration's attempt to name Alina Habba as U.S. attorney for the state after her interim term ended, telling the Third Circuit that the government's plan was a "shell game."

  • October 08, 2025

    Trump Admin Challenges Denial Of Trans Care Subpoena

    The Trump administration told a Massachusetts federal judge that he got it wrong in quashing a subpoena for records of gender-affirming care at Boston Children's Hospital last month, urging the court to reconsider.

  • October 08, 2025

    Democracy Forward Hires Ex-White House Lawyer, CFPB Atty

    Democracy Forward, the quickly growing progressive nonprofit that has taken on more than 85 actions against the Trump administration, has hired four more attorneys to its expanding team of lawyers, including a former member of Joe Biden's White House Counsel's Office and a litigator from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

  • October 08, 2025

    WilmerHale Appoints Ex-DOJ Division Head As Dept. Leader

    WilmerHale announced on Wednesday that the former leader of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division will lead its regulatory and government affairs department at the start of 2026 after rejoining the firm earlier this year.

  • October 08, 2025

    Conn. High Court OKs DNA Taken From Trash Sans Warrant

    In a decision setting standards for privacy, Connecticut's highest court upheld the conviction of a man sentenced to 72 years in prison for a series of 1984 home invasion sexual assaults, finding that police were allowed to take his trash to obtain DNA without a warrant.

  • October 08, 2025

    Black NC Voters Take Redistricting Case To 4th Circ. Again

    Two Black voters have urged the Fourth Circuit to hear as soon as possible their case alleging the North Carolina General Assembly unlawfully redrew state senate districts in a way that diluted the voting power of Black residents.

  • October 08, 2025

    Biz Groups Back Ariz. Land Swap Amid 9th Circ. Appeal

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a slew of mining associations are backing the federal government's efforts to nix a Ninth Circuit appeal that looks to block the transfer of more than 2,500 acres within Arizona's Tonto National Forest to a copper mining company.

  • October 08, 2025

    DOJ Asks For Stay In PVC Antitrust Case Amid Criminal Probe

    The U.S. Department of Justice is asking an Illinois federal court to pause discovery in a case accusing polyvinyl chloride pipe manufacturers of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and fix prices while a grand jury investigates the alleged activity.

  • October 08, 2025

    Denver Attorney Returns To Reed Smith State Tax Team

    Reed Smith is expanding its tax practice with the return of an experienced attorney, now based in Denver, with multistate experience in the full spectrum of tax issues.

Expert Analysis

  • NY Tax Talk: ALJ Vacancy, Online Sales, Budget

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    Among the most notable developments in New York tax law last quarter, an administrative law judge vacancy continued affecting taxpayers, a state court decision tested the scope of the Interstate Income Act, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the 2025-2026 fiscal budget containing key tax-related provisions, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Series

    Quilting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Turning intricate patterns of fabric and thread into quilts has taught me that craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and dedication to incremental progress are essential to creating something lasting that will help another person — just like in law, says Veronica McMillan at Kramon & Graham.

  • Lessons Learned 3 Years After First CCPA Enforcement Action

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    Three years after the first public enforcement action under the California Consumer Privacy Act, Attorney General Rob Bonta has pursued a steady stream of enforcement actions across industries, providing a clearer picture of how the law is being interpreted and enforced, says Tatum Andres at Kilpatrick.

  • Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference

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    A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.

  • 2 Appellate Rulings Offer Clickwrap Enforcement Road Map

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    Two recent decisions from the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits in cases involving Experian signal that federal appellate courts are recognizing clickwrap agreements' power in spite of their simplicity, and offer practical advice on how companies can sufficiently demonstrate notice and assent when attempting to enforce contractual terms, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • How Tariffs Can Affect Event Studies In Securities Litigation

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    When the control period is calm and the event window is stormy — often the case with breaking political or economic developments, like President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements — traditional event study methodology can increase the risk of misleading conclusions in securities litigation, say economic consultants at NERA.

  • A Look At Robinson-Patman Enforcement In The MLM Industry

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent focus on price discrimination in high-profile speeches and litigation suggests a renewed interest around Robinson-Patman Act enforcement, particularly in multilevel marketing, making it an apt time for direct sellers to audit their pricing, say Katrina Eash at Winston & Strawn and Juliet Belling Warren and Branko Jovanovic at Edgeworth Economics.

  • A Former PTAB Judge Weighs The End Of Remote Hearings

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    Former Patent Trial and Appeal Board Judge Amanda Wieker, now at McGuireWoods, examines the costs and benefits of the PTAB's impending in-person hearing requirement, and offers suggestions for making the most out of this new regime.

  • How Proposed FAA Rule May Streamline Drone Operations

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    The Federal Aviation Administration's recent proposed rule on autonomous drone delivery operations offers a more streamlined approach, by shifting away from the current pilot-centered framework and placing safety and operational responsibility at the level of the operator's organization, say Amanda Losacco and Jessica Monahan at Cozen O'Connor.

  • What To Expect From 401(k) Plan Alternative Assets Order

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    The executive order this month making it easier for retirement plans to invest in alternative assets, including private equity, real estate and digital assets, marks a watershed moment for democratizing access to private markets, but the U.S. Department of Labor's anticipated formal rulemaking will also be impactful, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • The Future Of Lab-Test Regs After FDA Rescinds Rule

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently rescinded its laboratory-developed tests rule in response to a Texas federal court decision this spring, reinforcing a separation of authority between the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and calling into question the FDA's role in overseeing such tests without congressional action, say attorneys at Venable.

  • How AI Is Easing Digital Asset Recovery In Fraud Cases

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    In combination with recent legislation and a maturing digital asset infrastructure, artificial intelligence tools are making it easier to recover stolen assets, giving litigants a more specific understanding of financial fraud earlier in the process and making it economically feasible to pursue smaller fraud claims, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

  • Fleeing Or Just Leaving Quickly? 2nd Circ. Says It Depends

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    The Second Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Bardakova decision adopted a new approach for determining whether a defendant who commits a crime in the U.S., and then leaves and remains abroad, intends to avoid prosecution — making it more difficult to argue against the fugitive disentitlement doctrine in most cases, say attorneys at MoloLamken.

  • Sanctions Considerations For Reentering The Syrian Market

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    Reentering or opening new markets in Syria, now that the Trump administration has revoked certain long-standing sanctions and export controls, necessitates increased due diligence and best practices capable of adapting to a changing local environment as well as future changes in U.S. law, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

  • What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

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    After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

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