Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Public Policy
-
June 10, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Big players and big moves dominated much of the past week in Delaware's Court of Chancery, as Tesla in particular and big corporations in general showed their pique over rulings that went toward stockholders or against conventional expectations.
-
June 10, 2024
Senate Judiciary Panel Urged To Investigate High Court Ethics
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter on Monday urging the "full power" of the Senate Judiciary Committee be used to investigate the latest "ethics crisis" at the U.S. Supreme Court.
-
June 10, 2024
Justices Want Feds To Weigh In On ND Voting Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday invited the federal government to weigh in on a voting rights dispute in which two local North Dakota Republican officials seek to block newly created voting subdistricts for Native Americans after Secretary of State Michael Howe reversed course in the litigation.
-
June 10, 2024
High Court To Review HHS Hospital Pay Formula
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a D.C. Circuit decision siding with the Department of Health and Human Services over how the agency applies a formula for calculating disproportionate share hospital payments for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
-
June 10, 2024
High Court Won't Review FCC's Universal Service Fund
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review whether the country's fee-based telecom subsidy system unlawfully delegates taxing powers from Congress to the Federal Communications Commission and a privately run administrator.
-
June 07, 2024
Fla. Urges Judge To Reconsider Block Of Immigration Law
Florida has urged a federal judge to reconsider an order blocking a state law that criminalizes the transportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying its argument that opposing parties failed to state the law is federally preempted was never addressed by the court.
-
June 07, 2024
Ex-Prosecutors Join Effort To Free Imprisoned Binance Exec
More than 100 former federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents have called on the U.S. State Department to ramp up efforts to free Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance compliance executive and former IRS agent, from Nigerian custody over what they call false charges tied to money laundering and tax evasion.
-
June 07, 2024
Split 9th Circ. Revives LA Schools Vaccine Policy Row
A split Ninth Circuit panel on Friday reversed a California federal court's dismissal of a proposed class action challenging a recently rescinded Los Angeles Unified School District policy requiring employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their jobs, ruling that the district still has the potential to reinstate it.
-
June 07, 2024
CFPB Urges 5th Circ. To Holster 'Weapon' In Late Fee Fight
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged the Fifth Circuit to refrain from using one of its "most potent weapons" to shoot down a Texas federal judge's order sending an industry challenge to the agency's credit card late fee rule to Washington, D.C.
-
June 07, 2024
Split 5th Circ. Panel Calls Texas County 'True Library Police'
A Texas public library will have to reshelve several books that deal with issues such as racism and sexuality after a contentious majority ruling by a Fifth Circuit panel called the public officials and residents behind the book bans "the true library police."
-
June 07, 2024
Conn. Judge Pushes State For Proof In $11M Kickback Case
The Connecticut state judge presiding over an $11 million false claims and kickbacks case against a compounding pharmacy appeared unconvinced Friday that the defendants submitted false claims for payment, peppering the government's counsel with requests to support assertions with case law and evidence that was put on at trial.
-
June 07, 2024
DC Circ. Undoes Library Of Congress Win In Fair Use Fight
The D.C. Circuit on Friday reversed a lower court's decision that had rejected two industry groups' challenge to a final rule that categorized medical device diagnostic procedures and repairs as fair use exemptions to U.S. copyright law.
-
June 07, 2024
Trump Can Bring Atty To Presentence Interview
A New York judge ruled Friday that Donald Trump can bring his attorney with him when he sits down with a New York City probation officer for a presentence interview, granting an unusual accommodation to the former president before he is sentenced for his criminal conviction next month.
-
June 07, 2024
Don't Delay In-House Handbags Case For Fed. Court, FTC Told
Federal Trade Commission staffers are urging the commission not to delay an in-house challenge to the planned $8.5 billion merger combining the parent companies of Coach and Michael Kors, arguing that a separate New York federal court fight won't automatically determine the deal's fate.
-
June 07, 2024
'Why Are You Even Here?' Judge Prods Big Tobacco
A Washington state appellate panel on Friday criticized Philip Morris USA Inc. and other tobacco companies for attempting to pay the state less under a 1998 master settlement agreement, with one judge asking a Big Tobacco attorney why they were in court in the first place.
-
June 07, 2024
Trade Commission Votes To Advance Solar Cell Investigations
The four heads of the U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously Friday to continue anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into solar cell imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, finding evidence that the imports harmed domestic solar manufacturers.
-
June 07, 2024
Cities, Cable Cos. Seek Reg Changes As FCC Studies Markets
Cities want the Federal Communications Commission to jettison rules that they say unduly restrict cable franchise fees, while the cable business says the FCC needs to back off on regulation, as the agency scrutinizes the competitive landscape across multiple industries.
-
June 07, 2024
High Court's 'Narrow' Jack Daniel's Opinion Having Big Impact
When the U.S. Supreme Court decided a year ago that the maker of a squeaky dog toy that looks like a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle had no free speech protections against trademark infringement claims, the justices described their holding as narrow, but lawyers and academics are now suggesting the opinion is having broader implications.
-
June 07, 2024
3 IPEF Agreements Done, But Still No Sign Of Trade Pillar
Three of the four "pillars" of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and the initiative's overarching agreement are now complete, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced, but there's still no timeline for finishing the deal's trade pillar
-
June 07, 2024
FCC Asks 6th Circ. To Transfer Net Neutrality Cases To DC
The Federal Communications Commission on Friday urged the Sixth Circuit to transfer a set of challenges to the FCC's recently passed net neutrality rules to the D.C. Circuit, where similar suits have previously played out.
-
June 07, 2024
US Auto Regulator Finalizes New Fuel Economy Standards
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday finalized highly anticipated new fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks that envision boosting average efficiency to 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031, marking the Biden administration's latest climate-focused endeavor to curb emissions in the transportation sector.
-
June 07, 2024
NetChoice Challenges 'Onerous' Ga. E-Commerce Law
NetChoice LLC, an industry group representing some of America's largest e-commerce platforms, filed suit hoping to block a new Georgia law they say "jumps the tracks" from reasonable oversight and monitoring requirements to laying down "impermissible investigation mandates."
-
June 07, 2024
DOE Reveals National Definition Of Zero-Emissions Building
The U.S. Department of Energy unveiled a federal definition for determining whether a residential or commercial building qualifies as a zero-emissions building as part of an ongoing effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions across the traditionally heavily emitting sector.
-
June 07, 2024
Cherokee Man Asks High Court To Undo Tribal Tag Charges
A Cherokee Nation man is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Michigan Supreme Court order that denied him the chance to appeal his traffic stop convictions, arguing that the state must be barred from broadening the definition of "registration plate" in regard to tribal-licensed tags.
-
June 07, 2024
Texas AG, Spirit AeroSystems Duel Over Safety Probe
Spirit AeroSystems Inc. and Texas Attorney General Kenneth Paxton each asked a federal court for an early win in their dispute over the state's probe into Spirit's management, with Spirit arguing the state's Request to Examine statute violates the Fourth Amendment, and Paxton arguing it is a constitutionally compliant subpoena.
Expert Analysis
-
Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
-
Circuit Split Brews Over Who's A Securities Seller Under Act
A Securities Act section that creates private liability for the sale of an unregistered security is rapidly becoming a favored statute for plaintiffs to wield against participants in both the digital asset and traditional securities markets, but the circuit courts have diverged on who may be held liable for these violations, say Jeffrey L. Steinfeld and Daniel Aronsohn at Winston & Strawn.
-
Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
Potential Unintended Consequences Of NY Sovereign Debt Bill
New York lawmakers recently proposed a law to create a framework for restructuring sovereign debt, but there are concerns that the bill will increase financing costs and that it attempts to solve problems that have largely been dealt with by collective action clauses, say Jeffrey Rothleder and Tara Peramatukorn at Squire Patton.
-
The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
-
Expect An Increase In Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement
Recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission and prominent lawmakers should be viewed as a harbinger of renewed scrutiny of price discrimination in all industries and a sign that Robinson-Patman Act investigations and enforcement actions are likely to see an uptick, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
-
The Drawbacks Of Banking Regulators' Merger Review Plans
Recent proposals for bank merger review criteria by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. share common pitfalls: increased likelihood of delays, uncertainties, and new hurdles to transactions that could impede the long-term safety and soundness of the banks involved, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
-
Opinion
The FTC's Noncompete Rule Is Likely Dead On Arrival
The Federal Trade Commission's April 23 noncompete ban ignores the consequences to the employees it claims to help — but the rule is unlikely to go into effect provided the ideological makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court remains the same, say Erik Weibust and Stuart Gerson at Epstein Becker.
-
Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
-
Unpacking The Bill To Extend TCJA's Biz-Friendly Tax Breaks
Attorneys at Skadden examine how a bipartisan bill currently being considered by the U.S. Senate to save the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's tax breaks for research and development costs, and other expiring business-friendly provisions, would affect taxpayers.
-
'Beauty From Within' Trend Poses Regulatory Risks For Cos.
Companies capitalizing on the current trend in oral supplements touting cosmetic benefits must note that a product claim that would be acceptable for an externally applied cosmetic may draw much stronger scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when applied to a supplement, say Natalie Rainer and Katherine Staba at K&L Gates.
-
Perspectives
Criminal Defendants Should Have Access To Foreign Evidence
A New Jersey federal court recently ordered prosecutors to obtain evidence from India on behalf of the former Cognizant Technology executives they’re prosecuting — a precedent that other courts should follow to make cross-border evidentiary requests more fair and efficient, say Kaylana Mueller-Hsia and Rebecca Wexler at UC Berkeley School of Law.
-
How Cos. Can Prep For New Calif. Privacy Regulations
The California Privacy Protection Agency has been very active in the first quarter of 2024 and continues to exercise its rulemaking authority with proposed draft regulations, so retailers should prepare for California Consumer Privacy Act enforcement and figure out how best to comply, say attorneys at Dentons.
-
Fed. Circ. Defines Foreign IP Damages, Raises New Questions
In Brumfield v. IBG, the Federal Circuit recently clarified which standard determines the extraterritoriality of the patent statute after the U.S. Supreme Court's WesternGeco decision, opening a new avenue of damages for foreign activities resulting from certain domestic activities while also creating some thorny questions, say Amol Parikh and Ian Howard at McDermott.
-
EPA Chemical Safety Rule Raises Questions About Authority
Stakeholders should consider the practical and economic costs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently finalized rule imposing novel board reporting regulations for certain chemical plants and refineries, which signals that the agency may seek a role in regulating corporate governance, say attorneys at Sidley.