Public Policy

  • June 25, 2025

    DOJ Says OC Won't Provide Noncitizen Voter Cancellation Info

    The Orange County Registrar of Voters is illegally withholding unredacted information of noncitizens whose registrations were voided, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in California federal court by the U.S. Department of Justice, which recently received a complaint from the relative of a noncitizen who purportedly received a mail-in ballot.

  • June 25, 2025

    SEC Grants Brokers More Time On Customer-Protection Rule

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission agreed Wednesday to extend until late June 2026 the time broker-dealers have to comply with recent amendments to a regulation protecting customers, saying that firms need more time to upgrade their operations.

  • June 25, 2025

    DOL Urges Judge Not To Block H-2A Prevailing Wage Rules

    The U.S. Department of Labor defended its 2022 H-2A prevailing wage regulations against claims from a farmworker union in Washington federal court, arguing the agency's rules are lawful and must be upheld.

  • June 25, 2025

    Ark., Idaho Push For Jury Trial In Google Ad Tech Case

    Arkansas and Idaho are hoping a Texas federal judge will reconsider the decision declaring they don't have a right to a jury trial and, as a result, can't seek civil penalties from Google on their antitrust claims accusing the tech behemoth of manipulating the advertising market.

  • June 25, 2025

    Feds Say Vet Failed To Back VA Malpractice Claim At Trial

    The U.S. government is urging a Washington federal court to give it a win following a bench trial on a suit brought by a Navy veteran and former Department of Veterans Affairs nurse alleging that malpractice by her VA psychiatrist led to an episode in which she stabbed her mother with a knife.

  • June 25, 2025

    Team Telecom Gives Its OK To $4.4B T-Mobile, UScellular Deal

    T-Mobile's plan to take over most of UScellular's wireless operations in a $4.4 billion deal cleared a regulatory hurdle with approval from the federal group that vets telecom mergers for security concerns.

  • June 25, 2025

    EU Probing Mars' $36B Deal For Pringles-Maker Kellanova

    European competition enforcers said Wednesday they are investigating snack food and candy giant Mars Inc.'s planned $35.9 billion purchase of Cheez-It and Pringles maker Kellanova over concerns the combined company would have too much negotiating power with retailers.

  • June 25, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs EPA's Firing Of 'Disruptive' Whistleblower

    The Federal Circuit upheld a decision finding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would've fired a federal employee even if she wasn't whistleblowing on its failure to submit affirmative employment plans, ruling Wednesday that while there was significant motive to retaliate, there's also evidence the employee was "disrespectful, disruptive and discourteous" toward colleagues.

  • June 25, 2025

    Alaska Doesn't Need 5G In Most Remote Reaches, FCC Told

    Alaskan telecoms should not have to bring 5G-level internet to every corner of the state to which they are designated to deploy under the Alaska Connect Fund, a trade group has told the Federal Communications Commission.

  • June 25, 2025

    Trade Court Cannot Stop Trump's Tariffs, Gov't Tells Fed. Circ.

    The U.S. Court of International Trade hamstrung President Donald Trump in ongoing global trade negotiations when it blocked emergency tariffs he had imposed and deemed them unlawful, the government told the Federal Circuit on Tuesday, urging it to reverse the lower court's ruling.

  • June 25, 2025

    Copyright Office Won't Collapse Sans Perlmutter, Trump Says

    The Trump administration has said the fired leader of the U.S. Copyright Office has not shown that the agency's operations "will grind to a halt" if she is not immediately reinstated and asked a D.C. federal judge to reject her motion for a preliminary injunction.

  • June 25, 2025

    Community College Fights DOJ's Bid To End Texas Dream Act

    A Texas community college wants to intervene in the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging a state law allowing in-state tuition for unauthorized immigrants, arguing that the federal government colluded with the state to deprive the court of the opportunity to consider the law's constitutionality.

  • June 25, 2025

    Michigan Builders Sue State Over Energy Code Mandates

    Michigan homebuilders have sued to challenge the state's adoption of new construction codes, saying the energy efficiency demands will make new homes more expensive.

  • June 25, 2025

    House Approps Bill Keeps Public Broadcast Warning System

    U.S. House lawmakers are considering keeping $40 million intact next year for the Next Generation Warning System used by public broadcasters to get critical information to the public during emergencies.

  • June 25, 2025

    RI Allows Providence To Exceed Tax Levy Cap For Fiscal 2026

    Providence, Rhode Island, may exceed the state's limit on property tax increases for the 2026 fiscal year under legislation signed by the governor.

  • June 25, 2025

    The 5 Big Enforcement Trends White Collar Attys Must Know

    The Trump administration has made clear its intent to prioritize U.S. interests, eliminate transnational cartels and cut government fraud, waste and abuse — but questions remain about the administration’s approach to foreign bribery, crypto, public corruption, self-disclosure and clemency as we head into the second half of the year.

  • June 25, 2025

    DOL Says Trump Order Moots Contractor Wage Case

    A Colorado federal court should throw out an outdoor group's challenge to a Biden-era mandate requiring federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage, the U.S. Department of Labor argued, saying President Donald Trump has rescinded the rule that the lawsuit challenges.

  • June 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Pick Emil Bove Says He's 'Not Anybody's Henchman'

    Emil Bove, nominee for the Third Circuit, who previously served as President Donald Trump's criminal attorney and was a top acting official at the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year, where he took various controversial actions, made his case on Wednesday for judicial confirmation.

  • June 25, 2025

    Fed's Powell Suggests Student Loans Too Hard To Discharge

    Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told senators Wednesday that Congress might want to consider permitting greater dischargeability of student loans, questioning whether it is a "wise national policy" to treat such debt differently under the federal bankruptcy laws.

  • June 25, 2025

    NJ Rep. McIver Pleads Not Guilty In ICE Facility Incident

    U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver pled not guilty Wednesday in New Jersey federal court to assault and interference charges stemming from an incident at an immigration detention center in Newark on May 9.

  • June 25, 2025

    Spirit Flags Competition Concerns Over United-JetBlue Pact

    Spirit Airlines LLC has filed a complaint with federal transportation regulators contending that a recently announced partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue raises issues similar to an alliance between American and JetBlue that was blocked over competition concerns.

  • June 25, 2025

    Senate Panel Narrowly Advances FAA Chief Nominee

    The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation voted along party lines Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.

  • June 25, 2025

    Pa. Wealth Manager Gets 8 Years For Stealing Client Money

    A suburban Philadelphia wealth manager was sentenced Wednesday to just over eight years in prison for using nearly $25 million of his clients' money on properties, country club fees and luxury vacations, his counsel said.

  • June 25, 2025

    Mass. Atty Gets 18 Mos. For 'Greed' In Pot Shop Bribery Plot

    A Massachusetts lawyer, whose conviction for attempting to bribe a police chief to endorse his client's retail cannabis license application had been partly reversed at the First Circuit, was re-sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison by a federal judge who said the attorney should have known better.

  • June 25, 2025

    FCC To Consult Tribes On Wireless Cos.' NEPA Petition

    The Federal Communications Commission plans to consult with tribal governments on a wireless industry proposal to cut red tape associated with the National Environmental Policy Act for cell towers, following comments from Native American organizations blasting the plan and saying it would threaten sacred lands.

Expert Analysis

  • CFPB Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • FAR Rewrite May Cloud Key Gov't Contract Doctrine

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    The Trump administration's government procurement overhaul, under which sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation are eliminated by default, is bound to collide with a doctrine that allows courts to read omitted clauses into government contracts if they represent long-standing pillars of federal procurement law, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • SEC Staff Input Eases Path For Broker-Dealer Crypto Activities

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    Recent guidance from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff on broker-dealer and transfer agent crypto-asset activities suggests a more constructive regulatory posture on permissibility and application of financial responsibility rules, bringing welcome clarity for blockchain market participants and traditional financial institutions alike, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Compliance Essentials To Mitigate AI Crime Enforcement Risk

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    As artificial intelligence systems move closer to accurately mimicking human decision-making, companies must understand how the U.S. Department of Justice might prosecute them for crimes committed by AI tools — and how to mitigate enforcement risks, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Employer-Friendly Fla. Law Ushers In New Noncompete Era

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    Florida's CHOICE Act is set to take effect July 1, and employers are welcoming it with open arms as it would create one of the most favorable environments in the country for the enforcement of noncompete and garden leave agreements, but businesses should also consider the nonlegal implications, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Could Shake Up US Pharma

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    Recent moves from the executive and legislative branches represent a serious attempt to revive and refine the first Trump administration's most-favored-nations model for drug pricing, though implementation could bring unintended consequences for pharmaceutical manufacturers and will likely draw significant legal opposition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: A Supersonic 'Boom' Going Nowhere Fast

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    Legislation recently introduced in Congress to repeal the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on supersonic flight over U.S. territory appears to benefit a single company with an uncertain business plan, and is not truly in the public interest, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

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    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Opportunity Zone Revamp Could Improve The Program

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    If adopted, the budget bill's new iteration of the opportunity zone program could renew, refine and enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the original program by including structural reforms, expanded eligibility rules and incentives for rural investment, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • At 'SEC Speaks,' Leaders Frame New Views

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    At the Practising Law Institute's recent SEC Speaks conference, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted the agency's significant priority changes, including in enforcement, crypto and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Restore IP Protection To Drive US Innovation

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    Congress should pass the RESTORE Patent Rights Act to enforce patent holders' exclusive rights and encourage American innovation, and undo the decades of patent rights erosion caused by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 decision in eBay v. MercExchange, says former Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Paul Michel.

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

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    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

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    Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

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