Public Policy

  • October 09, 2026

    Squires Grants 4 PTAB Petitions, Rejects 3 In New Drop

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has instituted four new America Invents Act reviews at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and turned down three in his newest mass order.

  • October 09, 2026

    Md. Says No US Harm From Undocumented Tuition Law

    Maryland urged a federal court to reject a challenge to a state law that allows unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state college tuition, arguing the Trump administration has failed to identify any injury it has suffered from the law.

  • October 09, 2026

    M&A Attys See Resilience Through Q3 Amid Geopolitical Risk

    Global M&A activity remained strong through the first nine months of 2026 despite a third-quarter slowdown, as strategic buyers and private equity firms continued to pursue deals in areas ranging from technology and defense to essential services, attorneys told Law360.

  • October 09, 2026

    Bill Would Shift Unused Housing Vouchers To Tribal Veterans

    A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would allow tribal nations to give back U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development vouchers that can be redistributed to Indigenous communities that are facing a shortage for their veterans.

  • October 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Criminal Sentences & Video Privacy

    The U.S. Supreme Court will close out its October sitting by hearing oral arguments in two cases that ask what level of deference federal district courts should give to commentary interpreting the federal sentencing guidelines, and what purchases are protected under a video consumer privacy statute.

  • October 09, 2026

    Hospitals Ask Court To Block Revised Plan For 340B Rebates

    The American Hospital Association and four safety-net hospitals in Maine sued the Trump administration Friday to block plans to establish a rebate system in the 340B drug discount program, alleging it violates procedural requirements and threatens hospital finances.

  • October 09, 2026

    Grassley Attacks Dems' Claims Of Rule-Breaking Over Hearing

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, clapped back at Democrats for their accusations that Republicans broke Senate rules during a hearing last week at which former special counsel Jack Smith appeared.

  • October 09, 2026

    Va.'s Arlington County Seeks To Halt Trump's 'Triumphal Arch'

    Arlington County, Virginia, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the development of President Donald Trump's 250-foot "triumphal arch" between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, telling a Virginia federal court that his administration undertook a "cursory and conclusory" environmental assessment.

  • October 09, 2026

    Arizona Tribe Loses Bid To Pause Border Wall Construction

    A D.C. federal judge has denied an Arizona tribe's request to block border wall construction on its reservation pending appeal, saying the Indigenous nation hasn't identified any reason for reconsideration of a previous decision that reached the same conclusion.

  • October 09, 2026

    Trump Picks Panel To Consider Claims Against Fed's Cook

    President Donald Trump has established a committee to investigate mortgage fraud allegations against Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook and to determine if they provide sufficient grounds to fire her, according to a memo released Friday by the White House.

  • October 08, 2026

    Taro Pharma Says MDL Deal Bars States' Duplicative Claims

    Taro Pharmaceuticals USA asked a Connecticut federal judge to toss generic-drug price-fixing claims brought by a coalition of states on behalf of consumers that are duplicative of claims the consumers have already resolved through settlements in separate multidistrict litigation.

  • October 08, 2026

    Pasadena Worker Accuses 9th Circ. Of 'Lies' In COVID Ruling

    A Pasadena police employee on Thursday failed to convince the Ninth Circuit to give him a second shot at suing the city over its COVID-19 vaccination policy, rejecting his argument that a panel decision in the matter was "rife with lies, misstatements, material omissions and total fabrications."

  • October 08, 2026

    New USPTO GC Vows Government Won't 'Micromanage' IP

    John Duffy, the new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office general counsel and acting solicitor, told patent professionals gathered in San Francisco on Thursday that the economic use of patent rights is best handled by the private sector and that governments here and elsewhere shouldn't "micromanage the commerce of intellectual properties."

  • October 08, 2026

    DOJ Urges Justices To Keep Anti-ICE Activist Detained Pretrial

    Federal prosecutors on Thursday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to leave in place a Sixth Circuit ruling that a self-described "antifa" member must remain in jail pending trial on charges that he cyberstalked and threatened a social-media supporter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  • October 08, 2026

    Mayne, Ascend Cut $1M Generic Price-Fixing Deal With States

    Ascend Laboratories, Mayne Pharma and Citron Pharma asked a Connecticut federal judge Thursday to sign off on a settlement with a coalition of states resolving claims the companies were involved in an illegal conspiracy to fix prices and suppress competition for generic drugs in the United States. 

  • October 08, 2026

    Coinbase Tells 2nd Circ. Only CFTC Oversees Event Contracts

    Event contracts that Coinbase offers, including sports event contracts, are swaps over which the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has "exclusive" jurisdiction, the company has urged the Second Circuit to rule, arguing Connecticut's laws have "no role to play" in regulating prediction markets.

  • October 08, 2026

    Dodd-Frank Act Is Focus Of Latest Amici In NJ-Kalshi Case

    Multiple amici, including the drafter of the Dodd-Frank Act, weighed in on New Jersey’s petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the regulation of prediction markets and sports betting, saying the statute was not meant to displace state gambling laws.

  • October 08, 2026

    Duke Energy, Tech Giants Ink Data Center Cost Deal

    Duke Energy announced that it has reached a deal with North Carolina regulators, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Google and others to beef up existing protections to ensure ratepayers won't be burdened with costs incurred from data centers and other large-load customers in the Tar Heel State. 

  • October 08, 2026

    Wash. Attorney General Names New Tacoma Division Head

    Insurance litigator Jason Dickey-North will take over as the new chief of the Washington Attorney General's Office's Tacoma division, succeeding Laura Wulf, who's set to retire at the end of 2026, Attorney General Nick Brown announced Thursday.

  • October 08, 2026

    High Court Urged To Keep Prison Trans Care Ban Blocked

    The U.S. Supreme Court should decline the Trump administration's request to disturb a district court order barring the Federal Bureau of Prisons from enforcing a gender dysphoria care ban, a group of transgender individuals incarcerated in BOP facilities argued Thursday.

  • October 08, 2026

    Feds Say End Of Chevron Deference Justifies ESA 'Harm' Rule

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service told California and South Carolina federal judges that the Trump administration's redefinition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act was permissible after the overturning of Chevron deference.

  • October 08, 2026

    DC Circ. Won't Rehear Ruling Blocking Fla. Wetlands Permits

    The D.C. Circuit has denied a petition from the federal government for an en banc rehearing of a previous court decision vacating the EPA's authorization for Florida to run a Clean Water Act permitting program for dredging and filling wetlands.

  • October 08, 2026

    Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    Lobbying efforts at the Federal Communications Commission spiked in September as companies and interest groups looked to sway FCC policies on issues such as modernizing the phone networks, Lifeline reform, environmental rules, satellite spectrum and more.

  • October 08, 2026

    FBI Turns To UFC To Help Train Its Agents

    The FBI is going to enlist Ultimate Fighting Championship to train its special agents in defense technical techniques focusing on mixed martial arts, the agency has said.

  • October 08, 2026

    Md. Judge Again Finds DHS Breached Asylum Settlement

    A Maryland federal judge ruled Thursday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has continued to violate a class action settlement protecting asylum seekers who entered the U.S. as unaccompanied minors, ordering the agency to stop opposing the asylum seekers' bids to pause deportation cases.

Expert Analysis

  • Fed Report Underscores Focus On Nonbank, CRE Risks

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    The Federal Reserve Board's latest supervision and regulation report highlights that broad systemic stability will not insulate individual institutions from rigorous supervisory challenges regarding concentrated commercial real estate portfolios and nonbank partnerships, says Daniel Meade at Hogan Lovells.

  • 3 Upcoming Deadlines That EB-5 Investors Should Consider

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    Potential EB-5 regional center investors should weigh three approaching deadlines, the most immediate of which is Sept. 30, that may affect their filing strategy, required capital commitment and ability to participate even if Congress fails to reauthorize the program, says Michael Ashoori at Ashoori Law.

  • CIPA Tech Tracking Suits Highlight Uncertain Legal Ground

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    Alexandra Samofalova at Spencer Fane discusses the state of California Invasion of Privacy Act website tracking litigation, why credible defendants choose to settle and how the businesses best positioned to face this uncertain legal landscape are the ones treating data practices as a legal compliance matter to address today.

  • AI, Prediction Markets Lead Securities Developments In 2026

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    Securities class actions tied to artificial intelligence and the battle over prediction market regulation both raise novel questions that courts are only beginning to address and that will continue to resonate throughout the second half of the year, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Why A Class Was Certified In Financial Aid Info-Sharing Case

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    The recent Illinois federal court decision in Corzo v. Brown University offers key guidance for defendants confronting class certification in antitrust matters, highlighting how typicality can be satisfied despite class members attending different universities, receiving different aid awards and being affected across different time periods, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Key Compliance Insights From Calif.'s Volvo Diesel Deal

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    While the future of California's vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act is uncertain, the state's recent settlement with Volvo over diesel emissions hinges on the truthfulness of manufacturer representations to state regulators, and offers important lessons for companies on compliance and recordkeeping, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Community Bank Order Signals Fintech Partnership Scrutiny

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent consent order against Community Federal Savings Bank for deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance programs offers clear and urgent lessons for community banks pursuing revenue growth through fintech partnerships and payments services, say attorneys at Bradley.

  • House-Passed KIDS Act Spurs Child Data Practices Audit

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    Graham Dean, Brian Roper-Nelson and Will Quick at Brooks Pierce discuss the noteworthy sections of the U.S. House of Representatives' recently passed Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, the potential revisions as the law moves through the U.S. Senate and the significant business changes that the House law would require.

  • Calif. Recycle Label Order Imperils Product Responsibility Law

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    A California federal court's injunction blocking enforcement of the state's truth-in-recycling law gives companies racing to remove chasing arrows and other recyclability labels from their packaging a reprieve — and the court's action may also hobble implementation of the state's extended producer responsibility law, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcing Vertically Integrated Operating Systems

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    As digital platforms increasingly pair operating systems with commerce, advertising, content and data, antitrust scrutiny will turn on whether those integrations create private bottlenecks that foreclose rivals through access, ranking, interoperability or defaults, pushing courts and enforcement agencies to adapt traditional utility and merger frameworks more aggressively, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Challenging Detention After 5th Circ. Ends Bond Clocks

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    After the vacatur of the Fifth Circuit’s holding that the U.S. Constitution requires bond hearings for detained noncriminal noncitizens, practitioners should go back to filing habeas petitions, pending the court's en banc rehearing, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • Patent Eligibility Bulletin: New USPTO Guidance And AI Risks

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    In the second quarter of 2026, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office updated its subject matter eligibility declarations in line with its increasingly permissive patent eligibility stance, while the Federal Circuit rigorously applied the Alice framework in a decision that highlighted risks facing patent claims that utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning, say attorneys at Banner Witcoff.

  • A Shift In How Policymakers Are Approaching PBM Regulation

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    Recent federal and state legislative and regulatory activity involving pharmacy benefit managers represent a change in focus from transparency to PBM compensation structures, vertical integration and competitive effects, say attorneys at Barclay Damon.

  • Workplace Menopause Laws Demand New HR Playbooks

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    A recent wave of state and local legislation that makes menopause an expressly protected condition in the workplace creates new compliance obligations amid an already ambiguous federal framework, and demands a workplace culture where employees feel safe asking for support, says Elliot Griffin at Ballard Spahr.

  • How State Actions Are Reshaping Surveillance Pricing Risk

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    Amid heightened state enforcement activity and expanding legislative action to curb surveillance pricing concerns related to transparency, fairness and discrimination, businesses should closely examine how consumer data is used in pricing decisions, say attorneys at Steptoe.

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