Opinion

A Guiding Principle For The SEC On Exempt Capital Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed Regulation Crypto Assets borrows selectively from other capital-raising exemptions while giving crypto issuers materially different terms, and those unexplained differences reveal the need for a regulatory approach of presumptive parity, says Brian Christie at the Crowdfunding Professional Association.

Where DOJ's Fraud Priorities Memo May Actually Matter

The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently released memo outlining priorities for its newly created fraud division will shape how cases are identified, staffed and sequenced, meaning white collar defense work must begin earlier, say David Tarras at Tarras Defense and Trevor Jones at Dynamis.

What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

What Cos. Should Do During Stay Of Nasdaq Delisting Rule

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved — and subsequently stayed — Nasdaq's $5 million market value threshold for continued listing, giving companies additional time to evaluate financing opportunities, communicate with investors and consider strategic alternatives, says Joseph Lucosky at Lucosky Brookman.

NC Dental Review Change Counters Tougher National Trend

North Carolina’s elimination of its prior review requirement for dental management agreements departs sharply from the national trend toward expanded corporate practice of medicine oversight, but stakeholders should not view this regulatory shift as a relaxation of compliance expectations, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

Prepping To Use Crypto Collateral Under Ohio Ownership Law

Ohio's digital asset law should ease the path to using cryptocurrency as collateral, and as the October effective date approaches, lenders should update their loan documentation and diligence processes to take advantage of the new control-based perfection rules, say attorneys at Kegler Brown.

NY Bill Would Boost Litigation Risk For Cosmetics Cos.

The Beauty Justice Act, now pending in the New York Legislature, would not only present compliance challenges for companies making cosmetics and personal care products, but could also be used by private plaintiffs to bring consumer fraud, false advertising, toxic exposure and product liability claims, says Kadeejah Kelly-Previl at Faegre Drinker.

Appellate Vape Rulings May Expand State Regulation Powers

Two recent federal appeals courts decisions rejecting Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act preemption challenges to state electronic nicotine delivery systems directory laws signal an emerging appellate consensus that could significantly expand states' power to regulate vaping product sales where federal enforcement falls short, say attorneys at Troutman.

Parsing Gov't Scrutiny Of Lending To Unauthorized Workers

Attorneys at Mayer Brown explain guidance recently issued by three banking regulators that addresses risks associated with lending to so-called non-work authorized individuals and discuss what the regulatory update could mean for fintech companies.

Discovery Into Insurers' AI Use Should Stay Proportional

As insurers increasingly use artificial intelligence to make claim decisions, plaintiffs in first-party coverage litigation should seek discovery that tracks how materially the automated system influenced the challenged decision, not whether the insurer used AI somewhere in its operations, says attorney Joe Zaid.

How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

The swath of recent Federal Communications Commission rulemakings raises serious questions about the purpose and future of Commerce's Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services, and how the U.S. government will go forward in imposing national security regulation on domestic applications of adversary-linked technologies, says Peter Jeydel at Troutman.

DOJ Healthcare Declination Offers Self-Disclosure Checklist

The U.S. Department of Justice's declination of criminal charges against Campus Eye Management signals that its new self-disclosure policy provides a real path for healthcare companies to avoid criminal exposure, but that path is paved with speed, transparency and operational remediation, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Rubber Meets The Road

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rulemaking agenda shows its regulatory reset taking shape, with sweeping crypto proposals that could bring the biggest changes it has made to broker-dealer, exchange and trading compliance in decades, says Christopher Grobbel at Goodwin.

Monitor Exposure, Stay Flexible Amid Tariff Uncertainty

To navigate an unstable trade environment, businesses must evaluate their exposure to new tariffs invoked under a patchwork of statutory authorities and be prepared to adapt to further changes that may be on the horizon, says Bhargav Prajapati at Capital Trade.

CFPB Complaint Portal Overhaul Signals Changing Priorities

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updates to its consumer complaint portal and decision to cease publishing consumer complaint narratives should be viewed by companies as one component of a larger recalibration of how the CFPB collects information and allocates its supervisory and enforcement resources, say attorneys at Cooley.