Expert Analysis

• IP Appellate Decisions Show 4 Shifts In 2025

  

  In 2025, intellectual property decisions issued by the Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits trended toward tightening doctrinal boundaries, whether to account for technological developments in existing legal regimes, or to refine areas with some ambiguity, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

• Series

  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

  

  Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

• AG Watch: Va. Insulin Price Probe Signals Rising Scrutiny

  

  Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares' recent investigation into insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers for allegedly colluding to artificially inflate insulin prices reflects a broader trend to leverage consumer protection authority in high-impact healthcare matters, and the upcoming leadership change is unlikely to diminish scrutiny in this area, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O'Connor.

• 3 Key Takeaways From Planned Rescheduling Of Cannabis

  

  An executive order reviving cannabis rescheduling represents a monumental change for the industry and, while the substance will remain illegal at the federal level, introduces several benefits, including improving state-legal cannabis operators' tax treatment, lowering the industry's legal risk profile, and leaving state-regulated markets largely intact, say attorneys at Dentons.

• 6 Issues That May Follow The 340B Rebate Pilot Challenge

  

  Though the Health Resources and Services Administration withdrew a pending case to reconsider the controversial 340B rebate pilot program, a number of crucial considerations remain, including the likelihood of a rework and questions about what that rework might look like, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

• 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

  

  2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

• Reviewing Historical And Recent NYDFS Blockchain Guidance

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  An industry letter released in the fall by the New York State Department of Financial Services, together with guidance issued over the past decade, signals a heightened regulatory expectation for covered institutions regarding the use of blockchain analytics and requires review, says Nicole De Santis at Nomadis Consulting.

• Business Considerations Amid Hemp Product Policy Change

  

  With the passage of a bill fundamentally narrowing the federal definition of "hemp," there are practical and business considerations that brands, manufacturers and other parties should heed over the next year, including operational strategies, evaluating contract and counterparty risk, and tax implications, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

• Disney's OpenAI Deal Could Be Turning Point In IP Licensing

  

  The Disney-OpenAI agreement last month is less an anomaly than an early attempt to define what licensed generative use of entertainment intellectual property looks like in practice, including how artificial intelligence user-generated content is permitted without eroding ownership and control, says Alex Locke at Meister Seelig.

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  Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

  

  Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

• Opinion

  DHS' Parole Termination Violates APA And Due Process

  

  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt termination of family reunification parole programs violates both the Administrative Procedure Act and the due process rights of vetted beneficiaries who relied on the government's explicit invitation to wait in the U.S. for an immigrant visa to become available, says Abdoul Konare at Konare Law.

• Shopify Suit Is An Early Antitrust Test Of 'Buy Now, Pay Later'

  

  An ongoing antitrust suit in Minnesota federal court filed by Sezzle against Shopify — one of the earliest such lawsuits focused on buy now, pay later services — could play a particularly informative role in how short-term credit offerings and the broader market develop, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• Opinion

  The Case For Emulating, Not Dividing, The Ninth Circuit

  

  Champions for improved judicial administration should reject the unfounded criticisms driving recent Senate proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit and instead seek to replicate the court's unique strengths and successes, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

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  Mass. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  Among the most significant developments on the banking regulation front in Massachusetts last quarter, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced her bid for reelection, and the state Division of Banks continued its fintech focus by finalizing rules implementing a new money transmitter law, say attorneys at Nutter.

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  Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.