International

Expert Analysis

• Md. Court Got Ad Tax Similarity Analysis Wrong

  

  Decisions striking Maryland’s digital advertising tax are fundamentally flawed because the Maryland Tax Court found similarity between digital ads and other ads without considering deep market distinctions, says Darien Shanske at UC Davis School of Law.

• Taekwondo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Taekwondo has taught me to recognize when to fight for a position and when to focus on finding a solution, and that the best outcomes are often achieved by solving problems — all of which has improved my work as a bankruptcy lawyer, mediator and Subchapter V trustee, says Amy Denton Mayer at Berger Singerman.

• OECD Draft Could Guide Pricing For Intragroup R&D Deals

  

  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's proposed revisions to its intragroup transfer pricing guidelines provide helpful tips for determining the cost base for contract research and development services, highlighting the importance of selecting a reasonable set of third-party comparables and appropriate means for evaluating markups, says economist Harold McClure.

• 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.

• Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

• The Divergent Approaches In US, EU Forced Labor Standards

  

  Forced labor guidance documents recently issued by the U.S. and the European Union have meaningful differences, with the U.S. taking a documentary approach to compliance and the EU emphasizing human rights risks as a governance challenge, but one model will likely exert greater influence, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• Going To Hardcore Shows Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  While government contracts law and the hardcore scene may seem entirely unrelated, in my experience, both are about community, focus, being prepared for the unexpected and managing chaos, says Isaac Natter at Fluet.

• Handling Section 301 Tariffs When CBP Detains Goods

  

  Importers subject to Section 301 tariffs on goods under a U.S. Customs and Border Protection forced labor hold should consider three approaches when deciding whether to pay tariffs on goods that may ultimately be excluded, or wait and watch port demurrage compound daily, says James Ferry at Ferry Trade.

• Judges On AI: Examining Administrative, Organizational Uses

  

  U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas examines how artificial intelligence could transform a court's ability to deal with administrative work and organize materials when preparing for hearings or drafting opinions, thereby affording judges more time to resolve contested issues.

• Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

• Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

• Power To The Paralegals: Burnout As A Structural Problem

  

  Law firm leadership can best retain their paralegals not by encouraging self-care, but by seeking top-down structural solutions for the quiet proliferation of responsibilities and the vicarious exposure to client trauma that particularly drive burnout in this vital role, says Erika Sneeringer at Brockstedt Mandalas.

• Managing Post-IEEPA Tariff Refunds, Replacements And Risks

  

  Companies and investors reeling from the rapid changes resulting from February's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act doesn't authorize tariffs should focus on understanding the duty refund process, the likely replacement tariffs and the operational ways they can minimize their tariff exposure, say attorneys at Debevoise.