Expert Analysis

• Why Inter Partes Reviews May Be On The Rebound

  

  Recent inter partes review data shows that rates of referrals and institution rates at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are increasing, potentially indicating, among other reasons, that patent challengers are adjusting to the USPTO's policy changes, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

• 2nd Circ. EFAA Ruling Shifts Employer Litigation Strategy

  

  In Diaz-Roa v. Hermes Law, the Second Circuit recently held that, under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, employers can't carve out nonharassment claims and send them to arbitration, which has implications for discovery, litigation costs and resolution strategy in EFAA-covered disputes, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

• Tort Liability When AI Goes Rogue: Negligence Theory

  

  If reasonable care in the use of artificial intelligence agents cannot eliminate the risk of third-party harm, then AI companies and users of AI agents must consider whether negligence theory provides an adequate framework for assessing harm caused by agents that go rogue, says Donald Hawthorne at Carter Ledyard.

• 3 Steps To Mitigate The Cyber Risks From Employee AI Use

  

  Recent data showing a doubling in breaches tied to employee use of unapproved AI tools demonstrates a convergence of cybersecurity risk, data privacy exposure and legal liability that workplace policies don't often address, but business leaders can get ahead of these risks, say attorneys at Ogletree.

• 4 Steps For Cos. Amid Russia Sanctions Law Uncertainty

  

  Russian companies, their U.S. subsidiaries and businesses with Russian commercial relationships should take concrete steps to determine their exposure under ambiguous provisions of legislation that recently expanded the scope of U.S. sanctions, notwithstanding an Oct. 16 executive order waiving most of its restrictions, say attorneys at Wilk Auslander.

• How FCC Robocall Rules Reshape TCPA Opt-Out Compliance

  

  The Federal Communications Commission's recent changes to its Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules may simplify how businesses process consumer opt outs for robocalls and robotexts, but they also introduce nuances to the opt-out process that may be challenging to operationalize, say attorneys at Hunton.

• How NRC's New Rules Alter Foreign-Financed Reactor Deals

  

  New Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules for reactor licensing open U.S. nuclear projects to foreign capital, presenting new considerations for structuring governance, diligence and approvals to secure and maintain eligibility, says J. Brin Gibson at Spencer Fane.

• Managing Employer Risk Under Calif.'s No Robo Bosses Law

  

  California's No Robo Bosses Act marks the state's first statutory limit on using artificial intelligence in employee discipline and termination decisions, creating exposure for employers through its corroboration and notice requirements, burden-shifting framework, and potential reach under the Private Attorneys General Act, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

• AG Watch: Minnesota Takes Action To Secure Child Safety

  

  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has built one of the most aggressive and structurally coherent child protection enforcement programs in the country, targeting consumer-facing sectors that his office has concluded prey on minors, such as tobacco and nicotine, social media platforms, and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

• Series

  Being In The Peace Corps Made Me A Better Lawyer

  

  When I served in the Peace Corps, the people of the West African village where I was stationed helped me acclimate to my new surroundings and enabled me to develop problem-solving, teamwork and empathy skills that have bolstered my legal practice far beyond the ability to offer technical advice, says Brian Bewley at McGuireWoods.

• What $5.7B Apple Verdict Reveals About Patent Risk

  

  A California federal jury's recent $5.7 billion damages verdict against Apple exemplifies the enormous financial exposure that can occur when patent-infringing features are incorporated into many units, though the outcome is ultimately dependent on the strength of the underlying infringement, validity and damages theories, says Michael Dorfman at Barclay Damon.

• FTC's BOTS Act Blitz Raises Stakes For Ticket Resellers

  

  Recent lawsuits and enforcement actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission under the Better Online Ticket Sales Act signal sustained ticket industry enforcement, but industry actors can reduce risk by screening practices and partnerships related to ticket purchasing, and evaluating the scale of their ticket operations, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Immunity May Not Protect Gov't-Backed Cyber Operators

  

  Companies considering participation in a National Coordination Center program that authorizes private actors to conduct offensive cyber operations on the government’s behalf should understand the limits of sovereign immunity and the operational and legal risks lurking in the details and undefined parameters of the program, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• Tariffs Could Be Behind Surge In FTZ Production Filings

  

  As tariffs reshape production sourcing decisions, manufacturers are seeking foreign trade zone production authority at more than twice last year's pace, making it important to consider the potential duty and export benefits, along with review delays and restrictions that can curb savings, say attorneys at Sidley.

• White House AI Accord Could Reshape Reasonable Care

  

  President Donald Trump's recent joint commitment on frontier responsibilities — signed by leaders of Google, Anthropic, Meta and more — may pose legal risks for nonsignatories, as businesses using artificial intelligence may find the accord's safeguards cited against them as evidence of what reasonable care requires, says Peter Schildkraut at Arnold & Porter.