Telecommunications

June 23, 2025
FTC Tells Court Not To Pause Meta's Privacy Order Challenge

The Federal Trade Commission is pushing back on Meta's request to stay the company's constitutional challenge to the commission's bid to bar the Facebook parent from monetizing children's data for 90 days, saying Meta has done nothing to show it could be harmed by continuing the case.
June 23, 2025
Permit Delays Out Of Hand, Telecom Biz Tells Interior Dept.

Telecom providers are still having a tough time getting federal permits approved for broadband projects, with the Bureau of Land Management causing severe delays, the industry's main trade group told the U.S. Department of the Interior.
June 23, 2025
Google Foes Try To Hold Co. To DOJ's Ad Tech Win

Website publishers, advertisers and others asked a New York federal court to all but seal Google's fate in their multidistrict litigation targeting the company's advertising placement technology business by holding it to the liability findings against the search giant previously won by the U.S. Department of Justice.
June 23, 2025
High Court's Ruling Against Texas Could Tank FCC Wi-Fi Case

As the Federal Communications Commission faces a Fifth Circuit challenge to its plan to fund school bus Wi-Fi, the appeals court is weighing how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week against Texas in a nuclear waste case impacts its jurisdiction.
June 23, 2025
Amazon Sanctioned For Hidden Discovery

A Washington federal judge sanctioned Amazon.com Monday by limiting its use of company documents produced during discovery while giving the Federal Trade Commission more time for discovery, siding with the FTC's allegations that the online retail giant improperly claimed privilege over tens of thousands of documents in the Prime "dark patterns" lawsuit.
June 23, 2025
Senate Adviser Clears Way For AI Moratorium In Budget Bill

The U.S. Senate won't have to meet a heightened vote threshold to enact a sweeping provision tucked into the current budget proposal that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade, after the chamber's parliamentarian concluded that the controversial measure could remain in the bill.
June 23, 2025
FTC Puts Viewpoint Commitments In Ad Agency Mega-Deal

The Federal Trade Commission said Monday it will allow Omnicom to move ahead with its planned $13.5 billion deal for Interpublic after the marketing giants agreed not to work with others to steer advertisers away from publishers based on their political viewpoints.
June 23, 2025
Texas Law Cutting Municipal Fees Not Gift, Comcast Says

Comcast and a state trade association told the Texas Supreme Court that laws curbing the fees municipalities can charge telecom companies for rights-of-way usage passes constitutional muster, asking the court to flip a lower court's findings that the laws violate the Texas Constitution's gift clauses.
June 23, 2025
Fubo Streamers Demand Own Attys In Disney Suit Settlement

Subscribers to the Fubo streaming service asked a California federal judge to name them and their attorney the leads in the recent proposed settlement with Disney over the carriage fees for its sports streaming service, and to be "wary" of a motion to appoint the attorney for the two other classes of streaming customers as lead counsel.
June 23, 2025
Ohio Debt Collector Calls Robocall Claims Too Thin To Pursue

A debt collection agency in Marietta, Ohio, asked a federal judge to toss part of a proposed class action brought against it for allegedly violating the Telephone Consumer Privacy Act by placing unsolicited robocalls to debtors, saying the suit failed to allege that the company actually used automatic calling systems.
June 23, 2025
Ligado's AST Satellite Deal With $550M For Inmarsat Gets OK

A Delaware bankruptcy judge Monday approved insolvent satellite business Ligado Networks' deal with AST SpaceMobile Inc. that lets the companies work together to develop space-based broadband services, clearing a key hurdle in the debtor's path to securing confirmation of a restructuring plan that aims to cut almost $8 billion in debt.
June 23, 2025
States Back PBS, NPR In Fight Against Trump Broadcast Cuts

A coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia backed a pair of motions from the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio Inc. seeking pretrial wins in their challenges to President Donald Trump's executive order that purports to revoke their funding, arguing that only Congress can pull that money.
June 20, 2025
Science Research Funding Cuts Blocked By Mass. Judge

A Massachusetts federal judge Friday prohibited the Trump administration from cutting certain National Science Foundation research funding associated with facilities and administrative costs, ruling that the policy runs afoul of multiple laws and the government hasn't adequately explained its reasoning.
June 20, 2025
AT&T Customers' $177M Data Breach Deal Wins Initial OK

A Texas federal judge Friday gave her initial blessing to a $177 million settlement resolving a flood of claims accusing AT&T Inc. of failing to safeguard customers' sensitive information during two separate incidents that exposed the data of tens of millions of people.
June 20, 2025
Texas Jury To Decide Google Ad Tech Liability, Not Damages

A Texas federal judge is giving Google only partial reprieve from facing a jury on state attorneys general claims targeting its advertising placement technology business, leaving liability under federal antitrust law and any damages up to the court, while letting most state law claims go to the jury.
June 20, 2025
Invest In More Broadband Use, Not Overbuilds, Report Says

The federal government should be spending its money on making sure areas with no internet at all are getting connected, not "overbuilding" in areas that already have it, a new report says on the best way to close the digital divide.
June 20, 2025
FCC Revisits National Cap On TV Ownership Again

The Federal Communications Commission leadership has signaled that it's open to the idea of stripping away some of the ownership regulations that right-leaning groups and activists say make it too hard for local broadcasters to compete with more heavyweight media companies.
June 20, 2025
New Trial Ordered Over $25M Fee Split In Verizon Injury Case

A New Jersey appellate panel has ordered a new jury trial to decide how to split a $25 million fee award stemming from a $125 million personal injury settlement with Verizon, finding several errors in a previous lower court bench trial.
June 20, 2025
DOJ Sues NJ Telecom For $2.2M In Unpaid FCC Fees

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing a New Jersey-based Voice over Internet Protocol company for $2.2 million in unpaid Federal Communications Commission assessments, penalties and interests, saying the company has ignored invoices and demand letters from as far back as 2019.
June 20, 2025
High Court Says FCC Orders Not Above District Court Review

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that district courts should be allowed to question the slate of regulations that the Federal Communications Commission has issued under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, further constricting the power of federal agencies to interpret laws.
June 18, 2025
Sens., AGs Unite To Raise Alarm On State AI Moratorium

A sweeping proposal being considered by Congress to strip states of the ability to regulate artificial intelligence for a decade would do more harm than good, especially if there continues to be no similar protections in place at the federal level, a bipartisan quartet of U.S. senators and state attorneys general said Wednesday.
June 18, 2025
Mississippi Social Media Law Blocked Again By Federal Judge

A Mississippi federal judge reinstated a preliminary injunction Wednesday that blocks a state law requiring digital service providers to verify users' ages and social media platforms to acquire parental consent for a minor's account, preventing it from taking effect after the Fifth Circuit lifted the court's previous injunction.
June 18, 2025
Space And Satellite Partner Jodi Goldberg Joins Pillsbury In DC

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP announced Wednesday that the firm is bolstering its communications practice with the addition of Jodi Goldberg, a new partner in its Washington, D.C., office.
June 18, 2025
India Says Justices' Ruling Doesn't Change Its $156M Appeal

India has told the D.C. Circuit that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision involving personal jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not address whether it is entitled to constitutional due process protections as it fights a nearly $156 million judgment against it.
June 18, 2025
Seychelles Co. Brings $22M Guinea Award To DC Circ.

A consulting company is asking the D.C. Circuit to revive its bid to enforce a $22 million arbitration award against the Republic of Guinea, contending that the lower court was wrong to toss the case on jurisdictional grounds.

Expert Analysis

Overseas Investment Rule Calls For Compliance Caution

Investors should be leery of who and what they are investing in now that the federal outbound investment regime, effective Jan. 2, has extended the governement's regulatory reach to businesses and parties not previously subject to trade restrictions, says Thaddeus McBride at Bass Berry.
The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.
Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.
Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
Managing Litigation Side-Switching During 2nd Trump Admin

Now that the new presidential administration is in place, the government will likely switch positions in a number of pending cases, and stakeholders should employ strategies to protect their interests, say attorneys at Covington.
3 Noteworthy Effects Of The 2025 NDAA

The 2025 defense budget includes further restrictions on semiconductor sales to Huawei, requiring companies to rethink customer-base oversight, but other provisions are likely to broaden procurement contract opportunities, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
5 Notable Information Security Events In 2024

B. Stephanie Siegmann at Hinckley Allen discusses 2024's largest and most destructive data breaches seen yet, ranging from ransomware disrupting U.S. healthcare systems on a massive scale, to tensions increasing between the U.S. and China over cyberespionage and the control of U.S. data.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Opinion

No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.
5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.
What To Expect From Federal Cybersecurity Policy In 2025

There are 12 cyber policy questions to keep an eye on as the new administration and Republican control of Congress present an opportunity to advance less regulatory approaches and revisit some choices from the prior administration, say attorneys at Wiley.
4 Trade Secret Developments To Follow This Year

Significant developments in trade secret law are likely in 2025, and areas to watch include protection of AI-related innovations, the fate of the Federal Trade Commission's noncompete ban, and questions of the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act's extraterritorial reach, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.