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Compliance
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June 12, 2024
Sen. Dems Seek Criminal Penalties For PE Hospital 'Looters'
A pair of Democratic senators are targeting private equity's role in the healthcare industry, introducing new legislation Tuesday that would give federal and state enforcers new tools to go after firms they say are "looting" hospital systems and other providers, including possibly jailing executives if patient deaths result.
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June 12, 2024
EPA Urges DC Circ. To Uphold Chemical Rule Deadline
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday asked the D.C. Circuit to reject a Louisiana-based neoprene manufacturer's bid to immediately block the EPA from enforcing a chemical emissions rule that will directly affect the company.
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June 11, 2024
Ontrak CEO Told Broker To Sell Shares Quickly, Jury Hears
A stockbroker testifying Tuesday in the California federal insider trading trial for Ontrak's founder said the executive didn't accept his advice to delay selling shares of the healthcare company to avoid the appearance of trading on insider information, but instead insisted on selling the shares immediately.
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June 11, 2024
SIFMA, Missouri Seek Early End To Anti-ESG Rules Suit
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and Missouri state officials have filed dueling summary judgment bids in SIFMA's suit over the state's anti-ESG rules for brokers and advisers, with SIFMA claiming the rules violate the First Amendment, and both sides painting the issue as a matter of states' rights versus federal preemption.
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June 11, 2024
Fed's New Internal Trading Policy Full Of Loopholes, Sens. Say
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have called on Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell to repeal what they say is a "failed approach" to addressing allegedly illicit trading by Fed officials, saying the long-awaited policy is riddled with loopholes, contains weak penalties and requires no transparency for officials who violate the trading rules.
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June 11, 2024
DC Circ. Affirms Petrobras' Immunity Denial In Fraud Case
The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the denial of Petrobras' immunity defense against an investor fraud lawsuit filed after the petroleum company was implicated in a sprawling bribery scheme, ruling that the alleged fraud caused a direct impact on the United States sufficient to pull Petrobras into the court's jurisdiction.
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June 11, 2024
Prison Phone Cos. Want To Factor Security Cost Into Rates
Prison phone call providers need to be allowed to factor the cost of safety and security features into the rates that they charge incarcerated people to contact their loved ones, a trio of companies has told the Federal Communications Commission.
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June 11, 2024
Hedge Fund Anson Settles With SEC Over Cannabis Shorts
The American and Canadian entities overseeing hedge fund Anson Funds agreed on Tuesday to pay $2.25 million to end a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into their allegedly hidden relationship with an activist investment firm that shorted a pair of cannabis stocks.
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June 11, 2024
9th Circ. Judge On Theranos Appeal: 'Good Story' For Holmes
Two Ninth Circuit judges on a three-judge panel expressed concerns Tuesday that the district judge presiding over convicted former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' criminal trial erred by allowing a layperson witness to offer expert testimony at trial, with one judge saying, "There's a pretty good story here for Ms. Holmes."
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June 11, 2024
Texas, Mont. Sue HHS Over ACA Trans Discrimination Rule
Texas and Montana filed suit against the Biden administration seeking to halt its rule clarifying the application of the Affordable Care Act's nondiscrimination protections to gender identity, saying the new regulations infringe on states' autonomy and force them to violate their own laws.
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June 11, 2024
AI No Scarier Than Nail Guns Or Microscopes, Kappos Says
Former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director David Kappos cautioned attorneys Tuesday to "keep ourselves grounded" about the use of artificial intelligence in intellectual property, saying it's just a tool like a microscope or nail gun, rather than something justifying "panic."
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June 11, 2024
Southwest Ditches 2022 Holiday Mayhem Suit, For Now
A California federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a group of Southwest Airlines customers' proposed breach of contract class action stemming from massive flight cancellations during the airline's December 2022 holiday-week meltdown but gave the plaintiffs another shot to bolster their claims.
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June 11, 2024
4 More States Join DOJ's Antitrust Suit Against Apple
The attorneys general of Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada and Indiana on Tuesday became the latest to join the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court claiming Apple is monopolizing the smartphone market.
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June 11, 2024
Moelis-Inspired Del. Corporate Law Bill Clears Senate Panel
A string of law professors turned out Tuesday to oppose a Delaware Senate bill that would let boards cede some governance rights to big stockholders and some Delaware Court oversight to other jurisdictions, with the measure nevertheless cleared for a full Senate vote.
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June 11, 2024
SVB Wants A Trial Over Its $605M Tax Bill From IRS
The parent company of failed Silicon Valley Bank has told a New York bankruptcy judge it wants him to decide if it owes the Internal Revenue Service more than $605 million in taxes.
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June 11, 2024
Dish Fights To Weigh In On Spectrum False Claims Act Case
Dish Network deserves a say in whether the whistleblower claims accusing it of using sham companies to scam the government out of some $3.3 billion are dismissed — and the relator's suggestion that it doesn't is "facially absurd," the company has told the court.
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June 11, 2024
NCAA Hit With NIL Suit By '83 Wolfpack Players
Members of North Carolina State University's 1983 championship basketball team have accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association of exploiting their names, images and likenesses for profit.
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June 11, 2024
Ex-Kirkland Partner Gets Second Term As PCAOB Chair
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday it has selected onetime Kirkland litigation partner and former Obama administration counsel Erica Y. Williams for a second term as chairperson of its Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, keeping her heading up the board through October 2029.
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June 11, 2024
FCC Looks To Fine Telecom $2.6M For Failing To Pay Fees
The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it plans to fine a Texas telecom $2.65 million for failing to pay required fees to support an array of FCC programs, including low-income subsidies, services for disabled consumers and phone number portability.
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June 11, 2024
SEC Probing Autodesk After Accounting Practices Report
Autodesk Inc. said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the software corporation after it voluntarily contacted the regulatory body to inform it of the company's own internal investigation into its free cash flow and non-generally accepted accounting principles operating margin practices.
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June 11, 2024
Deutsche Telekom Owed €1.8M In EU Fine Overcharge Interest
The European Union's executive branch is on the hook to Deutsche Telekom for €1.75 million in interest for an antitrust fine overcharge after the bloc's high court on Tuesday rejected an appeal contesting lower court findings that there is an "absolute, unconditional obligation" to pay that interest.
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June 11, 2024
AES Sued In Del. For 'Weaponized' Advance Notice Bylaws
Global utility and power company The AES Corp. has "weaponized" advance notice requirements in its bylaws to make it "unreasonably difficult, if not impossible," for stockholders to nominate candidates for the company's board, a stockholder has alleged in a new Delaware Court of Chancery suit.
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June 11, 2024
FTC Gets Short Extension On Novant Deal Pause
A North Carolina federal court Tuesday extended an order preventing Novant Health from closing its $320 million deal for a pair of hospitals in the state by 10 days to give the Federal Trade Commission time to ask the Fourth Circuit to pause the transaction.
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June 11, 2024
AI Hiring Platform's Ex-CEO Charged With $27M Fraud
The founder of hiring startup Joonko Diversity Inc. has been charged with fraud, with prosecutors saying Tuesday that she deceived investors into dumping $27 million into a platform that supposedly used artificial intelligence to help companies recruit diverse job candidates.
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June 11, 2024
FINRA Fines Brokerage TradeZero Over 'Finfluencer' Promos
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined broker-dealer TradeZero America Inc. $250,000 for allegedly failing to properly supervise its influencer partners, who promoted the firm on their social media accounts.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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GSA's Carbon-Free Power Plan: Tips For Electricity Suppliers
The U.S. General Services Administration's recent request for information concerning its intent to acquire a large amount of carbon pollution-free electricity over the next decade in the PJM Interconnection region offers key insights for companies interested in becoming electric power suppliers to federal government agencies, say Shaunna Bailey and Nicholas Dugdale at Sheppard Mullin.
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3 Lessons From Family Dollar's Record $41.7M Guilty Plea
Family Dollar's recent plea deal in connection with a rodent infestation at one of its distribution facilities — resulting in the largest ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case — offers key takeaways for those practicing in the interconnected fields of compliance, internal investigations and white collar defense, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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SEC Climate Rules Create Unique Challenges For CRE
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently adopted final rules concerning climate-related disclosures for public companies are likely to affect even real estate companies that are not publicly traded, since they may be required to provide information to entities that are subject to the rules, says Laura Truesdale at Moore & Van Allen.
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New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS
Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.
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4 Ways AI Tools Can Improve Traditional Merger Analyses
Government officials at the American Bar Association's annual antitrust spring meeting last week reinforced the view that competition cases will increasingly rely on sophisticated data analysis, so companies will likewise need to use Big Tech quantitative techniques to improve traditional merger analyses, say Patrick Bajari, Gianmarco Calanchi and Tega Akati-Udi at Keystone.
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What FinCEN Proposed Customer ID Number Change Means
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent request for comment on changing a requirement for banks to collect full Social Security numbers at account sign-up represents an important opportunity for banks to express their preferability, as communicating sensitive information online may carry fraud or cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Oracle Ruling Underscores Trend Of Mootness Fee Denials
The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent refusal to make tech giant Oracle shoulder $5 million of plaintiff shareholders' attorney fees illustrates a trend of courts raising the standard for granting the mootness fee awards once ubiquitous in post-merger derivative disputes, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Traversing The Web Of Nonjudicial Grievance Mechanisms
Attorneys at Covington provide an overview of how companies can best align their environmental and human rights compliance with "hard-law" requirements like the EU's recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while also navigating the complex global network of existing nonjudicial grievance mechanisms.
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Benzene Contamination Concerns: Drugmakers' Next Steps
After a citizen petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a flurry of class actions over benzene contamination in benzoyl peroxide acne products, affected manufacturers should consider a thoughtful approach that includes assembling internal data and possibly contacting the FDA for product-specific discussions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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An NYDFS-Regulated Bank's Guide To Proper Internal Audits
As certification deadlines for compliance with the New York State Department of Financial Services’ transaction monitoring and cybersecurity regulations loom, lawyers should remember that the NYDFS offers no leeway for best efforts — and should ensure robust auditing and recordkeeping processes for clients, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.
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A Look At Global Employee Disconnect Laws For US Counsel
As countries worldwide adopt employee right to disconnect laws, U.S. in-house counsel at corporations with a global workforce must develop a comprehensive understanding of the laws' legal and cultural implications, ensuring their companies can safeguard employee welfare while maintaining legal compliance, say Emma Corcoran and Ute Krudewagen at DLA Piper.
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How DEI Programs Are Being Challenged In Court And Beyond
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmative action decision last year declaring the consideration of race in university admissions unconstitutional, employers should keep abreast of recent litigation challenging diversity, equity and inclusion training programs, as well as legislation both supporting and opposing DEI initiatives in the workplace, say attorneys at Skadden.
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At 'SEC Speaks,' A Focus On Rebuilding Trust Amid Criticism
At the Practising Law Institute's SEC Speaks conference last week, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted efforts to rebuild and restore trust in the U.S. capital markets by addressing investor concerns through regulatory measures and enforcement actions, emphasizing the need for cooperation from market participants, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.