Expert Analysis

• Republican Trifecta Amplifies Risks For Cos. In 3 Key Areas

  

  Expected coordination between a Republican Congress and presidential administration may expose companies to simultaneous criminal, civil and congressional investigations, particularly with regard to supply chain risks in certain industries, government contracting and cross-border investment, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• 2 Cases May Signal Where FTC Is Headed On Labor Issues

  

  Two recent Federal Trade Commission challenges to no-hire clauses in agreements between building service firms and their customers include comments by future FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson that may offer insight into the direction the FTC is headed on labor issues, says Michael Wise at Squire Patton.

• 5 Evolving Concerns For Family Offices In 2025

  

  Complex regulatory changes and emerging operational risks will force family offices to stay on their toes in 2025, with timely action particularly necessary to address several tax and reporting developments that may affect their investments and business operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• New Law In NY Places Employee NIL Rights In Spotlight

  

  New York recently became the first state to codify name, image and likeness rights for models, but as such protections seemingly expand for individual employees across industries, employers may want to brush up on related case law, and update their handbooks and policies accordingly, says Timothy Bechen at Woods Rogers.

• Updated HIPAA Rule Is A Necessary Step For Data Protection

  

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' updated rules addressing cybersecurity threats in healthcare will necessitate significant investment in technology, training and compliance infrastructure, but are an essential evolution in safeguarding data in an increasingly digital world, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

• National Trust Bank Charter Can Widen Reach Of Fintech Cos.

  

  U.S. fintech companies that want to expand nationwide are at a competitive disadvantage with foreign companies, which can much more easily branch into the U.S., but setting up a national trust bank charter could offer a path forward, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

• 2024 Was A Banner Year For Shareholder Activism

  

  Shareholder activism campaigns in 2024 continued at an elevated pace globally, with activist investors exploiting valuation gaps and pushing aggressively for corporate governance reforms, including the ouster of many companies' chief executives, a trend that could continue once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Expect A Big Shake Up At The EEOC Under 2nd Trump Admin

  

  During President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is likely to significantly shift its focus and priorities, especially where workplace DEI initiatives, immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ rights and pregnancy protections are concerned, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

• Series

  Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

  

  While the last quarter of 2024 didn't bring any notable state financial legislation, Illinois banks did see developments in the challenge to the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, and received some awaited guidance on credit line disclosures and bank-fintech relationships, say attorneys at Dykema.

• 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

  

  President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

• How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

  

  Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

• E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

  

  Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Impact Of Successful Challenges To SEC's Rulemaking Ability

  

  In 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission faced significant legal challenges to its aggressive rulemaking agenda as several of its rules were vacated by the Fifth Circuit, which could hinder the SEC's ability to enact rules extending beyond express statutory authority in the future, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Takeaways From DOJ, FTC End To Collaboration Guidelines

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's and U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision to withdraw the guidelines for collaborations among competitors may reflect a desire for clearer parameters by emphasizing case law on specific ventures, but it also carries the potential to chill some future collaboration, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

• 5 Privacy Law Trends That Will Continue In 2025

  

  While preparing privacy programs for the year, companies should keep in mind several developments from 2024 that will carry over — namely, in the realm of artificial intelligence, passive data collection, combining data from multiple sources, privacy program expectations and managing vendors, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.