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Compliance
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November 27, 2024
DOL Sued For OSHA Info In NJ Amazon Warehouse Deaths
The U.S. Department of Labor has been hit with a lawsuit by a labor advocate seeking records related to investigations of three deaths at Amazon.com Inc.'s "notoriously hazardous warehouses" in New Jersey in 2022, saying the agency failed to comply with Freedom of Information Act deadlines.
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November 27, 2024
Arkansas Can't Bring Suit Against Crypto Miner For Now
An Arkansas federal judge has temporarily barred state officials from taking action against a Chinese-born U.S. citizen's crypto mining operation after he challenged the investigation against him and the laws underpinning it as discriminatory and unconstitutional.
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November 27, 2024
FCC Refers T-Mobile, UScellular Deal To Team Telecom
The Federal Communications Commission has referred T-Mobile's anticipated $4.4 billion purchase of wireless operations from United States Cellular Corp. to the committee that vets foreign investment in the U.S. telecom market.
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November 27, 2024
Nonprofit Warns 3rd Circ. Against 'Abuse' In Merck Vax Case
The anti-monopoly think tank Open Markets Institute urged the full Third Circuit to rethink a panel's immunization of Merck & Co. Inc. from antitrust claims over its mumps vaccine, arguing in an amicus brief that the doctrine cementing the right to petition the government doesn't justify the use of courts and administration as a "competitive weapon."
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November 27, 2024
Big Bank Supervision Costs Spur Assessment Rate Hike
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced that it will raise the fees it charges to large banks by 16% beginning in 2025 to cover the increased cost of supervising the largest financial institutions, while other rates will have a smaller increase due to inflation.
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November 27, 2024
CFPB Fights Student Loan Servicer's Bid To Pause Deal
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has told a Pennsylvania federal court that student loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency shouldn't get to pause its work fulfilling a settlement just because a third party had appealed a separate deal with the loan holders.
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November 27, 2024
Illinois Top Court Will Decide Fate Of $7B Power Line Permit
The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to review a lower court's decision striking state utility regulators' approval to build part of the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission line.
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November 27, 2024
CFPB Bags $42M Penalty Against Ga. Auto Loan Servicer
A Georgia federal judge ordered a car loan servicer to pay more than $42 million in restitution, damages and fines for what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said was a slew of shady business practices, including using remote kill switches to shut off borrowers' cars and double charging them for insurance premiums.
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November 27, 2024
5th Circ. Reverses Treasury's Block Of Crypto Mixer
The Fifth Circuit has rejected the government's blacklisting of Tornado Cash for "its role in laundering virtual currency for malicious cyber actors," saying the cryptocurrency service's immutable smart contracts, or lines of privacy-enabling software code, are not "property" and are therefore unownable and cannot be blocked under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
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November 27, 2024
Ga. CPA Must Pay SEC $850K For Ponzi Scheme Role
An Atlanta certified public accountant accused of serving as a front man for a convicted former Oppenheimer & Co. adviser's $110 million Ponzi scheme was hit with a money judgment of more than $854,000 by a Georgia federal judge.
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November 27, 2024
FCC Warns Some ISPs Still Advertising Internet Subsidy
Some internet service providers are still advertising discounts on service through the Affordable Connectivity Program even though it ended in June, the Federal Communications Commission has warned consumers.
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November 27, 2024
Calif. Law Means FERC Must Yank Grid Perk, 9th Circ. Told
California officials and several municipal utilities have backed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's revocation of a grid incentive for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for voluntarily belonging to a regional transmission organization, telling the Ninth Circuit that FERC is properly following state law.
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November 27, 2024
EPA Mercury Rule Is Fatally Flawed, DC Circ. Told
Republican-led states and fossil fuel industry groups fired back at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent defense of its rule strengthening standards for mercury and other toxic air emissions at power plants, telling the D.C. Circuit the agency misinterpreted the Clean Air Act's pollution reduction goals.
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November 27, 2024
EPA Asks DC Circ. To Keep Emissions Rules In Place
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is defending its strict new emissions limits for cars, trucks and vans against a legal challenge from red states and industry groups, telling the D.C. Circuit that the Clean Air Act grants federal regulators authority over both gas-powered and electric vehicles.
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November 27, 2024
SEC Exempts More Debt Securities From New Trading Rules
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is relieving broker-dealers who quote unlisted stocks from increased information-gathering requirements that would have also applied to many fixed-income securities, a development attorneys say will prove welcome for debt issuers.
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November 27, 2024
Rikers Faces Federal Takeover As NYC Held In Contempt
A Manhattan federal judge found New York City and its corrections department in civil contempt for failing to fix the "unconstitutional danger" for inmates at Rikers Island, indicating a receivership is the solution.
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November 26, 2024
Trailer Maker Inks DOJ Deal Over Noncitizen Employment Bias
Trailer manufacturer Great Dane LLC agreed to pay $436,000 to resolve allegations that one of its Nebraska plants discriminated against non-U.S. citizens during the hiring process, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday, releasing new guidance about lawful permanent residents' employment rights.
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November 26, 2024
NY Groups, Truckers Say Congestion Pricing Unconstitutional
A New York teachers union, and coalitions of residents and truckers have told a federal judge that Manhattan's recently resurrected congestion pricing is still unconstitutional and discriminatory, and federal and state transportation agencies shouldn't be allowed to shake their claims just because the tolls will be reduced.
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November 26, 2024
NAR Buyer-Broker Settlement Approved Over DOJ Concerns
A Missouri federal judge granted final approval Tuesday to the National Association of Realtors' antitrust settlement with home sellers, signing off on a $418 million payment and changes to broker commission rules, as NAR and the plaintiffs assailed the U.S. Department of Justice for raising last-minute concerns about the deal.
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November 26, 2024
EPA Asks Justices Not To Block Coal Ash Rule
U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar called on the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to reject a Kentucky electric utility's effort to halt a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule strengthening federal regulations requiring safe management of coal ash.
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November 26, 2024
Smart Devices Fail To Disclose Security Lifespan, FTC Says
As holiday shopping gets underway, the Federal Trade Commission is raising alarm about smart device update disclosures, saying an overwhelming majority of devices – from hearing aids to home security cameras and fitness devices — come without clear information on how long the manufacturer will keep them protected from security risks.
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November 26, 2024
Crypto Miner Can't Get Quick Appeal In SEC Fraud Suit
A Utah man accused of defrauding crypto mining investors out of $18 million must face the claims that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought against him after a lower court judge on Tuesday declined his request to send the case to the Tenth Circuit.
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November 26, 2024
Atty Sanctioned In Privacy Suit Over Dodgy Prejudice Claims
A Texas federal judge chided a plaintiffs' attorney during a Tuesday hearing in a privacy-related proposed class action, saying the lawyer needs a "refresher" on local rules and fining him $150 for seemingly pushing his own self-interests.
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November 26, 2024
Madigan Pushed Land Transfer After Law Biz Pitch, Jury Told
A former Chicago alderman testifying against ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan told jurors Tuesday he connected prospective developers to Madigan, who lobbied to take on their legal work and soon after pushed legislation that would clear the way for their project.
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November 26, 2024
Google Search Judge Says AI Will Affect Remedy Phase
The judge overseeing the government's search monopolization case against Google suggested Tuesday in D.C. federal court that artificial intelligence is shifting the market and will likely play a role in the remedies the court imposes on Google for allegedly violating antitrust law.
Expert Analysis
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8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney
A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.
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Navigating Complex Regulatory Terrain Amid State AG Races
This year's 10 attorney general elections could usher in a wave of new enforcement priorities and regulatory uncertainty, but companies can stay ahead of the shifts by building strong relationships with AG offices, participating in industry coalitions and more, say Ketan Bhirud and Dustin McDaniel at Cozen O’Connor.
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How A Trump Win Might Affect The H-1B Program
A review of the Trump administration's attempted overhaul of the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program suggests policies Donald Trump might try to implement if he is reelected, and specific steps employers should consider to prepare for that possibility, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.
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Challenge To Ill. Card Fee Law Explores Compliance Hurdles
A recent federal lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that will soon forbid electronic payment networks from charging fees for processing the tax and tip portions of card transactions, fleshes out the glaring compliance challenges and exposure risks financial institutions must be ready to face next summer, says Martin Kiernan at Amundsen Davis.
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Compliance Considerations For Calif. Child Labor Audit Law
California employers will need to conduct a fact-intensive analysis to determine whether a new state law that imposes transparency rules for child labor audits applies to their operations, and should look out for regulatory guidance that answers open questions about deadlines and penalties, says Sylvia St. Clair at Faegre Drinker.
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Recent Securities Cases Highlight Risks In AI Disclosures
Increasing public disclosure about the use and risks of artificial intelligence, and related litigation asserting that such disclosures are false or misleading, suggest that issuers need to exercise great care with respect to how they describe the benefits of AI, say Richard Zelichov and Danny Tobey at DLA Piper.
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Harris Unlikely To Shelve Biden Admin's Food Antitrust Stance
A look at Vice President Kamala Harris' past record, including her actions as California attorney general, shows why practitioners should prepare for continued aggressive antitrust enforcement, particularly in the food and grocery industries, if Harris wins the presidential election, says Steve Vieux at Bartko.
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Opinion
This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process
In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Navigating HHS' New Reproductive Healthcare Privacy Rule
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new final rule regarding protections for the privacy of reproductive health information will require regulated entities to grapple with difficult questions about whether to comply with state law requirements or federal privacy prohibitions, says Christine Chasse at Spencer Fane.
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Illinois May Be Gearing Up To Ban E-Verify
Recently passed amendments to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act appear to effectively ban the use of E-Verify in the state, but ambiguity means employers will have to weigh the risks of continued use while also taking note of other work authorization requirements imposed by the updates, say Julie Ratliff and Elizabeth Wellhausen at Taft.
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Breaking Down CFTC's Novel Theory Driving Uniswap Action
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent enforcement action against Uniswap concerning digital asset liquidity appears to be a unilateral attempt to expand its regulatory authority in the absence of official congressional approval, putting forth a novel theory of liability that will likely be tested through litigation, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Mental Health Parity Rules: Tips For Plans And Issuers
Following federal agencies' release of final mental health parity rules, plan sponsors and health insurance issuers should develop protocols for preparing compliant nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Series
Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.
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Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA
After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.
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Proposed Mortgage Assistance Rule: Tips For Servicers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent proposal to alter Regulation X mortgage servicing procedures to broadly construe requests for assistance, and stay foreclosure proceedings during loss mitigation review, will, if finalized, require mortgage servicers to make notable procedural changes to comply, says Louis Manetti at Locke Lord.