Expert Analysis

• SEC Crypto Mining Statement Delivers Regulatory Clarity

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's March 20 statement clarifying that certain crypto mining activities do not constitute the offer and sale of securities marks the end of the SEC's enforcement-first approach and ushers in a more predictable environment for blockchain innovation and investment, says Jeonghoon Ha at Ha Law.

• Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

  

  Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

• The OCC's Newly Relaxed Approach To Bank Crypto Activity

  

  With the early March rescission of Biden-era interpretive guidance, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has loosened its approach to regulating national banks and federal savings associations' crypto-asset activities, possibly removing one barrier to banks engaging in such activities, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

  

  As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

• How Trump Policies Are Affecting The Right To Repair

  

  Recent policy changes by the second Trump administration — ranging from deregulatory initiatives to tariff increases — are likely to have both positive and negative effects on the ability of independent repair shops and individual consumers to exercise their right to repair electronic devices, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

• How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

  

  As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

• Series

  Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

• Paul Atkins' Past Speeches Offer A Glimpse Into SEC's Future

  

  Following Paul Atkins' Thursday Senate confirmation hearing, a look at his public remarks while serving as a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 2002 and 2008 reveals eight possible structural and procedural changes the SEC may see once he likely takes over as chair, say attorneys at Covington.

• Series

  Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

  

  Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

• Service By Token Is Transforming Crypto Litigation Landscape

  

  As the Trump administration advocates a new course of cryptocurrency regulation, courts in the U.S. and abroad are authorizing innovative methods of process service, including via nonfungible tokens and blockchain messaging, offering practical solutions for litigators grappling with the anonymity of cyber defendants, says Jose Ceide at Salazar Law.

• Opinion

  SEC Shouldn't Complicate Broker-Dealers' AML Compliance

  

  Recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission anti-money laundering enforcement actions show that regulators should not second-guess broker-dealers' reasonable judgment, or stretch the law or their jurisdiction to regulate through enforcement, lest they expect broker-dealers to vigorously defend their AML programs, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• Executive Orders Paving Way For New Era Of Crypto Banking

  

  Recent executive orders have already significantly affected the day-to-day operations of financial institutions that have an interest in engaging with digital assets, and creating informed strategies now can support institutions as the crypto gates continue to open to the banking industry, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

• Explaining CFPB's Legal Duties Under The Dodd-Frank Act

  

  While only Congress can actually eradicate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Trump administration has sought to significantly alter the agency's operations, so it's an apt time to review the minimum baseline of activities that Congress requires of the CFPB in Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

• State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

  

  Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.