Expert Analysis

• Series

  ESG Around The World: South Africa

  

  While South Africa has yet to mandate the reporting of nonfinancial and environmental, social, and corporate governance issues, policy documents and recent legislative developments are likely to have a material impact in the country's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting its international obligations, say Glynn Kent at Eversheds Sutherland.

• FOIA Exemption Questions On Redacted HHS Cannabis Letter

  

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent recommendation letter concerning the rescheduling of cannabis was heavily redacted, and based on an analysis on the applicability of Freedom of Information Act Exemption 5 to the letter, it's likely that we will see successful legal challenges to those redactions, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• Fed. Circ. Ruling Seemingly Offers PTAB Deadline Immunity

  

  The Federal Circuit's recent Purdue Pharma v. Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc. decision that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board had authority to issue a final written decision in a post grant review after the prescribed statutory deadline underscores how courts should consider the overall objective of the statutory scheme when balancing the classic conflict between bright-line rules and flexible standards, says Matthew Dowd at Dowd Sheffel.

• Evaluating Retroactivity Of Mich. Drugmaker Immunity Repeal

  

  In assessing whether a new Michigan law lifting drugmakers' blanket immunity from product liability suits will apply retroactively, there are four key factors that Michigan courts will likely consider, say Sherry Knutson and Brenda Sweet at Tucker Ellis.

• 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

  

  As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

• FTC Rite Aid Order Holds Biometrics And AI Compliance Tips

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's recent enforcement action against Rite Aid over its use of facial biometric technology on customers provides lessons that can be leveraged to reduce and manage the risk of regulatory scrutiny of biometrics and artificial intelligence, says David Oberly at Baker Donelson.

• Bribery Settlement Gives Insight On DOJ Policies

  

  Chemical company Albemarle’s recent $218 million settlement with the government to resolve foreign bribery claims provides valuable data points for companies on the U.S. Department of Justice’s voluntary self-disclosure policy and its clawback pilot program, say Michael DeBernardis and Tiauna Mathieu at Hughes Hubbard.

• SEC Case May Expand Scope Of Insider Trading Liability

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first-of-its-kind enforcement action against an individual in a case involving "shadow trading" demarcates an expansion of insider trading liability to circumstances in which there is a market connection between the source of information and the issuer of the securities traded, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• Opinion

  Waiving COVID-19 IP Protections Would Harm US Industry

  

  President Joe Biden should turn down a World Trade Organization proposal to waive crucial intellectual property protections behind COVID-19 tests and diagnostics — protections that allow U.S. companies to sustain millions of jobs and develop life-saving treatments that benefit patients in every country, says former U.S. Circuit Judge Paul Michel, now at the Council for Innovation Promotion.

• Fed. Circ. Patent Decisions In 2023: An Empirical Review

  

  The Federal Circuit decided 306 patent cases last year, which is still well down from the pre-pandemic norm of around 440, and on the whole the court's decisions were markedly less patentee-friendly in 2023 than in 2022, says Dan Bagatell at Perkins Coie.

• What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

  

  As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

  

  Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

• Digging Into The Debate On FDA's Proposed Lab Test Rule

  

  A proposed 10-word amendment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration represents a sea change in device regulation as it would summarily end decades of FDA enforcement discretion for laboratory developed tests, and the public comments offer some insight into the future of this long-running saga, say attorneys at Mintz.

• How 2023 Shaped Drug And Medical Device Legal Trends

  

  2023 brought a number of positive developments for the life sciences industry, including great trial and multidistrict litigation outcomes, but also some heavy-handed regulations and other concerning developments that lay the groundwork for significant litigation, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

• Opinion

  What Insurers Gain When Litigating Coverage Denials

  

  Lately, insurance companies have denied coverage for lawsuits alleging liability relating to the ordinary operations of highly regulated businesses, such as those in the pharmaceutical and energy sectors — demonstrating time and again how litigation can be a vehicle for carriers to mitigate their own costs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.