Public Policy

  • January 01, 2025

    Top International Trade Policy Stories To Watch In 2025

    The re-election of Donald Trump has once again put U.S. trade policy center stage, as corporate attorneys brace for the sort of tariff and dealmaking whirlwind that came to define much of Trump's first term.

  • January 01, 2025

    Cannabis And Hemp Lawsuits To Watch In 2025

    A California litigator alleging the unconstitutionality of multiple state and local cannabis licensure programs is pushing his actions through the federal circuit courts, hemp industry stakeholders are alleging that states have overstepped their authority with policies meant to rein in intoxicating products, and a coalition of marijuana companies' challenge to the federal ban on prohibition had its day in federal appellate court.

  • January 01, 2025

    Cannabis Advocates Hone Their Policy Goals For 2025

    With Republicans set to control the legislative and executive branches, cannabis advocates predict that federal cannabis reforms in 2025 are still achievable, but note they will likely be more incremental than holistic, with an emphasis on public safety and states' rights.

  • January 01, 2025

    Energy Cases To Watch In 2025

    Federal courts will be addressing disputes that could reshape the authority of several U.S. energy regulators and subsequently impact the future of power development in the nation. Here are the biggest lawsuits on Law360’s radar that energy attorneys must watch in 2025.

  • January 01, 2025

    DC Circuit Cases To Watch in 2025

    The D.C. Circuit's 2025 docket is stacked with challenges to alleged misbehavior by federal regulatory agencies, with the behavior including the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's bid to ban wagering on elections and the Federal Trade Commission's efforts to crack down on Meta's privacy practices.

  • January 01, 2025

    NC Legislation To Watch In 2025: Power Plays, Helene Relief

    A sprawling North Carolina bill that combined Hurricane Helene relief efforts and controversial power shake-ups seemed destined to become law when state lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto, but a subsequent lawsuit by Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein has placed the proposal in limbo. 

  • January 01, 2025

    Pa. Legislation To Watch: Noncompetes, Funding Solutions

    A new Pennsylvania law restricting noncompete agreements for certain healthcare workers has left some employment law attorneys with questions, while perennial public transit funding issues signal that revenue-generating regulations could appear on next year's legislative agenda.

  • January 01, 2025

    New Jersey Legislation To Watch In 2025

    New Jersey lawmakers passed legislation in 2024 aiming to ensure some of its most vulnerable residents have access to affordable housing, promised to put an end to book bans and provided job seekers more pay transparency for the roles they seek, reflecting the social issues that dominated headlines. Here, Law360 highlights New Jersey legislation to watch in the new year.

  • January 01, 2025

    NJ Cases To Watch In 2025: Power Broker, Pollution Cleanup

    This year, litigators in New Jersey and beyond will be watching the state's prosecution of power broker George Norcross and his close associates for the alleged wide-ranging RICO conspiracy to obtain Camden waterfront properties and the millions of tax credits that come with the lots.

  • January 01, 2025

    Key Environmental Policies To Watch In 2025

    Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election means that several key environmental policies developed by the Biden administration will be subject to scrutiny and probably revision, if not outright revocation. Here are four key policy areas to watch this year.

  • January 01, 2025

    Privacy & Cybersecurity Policy To Watch In 2025

    States are expected to again take the legislative and regulatory lead in the data privacy and cybersecurity arenas in 2025, filling in the gaps that are likely to be left by new Republican leaders at the federal level who are poised to flip the script on a range of hot-button issues, including artificial intelligence.

  • January 01, 2025

    Consumer Protection Issues To Watch In 2025

    The Federal Trade Commission's work to clamp down on surprise fees and make subscriptions easier to cancel faces an uncertain path forward in the wake of a looming leadership change, while the federal government's effort to shrink a sprawling tech liability shield is likely to heat up.

  • January 01, 2025

    Florida Legislation To Watch In 2025

    Now that the election cycle has concluded, Florida lawmakers will begin preparing for the next session in Tallahassee, which begins its 60-day run on March 4. Between interim meetings, bill filing deadlines and representing the interests of constituents at home, legislators have a lot of work on the table.

  • January 01, 2025

    Gov't Contracts Cases To Watch In 2025

    Federal courts in 2025 are expected to rehear a finding underpinning a high-profile commercial item contracting dispute, to determine the allowability of contentious labor-related clauses in federal contracts, and to decide whether to back the government's aggressive enforcement of cybersecurity regulations.

  • January 01, 2025

    6 Pivotal Texas Bills To Watch In 2025

    Texas lawmakers have filed a litany of bills to debate in the New Year that would expand access to the state bar, emulate the end of the Chevron doctrine for state agencies and add new layers to the judicial complaint process. Here are six key proposals in the state legislature that attorneys should watch closely.

  • January 01, 2025

    Gov't Contracts Policies To Watch In 2025

    There are several planned and potential changes to federal procurement policy that government contractors need to be on watch for in 2025, from pending recommendations of a proposed Elon Musk-led advisory body on government efficiency, to key definitions underpinning cybersecurity and domestic sourcing rules.

  • January 01, 2025

    M&A Attys Bullish About 2025 Despite Global Tensions

    Industry attorneys are optimistic about mergers and acquisitions moving into 2025 following a year with plenty of megadeals, modest upticks in deal values and volumes, interest rate cuts, and a Donald Trump reelection that is expected to bring pro-business policies and a reduction in regulatory red tape.

  • January 01, 2025

    Top 4 Climate Change Cases to Watch in 2025

    The New Year could see federal appellate courts deciding cases with ramifications for the government’s approach to climate change regulations, including U.S. Supreme Court cases on the scope of environmental reviews and municipalities’ rights in suing fossil fuel companies. Here are the biggest climate change cases that environmental and energy lawyers must watch in 2025.

  • January 01, 2025

    Top Climate Change Policies To Watch in 2025

    The incoming Trump administration is expected to hit the ground running in the New Year to roll back Biden-era rules taking aim at climate change and industries that rely on fossil fuels. Here are key climate change policies to watch in 2025.

  • January 01, 2025

    Transportation Regulation & Legislation To Watch In 2025

    The Trump administration's expected rollback of rules intended to slash vehicle emissions and accelerate electric vehicle adoption, alongside a spate of new tariffs impacting the supply chain, are just some of the transportation industry's top regulatory priorities to watch in 2025.

  • December 28, 2024

    Trump Seeks High Court's Pause Of TikTok Sale-Or-Ban Law

    President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to freeze the impending deadline for TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a nationwide ban, suggesting his new administration could negotiate a deal that would end the need for the congressional mandate.

  • December 23, 2024

    Biden Vetoes Bill To Add New Judgeships

    President Joe Biden vetoed a bill Monday that would have added more federal judgeships, despite the judiciary's plea that more seats on the bench are needed desperately.

  • December 23, 2024

    HHS Can't Enforce Abortion Privacy Rule Against Texas Doctor

    A Texas federal judge has granted a Lone Star State doctor a reprieve from a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule that aims to protect the privacy of abortion providers and patients, saying that the rule likely exceeds the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's statutory authority.

  • December 23, 2024

    DOL Wants Full 9th Circ. Review Of Contractor Wage Ruling

    A split Ninth Circuit panel decision that blocked President Joe Biden from raising federal contractors' minimum wage to $15 an hour shrinks the president's power, the U.S. Department of Labor said, urging the full appellate court to step in.

  • December 23, 2024

    Google Counters DOJ's Proposed Chrome Sale

    Google has countered the Justice Department's proposed divestiture of the Chrome browser in a brief filed in D.C. federal court arguing the proper fix for its illegal search monopoly would be to allow Android phone makers and browser companies the ability to more readily pick rival engines.

Expert Analysis

  • Predictions For Trump Antitrust Enforcement Of Life Sciences

    Author Photo

    Key life sciences antitrust issues of the past two administrations may indicate the direction of enforcement during President-elect Donald Trump's second term, including in areas such as drug prices, killer acquisitions and merger remedies, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • What To Know About Fla. Civil Procedure Rule Revisions

    Author Photo

    While some may be apprehensive about the looming changes coming to Florida’s Rules of Civil Procedure on Jan. 1, these essential modifications that affect tenets of civil litigation long taken for granted will increase efficiency and streamline the litigation process, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • From Football To Pickleball, Sports Investing Evolved In 2024

    Author Photo

    The NFL's decision to allow private-equity investments in football franchises capped off a transformative year in U.S. sports that also included landmark PE transactions in emerging sports ranging from women's soccer to pickleball, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities

    Author Photo

    Regardless of how Greenidge Generation LLC v. New York Department of Environmental Conservation develops on remand, this decision has immediate repercussions for generating facilities seeking permit applications and renewals in New York, likely involving Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act considerations, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • How CFPB Rule Would Affect Data Brokers And Beyond

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed a rule that would not only expand data broker oversight by classifying many as consumer reporting agencies, but would also impose new limitations on companies seeking to obtain information from them, potentially requiring such entities to alter their business models, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

    Author Photo

    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Reviewing 2024's State Consumer Privacy Law Enforcement

    Author Photo

    While we are still in the infancy of state consumer privacy laws, a review of enforcement activity this year suggests substantial overlaps in regulatory priorities across the most active states and gives insight into the likely paths of future enforcement, says Thomas Nolan at Quinn Emanuel.

  • 5th Circ. Crypto Ruling Shows Limits On OFAC Authority

    Author Photo

    The Fifth Circuit's recent decision that immutable smart contracts on the Tornado Cash crypto-transaction software protocol are not "property" subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control jurisdiction may signal that courts can construe OFAC's authority more restrictively after Loper Bright, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

    Author Photo

    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Expand Investment Options For 403(b)s

    Author Photo

    Lawmakers should pass pending legislation to give 403(b) plan participants access to collective investment trusts, leveling the playing field for public sector retirement investors by giving them an investment option their private sector counterparts have had for decades, says Jason Levy at Great Gray Trust Company.

  • What 2024 Election Means For Drugs, Medicare And Medicaid

    Author Photo

    With Republicans running the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the incoming administration is likely to provide pathways — through new initiatives and others returning from Trump's previous presidency — for a range of potential changes to drug pricing, Medicare and Medicaid, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AV Compliance Is Still A State-By-State Slog — For Now

    Author Photo

    While the incoming Trump administration has hinted at new federal regulations governing autonomous vehicles, for now, AV manufacturers must take a state-by-state approach to compliance with safety requirements — paying particular attention to states that require express authorization for AV operation, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Opinion

    Antitrust Posturing Against Algorithmic AI Should End

    Author Photo

    President-elect Donald Trump needs to rein in the federal government's antitrust crusade against algorithmic AI, sending the message that antitrust enforcement must be grounded in evidence and real harm, says attorney David Balto, a former Federal Trade Commission assistant director of policy and evaluation.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

    Author Photo

    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Immigration Atty Tips For Avoiding Prosecution Under Trump

    Author Photo

    Under the incoming Trump administration, immigration attorneys may need to protect themselves from prosecution when advising clients who may not qualify for relief sought by choosing their words carefully and keeping other key factors in mind, says Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!