Public Policy

  • August 22, 2024

    Patent Injunction Bill Has Potential To Reshape Disputes

    Proposed legislation to create a presumption that courts would issue an injunction when patent infringement is found could empower patent owners and change the dynamics of disputes if enacted, though experts said the measure's impact would depend on how courts interpret it.

  • August 22, 2024

    Calif. Justices OK Argentine Atty's Uber Fraud Fight

    California justices gave an Argentinian lawyer a green light Thursday to pursue allegations that Uber fraudulently hid crucial information as he represented Uber before its Buenos Aires launch, clarifying that his tort fraudulent-concealment claim is not necessarily barred by the so-called economic loss doctrine if his employment contract never contemplated the alleged fraud.

  • August 22, 2024

    Homeowner Loses Atty Fees In Suit Over HOA Fence Policy

    A Texas appeals court reversed a homeowner's win in a dispute with his neighbors over privacy fences facing a road, finding that a new state law prevents homeowners associations from enacting any covenant barring homeowners from putting up security measures, so the homeowner couldn't collect attorney fees.

  • August 22, 2024

    7th Circ. Says Rep. Isn't Injured By Extended Ballot Count

    A split Seventh Circuit panel on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a challenge to Illinois' ballot receipt procedure, saying no one was forcing a congressman to spend money to safeguard the counting of mail-in ballots up to 14 days after Election Day.

  • August 22, 2024

    Construction Co. Says It's Owed Coverage For Sinkhole Claim

    A Washington construction company has filed a suit seeking to force an insurer to cover potential damages in an underlying lawsuit alleging the company botched a sewer pipeline replacement project, causing a sinkhole to open up along a Seattle ship canal after the job ended.

  • August 22, 2024

    3rd Circ. Denies Liberian Bank Whistleblower's Asylum Bid

    The Third Circuit ruled Thursday that a Liberian man can't claim asylum despite having "suffered horrors" after unearthing a fraud scheme involving Liberian government officials' relatives and refusing a politician's bribe because he did not show evidence that his alleged perpetrators targeted him for having an anti-corruption political opinion.

  • August 22, 2024

    NLRB Stops Accepting Consent Orders That Parties Oppose

    The National Labor Relations Board overruled on Thursday a Trump-era precedent by ceasing the agency's acceptance of consent orders that face objections from both agency prosecutors and the charging party, finding the practice encroaches on the NLRB general counsel's powers.

  • August 22, 2024

    Texas Asks Justices To Uphold Bar On Nuclear Waste Site

    The state of Texas called on the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's attempt to upend a Fifth Circuit decision barring the agency from licensing a temporary nuclear waste storage facility in the state. 

  • August 22, 2024

    Smartmatic, Newsmax Defamation Suit Heads To Del. Trial

    A Delaware Superior Court judge on Thursday teed up a four-week trial starting Sept. 30 on voting machine provider Smartmatic USA Corp. claims that it was defamed by unsubstantiated Newsmax Media Inc. reports tying the voting tech company to alleged conspiracies to steal the 2020 presidential election.

  • August 22, 2024

    Mich. Panel Upholds Block Of 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period

    Michigan appellate judges have refused to lift a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of a 24-hour waiting period and other abortion regulations, leaving in place a lower court decision that found the laws likely violate the state constitution.

  • August 22, 2024

    UK Antitrust Arm Pauses Google, Apple Probes For New Law

    United Kingdom antitrust authorities hit pause on investigations into Google and Apple policies allegedly locking app developers into their in-app payment systems, preferring to wait until new powers come online even as officials said commitments offered by Google aren't enough to address their concerns.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ga. Appeals Court Tosses Nearly $1M Slip-And-Fall Fee Award

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a trial court's decision to revoke nearly $1 million in attorney fees from a man who was allegedly injured after falling into a city of Atlanta water meter box while also affirming the trial court's imposition of spoliation sanctions against the city.

  • August 22, 2024

    9th Circ. Rebuffs Crypto Law Firm's Bid To Revive SEC Suit

    A Ninth Circuit appeals panel said Thursday that a California federal judge was right to toss a crypto-focused law firm's preemptive challenge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since the firm failed to show it faced any "realistic danger" of catching an enforcement case over its use of the ethereum network.

  • August 22, 2024

    Pennsylvania Hospital Gets 1 Week Reprieve In Steward Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved an order setting general closing procedures for bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care, but gave Pennsylvania authorities a week's reprieve as they try to arrange a hospital sale.

  • August 22, 2024

    Justices Allow Part Of Ariz. Voter Law To Take Effect

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Arizona can enforce part of a law that requires proof of citizenship when residents register to vote, but won't unblock a provision extending the requirement to voting by mail or in presidential elections.

  • August 22, 2024

    2 AGs Push Justices To Stay EPA Power Plant Emission Rule

    Ohio and Kansas are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a challenged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, arguing the unlawful rule forces plants to risk billions of dollars on unproven control technologies or shut down.

  • August 22, 2024

    State Bank Coalition Establishes AI Advisory Group

    The Conference of State Bank Supervisors has created a new advisory group to guide it on the development and use of artificial intelligence in the financial services sector, according to a Thursday statement.

  • August 22, 2024

    NC Hot Rod Shop Owner Admits To Not Paying $2M In Taxes

    A North Carolina automotive business owner has pled guilty to failing to pay more than $2 million in employment taxes and not filing employment tax returns, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    Texas Tells High Court It's Not Idaho '2.0' In HHS Abortion Row

    Texas and a pair of anti-abortion doctor organizations have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the federal government's appeal of a Fifth Circuit decision blocking the Biden administration's guidance that hospitals must provide emergency stabilizing medical care, including abortions. 

  • August 22, 2024

    6th Circ. Can't Say If Mich. Official Can Block Facebook Critic

    The Sixth Circuit can't apply the U.S. Supreme Court's new state-action test to decide if a city manager in Michigan is allowed to block critics from his personal Facebook page because it needs more information, the appellate court said, kicking the matter back to district court.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ex-Morgan Stanley Representative Concedes SEC Suit

    A former Morgan Stanley representative who was criminally convicted in a $4.8 million Ponzi scheme has conceded in a suit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying he agrees with the agency that judgment should be issued against him.

  • August 22, 2024

    New SEC Rule Provides Break To Smaller Venture Funds

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved rules that would raise thresholds before certain venture capital funds can be regulated as investment companies, enacting a congressional mandate aimed at easing costs for small funds.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ill. Exempts Certain Home-Delivered Meals From Taxes

    Purchases of certain home-delivered meals for older and lower-income residents are exempt from an array of state taxes, the Illinois Department of Revenue said.

  • August 22, 2024

    Smuggling Suspect Arrested Over '22 Migrant Deaths In Texas

    A Guatemalan national was arrested Wednesday in his home country at U.S. officials' request for his alleged role in a human smuggling operation blamed for the deaths of 53 migrants who were found in a tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

  • August 22, 2024

    Local Property Tax Exemptions A Must For Solar, Va. AG Says

    Localities are required under state statute to provide an exemption for the taxation of property used for solar photovoltaic systems, or systems that use solar panels to create energy, the Virginia attorney general said in an opinion.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Presidential Privilege Questions After Trump Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Trump v. U.S., carving out a new evidentiary privilege for presidents, leaves unanswered several key questions concerning whether this new privilege is waivable or subject to various exceptions, says Jeremy Bates at Frankfurt Kurnit.

  • What To Expect From Evolving Wash. Development Plans

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    The current round of periodic updates to Washington counties' growth and development plans will need to address new requirements from recent legislation, and will also likely bring changes that should please property owners and developers, says Jami Balint at Seyfarth.

  • 4 Steps To Address New Sanctions Time Bar Extension

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    Recent guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control clarifies details of the newly extended statute of limitations for civil and criminal enforcement of U.S. sanctions law, so compliance teams should implement key updates, including to lookback periods and recordkeeping policies, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Implementing Proposed AML Rules May Take More Guidance

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    Two recent rules proposed by financial regulators would modernize requirements for programs aimed at countering money laundering and terrorist financing by centering more robust risk assessments, but financial institutions may need more specific guidance before they could confidently comply, say Meghann Donahue and Nikhil Gore at Covington.

  • What To Know About Major Fla. Civil Procedure Rule Changes

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    The Florida Supreme Court recently amended the state's Rules of Civil Procedure, touching on pretrial procedure, discovery, motion and trial practice, and while the amendments are intended to streamline cases, the breadth of the changes may initially present some litigation growing pains, say Brian Briz, Benjamin Tyler and Yarenis Cruz at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.

  • What To Expect From CFPB And DOT Card Rewards Inquiry

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    Following the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's announcement of joint efforts with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate credit card rewards points, credit card issuers and airlines should keep a close eye on potential regulatory and class action litigation risks stemming from the inquiry, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Preparing For The NLRB's New Union Recognition Final Rule

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    The National Labor Relations Board's impending new final rule on union recognition puts the employer at a particular disadvantage in a decertification election, and best practices include conducting workplace assessments to identify and proactively address employee issues, say Louis Cannon and Gerald Bradner at Baker Donelson.

  • Brownfield Questions Surround IRS Tax Credit Bonus

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    Though the IRS has published guidance regarding the Inflation Reduction Act's 10% adder for tax credits generated by renewable energy projects constructed on brownfield sites, considerable guesswork remains as potential implications seem contrary to IRS intentions, say Megan Caldwell and Jon Micah Goeller at Husch Blackwell.

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

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    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Remedy May Be Google's Biggest Hurdle Yet In Antitrust Case

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    There are difficulties ahead in the remedies phase of the antitrust case against Google in District of Columbia federal court, including the search engine giant's scale advantage and the fast-moving nature of the tech industry, setting the stage for the most challenging of the proceedings so far, says Jonathan Rubin at MoginRubin.

  • 3 Ways To Limit Risks Of Black-Box AI In Financial Services

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    As regulators increasingly highlight the potential for artificial intelligence to make unfair consumer credit decisions, and require financial institutions to explain how these so-called black-box algorithms arrive at conclusions, companies should consider three key questions to reduce their regulatory risks from these tools, say Jeffrey Naimon and Caroline Stapleton at Orrick.

  • Energy And AI: Key Issues And Future Challenges

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    Artificial intelligence promises new technical advantages for the energy industry, but it is also responsible for vast, and growing, energy consumption — so the future of AI and energy will require balancing technological advancement with regulatory oversight, environmental responsibility and infrastructure development, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Transpo Board Should Broaden Ex Parte Rules Further

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    The Surface Transportation Board's 2018 ex parte rule reform was an important step in increasing agency engagement with stakeholders — but the board should build on that progress by expanding the windows for communications in informal rulemakings, encouraging more communications with staff, and making other changes, say Matthew Warren and Allison Davis at Sidley.

  • The Regulatory Headwinds Facing Lab-Developed Tests

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's final rule regarding regulation of laboratory-developed tests outlines a four-year plan for ending enforcement discretion, and though this rule is currently being challenged in courts, manufacturers should heed compliance opportunities immediately as enforcement actions are already on the horizon, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

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