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Public Policy
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September 18, 2024
DuPont Heirs Beat ERISA Suit Over 1947 Trust At 3rd Circ.
The Third Circuit reversed a decision Wednesday and found DuPont heirs aren't liable for Employee Retirement Income Security Act violations in a dispute over who's to blame for underfunding a now-insolvent trust that was created by their grandmother in 1947 and paid the heirs and their workers retirement benefits.
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September 18, 2024
FBI Dismantles Chinese Botnet, Urges Victims To Seek Aid
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Wednesday that the law enforcement agency has knocked out a botnet operated by a Chinese government-sponsored hacker group that was stealing confidential data by infecting internet-connected devices.
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September 18, 2024
Mich. Justices Continue To Fight Over Minimum Wage Ruling
Michigan's minimum wage will rise to $12.48 an hour in February, the state Supreme Court confirmed Wednesday in an order that settled a debate over how to calculate the new wage floor, but rehashed internal disagreements over the court's July decision to increase the minimum wage.
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September 18, 2024
Colo. Urges 10th Circ. To Restore Interest Rate Opt-Out Law
Colorado has urged the Tenth Circuit to accept its "straightforward interpretation" of an interest rate opt-out law, arguing federal lawmakers would have used other language if they didn't want the state to place more restrictive caps on loans made by banks located outside the state.
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September 18, 2024
SEC Must Clarify Murky Crypto Rules, Ex-Officials Tell House
Two former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission officials who now represent crypto businesses told House lawmakers Wednesday that the agency's insistence on analyzing the economic realities of every crypto transaction in lieu of clear rulemaking has put the sector and its attorneys in unworkable situations.
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September 18, 2024
Native, Black Groups Ask To Intervene In Voter Rights Suit
Several nonprofit groups supporting Native American and Black voters have joined to intervene in a conservative think tank's lawsuit in Texas federal court that looks to stop a Biden administration executive order promoting easier access to voting.
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September 18, 2024
Loper Bright Undercuts SEC Climate Rule, Fracking Cos. Say
Two fracking companies suing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its climate disclosure rules have again urged the Eighth Circuit to vacate the measures, offering a diverging interpretation of how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision axing Chevron deference should apply.
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September 18, 2024
Rescheduling Pot Would Not Hasten Research, Report Says
A recently enacted law will continue to make it difficult for medical researchers to conduct studies on marijuana, even if federal restrictions are loosened on the drug, according to a new report published Monday by the Congressional Research Service.
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September 18, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Revive Gas Price-Fixing Suit Over Trump Pact
The Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a proposed class action alleging price fixing between major oil producers as part of the Trump Administration's 2020 deal with Russia and Saudi Arabia to cut production, saying that subjecting the pact to judicial review would be inappropriately "second-guessing" executive branch foreign policy.
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September 18, 2024
Feds Say Afghan Allies Can't Sue Over Kids' Visa Denials
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged a Virginia federal judge to toss a suit from Afghan allies who claim their children's visa applications were arbitrarily denied, saying the suit has no legal leg to stand on.
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September 18, 2024
5th Circ. Axes Bargaining Order Against Legal Support Firm
The Fifth Circuit reversed a National Labor Relations Board bargaining order Wednesday against a legal support consulting firm, determining certain workers within the unit are supervisors who can't unionize under federal labor law.
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September 18, 2024
Fed's Powell Sees Final Basel Rule Less Than 1 Year Away
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that a revamped version of the Basel III endgame capital rules for big banks could be finalized before next summer, adding that the federal banking agencies will be "moving together" as the controversial rulemaking project enters its next phase.
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September 18, 2024
Removal Risk Rises With State Line Crossings, ACLU Says
Unauthorized immigrants in Texas who seek out-of-state medical care because of the state's near-total abortion ban are at risk of getting deported every time they pass through checkpoints where they could get arrested, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
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September 18, 2024
USPTO Makes Patent Amendment Program Permanent
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday made permanent a pilot program that assists patent owners seeking to amend patent claims in America Invents Act reviews by providing preliminary feedback about proposed changes.
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September 18, 2024
House Seeks To Increase Judgeships After Senate OKs Bill
The chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts has introduced new judicial staffing legislation, a month after the Senate passed its own version of a bipartisan bill that seeks to create 66 new and temporary judgeships over the next decade in an effort to ease pressure on the overburdened federal judiciary.
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September 18, 2024
House Rejects 6-Month Federal Funding Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a continuing resolution funding the federal government for six months, after a veto threat from President Joe Biden over the bill's funding levels and a contentious clause requiring citizenship checks for voter registration.
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September 18, 2024
Teamsters Won't Endorse Candidate In 2024 Election
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday it will not endorse a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, citing its polling of members and a lack of commitment from major party candidates on issues key to the union.
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September 18, 2024
Colo. SG Urges Lawyers Not To Lose Sight Of Human Harm
Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson on Wednesday urged appellate lawyers to use their cases to keep judges "in touch with real people," lamenting that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision on true threats ignored the profound impact a man's Facebook messages had on a stalking victim.
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September 18, 2024
Feds Oppose Bid To Block EPA Mercury Rule At High Court
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, several blue states and a coalition of green groups on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject an effort to reverse the D.C. Circuit's decision allowing the EPA to implement a mercury air pollution rule.
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September 18, 2024
BIPA Doesn't Conflict With Kids Safety Law, Judge Rules
An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday rejected Meta's bid to dismiss a biometric privacy class action alleging it improperly stored Messenger and Messenger Kids users' facial geometries to apply bunny-ear and other filters, finding a federal child privacy law does not preempt the suit.
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September 18, 2024
NJ Steel Co. Says OSHA Review Agency Is Unconstitutional
A New Jersey steel fabrication company has told a New Jersey federal court that an independent federal commission shouldn't decide whether it has to pay nearly $350,000 in proposed penalties from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, arguing the commission's structure violates the separation of powers clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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September 18, 2024
Toss Atty Input Overboard, Says Org. In Blackbeard Image Spat
A marine research organization and a state cultural resources agency have urged the North Carolina Business Court to scrap testimony from attorneys from trial evidence in a contract battle over the use of images and video of Blackbeard's shipwreck.
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September 18, 2024
NC Panel Won't Undo Energy Rates In Solar Incentives Row
The North Carolina state appeals court has declined to unravel the state's revised energy rates for residents with rooftop solar power, saying that while the North Carolina Utilities Commission erred by concluding it was not required to conduct a cost-benefit investigation, it de facto carried out such an inquiry anyway.
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September 18, 2024
Bipartisan Bill Would Boost Acquisition Council's Authority
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a bill to boost a federal advisory council that makes recommendations for mitigating risks within federal supply chains, giving the council more funding and the ability to issue binding removal orders for risky technologies.
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September 18, 2024
Senate Panel Backs Bill Easing Pot Rules For Federal Hires
A Democrat-backed bill that would curb federal agencies' ability to use past medical or recreational cannabis use as a factor in hiring and security clearance decisions was advanced out of a Senate committee Wednesday, paving the way for a vote before the whole chamber.
Expert Analysis
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What's New In The AI Healthcare Regulatory Space
Attorneys at Hogan Lovells review the current legal and regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, touching on policies around safety, transparency, nondiscrimination and reimbursement, and what to expect in the future.
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Biden Policy Gives Employers New Ways To Help Dreamers
A new Biden administration immigration policy makes the process more predictable for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients to seek employment visas, and, given uncertainties surrounding DACA’s future, employers should immediately determine which of their employees may be eligible, says Jennifer Kim at Moore & Van Allen.
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25 Years Of OECD's Anti-Bribery Convention
Marking its 25th anniversary this year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's anti-bribery convention has advanced legislative reforms and reshaped corporate conduct in dozens of countries amid the persistent challenges of uneven enforcement and political pressure, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Despite Calif. Delays, Climate Disclosure Rules Are Coming
Progress continues on state, federal and international climate disclosure regimes, making compliance a key concern for companies — but the timeline for implementation of California's disclosure laws remains unclear due to funding and timing disputes, says David Smith at Manatt Phelps.
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Series
After Chevron: Bid Protest Litigation Will Hold Steady For Now
Though the substantive holding of Loper Bright is unlikely to affect bid protests because questions of statutory interpretation are rare, the spirit of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision may signal a general trend away from agency deference even on the complex technical issues that often arise, say Kayleigh Scalzo and Andrew Guy at Covington.
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Challenging Prosecutors' Use Of Defendants' Jail Phone Calls
Although it’s an uphill battle under current case law, counsel for pretrial detainees may be able to challenge prosecutors’ use of jail-recorded phone calls between the defendant and their attorney by taking certain advance measures, say Jim McLoughlin and Fielding Huseth at Moore & Van Allen.
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1 Year At The UPC: Implications For Transatlantic Disputes
In its first year, the Unified Patent Court has issued important decisions on procedures like provisional measures, but complexities remain when it comes to coordinating proceedings across jurisdictions like the U.S. due to differences in timelines and discovery practices, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Opinion
H-2 Visas Offer Humane, Economic Solution To Border Crisis
Congress should leverage the H-2 agricultural and temporary worker visa programs to match qualified migrants with employers facing shortages of workers — a nonpolitical solution to a highly divisive humanitarian issue, say Ashley Dees and Jeffrey Joseph at BAL.
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PAGA Reforms Encourage Proactive Employer Compliance
Recently enacted reforms to California's Private Attorneys General Act should make litigation under the law less burdensome for employers, presenting a valuable opportunity to streamline compliance and reduce litigation risks by proactively addressing many of the issues that have historically attracted PAGA claims, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Series
After Chevron: Piercing FEMA Authority Is Not Insurmountable
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency's discretionary authority continues to provide significant protection from claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, Loper Bright is a blow to the argument that Congress gave FEMA unfettered discretion to administer its own programs, says Wendy Huff Ellard at Baker Donelson.
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What Happens After Hawaii Kids' Historic Climate Deal
Implications of the Hawaii Department of Transportation's first-of-its-kind settlement with youth plaintiffs over constitutional climate claims may be limited, but it could incite similar claims, says J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton at ArentFox Schiff.
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How Tech Trackers May Implicate HIPAA After Hospital Ruling
A recent Texas federal court order in American Hospital Association v. Becerra adds a legal protection on key data, clarifying when tracking technologies implicate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, so organizations should ensure all technology used is known and accounted for, say John Howard and Myriah Jaworski at Clark Hill.
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The Show Must Go On: Noncompete Uncertainty In Film, TV
The Federal Trade Commission has taken action to ban noncompetes while the entertainment industry is in the midst of a massive shift away from traditional media, so it is important for studio heads and content owners alike to understand the fate of the rule and their options going forward, say Christopher Chatham and Douglas Smith at Manatt.
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A Refresher On Calculating Political Advertising Costs
With election season well underway, it is important for broadcasters, political candidates, time buyers and others concerned with how the cost of broadcast political advertising is determined to know what the Federal Communications Commission factors into lowest unit calculations, and how the commission has defined "commercial advertisers," says Gregg Skall at Telecommunications Law Professionals.