Public Policy

  • June 27, 2024

    NC Anti-Riot Act Passes Constitutional Muster, Judge Rules

    A North Carolina federal judge has axed a constitutional challenge to the state's anti-rioting law, finding the statute is neither overbroad or vague in its definition of a riot such that peaceful protesters would risk being criminally charged under the law.

  • June 27, 2024

    Parole Challenge Ruling Was 'Error Twice Over,' 5th Circ. Told

    A Texas-led coalition of states told the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday that a cost-benefit analysis a trial court considered before allowing a new Biden administration migrant parole program to continue is "error twice over," writing that such calculations are not for the court to make when it evaluates standing.

  • June 27, 2024

    FCC's Unlocked Phone Regs Could Affect Existing Contracts

    A Federal Communications Commission plan to require the "unlocking" of cellphones so consumers can easily switch providers could impose rules on existing mobile contracts, but the FCC said Thursday that it might apply only to future agreements.

  • June 27, 2024

    Denver Must Face 2020 Protest Response Claims, Judge Rules

    A Colorado federal judge has largely rejected Denver's bid to end claims that it encouraged police to use excessive force against social justice advocates in 2020, allowing a lawsuit over the police response to move forward.

  • June 27, 2024

    SEC Says It Met Its Burden To Apply Dealer Rule To Crypto

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a Texas federal judge that the agency has met its burden to explain how its expanded definition of "dealer" applies to the crypto industry, urging the court to cut through an industry challenge.

  • June 27, 2024

    NY Regulators Say Pot Companies' Bid Would Ruin Industry

    New York's cannabis authority has urged a state court to toss a lawsuit seeking to invalidate hundreds of retail permits over claims that the agency gave special treatment to certain applicants, arguing that granting such a request would be "financially ruinous" for many and detrimental to the "emerging retail cannabis industry."

  • June 27, 2024

    IRS To Offer Combined Filing For Energy Investment Credits

    The Internal Revenue Service will let clean energy project owners that are claiming investment tax credits for more than 200 facilities file the claims with a single form, an agency official said Thursday.

  • June 27, 2024

    Live Nation Tries To Push DOJ's Antitrust Suit Out Of NY

    Counsel for Live Nation Entertainment and subsidiary Ticketmaster on Thursday told a skeptical Manhattan federal judge that the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust case belongs in D.C. federal court, where the green light was given for the companies' 2010 merger.

  • June 27, 2024

    Self-Defense Code Should Apply To UGA Case, Panel Says

    The Georgia Court of Appeals said Thursday that a superior court judge should not have voided two provisions of the University of Georgia's code of conduct during disciplinary proceedings over an off-campus fight between two students, one of whom cited self-defense in an attempt to avoid suspension.

  • June 27, 2024

    Colo. AG's Kroger Merger Suit Survives Dismissal Bid

    A Colorado state judge has refused to toss a suit challenging Kroger's planned $24 billion purchase of Albertsons, rejecting the grocery chains' arguments that state enforcers are asking for an overly broad, nationwide injunction by seeking to block the deal.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ala. Must Hand Over Felon Voting Records, 11th Circ. Says

    In a split decision, an Eleventh Circuit panel ruled that Alabama can't block a Birmingham ministry from accessing lists of convicted felons barred from voting, finding that the public disclosure provision of the National Voter Registration Act "squarely covers" the records the group sued over.

  • June 27, 2024

    EU High Court Upends Servier Decrease Of Pay-For-Delay Fine

    French pharmaceutical giant Servier is back on the hook for all but €2.4 million ($2.57 million) of a more than €300 million European Union antitrust fine after the European Court of Justice upended a lower court decision that had reduced the penalty by over €100 million.

  • June 27, 2024

    Hospitals' Charity Care Does Not Equal Taking, NJ Panel Rules

    A New Jersey appellate panel Thursday rejected a group of Garden State hospitals' challenge to a lower court's finding that a state requirement to treat patients regardless of the patient's ability to pay does not amount to constitutional taking, ruling that they failed to show evidence of physical taking of hospital property.

  • June 27, 2024

    SD State's Atty Agrees Not To Enforce Hemp Law

    A South Dakota hemp company challenging a new state ban on the processing of hemp derivatives into intoxicating products has agreed to drop its claims against a local state's attorney in exchange for her agreement not to enforce the policy while the lawsuit plays out.

  • June 27, 2024

    Solar Co. Says Duty Expansion Ignores Production Process

    A solar company has pressed the trade court to unwind a U.S. Department of Commerce ruling exposing Vietnamese solar products to tariffs on Chinese solar cells, saying that the cells are primarily made in Vietnam and are therefore of Vietnamese origin.

  • June 27, 2024

    DOL Says It Put Salary Levels In OT Carveout Since 1938

    The U.S. Department of Labor told a Texas federal court it included a minimum salary aspect in executive, administrative or professional rules since the Fair Labor Standards Act's inception, arguing a marketing firm doesn't have the basis to halt a final overtime rule.

  • June 27, 2024

    Commerce Defends Argentine Oil Pipe Levies On Remand

    The U.S. Department of Commerce did not double count companies backing the petition that prompted its dumping probe into oil and gas pipes from Argentina, the agency held in its response to a trade court remand order.

  • June 27, 2024

    Alaskan Land Trust Fight Remanded Over Misplaced Authority

    An Alaska federal judge has vacated and remanded a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior to take a 787-square-foot piece of land in downtown Juneau into trust for an Alaskan tribal government, saying the agency relied on an aboriginal title factor already established in a law designed to settle the state's land claims.

  • June 27, 2024

    AG Says Trump Recusal Bid Relies On 'Distortion Of Facts'

    New York's attorney general says Donald Trump is relying on a "distortion of facts" in seeking to oust the judge who ordered the former president to pay $465 million in penalties in his civil fraud case.

  • June 27, 2024

    Newsmax Can't See OANN-Smartmatic Defamation Settlement

    Conservative broadcasting company Newsmax Media Inc. may not force voting-machine provider Smartmatic USA Corp. to reveal the terms of its confidential settlement with One America News Network that resolved Smartmatic's defamation claims against the broadcaster, a Delaware court has ruled.

  • June 27, 2024

    6th Circ. Dismisses Doctors' ACA Trans Healthcare Appeal

    The Sixth Circuit dismissed on Thursday an appeal from a group of doctors attempting to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing prohibitions on gender-identity discrimination under the Affordable Care Act, finding subsequent agency action overruled the doctors' claims.

  • June 27, 2024

    SpaceX Says Local Regs Best Suited For Fixing 'Dead Zones'

    SpaceX is steadily deploying a fleet of satellites to cover mobile carrier "dead zones" across the globe, but cautions the Federal Communications Commission that it must allow each country's regulators to govern issues like signal interference on the ground.

  • June 27, 2024

    Coinbase Says SEC, FDIC 'Stonewalled' Crypto Info Requests

    Crypto exchange Coinbase filed suits against both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Thursday after it said the agencies "stonewalled" information requests for documents that could shed light on agencies' internal views on digital assets.

  • June 27, 2024

    CFTC Extends Comment Period For Election Betting Proposal

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Thursday that it is extending the deadline for comment on its proposal to ban the trading of event contracts tied to things like election outcomes, sporting events and the Academy Awards.

  • June 27, 2024

    House Panel Cans Vote On Data Privacy, Kids' Safety Bills

    The House Energy and Commerce Committee unexpectedly scrapped plans to discuss nearly a dozen bills Thursday morning, including a closely watched proposal to create a federal data privacy framework that has faced backlash from House leadership, consumer advocates and other stakeholders. 

Expert Analysis

  • Parsing Controversial Del. General Corporation Law Proposals

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    In response to issues raised in three recent high-profile Delaware Court of Chancery decisions, many amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law were quickly proposed that, if enacted, would bring significant changes likely to be hotly debated — and litigated — for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills

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    After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

  • 5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits

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    Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • What Junk Fee Law Means For Biz In California And Beyond

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    Come July 1, companies doing business in California must ensure that the price of any good or service as offered, displayed or advertised is inclusive of all mandatory fees and other charges in compliance with S.B. 478, which may have a far-reaching impact across the country due to wide applicability, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley Austin.

  • EPA Heavy-Duty Vehicle GHG Rules Face Bumpy Road Ahead

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for owners and operators of heavy-duty vehicles are facing opposition from both states and the transportation industry, and their arguments will mirror two pending cases challenging the EPA's authority, says Grant Laizer at Adams and Reese.

  • 8 Steps Companies Should Take After An Internal Investigation

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    Given the U.S. Department of Justice’s increasing focus on corporate compliance and remediation of misconduct, companies must follow through in several key ways after an internal investigation to ensure history does not repeat itself, say Jonathan Aronie and Joseph Jay at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided

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    The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation focuses on the apparent Chinese ownership of solar device importers in four Southeast Asian countries — a point that is irrelevant under the controlling statute, says John Anwesen at Lighthill.

  • DC Circ. Ruling Heightens HHS Contract Pharmacy Challenges

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent ruling that the Section 340B program does not bar manufacturers from restricting deliveries of discounted drugs to contract pharmacies represents a second strike against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' current contract pharmacy policy and raises the stakes surrounding an upcoming Seventh Circuit ruling on the same issue, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Ohio Tax Talk: The Legislative Push For Property Tax Relief

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    As Ohio legislators attempt to alleviate the increasing property tax burden, four recent bills that could significantly affect homeowners propose to eliminate replacement property tax levies, freeze property taxes for longtime homeowners, adjust homestead exemptions annually for inflation, and temporarily expand the homestead exemption, say Raghav Agnihotri and Rachael Chamberlain at Frost Brown.

  • Aviation Watch: Mostly Smooth Landing For New FAA Law

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    The recently signed Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act enhances air safety in several key ways, including strengthened passenger rights and cockpit voice recorder requirements, but an expansion of slot exemptions at Reagan National Airport is a notable misstep, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Series

    In The CFPB Playbook: Regulatory Aims Get High Court Assist

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    Newly emboldened after the U.S. Supreme Court last month found that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding is constitutional, the bureau has likely experienced a psychic boost, allowing its already robust enforcement agenda to continue expanding, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

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