Public Policy

  • July 25, 2024

    USDA Drops Push To Certify Contractors' Labor Compliance

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday scrapped from a proposed rule requirements for federal contractors to attest that they were following federal and state labor laws, tossing President Barack Obama's efforts an earlier version of the rule revamped.

  • July 25, 2024

    Calif. Appeals Court Revives Roadside Attraction Challenges

    A California state appeals court revived two suits targeting San Benito County approvals for a roadside attraction proposed to be built along Highway 101, holding that the Center for Biological Diversity and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band filed timely challenges to the so-called Betabel Road project.

  • July 25, 2024

    Texas Can Pursue 'Invasion' Defense In River Barrier Row

    Texas can pursue an "invasion" defense in the Biden administration's suit over an anti-migrant barrier in the Rio Grande, a federal judge has ruled, saying the state could ultimately show migration at the southern border actually constitutes an invasion.

  • July 25, 2024

    Divided FCC Floats AI Disclosure Rule For Political Ads

    The Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with a proposal to require that radio and television broadcasters disclose when political advertising uses artificial intelligence.

  • July 25, 2024

    USPTO No Longer Wants To Change TM Response Deadlines

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said Thursday it has decided to keep current post-registration response deadlines after the agency concluded that many trademark owners would not be subject to the proposed shorter response period.

  • July 25, 2024

    Dems, And Now Biden, Contemplate Supreme Court Reform

    On the heels of President Joe Biden saying he will push for U.S. Supreme Court reform in the final months of his presidency, two Democratic lawmakers on Thursday rallied to promote a bill that would increase the number of seats on the court from nine to 13.

  • July 25, 2024

    Ex-Conn. Tax Official Cites 'Just Cause' To Challenge Firing

    A former high-level legal director at the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services has asked the state's intermediate appellate court to reverse her termination, saying the agency, an employment review board and a state trial court judge all failed to apply "just cause" standards to her firing as a managerial worker.

  • July 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Enters Fray On Venue For Immigration Appeals

    The Third Circuit has transferred an immigration case to the Sixth Circuit, finding that court to be the appropriate venue for an appeal stemming from an immigration case involving virtual appearances from multiple remote locations, because the complaint underlying the matter was filed in Ohio.

  • July 25, 2024

    EPA OIG Says Texas, Calif. Pollution Sources Need Oversight

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has, since at least 2006, failed to keep tabs on air pollution sources in California and Texas that might require more stringent control measures, the EPA's internal watchdog said Wednesday.

  • July 25, 2024

    Senate Confirms First Tax Court Judge Since 2020

    The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed a U.S. Tax Court judge for the first time since 2020.

  • July 25, 2024

    Ex-Defender Says Judiciary Reform Study Buoys Bias Suit

    A former public defender who accused the federal judiciary of flubbing its investigation of her sexual harassment claim has doubled down on her request for the court to take notice of a recent study promoting judiciary workplace reforms, hitting back at her opponent's attempt to discredit the report's relevance.

  • July 25, 2024

    DP World Wins OK Of $194M Award Against Djibouti

    A D.C. federal judge entered a $194.3 million judgment against the Republic of Djibouti, enforcing an arbitration award secured by a Dubai-based port terminal operator in a long-running legal battle over an international container terminal in the East African country.

  • July 25, 2024

    4th Circ. Vacates FTC Loss After Novant Bows Out Of Merger

    The Fourth Circuit has agreed to vacate a North Carolina federal judge's ruling allowing Novant Health's planned $320 million hospital merger to advance after the Federal Trade Commission secured an emergency injunction on appeal that effectively killed the deal.

  • July 25, 2024

    IRS, Zaxby's Co-Founder To Settle $43M Easement Suit

    The Internal Revenue Service agreed to settle a $43 million valuation dispute over a conservation easement donated by the co-founder of the Zaxby's restaurant chain and his wife, prompting a Georgia federal court Thursday to cancel next month's anticipated jury trial.

  • July 25, 2024

    11th Circ. Sets Briefing Schedule In Mar-A-Lago Docs Appeal

    Briefing in special counsel Jack Smith's appeal of the dismissal of the classified documents criminal case against former President Donald Trump will run through mid-October, according to a scheduling notice from the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday.

  • July 25, 2024

    Pa. Justices To Weigh Rules For Tossing Provisional Votes

    The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will expedite an appeal to clarify the rules for accepting or tossing certain provisional votes, in a case brought by candidates in a tight race for a seat in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives.

  • July 25, 2024

    Calif. Justices Rule Prop 22 Is Constitutional

    The California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Proposition 22 statewide ballot measure from 2020 that exempts certain app-based drivers from the state's independent contractor classification law, a ruling that could have widespread consequences for the gig economy and driver litigation.

  • July 25, 2024

    Illinois Gov. Pritzker Touts State's Pot Law As Equity Model

    Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday spoke to a conference of cannabis attorneys and touted his state's recreational marijuana market as a model for equity in business ownership and criminal justice reform that other jurisdictions could follow.

  • July 25, 2024

    Kroger, Albertsons Agree To Delay $25B Merger Closing

    Kroger Co. and Albertsons said Thursday they agreed to delay closing on their $25 billion merger until after a judge rules on the merits of Colorado regulators' antitrust case, allowing the companies to avoid a two-week hearing next month.

  • July 25, 2024

    Belgium Taken To EU Court Over Deposit Exemption Rules

    The European Union's executive branch said Thursday that it is taking Belgium to court alleging that the country's system of exempting remuneration of savings deposits from tax violates EU law.

  • July 24, 2024

    Boeing, DOJ Finalize 737 Max Plea Deal

    The Boeing Co. has finalized its agreement to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud safety regulators about the 737 Max 8's development, avoiding a criminal trial over a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, according to a U.S. Department of Justice court filing Wednesday evening.

  • July 24, 2024

    FDIC's Hill Says Basel Plan Needs New Draft With All Aboard

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s second-in-command called Wednesday for federal regulators to move in unison as they revise their controversial Basel III endgame plan for tougher big-bank capital requirements, saying any next draft should be comprehensive and backed by all the agencies involved.

  • July 24, 2024

    Feds Say They're Shielded From Family Separation Damages

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a California federal judge on Wednesday that the federal government was immune from claims brought by families seeking damages for emotional trauma after being separated at the border under the Trump administration.

  • July 24, 2024

    Delta Air Targeted In DOT Probe Following Global Tech Outage

    Delta Air Lines is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation over its handling of massive flight cancellations since the global outage Friday that left passengers stranded in airports waiting hours to reach customer service representatives and resulting in thousands of complaints, the agency announced Wednesday.

  • July 24, 2024

    DHS Settles Fight Over Docs On Detained Immigrant Abuse

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has settled a University of Washington lawsuit seeking documents that could shed light on human rights abuses on federal immigration detainees and others subject to deportation, the parties told a Washington federal judge.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    After Chevron: Uniform Tax Law Interpretation Not Guaranteed

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    The loss of Chevron deference will significantly alter the relationship between the IRS, courts and Congress when it comes to tax law, potentially precipitating more transparent rulemaking, but also provoking greater uncertainty due to variability in judicial interpretation, say Michelle Levin and Carneil Wilson at Dentons.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Environmental Law May Face Hurdles

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning Chevron deference could prove to be as influential as the original 1984 decision, with far-reaching implications for U.S. environmental laws, including rendering recently promulgated regulations more vulnerable to challenges, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Why High Court Social Media Ruling Will Be Hotly Debated

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    In deciding the NetChoice cases that challenged Florida and Texas content moderation laws, what the U.S. Supreme Court justices said about social media platforms — and the First Amendment — will have implications and raise questions for nearly all online operators, say Jacob Canter and Joanna Rosen Forster at Crowell & Moring.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Good News For Gov't Contractors In Litigation

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    The net result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Chevron deference is that individuals, contractors and companies bringing procurement-related cases against the government will have new pathways toward success, say Joseph Berger and Andrés Vera at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Scale Tips Favor Away From HHS Agencies

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    The loss of Chevron deference may indirectly aid parties in challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretations of regulations and could immediately influence several pending cases challenging HHS on technical questions and agency authority, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FDA Regulations In The Crosshairs

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine is likely to unleash an array of challenges against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on areas of potential overreach such as the FDA's authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls

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    Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

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    As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Limited Changes In USPTO Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference will have limited consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given the USPTO's unique statutory features, but it is still an important decision for matters of statutory interpretation, especially those involving provisions of the America Invents Act, say Andrei Iancu and Cooper Godfrey at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • Series

    After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Impact On Indian Law May Be Muted

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    Agency interpretations of Indian law statutes that previously stood the test of judicial review ​are likely to withstand new challenges even after the end of Chevron deference, but litigation in the area is all but certain, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

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