Public Policy

  • January 06, 2025

    No Fox Philly License Hearing Means 'Dereliction,' FCC Told

    With just two weeks left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office and Republicans gain control of the Federal Communications Commission, a group of anti-Fox News advocates are calling out the commission for failing to hold any hearings on Fox's Philadelphia affiliate's license renewal.

  • January 06, 2025

    High Court Must Adopt New Voting Standard, Justices Told

    Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is asking the high court to adopt a standard to measure state courts' interpretations of law on the regulation of federal elections, arguing that the justices have an opportunity to correct an earlier opinion that says plaintiffs can challenge a state election map's constitutionality.

  • January 06, 2025

    Judge Rejects Rape Kit Seller's 2nd Bid To Pause Wash. Ban

    A Washington federal judge has denied a request for an injunction pending appeal by a company challenging the state's ban on the sale of "DIY" DNA collection kits for sexual assault survivors, reiterating his prior ruling that the law passes constitutional muster because it regulates conduct and not speech.

  • January 06, 2025

    T-Mobile's Lax Policies Led To 2021 Data Hack, Wash. AG Says

    Washington's attorney general on Monday accused T-Mobile of repeatedly ignoring cyber-threat warnings leading up to a 2021 data breach that exposed sensitive personal data belonging to more than 2 million customers in the state.

  • January 06, 2025

    Pa. Lawmaker's 'Defamatory' Memo Is Deemed Immune

    Legislative immunity protects a Pennsylvania state senator from an energy executive's claims that he was defamed with a memo about legislation to close a legal loophole associated with his name, according to a ruling from a state appellate court.

  • January 06, 2025

    Biden OKs Social Security Fix In Move Cheered By Unions

    Former government employees who have had their Social Security checks slashed because they receive a pension will see larger payouts this year now that President Joe Biden signed a bill repealing the decades-old benefit cuts, a move applauded by government employee unions.

  • January 06, 2025

    DOD Tells DC Circ. It's Pondering New Time-In-Service Regs

    The U.S. Department of Defense told the D.C. Circuit that litigation over its scrapped time-in-service requirements for immigrant soldiers to be eligible for naturalization is not moot, because it may issue new requirements — an assertion that soldiers who successfully challenged the policy panned.

  • January 06, 2025

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The Federal Trade Commission successfully blocked Kroger's purchase of Albertsons while continuing to battle with Tempur Sealy and its planned buy of Mattress Firm, and Novo Nordisk managed to finalize its purchase of Catalent. Here, Law360 takes a look at some of the major merger review developments from December.

  • January 06, 2025

    DOJ Backs Later 30-Day Window For Removal Appeals

    The federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court that a 30-day deadline for noncitizens to challenge removal orders only applies for purposes of judicial review when proceedings in lower tribunals conclude, not when the initial removal orders are issued.

  • January 06, 2025

    Ill. Bill Aims To Extend Affordable Housing Tax Break Deadline

    Illinois would allow some owners of affordable rental housing until the end of 2037 to apply for a reduction in their property's assessed value for tax purposes as part of a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • January 06, 2025

    Frontier Tests DC Airport Slot Exemptions At DC Circ.

    Frontier Airlines Inc. is contesting a decision from federal transportation regulators to exclude the budget carrier from a list of airlines allowed to operate new long-distance flights out of Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, D.C.

  • January 06, 2025

    NC Justices To Decide Ballot Challenge In High Court Race

    A Republican appellate judge looking to throw out more than 60,000 votes in his race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court succeeded Monday in getting his legal challenge kicked back to the Tar Heel State's top court, with a federal judge finding it wasn't his place to decide the matter.

  • January 06, 2025

    On Capitol Riot Anniversary, DOJ Update Says 1,500 Charged

    On the fourth anniversary of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol and the day President-elect Donald Trump's victory was to be made official, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that over 1,500 defendants have been charged with federal crimes related to the insurrection.

  • January 06, 2025

    FCC Warns Of $2.3M Pirate Radio Fine In Boston

    The Federal Communications Commission on Monday warned a Dorchester, Massachusetts, property owner of a potential fine reaching more than $2.3 million for an alleged pirate radio operation.

  • January 06, 2025

    New Joint Bar Task Force To Tackle Indigent Defense In NYC

    The New York City Bar Association announced Monday that it has teamed up with the city's county bar associations to form a task force assessing the NYC Assigned Counsel Plan, which assigns lawyers to indigent people in criminal and family courts who can't be served by institutional legal service providers.

  • January 06, 2025

    Biden Closes Off Coastal Areas To Offshore Drilling

    President Joe Biden on Monday announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in more than 625 million acres of U.S. waters on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in Alaska after determining that the environmental and economic risks and harms outweigh the benefits of drilling.

  • January 06, 2025

    Jenner & Block Faces DQ Bid In Casino Project Dispute

    Three Native American tribes want Jenner & Block LLP disqualified from a lawsuit that seeks to block the construction of a new casino in Oregon, claiming the firm previously represented them in the same dispute.

  • January 06, 2025

    Insurance Execs Seek Defense Costs For Self-Dealing Suit

    Insurance company executives who were fired amid accusations they stole assets from their company to start a competing venture demanded coverage for the dispute from their new business's insurer in Georgia Federal Court.

  • January 06, 2025

    FTC Blasts Tempur Sealy's New Floor-Space Promise

    The Federal Trade Commission told a Texas federal court a revised commitment from Tempur Sealy to preserve floor space for rivals in Mattress Firm stores would not restore the competition lost by a merger of the companies because it cannot be enforced.

  • January 06, 2025

    NY Pot Agencies Want Hemp Regulations Challenge Tossed

    New York's state cannabis regulators are urging a federal court to throw out a challenge to its new hemp regulations, saying that the new rules are necessary to close a loophole through which retailers were selling products that were technically hemp, but are as intoxicating as cannabis.

  • January 06, 2025

    US Wants More Time To Counter Altria's $106M Tax Refund Bid

    Tobacco giant Altria's complaint seeking a $106 million tax refund related to its interests in beverage company Anheuser-Busch requires more research to counter in the event a Virginia federal court decides it can move forward, the U.S. government said in requesting time for potential discovery.

  • January 06, 2025

    Fed's Barr To Step Down As Supervision Head Next Month

    Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr announced Monday that he will step down from his current role next month, a reversal that paves the way for President-elect Donald Trump to appoint his own head of the central bank's oversight of big banks and regulatory policymaking.

  • January 06, 2025

    Trudeau Steps Down As US-Canada Trade Tensions Simmer

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he will resign as the leader of the country's Liberal Party, setting off a process to replace him in the coming months.

  • January 06, 2025

    Judge Denies Trump's Request To Delay Jan. 10 Sentencing

    A New York state judge on Monday denied Donald Trump's request to suspend his Jan. 10 sentencing in his hush money case as the president-elect simultaneously appealed the court's refusal to throw out the charges based on presidential immunity.

  • January 06, 2025

    Satellite Co. Ligado Hits Ch. 11 With $8.6B Of Debt

    Satellite business Ligado Networks filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with about $8.6 billion of debt and a plan to hand control of the company to creditors after suffering what its chief executive called "catastrophic" losses allegedly caused in part by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Expert Analysis

  • California's New AV Law May Steer Policy Nationwide

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    California's new law establishing various requirements for autonomous vehicles is something other states should pay close attention to — especially because the Golden State's policies may become a de facto mandate for manufacturers due to its market size, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio Dubey.

  • Alpine Ruling Previews Challenges To FINRA Authority

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    While the D.C. Circuit's holding that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority can't expel member firm Alpine prior to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission review was relatively narrow, it foreshadows possibly broader constitutional challenges to FINRA's enforcement and other nongovernmental disciplinary programs, say attorneys at Stradley Ronon.

  • Wage Whiplash: Surviving A Compliance Roller Coaster

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    As the transition to the Trump administration causes mounting uncertainty about federal wage and hour policies, employers can transform compliance challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth by taking key steps to comply with stricter state and local requirements, says Lee Jacobs at Barclay Damon.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

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    Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Tips For Employers Facing Looming Immigration Changes

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    As Trump's second term heralds a challenging period for immigration policy, employers should look to lessons from his first administration as they implement strategies for their global talent programs and communications protocols, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • The Current State Of Play Around Corporate Transparency Act

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    Although a Texas court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act and paused an impending Dec. 31 reporting deadline, multiple states have similar requirements, so companies should continue to monitor compliance obligations regardless of the CTA's constitutionality, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Predictions For Trump Antitrust Enforcement Of Life Sciences

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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