Public Policy

  • January 10, 2025

    NJ Mayor Cops To Using Town Employees to Run Private Biz

    A longtime New Jersey mayor is barred from ever holding public office or employment again after he admitted Friday to using township employees to help run a private business out of his mayoral office, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.

  • January 10, 2025

    Illinois Adds 4 Conditions To Medical Pot Eligibility List

    The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued an order adding four conditions to the list of medical issues eligible for treatment with medical cannabis.

  • January 10, 2025

    Tougher 911 Outage Report Regs Needed, Responders Say

    First responder groups are urging the Federal Communications Commission to toughen up on network outage reporting requirements impacting 911 services, saying gaps in the current system don't fully meet the needs of emergency communications centers.

  • January 10, 2025

    Feds Ask 15 Years For Menendez In Case Of 'Historical Rarity'

    Prosecutors have asked a Manhattan federal judge to sentence former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to at least 15 years in prison after he was convicted of taking bribes from three New Jersey business executives in exchange for political favors.

  • January 10, 2025

    Feds Say Rocket Mortgage Can't Avoid Race Bias Suit

    The federal government has pushed back against Rocket Mortgage LLC's motion to dismiss a racial discrimination suit accusing the company and other parties of undervaluing a Black woman's Denver duplex after she applied for refinancing.

  • January 10, 2025

    Construction Exec Cops To Unlawfully Funding NYC Mayor

    A Turkish-born construction executive with ties to Eric Adams told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that he funneled unlawful donations to the New York City mayor's campaign, as prosecutors secured a guilty plea in their high-profile political corruption investigation.

  • January 10, 2025

    Justices Seem Inclined To Uphold TikTok Sale-Or-Ban Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court seemed likely Friday to uphold a law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company over national security concerns or face a nationwide ban, despite some justices expressing concern over the law's impact on the free speech rights of Americans who use the wildly popular social media platform.

  • January 10, 2025

    Conn. GOP Eyes McCarter & English Partner For US Atty Role

    Connecticut's Republican Party chair says the state's next top federal prosecutor should be someone with qualifications that mirror a McCarter & English LLP partner whose three decades in the U.S. attorney's office would make him a logical fit, although Donald Trump's selection could carry "wildcard potential," one observer noted.

  • January 10, 2025

    Treasury Floats Rules For Commercial Green Vehicle Credits

    The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service proposed rules Friday for obtaining tax credits for commercial green vehicles under provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, suggesting ways for determining the credit amount and identifying which vehicles are eligible.

  • January 10, 2025

    DHS Adds Romania To Visa Waiver Program

    U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas on Friday designated Romania as a participant in the visa waiver program, allowing most Romanian citizens to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. 

  • January 10, 2025

    Advocates Press For Renewed Broadband Subsidy Bill

    A public interest group on Friday pushed the new Congress to renew a broadband subsidy for low-income households that ran out of money last year.

  • January 10, 2025

    DHS Extends Temporary Protections For 4 Countries

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security extended the temporary protected status for El Salvador, Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine on Friday for 18 months, citing a wide array of humanitarian conditions in the countries that prevent individuals from safely returning.

  • January 10, 2025

    DOJ Sues To Block Amex GBT's $570M Deal For Rival CWT

    The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to block American Express Global Business Travel Inc.'s planned $570 million acquisition of corporate travel management rival CWT Holdings LLC.

  • January 10, 2025

    Trump Avoids Jail As Judge Points To Presidential Status

    A New York state judge on Friday spared President-elect Donald Trump any incarceration for his 34-count felony hush money conviction, citing the changed legal landscape, which affords the chief executive with "extraordinary legal protections."

  • January 09, 2025

    Fox Corp. Can't Ax Smartmatic's Defamation Suit, Panel Says

    Fox Corp. will have to face a defamation claim in voting technology company Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit alleging the media company exercised control over allegedly harmful news coverage during the 2020 presidential election, a New York state appellate court ruled Thursday.

  • January 09, 2025

    Tort Report: Philadelphia Tops Annual 'Judicial Hellhole' List

    Philadelphia's designation by a tort reform group as a top "judicial hellhole" and the nation's largest medical malpractice verdict ever lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • January 09, 2025

    CFPB Bars Ex-Agency Attys From Revived Innovation Policies

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has said it will not consider applications for its rebooted no-action letter and compliance sandbox policies when those applications are submitted by financial service companies represented by former bureau attorneys as outside counsel.

  • January 09, 2025

    Target Brass Face Derivative Suit Over DEI Fallout

    Target Corp.'s executives and directors have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit in Florida federal court alleging that the company's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and its offerings of LGBTQ+ merchandise harmed investors.

  • January 09, 2025

    Texas Hits TikTok With Another Suit Over Child-Online Safety

    Texas hit TikTok with another lawsuit in the Lone Star State court following similar consumer protection suits, accusing the social media giant — which is facing a ban in the U.S. — of deceptively marketing its purportedly addictive app as safe for minors despite letting explicit material run rampant on the platform.

  • January 09, 2025

    Wash. Seeks To Ease Legal Practice Path For Military Spouses

    Washington's state courts are considering rule changes to make it easier for attorneys married to military members and graduates of law schools not accredited by the American Bar Association to practice law in the state, part of a series of moves to reduce barriers to the legal profession.

  • January 09, 2025

    CFPB Hit With 2nd Suit Over Medical Debt Reporting Rule

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been hit with a second lawsuit challenging its new rule that would wipe billions of dollars in medical debt off consumer credit reports, with ACA International filing a complaint in Texas federal court arguing healthcare markets are outside the agency's regulatory authority.

  • January 09, 2025

    Amgen Says Enbrel Protected By Legit Patents, Rulings

    Amgen has asked a Virginia federal judge to permanently toss the latest version of a proposed class action accusing it of illegally entrenching and expanding patent rights to stave off cheaper competition for Enbrel, arguing the blockbuster arthritis treatment is protected by legitimate patents and court rulings of validity.

  • January 09, 2025

    Fla. Condos Tied To Sanctioned Russians Transferred To Feds

    The U.S. government has taken ownership of two Florida luxury condominiums allegedly tied to Russians sanctioned for their roles in the annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 and for their involvement in the properties being used to launder rental proceeds.

  • January 09, 2025

    5th Circuit Wrong To Toss Subsidy Fund, FCC Tells High Court

    The Federal Communications Commission urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn last year's Fifth Circuit decision gutting the FCC's multibillion-dollar subsidy fund, arguing the appeals court got it wrong in finding Congress unlawfully relinquished its taxing powers.

  • January 09, 2025

    AT&T Settles Suit Over Faux Pine Tree Antennas

    AT&T is dropping its suit against the city of Walla Walla, Washington, over a 65-foot-tall utility pole that was slated to look like a pine tree, agreeing to use a separate location just outside the city limits.

Expert Analysis

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • 5th Circ. Crypto Ruling Shows Limits On OFAC Authority

    Author Photo

    The Fifth Circuit's recent decision that immutable smart contracts on the Tornado Cash crypto-transaction software protocol are not "property" subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control jurisdiction may signal that courts can construe OFAC's authority more restrictively after Loper Bright, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

    Author Photo

    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Expand Investment Options For 403(b)s

    Author Photo

    Lawmakers should pass pending legislation to give 403(b) plan participants access to collective investment trusts, leveling the playing field for public sector retirement investors by giving them an investment option their private sector counterparts have had for decades, says Jason Levy at Great Gray Trust Company.

  • What 2024 Election Means For Drugs, Medicare And Medicaid

    Author Photo

    With Republicans running the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the incoming administration is likely to provide pathways — through new initiatives and others returning from Trump's previous presidency — for a range of potential changes to drug pricing, Medicare and Medicaid, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!