Public Policy

  • July 31, 2024

    Ayahuasca Church Can't Get $2.1M For Atty Fees

    Attorneys for a Phoenix-based church won't get their fees increased or have any part of their pay covered by the government, an Arizona federal judge has ruled, saying the church is not the winning party in its suit against several federal agencies because the court "never placed its stamp of approval" on a deal that allows the church to use ayahuasca.

  • July 31, 2024

    Discover Could Pay $200M In Card 'Misclassification' Fines

    Discover Financial Services told investors on Wednesday that it could face $200 million in potential regulatory penalties over its past "misclassification" of certain credit card accounts, an issue that's also led to class action litigation and other scrutiny for the card giant.

  • July 31, 2024

    AI Prior Art Is Either Nothing New Or A Red Flag, USPTO Told

    Technology companies, drugmakers and various industry organizations have represented to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that they're torn on how artificial intelligence should be used when determining whether something is patentable over prior art.

  • July 31, 2024

    Top California Real Estate News In 2024 So Far

    Catch up on the hottest real estate news out of California so far this year, from homeless policy shifts and rent algorithm disputes to a $5 billion mixed-used project and a shareholder activist campaign.

  • July 31, 2024

    Bill To Revive FCC's Broadband Subsidy Clears Senate Panel

    A Democratic bill to restart the Federal Communications Commission's defunct broadband subsidy passed a Senate committee Wednesday after a debate over how to pay for FCC-related spending priorities, as well as agency authority to start new spectrum auctions.

  • July 31, 2024

    Calif. Bar Says Atty Can't End Billing Scandal's Hacking Claim

    A San Fernando Valley attorney cannot escape an ethics charge alleging he plotted to hack the email and phone of a judge overseeing a public utility class action, the California Bar has told the State Bar Court, urging the court to reject the attorney's argument that merely "discussing plans" for a hack is not an offense.

  • July 31, 2024

    Federal Judge Overturns NJ Ban On AR-15 Assault Rifles

    A New Jersey federal judge has overturned the Garden State's 30-year-old ban on AR-15 assault rifles, finding that even though it is "hard to accept the U.S. Supreme Court's pronouncements that certain firearm policy choices are 'off the table,'" the court is bound to follow the high court's decisions.

  • July 31, 2024

    11th Circ. Revives Suit Over Ga. City's Ouster Of White Manager

    A white ex-city manager of a small Georgia city who was fired after a new administration allegedly vowed to replace him with a Black person will get another shot at pressing his racial discrimination claims as the Eleventh Circuit gave the case new life Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    EPA Looks To Dismiss States' Water Rule Challenge

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking a Louisiana federal court to toss a group of conservative-leaning states' and energy industry groups' lawsuit attempting to sink its rule broadening states' and tribes' power to veto infrastructure projects over water quality concerns.

  • July 31, 2024

    HSBC Says HUD Has Closed Fair Lending Probe

    HSBC's U.S. banking arm said it is no longer facing a multi-city fair lending investigation from federal housing authorities after an outside complaint that prompted the probe was withdrawn.

  • July 31, 2024

    9/11 MDL Judge Probes Saudi Arabia's Latest Exit Bid

    A Manhattan federal judge peppered Saudi Arabia's lawyers with questions Wednesday as they argued that years of discovery have yielded no real evidence of a Saudi government spy helping organize the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

  • July 31, 2024

    After Sackett, A Colorado Town Grapples With Its Wetlands

    Residents of a small town in Colorado have been left to spar over the fate of its wetlands in the wake of Sackett v. EPA, highlighting how the court's curtailment of Clean Water Act protections has placed local, state and tribal governments in a regulatory vacuum.

  • July 31, 2024

    Pipeline Cos. Can Join FERC Approval Fight

    Companies behind a liquefied natural gas facility in Sonora, Mexico, and the Saguaro Connector Pipeline that will help serve it can weigh in on a challenge of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals for the pipeline, the D.C. Circuit said Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    Senators Aim To Increase Injunctions In Patent Battles

    A new bipartisan bill in Congress would make it easier for federal courts to issue injunctions in patent cases, but critics say this would primarily help companies "that do not make any products or provide any services."

  • July 31, 2024

    Include Satellites In Broadband Updates, SpaceX Tells FCC

    SpaceX urged the Federal Communications Commission to include provisions for gateway earth station satellite hubs like its own in proposed regulations to expand broadband access within certain spectrum bands, telling the regulator that doing so would be a "win-win-win" for stakeholders.

  • July 31, 2024

    Telecom Trespassing On Reservation Land, Oregon Tribes Say

    Lumen Technologies Inc. is trespassing on territory that belongs to the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and has been for years, according to a lawsuit accusing the telecom of continuing to operate on an expired lease instead of striking a new deal for miles of laid fiber.

  • July 31, 2024

    Meadows Appeal May Help Clarify Immunity Ruling, Attys Say

    Legal scholars told Law360 on Wednesday that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' recent request to have the U.S. Supreme Court weigh in on whether his Georgia election interference case should be moved to federal court provides the justices with an opportunity to clarify key aspects of their recent presidential immunity ruling.

  • July 31, 2024

    737 Max Families Say Boeing Deal 'Morally Reprehensible'

    Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes asked a Texas federal court Wednesday to reject Boeing's plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, saying the "rotten deal" lets the American aerospace giant skirt culpability for the deaths of 346 people.

  • July 31, 2024

    WH Reviewing Green Card Rule For Mixed-Status Families

    A new rule allowing certain foreigners who are married to U.S. citizens and their children to apply for green cards without leaving the United States is under review at the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

  • July 31, 2024

    GOP Senate Bill To Bar FCC's AI Disclosure Rule Blocked

    A Republican effort in the U.S. Senate aiming to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from requiring broadcasters to disclose the use of artificial intelligence in political ads lost traction at the committee level Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    Fla. Electric Co. Ex-CEO Gets 4 Years For Privatization Plot

    A Jacksonville, Florida, federal judge sentenced a former CEO of the city's electric company to four years in prison after a jury convicted him of fraud conspiracy charges in a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme connected to a process to privatize the public utility, prosecutors said Wednesday.

  • July 31, 2024

    EPA Floats Ban On Many Uses Of Carcinogen 1-BP

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed banning all consumer uses of the carcinogen 1-bromopropane — except in insulation — as well as some industrial and commercial uses.

  • July 31, 2024

    Senate Confirms State Judges To US District Courts In NY, PA

    The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Judge Meredith Vacca to the Western District of New York and U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. to the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

  • July 31, 2024

    Steward Health Care Gets OK To Close 2 Mass. Hospitals

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Wednesday approved the closure of two Massachusetts hospitals owned by Steward Health Care after the debtor said that it was unable to find buyers for them.

  • July 31, 2024

    Historical Association Backs Tribes In SunZia Power Line Row

    The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers is asking the Ninth Circuit to intervene in a challenge by a coalition of Native American tribes and environmentalists seeking to block SunZia Transmission from routing a 520-mile power line through important cultural and historical sites in the San Pedro Valley.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.

  • Navigating Antitrust Considerations In ESG Collaborations

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    The intersection of ESG goals and antitrust laws presents a complex challenge for businesses and their counsel — but by creating clear frameworks for collaboration, adhering to established guidelines and carefully considering the competitive implications of their actions, companies can work toward sustainability while mitigating legal risks, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

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    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

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    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Considerations For Federal Right Of Publicity As AI Advances

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    Amid rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence technology, Congress should consider how a federal right of publicity would interact with the existing patchwork of state name, image and likeness laws, as well as other issues like scope, harm recognized and available relief, says Ross Bagley at Pryor Cashman.

  • FTC Focus: Private Equity Investments In Healthcare

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    As the Federal Trade Commission is tightening its scrutiny of private equity investment in healthcare, the agency is finding novel grounds to challenge key focus areas, including rollup acquisitions, the flip-and-strip approach and minority investments in rival providers, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • What Patent Litigators Should Know About CHIPS Act Grants

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    With the U.S. Department of Commerce now actively awarding grants under the CHIPS and Science Act, recipients should ensure they understand the implications of promises to construct new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, especially in jurisdictions with active patent litigation dockets, say Gabriel Culver and Peter Hillegas at Norton Rose.

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • Opinion

    Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age

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    Outdated data breach reporting laws are inadequate to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI’s ability to determine relationships coupled with its improvements to deepfake technology mean that the very definitions used in breach reporting laws are no longer sufficient, says Collin Walke at Hall Estill.

  • Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs

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    A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • How 5 States' Deal Notification Laws Are Guiding Healthcare

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    Healthcare transaction notification laws at various stages of implementation in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon and Washington are shaping sector mergers and acquisitions, with significant transparency, continuity of care and compliance implications as providers tackle complex regulatory requirements, says Melesa Freerks at DLA Piper.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

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