Public Policy

  • August 08, 2024

    FCC Adopts New Emergency Code For Missing Persons

    The Federal Communications Commission has established a new alert code for missing and endangered persons that will deliver critical messages through television, radio and cellphones, a move the federal agency says will be of particular benefit to tribal communities that have a disproportionate risk of violence, murder or vanishing.

  • August 08, 2024

    Apple Must Produce Docs In Epic Antitrust Fight By Sept. 30

    A California federal judge overseeing discovery in Epic Games' antitrust compliance fight with Apple gave the iPhone-maker a Sept. 30 deadline to hand over documentation on its response to foreign antitrust regulations and other internal documents, rejecting Apple's suggested December deadline and calling the 92,000-document review large but "not huge."

  • August 08, 2024

    Ga. City Argues Immunity In $33M Yale Student Death Suit

    An attorney for the city of Milton urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday to reverse the denial of its request for judgment notwithstanding a $33 million verdict over the death of a Yale University student whose car crashed into a roadside planter, arguing the city had sovereign immunity.

  • August 08, 2024

    FCC Takes Closer Look At Geolocation Plan For 900 MHz

    The Federal Communications Commission asked the public to weigh in on a geolocation company's bid for more airwaves in the lower 900-megahertz spectrum band for technologies to back up GPS.

  • August 08, 2024

    DOJ Investigating Formula 1 Over Andretti Denial

    Formula One's owner Liberty Media Corp. disclosed Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating antitrust concerns surrounding the denial of Andretti Formula Racing LLC's bid to join the F1's championship series, following a letter from lawmakers.

  • August 08, 2024

    Drilling Permit Suit Must Be Revived, Enviro Orgs. Tell DC Circ.

    Conservation groups are defending their standing to challenge federal approvals of thousands of drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming, telling the D.C. Circuit that they have pressed specific allegations showing that the drilling would harm the environment and their members.

  • August 08, 2024

    States, Industry Back High Court Review Of Calif. Waiver

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute and a group of states led by Iowa are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the federal government's decision to continue to allow California to set its own vehicle emissions programs.

  • August 08, 2024

    Where Judicial Vacancies Stand As Congress Is In Recess

    The U.S. Senate doesn't return for about a month, but when it does, Democrats will be on the final sprint to try to top the 234 judges confirmed in former President Donald Trump's first term.

  • August 08, 2024

    Judge Won't Fully Seal Atty's Trial Transcript In Contempt Bid

    A group of families that secured a $42 million settlement against a North Carolina county over coercive child custody agreements can't have state trial transcripts sealed that allegedly reveal how much money certain minors got — at least not in their entirety, a federal judge has ruled.

  • August 08, 2024

    Atty Accuses NYC Agency Of Bias, EEOC Charge Retaliation

    A staff attorney accused the New York City Administration for Children Services of abruptly revoking his years-old disability accommodations while he was recovering from heart surgery, alleging in a federal lawsuit Wednesday that the administration tried to force him to quit after he filed a state court action and a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

  • August 08, 2024

    Dechert Says Merger Abandonments Are Way Up This Year

    In what's shaping up to be a banner year for antitrust enforcers, U.S. merger abandonments hit historic levels in the first half of 2024, according to a new report from Dechert LLP.

  • August 08, 2024

    Willis Defends Staying On Trump's Ga. Election Case

    Georgia prosecutors have pushed back against former President Donald Trump's request for appellate intervention in his election interference case, arguing District Attorney Fani T. Willis doesn't have a conflict of interest and Trump failed to persuade the trial court that she had a conflict due to a relationship with a former outside counsel.

  • August 08, 2024

    NY Agrees To Delay Enforcing Broadband Price Cap For Now

    Broadband industry groups on Thursday temporarily withdrew their request for the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a New York law requiring price-capped consumer broadband plans after state officials agreed to delay its enforcement for now.

  • August 08, 2024

    Exec Admits Price-Fixing $100M Of Rebar For Storm Rebuild

    The U.S. Department of Justice announced the guilty plea Wednesday of a former Puerto Rico steel distributor executive who admitted to fixing prices on rebar used for post-hurricane reconstruction, in a conspiracy that impacted more than $100 million in his company's sales.

  • August 08, 2024

    Hunters, Breeder Say CDC Overstepped With Dog Import Ban

    Hunting groups and a breeder challenged a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rule barring them from bringing young puppies into the U.S., telling a Michigan federal court that the agency overstepped to prevent the spread of rabies.

  • August 08, 2024

    DOE To Back Integrated Georgia Solar Plant With $1.45B Loan

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office said Thursday it plans to move forward with a $1.45 billion loan to support Qcells' ongoing expansion of a new integrated solar supply chain manufacturing facility in Georgia.

  • August 08, 2024

    House Panel Says DOL Stonewalling On Contractor Probe Info

    A U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Thursday criticized the U.S. Department of Labor's stance on independent contractor misclassification, saying the agency hasn't provided enough information on its worker classification investigations.

  • August 08, 2024

    Jenner & Block Atty Takes Leave To Join Harris Campaign

    Josh Hsu of Jenner & Block, who has worked with Vice President Kamala Harris in various capacities over the years, has joined her presidential campaign as a senior counsel and liaison to the vice president's team, the campaign told Law360.

  • August 07, 2024

    5th Circ. Pushes DOL On Salary Thresholds For OT Eligibility

    A Fifth Circuit panel told the government during oral arguments Wednesday that the Labor Department needed to provide more substantial reasoning as to how it determines workers' overtime eligibility, saying that just because it has set salary thresholds for nearly a century doesn't mean it gets carte blanche.

  • August 07, 2024

    Top Illinois Real Estate News In 2024 So Far

    Catch up on the hottest real estate news out of Illinois so far this year, from brokerages' market forecasts and a casino deal to a $7 billion mixed-use project and a new stadium.

  • August 07, 2024

    Biotech Firm Can't Pause SEC Action During Appeal

    A Colorado federal magistrate judge won't pause a lawsuit by securities regulators against a biotech company accused of misappropriating roughly $9 million while the company appeals an asset freeze, agreeing in a Wednesday order with the SEC's argument that investors would be better served if the case moved ahead.

  • August 07, 2024

    4th Circ. Approves Payout Plan In $550M Ponzi Case

    Investors defrauded in a $550 million Ponzi scheme can't reverse a receiver's asset distribution plan on the basis of arguments that the plan unfairly divides up recovered funds among claimants, the Fourth Circuit has determined.

  • August 07, 2024

    FTC, CFPB Turn Up Scrutiny On Solar Energy Sales Practices

    The federal government on Wednesday stepped up efforts to police shady solar energy sales and financing practices, with the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies releasing consumer advisories and announcing a new partnership to better monitor the industry.

  • August 07, 2024

    Monsanto, PCB Plaintiffs Want It Both Ways, Judge Says

    A Washington state court judge expressed frustration on Wednesday with counsel for both sides of a toxic tort against Monsanto, remarking during a summary judgment hearing that the parties can't "pick and choose" which parts of a recent appellate ruling apply to their case.

  • August 07, 2024

    DOJ Urges DC Judge To Toss Special Counsel Tapes Fight

    A lawsuit from House Judiciary Committee Republicans seeking to force the handover of audiotapes from President Joe Biden's interviews with special counsel Robert Hur is an "inter-branch dispute" that does not belong in federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice told a D.C. federal judge Tuesday.

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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