Public Policy

  • October 28, 2024

    Union Pacific Told To Face Injury Retrial With Reinstated Expert

    Railroad giant Union Pacific must face retrial against an injured worker after a California appeals court ruled that an expert with decades of rail experience but no formal accident-analysis training was wrongly blocked from telling a jury how a freight train behaves when starting up.

  • October 28, 2024

    Apple Withholding Docs In Monopoly Row, Epic Says

    Epic Games and Apple continued on in a discovery dispute in Epic's suit accusing Apple of monopolizing the iOS app distribution and in-app payment processing markets, with the video game company saying in a joint letter filed Friday that Apple is withholding "tens of thousands" of responsive documents.

  • October 28, 2024

    Casinos End Dispute With Fla. Tribe, Agree To Partner

    Several Florida casino operators have promised to end litigation against Seminole Tribe of Florida over an agreement with the state government allowing the tribe to receive online sports bets, instead agreeing to partner with the tribe to offer and promote gambling through an app, the tribe announced Monday.

  • October 28, 2024

    CFPB Asks DC Circ. To Topple PayPal's Wallet Disclosure Win

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged the D.C. Circuit to reverse PayPal's latest win against an agency rule that subjected Venmo-style digital wallets to some of the same fee disclosure requirements as reloadable prepaid cards, defending its basis for regulating the two products similarly.

  • October 28, 2024

    Tech Groups Target Fla. Law To Restrict Kids On Social Media

    A pair of tech industry trade associations are pressing a Florida federal court to strike down a new state law that would ban children under 13 and restrict 14- and 15-year-olds from social media, arguing that the measure would unconstitutionally stifle free speech and create new "honeypots" of personal data for hackers to exploit.  

  • October 28, 2024

    Mass. Pole Attachment Regs Stymie Broadband, FCC Told

    Internet provider GoNetspeed is again asking the Federal Communications Commission to step in and tell Massachusetts to straighten out its regulations for broadband pole attachments, saying the state's current regime is delaying deployment.

  • October 28, 2024

    Voter Can Take 'Ballot Selfie' As Suit Persists, NC Judge Says

    A North Carolina federal judge has clarified that a Libertarian state senate candidate and voter may take and share a selfie with her ballot without the threat of prosecution, granting the candidate's motion to amend the judge's earlier injunction order.

  • October 28, 2024

    Handbag Cos. Turn To 2nd Circ. Over Pause On $8.5B Merger

    The owners of Michael Kors and Coach plan to ask the Second Circuit to review a New York federal judge's order granting the Federal Trade Commission's bid to halt an $8.5 billion merger between the companies while the agency conducts an in-house merger challenge, according to a notice filed Monday.

  • October 28, 2024

    Judge Wary Of Dems' Injunction Bid In Suit Over Ad Spending

    A D.C. federal judge seemed skeptical Monday that setting aside the Federal Election Commission's refusal to weigh in on a potentially unlawful political advertising strategy would level what the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee alleges to be an uneven playing field.

  • October 28, 2024

    Wash. AG Candidates Clash On Consumer Protection, Guns

    The candidates vying to replace Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who carved out a national reputation as an antitrust champion, present starkly different visions on whether to build upon his tenure or reverse course, clashing not just on consumer protection, but also gun safety and access to reproductive care.

  • October 28, 2024

    Feds Can't Shield DACA Names In ND Healthcare Access Suit

    The Biden administration must disclose the names and addresses of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in North Dakota to the state, after a federal judge refused Monday to reconsider the state's request for that data.

  • October 28, 2024

    Monsanto Attys Fined $20K For Late Reports In PCB Trial

    A Washington state judge has ordered eight attorneys defending Monsanto in a Seattle PCB poisoning trial to pay $2,500 each to the local bar foundation for late disclosure of expert reports, saying the "sting" of personal sanctions should deter any future bad behavior causing "chaos and disruption."

  • October 28, 2024

    For-Profit College Says Colo. Can't Show Broad Public Harm

    A defunct for-profit college told a Colorado judge Monday that the state hasn't shown enough students were directly impacted by its allegedly deceptive trade practices for consumer protection claims to survive, in a decade-old case that is now back before a trial judge after years of appeals.

  • October 28, 2024

    Investment Firm's Head Indicted For Alleged Ponzi Scheme

    Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment accusing a Utah man of carrying out a Ponzi scheme to embezzle millions of dollars from private investors who believed they were contributing to restaurant ventures.

  • October 28, 2024

    Mich. Tribe Asks Court To Rethink DOI Contempt Order

    A Michigan tribe is asking a D.C. federal judge to reconsider a ruling that declined to hold Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in contempt over a deadline to finalize a new rule on repetitioning for federal recognition, saying the agency's actions don't suggest it plans to do so anytime soon.

  • October 28, 2024

    Navajo See Growing Trend After Return Of Ceremonial Masks

    The Navajo Nation says there is a growing trend among the descendants of collectors and amateur archaeologists to give Indigenous artifacts back to their rightful owners, after a donor returned a set of 11 ceremonial masks that the tribe says vitally define its sovereignty.

  • October 28, 2024

    Leader Of Bankers' Group Calls For Anti-Fraud Watchdogs

    The head of the nation's largest banking trade group on Monday called on Congress and the White House to establish a federal office of scam and fraud prevention to counteract the rising tide of fraud costing the U.S. tens of billions annually.

  • October 28, 2024

    Colo. Will Decide How Judges Are Judged

    The Colorado Supreme Court could soon lose some of its control over judicial discipline, from the rules governing the process to who doles out punishment, as voters decide whether to adopt constitutional reforms following a scandal over hush-money allegations that ensnared a former chief justice and other top judiciary officials.

  • October 28, 2024

    Pennsylvania Judge Yanks Delaware River Port Approvals

    A Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "arbitrarily and capriciously departed from its own procedures" in authorizing plans for a new port on the Delaware River in Delaware, downriver from Philadelphia, ordering the agency to conduct a closer review of the project. 

  • October 28, 2024

    Surge In Nicotine Fee Suits Shows Wellness Program Risks

    A recent crop of suits accusing large employers of violating nondiscrimination provisions in federal benefits law by making workers who use nicotine pay more for health insurance underscore the risk of using fees to offset healthcare costs, attorneys say. Here are five nicotine surcharge suits to keep an eye on.

  • October 28, 2024

    FTC, DOJ Tell 9th Circ. Google Wrong On Play Store Fixes

    Federal antitrust enforcers told the Ninth Circuit there should be consequences after a jury found Google monopolized the Android app distribution market, as Google pushes to keep a court order paused in the antitrust case being brought by Epic Games.

  • October 28, 2024

    Colo. Judge: Attys Have Work To Do On Disability Acceptance

    A Colorado appeals court judge who co-founded the Colorado Disability Bar Association told a room of law students Monday that while the legal community has made progress on being inclusive of those with physical disabilities, work remains on accepting lawyers with "invisible disabilities" like mental health conditions, neurodivergence and chronic pain.

  • October 28, 2024

    Feds Defend DEI Monitor Provision In Boeing Plea Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice said it will consider diversity and inclusion when it picks an independent compliance monitor for The Boeing Co. under a proposed plea agreement in the company's criminal conspiracy case, reassuring a Texas federal judge that the selection process will be rigorous.

  • October 28, 2024

    NY Suit Over Inaccurate Background Check Gets Dropped

    A man who lost a job opportunity with the Home Shopping Network after an allegedly faulty background check pinned him for cocaine trafficking instead of marijuana peddling agreed to drop his suit against the screening company.

  • October 28, 2024

    Ga. Election Denier Sues Over Council Meeting Arrest

    A Georgia election denier sued a host of Floyd County officials over his arrest last year at a county commission meeting, alleging that the county government conspired to have him jailed after he lobbied for its attorney to be fired.

Expert Analysis

  • Plan Sponsors Must Prep For New Mental Health, Drug Rules

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    To comply with newly published health insurance rules requiring parity between access to mental health and substance use services compared to medical and surgical services, employers with self-insured plans will need to update third-party administrator agreements and collect data, among other compliance steps, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • The Trade And Tax Issues Behind US-Canada Digital Tax Clash

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    The new Canadian digital services tax recently went into effect despite objections from the U.S., a controversy that represents an unusual mix of trade and tax policy, and many companies have been pondering how it will affect their e-commerce businesses, says Damon Pike at BDO.

  • Aviation Watch: Boeing Plea Agreement May Not Serve Public

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    The proposed plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing — the latest outgrowth of the company's 737 Max travails — is opposed by crash victims' families, faces an uncertain fate in court, and may ultimately serve no beneficial purpose, even if approved, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Opinion

    Bill Is Key To Protecting US Economy From Patent Piracy

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    It is critical that Congress pass a recently introduced bill that would protect U.S. investors from intellectual property theft by restoring court-ordered injunctions as the default remedy in patent infringement cases to ensure inventors get the justice they deserve, says Andrei Iancu at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Managing Sanctions Defense Across Multiple Jurisdictions

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    Companies called before multiple regulators to account for the same conduct in this era of increased global sanctions and import-control enforcement should consider national differences in law and policy, and proactively coordinate their responses in certain key areas, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Colorado Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    In the third quarter of 2024, Colorado's banking and financial services sector faced both regulatory updates and changes to state law due to recent federal court decisions — with consequences for local governments, mortgage lenders, state-chartered trust companies and federally chartered lenders serving Colorado consumers, says Sarah Auchterlonie at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Building US-Japan Relationships In The M&A Market

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    The prospect of U.S.-Japanese mergers and acquisitions presents stronger competition to U.S. investors in the global M&A markets, while also opening up an additional exit route for sellers looking to offload strategic assets, says Nick Wall at A&O Shearman.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Honoring Your Learned Profession

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    About 30,000 people who took the bar exam in July will learn they passed this fall, marking a fitting time for all attorneys to remember that they are members in a specialty club of learned professionals — and the more they can keep this in mind, the more benefits they will see, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • 4 Ways To Prepare For DOD Cyber Certification Rule

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    Given the U.S. Department of Justice's increased scrutiny of contractor compliance with cybersecurity requirements, it is critical that contractors take certain steps now in response to the U.S. Department of Defense's proposed Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification implementation rule, say Townsend Bourne and Lillia Damalouji at Sheppard Mullin.

  • FTC Focus: How Scrutiny Of PBMs And Insulin May Play Out

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    Should Express Scripts' recent judicial challenge to the Federal Trade Commission succeed, any new targets could add litigation and choice of forum to their playbooks, and potential FTC court action on insulin could be forced to parallel venues as the issues between the commission and PBMs evolve, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Opinion

    AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

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    The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

  • A Look At How De Minimis Import Rules May Soon Change

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    The planned implementation of executive actions focused on the de minimis rule as it applies to shipments means companies should use this interval to evaluate the potential applicability and impact of Section 301, Section 201 or Section 232 duties on their products, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's New Corp. Compliance Guidance

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s updated guidance to federal prosecutors on evaluating corporate compliance programs addresses how entities manage new technology-related risks and expands on preexisting policies, providing key insights for companies about increasing regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What's In The Cards For CFTC's Election Betting Case

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    A D.C. federal judge's Sept. 12 ruling, allowing KalshiEx to offer derivative contracts trading on the outcome of the U.S. congressional elections over objections from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, could mark a watershed moment in the permissibility of election betting if upheld on appeal, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • What To Know About Latest Calif. Auto-Renewal Law Update

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    While businesses have about nine months to prepare before the recently passed amendment to California's automatic renewal law takes effect, it’s not too early to begin working on compliance efforts, including sign-up flow reviews, record retention updates and marketing language revisions, say Gonzalo Mon and Beth Chun at Kelley Drye.

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