Public Policy

  • August 14, 2024

    Feds Say Madigan, Former Ally Should Face Jurors Together

    Prosecutors told an Illinois federal judge on Tuesday that former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and confidant Michael McClain should be tried together this fall, saying a joint proceeding is proper for alleged co-conspirators in a criminal enterprise and they should not be allowed to shift blame to one another at individual trials.

  • August 14, 2024

    Sen. Durbin Slams DOD's Revocation Of 9/11 Plea Deal

    Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate majority whip, told U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday he is "troubled" by the secretary's decision to revoke a plea deal for the accused masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

  • August 14, 2024

    Streaming Cos. Ask FCC To Gauge Fixed Broadband Market

    Video streamers and other edge providers hope to make one thing clear as the Federal Communications Commission dissects competition in the high-speed internet space — the fixed broadband service market is still dominated by a few heavyweights and more should be done to assess how the addition of new competitors affects individual markets.

  • August 14, 2024

    1st Circ. Revives Vax Refusal Suit Against Beth Israel

    The First Circuit on Tuesday revived a suit against health facility system Beth Israel Lahey Health Inc. from an office manager who was fired over her refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, disagreeing with a lower court that said she hadn't shown a genuine religious belief meriting a vaccine exemption.

  • August 14, 2024

    4th Circ. Says T-Mobile Must Face 'Simply Prepaid' TM Fight

    The Fourth Circuit revived a Virginia-based telecommunications company's infringement suit against T-Mobile, ruling that Simply Wireless had done enough to show it was planning to revamp its "Simply Prepaid" branding and hadn't abandoned the trademark when T-Mobile began using it.

  • August 14, 2024

    11th Circ. 'Flunks' Ga. School District's Redistricting Appeal

    Georgia's second-largest school district "flunks" the standing tests to challenge a federal court's injunction blocking the use of an allegedly racially gerrymandered redistricting map it created, having purposefully withdrawn itself from litigation over the map, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled.

  • August 14, 2024

    Mobile Carriers Worry Anti-Robotext Rules Could Go Too Far

    Content-neutral text-blocking standards are not the way to go, a key wireless trade group has told the Federal Communications Commission, saying that stripping away the current industry standards in favor of nondiscriminatory ones would "open the floodgates to messages that consumers do not want."

  • August 14, 2024

    EU OKs Siemens' $3.8B Sale Of Innomotics To PE Firm KPS

    European Union antitrust enforcers signed off Wednesday on German tech conglomerate Siemens AG's plan to sell its Innomotics large motors and drives unit to New York City-based private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, finding that the deal, with an enterprise value of €3.5 billion ($3.9 billion), poses "limited" overlap concerns.

  • August 14, 2024

    Judge Blocks Missouri's Anti-ESG Rules, Handing SIFMA Win

    A Missouri federal judge found Wednesday that the state's anti-ESG rules for brokers and advisers violate the First Amendment and are preempted by federal laws, handing the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association an early win in its suit against state officials.

  • August 14, 2024

    Israel Boycott Bid On Pittsburgh Ballot Draws Challenges

    A proposed ballot question calling for the city of Pittsburgh to boycott any work with or tax credits for entities that do business with or in Israel during its war in Gaza would be invalid because it violates state and federal laws, according to petitions filed in Pennsylvania state court by a Jewish organization, local clergy and the city controller.

  • August 14, 2024

    The Biggest Enviro Decisions Of 2024: Midyear Report

    2024 has already been one of the most consequential years for environmental law, and it's only half over. The U.S. Supreme Court issued groundbreaking administrative law decisions, while lower appeals courts resolved questions about California's right to promulgate its own vehicle emissions standards, among other rulings.

  • August 14, 2024

    Top Immigration Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024

    The remainder of this year could see courts render decisions on President Joe Biden’s efforts to curb unlawful immigration, the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and fresh challenges to immigration-related regulations. Here, Law360 looks at cases that could rock the immigration sphere in the latter half of the year.

  • August 14, 2024

    NY Judge Rejects Trump's 'Stale' Recusal Bid A 3rd Time

    The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump's hush money trial denied the former president's third attempt to remove him from the case ahead of sentencing, ruling that the motion was "nothing more than an attempt to air grievances."

  • August 13, 2024

    Anesthesia Co. Says FTC Lacks Authority To Bring 'Rollup' Suit

    U.S. Anesthesia Partners has told the Fifth Circuit the Federal Trade Commission lacks authority to bring its case directly in federal court without also filing an administrative case accusing the group of monopolizing the Texas anesthesiology market.

  • August 13, 2024

    Texas Judge Exits X's 'Boycott' Suit Against Ads Group, Unilever

    A Texas federal judge overseeing litigation filed by Elon Musk's X Corp. accusing the World Federation of Advertisers, Unilever and others of conspiring to withhold advertising revenue from the company recused himself from the case Tuesday, following news reports that he owns stock in Tesla, another Musk-owned company.

  • August 13, 2024

    TMX Affiliate Sues Pa. Regulator To Block Potential $52M Fine

    A Texas and Georgia-based affiliate of consumer lending company TMX Finance has sued the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, challenging an order from the department that the company says seeks over $52 million in civil penalties over claims tied to loan agreements that allegedly carry interest rates as high as 720%.

  • August 13, 2024

    Chamber Defends Texas Home For CFPB Late-Fee Rule Suit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other trade associations battling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $8 credit card late-fee rule told a Texas federal judge on Monday that the agency's latest bid to send the case to Washington, D.C., risks creating new rule challenge obstacles for local-level business groups and should be rejected.

  • August 13, 2024

    8th Circ. Finds ATF's Braced Pistol Rule Arbitrary, Capricious

    An Eighth Circuit panel has reversed an order denying a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives rule regulating pistols with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, finding that aspects of the rule were arbitrary and capricious.

  • August 13, 2024

    CFPB Says Predatory Lenders Targeting Muslim Homebuyers

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Tuesday it found that an often predatory form of home financing, known as contracts for deed, has become increasingly prevalent in Muslim communities.

  • August 13, 2024

    FDIC Looks To Dodge Suit Over First Republic Bank's Rent

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. urged a California federal court to toss a suit filed by a California landlord that once leased to First Republic Bank, arguing that federal law bars the suit because the FDIC is the bank's receiver.

  • August 13, 2024

    Google Says Search Ruling Irrelevant To Common Carrier Suit

    A recent ruling from a D.C. federal judge that declared Google a monopolist in the general search market has nothing to do with the Ohio attorney general's bid to designate the search engine as a common carrier, Google told an Ohio state court judge.

  • August 13, 2024

    No Cause To Revisit Maple Leaf Standard Yet, Fed. Circ. Says

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday declined a solar industry group's push to review a decades-old, "breathtakingly deferential" precedent a panel invoked in a decision affirming the president's Trade Act authority to make existing solar safeguard tariffs more trade restrictive.

  • August 13, 2024

    FINRA Flags Potential Pitfalls As Members Wade Into Crypto

    The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on Tuesday raised potential problem areas it has noticed related to members' dealings in crypto assets as part of a broader update on how the firms it oversees are wading into digital assets.

  • August 13, 2024

    DHS To Expedite Asylum Processing At Canadian Border

    The Biden administration is set to begin expediting asylum processing at the Northern border with Canada and limiting how long asylum seekers have to consult attorneys, U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Law360 on Tuesday.

  • August 13, 2024

    Houston Election Failures Traced To Ex-Employee's Dual Jobs

    A former employee of Harris County's now-defunct elections administrator's office is facing six felony charges in connection with botching his responsibility to allocate ballot paper to polling sites during the 2022 election, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • 15 Areas That Would Change Under Health Data Rule Proposal

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    If finalized, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's proposed rule will significantly progress its efforts to advance interoperability, respond to stakeholder concerns and clarify compliance with the health IT certification program, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • The Road Ahead For Regulation Of Digital Twins In Healthcare

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    Digital replicas of cells, organs and people — known as digital twins — can facilitate clinical trials for new drugs by reducing the number of patients required, but data limitations can create logistical hurdles and regulatory efforts addressing digital twins are still in early stages, say consultants at Keystone Strategy.

  • A Guide To Long-Term, Part-Time Employee Determinations

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    With final regulations under the Secure Act requiring 401(k) retirement benefits for long-term, part-time employees expected soon, Amy Sheridan and David Guadagnoli at Sullivan & Worcester look at how the proposed rules would shift the risk-reward calculus on excluding categories of employees, and what plan sponsors would need to consider when designing retirement plans.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Delegation Of Authority And Tax Regulators

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    The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service will face higher standards following Loper Bright’s finding that courts should determine whether agency rules meet the best possible interpretation of the tax code, as well as the scope of the authority delegated by Congress, says Edward Froelich at McDermott.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Decoding CFPB Priorities Amid Ramp-Up In Nonbank Actions

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    Based on recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement actions and press releases about its supervisory activities, the agency appears poised to continue increasing its scrutiny over nonbank entities — particularly with respect to emerging financial products and services — into next year, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    After Chevron: What Loper Bright Portends For The NLRB

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court has a long history of deferring to the National Labor Relations Board's readings of federal labor law, the court's Loper Bright v. Raimondo decision forces courts to take a harder look at the judgment of an agency — and the NLRB will not be immune from such greater scrutiny, says Irving Geslewitz at Much Shelist.

  • PE Firms Should Prepare For Increased False Claims Scrutiny

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    The impact private equity firms may have over medical decisions and care is increasingly attracting potential liability under the False Claims Act and attention from states and the federal government, so investors should follow best practices including conducting due diligence both before and after acquisitions, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Series

    After Chevron: NRC Is Shielded From Loper Bright's Effects

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright v. Relentless decision brought an end to Chevron deference, Congress' unique delegation of discretionary authority to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will likely insulate it from the additional judicial scrutiny that other federal agencies will face, say Ryan Lighty and Scott Clausen at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Unclear Intellectual Property Laws Are Stifling US Innovation

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    U.S. intellectual property law’s lack of predictability means far less job-creating investments for companies that need patent protection to compete, and Congress must step in with legislation like the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act to help address the problem, says Michael Gulliford at Soryn IP Capital Management.

  • Pros And Cons Of 2025 NDAA's Space Contracting Proposal

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    The introduction of a Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve fleet in the pending 2025 National Defense Authorization Act presents a significant opportunity for space and satellite companies — despite outstanding questions, and potential risks, for operators, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • How 3rd Circ. Raised Bar For Constitutional Case Injunctions

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    The Third Circuit's decision in Delaware State Sportsmen's Association v. Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security, rejecting the relaxed preliminary injunction standards many courts have used when plaintiffs allege constitutional harms, could portend a shift in such cases in at least four ways, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • New Russia Sanctions Law: Bank Compliance Insights

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    Financial institutions must familiarize themselves with the new reporting obligations imposed by the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, a recent law that authorizes seizures of Russian sovereign assets under U.S. jurisdiction, say attorneys at Seward & Kissel.

  • Opinion

    Dreamer Green Card Updates Offer Too Little For Too Few

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    Despite the Biden administration’s good intentions in announcing a new pathway for college-educated Dreamers to receive green cards, the initiative ultimately does little to improve the status quo for most beneficiaries, and could even leave applicants in a worse position, says Adam Moses at Harris Beach.

  • 3 Healthcare FCA Deals Provide Self-Disclosure Takeaways

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    Several civil False Claims Act settlements of alleged healthcare fraud violations over the past year demonstrate that healthcare providers may benefit substantially from voluntarily disclosing potential misconduct to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, say Brian Albritton and Raquel Ramirez Jefferson at Phelps Dunbar.

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