Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Public Policy
-
September 04, 2024
EPA Coke Ovens Rule Challenged By Green Groups, Industry
Green groups and a coke-making business have kicked off challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening emission standards for hazardous air pollutants like benzene, mercury, lead and arsenic that are emitted by coke oven facilities.
-
September 04, 2024
Cos. Tell High Court Biden Can't Hike Contractors' Min. Wage
The Tenth Circuit pushed the borders of the Procurement Act too much when it blessed President Joe Biden's decision to increase federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups told the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the law doesn't authorize wage increases.
-
September 03, 2024
Louisiana Frees Aurobindo, Sandoz From Price-Fixing Suits
The state of Louisiana has dropped its remaining claims in three Connecticut-based lawsuits by a collection of state attorneys general against more than three dozen pharmaceutical companies alleging a generic drug price-fixing scheme, truncating assertions that accuse myriad drugmakers of Sherman Act violations.
-
September 03, 2024
Feds Abandon $12M Somali Fraud Case Against Atty
The U.S. government has dropped its Maryland federal court case against a lawyer who was set for trial this year on charges of misappropriating over $12 million in Somali state assets, citing "pre-trial evidentiary rulings."
-
September 03, 2024
11th Circ. Won't Revive Fla. School's Loudspeaker Prayer Suit
The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a decision in favor of the Florida High School Athletic Association and its decision denying the use of a loudspeaker for prayer before sporting events, ruling that it could be regulated because it was government speech.
-
September 03, 2024
5th Circ. Hesitant To Call Tornado Cash 'Entity'
A Fifth Circuit panel prodded the U.S. Department of the Treasury's argument that Tornado Cash counts as a corporation-like organization, telling the agency that its reasoning for calling the sanctioned crypto mixer an entity was "slippery" during oral arguments Tuesday.
-
September 03, 2024
Feds Ask Sixth Circ. To Uphold Highway GHG Rule
The federal government called on the Sixth Circuit to overturn a district court ruling finding the Federal Highway Administration overstepped its authority by directing states to set targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from federally funded highway projects, arguing the rule aligns with Congress' instructions.
-
September 03, 2024
FCC Moves Ahead On Indie Video Competition, Congress Told
The Federal Communications Commission could soon advance new rules that would make it easier for independent video programmers to gain a foothold in the market, the FCC's chief has told a key Democratic senator on communications policy.
-
September 03, 2024
Utah Tribe Seeks Quick Win In Farm Water Diversion Fight
The Ute Indian Tribe is seeking a quick win in its challenge to a Utah farm that it claims diverted protected water to use for its cattle, arguing that in addition to a lack of jurisdiction, it's undisputed that the defendant willingly interfered with the tribe's property.
-
September 03, 2024
3rd Circ. Preview: Starbucks Firing, Liquor Law In September
Two National Labor Relations Board cases grace the Third Circuit's September session, when panels will probe the agency's suits against Starbucks Corp. for firing Philadelphia workers attempting to unionize and a plastic company accused of firing a safety whistleblower.
-
September 03, 2024
Union-Backed 'Captive Audience' Bill Heads To Calif. Governor
The California Senate voted in favor of a union-backed bill that would bar employers from requiring employees to attend meetings related to religious or political matters — including company-organized meetings used to discourage union-formation — sending the so-called captive audience bill to the governor's desk.
-
September 03, 2024
Justices Deny Oklahoma's Bid To Block HHS Funding Cut
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Oklahoma's request to stop the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from cutting funding over the state's refusal to refer family planning patients for abortion after the high court's Dobbs decision last year.
-
September 03, 2024
Calif. Backs EPA's High Court Fight To Keep SF Water Limits
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality standards for San Francisco are legal and should be upheld in the face of a challenge from the city, California and various green groups told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
-
September 03, 2024
Colo. Justices To Parse Public Interest Under Anti-SLAPP Law
Colorado's high court will consider whether the state's anti-SLAPP law requires a person to actually contribute to public discourse in order for their speech to be covered by the statute, and whether their motive matters, in a case concerning negative online posts about a veterinary clinic.
-
September 03, 2024
NAACP, Others Fight Ga.'s Bid To Undo Election Law Block
The Georgia branch of the NAACP and a host of other groups are asking the Eleventh Circuit to affirm and expand a preliminary injunction blocking parts of a controversial Peach State election law as state officials are pushing to have the injunction overturned.
-
September 03, 2024
NC Suit Over Blackbeard Ship Survives Another Attack
North Carolina's cultural resources agency isn't responsible for enforcing the terms for third-party usage of an image and video of Blackbeard's shipwreck, the state's Business Court ruled Friday in paring damages claims by the organization that discovered the pirate's wreckage.
-
September 03, 2024
FCC Urged To Trim Rule Proposal For Blocking Spam Texts
Wireless carriers want the Federal Communications Commission to scale back a proposed rule for blocking spam texts to ensure legitimate messages can still go through despite tighter standards.
-
September 03, 2024
UAW Loses Bid To Include Casinos In NJ Smoking Ban
A New Jersey state court judge on Friday tossed the United Auto Workers' complaint claiming a law excluding casino workers from secondhand smoking protections violates the state constitution, reasoning that the law doesn't inhibit the employees' right to pursue safety.
-
September 03, 2024
Ga. Minor Says Hotel Knew About Trafficking But Didn't Help
An Atlanta-based hotel and its management company were hit with a lawsuit in Georgia federal court for allegedly doing nothing to stop the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl despite managers' and hotel employees' knowledge of the situation.
-
September 03, 2024
Ohio AG Asks Appeals Court To Affirm Trans Care Restrictions
Ohio lawmakers acted within their authority to regulate the practice of medicine when they passed a law this year that restricts gender-affirming care for minors and prohibits transgender girls from participating in girls sports, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told the state appeals court in a recent brief.
-
September 03, 2024
FCC Bans Kaspersky Software In Authorized Equipment
The Federal Communications Commission is banning the use of certain Russian-made cybersecurity and antivirus software from Kaspersky Labs in agency-authorized telecommunications equipment, months after the U.S. Department of Commerce said the software could pose national security risks.
-
September 03, 2024
Colo. AG Says Tenants Can Sue Blackstone Over Lease Terms
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser urged the state's Supreme Court on Friday to find that tenants can sue a group of Blackstone subsidiaries for deceptive trade practices over lease agreements that allegedly misrepresent the rights of tenants.
-
September 03, 2024
Ex-Defense Contractor Arrested In $350M Tax Evasion Case
A former defense contractor who, with his wife, is facing a 30-count indictment alleging they were involved in a decades-long scheme to defraud the U.S. government and avoid taxes on more than $350 million in income was arrested Tuesday.
-
September 03, 2024
EPA Should Have Rethought Smog Plan, DC Circ. Told
U.S. Steel Corp. told the D.C. Circuit that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was obligated to rethink its plan to reduce smog-forming emissions across several states once courts partially blocked the plan's implementation, saying those decisions vindicate arguments that the rule can't be legally crafted.
-
September 03, 2024
Advocates Urge 8th Circ. To Keep Iowa Arrest Law Blocked
Immigration lawyers and advocates for domestic violence survivors slammed Iowa's defense of a state law authorizing the arrest of immigrants who reentered the country after deportation, telling the Eighth Circuit that the immigrants may have obtained humanitarian protections after removal.
Expert Analysis
-
Series
After Chevron: What To Expect In Consumer Protection At FTC
Although the Federal Trade Commission's bread-and-butter consumer protection law enforcement actions are unlikely to be affected, the Loper Bright decision may curb the FTC's bolder interpretations of the statutes it enforces, says Mary Engle at BBB National Programs.
-
Carbon Offset Case A Win For CFTC Enviro Fraud Task Force
An Illinois federal court's decision in Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Ikkurty — earning the CFTC a sizeable monetary award that will likely incentivize similar enforcement pursuit — shows the impact of the commission's Environmental Fraud Task Force, say attorneys at Steptoe.
-
RealPage Suit Shows Growing Algorithm, AI Pricing Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Justice's suit against RealPage for helping fix rental rates, filed last week, demonstrates how the use of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools to assist with pricing decisions is drawing increasing scrutiny and action across government agencies, and specifically at the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ, say Andre Geverola and Leah Harrell at Arnold & Porter.
-
Whistleblowers Must Note 5 Key Differences Of DOJ Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently unveiled whistleblower awards program diverges in key ways from similar programs at other agencies, and individuals must weigh these differences and look first to programs with stronger, proven protections before blowing the whistle, say Stephen Kohn and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.
-
What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
-
Calif. Ruling Clarifying Paystub Compliance Is Win For Cos.
In rare good news for California employers, the state Supreme Court recently clarified that workers couldn’t win extra penalties in wage and hour cases by claiming their employer intentionally violated state paystub law if the employer believed it had complied in good faith, say Drei Munar and Kirk Hornbeck at Hunton.
-
Considering Noncompete Strategies After Blocked FTC Ban
A Texas district court's recent decision in Ryan v. Federal Trade Commission to set aside the new FTC rule banning noncompetes does away with some immediate compliance obligations, but employers should still review strategies, attend to changes to state laws and monitor ongoing challenges, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
-
Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling
The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.
-
Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
-
Series
After Chevron: The Future Of AI And Copyright Law
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overrule the Chevron doctrine, leaders in the artificial intelligence industry may seek to shift the balance of power to courts to exercise more independent statutory interpretation without constraints from the U.S. Copyright Office, says Greg Derin at Signature Resolution.
-
Leveraging Policy Changes To Achieve AI Patent Eligibility
With the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office guidance in hand and legislation looming in Congress, innovators should file their artificial intelligence patent applications now — and five strategies can maximize their chances of success, says Nicholas Gallo at Troutman Pepper.
-
Crypto Regs Could See A Reset Under The Next President
Donald Trump has taken a permissive policy stance favoring crypto, while Kamala Harris has been silent on the issue, but no matter who wins the presidential election, we may see a more lenient regulatory climate toward the digital currency than from the Biden administration, says Liam Murphy at McKool Smith.
-
How DOJ May Change FARA Exemption In Forthcoming Rule
Any day now, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to issue proposed revisions to the Foreign Agents Registration Act regulations, and signs suggest that it will likely narrow one of FARA's broadest exemptions, which may compound public confusion about the law's requirements, says Murad Hussain at Arnold & Porter.
-
Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
-
Key Concerns To Confront In FDIC Brokered Deposit Proposal
Banks and fintech companies should note several fundamental issues with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to widen how it classifies brokered deposits, an attempt to limit prudential risk that could expose the industry and underbanked consumers who rely on bank-fintech apps to widespread unintended consequences, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.