Public Policy

  • March 07, 2025

    Cosmetics Co. Sues Insurer Over Calif. Water Pollution Claims

    A cosmetics company facing water pollution claims told a California federal court its insurer denied coverage in bad faith, saying though the insurer agreed to defend a lawsuit from the California attorney general, the insurer still wrongly refused to reimburse costs from two prior, related suits that were ultimately rescinded.

  • March 07, 2025

    Trucker Overtime Carveout Is Focus Of Reintroduced Bill

    A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that would nix a Fair Labor Standards Act carveout making certain truck drivers overtime-exempt.

  • March 07, 2025

    Prison Phone Co. Floats New FCC Rate Cap Plan

    Prison phone company NCIC Correctional Services is hoping to kill several birds with one stone by presenting the Federal Communications Commission with a proposal it says would fix issues with a 2024 order changing how the phone prison payment system works and resolve some issues it has on appeal at the First Circuit.

  • March 07, 2025

    Tariffs, Diversity And DOGE Dominate Trump 2.0 'Risk Factors'

    Public companies are busily reworking risk disclosures since the arrival of President Donald Trump's second administration, seeking to walk a fine line of being upfront with investors about potential threats to business despite vast legal and policy uncertainties.

  • March 07, 2025

    U. Of Washington To Pay $4M To End COVID Tuition Case

    The University of Washington will pay $4 million to settle a class action filed by students seeking tuition reimbursement from the COVID-19 campus shutdown, according to a settlement that received a judge's preliminary approval this week.

  • March 07, 2025

    NY's Crackdown On Illicit Pot Is Unconstitutional, Club Says

    A self-described cannabis club has launched a legal challenge to New York policies aimed at combating unregulated marijuana sales, saying authorities' raids unconstitutionally shut down its businesses.

  • March 07, 2025

    GOP Rep Wants Legislative Redo Of Broadband Program

    A key House Republican has filed legislation to overhaul the U.S. Commerce Department's multibillion-dollar broadband deployment program to remove some regulations tied to federal funding.

  • March 07, 2025

    Conn. Justice Questions Fairness Of Water Rate Hike Rebuff

    Connecticut's utility regulator may have treated an Eversource subsidiary unfairly when it told the company it could not increase consumers' water rates to make up for $42 million in capital expenditures, a state Supreme Court justice said Friday.

  • March 07, 2025

    DOJ Cites SDNY Prosecutors' Texts In Bid To End Adams Case

    President Donald Trump's Justice Department doubled down Friday on its bid to toss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, citing newly released internal correspondence showing "troubling conduct" by Southern District of New York prosecutors the agency criticized as "careerist" and insubordinate.

  • March 07, 2025

    Judicial Impeachment Calls Could Drive Anger At Bench

    Twenty-nine years ago, then-U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist laid out a cautionary tale on impeachments of judges.

  • March 07, 2025

    Judge Slams 'Unreasonable' Atty Fee Request in FOIA Case

    A D.C. federal judge rejected an asylum-seeker's request for more than $130,000 in attorney fees in a successful Freedom of Information Act case against the federal government, saying "serious deficiencies" in her attorney's billing practices render the request "patently unreasonable."

  • March 07, 2025

    Budtenders Say Curaleaf's Tips Policy Violates Federal Law

    A proposed class of budtenders for Curaleaf Inc.'s Maryland dispensaries are suing the company, saying it violates the Fair Labor Standards Act with its policy of paying out tips to managers.

  • March 07, 2025

    Judge Upholds Denial Of Class Cert. For 'Bridgegate' Drivers

    A New Jersey federal judge has refused to disturb his 2023 denial of class certification for George Washington Bridge travelers who claimed the infamous "Bridgegate" traffic jam violated their constitutional rights, ruling that the plaintiffs' arguments were already considered and found to be immaterial to the case.

  • March 07, 2025

    EPA To Drop Enforcement Suit Against La. Neoprene Maker

    The Trump administration is dropping a lawsuit alleging that a neoprene manufacturer's air emissions pose a health threat to the surrounding community, saying the action is part of its effort to "end radical DEI programs" and "eliminate ideological overreach."

  • March 07, 2025

    California Bar Orders Investigation Of Flawed Exam

    The State Bar of California is bringing on an independent investigator to look into the problem-plagued administration of the February bar exam, which left scores of test-takers feeling cheated.

  • March 07, 2025

    Mass. Housing Law Called Unfunded Mandate In Latest Suit

    A controversial Massachusetts housing law requiring multifamily zoning near Boston-area transit facilities is facing a new legal challenge after the town of Wrentham argued in a Thursday state court suit that it's an unfunded mandate on localities.

  • March 07, 2025

    NC High Court Hopeful Fights Judge's Recusal Over Donation

    A Republican judge challenging ballots cast in the North Carolina Supreme Court race he lost by 734 votes said his colleague on the state Court of Appeals shouldn't be recused from hearing his case because he contributed to the GOP jurist's campaign, noting the panel hasn't even been selected yet.

  • March 07, 2025

    DC Judge Declines To Block DOGE From Treasury Systems

    A D.C. federal judge on Friday declined to wall off access to the federal government's payment systems from employees of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency during a lawsuit brought by retirees and union groups, determining the alleged privacy risks were not enough to warrant the court's intervention.

  • March 07, 2025

    Immigrant Rights Groups Fight IRS Data Sharing With DHS

    Two Illinois-based immigrant and Latino rights groups filed a suit Friday seeking to block the Internal Revenue Service from disclosing the names and addresses of taxpayers with taxpayer identification numbers to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies with the purpose of enforcing immigration laws.

  • March 07, 2025

    Minn. Bill Seeks To Subtract OT, Tips, Bonuses From Income

    Minnesota would allow taxpayers to subtract the amount of overtime pay, tips and bonuses earned from their gross income under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • March 07, 2025

    Minn. Bills Seek Sales Tax Break For Home Construction

    Construction materials for single-family and multifamily homes for first-time homebuyers would be exempt from some Minnesota sales and use taxes under legislation introduced in the state Senate.

  • March 07, 2025

    10th Circ. Urged To Reject Bid To Nix Microcaptive Notice

    The federal government urged the Tenth Circuit to affirm a ruling that rejected a plumbing supply company's request to invalidate an IRS notice that added reporting requirements for certain microcaptive insurance arrangements, saying the lower court correctly found the suit would illegally hinder tax collection.

  • March 07, 2025

    Retrial In Landmark Graft Case Faces Potential Roadblocks

    A retrial in a public corruption case tied to an infrastructure initiative under former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces possible obstacles after being returned to a federal judge by the U.S. Supreme Court, with the parties awaiting further legal guidance from the justices and the defense saying the Trump administration's priorities may sink the case.

  • March 06, 2025

    Trump Executive Order Creates 'Strategic Bitcoin Reserve'

    President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order establishing a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" that White House crypto czar David Sacks said would hold Bitcoin forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings.

  • March 06, 2025

    Amid Court Setbacks, Trump Wants Foes To Foot Legal Bills

    With judges hitting the brakes on the White House's aggressive agenda, President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to up the ante with his legal adversaries by seeking legal costs and damages if his administration ultimately prevails after initial setbacks in litigation.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Do When ICE Shows Up At The Hospital

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    In light of recent executive orders and changes to enforcement directives permitting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to enter sensitive locations like hospitals, healthcare providers should understand how to balance compliance with existing health laws and patient care obligations, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Unpacking The Legal Foundation Of Trump's New Trade War

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    President Donald Trump's recent executive orders and proclamations regarding emergencies at the U.S. border are based on statutory powers enabling a president to address extraordinary external threats — and could be used to fend off legal challenges to the tariffs levied on Mexican and Canadian goods, says Chris Zona at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • A View Of The Shifting Insurance Regulatory Landscape

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    Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland explore how the Federal Insurance Office's climate report, the new presidential administration and the California wildfires might affect the insurance regulatory landscape.

  • Trump's Energy Plans: Funding, Permits And Nuclear Power

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    In the wake of President Donald Trump's flurry of first-day executive orders focusing on the energy sector, attorneys at Gibson Dunn analyze what this presidency will mean for energy-related grants and loans, changes to permitting processes and developments in nuclear power.

  • When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law

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    In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • FTC Focus: Avoiding 'Gun Jumping' Violations

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent record $5.6 million "gun jumping" enforcement action against XCL Resources, EP Energy and Verdun Oil sends a clear message about the seriousness of violations of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act's premerger requirements, and highlights compliance tips such as avoiding premature integration of operations, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • What Compensation Committees Must Keep In Mind In 2025

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    New disclosure obligations, an evolving discussion on the analysis of executive perks and updated proxy adviser policies — on top of a new presidential administration — are all important things compensation committees must pay close attention to in 2025, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Likely Doomed CFPB Contract Rule Still Has Industry Pointers

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    While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's January proposal on consumer financial contract provisions is unlikely to be finalized under the new administration, its provisions are important for industry to recognize, particularly if state attorneys general decide to take up the enforcement mantle, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Preparing For A Possible End To The Subminimum Wage

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to end the subminimum wage for employees with disabilities may significantly affect the community-based rehabilitation and training programs that employ these workers, so certified programs should be especially vigilant about compliance during this period of evaluation and scrutiny, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Engaging With Feds On Threats To Executives, Employees

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    In an increasingly polarized environment, where companies face serious concerns about how to protect executives and employees, counsel should consider working with federal law enforcement soon after the discovery of threats or harassment, says Jordan Estes at Gibson Dunn.

  • The Risk And Reward Of Federal Approach To AI Regulation

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    The government has struggled to keep up with artificial intelligence's furious pace, but while an overbroad federal attempt to adopt a more unified approach to regulating AI poses its own risks, so does the current environment of regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Losing A Motion To Dismiss Ruling Isn't Necessarily The End

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    A recent Delaware Court of Chancery ruling, that the Manti Group had not demonstrated any conflicts of interest favoring private equity fund operator The Carlyle Group, serves as an important reminder that a decision on a pleading motion is not the end of the story, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Anticipating Direction Of Cosmetics Regulation Under Trump

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    It is unclear how cosmetics regulation reform from the last few years will fare under President Donald Trump, but the new administration's emphasis on deregulation and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s views on product safety provide some insight, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Drug Pricing Policy Trends To Expect In 2025 And Beyond

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    Though 2025 may bring more of the same in the realm of drug pricing policy, business as usual entails a sustained, high level of legal and policy developments across at least six major areas, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Drug Cartels' Terrorist Label Raises Litigation Risk For Cos.

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    President Donald Trump's planned designation of some Latin American drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations creates an additional and little-noticed source of legal exposure: U.S. civil litigation risk involving terrorism claims by victims of those groups, say attorneys at Covington.

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