Public Policy

  • October 31, 2024

    IFC Projects Must Do More On Emissions, Report Says

    An accountability arm of the International Finance Corp. is encouraging it to bolster its methods to identify and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from financed projects, saying its current approaches are not fully up to date and limit its effectiveness in addressing global warming.

  • October 31, 2024

    Meta Says CFPB Mulling Enforcement Action Over Advertising

    Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said Thursday that it is facing a potential Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement action following an agency probe into financial-related advertising on its platform.

  • October 30, 2024

    5th Circ. Keeps Most No Surprises Act Provisions Intact

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday upheld several provisions for calculating qualifying payments under a federal law aimed at protecting Americans from surprise medical bills, saying in a published opinion that the provisions were neither inconsistent with the law nor arbitrary and capricious.

  • October 30, 2024

    FDA Didn't Flub Approval In Orphan Drug Case, DC Court Says

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't err in determining that a rival narcolepsy treatment is not the "same drug" as Jazz Pharmaceuticals' exclusive treatment, a D.C. federal judge ruled Wednesday, holding that the FDA's approval of the rival drug didn't run afoul of the Orphan Drug Act.

  • October 30, 2024

    Texas Trying To 'Cloak' Uvalde Records Forever, Justices Hear

    Justices on a Texas appeals court questioned why the state should get to keep almost three terabytes worth of data relating to the Uvalde school massacre away from the public eye, saying during oral arguments Wednesday that Texas was seemingly claiming it could hold onto all of its records.

  • October 30, 2024

    Calif. Panel Axes $10.6M Abex Asbestos Verdict

    A California appellate panel has thrown out a $10.6 million asbestos verdict against Pneumo Abex LLC and ordered a new trial, finding that the trial court erred in granting a directed verdict that rejected the now-bankrupt braking lining manufacturer's sophisticated user defense.

  • October 30, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Calif. City Can't Sue State Over Housing Laws

    The Ninth Circuit refused to revive the city of Huntington Beach, California's challenge to Golden State laws requiring it to build a certain number of housing units to keep up with population growth, writing in an order Wednesday that the city lacked standing to sue the state in federal court.

  • October 30, 2024

    Apparel Co.'s Crypto Allies Say SEC Suit Is Ripe For Court

    Cryptocurrency advocates have told a Texas federal judge that apparel company Beba and its crypto industry group backer have standing to preemptively sue the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, arguing that the regulator has created an impossible situation for crypto firms by bringing enforcement actions without setting clear rules for digital assets.

  • October 30, 2024

    'Politically Charged' Bid To Unseat Justice Alarms Colo. Bar

    The Colorado Bar Association said Tuesday it was concerned about a campaign to unseat the Colorado Supreme Court's chief justice because of her vote to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the state's ballot, calling them "politically charged efforts that target the judiciary's independence."

  • October 30, 2024

    Alleged Kickback Plotters Can Waive Conflict Over Attorney

    A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday concluded that a lab testing company owner charged with participating in a kickback scheme to defraud Medicare and a man who pled guilty to participating in a connected conspiracy could waive any conflicts that might arise from both using the same attorney.

  • October 30, 2024

    Google's Bid To Depose AG Has Texas Appeals Judge 'Extremely Troubled'

    A Texas appeals court raised concerns about Google's claim that it had the right to depose the Texas Office of the Attorney General, with a justice saying during oral arguments Wednesday that giving Google a green light to interview lawyers representing the state could open a legal can of worms.

  • October 30, 2024

    Pa. Says GOP Regret Doesn't Merit Freeze On Mail-In Vote Fix

    Pennsylvania told the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday the federal justices have no authority to freeze a ruling from the state's top court allowing voters whose mail-in ballots are rejected as defective to submit provisional ballots as replacements, adding that the Republican Party's alleged regret over its litigation strategy doesn't require action either.

  • October 30, 2024

    4th Circ. Keeps NC Voter Registration Suit In Fed. Court

    The Fourth Circuit has ruled that a district court was wrong to send part of a Republicans' lawsuit challenging the legality of 225,000 voters' registrations in North Carolina back to state court.

  • October 30, 2024

    More Than Half Of Cos. Slow With Antirobocall Compliance

    Fewer than half of U.S. phone companies have finished installing equipment to stop scam robocalls in the three years since the adoption of Federal Communications Commission standards for robocall mitigation, according to a new report from a consumer watchdog group.

  • October 30, 2024

    Rights Org. Calls For Probe Of Allegedly Manipulated ICE Data

    Immigration rights group The Black Alliance for Just Immigration said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be investigated immediately, claiming the agency had classified detained Black immigrants as white for years.

  • October 30, 2024

    Calif. Agency Targets Data Brokers Over Registry Mandate

    The California Privacy Protection Agency revealed Wednesday that it's cracking down on data brokers' compliance with the registration requirements of a groundbreaking consumer data deletion law, stressing that it won't hesitate to impose hefty fines on those that are falling short. 

  • October 30, 2024

    Conn. Justices Doubt Fertility Doc Suit Is For 'Wrongful Life'

    Some justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court were skeptical Wednesday that a lawsuit accusing a fertility doctor of impregnating patients with his own sperm is a barred claim for wrongful life, pressing defense counsel on the now-grown children's allegations that they suffered psychological harm when they discovered the truth.

  • October 30, 2024

    Insurer Can't Cap Interest In Birth Injury Case, Patient Says

    A patient suing his doctor over injuries he suffered at birth urged the Colorado Supreme Court not to limit interest on his medical malpractice damages to $1 million, arguing in a brief the doctor's insurer had chances to settle the case years ago and refused.

  • October 30, 2024

    DOI Invests $46M In Klamath Basin Restoration

    The U.S. Department of the Interior on Wednesday unveiled nearly $46 million in investments from the bipartisan infrastructure law for ecosystem restoration activities in the drought-prone Klamath River Basin of Southern Oregon and Northern California. 

  • October 30, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds Texas A&M's Defeat Of Hiring Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday backed Texas A&M University's win over a professor's lawsuit claiming its hiring practices prevent white and Asian men's applications from being properly considered, finding his failure to actually seek a job at the school doomed his case.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Embraces 'Law School Geekiness' In Ill. Swipe Fee Row

    An Illinois federal judge said Wednesday that she'd be "going back to law school" to study up after hearing more than two hours of robust arguments about whether she should block a first-of-its-kind Illinois law restricting certain credit card fees, as the banking industry said at least one bank was "freaking out" over possible compliance.

  • October 30, 2024

    Ax Green Groups' Suit Over 'Resiliency' Definition, FEMA Says

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked a D.C. federal judge on Wednesday to throw out a lawsuit brought by environmental advocacy and consumer groups alleging the agency missed its deadline to define "resilient."

  • October 30, 2024

    T-Mobile Defends UScellular Spectrum Buy At FCC

    T-Mobile and United States Cellular Corp. urged the Federal Communications Commission to dismiss challenges to UScellular spectrum leases as it seeks to sell wireless operations to T-Mobile, arguing the dispute over the leases is unrelated to the wireless sale.

  • October 30, 2024

    Wash. Boys' Group Home Gets Sanctions In Sex Abuse Case

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday sanctioned a boys' group home for failing to prepare its CEO to give evidence in a case involving sexual abuse claims dating back to the 1980s, in an order saying the home acted without court permission to limit the CEO's testimony during a deposition.

  • October 30, 2024

    3rd Circ. Told Medicare Drug Price Talks Not Voluntary

    Three pharmaceutical companies told the Third Circuit on Wednesday the Medicare drug price negotiation program is anything but voluntary, arguing the appeals court should revive their challenges to the program because it is unconstitutional.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Tariffs' Economic Downsides Outweigh Potential Revenue

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    Import tariffs proposed by the campaign of former president Donald Trump would generate revenue like other taxes, but policymakers must consider the net-negative impact of associated consumer and downstream-industry costs, harm to exporters, potential foreign retaliation and reduction in economic output, says Erica York at the Tax Foundation.

  • Comments Show Need For Clarity On SBA Proposed Rule

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    The recent public comments period for the Small Business Administration's proposed rule on recertification and other regulations underscores the need for more precision, particularly on agreements in principle, which the SBA should address as it moves forward with this rulemaking, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Amazon Holiday Pay Case Underscores Overtime Challenges

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    The recent Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services LLC decision in the Colorado Supreme Court underscores why employers must always consult applicable state law and regulations — in addition to federal law — when determining how to properly pay employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek, says James Looby at Vedder Price.

  • Understanding New ACH Network Anti-Fraud Rules

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    Many of the National Automated Clearing House Association’s recent amendments to ACH network risk management rules went into effect this month, so financial institutions and corporations must review and update their internal policies as needed, says Aisha Hall at Taft.

  • The OIG Report: Bad Timing For FEC To Be Underresourced

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    With less than two weeks to the election, the Federal Election Commission’s job has never been more urgent, but a report from its Office of the Inspector General earlier this year found that the agency is facing a resource squeeze that will only get worse without corrective action, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • What To Know About New Employment Laws In Fla.

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    Florida employers should familiarize themselves with recent state laws, and also federal legislation, on retirement benefits, teen labor and heat exposure, with special attention to prohibitions against minors performing dangerous tasks, as outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act, say Katie Molloy and Cayla Page at Greenberg Traurig.

  • The Key To Solving High Drug Costs Is Understanding Causes

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    One-sided views on who or what contributes to the high cost of pharmaceuticals render possible solutions much harder to discover and implement, and a better approach would be to examine history and learn why costs have increased and what legislation has and hasn't helped, says Nancy Linck at NJ Linck Consulting.

  • Election Unlikely To Overhaul Antitrust Enforcers' Labor Focus

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    Although the outcome of the presidential election may alter the course of antitrust enforcement in certain areas of the economy, scrutiny of labor markets by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice is likely to remain largely unaffected — with one notable exception, say Jared Nagley and Joy Siu at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Immigration Attys Should Prep For A 2nd Trump Term

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    In light of the possibility of a drastic policy shift under a second Trump administration, immigration lawyers must review what Trump did during his first term, assess who would be most affected if those policies return and develop legal strategies to safeguard their clients' interests, says Adam Moses at Harris Beach.

  • Anticipating Jarkesy's Effect On Bank Agency Enforcement

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, federal courts may eventually issue decisions on banking law principles and processes that could fundamentally alter the agencies' enforcement action framework, and the relationship between banks and examiners, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.

  • CFTC Anti-Fraud Blitz Is A Warning To Carbon Credit Sellers

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    With its recent enforcement actions against a carbon offset project developer and its senior executives for reporting false information about the energy savings of the company's projects, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is staking out its position as a primary regulator in the voluntary carbon credit market, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Unpacking State AG Approaches To Digital Asset Enforcement

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    Attorneys at Cozen O'Connor survey recent digital asset enforcement by attorneys general nationwide driven by concerns over regulatory gaps where technological developments and market changes have outpaced legislation.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • Peeling Back The Layers Of SEC's Equity Trading Reforms

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently adopted amendments lowering the tick sizes for stock trading and reducing access fee caps will benefit investors and necessitate broad systems changes — if they can first survive judicial challenges, say attorneys at Sidley.

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