Public Policy

  • February 28, 2025

    NJ Out-Of-State Wine Sale Limits Are Justified, 3rd. Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit on Friday upheld a New Jersey law barring out-of-state sellers to directly ship wine to in-state consumers, saying that to grant a New York retailer's challenge would "shake the foundations" of New Jersey's three-tiered system for regulating alcohol.

  • February 28, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Developer's Conviction For Bribing LA Pol

    The Ninth Circuit upheld a developer's conviction for bribing former Los Angeles City Councilor Jose Huizar to foil a challenge to a downtown project, ruling Thursday the district court didn't have to instruct jurors that the government had to prove the developer bribed Huizar to take a specific, official act.

  • February 28, 2025

    Fla. Officials Can't Escape Authors' Suit Over Book Bans

    A Florida federal judge Friday declined to dismiss a lawsuit by six publishing houses; two parents of schoolchildren; and five bestselling authors, including Jodi Picoult and Laurie Halse Anderson, challenging a state law that restricts books in school libraries.

  • February 28, 2025

    FinCEN Delays Corporate Transparency Act Deadlines

    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said it will not take any enforcement actions against companies failing to file or update their beneficial ownership information reports pursuant to the Corporate Transparency Act until an interim final rule becomes effective.

  • February 28, 2025

    Justices Asked To Review IRS Crypto Doc Seizure Case

    A cryptocurrency investor who lost his challenge to the Internal Revenue Service's seizure of his account records has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for review, saying the 1976 legal doctrine that sank his case is outdated and fails to meet digital realities, including decentralized banking.

  • February 28, 2025

    Off The Bench: Trans Ban Recusal Bid, Wemby Spat, Fox Suit

    In this week's Off The Bench, a Colorado federal judge won't recuse himself from a case centering on a transgender athlete over his pronoun use, the sale of a high-profile Victor Wembanyama jersey will go forward despite feverish litigation and a sprawling harassment suit against Fox Sports is shuffled from federal to state court.

  • February 28, 2025

    CFPB Drops TransUnion Suit In Enforcement Retreat

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice, a lawsuit against TransUnion alleging deceptive marketing practices, and another suit against 1st Alliance Lending LLC alleging deceptive mortgage lending practices, the latest in a string of enforcement actions the Trump administration has dropped without explanation.

  • February 28, 2025

    SEC's Crypto Turn Could Undermine Staff, Dem Member Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's sole Democratic member has spoken out against its postelection retreat from prosecuting crypto cases, warning that recent actions like the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit against Coinbase threaten to undermine the agency's enforcement staff.

  • February 28, 2025

    Feds Say Tribes Can't Block New Oregon Casino

    The federal government and an Oregon Native American tribe are pushing back on a bid from three other tribes to block the operation of a new casino in Oregon, telling the D.C. Circuit that the tribes filed their emergency motion improperly and are likely to lose on the merits of their case.

  • February 28, 2025

    FERC Says PJM Watchdog Can't Fight Meeting Roadblock

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday told the D.C. Circuit that PJM Interconnection's electricity market watchdog isn't harmed by being prevented from attending certain meetings held by the regional grid operator and urged the appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the decision.

  • February 28, 2025

    La. Regulators Ask Justices To Review Tesla Sales Ban Case

    Louisiana regulators have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Tesla's case over the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, saying the presence of car dealership owners on a regulatory board does not violate the electric-car company's due process rights.

  • February 28, 2025

    Cheyenne Sioux Tribe Says US Must Pay For Building Repairs

    A Wyoming tribe is asking the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn an order that determined the federal government is not responsible for paying for a deteriorating building on its reservation, arguing that the contract over the structure is rooted in a treaty-based, nation-to-nation relationship.

  • February 28, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Undo National Block Of Trump Birthright Order

    A split Fourth Circuit panel on Friday rejected the federal government's effort to tailor an injunction blocking the enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, saying the district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction.

  • February 28, 2025

    Judge Questions Refugee Org.'s Contract Termination Claims

    A D.C. federal judge seemed unconvinced Friday that an organization of Catholic bishops has much more than contract claims in their bid to stop the Trump administration from terminating refugee resettlement cooperation agreements, though he also questioned government assertions that statutorily-mandated resettlement work is still happening through other means.

  • February 28, 2025

    China Signals Retaliation Following Extra 10% US Tariff

    The Chinese government said Friday it will pursue additional "countermeasures" if President Donald Trump's administration follows through on plans to impose an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

  • February 28, 2025

    New Jersey AG Office Tells Court It Wasn't Whistleblowers' Boss

    The New Jersey Attorney General's Office told a state judge Friday that it should be removed from a lawsuit accusing the Warren County prosecutor's office of retaliating against two detectives for their part in uncovering an alleged fraud scheme, because the attorney general was never their employer.

  • February 28, 2025

    Carbon Project Investor C-Quest Hits Ch. 7

    Carbon project developer C-Quest Capital has filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in a Delaware bankruptcy court as its ex-CEO faces charges he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars worth of carbon credits.

  • February 28, 2025

    USPTO Fires Some Probationary Workers, But Not Examiners

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has fired "a small number" of employees that were still on probation, but not patent and trademark examiners, the acting patent commissioner announced.

  • February 28, 2025

    Dems Claim DOJ Atty's 'Quid Pro Quo' Violated Ethics Rules

    Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee senior members lodged ethics complaints against acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, accusing the recently appointed Bove of violating ethics rules by allegedly pushing prosecutors to drop criminal bribery charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a "quid pro quo" deal with President Donald Trump.

  • February 28, 2025

    NYC Bar Slams Trump's Order On Covington Attys

    The New York City Bar Association has joined the chorus of legal groups decrying President Donald Trump's order suspending security clearances held by Covington & Burling LLP attorneys representing former special counsel Jack Smith, calling it an "improper use of government power."

  • February 28, 2025

    NC Judge's Ballot Battle Will Sideline Voters, Court Told

    A North Carolina Supreme Court candidate's continuing bid to throw out more than 60,000 ballots threatens to sideline thousands of legitimate voters, state election officials and his campaign rival told an appeals court on the same day they got an outpouring of amicus support.

  • February 28, 2025

    Ga. High Court Names Justice Peterson As Next Chief

    Georgia's Supreme Court justices have unanimously elected Presiding Justice Nels S.D. Peterson to serve as the next leader of the state's highest court.

  • February 28, 2025

    3M Wants Texas 'Forever Chemical' Suit Tossed

    3M Co. told a Texas federal judge that the Lone Star State's lawsuit accusing chemical manufacturers of selling forever chemical-containing products despite knowing they present health risks to humans should be tossed because the court doesn't have jurisdiction over the companies.

  • February 28, 2025

    Time To Abolish IPO 'Bureaucracy,' Law Professor Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's long-established practice of vetting initial public offering filings through back-and-forth comment letters with companies — essentially a screening process intended to rectify faulty disclosures before public dissemination — is a bureaucratic relic that should be done away with, a law professor argues.

  • February 28, 2025

    Cozen Public Strategies Names Federal Lobbying Leader

    Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies has tapped its managing director to lead its federal lobbying practice in Washington, D.C.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing For Mexican Drug Cartels' Terrorist Designation

    Author Photo

    In the event President-elect Donald Trump designates Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, businesses will need to consider how their particular industry is affected and evaluate previously legitimate practices given the cartels' involvement so many sectors of the economy, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Final Hydrogen Tax Credit Regs Add Flexibility For Producers

    Author Photo

    The recently released final regulations implementing the Inflation Reduction Act's clean hydrogen production tax credit offer taxpayers greater flexibility, reducing risk and creating more certainty for investments in the industry, thus diminishing — but not eliminating — the risk of legal challenges to the regulations, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Where Payments Law And Regulation Are Headed In 2025

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration will likely bring significant changes to payments regulations in 2025, but maintaining internal compliance efforts in the absence of robust federal oversight will remain key as state authorities and private plaintiffs step into the breach, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • What To Expect From Federal Cybersecurity Policy In 2025

    Author Photo

    There are 12 cyber policy questions to keep an eye on as the new administration and Republican control of Congress present an opportunity to advance less regulatory approaches and revisit some choices from the prior administration, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Republican Trifecta Amplifies Risks For Cos. In 3 Key Areas

    Author Photo

    Expected coordination between a Republican Congress and presidential administration may expose companies to simultaneous criminal, civil and congressional investigations, particularly with regard to supply chain risks in certain industries, government contracting and cross-border investment, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 2 Cases May Signal Where FTC Is Headed On Labor Issues

    Author Photo

    Two recent Federal Trade Commission challenges to no-hire clauses in agreements between building service firms and their customers include comments by future FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson that may offer insight into the direction the FTC is headed on labor issues, says Michael Wise at Squire Patton.

  • How Decline Of Deference Will Affect Trump Policymaking

    Author Photo

    An administrative law regime without Chevron deference may limit the Trump administration’s ability to implement new policies in the short term, but ultimately help it in the long term, and all parties with an interest in regulatory changes will have to take a fresh approach to litigation, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 5 Evolving Concerns For Family Offices In 2025

    Author Photo

    Complex regulatory changes and emerging operational risks will force family offices to stay on their toes in 2025, with timely action particularly necessary to address several tax and reporting developments that may affect their investments and business operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Updated HIPAA Rule Is A Necessary Step For Data Protection

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' updated rules addressing cybersecurity threats in healthcare will necessitate significant investment in technology, training and compliance infrastructure, but are an essential evolution in safeguarding data in an increasingly digital world, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

  • Anticipating The Maritime Sector's Future Under Trump 2.0

    Author Photo

    With the Republicans taking control of a governance trifecta, the maritime sector should brace for both familiar leadership and new change that could significantly shift shipping and defense priorities, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Penn State Brand Case Leaves Ornamentality Unresolved

    Author Photo

    While the recent jury verdict in Penn State University v. Vintage Brand was a win for the college and brands, legal practitioners should expect plenty of litigation around unaddressed ornamentality issues of whether marks that are not yet incontestable can be canceled for being used solely in decorative, non-source-identifying ways, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 2024 Was A Banner Year For Shareholder Activism

    Author Photo

    Shareholder activism campaigns in 2024 continued at an elevated pace globally, with activist investors exploiting valuation gaps and pushing aggressively for corporate governance reforms, including the ouster of many companies' chief executives, a trend that could continue once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Expect A Big Shake Up At The EEOC Under 2nd Trump Admin

    Author Photo

    During President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is likely to significantly shift its focus and priorities, especially where workplace DEI initiatives, immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ rights and pregnancy protections are concerned, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

  • Series

    Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

    Author Photo

    While the last quarter of 2024 didn't bring any notable state financial legislation, Illinois banks did see developments in the challenge to the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, and received some awaited guidance on credit line disclosures and bank-fintech relationships, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

    Author Photo

    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!