Public Policy

  • July 10, 2024

    Texas Panel Tosses Electrocution Suit Against Oil Well Owner

    A Texas state appeals court found that an oil field station owner wasn't responsible for a contractor's electrocution at the station, ruling Tuesday that the owner didn't owe any duty to the contractor under any negligence theory because it didn't direct the contractor's work.

  • July 10, 2024

    Drug Pricing, Overreach Dominate IP Disclaimer Feedback

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has received heated feedback regarding its proposal to make follow-on patents easier to invalidate, with drug pricing advocates applauding it, top technology and pharma companies decrying it, and high-profile officials calling the proposal an overstep of the agency's authority.

  • July 10, 2024

    Nassar Sex Abuse Law Not Retroactive, Mich. Justices Say

    The Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a legislative change to extend civil suit deadlines for certain victims of sexual assault as minors does not apply retroactively, finding that claims from a man who said he was assaulted by a priest in the 1990s were untimely.

  • July 10, 2024

    SEC Exchange Plan Can't Stand Post-Chevron, Uniswap Says

    Decentralized finance firm Uniswap Labs is urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission not to adopt a rule that could force it and other cryptocurrency trading platforms to register with the agency as securities exchanges, saying the rule will not survive a legal challenge now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Chevron deference. 

  • July 10, 2024

    FCC Says Nearly Half 'Rip And Replace' Providers Can't Finish

    The Federal Communications Commission said the agency is going to need another $3 billion if it's to keep its promise to reimburse all the companies who agreed to rip out and replace their Chinese-made technology to alleviate security concerns.

  • July 10, 2024

    Energy Cos., States Seek Review Of Calif. Emissions Decision

    Industry groups and a coalition of states led by Ohio are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a D.C. Circuit ruling upholding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approval of a waiver letting California set greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and run a zero-emission vehicles program.

  • July 10, 2024

    FTC Must Think Hard Before Trying More Rules, Commish Says

    One of the Federal Trade Commission's recently confirmed Republican commissioners called on the agency Wednesday to take a close look at how courts handle its ban on employment noncompete clauses before considering any further attempts at pushing the bounds of its regulatory authority.

  • July 10, 2024

    ACLU Says Vetting Policy Ensnared Innocent Immigrants

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has a secret vetting program that it has used for more than 15 years to keep certain green card and citizenship applications in "immigration purgatory," the American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday in a white paper.

  • July 10, 2024

    Major Cable Group Opposes FirstNet Bid For 4.9 GHz Manager

    Cable trade group NCTA is urging the Federal Communications Commission to listen to the chorus of public safety groups who have been pushing hard against the idea of making AT&T's FirstNet the national manager of the 4.9 gigahertz public safety band.

  • July 10, 2024

    ​GOP Bombards Agencies With Demands After Chevron's End

    Republican leaders of major congressional committees Wednesday demanded details from dozens of agencies on policies suddenly shrouded in uncertainty after U.S. Supreme Court conservatives overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine, which for 40 years gave regulators flexibility in rulemaking and advantages in related litigation.

  • July 10, 2024

    FCC To Fine Telecom Involved In Universal Service Challenge

    The Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with a $100,000 fine against an Ohio-based telecommunications company over late paperwork with the Universal Service Administration.

  • July 10, 2024

    Jewish Groups Sue Ed. Dept. Over Penn Protest Investigation

    The U.S. Department of Education failed to meet its duty to properly investigate a "tsunami" of antisemitic behavior on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania after the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, a Jewish nonprofit and its member organization have claimed in Washington, D.C., federal court.

  • July 10, 2024

    Feds Say Guo Ran 'Fraud Empire' As Racketeering Trial Wraps

    Manhattan federal prosecutors urged a jury on Wednesday to convict Chinese dissident Miles Guo for operating his political movement as a vast racketeering conspiracy that "brainwashed" supporters into spending more than $1 billion on scam investments.

  • July 10, 2024

    Southern Ute Say Colo. Can't Regulate Tribe's Online Games

    The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is suing Colorado Gov. Jared Polis in federal court for allegedly violating a state-tribal gaming pact by overstepping his right to regulate online gambling, arguing that the tribe's Division of Gaming is the Sky Ute Casino Resort's regulator.

  • July 10, 2024

    African Student Visa Denials Need Investigating, Experts Say

    New data from the U.S. Department of State backs up what immigration attorneys have long suspected for years: African students are denied visas at higher rates than students from other regions, showing a need for greater scrutiny of the student visa process.

  • July 10, 2024

    House GOP Demands Info On BEAD 'Rate Regulation'

    Congressional Republicans called on a top U.S. Department of Commerce official to release all communications with state agencies in charge of distributing federal broadband grants to see if the agencies were pressured into regulating rates.

  • July 10, 2024

    'Wrong In Every Way': 11th Circ. Judges Rip VRA Ruling

    A trio of Eleventh Circuit judges castigated their colleagues Wednesday for refusing to revisit a decision upholding an allegedly discriminatory Georgia electoral system, charging that their "novel, dramatic, and wrong" conclusions have made Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act "a dead letter" within the circuit.

  • July 10, 2024

    Atty Says Alaska Judge Reprimand Bolsters 4th Circ. Bias Suit

    A former public defender awaiting a bench ruling on her sexual harassment claims against the federal judiciary said Wednesday that the judge deciding her case should note a recent ruling reprimanding an Alaska federal judge for his "sexualized relationship" with a clerk in which the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council determined that intent was irrelevant.

  • July 10, 2024

    Utah Goes 'Too Far' In Seeking Order Clarity, Tribe Says

    A Native American tribe asked a federal district judge Tuesday to deny a bid by Utah to clarify a June order that dismissed the tribe's racial-bidding scheme claims against several state officials, arguing that the state is using the request as a vehicle to ax all remaining allegations in the tribe's suit.

  • July 10, 2024

    3rd Circ. Questions Authority Of Fish Management Councils

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday grappled with whether the "Fishery Management Councils" that set plans and limits for ocean fisheries are merely advisers to the commerce secretary or if they're empowered enough for their members to be subject to Senate confirmation, with one judge suggesting that the panels are essentially "toothless."

  • July 10, 2024

    Mont. High Court Weighs Youths' Right To Sue In Climate Case

    The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday wrestled with whether to revive state law provisions that bar the consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in permitting decisions that were struck down by a lower court judge, querying both sides whether the youth plaintiffs had standing to sue.

  • July 10, 2024

    Iowa Blasts Beverage Makers' Challenge To New Hemp Law

    The state of Iowa is defending a new law placing restrictions on products with hemp-derived THC, saying the beverage makers who have challenged it in federal court will not prevail on their new claim that the law is unconstitutionally vague.

  • July 10, 2024

    NJ Panel Says Tax Amendment Challenge Had No Real Claim

    A New Jersey state appeals court on Wednesday tossed a challenge to an amendment blocking certain appeals from being litigated in the state's tax court, reasoning that parties can still fight tax matters in trial court.

  • July 10, 2024

    Wyoming Officials Urge Court Not To Block New Hemp Law

    Wyoming state officials have urged a federal judge not to block enforcement of a new law targeting hemp-derived intoxicating products, saying the law is not preempted by federal policy and that the state has an interest in cracking down on such wares.

  • July 10, 2024

    Texas Court Severs Constable Workers From OT Collective

    A Texas federal court granted Harris County Sheriff's Department deputies' request to cut several employees from the constable's office from their proposed collective action accusing the department of shorting them on overtime pay, and rejected the county's argument that the case should largely be thrown out.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Del. Needs To Urgently Pass Post-Moelis Corporate Law Bill

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    After the Delaware Chancery Court's decision in West Palm Beach Firefighters' Pension v. Moelis sparked confusion around governance rights, recently proposed amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law would preserve the state's predictable corporate governance system, says Lawrence Hamermesh at Widener University Delaware Law School.

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

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    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.

  • Opinion

    NY Should Pass Litigation Funding Bill To Protect Plaintiffs

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    New York state should embrace the regulatory framework proposed in the Consumer Litigation Funding Act, which would suppress the unregulated predatory lenders that currently prey on vulnerable litigants but preserve a funding option that helps personal injury plaintiffs stand up to deep-pocketed corporate defendants, says Alan Ripka at Alan Ripka & Associates.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • Contractors Must Prep For FAR Council GHG Emissions Rule

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    With the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council expected to finalize its proposed rule on the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk this year, government contractors should take key steps now to get ready, say Thomas Daley at DLA Piper, Steven Rothstein at the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, and John Kostyack at Kostyack Strategies.

  • Proposed Cannabis Reschedule Sidesteps State Law Effects

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent proposal to move cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act provides certain benefits, but its failure to address how the rescheduling would interact with existing state cannabis laws disappointed industry participants hoping for clarity on this crucial question, says Ian Stewart at Wilson Elser.

  • What's New In Kentucky's Financial Services Overhaul

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    Kentucky's H.B. 726 will go into effect in July and brings with it some significant restructuring to the Kentucky Financial Services Code, including changes to mortgage loan license fees and repeals of provisions relating to installment term loans and savings associations, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • Opinion

    We Need A Legislative Path To Power Plant Emissions Cuts

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    With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's newest regulation targeting power plant carbon emissions likely to be overturned by courts or a future administration, it's time for bipartisan legislation to preserve affordable, reliable electricity while substantially decarbonizing the sector by midcentury, say Jeffrey Holmstead at Bracewell and Samuel Thernstrom at the Energy Innovation Reform Project.

  • The Effects Of New 10-Year Limitation On Key Sanctions Laws

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    Recently enacted emergency appropriations legislation, doubling the statute of limitations for civil and criminal economic sanctions violations, has significant implications for internal records retention, corporate transaction due diligence and government investigations, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • FEPA Cases Are Natural Fit For DOJ's Fraud Section

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent announcement that its Fraud Section would have exclusive jurisdiction over the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act — a new law that criminalizes “demand side” foreign bribery — makes sense, given its experience navigating the political and diplomatic sensitivities of related statutes, say James Koukios and Rachel Davidson Raycraft at MoFo.

  • Opinion

    DOJ Messaging App Warnings Undermine Trust In Counsel

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    The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's increasingly ominous warnings to defense and in-house counsel about the consequences of not preserving ephemeral messaging and messages sent using collaboration tools could erode confidence and cooperation, says Mark Rosman at Proskauer.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • A Changing Regulatory Landscape For Weight Loss Drugs

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    As drugs originally approved to treat diabetes become increasingly popular for weight loss purposes, federal and state regulators and payors are increasing their focus on how these drugs are prescribed, and industry participants should pay close attention to rapidly evolving compliance requirements, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • The State Of Play In DEI And ESG 1 Year After Harvard Ruling

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    Almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, attorney general scrutiny of environmental, social and governance-related efforts indicates a potential path for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be targeted, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

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