Public Policy

  • July 19, 2024

    Judge Presses Govt. On Immigrants' Vetting Delays

    A Washington federal judge on Friday pushed the government to defend a special national-security immigration vetting program, suggesting that delays in processing applications have left many people seeking citizenship and green cards in "no man's land."

  • July 19, 2024

    No Duty On Feds To Accept Importer's Late Filings, US Biz Say

    The U.S. Department of Commerce was within its rights to reject a Vietnamese pipe company's sixth circumvention probe extension request over the importer's claim for extra time, domestic pipe makers told the U.S. Court of International Trade Friday.

  • July 19, 2024

    Colo. Federal Judges Point Out Recent High Turnover

    Colorado's chief federal judge on Friday observed "there has been a lot of turnover" on the bench in the district over the past several years, noting five out of the seven active district court judges were nominated by President Joe Biden. 

  • July 19, 2024

    Bank Regulators Ask 5th Circ. To Unfreeze New Lending Rules

    Federal banking regulators have urged the Fifth Circuit to rescind a Texas district court's injunction blocking implementation of new community lending rules, arguing in a filing that the district court's finding essentially rewrote the Community Reinvestment Act.

  • July 19, 2024

    DC Circ. Upholds EPA's Revised Biogas Accounting Rules

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday backed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's revamp of how it accounts for renewable transportation fuel derived from biogas, rejecting a petition from an industry group that challenged the regulations as unduly burdensome and an agency overreach.

  • July 19, 2024

    DC Circ. Sides With FERC In Wind Farm Hookup Cost Fight

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday backed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in disputes related to the transmission system upgrade costs that Tenaska Clear Creek Wind LLC faced to connect a 242-megawatt wind farm in northwest Missouri to the grid.

  • July 19, 2024

    Kroger Could Delay Merger Closing To Avoid Colo. Hearing

    Kroger Co. told a Colorado state judge Friday that it is negotiating a potential agreement with the state to delay the closing date for its proposed merger with Albertsons until November or after the court rules on a permanent injunction, a proposal the grocer said was aimed at avoiding a hearing next month.

  • July 19, 2024

    House AI Report Is 'Blueprint' For Coming Committee Action

    The House Financial Services Committee is poised to take on a "leading role" in regulating the use of artificial intelligence in financial services, according to a new congressional report highlighting the importance of antidiscrimination and data privacy guardrails.

  • July 19, 2024

    'Texit' Atty Sues State Rep., Judge Over Defamation Fees

    A civil rights attorney who has represented the group behind the "Texit" movement filed a lawsuit against a state representative and court officials in a North Texas county, accusing the group of colluding to run up attorney fees against him in a defamation case connected to the pro-Texas-secession group.

  • July 19, 2024

    Trade Commission Advances Chinese Vanillin Probes

    The four commissioners of the U.S. International Trade Commission voted in favor of advancing antidumping and countervailing duty probes into vanillin from China on Friday following a petition filed last month by chemical company Solvay USA LLC.

  • July 19, 2024

    Calif. Justices Revive Row Over State Farm's Claims Handling

    California's Supreme Court revived a policyholder's case over State Farm's claims-handling practices, reversing an appeals court decision and agreeing with the state's attorney general that California's statute of limitations on unfair competition actions, not the policy or insurance code, governed the timing of the case.

  • July 19, 2024

    Feds Taxed $6M Race Car Like Any Old Jalopy, Importer Says

    Importers have accused U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a new lawsuit of misclassifying a $5.6 million 1955 Jaguar sports car as being subject to a 2.5% duty imposed on common "station wagons and racing cars" instead of classifying the vintage vehicle as a duty-free collectible.

  • July 19, 2024

    Atlanta Strikes Deal To End Ex-Worker's Retaliation Suit

    The city of Atlanta has reached a deal with its former immigrant affairs director to resolve her lawsuit alleging she was fired after blowing the whistle on failures in the city's immigrant outreach services, according to a filing in Georgia federal court.

  • July 19, 2024

    Elite Schools' $284M Aid-Fixing Deals Get Final OK

    An Illinois federal judge on Friday granted his final signoff to $284 million worth of settlements inked by 10 schools accused in a sprawling antitrust case of working together to limit the financial aid they provided, deeming it a fair and reasonable outcome for the class of students.

  • July 19, 2024

    FTC Eyes Mid-Nov. Texas Hearing Against Mattress Merger

    The Federal Trade Commission's case against Tempur Sealy's $4 billion planned Mattress Firm purchase is set to kick off in Texas federal court Nov. 14, the parties told an agency in-house judge Friday during a scheduling hearing.

  • July 19, 2024

    Signature Gatherers Must Comply With Mich. Election Law

    A Michigan appellate panel said in a published opinion that petition signature gatherers must strictly comply with state election law, finding that the gatherers' failure to identify their town of residence rendered invalid every signature on petitions seeking to put a referendum question regarding a solar energy ordinance on the ballot.

  • July 19, 2024

    Fla. Man Charged With Selling Fake Tribal Jewelry In Wis.

    A Florida man has been charged with several fraud-related counts after he was allegedly caught selling fake Native American jewelry at arts and crafts shows across the country, according to a grand jury indictment handed down in Wisconsin federal court.

  • July 19, 2024

    NJ Towns Not Liable For Water Contaminants, Panel Rules

    A panel of New Jersey state appeals court judges ruled Friday that municipalities charging for water service aren't in an implied contractual relationship with residents and thus can't be found in breach of contract for elevated contaminant levels in the water.

  • July 19, 2024

    Feds Deny That Advocate Suit Forced Immigration Change

    The Biden administration rebuked immigration advocates' request for $3.7 million for challenging Trump-era orders ending immigration protections for people from conflict zones, arguing they couldn't claim they won the case just because the new administration undid its predecessor's policy.

  • July 19, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Block EPA Power Plant Emissions Rule

    The D.C. Circuit refused Friday to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, saying challengers haven't shown they're likely to succeed in overturning the regulations.

  • July 19, 2024

    San Francisco Lawmaker Floats Rent Algorithm Software Ban

    A San Francisco lawmaker proposed a ban that would prohibit selling or using software that can be used for rent price fixing, and took aim at property management software companies such as RealPage and Yardi for their software allegedly being used for such a purpose.

  • July 19, 2024

    DuPont Loses 2nd Bid To Dodge EPA Air Pollution Lawsuit

    A Louisiana federal judge has rejected a DuPont unit's second effort to escape a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over property the company leased to a neoprene-maker that's allegedly emitting unsafe amounts of a likely carcinogenic chemical.

  • July 19, 2024

    A Guide To The USPTO's Long List Of Requests For Comment

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has kept attorneys busy this year by seeking input on numerous patent issues and proposed rules. Here's a cheat sheet to the topics where feedback has been collected, from fee hikes to director reviews, and those with upcoming comment deadlines, including artificial intelligence.

  • July 19, 2024

    DOJ Fights Bid For Recording Of Biden's Hur Interview

    An audio recording of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur is protected by executive privilege, and so is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, despite what conservative organizations and media outlets have said, the U.S. Department of Justice told a Washington, D.C., federal judge.

  • July 19, 2024

    Civil Rights Groups Ask Judge To Block Georgia Voting Law

    A coalition of civil rights and advocacy groups lodged a renewed complaint asking a Georgia federal judge to block parts of a controversial Peach State election law that's facing a number of challenges, including by the federal government.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    After Chevron: Scale Tips Favor Away From HHS Agencies

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    The loss of Chevron deference may indirectly aid parties in challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretations of regulations and could immediately influence several pending cases challenging HHS on technical questions and agency authority, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FDA Regulations In The Crosshairs

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine is likely to unleash an array of challenges against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on areas of potential overreach such as the FDA's authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls

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    Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

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    As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Limited Changes In USPTO Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference will have limited consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given the USPTO's unique statutory features, but it is still an important decision for matters of statutory interpretation, especially those involving provisions of the America Invents Act, say Andrei Iancu and Cooper Godfrey at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • Series

    After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Impact On Indian Law May Be Muted

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    Agency interpretations of Indian law statutes that previously stood the test of judicial review ​are likely to withstand new challenges even after the end of Chevron deference, but litigation in the area is all but certain, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    Trump Immunity Ruling Upends Our Constitutional Scheme

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Trump v. U.S. decision elevates the president to imperial status and paves the way for nearly absolute presidential immunity from potential criminal prosecutions — with no constitutional textual support, says Paul Berman at the George Washington University Law School.

  • High Court Paves Middle Ground For Proceedings Obstruction

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Fischer sensibly leaves the door open for prosecutors to make more nuanced assessments as to whether defendants' actions directly or tangentially impair the availability or integrity of anything used in an official proceeding, without criminalizing acts such as peaceful demonstrations, say attorneys at Perry Law.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Series

    Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter of 2024 brought two notable bills that will affect Florida's banking and finance community across many issues, including virtual currency abandonment, cancellation of financial services on the basis of political opinions, and the exemption amount of motor vehicles, say Joshua Prever and Andrew Balthazor at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FTC's 'Unfair Competition' Actions In Jeopardy

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision ending Chevron deference will have limited effect on the Federal Trade Commission's merger guidelines, administrative enforcement actions and commission decisions on appeal, it could restrict the agency's expansive take on its rulemaking authority and threaten the noncompete ban, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

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