Public Policy

  • December 20, 2024

    Litigator On The Roof: The Acting, Singing Mass. Solicitor

    The top appellate lawyer in the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General will be ringing in the new year by performing a comical cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, the latest show in a lengthy side career in music.

  • December 20, 2024

    Cable Org. Warns Members About FCC Robocall Enforcement

    Voice service providers need to make sure their Robocall Mitigation Database filings meet existing requirements, because if they aren't, the Federal Communications Commission is ready to start delisting companies and blocking them from providing voice service.

  • December 20, 2024

    Justice Reformers Wary Of Trump's Return, Yet Hope Persists

    While President-elect Donald Trump's impending return to the White House has many criminal justice reformers preparing for battle, given his scorched-earth rhetoric on crime and immigration on the campaign trail, hope for meaningful change persists in varying degrees among advocates after Trump's backing of reform legislation during his first term.

  • December 20, 2024

    A Look Back At 2024's Major Securities Litigation Moments

    The private securities litigation bar experienced a busy 2024, with meaningful and significant rulings in almost all of the nation's leading courts, and corporations, investors, government agencies and executives fighting over pay packages, disclosures, class certifications and mergers.

  • December 20, 2024

    3rd Circ. Denies Challenge To Pa. Autism Settlement

    A Third Circuit panel on Friday rejected claims a settlement requiring around-the-clock care for a woman with autism is too impractical to be enforced, reversing a lower-court decision and handing a victory to the Pennsylvania woman's family.

  • December 20, 2024

    TikTok Divestment Deadline Must Be Extended, Senators Say

    TikTok is set to be removed from app stores in the United States in less than a month, but two senators have urged President Joe Biden to kick the can down the road with an extension that would prevent "serious hardship" to both creators and users.

  • December 20, 2024

    Legislators Key To Court Fee Relief, Chief Justices Say

    Two state high court chief justices and a top judicial administrator have told the National Center for State Courts that while they've been able to make significant progress in abolishing unfair court fines and fees, lawmakers have been vital in enacting these changes.

  • December 20, 2024

    Amazon Touted Efforts To Curb Price-Gouging, Shoppers Say

    A group of online shoppers said Thursday that Amazon can't dodge litigation alleging price-gouging during the pandemic, arguing that the retail giant's efforts to toss the case are contradicted by earlier public statements "trumpeting" the company's work with Washington's attorney general to enforce the state's consumer protection law against price-gougers.

  • December 20, 2024

    Senate Passes 3-Month Funding Bill, Avoiding Shutdown

    The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed a three-month temporary government funding deal after the removal of a contentious proposal to suspend  the federal debt ceiling, staving off a government shutdown.

  • December 20, 2024

    Court Opens Window For Patient To Pierce COVID Immunity

    A Michigan appellate court said Wednesday medical malpractice claims from a patient seeking help for pandemic-related stress were barred because her hospital admittance and alleged injuries had a connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the court directed a lower court to consider letting the patient plead a gross negligence exception to the state's pandemic response immunity.

  • December 20, 2024

    No, Microsoft Isn't Driving DOJ's Google Antitrust Suit: Judge

    A D.C. federal judge pushed back Friday on Google's efforts to paint Microsoft as the true plaintiff in the Justice Department's search monopolization lawsuit, casting doubt during a hearing that Google should get even more information about Microsoft's relationship with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

  • December 20, 2024

    Feds Rip Atty For NYC Mayor Over Press Statements

    Prosecutors told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that New York City Mayor Eric Adams' lawyer has violated local court rules by making comments to the press that deride their bribery and corruption case against the mayor as a "contrived" effort to tarnish his reputation.

  • December 20, 2024

    The Top Cases Of 2024 In Texas: Year In Review

    Texas closed out the year with blockbuster rulings on social media companies’ use of biometric data and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s expanded definition of a dealer. Here are the biggest decisions out of Texas that topped Law360’s radar this year.

  • December 20, 2024

    Biden Exceeds Trump's Record On Judges By One

    The U.S. Senate confirmed on Friday the last two judicial nominations from President Joe Biden, making his total of lifetime judicial appointments 235, just one over President Donald Trump's 234.

  • December 20, 2024

    USCIS Pressed To Unveil How It Uses AI In Asylum Cases

    Refugees International fired off a lawsuit in D.C. federal court on Friday to pry loose records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about its use of artificial intelligence to process asylum applications, saying the agency has stonewalled its request for nearly two years.

  • December 20, 2024

    The Biggest Climate Change Rulings Of 2024: Year In Review

    Federal courts delivered several rulings this year that are expected to significantly impact future climate change litigation and policy development, including Supreme Court decisions reshaping administrative law and D.C. Circuit findings on project development and automotive emissions controls. Here are the four biggest climate change decisions of 2024.

  • December 20, 2024

    DC Circ. Says Toxic Subtances Rule Threatens Trade Secrets

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday threw out a facet of new Toxic Substances Control Act regulations that the judges said could lead to the unwanted disclosure of chemical manufacturers' trade secrets.

  • December 20, 2024

    NC Lawmaker Chosen To Lead House Communications Panel

    Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., has been selected as the next chair of the House Energy and Commerce panel with telecom jurisdiction.

  • December 20, 2024

    The Biggest Immigration Policies Of 2024: Year In Review

    The Biden administration implemented some of the harshest and most heavily criticized asylum restrictions yet in 2024 but also implemented measures to revamp temporary foreign worker programs and expand avenues for immigrants to change their status. Here, Law360 looks back at four of the biggest immigration policy developments of the year.

  • December 20, 2024

    The Telecom Developments That Defined 2024

    The end of 2024 portends a sea change in telecom policy, as voters usher in a second Donald Trump term and with it a newly named GOP chief of the Federal Communications Commission who has pushed for a 180-degree turn at the agency.

  • December 20, 2024

    Trump Tells EU To Buy US Oil In Bulk Or Face Higher Tariffs

    President-elect Donald Trump used social media early Friday morning to threaten the European Union with "tariffs all the way" if it refuses to buy large amounts of U.S. oil and gas.

  • December 20, 2024

    FTA Proposes Buy America Waiver For Electric Minibuses

    The Federal Transit Administration has asked for public feedback on whether it should grant a temporary nonavailability waiver from domestic sourcing requirements for battery electric minibuses, saying it had received related requests from multiple transit operators.

  • December 20, 2024

    EPA Releases Recommendations For PFAS In Bodies Of Water

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released draft recommendations for the amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, for bodies of water that, when finalized, can be used by states and tribes.

  • December 20, 2024

    Psychedelics Law Reformers Hit Multiple Setbacks In 2024

    In 2024, advocates, physicians and researchers attempted to broaden lawful access to federally illegal psychedelic drugs through a variety of avenues — the new drug approval process, litigation and a ballot initiative — with the upshot that the law remains largely unchanged and, for the most part, still restricts legal use and possession of these substances.

  • December 20, 2024

    'Dreamers' Urge 8th Circ. To Uphold Health Coverage Rule

    Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals have urged the Eighth Circuit to pause a district court order halting a Biden administration regulation qualifying them for Affordable Care Act coverage, saying the lower court relied on "strained speculation" to find standing.

Expert Analysis

  • Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities

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    Regardless of how Greenidge Generation LLC v. New York Department of Environmental Conservation develops on remand, this decision has immediate repercussions for generating facilities seeking permit applications and renewals in New York, likely involving Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act considerations, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • How CFPB Rule Would Affect Data Brokers And Beyond

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed a rule that would not only expand data broker oversight by classifying many as consumer reporting agencies, but would also impose new limitations on companies seeking to obtain information from them, potentially requiring such entities to alter their business models, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Reviewing 2024's State Consumer Privacy Law Enforcement

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    While we are still in the infancy of state consumer privacy laws, a review of enforcement activity this year suggests substantial overlaps in regulatory priorities across the most active states and gives insight into the likely paths of future enforcement, says Thomas Nolan at Quinn Emanuel.

  • 5th Circ. Crypto Ruling Shows Limits On OFAC Authority

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent decision that immutable smart contracts on the Tornado Cash crypto-transaction software protocol are not "property" subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control jurisdiction may signal that courts can construe OFAC's authority more restrictively after Loper Bright, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

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    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Expand Investment Options For 403(b)s

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    Lawmakers should pass pending legislation to give 403(b) plan participants access to collective investment trusts, leveling the playing field for public sector retirement investors by giving them an investment option their private sector counterparts have had for decades, says Jason Levy at Great Gray Trust Company.

  • What 2024 Election Means For Drugs, Medicare And Medicaid

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    With Republicans running the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, the incoming administration is likely to provide pathways — through new initiatives and others returning from Trump's previous presidency — for a range of potential changes to drug pricing, Medicare and Medicaid, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AV Compliance Is Still A State-By-State Slog — For Now

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    While the incoming Trump administration has hinted at new federal regulations governing autonomous vehicles, for now, AV manufacturers must take a state-by-state approach to compliance with safety requirements — paying particular attention to states that require express authorization for AV operation, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Opinion

    Antitrust Posturing Against Algorithmic AI Should End

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    President-elect Donald Trump needs to rein in the federal government's antitrust crusade against algorithmic AI, sending the message that antitrust enforcement must be grounded in evidence and real harm, says attorney David Balto, a former Federal Trade Commission assistant director of policy and evaluation.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Immigration Atty Tips For Avoiding Prosecution Under Trump

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    Under the incoming Trump administration, immigration attorneys may need to protect themselves from prosecution when advising clients who may not qualify for relief sought by choosing their words carefully and keeping other key factors in mind, says Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi.

  • Back To The Future? Antitrust Enforcement Under Trump 2.0

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    While the transition to the second Trump administration's antitrust policy should be accompanied by less uncertainty, we're unlikely to get a full sense of the true focus and tenor of competition enforcement under Trump 2.0 before late next year, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • A Closer Look At SDNY Bankruptcy Rule Amendments

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    The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York’s recent amendments to its local rules aim to streamline key Chapter 11 processes, resolve misunderstandings about previous iterations of the rules and urge caution about the use of artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • How Litigation, Supply Chains Buffeted Offshore Wind In 2024

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    U.S. offshore wind developers continue to face a range of challenges — including litigation brought by local communities and interest groups, ongoing supply chain issues, and a lack of interconnection and transmission infrastructure — in addition to uncertainty surrounding federal energy policy under the second Trump administration, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.

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