Public Policy

  • December 19, 2024

    Commerce Tightens Grip On State-Controlled Businesses

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday finalized a suite of changes enhancing its power to set duties on unfairly priced imports, including a bevy of new rules aimed at placing higher duties on companies that are effectively controlled by nonmarket economy governments.

  • December 19, 2024

    Tencent Removes 2 Epic Directors Following DOJ Scrutiny

    Two Epic Games directors appointed by Tencent Holdings are stepping down from Epic's board after the U.S. Department of Justice said their positions could constitute antitrust law violations, the agency has announced.

  • December 19, 2024

    GOP Candidate For NC Top Court Wants 'Unlawful' Votes Axed

    A Republican jurist trailing his Democratic opponent in the North Carolina Supreme Court race wants to stop the state Board of Elections from counting what he characterized as "unlawful ballots" after officials last week refused to throw out more than 60,000 votes at his behest.

  • December 19, 2024

    NYC Mayor Says Indictment Lacks Detail, Hampering Defense

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams told a Manhattan federal judge that the bribery and corruption charges against him are vague as to what he allegedly agreed to do and who he agreed to do it with, hindering his ability to defend himself.

  • December 19, 2024

    Cos. Press Justices To Review Contractors Min. Wage Dispute

    Opposite opinions over the scope of the president's authority "cry out" for the U.S. Supreme Court intervention in a case challenging President Joe Biden's increase of the federal contractors' hourly minimum wage, two outdoor groups said, pointing to a Ninth Circuit's decision axing the wage hike.

  • December 19, 2024

    NYC Mayor's Former Top Adviser Charged With Bribery

    Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday announced bribery and money laundering charges against Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the former chief adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accusing her of using her influence to help two developers secure city approvals for hotel and bar construction projects in exchange for $100,000 in bribes.

  • December 18, 2024

    Sens. Hear Split Views On Bill To Boost Patent Injunctions

    A bill that would make it easier to obtain patent injunctions got a divided reaction at a Senate hearing Wednesday, with the sponsor and some speakers saying it would benefit patent owners and critics calling it an unnecessary change that only aids patent assertion entities.

  • December 18, 2024

    Feds Get Judge's OK On $150M Lower Passaic Pollution Deal

    A New Jersey federal judge Wednesday signed off on the federal government's $150 million consent decree with 82 companies that share some responsibility for the Garden State's Lower Passaic River pollution, calling the agreement "an important next step" in holding the companies accountable and furthering cleanup efforts.

  • December 18, 2024

    OCC Orders 'Comprehensive' Remedial Action For USAA Bank

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Wednesday hit USAA Federal Savings Bank with curbs on new product additions and membership growth as part of a fresh consent order that follows prior enforcement actions against the military-focused bank.

  • December 18, 2024

    Emissions Cheating Biz Gets Truck Tuning Co. CEO 10 Months

    The owner of a prominent Louisiana automotive tuning company will serve 10 months of a three-year probation term on house arrest in addition to paying a $1.55 million criminal fine after pleading guilty to selling illegal software that bypassed diesel trucks' emissions controls, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

  • December 18, 2024

    ITC Nominees Pressed On Tariffs And China

    A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday pressed two Biden administration appointees to the U.S. International Trade Commission on tariffs, China and how they plan on accessing "public interest" in patent investigations.

  • December 18, 2024

    Patent Limits For Biosimilar Litigation Lands In Spending Bill

    Congress' spending package to keep the government open through March would also limit how many patents a biologics maker can assert when trying to prevent a competitor from getting on the market.

  • December 18, 2024

    Schools Fighting Price-Fixing Suit Face $685M Damages Claim

    Students looking to hold a group of elite universities and colleges liable for an allegedly anticompetitive financial aid fixing scheme say they should be allowed to proceed as a class because they'll use common evidence to prove they suffered about $685 million in damages.

  • December 18, 2024

    FDIC Moves Closer To Suing Ex-Brass Of Silicon Valley Bank

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. leaders have given a green light for the agency to potentially sue former top brass of Silicon Valley Bank for alleged mismanagement of the bank that led to its collapse last year.

  • December 18, 2024

    Monsanto Protests DNA Damage Argument In PCB Closings

    An attorney in a toxic tort against Monsanto drew a sustained objection from the company's defense during closings Wednesday as he attempted to argue that some of the young girls allegedly exposed to PCBs "will give birth to children with altered DNA," as counsel sparred over whether the plaintiffs suffered "generational harm."

  • December 18, 2024

    Standing Unchanged In Gun Show Loophole Case, States Say

    A Texas-led coalition of states has told a federal judge that the ATF failed to "move the needle" in arguing that several pro-Second Amendment organizations don't have standing to challenge a Biden administration rule that would broaden the scope of who qualifies as a firearms dealer. 

  • December 18, 2024

    FDA's Gastro Drug Fast-Track Denial Survives DC Circ.

    A D.C. Circuit panel upheld federal regulators' refusal to streamline approval of a drug to treat nausea in patients with a chronic gastric condition, ruling that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was right to consider the drug's development plan when deciding whether it qualified for fast tracking.

  • December 18, 2024

    Divided SEC Approves PCAOB's $400M Budget

    The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board will receive the nearly $400 million it requested to fund its operations in 2025, despite the objections of Republican members of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday who expressed concern about the auditing watchdog's growing budget.

  • December 18, 2024

    Funding Bill Takes In Broadband, Ticketing, Privacy

    A congressional spending package that would fund the federal government through March is set to include a slew of bipartisan proposals aimed at digital security, online pricing transparency and rural broadband access.

  • December 18, 2024

    NJ Court Orders AG To Give Up Control Of Paterson Police Dept.

    New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin exceeded his authority last year when he took over police department operations in the city of Paterson and reassigned the police chief to a training post outside the city, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday.

  • December 18, 2024

    EDNY US Atty Peace To Resign Before Trump Inauguration

    Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, who has headed the federal prosecution office in the Eastern District of New York since 2021, announced his resignation Wednesday ahead of the incoming Donald Trump administration.

  • December 18, 2024

    DHS Pushes Through Rule To Hasten Some Removals

    A new U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulation will allow asylum officers to quickly decide if migrants are barred from asylum because of national security or public safety concerns, paving the way for swift removals of those individuals.

  • December 18, 2024

    11th Circ. Doubtful Of FCC's Marketing Consent Clampdown

    Eleventh Circuit judges appeared skeptical Wednesday of the Federal Communications Commission's legal justification for a marketing rule that requires selecting businesses on an individual basis through comparison shopping sites before the businesses can reach out to consumers.

  • December 18, 2024

    Wash. City Settles Road Rage Shooting Suit For $15M

    A Puget Sound municipality has agreed to pay $14.9 million to a restaurant owner who was paralyzed in a road-rage shooting, an attorney for the entrepreneur announced Wednesday, claiming that the same gun used to injure his client was given to the shooter by police days earlier.

  • December 18, 2024

    Judge Wants To Know If Colo. Kroger Merger Fight Is Moot

    A Colorado state judge wants to know whether two recent decisions blocking the proposed $24.6 billion merger of The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. Inc. has mooted Attorney General Phillip J. Weiser's challenge to the transaction, according to a briefing plan approved Tuesday. 

Expert Analysis

  • Predictions For Trump Antitrust Enforcement Of Life Sciences

    Author Photo

    Key life sciences antitrust issues of the past two administrations may indicate the direction of enforcement during President-elect Donald Trump's second term, including in areas such as drug prices, killer acquisitions and merger remedies, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • What To Know About Fla. Civil Procedure Rule Revisions

    Author Photo

    While some may be apprehensive about the looming changes coming to Florida’s Rules of Civil Procedure on Jan. 1, these essential modifications that affect tenets of civil litigation long taken for granted will increase efficiency and streamline the litigation process, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • From Football To Pickleball, Sports Investing Evolved In 2024

    Author Photo

    The NFL's decision to allow private-equity investments in football franchises capped off a transformative year in U.S. sports that also included landmark PE transactions in emerging sports ranging from women's soccer to pickleball, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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!