Public Policy

  • November 22, 2024

    How A Purple Jacket Led To A Murder Exoneration And $13M

    To win compensation under a Massachusetts state law, lawyers for Michael J. Sullivan, who spent 26 years in prison, were required to prove he was innocent of the 1986 crime for which he was convicted. A couple of lucky breaks helped.

  • November 22, 2024

    New Design Patent Treaty Comes Out Of Riyadh

    Delegates from the world's major intellectual property groups signed a treaty Friday that would, if approved, establish new rules to facilitate the filing of design patents.

  • November 22, 2024

    Trump Taps Hedge Fund Billionaire Bessent To Head Treasury

    President-elect Donald Trump on Friday announced that he's selected Scott Bessent, a billionaire hedge fund manager and the founder of Key Square Group, to serve as secretary of the Treasury in his upcoming administration.

  • November 22, 2024

    Texas Panel Says Gender-Affirming Surgery Suit Too Late

    A Texas appellate court has backed a counselor's win in a lawsuit from a former client who came to regret undergoing a double mastectomy following the counselor's recommendation for gender-affirming surgery, finding the claims were time-barred.

  • November 22, 2024

    Dish To Pay $100K For Failing To Deploy 911 Location Tech

    Dish has agreed to pay $100,000 after the Federal Communications Commission said it failed to comply with vertical location rules to help 911 dispatchers find emergency callers.

  • November 22, 2024

    DOJ Antitrust Head Tracks 'More Aggressive' Criminal Cases

    The outgoing head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division used a speech celebrating the anniversary of a major initiative combating bid-rigging and other efforts by government contractors to bilk taxpayer-funded projects to also note that criminal antitrust enforcement more broadly has changed considerably in recent years.

  • November 22, 2024

    UK Enforcers Concerned Over Apple Mobile Browser Policies

    British competition enforcers said Friday that Apple's policies are holding back innovation in the mobile browser space and called for an investigation of the roles played by Apple and Google in the mobile ecosystem under new rules coming into force next year.

  • November 22, 2024

    Judge Trims Ariz. Reservation Shooting Lawsuit, For Now

    A federal district court judge dismissed a majority of claims in a wrongful death lawsuit lodged by the family of a Tohono O'odham Nation man who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents, but left room for an amended complaint once a proper representative of his estate is appointed.

  • November 22, 2024

    New Congress Could Undo Rules On Drinking Water, Methane

    A consumer advocacy group is warning that Republicans may target a slew of recent and pending regulatory actions when they take control in Washington next year, saying they could make use of the Congressional Review Act to unwind new rules on competition, lead in drinking water, data protection and more.

  • November 22, 2024

    Hunting Groups Sue Colo. Wildlife Regulators Over Editorial

    Pro-hunting groups have said Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners violated the state's Open Meetings Law when they jointly authored a newspaper editorial promoting a measure to ban mountain lion, lynx and bobcat hunting, which voters rejected in November.

  • November 22, 2024

    Capital One 'Abuses' Cast Pall Over Discover Deal, Dems Say

    As the Biden administration winds down with Capital One's bid to buy Discover Financial still pending, progressive Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are putting renewed pressure on federal bank regulators reviewing the deal.

  • November 22, 2024

    AG Doesn't Rep NJ Housing Group's Interests, Court Told 

    A nonprofit housing advocacy organization argued in New Jersey state court Friday that it should be allowed to intervene in a constitutional challenge to the state's new affordable housing obligations framework, contending that it represents parties that are not adequately represented by Attorney General Matt Platkin. 

  • November 22, 2024

    Feds Slam Utah High Court Case Over Fed. Land Ownership

    The federal government called on the Supreme Court to reject Utah's attempt to file a complaint accusing it of unconstitutionally hoarding and profiting from public lands in the state, saying the justices should decline to exercise original jurisdiction over the matter.

  • November 22, 2024

    Defamation Suit Against Ga. Election Chief Tossed

    A Georgia federal judge on Friday tossed a defamation suit in which a Texas attorney sued Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on allegations he suggested she presented "doctored" evidence to state senators in the aftermath of the 2020 election, finding the statements were "substantially true or are hyperbole."

  • November 22, 2024

    Port Operators Can't Join Suit Over Delaware River Project

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has ruled two terminal companies waited too long to join in on a case that resulted in the revocation of the approval for a new port project on the Delaware River, reasoning that the companies' claim of having a stake in the outcome of the case was untimely.

  • November 22, 2024

    Dems Introduce Foreign Work Disclosure Bill For WH Picks

    Two Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill that would require presidential nominees to disclose any past work they've done for foreign governments, citing concerns that past nominees had potential conflicts of interest.

  • November 22, 2024

    Washington Tribe Says City Can't Block Emergency Shelter

    A Washington tribe is asking a federal district court judge to block the city of Toppenish from preventing it from opening a 24-hour emergency cold weather shelter, arguing that the attempt violates its inherent sovereign authority and treaty-reserved rights to govern its lands and people.

  • November 22, 2024

    Senior Dem Asks Schumer For Votes On Circuit Court Picks

    Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Friday pushed back against a deal Democrats and Republicans cut earlier this week that obligates Democrats to forgo votes on four appellate picks.

  • November 22, 2024

    Crypto Lobby Asks Trump, Congress To Prioritize Rulemaking

    Crypto industry group Blockchain Association sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and members of Congress on Friday detailing what the industry feels should be immediate priorities for the next administration, including implementing a regulatory framework for digital assets and installing more crypto-amenable agency heads.

  • November 22, 2024

    Mich. Justices Want To Know If 3M Water Challenge Is Moot

    The Michigan Supreme Court ordered additional briefing Friday in 3M Co.'s challenge to regulations on PFAS in drinking water to address whether subsequent regulatory changes made 3M's lawsuit moot, echoing a focal point of last week's oral arguments in the case. 

  • November 22, 2024

    Bondi Vowed Trump Payback. Ex-Colleagues Aren't Worried.

    U.S. attorney general nominee Pam Bondi is an outspoken ally of President-elect Donald Trump and vowed during the campaign that his "prosecutors will be prosecuted," but people who've worked with her say she's well qualified to serve as the nation's top cop and downplayed concerns that she would politicize the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • November 22, 2024

    FCC Passes New Rules For Smart Car Tech

    The Federal Communications Commission has adopted new rules governing cellular-vehicle-to-everthing technology in the 5.9 GHz band, officially carving out 30 megahertz of spectrum previously reserved for dedicated short-range radio communications for in-vehicle and roadside C-V2X units.

  • November 22, 2024

    High Court To Review Legality Of FCC's Subsidy Fees

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to review whether fees collected to support the Federal Communications Commission's array of telecom subsidy programs for low-income consumers, schools and rural healthcare run afoul of constitutional limits on taxing authority.

  • November 22, 2024

    Fed Bans Ex-CEO Of Bank Felled By Crypto Scam

    The former CEO of Kansas' now-shuttered Heartland Tri-State Bank has been banned by the federal government from being a part of the banking industry after stealing $47.1 million from the bank to give to cryptocurrency scammers, leading his bank to fail.

  • November 22, 2024

    Off The Bench: NBA Ices Media Flap, Paul-Tyson Netflix Suit

    In this week's Off The Bench, the NBA settles a high-profile suit regarding its new media rights deal, and Netflix's buggy presentation of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight draws a proposed class action.

Expert Analysis

  • US Intellectual Property-Based Sanctions Could Be Imminent

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    A recent presidential delegation suggests that regulators may be ready to wield the sanctions authority found in the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, which has been unutilized for the first 22 months of its life, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Philly's Algorithmic Rent Ban Furthers Antitrust Policy Trends

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    A Philadelphia bill banning the use of algorithmic software to set rent prices and manage occupancy rates is indicative of growing scrutiny of this technology, and reflects broader policy trends of adapting traditional antitrust principles to respond to new technology, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Takeaways From State Votes On Abortion In The 2024 Election

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    Attorneys at Epstein Becker discuss how 10 states voted on ballot initiatives to either protect or restrict access to abortion in the 2024 general election, and analyze overarching trends.

  • Trump's 2nd Term May Be A Boost To Banking Industry

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    President-elect Donald Trump's personnel appointments could be instrumental in reshaping the financial regulatory landscape during his second administration, likely allowing for greater merger activity and halting or undoing some of the Biden administration's more restrictive financial services policies, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Loper Bright Offers New Materiality Defense To FCA Liability

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bight Enterprises v. Raimondo, ending Chevron deference, may have created a new defense to False Claims Act liability by providing the opportunity to argue that a given regulation is not material to the government's payment decision, says Tanner Cook at Husch Blackwell.

  • A Look At 2024 NIL Rights And Economies In College Sports

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    Permutations in the arena of name, image and likeness affecting collegiate athletics have continued unabated this year, and practitioners and industry representatives should anticipate significant activity at schools and continuing legal changes at the state level, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • How Expanded Birth Control Coverage May Affect Employers

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    Employers should consider the potential impact of recently proposed regulations that would expand group health plans' required coverage of preventive services and contraceptives, including questions about how the agencies would implement their plans to eliminate the prescription requirement and alter the exceptions process, says Jennifer Rigterink at Proskauer.

  • Unpacking CFPB's Unwieldy Buy Now, Pay Later Guidance

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    Both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent interpretive rule regarding buy now, pay later transactions, and its FAQ guidance, place providers in murky waters with the unenviable position of attempting to place a square, closed-end product in a round, regulatory framework meant for open-end products, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • 9 Considerations Around Proposed Connected Vehicle Ban

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    Stakeholders should consider several aspects of the U.S. Department of Commerce's recent proposal to ban U.S. imports and sales of vehicles incorporating certain connectivity components made in China or Russia, including exempted transactions and vehicle hardware imports, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Predicting Shareholder Activism Trends In New Trump Admin

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    While President-elect Donald Trump has promised tax policies, deregulation and lax antitrust enforcement — which all fuel shareholder activism — a closer look at his first administration's track record suggests that his second presidency might be a mixed bag for activist investors and companies alike, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • What Trump's 2nd Presidency Could Mean For Crypto Sector

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    Trump's second term will bring a fundamental shift from the Biden administration's approach to crypto-asset regulation and banking supervision, with the most significant changes likely taking effect in the first two quarters of 2025 and broader policy shifts emerging over the next year, say attorneys at Cahill.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Opinion

    Preserving The FCA Is Crucial In Trump's 2nd Term

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    While the Trump administration may pursue weaker False Claims Act enforcement, it remains an essential tool in safeguarding public funds and maintaining corporate accountability, so now is not the time to undermine ethical behavior, or reduce protections and incentives for whistleblowers, says Adam Pollock at Pollock Cohen.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

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