Public Policy

  • January 31, 2025

    New York Scores Win In Reproductive Rights Labor Law Suit

    A New York federal judge Friday tossed an anti-abortion group's lawsuit challenging a New York state law that bars employers from penalizing workers for making certain reproductive health decisions, saying on the five-year anniversary of the case that the group lacked standing to assert its last remaining claim.

  • January 31, 2025

    Ex-NC Lt. Gov. Drops Defamation Suit Against CNN

    Ex-North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson dropped his federal defamation suit against CNN and a former porn-store clerk on Friday, saying in a post on social media site X that "costly litigation and political gamesmanship by my detractors makes clear that continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort."

  • January 31, 2025

    NC Justices Rule Abuse Law Is Legal, Exempts Resolved Suits

    The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday that adults can bring civil actions over sex abuse they suffered as children after determining a state law allowing the revival of such claims is constitutional, but said the statute doesn't apply to similar cases that have already been adjudicated.

  • January 31, 2025

    $577M In Virus Fraud Cases At Risk Unless Congress Acts: IG

    The federal government's top pandemic relief watchdog has issued an urgent plea for Congress to save his agency from imminent closure, warning that hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing fraud investigations hang in the balance.

  • January 31, 2025

    Pause UScellular Deal During False Claims Case, Attys Say

    Two communications attorneys have urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject the $4.4 billion transfer of UScellular spectrum licenses to T-Mobile, at least until their False Claims Act dispute with the company can be resolved in the D.C. Circuit.

  • January 31, 2025

    NCAA Settles States' Suit Challenging NIL Restrictions

    The NCAA has reached a settlement with a coalition of states, led by Tennessee and Virginia, that's been challenging its ban on name, image and likeness compensation for student athletes being recruited by institutions, according to a notice filed Friday in Tennessee federal court, exactly one year after the suit was filed.

  • January 31, 2025

    Funding Freezes 'Commonplace,' Feds Tell DC Judge

    The Trump administration is asking a D.C. federal judge to throw out a lawsuit challenging a freeze on federal spending outlined in a since-rescinded memo from the White House budget office, telling the court that the withdrawal moots the litigation.

  • January 31, 2025

    Trump's Funding Moves Create Heartburn For Energy Cos.

    The Trump administration's about-face on a federal funding freeze hasn't assuaged energy companies' fears that grants and loans they've been awarded may be in jeopardy, presenting legal and practical risks for projects counting on government cash.

  • January 31, 2025

    Small Biz Attys Jump Into 4th Circ. Shell Co. Law Challenge

    A business group has urged the Fourth Circuit to stop the U.S. Department of the Treasury from enforcing a law that requires companies to disclose personal identifying information about their beneficial owners and applicants to the agency, saying the law exceeds the limit of Congress' power to regulate intrastate economic activity.

  • January 31, 2025

    Uber Loses Bid To Block Colo. Rideshare Pay Disclosure Law

    Uber Technology Inc. came up short in its effort to bar a Colorado law requiring the company to disclose driver pay to riders after a federal judge ruled Friday that the company hurt its own cause by waiting so long to raise the issue.

  • January 31, 2025

    Top Bribe-Taker In NYC Housing Corruption Bust Gets 4 Years

    A Manhattan federal judge hit a former New York City public housing superintendent with a four-year prison term Friday, after he admitted taking $329,000 in bribes — the largest amount among 70 city workers caught up in a large-scale anti-corruption takedown.

  • January 31, 2025

    FCC Dem Blasts Escalation Of CBS '60 Minutes' Probe

    A Democratic Federal Communications Commissioner is slamming the agency for its revival of a complaint regarding CBS' editing of an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, calling the move a weaponization of the commission's licensing authority.

  • January 31, 2025

    Texas Demands Jury Trial In 'Forever Chemical' Suit

    The state of Texas called on a federal judge to grant it a jury trial in litigation against 3M, DuPont and others for alleged "misrepresentations and key omissions" they made about so-called forever chemicals.

  • January 31, 2025

    NY Doctor Charged In La. For Prescribing Abortion Pill Online

    A Louisiana grand jury indicted a New York doctor on Friday, alleging she prescribed abortion drugs online to a Louisiana woman who then provided the pills to her teenage daughter to induce an abortion, a violation of the state's law.

  • January 31, 2025

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The U.S. Department of Justice challenged a $14 billion Hewlett Packard Enterprise wireless technology transaction, former President Joe Biden made one of his last acts blocking the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel merger and a federal judge refused to grant the Federal Trade Commission a preliminary injunction against the Tempur Sealy-Mattress Firm tie-up.

  • January 31, 2025

    Silicon Valley County Sues Trump Over Birthright Ban 'Chaos'

    Silicon Valley's home county of Santa Clara hit the Trump administration with a lawsuit in California federal court, joining other governments across the nation challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that seeks to strip immigrants' children of birthright citizenship and claiming the order is already creating "chaos" locally.

  • January 31, 2025

    Full DC Circ. Will Not Review White House NEPA Power Ruling

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday rejected petitions for en banc review of a panel's ruling that the White House does not have the legal authority to promulgate regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.

  • January 31, 2025

    Bezos Satellite Co. Gets Reprieve In Docs Fight With His Paper

    A Washington state court official has temporarily blocked the state labor department from releasing records linked to investigations at an internet satellite facility launched by Jeff Bezos' Amazon, in a public records battle with The Washington Post, a newspaper also owned by the billionaire.

  • January 31, 2025

    Amid Suits, Wis. Tribe Tickets For Use Of Contested Roads

    A Wisconsin tribe embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the town of Lac du Flambeau over four tribal roads said they will ticket anyone who trespasses on them following a federal court ruling that said it couldn't restrict access to non-Native American homeowners.

  • January 31, 2025

    Split 11th Circ. Rejects Citizenship Bid Over Remarriage

    A divided Eleventh Circuit has rejected a Jamaican national's petition claiming citizenship due to his mother's naturalization before his 18th birthday, saying his parents would have needed to remain legally separated by the time his mother became a U.S. citizen.

  • January 31, 2025

    Supreme Court Eyes Its 'Next Frontier' In FCC Delegation Case

    A case about broadband subsidies will give the U.S. Supreme Court the chance to revive a long-dormant separation of powers principle that attorneys say could upend regulations in numerous industries and trigger a power shift that would make last term's shake-up of federal agency authority pale in comparison. And a majority of the court already appears to support its resurrection.

  • January 31, 2025

    USA Badminton Head Can't Get Arbitration Loss Tossed

    A Colorado federal judge said a former USA Badminton CEO was asking the court to "do the unallowable" in challenging an arbitration award confirming her five-year suspension, finding the executive merely asserted her evidence was better.

  • January 31, 2025

    New EPA Leader's First Days Bring Heat From Senators, Staff

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new chief is facing stiff tests from Democratic senators demanding answers about whether money Congress appropriated for grants has been inappropriately frozen and from workers speaking out about deteriorating morale.

  • January 31, 2025

    DOI Wins Remand Request In Wash. Tribe's Recognition Bid

    A Washington federal judge has granted the U.S. Department of the Interior's voluntary motion to remand the Duwamish Tribe's federal recognition case so the DOI can review the tribe's petition under more recent guidelines, ruling that sending the matter back to the department may result in a new outcome.

  • January 31, 2025

    Former Fed Adviser Charged With Spying For China

    A former senior adviser to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors was arrested Friday on charges of stealing confidential data for the government of China, which prosecutors said could be used to conduct market manipulation.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Expect In Higher Ed Enforcement Under Trump

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    Colleges and universities should prepare for shifting priorities, as President-elect Donald Trump is likely to focus less on antitrust cases and more on foreign relations policy, while congressional oversight of higher education continues to increase, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • 5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

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    The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Takeaways From SEC's Mixed Results In '24 Crypto Litigation

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    Though the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new leadership seems likely to create a more favorable cryptocurrency regulatory environment, it must also confront the consequences of, and lingering questions raised by, the SEC's 2024 policy of investigating and charging cryptocurrency trading platforms for operating unregistered exchanges, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: How Court Nixed Boeing Plea Deal Over DEI

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    A Texas federal court's rejection of the plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing over the 737 Max aircraft gratuitously injected the court's views on diversity, equity and inclusion into a case that shouldn't have been a criminal matter in the first place, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • How To Manage During A Trade Dispute With USMCA Partners

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    Companies can try to minimize the potential impacts of future tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and uncertainty about future trade relations, by evaluating supply chains, considering how they may be modified, and engaging with the new administration over exemptions and the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Reviewing The High Court's Approach To Free Speech Online

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    As the U.S. Supreme Court began addressing the interplay between the First Amendment and online social media platforms, its three opinions from last term show the justices adopting a nuanced approach that recognizes that private citizens, public employees and online platforms all have First Amendment rights, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    In The CFPB Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line

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    The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 3 Factors Affecting Retail M&A Deals In 2025

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    Retailers considering mergers and acquisitions this year face an evolving antitrust environment, including a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump, revised merger guidelines and a precedent set last year by a canceled $8.5 billion handbag merger, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What FARA Enforcement In 2024 Reveals For The Year Ahead

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    A number of developments, from indictments to legislation, shaped the Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement landscape last year, and following the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released long-awaited proposed amendments to the law, 2025 shows no signs of slowing down, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.

  • How New Fraud Enforcement Tool Affects Gov't Contractors

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    Government contractors will likely face greater scrutiny under the recently enacted Administrative False Claims Act, which broadens federal agencies' authority to pursue low-dollar fraud claims, but contractors may also find the act makes settlement of such claims easier to negotiate, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Predicting What's Next For SEC By Looking At Past Dissents

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    While Paul Atkins' nomination to be the next chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has taken center stage, an analysis of Republican Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda's past votes and dissents provides a preview of where enforcement may shift in the new administration, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • FTC Picks Augur Pro-Business Bent For Much Of Economy

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    President-elect Donald Trump's choice of two top Federal Trade Commission officials suggests a business-friendly climate for a significant portion of the U.S. economy, with noteworthy exceptions of continued scrutiny of healthcare and Big Tech companies, excluding artificial intelligence, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Takeaways From 2024's Emerging IP Licensing Trends

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    Themes in intellectual property licensing from the past year – including artificial intelligence; risk management; and name, image and likeness rights – highlight key considerations for navigating an evolving landscape, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Top 10 Legal Issues This Year For Transportation Industry GCs

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    General counsel must carefully consider numerous legal and policy challenges facing the automotive and transportation industry in the year to come, especially while navigating new technologies, regulations and global markets, says Francesco Liberatore at Squire Patton.

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