Public Policy

  • January 07, 2025

    DOJ Revamps Process For Federal Real Estate Deals

    The U.S. Department of Justice has replaced "outdated provisions" that guided how federal agencies acquired real property with 10 new federal provisions that have the goal of "promoting government efficiency and saving taxpayer funds," the DOJ said Tuesday.

  • January 07, 2025

    Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates more than 50 times in December on issues ranging from prison phone rates to the use of artificial intelligence in text messages, shared use of the airwaves, marketing consent rules and more.

  • January 07, 2025

    Ligado Gets OK To Tap $939M DIP Amid Spectrum Spat

    Satellite and spectrum business Ligado Networks received a Delaware bankruptcy judge's approval Tuesday to borrow a share of $939 million in Chapter 11 financing that the company will use to repay high-ranking debt and support itself during the case.

  • January 07, 2025

    Khan Says FTC Approach A Bulwark To Trump 'Backsliding'

    Outgoing Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan on Tuesday defended the Biden administration's aggressive tack against corporate power and concentration, telling CNBC that while it's "natural" Facebook and Amazon might seek a "sweetheart deal" from the Trump administration, the past four years have made "backsliding" more difficult.

  • January 07, 2025

    Cos. Seek Pause Of Retention Credit Processing In Litigation

    Two companies that helped clients obtain pandemic-era employee retention tax credits asked Arizona federal district court Tuesday to pause the IRS' use of a system for automatically processing claims, saying harm caused by this process cannot be remedied after litigation.

  • January 07, 2025

    DHS Releases 'Playbook' For AI Public Sector Deployment

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a framework on Tuesday for what it referred to as the "reasonable adoption" of generative artificial intelligence technologies based on lessons learned from the agency's various pilot programs.

  • January 07, 2025

    ND Gov. Pitches Property Tax Reform In Annual Address

    North Dakota would cap local property tax increases at 3% and double a major exemption under a plan pitched by the state's new governor that he said would eliminate the tax on many primary residences in the next decade.

  • January 07, 2025

    States Push For Jury Trial In Google Ad Tech Case

    State enforcers accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology have urged a Texas federal court to reject Google's bid to have the case decided by a judge, saying the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Jarkesy decision confirms the right to a jury trial.

  • January 07, 2025

    Mont. Bill Seeks Review Process For Tax-Exempt Property

    Montana would require the state Department of Revenue to create a program to review property that is exempt from taxation under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • January 07, 2025

    FAR Council Withdraws Proposed Contractor Pay Equity Rule

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council announced Tuesday that it will withdraw a pending rule barring federal contractors from considering a job applicant's salary history, to focus on other priorities in the waning days of the Biden administration.

  • January 07, 2025

    Developer Says Mass. Stalling $15M Brownfields Tax Credit

    The developer of a 3.5-acre luxury condo and apartment complex in Boston's Seaport District is accusing the state of improperly second-guessing the work of its licensed environmental remediation consultant to deny a $15.3 million brownfields tax credit, then dragging its feet on an administrative appeal.

  • January 07, 2025

    Trump Names Classified Docs Case Atty For White House Role

    Stanley Woodward Jr. of Brand Woodward Law LP is the latest attorney from Trump world to be tapped for a role for the incoming administration.

  • January 07, 2025

    NC Biz Court Limits MV Realty's Usable Trial Evidence

    Embattled Florida real estate company MV Realty will not be allowed to introduce certain evidence at its upcoming fraud trial about its calls to consumers, as a punishment for providing the state inaccurate information during discovery, the North Carolina Business Court has ruled.

  • January 07, 2025

    No New Money For More Colo. Judges, Chief Justice Told

    Colorado budget leaders told the state's chief justice Tuesday that her $13 million ask for more judges and staff next year was a nonstarter unless she proposed offsetting cuts, with one lawmaker saying the requested increase was "not going to happen" amid the state's $750 million shortfall.

  • January 07, 2025

    DOJ Ropes Landlords Into RealPage Antitrust Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice dramatically expanded its antitrust case against RealPage on Tuesday, accusing half a dozen residential landlords of using the software company's tools to coordinate rental rates while reaching a settlement with one of the property owners.

  • January 07, 2025

    Venable Hires Former Sen. Dean Heller Of Nevada In DC

    Venable LLP has added former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller as a senior policy adviser, with the most recent Republican to win a Senate seat in Nevada joining the firm's team in D.C. as the GOP is set to take control of the House, Senate and White House, the firm announced Tuesday. 

  • January 07, 2025

    NJ Investigation Agency Elevates Interim Chief To Top Role

    The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation has appointed Tiffany Williams Brewer, a former state administrative law judge, assistant U.S. attorney and law professor, as chief executive of the agency.

  • January 07, 2025

    DC Circ. OKs FERC's Approval For Indiana Pipeline

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a 24-mile pipeline serving two new natural gas turbines in Indiana, ruling that an advocacy group wrongly suggested FERC could "second-guess" state regulators' choice of energy generation.

  • January 07, 2025

    Lawmakers Push To Limit China's Access To US AI Tech

    Two congressmen, in anticipation of a new framework being published by the Bureau of Industry and Security, have urged the secretary of commerce to place strict guidelines on high-end artificial intelligence technology the United States exports over fears of China's access to it.

  • January 07, 2025

    Treasury Dept. Provides Sanctions Relief To Syria

    The U.S. has expanded certain authorizations and issued additional sanctions relief for the Syrian people following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in December, with the goal of ensuring that the current U.S. sanctions on Syria don't impede activities to meet basic human needs.

  • January 07, 2025

    House Passes Migrant Detention Bill, Senate Next

    The House voted 264-159 on Tuesday on a bill to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take into custody undocumented immigrants accused of theft, which the Senate is expected to take up later this week.

  • January 07, 2025

    Osage Nation Asks Court To Confirm Reservation Boundaries

    The Osage Nation has urged an Oklahoma federal court to acknowledge its reservation's continued existence, arguing that a conclusion the Tenth Circuit reached 15 years ago saying the tribe's boundaries were disestablished was based entirely on extratextual factors.

  • January 07, 2025

    NC Justices Pause Certification Of Contested Top Court Race

    North Carolina's top court on Tuesday stopped the state Board of Elections from certifying the results of a hotly contested associate justice race, granting a temporary stay to the losing Republican candidate in the midst of his ballot challenge seeking to throw out scores of votes.

  • January 07, 2025

    Ga. County Officials Want Election Denier's Arrest Suit Stayed

    A host of Floyd County, Georgia, officials and the law firm of the county attorney have asked a federal judge to stay a lawsuit brought against them by an election denier who alleged they conspired to have him jailed after he lobbied for the county attorney to be fired.

  • January 07, 2025

    Judge Looks To Finally Resolve Mass. 'Right To Repair' Suit

    A long-stalled fight over Massachusetts' expanded "right to repair" law requiring open access to vehicle telematics software appears to be on a fast track after a new judge took over the case and said Tuesday she plans to rule in the near future.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

    Author Photo

    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A View Into NY's New Business Interruption Insurance Law

    Author Photo

    In response to businesses' economic challenges during the pandemic, New York recently allowed the issuance of stand-alone business interruption insurance coverage, and while pricing and insurer participation questions remain, the product stands to benefit business owners and the state economy, say attorneys at Saxe Doernberger.

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

    Author Photo

    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

  • 7 Ways To Prepare For An I-9 Audit Or Immigration Raid

    Author Photo

    Because immigration enforcement is likely to surge under the upcoming Trump administration, employers should take steps to ensure their staff is trained in employment eligibility verification requirements and what to do in the event of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement I-9 audit or workplace raid, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Unpacking Arguments From High Court's Rural Hospital Case

    Author Photo

    During oral arguments in Advocate v. Becerra, the U.S. Supreme Court justices focused questions on the meaning of being "entitled to" supplementary security income assistance, and there's reason for optimism that the likely split decision will break in favor of hospitals, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Args In 2 High Court Cases May Foretell Clarity For Employers

    Author Photo

    Mary Anna Brand at Maynard Nexsen examines possible employment implications of two cases argued before the Supreme Court this fall, including a higher bar for justifying employees as overtime exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and earlier grants of prevailing party status for employee-plaintiffs seeking attorney fees.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

    Author Photo

    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

    Author Photo

    The Bureau of Industry and Security’s recent removal of a Canadian surveillance provider from its export blacklist, after just eight months, illustrates the importance of integrating human rights due diligence into the vetting process by asking a few targeted questions, say attorneys at Cravath.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • 3 Changes Community Banks Should Expect Under Trump

    Author Photo

    A second Trump administration promises a sea change for regional and community banks, including shifts in the regulatory environment, Community Reinvestment Act rules and the M&A landscape, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • DC Circ. Decision Opens Door To NEPA Regulation Litigation

    Author Photo

    A recent D.C. Circuit decision in Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration could open the door to more litigation over the White House Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act regulations, and could affect how many agencies conduct and interpret environmental assessments, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • The Challenges Of Abandoned Retirement Plans In Ch. 7

    Author Photo

    The Department of Labor's rule for unwinding retirement accounts when plan sponsors file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was intended to alleviate trustees' administration issues, but practical challenges, like unresolved fee and identification matters, could hinder its implementation, say David Goodrich at Golden Goodrich and Nancy Simons at Stretto.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

    Author Photo

    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 5 Ways SEC's Crypto Approach Could Change Under Trump

    Author Photo

    Given the Trump campaign's procrypto stance, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could take a number of different approaches to crypto policy in the next administration, including pausing registration-only enforcement actions and proposing tailored rules that take into account the differences between crypto-assets and traditional securities, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Health Policy Predictions For Trump's Second Administration

    Author Photo

    As President-elect Donald Trump's nominations for health policy and enforcement heads work their way through the confirmation process, healthcare organizations can look at nominee backgrounds, campaign statements and actions from Trump's previous presidency to predict incoming priorities, say attorneys at McDermott.

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!