Public Policy

  • December 03, 2024

    ND Calls Tribes' Bid For Riverbed Mineral Rights 'Irrational'

    North Dakota has hit back against the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation's attempt to win a federal court declaration that it owns mineral rights beneath a portion of the Missouri River, arguing that the three tribes' claim of riverbed ownership is "irrational."

  • December 03, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Trump-Era Rule On Genetically Engineered Crops Tossed

    A California federal judge on Monday vacated a 2020 Trump-era rule that a group of agricultural and environmental organizations alleged significantly reduced government oversight over genetically engineered crops, grasses and trees, granting the groups a partial summary judgment win due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's inadequate explanations for the rule.

  • December 03, 2024

    Former Officials Target DOJ, FTC Position In Epic V. Google

    The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission drew criticism Tuesday from former officials who targeted the agencies' stance on Google's Ninth Circuit fight against the mandated opening of the Android Play Store, with the officials warning in an amicus brief against "compulsory sharing obligations."

  • December 03, 2024

    Chamber Backs T-Mobile, Sprint's Challenge To FCC Fine

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce told the D.C. Circuit that recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings make clear that the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority when it levied a combined $92 million in fines on T-Mobile and Sprint for selling users' location data.

  • December 03, 2024

    Ex-Lender Agrees To $1M FDIC Order After Enforcement Battle

    A retired small business financier has agreed to pay $1 million in restitution to end administrative Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. allegations of a fraudulent bridge loan scheme, with the agreement coming after his most recent constitutional challenges to the agency's structure fell flat in October.

  • December 03, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    December's appellate forecast calls for a squall of showdowns in a tiny time period before the holidays, including arguments involving recent U.S. Supreme Court cases, Big Tech's patents and popular purveyors of health food. In addition, winds of change are swirling around the White House's litigation posture and judicial nominations, and we'll quiz you on the latter in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing.

  • December 03, 2024

    USPTO Abandons Polarizing Proposal Over Double Patenting

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has withdrawn an extremely controversial proposal tied to double patenting, citing "resource constraints" in a Federal Register notice set to be published Wednesday.

  • December 03, 2024

    MTA, NY Officials Rip Bid To Block Revised Congestion Pricing

    New York officials have told a federal judge that residents, truckers and community groups cannot sideline Manhattan's recently resurrected congestion pricing, saying there's zero merit to the plaintiffs' claims that they'd be irreparably harmed by allegedly unconstitutional and discriminatory tolls.

  • December 03, 2024

    Texas Continues Fighting Public Charge Definition In 5th Circ.

    Texas is appealing a federal judge's ruling that it can't challenge the Biden administration's reversal of a Trump-era immigration wealth test, even though the U.S. Supreme Court previously passed on an earlier bid by the state to revive the policy.

  • December 03, 2024

    Microsoft Asks FTC Watchdog To Look Into Leaked Probe

    A Microsoft deputy general counsel on Tuesday asked the Federal Trade Commission's inspector general to look into whether commission management improperly told a news outlet that the FTC had opened a broad antitrust investigation of the tech giant.

  • December 03, 2024

    Vidal Aimed To Put USPTO Rulemaking In The Spotlight

    Kathi Vidal's tenure as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been marked by dedication to making the agency's decisions and processes more transparent, attorneys said ahead of her mid-December departure.

  • December 03, 2024

    Iowa Says 5th Circ. Decision Supports State Immigration Law

    Iowa's attorney general told the Eighth Circuit that the Fifth Circuit's recent decision barring federal agents from interfering with barriers Texas erected at the Southern border bolsters Iowa's defense of its law criminalizing the presence of previously deported noncitizens.

  • December 03, 2024

    Google Wants Ad Tech Claims In Texas Heard By Judge, Not Jury

    Google is pushing to have the Texas-led antitrust case targeting its digital ad technology tried to a judge instead of a jury, saying state enforcers are not entitled to have a jury decide whether the company violated the law or what penalties should be imposed if it did.

  • December 03, 2024

    Judge Mulls Whether DA Willis Must Comply With Subpoenas

    A Fulton County judge on Tuesday considered whether a Georgia state Senate committee can force Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to testify or turn over records as part of its investigation into her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump.

  • December 03, 2024

    Judge Says ND Can Intervene In Dakota Access Pipeline Row

    The state of North Dakota can back the federal government in a challenge by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe over the Dakota Access Pipeline, a federal district court judge said, after the state argued that a shutdown would substantially impact its economy and undermine its sovereign interests.

  • December 03, 2024

    Gov't Floats Sharing Plan For Lower 37 GHz Airwaves

    The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it was recommending shared use of the lower 37 gigahertz spectrum band among government and private-sector users.

  • December 03, 2024

    US-China Feud Simmers As Beijing Unveils New Export Curbs

    The Chinese government on Tuesday banned exports of several critical minerals to the U.S., citing national security concerns, a day after the Biden administration announced new restrictions of its own targeting Beijing's semiconductor operations.

  • December 03, 2024

    Data Caps Harm Consumers, Rural Electric Co-Ops Tell FCC

    As the Federal Communications Commission considers the impact of data caps some broadband providers impose on internet service plans, rural electric cooperatives have told the commission that caps are bad for consumers and that their own business model for broadband does not involve such usage limits.

  • December 03, 2024

    Trump Argues Immunity Extends To Local Prosecutions

    President-elect Donald Trump told the New York state judge presiding over his hush money case that the criminal charges and guilty verdict should be thrown out, arguing in an expansive motion released Tuesday that allowing a local prosecution to proceed would upset the republic's balance of power.

  • December 03, 2024

    Pastor Wants Judge DQ'd Over Attorney Turnover Comment

    A Michigan pastor said Monday that a federal judge should be disqualified from overseeing his lawsuit alleging a township's zoning ordinance discriminates against religious entities because of a comment the judge made about the pastor having "issues" with attorney turnover.

  • December 03, 2024

    Mich. Poll Worker Disparity Suit Gets High Court Audience

    The Michigan Supreme Court agreed Monday to review whether Republicans can enforce a law that calls for balanced political representation among election workers after lower courts had said the political party lacked standing. 

  • December 03, 2024

    California Tribe Says Feds Didn't Consult On Casino Project

    A California tribe is looking to block the U.S. Department of Interior from approving a casino project on its historic homelands, arguing that the federal government failed to consult it on the endeavor that will irreparably harm its sovereignty and its rights over sacred objects located on the site.

  • December 03, 2024

    New Judges Include One Who Aided Puerto Rico Bondholders

    The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two federal judges for Pennsylvania and one for the District of Columbia, who came under scrutiny during her confirmation hearing for her work at Jones Day.

  • December 03, 2024

    Timeshare Co. Argues Jury Never Should've Seen Fraud Suit

    A company selling timeshares in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told a state appeals court Tuesday that a consumer fraud suit never should have reached a jury, arguing that an evidence rule bars the claims.

  • December 03, 2024

    Ex-Va. Solicitor General To Co-Lead Steptoe Appellate Group

    Steptoe LLP has brought on as co-leader of the appellate practice a former solicitor general of Virginia whose past government work included being special counsel to the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the firm said Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Compliance Considerations Of DOJ Data Security Rule

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    Under the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule aiming to prevent certain countries' access to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data, companies must ensure their vendor, employment and investment agreements meet strict new data security requirements — or determine whether such contracts are worth the cost of compliance, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • What Higher Education Can Expect From A 2nd Trump Admin

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    The election of Donald Trump for a second presidential term has far-reaching ramifications for colleges and universities — come January, institutions can expect a crackdown on DEI, increased scrutiny of campus protests, a rollback of the Biden administration's Title IX rules and more, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • AI Monitoring And FCRA: Employer Compliance Essentials

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission signal determination to treat AI-based workplace surveillance as a potential Fair Credit Reporting Act issue, employers must commit to educating HR and compliance staff on these quickly evolving regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny

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    The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • Crypto Cos. Add New Play In Their Offense Against SEC

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    Consensys and Crypto.com have adopted a novel strategy of preempting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions by moving to crypto-friendly Texas and filing declaratory lawsuits challenging the SEC's jurisdiction to regulate crypto-assets — an aggressive approach that may pay off, say attorneys at Herrick Feinstein.

  • FTC Focus: Zeroing In On Post-Election Labor Markets

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    The presidential election and the push-and-pull of the administrative state's reach are likely to affect the Federal Trade Commission's focus on labor markets, including the tenor of noncompete rule enforcement, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • $3B TD Bank AML Settlement Is A Wake-Up Call For All Banks

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    TD Bank’s historic settlement over anti-money laundering violations, resulting in over $3 billion in penalties, reminds banks of all shapes and sizes why they need to take financial crime compliance seriously, and highlights three areas that may be especially vulnerable to enforcement, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

  • What Trump Presidency May Mean For Climate Reporting

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    While the Trump administration will likely take a hands-off approach to climate-related disclosures and rescind regulations promulgated under the Biden administration, state and international ESG laws mean the private sector may not reverse course on such disclosures, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin

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    Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Timing Of An NLRB Power Shift Hinges On Biden Nominees

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    President-elect Donald Trump seems certain to shake up the National Labor Relations Board's prounion Democrat majority, but the incoming president's timing depends on whether the current Senate confirms two pending nominees to board positions, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.

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