Expert Analysis

• What To Expect From 401(k) Plan Alternative Assets Order

  

  The executive order this month making it easier for retirement plans to invest in alternative assets, including private equity, real estate and digital assets, marks a watershed moment for democratizing access to private markets, but the U.S. Department of Labor's anticipated formal rulemaking will also be impactful, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

  

  After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

• State AGs Are Turning Up The Antitrust Heat On ESG Actions

  

  Recent antitrust developments from red state attorneys general continue a trend of environmental, social and governance scrutiny, and businesses exposed to these areas should conduct close examinations of strategy and potential material risk, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Crypto Custody Guidelines Buoy Both Banks And Funds

  

  A statement released last month by banking regulators — highlighting risks that the agencies expect banks holding crypto-assets to mitigate — may encourage more traditional institutions to offer crypto-asset safekeeping and thereby offer asset managers more options for qualified custodians to custody crypto-assets for their clients, say attorneys at Dechert.

• Rebuttal

  BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

  

  A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

• What FinCEN's AML Rule Delay Means For Advisers

  

  Even with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's statement last month delaying the compliance date for a rule requiring advisers to report suspicious activity, advisers can expect some level of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission oversight in connection with anti-money laundering compliance, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Liquidity Rule Compliance Still Vital Even After SEC Dismissal

  

  Despite its recent dismissal of a novel case against Pinnacle Advisors over liquidity rule violations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has continued to bring enforcement actions involving investment advisers, making compliance with the rule important for registrants, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

  

  Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

• A Look At Justices' Rare Decision Not To Limit Agency Powers

  

  The Supreme Court's recent denial of Alpine's cert petition in its long-running case against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends a strong signal that litigation strategies dependent on the elimination of government agencies merit caution, even from a court that lately hasn't been shy about paring back agency authority, say attorneys at Venable.

• Series

  Hiking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  On the trail, I have thought often about the parallels between hiking and high-stakes patent litigation, and why strategizing, preparation, perseverance and joy are important skills for success in both endeavors, says Barbara Fiacco at Foley Hoag.

• Opinion

  Time For Full Disclosure Of Third-Party Funding In MDLs

  

  It is appropriate that the Federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules is considering a rule to require disclosure of third-party litigation funding in civil litigation — something that is particularly needed in multidistrict litigation, which now comprises more than half of all civil cases in the federal courts, says Eric Hudson at Butler Snow.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Negotiation Skills

  

  I took one negotiation course in law school, but most of the techniques I rely on today I learned in practice, where I've discovered that the process is less about tricks or tactics, and more about clarity, preparation and communication, says Grant Schrantz at Haug Barron.

• Taxpayers Face Tough Choices Under NJ's New Nexus Rules

  

  Though New Jersey’s new rules expanding the commercial nexus that triggers state taxation are likely to be challenged, businesses still need to carefully consider whether it’s best to minimize potential tax by reducing online customer support services or maintain their current instate services and begin paying tax, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

• Bipartisan Bill Could Aid ESOP Formation, Valuation Clarity

  

  The proposed Retire through Ownership Act represents a meaningful first step toward clarifying whether transactions qualify under the adequate consideration exemption in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, potentially eliminating the litigation risk that has chilled employee stock ownership plan formation, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

• ESG-Focused Activism Persists Despite Proxy Curbs

  

  Shareholder activism focused on environmental, social and governance factors appears poised to continue, despite the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent move toward exclusions in proxy voting proposals around ESG, say attorneys at Mintz.