Expert Analysis

• 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.

• How Community Banks Can Limit Overdraft Class Action Risk

  

  With community banks increasingly confronted with class actions claiming deceptive overdraft fees, local institutions should consider proactively revising their customer policies and agreements to limit their odds of facing costly and complicated consumer litigation, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

• Opinion

  Bar Exam Reform Must Expand Beyond A Single Updated Test

  

  Recently released information about the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ new NextGen Uniform Bar Exam highlights why a single test is not ideal for measuring newly licensed lawyers’ competency, demonstrating the need for collaborative development, implementation and reform processes, says Gregory Bordelon at Suffolk University.

• Disney Art Suit Will Test Recent AI Fair Use Boundaries

  

  While the first U.S. rulings to address the issue recently held that it's fair use for generative artificial intelligence models to train on certain copyrighted books without permission, Disney v. Midjourney, filed in June, will test the limits of the fair use framework in a visual art context, says Rob Rosenberg at Moses & Singer.

• Location Data And Online Tracking Trends To Watch

  

  Regulators and class action plaintiffs are increasingly targeting companies' use of online tracking technologies and geolocation data in both privacy enforcement and litigation, so organizations should view compliance as a dynamic, cross-functional responsibility as scrutiny becomes increasingly aggressive and multifaceted, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

  

  As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

• Surveying The Changing Overdraft Fee Landscape

  

  Despite recent federal moves that undermine consumer overdraft fee protections, last year’s increase in fee charges suggests banks will face continued scrutiny via litigation and state regulation, says Amanda Kurzendoerfer at Bates White.

• Asbestos Trusts And Tort Litigation Are Still Not Aligned

  

  A recent ruling by a New York state court in James Petro v. Aerco International highlights the inefficiencies that still exist in asbestos litigation — especially regarding the continued lack of coordination between the asbestos tort system and the well-funded asbestos trust compensation system, says Peter Kelso at Roux.

• Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

  

  As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• Antitrust Scrutiny Heightens In The Cannabis Industry

  

  Two ongoing antitrust cases signal intensified scrutiny of pricing practices, distribution restraints and exclusionary conduct in the cannabis sector, says Robin Crauthers at McCarter & English.

• M&A Ruling Reinforces High Bar For Aiding, Abetting Claims

  

  The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in In re: Columbia Pipeline may slow the filing of aiding and abetting claims against third-party buyers in situations where buyers negotiate aggressively, putting buy-side dealmakers' minds at ease that they likely won't be liable for seeking the best possible deal, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Series

  Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

• 2 Circuit Court Rulings Offer A Class Certification Primer

  

  Two recent decisions from the Third and Sixth Circuits provide guidance on the rigorous analysis of predominance that courts might require for class certification, and insights into how defendants might oppose or narrow potential class actions, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

• Del. Dispatch: Conflicted Transactions And New Safe Harbors

  

  Two recent Delaware Court of Chancery decisions involving conflicted transactions underscore that the new safe harbors established by the Delaware General Corporation Law amendments passed in March, going forward, provide a far easier route to business judgment review of conflicted transactions than were previously available, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Opinion

  Privacy Bill Must Be Amended To Protect Small Businesses

  

  While a bill recently passed by the California Senate would exempt a company's use of legally compliant website advertising and tracking technologies from the California Invasion of Privacy Act, it must be amended to adequately protect small businesses, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.