Expert Analysis

• Consistency Is Key In Pipeline Incident Investigations

  

  A pipeline release that causes worker injury does not trigger one investigation, but five or more, running on different timetables, under different statutes, and new federal procedures may soon add more complexity — but companies must maintain one centralized record to ensure consistency throughout, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

• How Cos. Using AI Agents Can Avoid Protected Data Incidents

  

  For businesses whose deployed artificial intelligence agents could enter other companies' systems and steal protected data, deployers can take several steps before an incident to test the configured agent, such as limiting it to approved systems and destinations and requiring human escalation when tasks stall, says Steven Carlson at von Briesen & Roper.

• DOL Association Health Plan Rule Could Cut Employer Costs

  

  The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule would redefine who may act as an employer for purposes of sponsoring a group health plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, potentially extending cost relief to many more businesses, says W. James Hamilton at Bose McKinney.

• Courts Signal Higher FCRA Bar For Identity Theft Claims

  

  Recent rulings adopting a heightened, "objectively and readily verifiable" inaccuracy standard may give credit furnishers stronger defenses to identity theft-related Fair Credit Reporting Act claims in the Ninth Circuit, while requiring them to continue documenting thorough dispute investigations, says Brian Kiolbasa at Ballard Spahr.

• FDA Classification Setback Bodes Well For Wound Care Cos.

  

  A Georgia federal court's recent decision in MiMedx v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration constrains the FDA's analytical framework for classifying certain wound care products as biological products, carrying important ramifications for manufacturers seeking to avoid heightened regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Hyman Phelps.

• 10 Ways AI Labs Can Limit Antitrust Risks Of Safety Pacts

  

  The OpenAI CEO’s recent call for artificial intelligence laboratories to collectively slow development to allow safety research to catch up invites antitrust scrutiny, but the risks to coordinating competitors can be managed by carefully structuring pacing agreements and layering their approach to compliance, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• NLRB Ruling Allows Leeway On Disciplining Misconduct

  

  The National Labor Relations Board's recent decision in Lion Elastomers gives employers more room to discipline employees for threatening and offensive conduct, even when it occurs during protected activity, renewing focus on employer motive, consistency and documentation, says Sarah Niemiroski at Shipman & Goodwin.

• Logistics Update: Handling Iran War Supply Chain Limitations

  

  The war in Iran is straining global logistics by introducing practical, commercial, legal and claims limitations for both operators and customers — so all supply chain participants must understand the resulting legal issues, and how to respond to them, says Jonathan Todd at Benesch.

• How Banks Can Better Prepare For Wire Fraud Risks

  

  Recent schemes serve as a reminder that banks can better limit liability for fraudulent wire transfers by documenting commercially reasonable security procedures, following them consistently, and addressing beneficiary name and account number discrepancies, says Shelli Clarkston at Spencer Fane.

• Lessons For Cannabis Dispensaries From Web Tracking Suits

  

  The trajectory of health-tracking litigation in Florida and elsewhere suggests that patient privacy claims will not disappear quickly, so dispensaries should audit their sites, tighten consent and align their disclosures with their actual practices, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.

• FTC Highlights Path To Preserve Board Rights In A Rival Co.

  

  The Federal Trade Commission's move to add key guardrails permitting firearms manufacturer Beretta to retain two directors as it takes a 25% stake in competitor Ruger illustrates how parties may maintain board rights in certain circumstances without running afoul of Section 8 of the Clayton Act, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

• FINRA Disputes Highlight Timeliness In Arbitrator Bias Claims

  

  Recent Financial Industry Regulatory Authority litigation over arbitrator neutrality shows that the strength of challenges depends not only on what counsel discovers, but also on how early it is uncovered and how concretely it can be demonstrated, says Dax White at White Law.

• Opinion

  A Capital Markets Agenda For The New Congress

  

  When the 120th Congress convenes in January, it should place capital markets issues near the top of its to-do list, with a focus on legislation that can make the public company model more competitive, says David Kaufman at Thompson Coburn.

• FinCEN Scam Alerts Push Banks To Rethink AML Monitoring

  

  Recent Financial Crimes Enforcement Network guidance on digital asset scams suggests that future anti-money laundering examinations may focus less on whether institutions detect the movement of criminal proceeds and more on whether they can identify fraud schemes before victims suffer catastrophic losses, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• Defending Hospital Antisteering Clauses From DOJ Scrutiny

  

  The Trump administration has recently made clear that pursuing antitrust challenges to antisteering provisions in hospital-insurer contracts is a priority — but a review of similar cases against hospital systems and important precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court illuminates some potential defenses in such cases, says Derek Moore at Rule Garza.