Expert Analysis

• Resilience Planning As Nat'l Security Shifts Tech Import Policy

  

  In response to a sustained reorientation of U.S. trade policy around national security considerations, businesses reliant on processed critical minerals must closely monitor diplomatic negotiations and the potential expansion of trade measures, incorporating contingency planning into procurement and long-term investment strategies, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

• Proposed DOL Rule Could Simplify Contractor Classification

  

  If the U.S. Department of Labor's recently proposed rule governing employee versus independent contractor classification is finalized, it would permit energy sector employers to evaluate the nature of the working relationship with a more straightforward and predictable analysis than the 2024 rule's unweighted test, say attorneys at Bracewell.

• Key Takeaways As HRSA Aims To Revive 340B Rebate Pilot

  

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent request for feedback on the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program demonstrates that it intends to correct the model's procedural defects, which is positive news for participating manufacturers, but a setback for covered entities, say attorneys at Manatt.

• How The New Tariff Landscape May Unfold

  

  To replace tariffs formerly imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the administration will rely on a patchwork of statutes, potentially leading to procedural challenges and a complex tariff landscape with varying levels, durations and applicability, says Joseph Grossman-Trawick at King & Spalding.

• 4th Circ. Navy Federal Decision Illustrates Nuances Of Rule 23

  

  The Fourth Circuit's recent decision in Oliver v. Navy Federal Credit Union helpfully clarified how class action defendants can use Rule 23(c)(1)(A) to eliminate exposure early, along with the limitations of such an approach, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

• Assessing Ruling On SEC Industry Bars In Post-Jarkesy World

  

  According to a D.C. federal court in Sztrom v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision in SEC v. Jarkesy did not eliminate the commission's ability to pursue industry bars through administrative follow-on proceedings, a major blow for future Article 3 challenges — so long as it stands, say attorneys at Venable.

• What Orgs. Should Note In IRS Group Tax Exemption Overhaul

  

  In a significant update, the IRS Revenue Procedure 2026-8 shows that the group exemption program is moving into a new regulatory era involving more uniformity, oversight and compliance obligations, and early action is key to preserve group exemption status and avoid disruption for subordinate organizations, says Ravi Sundara at Spencer Fane.

• What GCs Should Keep In Mind When Developing AI Addenda

  

  When general counsel develop their own customer-side artificial intelligence addenda to be used as the baseline for negotiations with AI vendors, they should take care to rightsize the addenda relative to their organization's size, complexity and bargaining power, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

• How DOJ Is Rethinking Corporate Crime Prosecution Tactics

  

  Recent statements from the Justice Department seem to indicate an incremental shift away from relying on collective employee knowledge when prosecuting corporate crime, and from exploring the bounds of case law that has not been a model of clarity, say attorneys at Covington.

• 5 Key Issues Affecting Deal Structurings In Ship Finance

  

  Several trends are shaping the ship finance landscape, including the impact of Basel IV in Europe and the Nordic bond market, making it essential for both lenders and shipowners to utilize creative deal structuring and maintain an awareness of competitive dynamics across traditional bank and private lending, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Character.AI Case Highlights Agentic AI Liability Questions

  

  The recently settled litigation against Character Technologies Inc. provides an early case study for exploring salient legal issues related to agentic artificial intelligence, such as tort liability, strict liability, statutory liability and contractual liability, says Samuel Mitchells at Smith Gambrell.

• How DOL Rule Would Preserve App-Based Contractor Work

  

  The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed 2026 independent contractor rule reinforces the centrality of worker autonomy and entrepreneurial opportunity that characterize many app-based arrangements, and returns to a framework that may offer increased predictability for platforms and workers alike, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• Complaint Portal Updates Prove That The CFPB Is Listening

  

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent updates to its online complaint portal not only clarify complaint pathways and strengthen identity verification, but also signal that the bureau is more willing to consider industry perspectives on its activities and change course where warranted, say attorneys at Manatt.

• Del. Justices' Upholding Of SB 21 Gives Cos. Needed Clarity

  

  The Delaware Supreme Court's recent unanimous decision in Rutledge v. Clearway Energy — upholding 2025 corporate law amendments enacted through S.B. 21, which clarified safe harbor protections and key terms — may help stem the DExit movement, whose proponents have claimed unpredictability in Delaware courts, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

• Why Mukherji Won't End USCIS' EB-1A Two-Step

  

  A Nebraska federal court's recent decision in Mukherji v. Miller seemed to vindicate longstanding complaints about the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' controversial two-step adjudication process, declaring the framework unlawful — but Mukherji is unlikely to be the death blow that immigration practitioners have hoped for, says Jun Li at Reid & Wise.