Expert Analysis

• 9th Circ. Ruling Is Turning Point For Private Funds In 401(k)s

  

  The Ninth Circuit's decision in Anderson v. Intel reinforces that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's duty of prudence permits fiduciaries to use private market assets in diversified funds, yet it also exposes the persistent litigation and regulatory uncertainties that continue to temper wider adoption in 401(k) plans, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• How Energy Cos. Can Prepare For Potential Tax Credit Cuts

  

  The Senate Finance Committee's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill act would create a steep phaseout of renewable energy tax credits, which should prompt companies to take several actions, including conduct a project review to discern which could begin construction before the end of the year, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

• The CFTC Is Shaking Up Sports Betting's Legal Future

  

  The sports betting industry faces a potential sea change amid recent state and federal actions across the regulatory landscape that have expanded access to sporting event contracts against the backdrop of waning Commodity Futures Trading Commission opposition, says Nick Covek at Foley & Lardner.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

  

  Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

• DOJ Has Deep Toolbox For Corporate Immigration Violations

  

  With the U.S. Department of Justice now offering rewards to whistleblowers who report businesses that employ unauthorized workers, companies should understand the immigration enforcement landscape and how they can reduce their risk, say attorneys at McDermott.

• Trade In Limbo: The Legal Storm Reshaping Trump's Tariffs

  

  In the final days of May, decisions in two significant court actions upended the tariff and trade landscape, so until the U.S. Supreme Court rules, businesses and supply chains should expect tariffs to remain in place, and for the Trump administration to continue pursuing and enforcing all available trade policies, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

• Shareholder Takeaways From NY Internal Affairs Doctrine Suit

  

  A May New York Court of Appeals decision in Ezrasons v. Rudd involving Barclays — affirming the state's "firmly entrenched" internal affairs doctrine — is a win for all corporate stakeholders seeking stability in resolving disputes between shareholders and directors and officers, say attorneys at Sadis & Goldberg.

• Speech Protection Questions In AI Case Raise Liability Risk

  

  A Florida federal court's recent landmark ruling in Garcia v. Character Technologies, rejecting artificial intelligence developers' efforts to shield themselves from product liability and wrongful death claims under the First Amendment, challenges the assumption that chatbot outputs qualify as speech, and may redefine AI regulation and litigation nationally, says Peter Gregory at Goldberg Segalla.

• Del. Dispatch: General Partner Discretion In Valuing Incentives

  

  In Walker v. FRP Investors, the Delaware Court of Chancery recently held that the general partner of a limited partnership breached its obligations when determining the threshold value of newly issued incentive units, highlighting the court's willingness to reconstruct what a reasonable determination of value by a general partner should have been, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

  

  Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

• 3 Rulings May Reveal Next Frontier Of Gov't Contract Cases

  

  Several U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past year — involving wire fraud, gratuities and obstruction — offer wide-ranging and arguably conflicting takeaways for government contractors that are especially relevant given the Trump administration’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

• Early Trends In Proxy Exclusion After SEC Relaxes Guidance

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent guidance broadening shareholder proposal exclusion under Rule 14a-8 has been undoubtedly useful to issuers this proxy season, but it does not guarantee exclusion, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

  

  District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

• Trump Antitrust Shift Eases Pressure On Private Equity Deals

  

  Enforcement actions and statements by Trump administration antitrust officials forecast a shift away from specifically targeting private equity activity, which should be welcome news to dealmakers, but firms shouldn't expect to escape traditional antitrust scrutiny, says Nathaniel Bronstein at Fried Frank.

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  Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.