Expert Analysis

• Amazon Ruling Marks New Era Of Personal Liability For Execs

  

  A Washington federal court's recent decision in FTC v. Amazon extended personal liability to senior executives for design-driven violations of broad consumer protection statutes, signaling a fundamental shift in how consumer protection laws may be enforced against large public companies, say attorneys at Orrick.

• What Cross-Border Task Force Says About SEC's Priorities

  

  The formation of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's cross-border task force, focused on investigating U.S. federal securities law violations overseas, underscores Chairman Paul Atkins' prioritization of classic fraud schemes, particularly involving foreign entities, say attorneys at Cleary.

• Series

  Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

• Opinion

  DOJ's Tracing Rule For Pandemic Loan Fraud Is Untenable

  

  In conducting investigations related to COVID-19 relief fraud, the government's assertion that loan proceeds are nonfungible and had to have been segregated from other funds is unsupported by underlying legislation, precedent or the language establishing similar federal relief programs, say Sharon McCarthy, Jay Nanavati and Lasya Ravulapati at Kostelanetz.

• NY Zelle Suit Highlights Fraud Risks Of Electronic Payments

  

  The New York attorney general's recent action against Zelle's parent company, filed several months after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau abandoned a similar suit, demonstrates the fraud risks that electronic payment platforms can present and the need for providers to carefully balance accessibility and consumer protection, say attorneys at Weiner Brodsky.

• 6th Circ. FirstEnergy Ruling Protects Key Legal Privileges

  

  The Sixth Circuit’s recent grant of mandamus relief in In re: First Energy Corp. confirms that the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections apply to internal investigation materials, ultimately advancing the public interest, say attorneys at Cooley.

• Del. Ruling Reaffirms High Bar To Plead Minority Control

  

  The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Witmer v. Armistice maintains Delaware's strict approach to control and provides increased predictability for minority investors in their investment and corporate governance decisions, says Elena Davis at Ropes & Gray.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

  

  Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

• How Occasional Activists Have Reshaped Proxy Fights

  

  The sophistication and breadth of first-time activist engagement continue to shape corporate governance and strategic outcomes, as evidenced across corporate annual meetings this summer, meaning advisers should anticipate continued innovation in tactics, increased regulatory complexity, and a persistent focus on board accountability, say attorneys at MoFo.

• How The FTC Is Stepping Up Subscription Enforcement

  

  Despite the demise of the Federal Trade Commission's click-to-cancel rule in July, the commission has not only maintained its regulatory momentum, but also set new compliance benchmarks through recent high-profile settlements with Match.com, Chegg and Amazon, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• US-German M&A Hits Its Stride Despite Economic Headwinds

  

  Against expectations, dealmakers in both the U.S. and Germany are actively seeking investment opportunities in each other's markets, with 2025 shaping up to be the strongest year in recent memory, say attorneys at White & Case.

• How Trump Admin. Is Shifting Biden's Antitrust Merger Enforcement

  

  Antitrust enforcement trends under the Trump administration have included a moderation in the agencies' approach to merger enforcement as compared to enforcers compared to the prior administration, but dealmakers should still expect aggressive enforcement when the agencies believe consumers will be harmed and they expect to win in court, say attorneys at Rule Garza.

• How Financial Cos. Can Prep As NYDFS Cyber Changes Loom

  

  Financial institutions supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services can prepare for two critical cybersecurity requirements relating to multifactor authentication and asset inventories, effective Nov. 1, by conducting gap analyses and allocating resources to high-risk assets, among other steps, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Shutdown May Stall Hearings, But Gov't Probes Quietly Go On

  

  Thanks to staff assurances under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, the core work of congressional investigations continues during the shutdown that began Oct. 1 — and so does the investigative work that is performed behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

• Opinion

  Ending Quarterly Reporting Would Erode Investor Protection

  

  President Donald Trump recently called for an end to the long-standing practice of corporate quarterly reporting, but doing so would reduce transparency, create information asymmetries, provide more opportunities for corporate fraud and risk increased stock price volatility, while not meaningfully increasing long-term investments, say attorneys at Bleichmar Fonti.