Expert Analysis

• How FERC Is Shaping The Future Of Data Center Grid Use

  

  Two recent orders from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission affecting the PJM Interconnection and Southwest Power Pool regions offer the first glimpse into how FERC will address the challenges of balancing resource adequacy, grid reliability and fair cost allocation for expansions to accommodate artificial intelligence-driven data centers, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

• Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: January Lessons

  

  In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five rulings from October and November, and identifies practice tips from cases involving consumer fraud, oil and gas leases, toxic torts, and wage and hour issues.

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  Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

  

  U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

• Navigating Battery Validation Risk In The EV Supply Chain

  

  Vehicle electrification has moved battery system supply chains from a background component into the center of the automotive universe — and for legal teams, battery validation is now a driver of contractual disputes, regulatory exposure and even shareholder litigation, say Samuel Madden at Secretariat Advisors and Vanessa Miller at Foley & Lardner.

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  Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

  

  My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

• 2026 Int'l Arbitration Trends: Awards Against Sovereign States

  

  The enforcement of arbitral awards against sovereign states is one of the most contentious and rapidly evolving areas in international arbitration, with three defining issues on the 2026 horizon: the scope of sovereign immunity, assignability of rights, and availability of fraud and corruption defenses, say attorneys at Cleary.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

  

  Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

• Key False Claims Act Trends From The Last Year

  

  The False Claims Act remains a powerful enforcement tool after some record verdicts and settlements in 2025, and while traditional fraud areas remain a priority, new initiatives are raising questions about its expanding application, says Veronica Nannis at Joseph Greenwald.

• What Texas Can Learn From La. About CO2 Well Primacy

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's granting Texas primary authority over wells used to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations is a significant step forward for carbon capture and storage projects in the state — but Louisiana's experience after it was granted primacy offers a cautionary tale, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

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  Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

• 2026 Int'l Arbitration Trends: M&A And Securities Disputes

  

  Recent developments — such as the high-profile arbitration between ExxonMobil and Chevron, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's shift on its long-standing opposition to mandatory arbitration clauses in registration statements — highlight key issues to consider when drafting relevant agreements and arbitrating M&A disputes, say attorneys at Cleary.

• How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

  

  Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

• Why 2026 Could Be A Bright Year For US Solar

  

  2025 was a record-setting year for utility-scale solar power deployment in the U.S., a trend that shows no signs of abating, so the question for 2026 is whether permitting, interconnection, and state and federal policies will allow the industry to grow fast enough to meet demand, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

• Navigating Privilege Law Patchwork In Dual-Purpose Comms

  

  Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to resolve a circuit split in In re: Grand Jury, federal courts remain split as to when attorney-client privilege applies to dual-purpose legal and business communications, and understanding the fragmented landscape is essential for managing risks, say attorneys at Covington.

• Drilling Down Into The Uncertain Future Of Venezuelan Energy

  

  Several key issues will inform whether, when and how U.S. businesses enter, reenter or expand operations in Venezuela — including sanctions relief, economic incentives, resolution of past expropriations, questions about the country's political outlook, and broader trends and conditions in the global energy market, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.