Expert Analysis

Although justices asked difficult questions of both sides at the recent U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in AMG v. Federal Trade Commission, they expressed significant skepticism of the FTC's implicit authority to seek restitution and disgorgement of the proceeds of fraud and other misconduct, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

The European Union's new Medical Device Regulation coming into effect this May will create a revolutionary new legal framework for manufacturers, distributors and notified bodies, but introduces an urgent need to adapt infrastructure and data collection, say Sylvie Gallage-Alwis at Signature Litigation and Sylvie Gallage-Alwis at Exponent.

A look back at 2020 antitrust cases shows why economic evidence is likely to remain a key element in merger-enforcement litigation, despite the occasional anomaly, says Julie Elmer at Freshfields.

In this brief video, Peter Chan and Karl Egbert at Baker McKenzie, and Suzan Rose at the Alternative Investment Management Association discuss fund manager compliance and monitoring issues related to state and federal rules on campaign contributions, particularly in light of the recent election cycle.

An Illinois state appeals court's recent decision in Basile v. Prometheus Global Media calls attention to the unique jurisdictional challenges that arise when opposing parties invoke anti-SLAPP statutes from different states in the course of litigation, says Phillip Zisook at Schoenberg Finkel.

The recent Federal Circuit decision Simio v. FlexSim is the latest in a trend concerning a class of inventions that are patent ineligible because they’re not novel despite purporting to improve computer technology, and is informative for winning or surviving early motions to dismiss, say Braden Katterheinrich and JD Schneider at Faegre Drinker.

The last year stood out for its marked resurgence in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau activity, suggesting 2021 will usher in even more vigorous enforcement, enhanced fair lending regulation, and renewed assaults on consumer arbitration and payday lending, says Richard Gottlieb at Manatt.

The D.C. Circuit’s recent opinion in Akhmetshin v. Browder, leaving the government contacts exception's application to foreign lobbyists unsettled, may compel courts to clarify the availability of First Amendment defamation defenses to foreign companies involved in lobbying, says Joe Meadows at Bean Kinney.

Unclaimed property professionals who run holder compliance programs should buckle themselves in for what portends to be a perfect storm of legislative, enforcement and litigation contests this year between state administrators and holders, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

Some recent litigation developments demonstrate efforts by law firms and their clients to search for opportunities in the COVID-19 economic fallout, while others — such as the rise of contingency fee arrangements — reflect acceleration of tendencies that were already underway, says William Weisman at Therium Capital.

The Florida Supreme Court's recent amendment of the state's summary judgment standard to align it with that of the federal courts and most other states will improve judicial efficiency, reduce the cost and uncertainty of litigation, and help prevent forum shopping by plaintiffs with dubious claims, say Walter Latimer and Guy Noa at Fowler White.

Multi-asset real estate funds may provide investors with opportunities to deploy capital during the pandemic-induced market downturn, but several structural questions should be considered before raising a fund, say Matt Ertman and Max Brunner at Allen Matkins.

Two recent decisions from a New York state court and a Nevada federal court reaffirm the importance of lenders paying off superpriority liens, which may extinguish their mortgages or deeds of trust if not swiftly addressed, say Michael O'Donnell and Michael Crowley at Riker Danzig.

Whereas compassionate release applications for white collar defendants were previously rare, courts are now approaching these applications with greater leniency to reduce sentences or to impose sentencing alternatives in the appropriate circumstances, which may continue beyond the pandemic, say Jamie Furia and Carly Coleman at Lowenstein Sandler.

To comply with recently finalized Internal Revenue Service regulations implementing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's $1 million cap on compensation deductions, employee benefit and tax executives at public companies should understand who their covered employees are and identify compensation agreements subject to the rules, say Samuel Krause and Teresa Abney at Crowell & Moring.

As compliance dates for the European Commission's environmental, social and governance rules draw closer, U.S. private fund managers should be aware that EU investors and subsidiaries could trigger climate risk data requests and compliance obligations, says Trysha Daskam at Silver Regulatory.

New York City's Climate Mobilization Act, which will soon restrict large buildings' carbon emissions, provides for a loan program to help owners finance energy-efficient improvements — but the program's success will depend on mortgage lenders' participation, says Jason Rozes at Dechert.

In the face of rising client demands due to the pandemic and the changing regulatory environment, and with remote work continuing for the foreseeable future, lawyers should invest in their well-being by establishing inspiring yet realistic goals for 2021 — one month at a time, says Krista Larson at Morgan Lewis.

Deciding whether to pay the demanded ransom during a cyberattack is complex and requires a careful balancing of the risks to the firm's business against the reputational and regulatory risks, but companies can also prepare for this eventuality by taking concrete steps now, say Rob Dedman and Kim Roberts at King & Spalding.