Expert Analysis

• Series

  The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Forming Measurable Ties

  

  Relationship-building should begin as early as possible in a law firm merger, as intentional pathways to bringing people together drive collaboration, positive client response, engagements and growth, says Amie Colby at Troutman.

• OFAC Sanctions Will Intensify Amid Global Tensions In 2026

  

  The Office of Foreign Assets Control will ramp up its targeting of companies in the private equity, venture capital, real estate and legal markets in 2026, in keeping with the aggressive foreign policy approach embraced by the Trump administration in 2025, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

  

  2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

• Reinventing Bank Risk Mgmt. After 2025's Cartel Crackdown

  

  The Trump administration's 2025 designation of certain transnational drug cartels as terrorists means that banks must adapt to a narrowing margin of error in their customer screening and transaction assessments by treating financial crime prevention as a continuous and cross-enterprise concern with national security implications, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

• 2026 Enforcement Trends To Expect In Maritime And Int'l Trade

  

  The maritime and international trade community should expect U.S. federal enforcement to ramp up in 2026, particularly via Office of Foreign Asset Control shipping sanctions, accelerating interagency investigations of trade fraud, and U.S. Coast Guard narcotics and pollution inspections, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Reviewing Historical And Recent NYDFS Blockchain Guidance

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  An industry letter released in the fall by the New York State Department of Financial Services, together with guidance issued over the past decade, signals a heightened regulatory expectation for covered institutions regarding the use of blockchain analytics and requires review, says Nicole De Santis at Nomadis Consulting.

• Series

  Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

  

  Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

• 2025's Most Notable State AG Activity By The Numbers

  

  State attorneys general were active in 2025, working across party lines to address federal regulatory gaps in artificial intelligence, take action on consumer protection issues, continue antitrust enforcement and announce large settlements on behalf of their citizens, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

• Opinion

  The Case For Emulating, Not Dividing, The Ninth Circuit

  

  Champions for improved judicial administration should reject the unfounded criticisms driving recent Senate proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit and instead seek to replicate the court's unique strengths and successes, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

• Why 'Baby Shark' Floundered In Foreign Service Waters

  

  The Second Circuit recently ruled that the "Baby Shark" company couldn’t use email to serve alleged infringers based in China under an international agreement prohibiting such service, providing several important lessons for parties in actions involving defendants in jurisdictions unwilling or unable to effectuate efficient service, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.

• How Chinese Utility Models Fit Into Global IP Strategies

  

  Recent guidelines from the China National Intellectual Property Administration put the spotlight on the value of Chinese utility models — especially for device-focused innovations — and the interplay between utility models and conventional Chinese patents, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

• Targeted Action, Rule Tweaks Reflect 2025 AML Priority Shifts

  

  Though 2025’s anti-money-laundering landscape was characterized not by volume of penalties but by the strategic recalibration of how illicit finance risk is handled, a series of targeted enforcement actions signaled that regulators aren't easing off the accelerator, even as they refine the rules of the road, say attorneys at MoFo.

• Key Trends For Life Sciences Cos. To Watch In 2026

  

  Following a year of drastic change at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, two themes are likely to drive the coming year — a commitment to lowering the cost of drugs and an inherent tension between the priorities of the health agencies and the broader administration, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

• Series

  Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Intentional Career-Building

  

  A successful legal career is built through intention: understanding expectations, assessing strengths honestly and proactively seeking opportunities to grow and cultivating relationships that support your development, say Erika Drous and Hillary Mann at Morrison Foerster.