Expert Analysis

• 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.

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  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.

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  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.

• Citgo Ruling Offers Award Enforcement Road Map

  

  A recent opinion from the Delaware federal court approving a $5.892 billion bid for Citgo Petroleum shares brings the long-running enforcement of the Crystallex arbitration award against Venezuela closer to resolution and offers crucial lessons for creditors pursuing sovereign debt, says Vitaly Morozov at Pierson Ferdinand.

• US Sanctions Targeting Russia's Oil Giants Heighten Biz Risks

  

  Businesses operating in the energy sector, both in and outside the U.S., should review their operations for any links to Russian oil companies and their subsidiaries recently targeted by U.S. sanctions, to avoid unexpected reputational and financial risk, and even secondary sanctions, say authors at Blank Rome.

• How Shareholder Activism Fared In 2025

  

  2025 was a turbulent yet transformative year in shareholder activism, and there are several key takeaways to help companies prepare for a 2026 that is shaping up to be even more lively, including increased focus on retail investors and the use of social media as a tool, say attorneys at Sidley.

• The 5 Most Important Bid Protest Decisions Of 2025

  

  In a shifting bid protest landscape, five decisions in 2025 from the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Government Accountability Office that addressed bedrock questions about jurisdictional reach and the breadth of agency discretion are likely to have a lasting impact, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

• Preparing For Congressional Investigations In A Midterm Year

  

  2026 will be a consequential year for congressional oversight as the upcoming midterm elections may yield bolder investigations and more aggressive state attorneys general coalitions, so companies should consider adopting risk management measures to get ahead of potential changes, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Key Trends Shaping ESG And Sustainability Law In 2026

  

  2025 saw a chaotic regulatory landscape and novel litigation around environmental, social and governance issues and sustainability — and 2026, while perhaps more predictable, will likely be no less challenging, with more lawsuits and a regulatory tug-of-war complicating compliance for global companies, say attorneys at Crowell.

• 5 Tariff And Trade Developments To Watch In 2026

  

  A new trade landscape emerged in 2025, the contours of which will be further defined by developments that will merit close attention this year, including a key ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court and a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, says Ted Posner at Baker Botts.

• What 2025 Enforcement Actions Show About FERC's Priorities

  

  A review of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's 2025 enforcement record suggests that this year, the commission will persist in holding market participants to their commitments, and continue active market surveillance and close cooperation with market monitors, says Ruta Skucas at Crowell & Moring.

• 4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

  

  The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.

• Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

  

  As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.