Citadel Securities Sparks Crypto Clash Over DeFi Exemptions

By Aislinn Keely

Citadel Securities ignited debate with crypto advocates this week when it told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that decentralized finance projects dealing in tokenized securities should broadly be subject to the same obligations as traditional exchanges and broker-dealers.

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1st Spot Crypto Market To Launch Amid CFTC 'Crypto Sprint'

By Emilie Ruscoe

Derivatives exchange Bitnomial said Thursday it is poised to launch the first spot crypto exchange regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, with guidance from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

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Kalshi Sues Conn. Over Online Gambling Enforcement Case

By Katryna Perera

Derivatives exchange KalshiEX LLC has sued the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and its leaders over a cease-and-desist order issued by the department directing Kalshi to stop operations within the state.

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Crypto Investors Fight To Revive Ripple Suit At 9th Circ.

By Dorothy Atkins

A certified class of investors urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive allegations Ripple Labs violated securities laws through unregistered sales of digital-token XRP, arguing the lower court misapplied the Ninth Circuit's SEC v. Murphy precedent in granting Ripple summary judgment under a three-year statute of repose.

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SEC Investor Panel Presses For Corporate AI Disclosures

By Jessica Corso

A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission working group is urging the agency to adopt regulations that could standardize the way publicly traded companies report the way they use artificial intelligence, arguing Thursday that investors are not always being kept informed about the risks of the technology.

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Squires Clarifies Points On Patent Eligibility Declarations

By Adam Lidgett

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires is reminding applicants that they can file declarations explaining why their patents are eligible under Section 101 of the Patent Act and that examiners need to consider them when filed. 

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11th Circ. Won't Rehear NCR Corp. Compensation Fight

By Carolina Bolado

The Eleventh Circuit denied on Wednesday software company NCR Corp.'s request to rehear a case in which the court ruled that the company cannot issue lump-sum payments to deferred compensation plan participants as alternatives to promised life annuities.

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Ex-Trader's Suit Accusing Rival Of Spoofing Tossed For Good

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge Thursday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit accusing a trading firm of spoofing U.S. Treasury markets by placing orders for Treasury instruments it never intended to fill, finding the claims barred because they've already been deemed untimely in a Chicago Mercantile Exchange arbitration.

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Solmate To Acquire RockawayX, Creating 'Crypto Giant'

By Katryna Perera

Solmate Infrastructure, formerly known as Irish sports ownership holding company Brera Holdings, announced Thursday it has entered into a business combination with the blockchain arm of venture capital firm Rockaway Capital, RockawayX.

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VC Firm Nexus Wraps $700M Fund To Invest In Tech Startups

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Silicon Valley venture capital firm Nexus Venture Partners on Thursday revealed that it closed its eighth fund after securing $700 million of investor commitments.

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Why Digital Asset Treasuries Are Drawing Regulator Concerns

Financial regulators’ recent focus on potential insider trading and investor risk at hundreds of publicly traded digital asset treasuries may have been summoned by how quickly this rapidly expanding market responds to asset allocation decisions, as well as variations in risk disclosure practices across the sector, say attorneys at The Brattle Group.

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10th Circ. Decision May Complicate Lending In Colorado

The Tenth Circuit's decision last month in National Association of Industrial Bankers v. Weiser clears the way for interest rate limits on all consumer lending in Colorado, including loans from out-of-state banks, potentially adding new complexities to lending to Colorado residents, say attorneys at Manatt.

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Series

Preaching Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a Gospel preacher has enhanced my success as a trial lawyer by teaching me the importance of credibility, relatability, persuasiveness and thorough preparation for my congregants, the same skills needed with judges and juries in the courtroom, says Reginald Harris at Stinson.

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Immigration Lawyers Battle Burnout Amid Deportation Surge

By Daniel Connolly

As the Trump administration carries out a mass deportation campaign across the country, immigration attorneys faced with heavy demand and changing norms are feeling the impact of burnout and stress on their practices and emotions, they told Law360.

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Calif. Agency Hires Ex-DOJ Crypto Enforcement Director

By Sarah Jarvis

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has brought on a new general counsel who previously served in leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Justice, including director of its cryptocurrency enforcement team.

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Fla. Judge OKs Release Of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

By Rae Ann Varona

A Florida federal judge on Friday ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from an investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing a newly enacted law that the government said overrides a prohibition on disclosing the documents to the public.

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Bonus Spotlight

Katten Exceeds Market Bonus Scale, Orrick Matches

By Tracey Read

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has joined a select few law firms that have gone beyond the BigLaw norm for year-end and special bonuses.

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Brief

Holland & Knight Adds Ex-House Speaker's Adviser In DC

By Tracey Read

Holland & Knight LLP has added the former senior policy adviser and counsel to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as a public policy and regulation practice group partner.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

An SEC panel has asked the agency to adopt regulations that could standardize the way publicly traded companies report details about AI use. Meanwhile, the FCC approved AT&T's $1 billion UScellular deal after AT&T became the latest of the big three mobile carriers to agree to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion policies. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Gupta Wessler LLP and Block & Leviton LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Eleventh Circuit revived a proposed class action against NextEra Energy Inc. that seeks to hold the energy company liable for a share price drop that followed political interference allegations involving a subsidiary.

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Mass. IOLTA Panel Says It's Owed Slice Of Residual Funds

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts panel that oversees Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts asked the state's highest court Friday to at least partially unwind a $4 million class action settlement, saying a lower court didn't give it a chance to argue for a portion of what it says are "significant" residual funds.

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Judges Beat Ethics Suits For Dropping Retirement Post-Trump

By Jake Maher

A Fourth Circuit judge and two district court judges have defeated ethics complaints from a conservative legal organization alleging they improperly reversed their decisions to take senior status after President Donald Trump was elected.

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Court Staff Attys Settle Claims Of Undermining Colleague

By Julie Manganis

Six months after Massachusetts' highest court revived some of a former Appeals Court staff attorney's claims in a suit alleging two supervisors intentionally undermined him, the parties have reported reaching a settlement in the case.

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