Malaysia's DST Must Avoid Bias Against US, Minister Says

By Kevin Pinner

Malaysia will not impose a digital services tax that discriminates against American companies under its U.S. trade agreement, the country's Minister of Digital told lawmakers Monday, maintaining that this won't restrict the country's sovereignty.

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Israeli Co. Can't Expand Contract Breach Suit Over $25M Deal

By Abigail Harrison

An Israeli smart packaging company can't enlarge a North Carolina Business Court contract breach suit, a judge ruled Monday, saying the amendment would "wholly transform" the case and prejudice defendant Sealed Air Corp.

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Vape Co. Says FDA Sat On Application For Five Years

By Mike Curley

A California vape company is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in D.C. federal court, saying the agency has been violating federal law by sitting on its application to market and sell flavored e-cigarette products for five years.

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Brief

ITC To Probe Imported Van Trailers For Possible Duties

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate whether Mexican, Chinese and Canadian trailers for vans entering the U.S. are harming the domestic industry, according to a notice published Monday. 

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1st Trial After FCPA Pause Offers Clues On DOJ Priorities

After surviving a government review of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the U.S. v. Zaglin case reveals the U.S. Department of Justice still appears willing to prosecute individuals for conduct broadly consistent with classic priorities, despite the agency's new emphasis on foreign policy priorities, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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Global Net-Zero Shipping Framework Faces Rough Waters

The decision of the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environment Protection Committee to delay its proposal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships, in the face of strenuous U.S. objections, highlights the importance of proactive engagement with policymakers and strategic planning for different compliance scenarios, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

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State AGs May Extend Their Reach To Nat'l Security Concerns

Companies with foreign supply-chain risk exposure need a comprehensive risk-management strategy to address a growing trend in which state attorneys general use broadly written state laws to target conduct that may not violate federal regulations, but arguably constitutes a national security threat, say attorneys at Wiley.

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Series

The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Making The Case To Combine

When making the decision to merge, law firm leaders must factor in strategic alignment, cultural compatibility and leadership commitment in order to build a compelling case for combining firms to achieve shared goals and long-term success, says Kevin McLaughlin at UB Greensfelder.

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Bonus Spotlight

5 BigLaw Firms Match Prevailing Year-End, Special Bonuses

By Anna Sanders

BigLaw continues to dole out extra cash for attorneys just in time for the holidays, with five more firms matching the year-end and special bonuses previously announced by their peers.

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Feds' Claim Against Judge Weighing Trans Troops Ban Tossed

By Lauren Berg

The D.C. Circuit's chief judge tossed the U.S. Department of Justice's misconduct complaint against the federal judge overseeing litigation challenging the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops serving in the military, saying judicial misconduct proceedings are not the appropriate avenue to address concerns about a judge's impartiality.

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Comey, James Defeat Charges Over Halligan's Appointment

By Ryan Boysen

A federal judge on Monday dismissed the headline-grabbing indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, finding the controversial prosecutor handling both cases was not properly appointed.

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Calif. Personal Injury Law Firm Sued Over Ransomware Attack

By Gina Kim

A former Adamson Ahdoot LLP client lodged a proposed class action in California state court on Friday over a Nov. 3 ransomware attack, alleging the law firm failed to protect his personal information despite touting on its website that it follows industry standards to do so.

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Feature

Prep, Panic & Poise: Inside An Associate's First Oral Argument

By Jeff Overley

Fraser M. Holmes followed a long professional path to a Texas court's lectern. He'd been a baseball blogger, travel writer and social studies teacher before appellate law beckoned. After years of toil, a milestone moment — his first oral argument — finally arrived, but as justices took the bench, his heart sank: "Oh, my God. I think I've just forgotten my entire argument."

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Google Calls Rumble's Recusal Bid Irrelevant To Its Appeal

By Andrea Keckley

Google is urging the Ninth Circuit to disregard concerns Rumble has raised about the trial judge's relationship with the tech giant's litigation vice president, saying Friday that the information is irrelevant to the YouTube rival's appeal of the court's ruling that its antitrust lawsuit was filed too late.

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Oversight Chair Seeks USPTO Briefing On Litigation Funding

By Courtney Bublé

U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is seeking a briefing by the end of the month from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on third-party litigation funding and reforms the agency is working on.

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8th Circ. Won't Force Judge's Recusal In Pork Price-Fixing Case

By Matthew Perlman

The Eighth Circuit has denied a mandamus petition from Agri Stats Inc. and major pork producers who are seeking a Minnesota federal judge's recusal in price-fixing litigation based on a law clerk's previous work on a related case.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court last week delivered a packed mix of fraud allegations, merger fallout, corporate-governance reforms and jurisdictional fights, while a new academic report ignited debate over attorney fee awards in Delaware's influential corporate forum.

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