Expert Analysis

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  Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

• NY AML Rules Get Crypto Rebrand: What It Means For Banks

  

  A recent letter from the New York State Department of Financial Services outlining how banks can use blockchain analytics in anti-money laundering efforts is a reminder that crypto activity is not exempted from banks' role in keeping the financial system safe, says Katherine Lemire at Lankler Siffert.

• 3 Trends From AI-Related Securities Class Action Dismissals

  

  A review of recently dismissed securities class actions centering on artificial intelligence highlights courts' scrutiny of statements about AI's capabilities and independence, and sustained focus on issues that aren't AI-specific, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• 5 Evolving Marketing Risks That Finance Cos. Should Watch

  

  Financial services providers should beware several areas where consumer protection regulators are broadening their scrutiny of modern marketing practices, such as the use of influencer testimonials or advertisements touting artificial intelligence-powered products, so they can better adapt to changing expectations for compliance, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

• Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

  

  In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

• Despite Fraud Focus, SEC Still Targeting Technical Violations

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Chairman Paul Atkins has emphasized its back-to-basics strategy, focusing on identifying and combating fraud and manipulation, but at the same time, it has continued to pursue nonfraud-based actions targeting technical rule violations, a trend that will likely continue, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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  NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

  

  Of note in the third quarter of the year, New York state regulators moved forward on their agendas to limit abuse of electronic banking, including via a settlement with stablecoin issuer Paxos and a lawsuit against Zelle alleging insufficient security measures, says Chris Bonner at Barclay Damon.

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  Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

• $100K H-1B Fee May Disrupt Rural Healthcare Needs

  

  The Trump administration's newly imposed $100,000 supplemental fee on new H-1B petitions may disproportionately affect healthcare employers' ability to recruit international medical graduates, and the fee's national interest exceptions will not adequately solve ensuing problems for healthcare employers or medically underserved areas, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

  

  Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

• Kimmel 2nd Circ. Victory Holds Novel Copyright Lessons

  

  The Second Circuit's recent decision in Santos v. Kimmel, dismissing a copyright infringement claim against Kimmel for airing Cameo videos recorded by former U.S. Rep George Santos, examines the unusual situation of copyrighted works created at the request of the alleged infringer, say attorneys at Venable.

• Junior Attys Must Beware Of 5 Common Legal Brief Mistakes

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Junior law firm associates must be careful to avoid five common pitfalls when drafting legal briefs — from including every possible argument to not developing a theme — to build the reputation of a sought-after litigator, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

• Expect DOJ To Repeat 4 Themes From 2024's FCPA Trials

  

  As two upcoming Foreign Corrupt Practice Act trials approach, defense counsel should anticipate the U.S. Department of Justice to revive several of the same themes prosecutors leaned on in trials last year to motivate jurors to convict, and build counternarratives to neutralize these arguments, says James Koukios at MoFo.

• How The SEC Has Subtly Changed Its Injunction Approach

  

  For decades, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has relied on the obey-the-law injunction, but judicial deference to the SEC's desired language has fractured since 2012 — with the commission itself this year utilizing a more tailored approach to injunctions, albeit inconsistently, say attorneys at Hilgers Graben.

• Lessons As Joint Employer Suits Shift From Rare To Routine

  

  Joint employer allegations now appear so frequently that employers should treat them as part of the ordinary risk landscape, and several recent decisions demonstrate how fluid the liability doctrine has become, says Thomas O’Connell at Buchalter.