Expert Analysis

• Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

  

  Last quarter featured a novel class action theory about car rental reimbursement coverage, another win for insurers in total loss valuations, a potentially broad-reaching Idaho Supreme Court ruling about illusory underinsured motorist coverage, and homeowners blaming rising premiums on the fossil fuel industry, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

• Saks' Post-M&A Bankruptcy Illustrates Current Market Risks

  

  The recent Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy occurred on the heels of its merger with fellow luxury purveyor Neiman Marcus, showing that capital structure, not concept, dictates resilience when conditions turn, says Ben Thompson at Thompson.

• If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Tackling Privacy And 'Utility'

  

  Because bankruptcies of artificial intelligence vendors will require courts to decide in the moment how to handle bespoke deals for AI tools, customers that anticipate consumer privacy concerns in asset disposition and questions about utility and critical-vendor classifications can be better positioned before proceedings, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Series

  Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

• Trade Secret Steps To Take As Exposure Risk Increases

  

  Against the backdrop of rising trade secret litigation, greater employee mobility and constraints on noncompetes, recent cases highlight the importance of minimizing trade secret risks when employees leave or when new hires join, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• What NY's GHG Reporting Program Means For Oil, Gas Cos.

  

  New York's new Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program represents a significant compliance regime for the oil and gas industry, so any business touching the state's fuel market should determine its obligations, and be prepared to gather data, create a monitoring plan and institute controls for accurate reporting, say attorneys at White & Case.

• What Artists Can Learn From Latest AI Music Licensing Deals

  

  Recent partnerships between music labels and artificial intelligence companies raise a number of key questions for artists, rightsholders and other industry players about IP, revenue-sharing, and rights and obligations, say attorneys at Manatt.

• How States Are Advancing Enviro Justice Policies

  

  The federal pullback on environmental justice creates uncertainty and impedes cross‑jurisdictional coordination, but EJ diligence remains prudent risk management, with many states having developed and implemented statutes, screening tools, permitting standards and more, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• How Securities Class Action Deals Fare After Prelim Approval

  

  An analysis of Institutional Shareholder Services data from the last 10 years shows that preliminarily approved class action settlements are unlikely to be denied in the final-approval stage, while procedural delays are more common than withdrawal or termination, says Rahul Chhabra at Charles River Associates.

• What Applicants Can Expect From Calif. Crypto License Law

  

  With the July effective date for California's Digital Financial Assets Law fast approaching, now is a critical time for companies to prepare for licensure, application and coverage compliance ahead of this significant regulatory milestone that will reshape how digital asset businesses operate in California, say attorneys at MoFo.

• Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

  

  Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

• As Federal Enviro Justice Policy Goes Dormant, All Is Not Lost

  

  Environmental justice is enduring a federal dormancy brought on by executive branch reversals and agency directives over the past year that have swept long-standing federal frameworks from the formal policy ledger, but the legal underpinnings of EJ have not vanished and remain important, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

• Reviewing The Legal Landscape Of Social Media For Minors

  

  States have initiated a wave of legislation regulating minors' access to and use of social media platforms, so it will be critical for social media companies to closely track the patchwork of state laws and pending legal challenges so they are prepared to pivot if necessary, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Unpacking Dormant Commerce Clause Cannabis Circuit Split

  

  Federal courts have reached differing conclusions as to whether state-legal cannabis is subject to the dormant commerce clause, with four opinions across three circuit courts in the last year demonstrating the continued salience of the dormant commerce clause debate to the nation's cannabis industry, regulators and policymakers, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

• How To Trademark A Guy In 8 Ways: An IP Strategy Against AI

  

  Attempting a novel method of protection against artificial intelligence misuse of his voice and likeness, Matthew McConaughey's recent efforts to register eight trademarks for a series of audio and video clips of himself underscore the importance of extending existing legal frameworks beyond traditional applications, says Summer Todd at Patterson Intellectual Property.