Public Policy

  • February 09, 2026

    EEOC, Law Students End Legal Battle Over Firm DEI Letters

    A proposed class action brought by law students last year challenging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's requests for diversity data from 20 law firms ended Monday with the government agreeing compliance "was not mandatory, and that most law firms did not provide any of the requested information."

  • February 09, 2026

    Mass. Police Academy Staff Charged In Recruit's Death

    Four Massachusetts State Police training academy employees were charged Monday in connection with the death of a police recruit, following an independent investigation by a Todd & Weld LLP partner.

  • February 09, 2026

    Feds Get Gateway Tunnel Funding Freeze During Appeal

    A Manhattan federal judge on Monday froze her Friday order requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to resume paying for the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel while the agency seeks emergency relief from the Second Circuit.

  • February 09, 2026

    Ex-NC City Council Member Enters Plea Deal For COVID Fraud

    A former Charlotte, North Carolina, councilwoman pled guilty Monday in federal court to one count of wire fraud conspiracy as part of an alleged scheme with her daughters to file sham small-business loan applications for COVID-19 relief funds during the pandemic.

  • February 09, 2026

    Mass. Justices Urged To Keep Rent Control Initiative Off Ballot

    Opponents of a proposed Massachusetts ballot measure to limit rent increases asked the state's top court to defeat the initiative before it reaches voters.

  • February 09, 2026

    US Backs Bid To Halt Line 5 Shutdown On Wis. Tribal Lands

    The government is backing a bid by Enbridge Energy Inc. to stay an order requiring the partial removal of its Line 5 pipeline that runs through Wisconsin tribal lands, saying that while it has an interest in protecting federal trust lands, the case implicates significant interests in foreign affairs.

  • February 09, 2026

    Neb. Lawmakers OK Rule Changes For Property Tax Hearings

    Nebraska would change who is required to attend public hearings on proposed property tax increases under a bill unanimously approved by state lawmakers and presented to the governor.

  • February 06, 2026

    5th Circ. Backs Trump Admin On Immigrants' Bond Ineligibility

    A split Fifth Circuit on Friday blessed the Trump administration's policy calling for immigrants who entered the U.S. without authorization to remain in detention without a bond hearing, saying the administration is acting within its "full enforcement authority."

  • February 06, 2026

    Citing Feds' 'Lies,' Judge Orders 3 Families Returned To U.S.

    The Trump administration must return three immigrant families wrongly deported in violation of a family separation settlement agreement, a California federal judge said Thursday, stating the removals were unlawful and "involved lies, deception, and coercion."

  • February 06, 2026

    SEC Seeks To Enforce $27M Order In NFL, NBA Player Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge to order a broker-dealer and its sole director to comply with a 2015 commission order requiring them to pay over $27 million in disgorgement and other fines that stemmed from allegations that they ran a Ponzi scheme that swindled NFL and NBA clients out of $12 million.

  • February 06, 2026

    Paycheck Advances Aren't Loans, Fintech Orgs Tell 9th Circ.

    Fintech trade groups on Friday urged the Ninth Circuit to rein in class litigation over earned wage access products, arguing it should recognize the products as distinct from credit under federal lending laws or risk upending a popular, safer alternative to traditional loans.

  • February 06, 2026

    Trump Admin, States Reach Agreement In School DEI Fight

    The Trump administration has agreed not to condition federal education funding for state and legal education agencies on what a coalition of nearly 20 states alleged was an incorrect interpretation of law in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a Friday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Squires Rules Inconsistent Claim Constructions Doom 3 IPRs

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has undone three decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board instituting inter partes reviews, finding that the patent challengers made conflicting claim construction arguments in the reviews and in court.

  • February 06, 2026

    News-Rating Biz Escalates Fight Against 'Retaliatory' FTC Deal

    News-rating organization NewsGuard took aim Friday at a Federal Trade Commission settlement barring merging ad-buying giants from doing business with it, challenging that deal and an FTC subpoena in a D.C. federal court lawsuit alleging that both are "part of a broader retaliatory campaign" against NewsGuard and other sites.

  • February 06, 2026

    'Very Bizarre': Trump's Funding Freeze Appeal Vexes DC Circ.

    D.C. Circuit judges struggled Friday with whether to unblock a federal funding freeze carrying multitrillion-dollar implications, as a Trump administration lawyer disclaimed interest in a vast spending halt but also dodged opportunities to rule it out unequivocally.

  • February 06, 2026

    11th Circ. OKs Immunity Denial In Fla. Excessive Force Case

    The Eleventh Circuit ruled Friday that two Florida police officers named in a civil lawsuit should not be granted qualified immunity for their conduct during a Baker Act arrest of a person they knew to be mentally unwell.

  • February 06, 2026

    Lenovo Accused Of Illegaly Sharing Data With Chinese Parent

    Lenovo Group's U.S. subsidiary illegally shares American consumers' data with its Chinese parent company in violation of a U.S. Department of Justice regulation restricting bulk transfers of sensitive information to foreign adversaries, according to a proposed class action filed Thursday in California federal court.

  • February 06, 2026

    STB Pledges 'Rigorous Review' Of UP, Norfolk Southern Deal

    The Surface Transportation Board has reassured lawmakers that it will "conduct a rigorous and comprehensive review" of Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, as the board weighs a flurry of comments from industry stakeholders on the deal's sweeping implications for the U.S. economy.

  • February 06, 2026

    Ex-Fla. Rep., Lobbyist Want Maduro To Testify At Trial

    A former Florida congressman and a lobbyist who allegedly secretly represented Venezuela in the U.S. said their upcoming trial should include the testimony of the country's former president, Nicolás Maduro.

  • February 06, 2026

    DC Circ. Wary Of Drone Maker's Chinese Gov't Ties

    The D.C. Circuit appeared skeptical of a drone manufacturer's claim that a 2021 recognition from the Chinese government no longer carries weight, while acknowledging that much of the U.S. government's evidence for labeling the company as a "Chinese military company" remains classified.

  • February 06, 2026

    India, US Outline Commitments Toward Trade Deal

    India has agreed to remove tariffs on U.S. industrial exports and several agricultural products, including soybean oil, tree nuts and fruit, in exchange for further U.S. tariff relief, according to a joint statement issued Friday afternoon by the White House.

  • February 06, 2026

    Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    Groups lobbying the Federal Communications Commission started the year off with concerns ranging from environmental reviews for broadband projects to submarine cable licensing headaches, controversy over EchoStar's spectrum deals with AT&T and SpaceX, and more.

  • February 06, 2026

    NY Judge Allows Funding For $16B Tunnel To Continue

    A Manhattan federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from halting funding for a tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, after the states called the move an unlawful attempt to "punish political rivals" over immigration policy disagreements.

  • February 06, 2026

    CFTC Updates Crypto Collateral Letter For Bank Stablecoins

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday tweaked an earlier no-action letter on the use of tokenized collateral to clarify that stablecoins issued by national trust banks are among the list of approved digital assets.

  • February 06, 2026

    Tampa Bay Rays Unveil New MLB Stadium Renderings

    Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays revealed new renderings for its proposed 31,000-seat stadium and mixed-use district project that's planned to be located at the Florida city's Hillsborough College, the team has announced.

Expert Analysis

  • The Little Tucker Act's Big Class Action Moment

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    The Little Tucker Act, which allows claims against the government for illegally exacted fees, is transforming from a niche procedural mechanism into a powerful vehicle for class action litigation, with more than $500 billion in such fees — including President Donald Trump's tariffs — now ripe for challenge, says Dinis Cheian at Susman Godfrey.

  • Venezuela Legal Shifts May Create Investment Opportunities

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    Since the removal of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has shown signs of economic liberalization, particularly in the oil and mining sectors, presenting unique — but still high-risk — investment opportunities for U.S. companies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Unpacking Dormant Commerce Clause Cannabis Circuit Split

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    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.

  • Remote Patient Monitoring Is At Regulatory Inflection Point

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    With remote patient monitoring at the center of new federal pilot programs and a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General examining Medicare billing for those services, it is clear that balancing innovation and risk will be a central challenge ahead for digital health stakeholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Latest Nasdaq Proposals Stand To Raise Listings Quality

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    Nasdaq's recent proposals stand to heighten both quantitative and qualitative standards for issuers, which, if approved, may bring investors stronger market integrity and access but also raise the listings bar, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    CFIUS Must Adapt To Current Foreign Investment Realities

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    To continue protecting the U.S.’ long-term strategic and economic interests, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should implement practical enhancements that leverage technology, expertise and clear communication, and enable it to keep pace with evolving demands, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • When Bankruptcy Collides With Product Recalls

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    The recent bankruptcy filing by Rad Power Bikes on the heels of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warning about dangerously defective batteries sold by the company highlights how CPSC enforcement clashes with bankruptcy protections, leaving both regulators and consumer litigants with limited options, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.

  • Protecting Sensitive Data During Congressional Inquiries

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    With the 2026 midterm elections potentially set to shift control of one or both houses of Congress, entities must proactively plan for the prospect of new congressional investigations, and adopt strategic, effective and practical measures to mitigate risks related to disclosure of sensitive information, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Where PCAOB Goes Next After A Year Of Uncertainty

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    The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board will likely bring fewer enforcement matters in 2026, reflecting a notable change in board priorities following the change in administrations, say Robert Cox and Nicole Byrd at Whiteford Taylor and Matthew Rogers at Bridgehaven Consulting.

  • As Federal Water Regs Recede, Calif.'s Permitting Tide Rises

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reduced federal protections for many wetlands and surface water features, but as California's main water regulator has made clear, many projects are now covered by state rules instead, which have their own complex compliance requirements, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

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

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    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.

  • Ambiguity Remains On Anti-DEI Grant Conditions

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    Although a recent decision in City of Chicago and City of Saint Paul v. U.S. Department of Justice temporarily halts enforcement of anti-DEI conditions in federal grant applications, and echoes recent decisions in similar cases, companies remain at risk until the term “illegal DEI” is clarified, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Utah's AI Prescription Renewal Pilot Could Inform Policy

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    Utah recently became the first state to approve an artificial intelligence system for autonomously renewing certain prescription medicines, providing a test case for how regulators may be able to draw boundaries between administrative automation and medical judgment, say Jashaswi Ghosh at Holon Law Partners and Bryant Godfrey at Foley Hoag.

  • Radiation Standard Shift Might Add Complications For Cos.

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    In keeping with the Trump administration's focus on nuclear energy, the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that it will eliminate the "as low as reasonably achievable" radiation protection standard for agency practices and regulations — but it is far from clear that this change will benefit the nuclear power industry, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

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