Public Policy

  • February 09, 2026

    Renewable Fuel Co. Owner Cops To $6M Tax Credit Scheme

    The owner of a renewable fuel company copped to a scheme that sought more than $6 million in fraudulent tax credits related to how much biodiesel the company claimed to produce, according to Florida federal court documents.

  • February 09, 2026

    Videographer Fights 4th Circ.'s Choice To Shipwreck IP Suit

    A videographer and his production company urged the full Fourth Circuit to let him revive his copyright infringement lawsuit over footage of Blackbeard's shipwreck, arguing Monday that a panel's recent opinion to end the case laid new and overly broad pathways for pendent jurisdiction. 

  • February 09, 2026

    North Dakota, DOJ Near Settlement In Dakota Access Appeal

    The United States and North Dakota have reached a settlement in a $28 million dispute over protesters' efforts to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in which the state alleged that the Army Corps and federal officials failed to manage the massive crowds.

  • February 09, 2026

    Pullman & Comley Says Lender Can't Sue Over $16.2M Deal

    Pullman & Comley LLC on Monday said a Connecticut judge lacks jurisdiction to hear legal malpractice and related claims from a lender that loaned $16.2 million to the corporate arm of a municipal housing authority, arguing the housing entity, not the lender, was its only client.

  • February 09, 2026

    Ill. Legislation Targets Outside Investments In Legal Sector

    Two bills introduced in the Illinois state Legislature seek to place restrictions on the use of private equity-backed managed service organizations in the legal industry and on any fee-sharing between Illinois lawyers and firms owned by nonlawyers in states like Arizona.

  • February 09, 2026

    States Seek Quick Win On $100K H-1B Fee 'Power-Grab'

    A group of 20 states asked a Massachusetts federal judge for a win in their challenge to the Trump administration's policy imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa petitions, arguing the measure unlawfully rewrites Congress' carefully calibrated immigration scheme and exceeds executive authority.

  • February 09, 2026

    Luxury Terminal Developer Protests Dulles Contract Decisions

    A California company aiming to develop a private luxury terminal for Washington Dulles International Airport asked a D.C. federal judge to block the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority from moving ahead with a "thinly veiled" attempt to steer the deal to another company.

  • February 09, 2026

    Guam Can't Appeal Military Leave Suit Loss At 9th Circ.

    A retirement fund for Guam government employees did not meet the standard for an immediate appeal of a ruling that its leave-sharing program violates federal military service protections, a federal judge ruled Monday, denying the territory's and fund's Ninth Circuit bid.

  • February 09, 2026

    Long Island Towns Challenge State Over Cannabis Preemption

    A trio of Long Island towns are pushing back against New York regulators' assertion that the state's cannabis law preempts localities from enforcing certain local policies governing where marijuana stores can be located.

  • February 09, 2026

    'Baby Shark' Ruling Doesn't Stop Google Anti-Phishing Fight

    A Manhattan federal judge granted injunctive relief Monday to Google in its effort to combat an alleged China-based phishing enterprise, holding that faraway defendants were properly served electronically despite an appellate ruling mandating mail service in a "Baby Shark" infringement case.

  • 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, as 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

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    2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • 2025 Legal Milestones That Will Shape Psychedelics Sector

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    As 2025 draws to a close, psychedelic drug development stands at an inflection point, experiencing unprecedented momentum through recent sweeping regulatory changes and landmark clinical milestones, amid rapidly evolving regulatory expectations, say Odette Hauke at Odette Alina LLC and Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell.

  • M&A Midmarket Shows Resilience Amid 2025 Challenges

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    Midmarket mergers and acquisitions showed a slight decline in volume but climbed in value for much of 2025, particularly in the private equity space, indicating that the middle market M&A environment is cautious but steady heading into 2026, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

  • Del. Dispatch: Key 2025 Corporate Cases And Trends To Know

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    The Delaware corporate legal landscape saw notable changes in 2025, spurred by amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, ubiquitous artificial intelligence fervor, boardroom discussion around DExit, record shareholder activism activity and an arguably more expansive view of potential Caremark liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • 2025 Brought A New Paradigm For Federal Banking Regulation

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    A series of thematic shifts defined banking regulation in 2025, including a fundamental reform of prudential supervision, a strategic easing of capital constraints, steps to streamline merger reviews, and a new framework for fair access and entrants seeking to offer banking services, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • What 2025 Transpo And Logistics Legal Trends Mean For 2026

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    2025 was challenging for the transportation and logistics sector, with emergent trends including dramatic federal policy shifts, developments in tort risk, and a host of mergers and acquisitions — but a review of these themes offers a useful playbook for where the industry is headed in 2026, says Jonathan Todd at Benesch.

  • How Cos. Can Roll With NY's New Algorithmic Pricing Rules

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    Despite uncertainty from New York’s new ban on artificial intelligence and computer algorithms for setting rents, and efforts to further restrict individualizing prices based on consumers' personal data, property managers, software providers and merchants can take several steps to stay compliant, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Crypto In 2025: From Federal Deregulation To State Action

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    The cryptocurrency enforcement landscape evolved in 2025, marked by federal deregulatory trends and active state attorney general enforcement, creating both opportunity and risk for businesses navigating the digital asset market, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • How CFTC Enforcement Shifted In 2025 And What's Next

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pivoted sharply under acting Chairman Caroline Pham in 2025, resulting in a pared-back enforcement docket, sweeping policy changes intended to provide greater transparency, and a renewed focus on fraud prevention and maintaining market integrity for the CFTC's core markets, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Learning From 2025 FCA Trends Targeting PE In Healthcare

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    False Claims Act enforcement trends and legislative developments from this year signal intensifying state and federal scrutiny of private equity's growing footprint in healthcare, and the urgency of compliance, says Lisa Re at Arnold & Porter.

  • Reviewing 2025's State And Federal AI Regulations

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    In light of increasing state and federal action to oversee the use of artificial intelligence, companies that develop or deploy the technology should keep abreast of current and forthcoming AI laws and consider their applicability to their business activities, says Jessica Brigman at Spencer Fane.

  • Software Patents May Face New Eligibility Scrutiny

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    November guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, along with recent litigation trends from the Federal Circuit, may encourage new challenges in the USPTO and district courts to artificial intelligence and software patents that rely on generic computing functions without concrete details, say attorneys at Venable.

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