Public Policy

  • February 12, 2026

    Trump Admin EV Funding Cuts Suits Merged In Wash. Court

    A Washington federal judge has consolidated two lawsuits seeking to stop the Trump administration from preventing nearly $2.5 billion in congressionally appropriated funds from going to electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs.

  • February 12, 2026

    HPE Has 'No Grounds' To Hide DOJ Deal Bidders, AGs Say

    Democratic attorneys general challenging the controversial Justice Department settlement permitting Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks have urged a California federal judge to let them see who's bidding for assets up for divestiture, arguing the would-be buyers are an integral part of the agreement's viability.

  • February 12, 2026

    Tesla Says Case Transfer Boosts Mandamus Bid In PTAB Fight

    A Texas federal judge's decision to send patent infringement litigation against Tesla Inc. to California strengthens the automaker's mandamus petition claiming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly turned away its challenges, Tesla told the Federal Circuit.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Judge Rips Into Insurer In CMS Rating Case

    A Louisiana insurer found a tough critic in one D.C. Circuit judge Thursday as it argued that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used an unfair method to assess its "star ratings" for insurance plans, with the jurist saying the company seemed like it "just wanted whatever interpretation will give you a higher score."

  • February 12, 2026

    Airbnb Escapes Most Of Conservative Investors' Suit

    A Delaware federal judge on Thursday trimmed claims from two institutional shareholders' suit alleging Airbnb wrongfully excluded their shareholder proposals from proxy materials, nixing claims against specific executives and claims about not-yet-released 2026 proxy materials.

  • February 12, 2026

    FTC's PBM Case Paused For More Deal Talks

    Federal Trade Commission staffers are discussing potential settlements with OptumRx and Caremark that could end the agency's case accusing the pharmacy benefit managers of inflating insulin prices, following a recent deal with Express Scripts.

  • February 12, 2026

    Fla. Court Tosses 'King Of Vape' Suit Against NY Post

    A Florida federal court dismissed a defamation complaint that a store owner operating as "The King of Vape" brought against the New York Post over an article referring to him as an "Israel hater" who aided Hamas and also sold illegal nicotine products, saying claims weren't sufficiently alleged.

  • February 12, 2026

    Hegseth Blocked From Reducing Sen. Kelly's Navy Rank

    Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., secured a court order on Thursday blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from reducing his U.S. Navy rank after he told members of the military they don't have to follow unlawful orders.

  • February 12, 2026

    GOP Lawmakers Probe CalPERS's 'Radical' ESG Investments

    The chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee and two other Republican lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to California's largest public pension fund, demanding information on whether it prioritized "radical left-wing causes" over protecting retirement savers.

  • February 12, 2026

    Mass. US Atty Calls ICE Criticism 'Hyperbole,' Praises Agents

    Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said Thursday that criticism of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by state and local officials and a lack of cooperation with federal agents is to blame for "chaos in the streets," as she forcefully defended the Trump administration's policies.

  • February 12, 2026

    Colo. City Faces Bias Suit For 'Sober Living' Housing Policy

    The city of Longmont, Colorado, discriminated against individuals recovering from substance abuse by requiring a private recovery housing provider to undergo a site plan approval process that others are not subjected to, the recovery residence provider alleged in federal court.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Is Asked To Vet New DOT Immigrant Truck Driver Rule

    Drivers and labor unions on Thursday petitioned the D.C. Circuit to review the U.S. Department of Transportation's new final rule tightening states' screening procedures and eligibility criteria for nondomiciled commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants.

  • February 12, 2026

    Calif. Insurance Chief Backs Smoke Standards Bill

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced his support Wednesday for a bill that would establish the nation's first public health and insurance claims standard for homes damaged by smoke contamination.

  • February 12, 2026

    NC Justices Asked To Decide Gov.'s Power To Appoint Judges

    North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is asking the state's top court to review a decision that let lawmakers curtail his ability to fill judicial vacancies in appellate courts, arguing the ruling defies precedent as well as the state Constitution and must be reversed.

  • February 12, 2026

    Ex-Pharma Exec Fights AGs' Quick Win Bid In Antitrust Case

    A former pharmaceutical marketing executive urged a Connecticut federal court to reject summary judgment sought against him by state attorneys general pursuing wider price-fixing litigation against most of the generic drug industry, arguing key cooperating witnesses' questionable credibility makes a trial necessary.

  • February 12, 2026

    Senate Recess To Trigger Partial DHS Shutdown This Weekend

    The Senate left town on Thursday ahead of their recess, virtually ensuring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will shut down at midnight on Friday.

  • February 12, 2026

    Attys Win $626K In Fees In Mich. City Retiree Benefits Suit

    A Michigan federal judge awarded $626,777.80 in attorney fees and costs to class counsel who secured expanded pension and healthcare benefits for retired Pontiac city employees, trimming $100,000 from the request for unsupported billing entries.

  • February 12, 2026

    USMCA Must Be Extended In Joint Review, Senators Told

    The U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement should be strengthened and extended given the benefits it has generated for businesses, the former chair of the House Ways and Means Committee told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday as President Donald Trump's actions cast doubt over the deal's future.

  • February 12, 2026

    Judge Halts Supermax Transfer For Death Row Prisoners

    A D.C. federal judge has barred the Trump administration from transferring a group of prisoners whose death sentences were commuted to life in prison to the federal system's most restrictive prison, finding they are likely to succeed on their claim that the redesignations violate due process.

  • February 12, 2026

    2nd Circ. Declines To Block TRO On Gateway Tunnel Project

    Federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel project must resume flowing — at least for now — after the Second Circuit declined on Thursday to pause a district court order requiring the Trump administration to lift its freeze on reimbursements to New York and New Jersey.

  • February 12, 2026

    Commerce Examining Mexican Strawberries For Antidumping

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Monday opened an investigation into whether winter strawberries imported from Mexico are being sold at less than fair value, coinciding with a U.S. International Trade Commission investigation into possible harms.

  • February 12, 2026

    Town Officials Off Hook For Railroad's Axed Superfund Deal

    A Massachusetts intermediate appellate panel affirmed that two Hopedale officials are immune from claims that they torpedoed a railroad's contract to ship uranium-contaminated soil through their town of 6,000, saying the officials "had every right" to ask questions.

  • February 12, 2026

    Inventors Push For Discovery On Patent Quality Program

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge should ignore the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's attempt to avoid reopening discovery into whether it covertly revived a now-defunct program for flagging "sensitive" patent applications for extra review, according to two inventors who have filed a proposed class action.

  • February 12, 2026

    Texas AG To Investigate Conduent, BCBS For Data Breach

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that he's investigating Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Conduent Business Services LLC over a sprawling data breach that left sensitive data for upward of four million Texans exposed.

  • February 12, 2026

    NYC Politician Lander Gets Trial Date Over ICE Scuffle

    A Manhattan federal judge set a May trial date Thursday for former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander to adjudicate a ticket he received for allegedly obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he monitored proceedings at a building where immigrants have been detained.

Expert Analysis

  • Elections Mean Time For Political Law Compliance Checkups

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    An active election year is the perfect time for in-house counsel to conduct a health check on their company's corporate political law compliance program to ensure it’s prepared to minimize risks related to electoral engagement, lobbying, pay-to-play laws and government ethics rules, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Next Steps For Fair Housing Enforcement As HUD Backs Out

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    A soon-to-be-finalized U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rule, which would hand responsibility for determining disparate impact liability under the Fair Housing Act to the courts, reinforces the Trump administration’s wider rollback of fair lending enforcement, yet there are reasons to expect litigation challenging this change, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    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

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    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.

  • What Clarity Act Delay Reveals About US Crypto Regulation

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    The Senate Banking Committee's decision to delay markup of the Clarity Act, which would establish a comprehensive federal framework for digital assets, illuminates the political and structural obstacles that shape U.S. crypto regulation, despite years of bipartisan calls for regulatory clarity, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Courts' Rare Quash Of DOJ Subpoenas Has Lessons For Cos.

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    In a rare move, three federal courts recently quashed or partially quashed expansive U.S. Department of Justice administrative subpoenas issued to providers of gender-affirming care, demonstrating that courts will scrutinize purpose, cabin statutory authority and acknowledge the profound privacy burdens of overbroad government demands for sensitive records, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 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.

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