Public Policy

  • April 28, 2026

    Illinois Panel Limits BIPA Exemption For Gov't Contractors

    The Biometric Information Privacy Act's government contractor exclusion is not a categorical exemption and applies only to violations that occur within the scope of a vendor's government-contracted work, an Illinois state appellate panel said Tuesday.

  • April 28, 2026

    Smoke Shop Blames Vape Co. For Raids And Frozen $5M

    Two Texas smoke shop owners claim they suffered police raids, arrests and nearly $5 million of their business funds being frozen, all because one of their vape suppliers, Delta Munchies LLC, sold them products containing illicit levels of THC despite marketing them as legal hemp, according to a lawsuit filed in Texas state court.

  • April 28, 2026

    Kalshi Hit With Refer-A-Friend Text Suit In Wash.

    Kalshi has become the latest company to be hit with a lawsuit in Washington federal court over refer-a-friend texts that recipients say violate the state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act by encouraging texts to be sent to people who never consented to receive them.

  • April 28, 2026

    Feds Say 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' Halts Ballroom

    Using language reminiscent of President Donald Trump's social media posts, the U.S. Department of Justice asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge to dissolve his order halting construction of the White House ballroom, saying the historical preservation nonprofit that won the injunction suffers from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

  • April 28, 2026

    Pipeline Violations Trouble 4th Circ. As Gas Co. Fights Stay

    A Fourth Circuit panel repeatedly pressed state enforcers and counsel for Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC during oral arguments Tuesday, questioning how language baked into water quality certifications would protect local streams and wetlands given the company's history of permit violations.

  • April 28, 2026

    Booz Allen Should Defeat Retaliation Suit, Judge Says

    A Georgia federal judge has recommended granting Booz Allen Hamilton's bid to toss a whistleblower suit from a Black former senior executive after finding that his suit failed to allege his bosses knew about his complaints of time fraud before he was fired two years ago.

  • April 28, 2026

    5th Circ. Judge 'Hung Up' On FDA Vape Denial Reasoning

    A Fifth Circuit judge on Tuesday pressed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on how it reviews applications from flavored vape manufacturers, asking why repeatedly denying applicants on similar grounds should not be treated as a rule requiring notice-and-comment.

  • April 28, 2026

    Deutsche Telekom Says $156M India Award Should Be OK'd

    Deutsche Telekom AG has asked a D.C. federal judge to enforce a nearly $156 million arbitral award it won against India in a dispute over a scrapped satellite lease and telecommunications deal, opposing the country's arguments in favor of vacatur.

  • April 28, 2026

    Judge Extends Ban On 'Vague' DOT, Other Grant Conditions

    A California federal judge on Tuesday reinforced an injunction barring the Trump administration from imposing "impermissibly vague" conditions requiring cities and counties to comply with immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion policies in order to receive federal transportation and other grants.

  • April 28, 2026

    FTC Must Face Ticketers' Challenge To Its BOTS Act Case

    A Maryland federal judge Tuesday refused to let the Federal Trade Commission end a constitutional challenge to one of its first online ticketing cases by rejecting the agency's attempts to invoke sovereign immunity.

  • April 28, 2026

    Trans Pilot Says Influencer's Defamation Countersuit Is Barred

    A former Army National Guard pilot and transgender woman is seeking to dismiss a defamation counterclaim by a conservative social media influencer who accused the pilot of causing the deadly collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people last year, according to a motion filed in Colorado federal court.

  • April 28, 2026

    Ex-Rep.'s Anti-Maduro Stance Was 'Facade,' Jury Hears

    Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera's public opposition to the regime of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was just a "facade" as he secretly worked on behalf of the government under a $50 million contract with a unit of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, federal prosecutors told jurors on Tuesday.

  • April 28, 2026

    EPA Creates A Legal Haze With Emissions Plan Rejections

    The Trump administration is advancing a novel constitutional argument in its efforts to keep fossil fuel-fired power plants open, which, if sustained in court, could pose new challenges for states trying to hold up their end of the Clean Air Act.

  • April 28, 2026

    CFTC Sues Wisconsin In Latest Prediction Market State Battle

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Tuesday added Wisconsin to the list of states it's taking to court to assert its "exclusive jurisdiction" over prediction markets after the state accused five platforms of offering illegal bets through their event contract offerings.

  • April 28, 2026

    FCC's Carr Orders ABC Station Probes Amid Kimmel Dispute

    The Federal Communications Commission's staff ordered an early license review of Disney-owned ABC stations Tuesday, a controversial move made just days after President Donald Trump demanded the network fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

  • April 28, 2026

    Calif. Billionaire Tax Backers Say They Have 1.6M Signatures

    Supporters of a referendum that calls for a 5% tax to be levied once on the wealth of California billionaires said they are closer to getting their measure on the November ballot as they are ready to turn in nearly twice the number of required signatures.

  • April 28, 2026

    Philly Courts, City Legal Depts. Pitch Council For Funding OK

    The president judge of Philadelphia's judiciary asked city council Tuesday for an increase in staff salaries for 800 nonunion employees to match those of unionized workers who recently secured a contract, urging council members to help the court system stave off wage compression.

  • April 28, 2026

    DOJ Says Sen. Kelly Not Immune From Military Discipline

    The Trump administration urged the D.C. Circuit to lift an injunction blocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from reducing Sen. Mark Kelly's U.S. Navy rank, arguing there's no reason retired officers should be exempt from military discipline. 

  • April 28, 2026

    DHS Rule Ties Unpaid Asylum Fees To Denials, Removal

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday rolled out new rules for immigration filing fees and consequences for failure to pay them that include automatic denial of pending asylum cases, loss of work permits and potential removal.

  • April 28, 2026

    2nd Circ. Splits With 5th, 8th On Migrant Bond Detention

    A unanimous Second Circuit panel on Tuesday rejected the Trump administration's argument that noncitizens who entered the U.S. unlawfully, regardless of their length of stay, aren't eligible for bond, diverging from the Fifth and Eighth circuits.

  • April 28, 2026

    Boston To Pay $850K In Settlement With 2020 Protesters

    Attorneys representing four protesters said Tuesday that the city of Boston has agreed to pay $850,000 to settle claims that police officers used excessive force on demonstrators protesting the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

  • April 28, 2026

    10th Circ. Says Colo. Suit Against Officer On Leave Fell Short

    A Colorado woman did not plausibly allege an Aurora policeman who attacked her had actual authority to use force or conduct arrests as a sworn officer on administrative leave, the Tenth Circuit held.

  • April 28, 2026

    Ex-Fauci Adviser Charged With Concealing COVID Records

    Federal prosecutors have charged a former adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci with deleting government emails and using his personal email account to dodge public records requests about the origins of the COVID-19 virus.

  • April 28, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs SC City's Win Over Short-Term Rentals Suit

    The Fourth Circuit backed a South Carolina city's summary judgment win over a local property owner's suit challenging the city's short-term rentals regulations, ruling that the owner lacks standing to sue.

  • April 28, 2026

    EU Flags Concerns Over Paper Joint Venture

    European enforcers launched an in-depth investigation Tuesday into a planned joint venture between paper manufacturers UPM and Sappi over concerns about the market for magazine paper and several other products.

Expert Analysis

  • 8 Reasons To Consider Maryland As A 'DExit' Option

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    While Nevada and Texas have garnered the most attention as alternative states of incorporation for companies considering leaving Delaware, Maryland offers considerable benefits too, including a predictable statutory framework, robust anti-takeover protections, sophisticated business courts with decades of experience, and more, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • PFAS OUT Cannot Replace Broad Drinking Water Protections

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's PFAS OUT initiative may help water systems deal with two specific per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances before federal compliance deadlines arrive, but it is no substitute for broader protections the EPA is withdrawing — and in PFAS litigation, that distinction could be important, says David Meldofsky at Lawsuit Informer.

  • Mapping Philly US Atty's White Collar Enforcement Push

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    Attorneys at Blank Rome discuss the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf’s commitments and priorities, survey early results from his first year, and suggest practical action items for companies operating under the office's jurisdiction.

  • Opinion

    Exxon's Retail Voting Program Is A Trap For Retail Investors

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved Exxon Mobil's first-of-its-kind proxy voting program last September, but ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting next month, it's clear that retail shareholders have delegated their voice to the entity their vote exists to check, says Christina Sautter at Southern Methodist University.

  • Opinion

    Proposed Pro Codes Act Raises Constitutional Concerns

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    If passed, the Pro Codes Act being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives would fundamentally alter how technical standards are treated under U.S. law, and potentially conflict with the Fifth Amendment's takings clause, says Paul Taylor at George Mason University.

  • What DOL Proposal Signals For 401(k)s, Alternative Assets

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    The U.S. Department of Labor recently published a highly anticipated proposed rule that could establish more defined pathways for 401(k) plan fiduciaries to consider investment options with greater alternative asset exposure, and help fund sponsors and investment managers develop such options, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Building A Persecution Case After Justices' Asylum Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Urias-Orellana v. Bondi raises the bar for overturning agency findings in federal court, changing how practitioners handling asylum and removal defense cases need to think about building a factual record and formulating arguments on appeal, say attorneys at Lai & Turner and Farzaneh Law.

  • Opinion

    New Legislation May Be Necessary To Fix Flawed Cox Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in Cox v. Sony erroneously limited the doctrine of contributory copyright infringement and effectively eliminated such liability for internet service providers, and the most viable option to remedy the damage is to codify the pre-Cox common law of contributory copyright infringement, says Michael Cicero at Mavacy.

  • SEC's Enforcement Slowdown May Raise Oversight Questions

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    After six months of enforcement activity, it's clear that fiscal year 2026 will see an unprecedented decline in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement activity relative to past years, but whether the SEC will be viewed as sufficiently policing the securities markets at the end of the fiscal year is more uncertain, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How Food, Beverage Claims May Preview Cosmetic Litigation

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    Class action litigation targeting cosmetics and personal care products is accelerating, with a playbook that comes from the food and beverage industry — and the defenses that succeeded, and failed, in past class actions offer a critical road map for beauty and personal care brands, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • Steps To Consider As DOJ Launches Fraud Division

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    The establishment this month of the National Fraud Enforcement Division within the U.S. Department of Justice is a significant reorganization that suggests an increase in enforcement activity involving federally funded programs but leaves a number of important questions unanswered, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Court's HRSA Policy Reversal Leaves 340B Rules Murky

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    A D.C. federal court's recent decision in Premier v. U.S. Department of Health limits the Health Resources and Services Administration's ability to enforce long-standing Section 340B interpretations through subregulatory guidance, leaving open core statutory questions about purchasing models, inventory classification and program oversight, says Martha Cramer at Hooper Lundy.

  • What Cos. Must Know As Energy Star Shifts To DOE Oversight

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    Congress saved the Energy Star program last year despite the Trump administration's attempt to defund it — but as its management shifts from one federal agency to another, industry participants need to track what's changing to stay abreast of compliance obligations, say attorneys at HWG.

  • What To Expect From The SEC's New SOX Group

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    In a potential shift away from Public Company Accounting Oversight Board enforcement, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's formation of a new group to investigate and litigate potential violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act brings both risks and benefits for auditors, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • New DEI Clauses Will Reshape FCA Exposure For Contractors

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    As federal agencies mandate new procurement language aimed at curbing contractors' DEI practices and embedding False Claims Act materiality concepts into antidiscrimination obligations, contractors should account for both compliance and litigation risks before signing, and understand the legal constraints that govern FCA materiality, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

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