Public Policy

  • August 26, 2025

    HPE's Trump-Tied Lobbyists Cast 'Pall' Over Merger Review

    The firing of two senior officials in the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division who complained after being forced to accept a merger clearance settlement has caused many practitioners to question whether the traditional separation between competition enforcement and other White House priorities is a thing of the past.

  • August 26, 2025

    Brewer Can't Challenge Home Distilling Ban, US Tells 6th Circ.

    A brewery owner who wants to make his own whiskey can't bring a suit challenging the tax code's prohibition on home distilleries because he hasn't shown that he's likely to start making spirits or that the government would come knocking if he does, the U.S. Treasury Department told the Sixth Circuit.

  • August 26, 2025

    FERC Urged To Ignore Ill. Grid Project Policy Fight

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been told that it shouldn't second-guess Illinois lawmakers and courts to declare that incumbent utilities in the state have a right of first refusal to build new, regionally planned transmission projects.

  • August 26, 2025

    CFTC's Last Dem Member Departing Agency

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's sole remaining Democrat, Kristin Johnson, announced Tuesday that she will be departing the agency next week, leaving it in the hands of acting Chair Caroline Pham.

  • August 26, 2025

    Judge Axes Habeas Suit, Tells DOJ To Use 'Proper' Forum

    A Virginia federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging a standing order from Maryland federal judges temporarily pausing the removal of noncitizen detainees who have filed habeas petitions, telling the U.S. Department of Justice that if it wants to challenge the court policy, it must follow the "proper" channels.

  • August 26, 2025

    Texas AG To Probe Heavy Metals In Baby Foods

    The Texas attorney general on Tuesday announced an investigation into leading baby food makers that may have deceptively advertised and sold products containing dangerously high levels of heavy metals, such as arsenic.

  • August 26, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says Tossing Undated Mail Votes Is Unconstitutional

    The Third Circuit ruled Tuesday that Pennsylvania discarding mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates violates voters' constitutional rights, reasoning that preventing the loss of votes outweighed any claimed benefits of enforcing the state's date requirement.

  • August 26, 2025

    Tax Credit Dispute Sparks $1.3M Lawsuit Against Jersey City

    A prominent Garden State developer filed a lawsuit against New Jersey's second-largest city, claiming the city improperly reversed its position on a longstanding tax agreement — demanding nearly $1.3 million in back payments that the developer says it does not owe.

  • August 26, 2025

    Calif. Senate OKs New Tax Default Property Sales Rules

    California county boards of supervisors would be required to take new steps before approving the sale of a tax-defaulted property under a bill passed by the state Senate. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Wash. Cities Settle Yacht Club's Clean Water Act Suit

    Two Washington cities have tentatively settled a yacht club's federal lawsuit claiming the municipalities muddied the waters of its marina by failing to maintain critical stormwater infrastructure and allowing the discharge of silt-laden runoff.

  • August 26, 2025

    Fed's Lisa Cook Preps Lawsuit Over Trump Firing

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook is preparing to file a lawsuit over President Donald Trump's announcement that she has been terminated from her position, allegedly for committing mortgage fraud, her lawyer said Tuesday.

  • August 26, 2025

    TikTok Takes State's Addictive App Case To NC Top Court

    TikTok and its Chinese parent company are taking the state of North Carolina's lawsuit accusing it of intentionally designing the app to addict young users to the state's highest court after a Business Court judge rejected their early exit bid.

  • August 26, 2025

    EU Defends Digital Taxes Following Trump's Tariff Threat

    The European Commission said Tuesday that it stands by European Union member states keeping digital taxes in place despite President Donald Trump's renewed threats to impose tariffs on countries with measures hitting the U.S. tech giants.

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Admin Agrees To Release Frozen Education Funds

    The Trump administration has agreed to release to a coalition of states the full balance of some $6.8 billion in congressionally appropriated educational program funding, the parties told a Rhode Island federal judge Monday, a little more than a month after the states challenged the funding freeze.

  • August 25, 2025

    Fla. ICE Official Warns Detention Center Closure Risks Safety

    The field office director for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Miami urged a Florida federal court to keep a temporary detention center in the Everglades in operation, saying in a motion to pause an injunction that closing the facility will endanger the community. 

  • August 25, 2025

    Fed. Court Can't Halt FDIC Enforcement Order, 5th Circ. Says

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. can move forward with in-house enforcement proceedings against a former bank CEO, the Fifth Circuit ruled Monday, finding that a Texas district court did not have jurisdiction to block the agency from issuing a final decision over the bank executive's constitutional claims.

  • August 25, 2025

    NC Justices Serve State 2 Blows In Bars' COVID Closure Suits

    The North Carolina Supreme Court served bars dual victories in lawsuits against the state Friday, finding that the businesses had colorable claims under the state's constitution that COVID-19 closures violated their fundamental rights, thus permitting the cases to unfold in state trial court.

  • August 25, 2025

    DOJ Antitrust Whistleblowers May Find Ally At The Post Office

    The U.S. Department of Justice's new whistleblower program brings the Antitrust Division in line with other programs across the DOJ and at other agencies, although it may have a particularly broad scope thanks to a unique partnership with the U.S. Postal Service.

  • August 25, 2025

    Washington Judge OKs Tenant Class Challenging Lease Terms

    A Washington federal judge certified a class of Washington tenants accusing a landlord for more than 700 U.S. residential properties of having lease provisions, such as service fees, that violate state law.

  • August 25, 2025

    Healthcare Co. Investors Sue Over Contractor's Alleged Fraud

    Healthcare facility management company Nutex Health Inc. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging it concealed that its third-party vendor HaloMD was engaged in a scheme to defraud insurance companies, and that the alleged fraud would impact Nutex's balance sheet and subsequently its share price.

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Plans To Withdraw Federal Funding Over Cashless Bail

    President Donald Trump said Monday that he would suspend or terminate federal funds provided to any jurisdictions that have adopted cashless bail policies, calling the reforms a "failed experiment" that allow repeat criminals to "mock our justice system."

  • August 25, 2025

    Unions Urge 9th Circ. To Uphold Order Halting Bargaining EO

    The American Federation of Government Employees and other unions defended a lower court injunction halting several federal agencies from enforcing an executive order focused on eliminating labor contracts covering agencies that have "national security" aims, arguing the president's directive was retaliatory.

  • August 25, 2025

    Shipbuilder Fights Subpoena In Baltimore Bridge Collapse

    A South Korean shipbuilding giant said it has no ties to Pennsylvania and shouldn't be forced to appear for depositions in connection with a case brought by the Singaporean owner and manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and triggered its collapse last year.

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Fires Fed's Lisa Cook Over Mortgage Fraud Allegation

    President Donald Trump on Monday evening fired Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook over his administration's allegation that she committed mortgage fraud, thrusting the White House into uncharted territory in its campaign to exert control over the central bank. 

  • August 25, 2025

    Trump Expands Use Of National Guard Post-DC Deployment

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday directing federal officials to create new "specialized" units to enforce federal laws in D.C. and other cities nationwide, including a "quick reaction force" within the D.C. National Guard, as well as hire more prosecutors and take other measures, following his recent deployment of the National Guard in the district.

Expert Analysis

  • How States Are Regulating Health Insurers' AI Usage

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    The absence of a federal artificial intelligence framework positions states as key regulators of health insurers’ AI use, making it important for payors and service providers to understand the range of state AI legislation being passed in California and elsewhere, and consider implementing an AI-focused compliance infrastructure, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • How To Navigate NYC's Stricter New Prenatal Leave Rules

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    On top of the state's prenatal leave law, New York City employers now face additional rules, including notice and recordkeeping requirements, and necessary separation from sick leave, so employers should review their policies and train staff to ensure compliance with both laws, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • HHS Plan To Cut Immigrant Benefits Spurs Provider Questions

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    A recent notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifying new federal public benefit programs for which nonqualified aliens are not eligible may have a major impact on entities that participate in these programs — but many questions remain unanswered, say attorneys at Foley.

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

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    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Strategies For ICE Agent Misconduct Suits In The 11th Circ.

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    Attorneys have numerous pathways to pursue misconduct claims against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Eleventh Circuit, and they need not wait for the court to correct its misinterpretation of a Federal Tort Claims Act exception, says Lauren Bonds at the National Police Accountability Project.

  • Opinion

    SEC Should Restore Its 2020 Proxy Adviser Rule

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    Due to concerns over proxy advisers' accuracy, reliability and transparency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should reinstate its 2020 rule designed to suppress the influence that they wield in shareholder voting, says Kyle Isakower at the American Council for Capital Formation.

  • DOJ Consumer Branch's End Leaves FDA Litigation Questions

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    With the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch set to occur by Sept. 30, companies must carefully monitor how responsibility is reallocated for civil and criminal enforcement cases related to products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Surveying The Changing Overdraft Fee Landscape

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    Despite recent federal moves that undermine consumer overdraft fee protections, last year’s increase in fee charges suggests banks will face continued scrutiny via litigation and state regulation, says Amanda Kurzendoerfer at Bates White.

  • Handling Sanctions Risk Cartel Control Brings To Mexico Port

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    Companies operating in or trading with Mexico should take steps to mitigate heightened exposure triggered by routine port transactions following the U.S. Treasury’s recent unequivocal statement that a foreign terrorist organization controls the port of Manzanillo, says Jeremy Paner at Hughes Hubbard.

  • The Road Ahead For Digital Assets Looks Promising

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    With new legislation expected to accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology, and with regulators taking a markedly more permissive approach to digital assets, the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized finance is closer than ever, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Asbestos Trusts And Tort Litigation Are Still Not Aligned

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    A recent ruling by a New York state court in James Petro v. Aerco International highlights the inefficiencies that still exist in asbestos litigation — especially regarding the continued lack of coordination between the asbestos tort system and the well-funded asbestos trust compensation system, says Peter Kelso at Roux.

  • Opinion

    Closing The Chemical Safety Board Is A Mistake

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    The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which investigates the root causes of major chemical incidents, provides an essential component of worker and community safety and should not be defunded, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

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    A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

  • New NY Residential Real Estate Rules May Be Overbroad

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    New legislation imposing a 90-day-waiting period and tax deduction restrictions on certain New York real estate investors may have broad effects and unintended consequences, creating impediments for a wide range of corporate and other transactions, says Libin Zhang at Fried Frank.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

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    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

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