Public Policy

  • July 18, 2025

    Wash. Judge Halts Clergy Abuse Mandatory Reporter Law

    A Washington federal judge on Friday blocked the state from enforcing a new state law that would make Roman Catholic priests mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse, saying the law likely infringes on their religious freedom rights by forcing them to disclose information shared in sacred confession.

  • July 18, 2025

    Stewart Issues Discretion Decisions For 56 More Petitions

    Acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart issued 25 more orders on requests for discretionary denial, deciding a total of 56 cases, while the results of earlier proceedings she let move forward have started to roll out.

  • July 18, 2025

    Oxford Shooting Victim's Estate Can Sue Cops, Court Finds

    A Michigan appellate panel reopened a lawsuit from the father of a student killed in the Oxford High School shooting alleging state police failed to act on tips about the threat of an attack, finding a provision designed to extend filing deadlines for estates applies to claims against the state.

  • July 18, 2025

    Ohio State, NCAA, Big Ten Beat Ex-QB's NIL Suit

    Ohio State University, the NCAA, The Big Ten Conference Inc. and a media rights licensing company have dodged an antitrust suit from former Buckeye star quarterback Terrelle Pryor alleging they monopolized profits on athletes' names, images and likenesses while denying them compensation.

  • July 18, 2025

    Hearing Set In Phoenix For Oak Flat Copper Mine Lawsuits

    An Arizona federal judge has set an August hearing date to consider injunction bids by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and environmental groups in their lawsuits seeking to block Resolution Copper Co.'s mining project on Oak Flat, an ancient tribal worship site.

  • July 18, 2025

    Judge Questions Basis For Planned Parenthood Funding Cuts

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday pressed the government for any plausible rationale, besides retaliation, for a provision in Congress' budget reconciliation that will prevent Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving Medicaid reimbursements if any one of them offers abortion services.

  • July 18, 2025

    EU Says Vivendi Controlled Lagardère During Deal Review

    European enforcers have accused French media conglomerate Vivendi of exercising control over Lagardère's editorial operations and personnel decisions before and during a review of its acquisition.

  • July 18, 2025

    T-Mobile Wants Wash. AG's Data Breach Claims Tossed

    T-Mobile is calling its promises to protect its subscribers' privacy "puffery" in a bid to get out of a Washington state lawsuit over a 2021 cyberattack, saying its commitments to "safeguards" and to "do the right thing" with users' data couldn't have misled consumers because they were completely unspecific.

  • July 18, 2025

    Mass. Advocates Pitch Doubling Real Estate Transfer Fee

    Massachusetts would double its real estate transfer fee to raise an estimated $300 million annually for affordable housing and climate mitigation efforts under legislation pitched to a state legislative panel by housing and environmental advocates.

  • July 18, 2025

    FTC Nixes Exxon-Pioneer, Chevron-Hess Board Ban Deals

    The Biden-era Federal Trade Commission settlements clearing Exxon's purchase of Pioneer and Chevron's acquisition of Hess are no more, after the now Republican-controlled agency said Thursday there was no need to condition acquisition approvals on banning the CEOs of Pioneer and Hess from the boards of the combined companies.

  • July 18, 2025

    Miami Official Loses Appeal To Toss $63.5M Judgment

    The Eleventh Circuit has dismissed Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo's appeal of the $63.5 million judgment against him for targeting a pair of business owners after they supported a political opponent, finding that he prematurely filed the appeal and then failed to amend it.

  • July 18, 2025

    Crypto Firms' OCC Charter Bids Draw Bank Industry Scrutiny

    Major banking industry groups are warning the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency that approving pending bank charter bids from crypto-linked firms like Ripple could "represent a fundamental departure" from long-standing policy, urging the agency to delay action until more information about their plans is made public.

  • July 18, 2025

    Texas Court Tosses Cities' Challenge To 'Death Star' Bill

    A state appeals court tossed three Texas cities' challenge to a bill nicknamed the "Death Star," writing that they hadn't properly shown they'd be injured by the bill's mandate that state law preempt local ordinances.

  • July 18, 2025

    Trump Flexes Air Law Power To Delay Compliance Deadlines

    President Donald Trump has postponed deadlines to comply with air pollution standards for companies in the coal power, chemical manufacturing, medical sterilization and iron ore industries, relying on special presidential power contained in the Clean Air Act.

  • July 18, 2025

    Tread Carefully On Truth-In-Billing Rules, FCC Told

    The Federal Communications Commission says its slamming and truth-in-billing rules are outdated and has targeted them for cuts, but consumer and civil rights groups are urging the agency to be cautious in order to "ensure these changes do not come at the expense of core consumer protections."

  • July 18, 2025

    7th Circ. OKs FBI Withholding Of Ex-Atty's Informant Records

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation did not violate the Freedom of Information Act by providing only some of the documents former lawyer Joel Brodsky requested related to his work as a confidential informant on corruption and murder investigations, the Seventh Circuit found on Friday, ruling that the FBI had properly justified its rationale.

  • July 18, 2025

    Cannabis And The Courts: A Midyear Litigation Review

    In the first half of 2025, lawsuits taking aim at state hemp restrictions, putative residency criteria in cannabis licensure programs and the federal policy that keeps users and convicted sellers of pot from lawfully owning guns were all briefed in multiple appellate courts across the country.

  • July 18, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs $9M Classification Ruling Against Staffing Co.

    A split Fourth Circuit panel will not scrap a $9 million judgment against a medical staffing company that the U.S. Department of Labor won in a suit alleging the company misclassified more than 1,000 nurses.

  • July 18, 2025

    Vt. Judge Says Columbia Student Can Travel, Speak Freely

    A Vermont federal judge removed restrictions on green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi's ability to travel freely within the U.S. while his immigration case is pending, saying the government's opposition to his planned participation in political events is no reason to constrain him.

  • July 18, 2025

    Cannabis Edibles Maker Accused Of Hiding Prop. 65 Warnings

    A California resident is suing a Los Angeles cannabis-infused edibles maker, claiming its peel-back product labels deliberately hide the state-required Proposition 65 warning at the time of purchase, in the second private enforcement action filed by the plaintiff this year.

  • July 18, 2025

    Commerce Adviser Joins MoFo National Security Group In DC

    A former U.S. Department of Commerce adviser who focused on semiconductor export controls has returned to private practice at Morrison Foerster LLP, the firm said Thursday.

  • July 18, 2025

    Meet The Attys In Pa. Radio Host's Fight For Open Primaries

    A Philadelphia-area lawyer turned national political commentator and media personality and has assembled a legal team including some of his colleagues at Kline & Specter PC and attorneys from Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP to represent him and three other plaintiffs in their bid to change Pennsylvania's closed primary system.

  • July 18, 2025

    Judge Unsure Of Alternatives To Nationwide Birthright Ruling

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday wrestled with how the government would implement any alternatives to a nationwide block on President Donald Trump's order limiting birthright citizenship and what type of decision would comply with recent high court precedent.

  • July 18, 2025

    Top 5 Energy Decisions Of 2025: A Midyear Report

    A game-changing U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could significantly narrow federal environmental reviews of energy projects punctuated a busy first half of 2025 for the industry in the courts. Here are several court decisions that stood out for energy attorneys in the first half of this year.

  • July 18, 2025

    Telecoms Urge FCC To Modernize Networks To Fight Robocalls

    A major telecom trade group is urging the Federal Communications Commission to allow for industry-driven solutions to the problem of robocalls, saying the agency's current proposal to mandate specific technical standards for caller ID authentication have vulnerabilities that criminals could exploit.

Expert Analysis

  • A Rapidly Evolving Landscape For Noncompetes In Healthcare

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    A wave of new state laws regulating noncompete agreements in the healthcare sector, varying in scope, approach and enforceability, are shaped by several factors unique to the industry and are likely to distort the market, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • New PTAB Denial Processes Grow More And More Confusing

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    Guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office about the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's new workload management and discretionary denial processes has been murky and inconsistent, and has been further muddled by the acting director's seemingly contradictory decisions, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Arguing The 8th Amendment For Reduction In FCA Penalties

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    While False Claims Act decisions lack consistency in how high the judgment-to-damages ratio in such cases can be before it becomes unconstitutional, defense counsel should cite the Eighth Amendment's excessive fines clause in pre-trial settlement negotiations, and to seek penalty decreases in post-judgment motions and on appeal, says Scott Grubman at Chilivis Grubman.

  • GENIUS Act Creates 'Commodity' Uncertainty For Stablecoins

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    Half a century ago, Congress made trading in onion futures on commodity exchanges unlawful, and payment stablecoins could soon face a similarly unstable fate in the markets as the GENIUS Act heads to the president's desk for signature, says Peter Malyshev at Cadwalader.

  • EU Space Act Could Stifle US Commercial Operators

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    The EU Space Act, proposed last month, has the potential to raise global standards for safety and sustainability in space, but the U.S. and EU need to harmonize their regulatory approaches to avoid imposing regulatory burdens that undermine commercial innovation and agility, say Jessica Noble and Adriane Mandakunis at Aegis Space Law.

  • Cos. Face Convergence Of Anti-Terrorism Act, FCPA Risks

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    Recent moves by the U.S. Department of Justice to classify cartels and transnational criminal organizations as terrorist groups, and to use a range of statutes including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to pursue these types of targets, mean that companies operating in certain jurisdictions are now subject to overlapping exposure, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Feds' Shift On Reputational Risk Raises Questions For Banks

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    While banking regulators' recent retreat from reputational risk narrows the scope of federal oversight in some respects, it also raises practical questions about consistency, reputational management and the evolving political landscape surrounding financial services, say attorneys at Smith Anderson.

  • Biotech Collaborations Can Ease Uncertainty Amid FDA Shift

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    As concerns persist that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's reduced headcount will impede developments at already-strapped biotech companies, licensing and partnership transactions can provide the necessary funding and pathways to advance innovative products, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Nuclear Stakeholders Must Prepare For Cyber Threats

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    As the White House signals its support for a revival of nuclear power to supply the power needs of data centers and the artificial intelligence industry, investors and operators must keep in mind that safeguarding nuclear infrastructure from evolving cyber threats will be essential, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Business Court Bill Furthers Texas' Pro-Corporate Strategy

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    The Texas Legislature's recent bill to enhance corporate protections and expand access to the Texas Business Court by refining its jurisdictional standards is just the latest step in the state's playbook for becoming the new center of corporate America, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Calif. Air Waivers Fight Fuels Automakers', States' Uncertainty

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    The unprecedented attempt by Congress and the Trump administration to kill the Clean Air Act waivers supporting California's vehicle emissions standards will eventually end up in the U.S. Supreme Court — but meanwhile, vehicle manufacturers, and states following California's standards, are left in limbo, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • FTC Staff Cuts Unlikely To Curb Antitrust Enforcement Agenda

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    While Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson's recent commitment to reducing agency staff may seem at odds with the Trump administration's commitment to antitrust enforcement, a closer analysis shows that such reductions have little chance of derailing the president's efforts, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Diversity, Equity, Indictment? Contractor Risks After Kousisis

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Kousisis v. U.S. decision, holding that economic loss is not required to sustain wire fraud charges related to fraudulent inducement, may extend criminal liability to government contractors that make false diversity, equity and inclusion certifications, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

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