Public Policy

  • July 11, 2025

    PepsiCo Challenges $2.1M Tax Penalty In Ill. Supreme Court

    Illinois' justices should overturn lower court decisions allowing $2.1 million in penalties on PepsiCo for categorizing Frito-Lay expatriates' compensation as foreign payroll, a categorization that excluded Frito-Lay's profits from PepsiCo's state income tax calculations, the food and beverage giant said in a petition.

  • July 11, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs NY Liability Law Targeting Gunmakers

    The Second Circuit has upheld a New York public nuisance statute that opens up firearm manufacturers to civil lawsuits for acts of violence involving their guns.

  • July 11, 2025

    FCC Approves T-Mobile's $4.4B UScellular Deal

    Federal Communications Commission staff late Friday approved the license transfers needed for T-Mobile to complete its $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular wireless operations.

  • July 11, 2025

    Florida Insurer Sued For Alleged Bias In Arbitration Process

    A 92-year-old Miami resident has brought a petition against one of Florida's largest property insurers over redirecting disputes away from courts and into state arbitration hearings, described as forums with biased administrative law judges who shield the company from legal liability. 

  • July 11, 2025

    FCC Cuts 'Utility-Style' Internet Regs After Net Neutrality's Fall

    The Federal Communications Commission on Friday slashed 41 "utility-style" regulations on broadband service and network interconnection, following a Sixth Circuit ruling in January that sank Biden-era net neutrality rules.

  • July 11, 2025

    Dow, Others Can't Duck NY Water District's Contamination Suit

    Dow and two other companies must face a New York state water district's claims that they contaminated drinking water supply wells with a highly toxic chemical, a federal judge has said.

  • July 11, 2025

    Mo. Halts Paid Sick Leave, Cost-Of-Living Wage Increases

    Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed a bill repealing paid sick leave benefits and yearly cost-of-living wage increases that were approved by state voters in a ballot initiative.

  • July 11, 2025

    Feds Urge 1st Circ. To Toss Third Country Injunction

    The Trump administration urged the First Circuit to throw out an injunction enforcing due process protections for immigrants facing deportation to third countries, saying the U.S. Supreme Court concluded the government is likely to succeed on the merits of the challenge.

  • July 11, 2025

    Suppressing Rival Views Can Break Antitrust Laws, DOJ Says

    The anti-vaccine group once tied to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got a boost Friday in its D.C. federal court suit alleging that the Associated Press, The Washington Post, Reuters and the BBC colluded with social media platforms to censor rivals, drawing a Justice Department brief assailing news organization assertions that viewpoint competition can't be illegally suppressed.

  • July 11, 2025

    Calif. County Asks Justices To Deny 7th Amendment Review

    A Northern California county is urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear a case arguing that the constitutional right to a jury trial should apply in instances of local law enforcement issuing civil penalties for alleged illicit marijuana growing.

  • July 11, 2025

    FTC Looks To Extend Pause Of Noncompete Rule Appeal

    The Federal Trade Commission has asked the Fifth Circuit to keep an appeal over the commission's blocked noncompete rule on hold for another 60 days as the agency continues to mull whether it actually wants to defend the rule.

  • July 11, 2025

    Conservative Groups Bash Idea Of Next-Gen TV Mandate

    The growing battle over potential federal rules to move the U.S. toward next-generation TV continued this week as several right-leaning groups came out swinging against government mandates forcing the switchover.

  • July 11, 2025

    US Seeks To Toss DOGE Taxpayer Data-Sharing Suit

    Unions and advocacy organizations trying to block the White House's Department of Government Efficiency from sharing taxpayer data across agencies have not shown they've suffered the sort of injuries that would allow them to sue the federal government, the U.S. government told a D.C. federal court.

  • July 11, 2025

    Trump Declares 35% Canadian Import Tariff Is Coming Aug. 1

    President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicating Canadian goods entering the U.S. outside the compliance of a regional trade agreement will face 35% tariffs beginning Aug. 1.

  • July 11, 2025

    Connecticut Wins Bid To Halt 80-Acre Tribal Land Acquisition

    A federal judge has blocked the federal government from transferring 80 acres of land into trust for a Connecticut tribe, saying the state — by a narrow margin — established the factors necessary to warrant a temporary injunction to preserve the status quo.

  • July 11, 2025

    Dem States Drop Bid To Block Machine Gun Trigger Returns

    Sixteen Democrat-led states and the District of Columbia told a Maryland federal judge Friday that they are dropping their motion to block the federal government from returning forced-reset triggers for guns to their owners, following declarations from the government and others that they would not distribute the products into states where possession is illegal.

  • July 11, 2025

    Feds Flag Possible Atty Conflict In Cuellar Bribery Case

    Federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a hearing in the bribery case of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to determine if one of his lawyers should bow out because he previously represented a witness whom he helped set up a consulting firm allegedly used to funnel money to the congressman.

  • July 11, 2025

    Bove Faults 'Heavy-Handed' Jan. 6 Cases

    Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove, who is currently serving in the U.S. Department of Justice, in his post-hearing questionnaire obtained by Law360 on Friday, drew what he says is a distinction between condemning violence against law enforcement officers and over-prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters.

  • July 11, 2025

    Pa. Panel Won't Give Town Official Immunity For Atty Insult

    A Pennsylvania township commissioner isn't entitled to immunity for remarks he made at a meeting about an attorney and her opposition to a neighbor's use of his property, since he was not speaking at his own meeting or addressing a matter of public importance, a state appellate panel has ruled

  • July 11, 2025

    DOJ Slams 'Stingy' Reading Of Trump's Border Authority

    Government attorneys told the D.C. Circuit that a lower court's injunction stopping President Donald Trump from restricting asylum at the southern border is based on a "stingy" interpretation of his authority, warning that if it's left to stand, it could thwart border security efforts.

  • July 11, 2025

    Pa. House OKs State Actions To Combat False Claims

    Pennsylvania would allow the state's attorney general to pursue actions against people who make false claims to use state programs under a bill passed by the state House of Representatives.

  • July 11, 2025

    Transportation Policies To Watch In 2025: A Midyear Report

    Sweeping new tariffs, revised vehicle emission and fuel-economy standards, and aviation safety reforms are some of the transportation industry's top regulatory priorities to watch in the second half of 2025.

  • July 11, 2025

    Judge Upholds NYC Law Blocking Broker Fees For Tenants

    A New York federal judge has refused to preliminarily block a New York City law that bans broker fees for landlord brokers under specific circumstances.

  • July 11, 2025

    Judge Lifts 2-Year Stay In Okla. Tribal Gambling Compact Row

    A D.C. federal judge has lifted a two-year stay in four Oklahoma tribes' challenge to the state and federal government over gambling compacts, while denying their request for Interior Department documents related to the agency's approval of the agreements.

  • July 10, 2025

    9th Circ. Sides With Civil Aid Attys In H-2A Farm Docs Dispute

    A Ninth Circuit panel said Thursday that a lower court overstepped its authority by restricting a civil legal aid organization from using for advocacy purposes information that was gathered during discovery in a class of seasonal farmworkers' now-settled forced labor case against a Washington fruit grower.

Expert Analysis

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • What Money Transmitters Need To Know About New Colo. Law

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    Colorado's new Money Transmission Modernization Act updates standards for the licensing, supervision and regulation of money transmitters while codifying an agent-to-payee exemption, and represents another step toward standardizing these rules across state governments, say Sarah Auchterlonie and Joel Herberman at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • How States Are Taking The Lead On Data Center Regulation

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    While support for data center growth is a declared priority for the current administration, federal data center policy has been slow to develop — so states continue to lead in attracting and regulating data center growth, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Justices' Charter School Tie Delays Church-State Reckoning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent deadlock in Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond, blocking the creation of the nation’s first religious charter school, preserved the separation of church and state for now, but offered little reassurance about its continued viability, says Jeffrey Sultanik at Fox Rothschild.

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Expand The WARN Act Liability Exception

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    With layoffs surging across several industries, Congress should amend the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to address an exception-based disparity that prevents directors and officers from taking all reasonable steps to save a company before being required to provide workers with a mass-layoff notice, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Texas Bill Could Still Boost Property Rights In Gov't Disputes

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    The passage of a bill in Texas that would provide litigants with access to a greater swath of judicial remedies in immunity disputes with government entities and officials would be an invaluable boon for property rights, says Nathan Vrazel at Munsch Hardt.

  • Two Bills Promise A Crypto Revamp, But Not A Done Deal Yet

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    Recent efforts in Congress toward an updated regulatory framework for digital assets have led to two bills — the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act — that represent the most consequential legislative developments yet in the push for coherent, pro-innovation, reliable regulation for the industry, but both face multiple hurdles, says Mike Katz at Manatt.

  • Opinion

    NJ Should Align With Federal Rule On Expert Testimony

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    The time is right to amend Rule 702 of the New Jersey Rules of Evidence to align it with the recently amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence and clarify the standard for admissibility of expert testimony, says Timothy Freeman at Tanenbaum Keale.

  • Recent Reports Shed Light On Section 340B's Effectiveness

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    Recent analyses of the Section 340B program's effectiveness in helping patients afford drugs in Minnesota reinforce concerns about the program's lack of transparency and underscore the need for further evaluation of whether legislative reform should be enacted, say William A. Sarraille at the University of Maryland, and Andrée-Anne Fournier and Molly Frean at Analysis Group.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Pass IP Reform, Starting With 3 Patent Bills

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    Congress is considering a trio of bipartisan bills to fix patent law problems that have cropped up over the past two decades, and it shouldn't stop there — addressing two other intellectual property issues is critical for America's economy, says retired Judge Kathleen O'Malley at the Council for Innovation Promotion.

  • Perspectives

    The Reforms Needed To Fight Sexual Abuse By Prison Staff

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    Prisoners sexually assaulted by corrections staff, such as the California women who recently won a consent decree against FCI Dublin, often delay reporting out of fear of retaliation by their abusers, but several practical reforms could empower prisoners to disclose abuse while the evidence necessary to indict perpetrators is still available, says Jaehyun Oh at Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law.

  • Colo. Antitrust Law Signals Growing Scrutiny Among States

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    Colorado's recently enacted Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act makes it the second state to add such a requirement, reflecting a growing trend and underscoring the need for merging parties to plan for a more complex and multilayered notification landscape for deals, say Puja Patel and Noa Gur-Arie at Cleary.

  • FCPA Enforcement Is Here To Stay, But It May Look Different

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    After a monthslong enforcement pause, the U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines fundamentally shift prosecutorial discretion and potentially reduce investigatory burdens for organizations, but open questions remain, so companies should continue to exercise caution, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Ore. Coinbase Case Charts New Path For State Crypto Suits

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    Oregon's recent lawsuit against Coinbase serves as a reminder for the crypto industry that not all states will simply defer to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's evolving stance on crypto-assets, highlighting why stakeholders should proactively assess the risks posed by state-level litigation and develop strategies to address distinct challenges, say attorneys at Steptoe.

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