Public Policy

  • October 29, 2026

    Judge Seems Unswayed By Fears SEC Seeks 'Enemies List'

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday appeared reluctant to block the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's subpoena seeking information about voting advice that proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services gives to institutional investors despite ISS' concerns about political retaliation.

  • October 29, 2026

    9th Circ. Drops Speech Holding In Seattle Gig Worker Ruling

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday withdrew its earlier finding that Seattle's protections for app-based delivery workers don't regulate speech, replacing it with a narrower ruling that assumes the law involves speech but still passes First Amendment scrutiny.

  • October 29, 2026

    Pa. Can Enforce E-Cigarette Law Amid Vape Cos. Appeal

    There will be no pause on a Pennsylvania law that makes it illegal to sell most vape products, a federal judge said, rejecting a vape industry bid seeking a brief reprieve while an appeal seeking to upend the statute heads to the Third Circuit.

  • October 29, 2026

    'We're Going To Get Sued': LA Revives Ban On Oil, Gas Wells

    The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance banning all new oil and gas drilling within city limits and phasing out existing wells within 20 years, with one councilmember commenting that the city expects to get sued by members of the industry over the vote. 

  • October 29, 2026

    NJ Panel Says State Shields Military Leave Past Federal Cap

    A New Jersey state appeals court on Thursday upheld a decision giving an Atlantic City police officer his job back after the city fired him for staying on military leave for more than five years, saying a federal five-year limit is a minimum, not a maximum.

  • October 29, 2026

    Uber, Amazon, Instacart Fight NYC Courier Deactivation Law

    Uber, Amazon and Instacart have accused New York City of overstepping by enacting a law prohibiting them from "deactivating" delivery couriers without formal notice and investigation, claiming in a new federal lawsuit that the regulation unconstitutionally interferes with their contractual rights.

  • October 29, 2026

    FCC Floats $4.4M Fine For Boomerang's Alleged Lifeline Fraud

    The Federal Communications Commission proposed a $4.4 million fine against Boomerang Wireless for allegedly defrauding the Lifeline program, which gives discounts on phone and internet services to qualifying low-income Americans.

  • October 29, 2026

    FCC Seeks To Rev Up Satellite Device Coverage

    The Federal Communications Commission advanced new rules Thursday that could open 25 megahertz of midband spectrum for new uses, including not only terrestrial wireless but potentially also direct-to-device coverage from satellites.

  • October 29, 2026

    Tax Consultancy Asks 5th Circ. To Kill Microcaptive Rule

    The IRS never published data showing that microcaptive transactions pose a potential for tax avoidance to justify a rule making companies and advisers report them as "transactions of interest," a tax consultancy seeking the rule's demise told the Fifth Circuit.

  • October 29, 2026

    DOJ Says Immigration Judge Isn't Shielded From Removal

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a Massachusetts federal judge that an ex-immigration judge who claims he was fired for his political ideology and advocacy work was an at-will employee who cannot show his firing was discriminatory.

  • October 29, 2026

    NJ Justices Uphold Atty's Privacy Expectation In Email Advice

    The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a split decision that the name of the attorney who emailed legal advice to a municipal prosecutor in a traffic dispute should not be disclosed under the state's public records law, finding the sender's reasonable expectation of privacy outweighs any interest in disclosure.

  • October 29, 2026

    Canada, UAE Sign Economic Partnership Agreement

    Canada and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement on a trade deal that is expected to double bilateral trade between the countries, up to CA$7 billion ($5 billion) annually, the Canadian government said, lauding the agreement as being reached in "record time."

  • October 29, 2026

    EEOC Eliminates Long-Standing Criminal History Guidance

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has revoked Obama-era guidance that outlined employers' legal obligations in their use of workers' arrest and conviction records to make employment decisions, the agency announced Thursday.

  • October 29, 2026

    US Signs Key Sector Memorandums With Hungary, Finland

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed memorandums with Finnish and Hungarian officials Thursday indicating that the U.S. will work together with those trading partners on key minerals, technology and energy policy matters.

  • October 29, 2026

    1st Circ. Seeks Mass. Justices' Input On USAA Rate Row

    The First Circuit asked Massachusetts' highest court to weigh in on a suit by service members alleging USAA improperly considered their military pay grade when issuing auto insurance policies, finding the dispute implicates questions of state law.

  • October 29, 2026

    Gov't Urges 11th Circ. To Lift Sanctions Over Trump-IRS Deal

    A federal judge's order barring President Donald Trump, the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department from citing the agreement made to settle his $10 billion suit against the tax agency is unsupportable and should be reversed, the government told the Eleventh Circuit.

  • October 29, 2026

    Ex-ComEd CEO, Lobbyist Signal Plea Deal Over Retrial

    Attorneys for Commonwealth Edison's former CEO and a longtime lobbyist told an Illinois federal judge on Thursday that they are in talks with the government about plea deals rather than an anticipated retrial next year on charges that they conspired to win former Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan's legislative favor in exchange for do-nothing jobs for his allies.

  • October 29, 2026

    NLRB Urges 7th Circ. To Ponder Injunction Harm Burden

    The National Labor Relations Board urged the full Seventh Circuit to rethink a ruling that raised the bar for the agency to win injunctions, saying the panel's merits conclusions and its take on what constitutes irreparable harm to workers' labor rights conflict with U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • October 29, 2026

    Judge Rejects Extra Hurdle For Medicaid Frailty Exemption

    A Trump administration bid to create additional barriers to Medicaid eligibility was rejected Thursday by a Massachusetts federal judge, who ruled that Congress did not delegate to the executive branch the task of deciding who is too medically frail to meet work requirements.

  • October 29, 2026

    Split 4th Circ. Stays Man's Removal Over Competency Issue

    The Fourth Circuit has extended a stay preventing the removal of a self-represented noncitizen detainee who said his "mental condition" prevented him from fully arguing his case to an immigration judge, finding that the full administrative record is needed.

  • October 29, 2026

    Pa. Court OKs Unemployment Comp Despite Off-Duty Lie

    A Pennsylvania nurse didn't commit "willful misconduct" by refusing to answer questions about a coworker visiting her while he was on duty and she was off duty, so the nurse remained eligible to collect unemployment benefits after she was fired, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday.

  • October 29, 2026

    CFPB Faces 2nd Suit Over Bid To 'Erase' Fair Lending Rules

    One of the nation's oldest civil rights groups has sued to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent rollback of longstanding federal protections against lending discrimination, widening the ongoing legal battle against the controversial rule change.

  • October 29, 2026

    EU Pushes China For More Fair Trade Commitments

    The European Parliament's Committee on International Trade spent a three-day trip to China pushing for an expansion of a trade framework beyond a recently reached mutual understanding on hybrid vehicles, among other concerns, the committee said Thursday.

  • October 29, 2026

    9th Circ. Ruling Dooms Sports Betting Suit, Washington Says

    Prediction market operator Underdog's contention that its sports-based event contracts are not subject to Washington state gambling laws is doomed under a recent Ninth Circuit ruling holding otherwise, the Evergreen State told a Washington federal judge.

  • October 29, 2026

    China Slams US Ban On 3 Biotech Cos. Over Forced Labor

    The Chinese government Thursday condemned the U.S.' recent addition of three new entities in the biotechnology sector to its blacklist of companies from which goods are banned from entering the U.S. due to their presumed use of forced labor.

Expert Analysis

  • How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

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    The swath of recent Federal Communications Commission rulemakings raises serious questions about the purpose and future of Commerce's Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services, and how the U.S. government will go forward in imposing national security regulation on domestic applications of adversary-linked technologies, says Peter Jeydel at Troutman.

  • DOJ Healthcare Declination Offers Self-Disclosure Checklist

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's declination of criminal charges against Campus Eye Management signals that its new self-disclosure policy provides a real path for healthcare companies to avoid criminal exposure, but that path is paved with speed, transparency and operational remediation, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Rubber Meets The Road

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rulemaking agenda shows its regulatory reset taking shape, with sweeping crypto proposals that could bring the biggest changes it has made to broker-dealer, exchange and trading compliance in decades, says Christopher Grobbel at Goodwin.

  • Monitor Exposure, Stay Flexible Amid Tariff Uncertainty

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    To navigate an unstable trade environment, businesses must evaluate their exposure to new tariffs invoked under a patchwork of statutory authorities and be prepared to adapt to further changes that may be on the horizon, says Bhargav Prajapati at Capital Trade.

  • CFPB Complaint Portal Overhaul Signals Changing Priorities

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updates to its consumer complaint portal and decision to cease publishing consumer complaint narratives should be viewed by companies as one component of a larger recalibration of how the CFPB collects information and allocates its supervisory and enforcement resources, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    Correctional Healthcare Requires Clearer Legal Standards

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    As the correctional healthcare industry increasingly faces financial instability due to litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons should develop clear standards for constitutionally adequate care for incarcerated patients, says Susanne Moore at Blackstone Trial Group.

  • 6 Risk Areas Future Fla. Stablecoin Issuers Should Plan For

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    Companies hoping to issue stablecoins under Florida’s new supervision regime should prioritize constructing robust risk management architecture across key areas before the Oct. 1 effective date so they can secure licenses, avoid a web of potential liabilities, and operate sustainably as state and federal regulations evolve, says Elizabeth Brusa at Shumaker.

  • 6 Key Takeaways From CFIUS Annual Report

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    Attorneys at Simpson Thacher review highlights from the annual report of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., released to Congress this month, including the launch of the American First Investment Policy and the Known Investor Pilot Program, and the agency's continued focus on enforcement despite its resource constraints.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • AI Chatbot's Medical Claims Highlight Enforcement Risks

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    The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's recent lawsuit against Character Technologies, arguing that an artificial intelligence chatbot engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine, may provide other state licensing boards with a road map for going after AI platforms, and counsel should advise clients to calibrate compliance accordingly, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • A Deepening Patent-Trademark Divide Over Irreparable Harm

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    Recent Federal Circuit decisions, along with legislation being considered in Congress, may exacerbate the differences that patent owners and trademark owners face when seeking to stop infringement before irreparable harm is caused, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Upping Fed, FDIC's Insider Loan Cap May Ease Bank Burdens

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    Coordinated Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Federal Reserve proposals to raise the 1970s-era cap for bank executives borrowing from their institutions represent a long-needed regulatory recalibration that would lighten compliance obligations caused by the outdated ceiling without diminishing the original protections against conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • What Calif.'s New Focus On Microplastics Means For Cos.

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    The recent move by California's Department of Toxic Substances Control to designate microplastics as candidate chemicals under its Safer Consumer Product regulations does not create a new product restriction — but it expands the agency's future reach by putting microplastics on the department’s regulatory runway, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling May Reduce Litigation Risk For Text Marketers

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    The recent Seventh Circuit holding in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services that unwanted marketing text messages are not telephone calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act may strengthen companies' responses to presuit demand letters and early-stage litigation claims premised on do-not-call text theories, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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