Expert Analysis

• 1st Circ. IMessage Ruling Illustrates Wire Fraud Circuit Split

  

  The First Circuit’s recent decision that text messages exchanged wholly within Massachusetts but transmitted by the internet count as interstate commerce spotlights a split in how circuits interpret intrastate actions under the federal wire fraud statute, perhaps prompting U.S. Supreme Court review, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

• Opinion

  It's Time To Fix The SEC's Pay-To-Play Rule

  

  Nearly 15 years after its adoption, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's pay-to-play rule is not working as intended — a notion recently echoed by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce — and the commission should reconsider the strict liability standard, raise the campaign contribution limits and remove the look-back provision, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

  

  This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

• Navigating The Growing Thicket Of 'Right To Repair' Laws

  

  An emerging patchwork of state laws on the right to repair creates tensions with traditional intellectual property and competition principles, so manufacturers should plan proactively for legal disputes and minimize potential for rival third-party repairs to weaponize state laws, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

• A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

  

  U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

• Implementation, Constitutional Issues With Birthright Order

  

  President Donald Trump's executive order reinterpreting the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause presents unavoidable administrative problems and raises serious constitutional concerns about the validity of many existing federal laws and regulations, says Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington School of Law.

• A Closer Look At Money Laundering Sentencing Issues

  

  Federal money laundering cases are on the rise, often involving lengthy prison sentences for defendants who have little to no criminal history, but a closer look at the statistics and case law reveal some potentially valuable arguments that defense attorneys should keep in their arsenal, says Sarah Sulkowski at Gelber & Santillo.

• What Advisory On Alcohol And Cancer May Mean For Cos.

  

  While the federal government has yet to take concrete steps in response to a January advisory from the outgoing U.S. surgeon general on links between alcohol consumption and cancer, the statement has opened the door to potential regulatory, legislative and litigation challenges for the alcoholic beverage industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

• Why NY May Want To Reconsider Its LLC Transparency Law

  

  Against the backdrop of the myriad challenges to the federal Corporate Transparency Act, it may be prudent for New York to reconsider its adoption of the LLC Transparency Act, since it's unclear whether the Empire State's "baby-CTA" statute is still necessary or was passed prematurely, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Expectations For SEC Exams As Private Credit Market Grows

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may rely heavily on its Division of Examinations for regulating private credit markets amid their expansion into the retail investor space, so investment advisers should be prepared to address several likely areas of focus when confronted with an exam, say attorneys at Dechert.

• AG Watch: Texas Is Entering New Privacy Enforcement Era

  

  The state of Texas' recent suit against Allstate is the culmination of a long-standing commitment to vigorously enforcing privacy laws in the state, and while still in the early stages, it offers several important insights for companies and privacy practitioners, says Paul Singer at Kelley Drye.

• IRS Scrutiny May Underlie Move Away From NIL Collectives

  

  The University of Colorado's January announcement that it was severing its partnership with a name, image and likeness collective is part of universities' recent push to move NIL activities in-house, seemingly motivated by tax implications and increased scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.

• What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

  

  The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

• 5 Merger Deal Considerations In Light Of The New HSR Rules

  

  Now that the new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules are in effect, current priorities include earlier preparation for merging parties, certain confidentiality covenants, and key elements of letters of intent and term sheets, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Considerations As Trump Admin Continues To Curtail CFPB

  

  Recent sweeping moves from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new leadership have signaled a major shift in the agency's trajectory, and regulated entities should prepare for broader implications in both the near and long term, say attorneys at Pryor Cashman.