Public Policy

  • June 09, 2025

    US Eyes Deal With China On Rare Earths, Chips, Official Says

    The U.S. government hoped to reach an agreement Monday with China's government to loosen export controls on rare earth elements in exchange for the U.S. relaxing controls on semiconductors, the White House National Economic Council director said. 

  • June 09, 2025

    Madigan Denied Acquittal, New Trial Ahead Of Sentencing

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday denied former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's bid for acquittal or a new trial, clearing the way for him to be sentenced for bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy later this week.

  • June 09, 2025

    Businesses Warn Fed. Circ. Against Pausing Block On Tariffs

    Thousands of businesses will suffer "irreparable harm" if the Federal Circuit halts the U.S. Court of International Trade's order that struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, a wine importer told the appellate court, urging against a long-term pause.

  • June 09, 2025

    Fla. Sheriff Charged In $21M Gambling, Corruption Scheme

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order suspending a county sheriff following a state and federal investigation into an illegal $21.6 million gambling operation, resulting in racketeering-related charges against the law enforcement official for his involvement in the enterprise, state officials said.

  • June 09, 2025

    Justices Urged To Keep Pause On 'Breakneck' Gov't Overhaul

    The U.S. Supreme Court should leave in place a California federal judge's order barring implementation of layoffs and reorganizations at various federal departments and agencies, several unions and nonprofits argued Monday, claiming a decision allowing the changes would irreversibly harm the federal government and render Congress and the judiciary powerless.

  • June 09, 2025

    Feds Say Columbia Grad's Release Bid Lacks Harm Showing

    Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil should be denied a court order for his release, the government argued in a letter Monday to a New Jersey federal judge, saying he has not met his burden to prove irreparable harm.

  • June 09, 2025

    NY Tribe Can Revive Lawsuit Against State In Lottery Row

    A New York federal judge has allowed the Cayuga Nation to refile its tribal gambling lawsuit against State Gaming Commission officials after the tribe settled its dispute with state-licensed mobile lottery game provider Jackpocket Inc.

  • June 09, 2025

    Vice Chancellor Wants Clarity On Del. Corporate Law Change

    Citing "an important and urgent" need, a Delaware vice chancellor has asked the state supreme court to rule on the constitutionality of recent corporate law amendments providing conflicted directors or controlling investors expanded "safe harbor" liability shields for contested actions.

  • June 09, 2025

    Feds Argue Koi Nation's Historic Ties Justify Calif. Land Trust

    The Interior Department is looking to dismiss a challenge to its decision to take 70 acres into trust for a proposed tribal hotel and casino project in Sonoma County, California, telling a federal court that the Koi Nation has a significant historical connection to the site.

  • June 09, 2025

    HI Gov. Eyes Veto Of Medical Pot Bill Over Privacy Concerns

    Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has signaled that he intends to veto a bill modifying the state's medical marijuana program, saying that it would impinge the privacy rights of the Aloha State's medical cannabis patients.

  • June 09, 2025

    Budget Bill Needs To Fund Next-Gen 911, Senators Told

    Even though 911 systems are falling behind in incorporating technology that could improve public safety, first responder groups are complaining that the recent House-passed budget bill lacks any provisions to direct money from spectrum auctions to the next-gen 911 upgrade.

  • June 09, 2025

    Janitorial Contractor Fights Portland Labor Peace Policy

    A nonprofit that supplies janitors to the city of Portland, Oregon, is challenging the city's requirement for certain city contractors to enter into labor peace agreements with unions, claiming in a new lawsuit in federal court that the rule is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act.

  • June 09, 2025

    WilmerHale Seeks Full Fed Compliance On Struck-Down Order

    WilmerHale is asking a D.C. federal judge to make clear that a ruling invalidating an executive order against the firm applies to all federal agencies subject to President Donald Trump's directives.

  • June 09, 2025

    9th Circ. Awaits Justices' Ruling On Birthright Citizenship

    A Ninth Circuit panel has elected to hold off on deciding whether to affirm a Washington federal court order blocking the Trump administration from limiting birthright citizenship until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the matter.

  • June 09, 2025

    15 States, DC Sue ATF Over Machine Gun Trigger Turnaround

    Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi on Monday, alleging the Trump administration "suddenly reversed course" on regulations of machine gun conversion devices called forced reset triggers, switching from banning the triggers to returning them to their owners.

  • June 09, 2025

    City Says Insurer Owes $9M For Wrongful Incarceration Deal

    An insurer for a North Carolina city improperly denied coverage for an underlying suit brought by a Black man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years and is now on the hook for a $9.3 million settlement payment, the city argued in a suit removed to federal court.

  • June 09, 2025

    Iowa Expands Property, Sales Tax Breaks For Data Centers

    Iowa expanded property tax and sales and use tax breaks for data centers to include leased facilities under legislation signed by the governor.

  • June 09, 2025

    Legal Industry Boosts Cuomo's Bid For NYC Mayor With $1.6M

    The legal industry has spent at least $1.57 million to support Andrew Cuomo’s candidacy for New York City mayor, with attorneys shelling out thousands to his campaign and an independent committee bolstering his bid.

  • June 09, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Says Counsel Shake-Up Erases Conviction

    Former Sen. Robert Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, has asked a Manhattan federal judge to vacate the jury's guilty verdict in her bribery case, arguing that her Sixth Amendment rights were violated when she was denied her choice of legal representation.

  • June 08, 2025

    11th Circ. Denies Fla. AG's Bid To Unpause Immigration Law

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday denied Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's bid to lift a block on a state law criminalizing the entry of unauthorized immigrants into the state, finding that Florida had failed to make a strong showing that it would fend off a challenge to the law.

  • June 06, 2025

    FTC Scoffs At Meta's Accusation Of 'Biased' Econ Expert

    The FTC on Friday urged a Washington, D.C., federal judge to reject Meta's bid to strike testimony the agency's lead economics expert gave during the antitrust trial over Meta's purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp, scoffing at the allegation the New York University School of Law professor is biased.

  • June 06, 2025

    High Court Says Software Glitch Led To Early Order List Drop

    An "apparent software malfunction" caused the U.S. Supreme Court's order list to be issued early Friday, orders in which the justices granted certiorari in four cases and refused to take up a long list of other ones, including cases centered on Pennsylvania's election system and the Obama Presidential Center.

  • June 06, 2025

    Senate Banking Bill Would Zero Out CFPB's Fed Funding

    U.S. Senate Banking Committee Republicans called Friday for eliminating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Federal Reserve funding as part of their proposal package for the "One Big Beautiful" budget bill, a move that could effectively restructure the agency.

  • June 06, 2025

    Trump Cuts To Federal Library Agency Can Resume, For Now

    Employees of the federal agency that provides grants and resources to public libraries cannot immediately get blocked President Donald Trump's executive order dismantling the agency, a Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled Friday, saying there is a likelihood the case belongs in the Court of Federal Claims.

  • June 06, 2025

    Masimo Fights Ex-CEO's Bid To Ax Suit Over $450M Demand

    Masimo Corp. fought back against founder Joe Kiani's motion to dismiss the company's Delaware Chancery Court suit seeking a declaration that he's not due a $450 million payout after his ouster as CEO, arguing that bid is an "improper attempt to evade" the Delaware court's jurisdiction.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Watch For As High Court Mulls NRC's Powers

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    If successful, Texas’ challenges to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s authority — recently heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and currently pending before a Texas federal court — may have serious adverse consequences for aspiring NRC licensees, including potential nuclear power plant operators, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Tips For Companies Crafting Tariff Surcharge Disclosures

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    As the Trump administration imposes tariffs on imports, retail businesses considering itemizing tariff-related costs separately for consumers must ensure that any disclosures are both accurate and defensible to avoid regulatory enforcement or private suits, says Christopher Cole at Katten.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Reviewing Trump Admin's Rapid Pro-Crypto Regulatory Pivot

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    The digital asset industry has received a boost from the explicitly pro-crypto Trump administration, which in its first few months reversed Biden-era rules and installed industry proponents at regulatory agencies, marking one of the biggest regulatory about-faces by a government in recent memory, says Robert Appleton at Olshan Frome.

  • Cos. Face Enviro Justice Tug-Of-War Between States, Feds

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    The second Trump administration's sweeping elimination of environmental justice policies, programs and funding, and targeting of state-level EJ initiatives, creates difficult questions for companies on how best to avoid friction with federal policy, navigate state compliance obligations and maintain important stakeholder relationships with communities, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • A 2-Step System For Choosing A Digital Asset Reporting Path

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    Under the Internal Revenue Service's new digital asset reporting regulation, each type of asset may have three potential reporting destinations, so a detailed testing framework can help to determine the appropriate path, says Keval Sonecha at Sonecha & Amlani.

  • NEPA Repeal Could Slow Down Environmental Review

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    As the Trump administration has rescinded the Council on Environmental Quality's long-standing National Environmental Policy Act regulations, projects that require NEPA review may be bogged down by significant regulatory uncertainty and litigation risks, potentially undermining the administration's intent to streamline the permitting process, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Is Latest Signal Of Shaky Qui Tam Landscape

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    In his recent concurring opinion in U.S. v. Peripheral Vascular Associates, a Fifth Circuit judge joined a growing list of jurists suggesting that the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, underscoring that acceptance of qui tam relators can no longer be taken for granted, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Foreign Countries Have Strong Foundation To Fill FCPA Void

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    Though the U.S. has paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, liberal democracies across the globe are well equipped to reverse any setback in anti-corruption enforcement, potentially heightening prosecution risk for companies headquartered in the U.S., says Stephen Kohn at Kohn Kohn.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • A Tale Of Two Admins: Parsing 1st Half Of SEC's FY 2025

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    The first half of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fiscal year 2025, which ended March 31, was unusually eventful, marked by a flurry of enforcement actions in the last three months of former Chair Gary Gensler's tenure and a prompt pivot after Inauguration Day, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • A Closer Look At Amendments To Virginia Noncompete Ban

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    Recently passed amendments in Virignia will prohibit noncompetes for all employees who are eligible for overtime pay under federal law, and though the changes could simplify employers’ analyses as to restrictive covenant enforceability, it may require them to reassess and potentially adjust their use of noncompetes with some workers, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • What Bank Regulator Consolidation Would Mean For Industry

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    Speculation over the Trump administration’s potential plans to consolidate financial service regulators is intensifying uncertainty, but no matter the outcome for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the industry should expect continued policy changes, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Getting Ahead Of The SEC's Continued Focus On Cyber, AI

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is showing it will continue to scrutinize actions involving cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, but there are proactive measures that companies and financial institutions can take to avoid regulatory scrutiny going forward, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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