Public Policy

  • April 20, 2026

    CFPB's Layoff Bid Belongs Before DC Judge, Union Says

    A federal labor union pushed back Friday against a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau bid to proceed with a plan for shedding roughly half its remaining staffers, telling the D.C. Circuit that the agency's request should go first to the lower-court judge who froze layoffs there.

  • April 20, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court this past week delivered another mix of procedural rulings, fiduciary duty disputes and deal litigation, highlighting both the court's gatekeeping role and its continued focus on stockholder rights and transactional fairness.

  • April 20, 2026

    Illinois' Suit Over Trump's National Guard Deployment Tossed

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit filed by the state and the city of Chicago challenging the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, agreeing with the Trump administration that the case is now moot because the troops have been demobilized or withdrawn and the orders authorizing their presence "are no longer alive."

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Won't Consider Union's Right To Seek SpaceX Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court shut the door Monday on a challenge to a Fifth Circuit ruling that enables the National Labor Relations Board's targets to get its cases blocked, turning away a union's appeal of a decision refusing to let it join the case.

  • April 20, 2026

    Justice Jackson Faults Quick Reversal In DC Stop Case

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday chided her U.S. Supreme Court colleagues for reversing a D.C. Court of Appeals ruling involving the Fourth Amendment, saying in a dissent that the lower court was correct and that the case "does not merit the use of our summary discretion."

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Won't Hear 1st Circ. Escrow Law Preemption Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not review a First Circuit decision allowing Citizens Bank NA to be sued for allegedly failing to comply with a Rhode Island interest-on-escrow law, declining to wade again into a fight over national bank preemption.

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Skip Challenge To NC Surveyor License Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won't take up an appeal from a North Carolina drone operator who says his state's licensing and regulatory requirements for land surveyors restricted his First Amendment rights.

  • April 17, 2026

    State Privacy & AI Watch: 4 Legislative Developments To Know

    The state data privacy law landscape continues to grow, with Alabama becoming the latest to join the fray and Kentucky moving to expand the types of sensitive data covered by its existing statute, although one state's legislature that had been pushing to enact what would have been one of the strictest frameworks in the nation adjourned for the year without finishing.

  • April 17, 2026

    Starbucks Wins 5th Circ. Bid To Scrap NLRB Subpoena Order

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday vacated a National Labor Relations Board order that dinged Starbucks for sending overbroad subpoenas to pro-union employees, saying in a published opinion that the board applied the wrong legal standard for determining whether the coffeehouse chain committed an unfair labor practice.

  • April 17, 2026

    Ex-Rep. Didn't Fund Venezuelan Opposition, Accountant Says

    A forensic accountant testified in Florida federal court on Friday that his investigation into the finances of politician David Rivera found that no funds were given to Venezuelan opposition officials, telling jurors how he followed the money trail of the one-time congressman accused of secretly lobbying for a foreign government.

  • April 17, 2026

    Where Cables Were Cut, AT&T Wants Be Done With Copper

    There are hundreds of places all over the country where AT&T's copper phone lines have been disrupted, either by accident, theft or natural disaster, and it's asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission not to replace them.

  • April 17, 2026

    Advocates Get FCC Prison Call Rate Cases Moved To 1st Circ.

    The D.C. Circuit has agreed that a series of consolidated appeals brought by prison phone service providers and advocacy groups challenging the Federal Communications Commission's latest prison phone rate order belongs in front of the First Circuit.

  • April 17, 2026

    American Airlines Shuts Down United Merger Rumors

    American Airlines on Friday shut down speculation of a potential combination with United Airlines, saying it's not currently engaged in any merger talks with the Chicago-based carrier.

  • April 17, 2026

    DC Judge Doubts Standing Of Cannabis Shops Alliance

    A D.C. federal judge told lawyers for an association of marijuana "gifting" shops either to drop their lawsuit challenging the district's new dispensary enforcement scheme or have their members join as parties, after the attorneys conceded that the association had only been formed to bring the litigation.

  • April 17, 2026

    States Seek Win To Restore DOE's Diversity Grant Cuts

    Eight states have asked a Massachusetts federal judge to restore $160 million to federal programs providing professional development to new teachers cut by the U.S. Department of Education last year, which the states said were unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration as diversity initiatives.

  • April 17, 2026

    Federal Judge Blocks DOJ's DEI, Citizenship Grant Conditions

    A Rhode Island federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Justice from imposing new conditions related to diversity, equity and inclusion activities and immigration status on domestic violence assistance grants, finding a nonprofit coalition likely to succeed in a legal challenge.

  • April 17, 2026

    RI Pot Regulators Sees No Easy Fix For License Injunction

    Rhode Island's Cannabis Control Commission said Friday it's looking at every possible option to undo a federal court's order that has stopped it from awarding recreational cannabis licenses, telling concerned industry leaders that the "extremely volatile and constantly evolving legal landscape" means there is no easy fix.

  • April 17, 2026

    PTAB Petitions Continue To Plummet As Reexams Surge

    The number of America Invents Act petitions continued to crater as the volume of reexamination requests skyrocketed in the first quarter of 2026 as policies by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires settled in, according to a new report from Unified Patents.

  • April 17, 2026

    Plea Change Hearing Set For Former Conn. Budget Official

    A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Monday afternoon for Konstantinos M. Diamantis, a former Connecticut budget official, elected politician and attorney facing an impending federal corruption trial for allegedly pocketing bribes while helping end a state Medicaid audit of an optometry practice operated by his friend's fiancée.

  • April 17, 2026

    4 Firms Lead Kraken's $550M Buy Of Crypto Derivatives Biz

    Four firms including Haynes Boone and Jones Day guided Kraken's $550 million acquisition of regulated crypto derivatives exchange Bitnomial, according to a Friday announcement from Kraken.

  • April 17, 2026

    DOJ's NFL Probe May Reshape Sports Broadcasting Law

    Though antitrust charges are in play in the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into the NFL's deals with services like Amazon Prime and Netflix, experts say they don't see a strong federal case against the league's broadcasting practices, as focus may shift to updating a decades-old law governing how sports leagues negotiate television deals.

  • April 17, 2026

    CFPB Could Soon Issue Overhauled Small-Biz Loan Data Rule

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is awaiting White House clearance to publish a final rule that would complete its revamp of small-business lender reporting requirements issued during the Biden administration, according to a new regulatory notice.

  • April 17, 2026

    Groups Say EPA Used Faulty Math In GHG Finding Repeal

    Sixteen health and environmental groups said this week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must reconsider its February repeal of the scientific finding allowing the agency to regulate greenhouse gases, because the final rule relied on error-filled technical analyses that weren't included in the proposed version.

  • April 17, 2026

    California Is Latest Battleground In Defining Access To Justice

    A pair of dueling California ballot initiatives both purport to increase consumers' access to justice — a righteous cause, most would say. If only the initiatives' backers agreed on what that means.

  • April 17, 2026

    Too Mentally Ill To Stand In Court, Texas Inmate Fights On

    A Texas death row prisoner who gouged out both of his eyes and suffers from schizoaffective disorder is fighting efforts to move forward with his execution, arguing that his severe psychosis leaves him unable to rationally understand why the state wants to kill him. His case highlights a broader debate over whether the Constitution should bar the execution of people with severe mental illness, even when they technically know they are on death row.

Expert Analysis

  • Justices' Ruling Stresses Quick Action Against Absconders

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding in Rico v. U.S. that a supervised release term is not automatically extended when a defendant absconds, probation officers and prosecutors risk being unable to address later violations if they don't act promptly to secure warrants, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • New DOD Framework Offers Key Guidance On PFAS Disposal

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    The U.S. Department of Defense's recently updated guidance on disposal of materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ends its moratorium on incineration of PFAS-containing waste, but contractors must be ready to demonstrate stringent compliance with the department's new permitting system, operational controls and data practices, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Cos. Can Navigate The Patchwork Of AI Safety Bills

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    In the first few months of 2026, state and federal lawmakers introduced hundreds of bills to address the perceived safety risks of artificial intelligence, so companies should assess whether existing or planned services could be scoped into AI safety legislation across jurisdictions, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Unpacking FCC's Proposed Rules For Offshore Call Centers

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    The Federal Communications Commission recently proposed rules that would restrict the use of offshore customer service operations, citing consumer frustration, data security risks and fraud as core reasons for the sweeping regulatory move, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    As usual, California remained a hub for financial services activity in the first quarter of 2026, with key developments including the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's eye on consumer issues, a bill targeting "pig butchering" schemes, and jam-packed courts, say attorneys at Joseph Cohen.

  • Series

    Ultramarathons Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Completing a 100-mile ultramarathon was tougher, more humbling and more rewarding than I ever imagined, and the experience highlighted how long-distance running has sharpened my ability to adapt to the evolving nature of antitrust law and strengthened my resolve to handle demanding, unforeseen challenges, says Dan Oakes at Axinn.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2026 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Last week's American Bar Association Spring Meeting revealed an antitrust landscape defined by heightened friction and tension — between federal and state enforcers, domestic and international regimes, competing political visions, and traditional enforcement tools and novel challenges, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • State FARA Laws Pose Unique Constitutional Challenges

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    Several states have recently enacted foreign agent registration and disclosure regimes that were modeled after the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but these state laws raise several constitutional questions, including concerns about preemption, speech and petition, and vagueness, says Alexandra Langton at Covington.

  • Series

    Pa. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    The first quarter of 2026 brought several consequential developments for Pennsylvania financial institutions, including the state banking department's first assessment overhaul in 10 years, a bill prohibiting interchange fees on card transaction sales taxes and a federal appeals court's upholding of a $52 million enforcement action, say attorneys at Gross McGinley.

  • Informal Announcements Are Reshaping FDA Regulations

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent shift toward using press releases, podcasts and other informal channels to announce major policy changes reflects a valid desire to modernize and accelerate regulatory efforts, but it could lead to diminished transparency, increased industry burden and reduced policy durability, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • Motorola Case Shows Reach Of NLRA Dishonesty Protections

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board case, involving a Motorola employee who was terminated for lying about discussing wages, illustrates the broad reach of National Labor Relations Act protections for concerted activity, which may take on new significance as the agency shifts toward more restrained enforcement, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • In First For DOJ, Action Signals New CFIUS Enforcement Era

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking judicial enforcement of a divestment order, an unprecedented action for the agency that ushers in a new phase for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, one in which judicial proceedings complement administrative oversight and presidential divestment orders may be enforced through litigation, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Berk May Spur More Pushback Against Med Mal Gatekeeping

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Berk v. Choy may appear to be a run-of-the-mill reminder that a federal procedural rule trumps its state counterpart, but it could inspire more challenges to state-created prerequisites to filing medical malpractice lawsuits, say attorneys at Decof Mega.

  • Getting The Most Out Of Learning And Development Programs

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    Junior associates can better develop the legal, business and interpersonal skills they need for long-term success by approaching their firms’ learning and development programs armed with five tips for getting the most out of these resources, says Lauren Hakala at Reed Smith.

  • OhioHealth Suit Signals Higher Antitrust Heat On Hospitals

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    The recent antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth by the U.S. Justice Department and Ohio attorney general shows that federal and state enforcers are closely examining the competition issues in the healthcare sector, including restrictive contracts and antisteering practices, say attorneys at Freshfields.

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