Public Policy

  • May 08, 2025

    McCarter & English Partner To Be Picked As US Atty In Conn.

    Hartford-based McCarter & English LLP partner David X. Sullivan will be nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut, his law firm confirmed to Law360 on Thursday.

  • May 08, 2025

    DOJ Civil Rights Appellate Leader Joins Crowell & Moring

    Crowell & Moring LLP hired the acting deputy chief of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division's Appellate Section as a senior counsel who will be based in Washington focusing on a range of higher education matters, the firm announced Thursday.

  • May 08, 2025

    FERC Says Grid Upgrade Bill For Solar Farm Was Justified

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission defended its decision to affirm a regional transmission operator's assignment of $311 million in upgrade costs for a Texas solar farm to connect to the grid, telling the D.C. Circuit studies of the project's impacts were sound.

  • May 08, 2025

    Ala. Legislature OKs TCJA Research Expense Decoupling

    Alabama would decouple from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by allowing research expenses to be deducted from a taxpayer's income under a bill sent to the governor. 

  • May 08, 2025

    Tenn. Hotel Operators To Stop Collecting Tax After 30 Days

    Tennessee will require hotel operators to stop collecting occupancy taxes from people who stay for more than 30 days under a bill signed by the governor.

  • May 08, 2025

    Trump Replaces Martin With Pirro As US Atty Pick

    President Donald Trump said Thursday he would withdraw the nomination of Ed Martin for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, replacing him with former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.

  • May 08, 2025

    Wash. Justices Uphold Ban On Large-Capacity Gun Magazines

    The Washington State Supreme Court on Thursday said that a state law banning the sale of large-capacity magazines for firearms was constitutional, in an opinion that said the law was not in conflict with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings expanding gun rights.

  • May 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Suggests Sidelining Peers To Curb Injunctions

    With the U.S. Supreme Court set for a seminal showdown over nationwide injunctions, observers are advocating wide-ranging outcomes, and a Ninth Circuit judge entered the fray Wednesday by proposing that district judges be blackballed for blatant overreach or perceived bias.

  • May 07, 2025

    Judge Seeks Details On U.S.-El Salvador Detainee Deal

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday said the Trump administration would have to turn over more information about its arrangement with El Salvador to imprison alleged Venezuelan gang members deported under the Alien Enemies Act, as he considers whether they should be returned to the United States.

  • May 07, 2025

    Fla. City Residents' Suit Over Corroded Water Pipes Revived

    A Florida state appellate court on Wednesday reinstated a proposed class action alleging negligence against the city of Miramar and a consultant over improperly treated tap water that led to damaged pipes in homes, saying the complaint sufficiently claimed the city assumed a duty to make sure water wasn't corrosive.

  • May 07, 2025

    HUD Blocked From Withholding Grants Over DEI Policies

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from forcing New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle's county to adhere to policies against diversity, equity and inclusion or risk losing federal funds for homeless services, saying the strings attached are likely unconstitutional.

  • May 07, 2025

    Calif. Tribe Says State's Overcharges Void Gaming Compact

    A California tribe is asking a federal court to declare that its gaming compact is unenforceable, arguing that it has paid millions more into special funding programs than the state's actual annual cost of regulating its Class III gaming operations.

  • May 07, 2025

    Texas AG Warns Chinese Cos. To Get In Step With Privacy Law

    The Texas attorney general has informed Alibaba, CapCut, TP-Link and several other companies with ties to the Chinese government that they have 30 days to remedy alleged violations of the state's comprehensive data privacy law or face "additional legal action," marking the latest escalation of the agency's privacy enforcement efforts.

  • May 07, 2025

    USPTO Official Says 13% Of APJs Have Left Under Trump

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has lost about 30 administrative patent judges and 20 staff members as the Trump administration is providing incentives to leave the government, Chief Administrative Patent Judge Scott Boalick said Wednesday.

  • May 07, 2025

    Senate Backs Bid To Scrap Biden-Era OCC Bank Merger Rule

    Senators voted Wednesday to repeal the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's Biden-era revamp of its bank merger review standards, advancing an effort to undo a rule that banks criticized as creating more complication and uncertainty for their deals.

  • May 07, 2025

    Google Is 'What's Best' For Users, Apple Exec Tells Judge

    A top Apple executive forcibly defended the company's pick for its default search engine Wednesday, telling a D.C. federal judge that Google is the only real option, as the U.S. Justice Department looks to ban Google from paying the iPhone maker and others for default search engine placement.

  • May 07, 2025

    Illinois Seeks Exit From Suit Over Demographic Data Law

    Illinois asked a federal judge to toss a lawsuit brought by a group called the American Alliance for Equal Rights that seeks to block the state from enforcing a law requiring nonprofits to publicize their demographic data, saying the organization has no standing to bring the claims.

  • May 07, 2025

    Patent Examiners Tell GAO Quantity Beats Quality

    Patent examiners at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office feel like they're pressured to sacrifice patent quality in the interest of getting more patents out the door, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Wednesday exploring what it called "persistent examination and quality challenges" at the agency.

  • May 07, 2025

    Texas Bill May Limit Full Redress For Personal Injury Victims

    A Texas bill aimed at reining in allegedly excessive jury awards granted to personal injury victims would be a boon for insurance companies, but it may threaten victims' ability to get full compensation for the consequences of another party's negligence.

  • May 07, 2025

    GSA Launches Website For Overhaul Of Federal Procurements

    The General Services Administration has launched a new web page dedicated to the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, which is the main set of rules used to govern federal acquisitions.

  • May 07, 2025

    Feds Seek Ax Of Haiti, Venezuela TPS Vacatur Challenge

    The Trump administration has called on a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss litigation brought by immigrants from Haiti and Venezuela seeking to block the government from vacating their temporary protected status, saying the court lacks jurisdiction over their claims.

  • May 07, 2025

    DOJ, FTC Seek Public Input On Live Event Ticketing Abuses

    The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday they are seeking input from the public about potential abuses in the live ticketing industry, which comes after President Donald Trump's March executive order that looks to enforce "transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process."

  • May 07, 2025

    OCC Affirms Banks' Crypto Custody, Execution Capabilities

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Wednesday made clear that banks can buy and sell crypto on behalf of their customers and outsource custody services to third parties, reaffirming a stance the regulator first took in 2020.

  • May 07, 2025

    Philips Presses For 'Certainty' On Next-Gen TV Transition

    Electronics giant Philips is backing the National Association of Broadcasters' proposed timeline for stations to move to "NextGen TV," telling the Federal Communications Commission in a new filing that clear government action is needed to "shepherd the broadcast and consumer electronics industries towards a successful transition."

  • May 07, 2025

    Southwest Says Union Deal Makes Sick Leave Suit Irrelevant

    Southwest Airlines said Tuesday that a suit challenging its sick leave settlement with Colorado is moot because a recent collective bargaining agreement between the airline and its workers in the state already applies a 2020 law.

Expert Analysis

  • Know The Rules And Costs Of New Fla. Condo Inspection Law

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    Following the first report deadline for a structural integrity law meant to prevent disasters like the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida condominium associations and unit owners should understand the process of conducting compliant inspections and anticipate new assessments to fund required maintenance, say attorneys at Ball Janik.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

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    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • SEC Confidential Review Process Provides Issuers Flexibility

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently announced enhancements to the process for confidentially submitting draft registration statements will be immediately impactful for issuers seeking to access the public capital markets, and should provide more grounds to explore and plan public offerings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Pending FCPA Trials Suggest About DOJ Priorities

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order in February instructing the U.S. Department of Justice to temporarily pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, developments surrounding five FCPA cases already set for trial provide a glimpse into how the DOJ is attempting to navigate the situation at hand, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Measuring And Mitigating Harm From Discriminatory Taxes

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    In response to new tariffs and other recent "America First Trade Policy" pronouncements, corporations should assess and take steps to minimize their potential exposure to discriminatory and reciprocal tax measures that are likely to come, say economists at Charles River Associates.

  • How Del. Law Rework Limits Corporate Records Requests

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    Newly enacted amendments to a section of the Delaware General Corporation Law that allows stockholders and beneficial owners to demand inspection of Delaware corporations' books and records likely curtails the scope of such inspections and aids defendants in framing motions to dismiss at the pleading stage, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

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    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • Inside State AGs' Arguments Defending The CFPB

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    Recent amicus briefs filed by a coalition of 23 attorneys general argue that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will irreparably harm consumers in several key areas, making clear that states are preparing to fill in any enforcement gaps, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Alien Enemies Act Case Could Reshape Executive Power

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    President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals raises fundamental questions about statutory interpretation, executive power and constitutional structure, which now lay on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • HHS Directive Could Overhaul Food Ingredient Safety Rules

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    If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eliminates the self-affirmed pathway that allows food ingredients to be used without premarket approval, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' directive, it would be a sea change for the food industry and the food-contact material industry, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • How The ESG Investing Rule Survived Loper Bright, For Now

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in Utah v. Micone upholding the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 ESG investing rule highlights how regulations can withstand the post-Loper Bright landscape when an agency's interpretation of its statutorily determined boundaries is not granted deference, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

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    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • Will Trump Order On Transgender Women In Sports Survive?

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    Attorneys at Venable consider whether President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender women from women's sports will survive legal challenges, and if it does, how federal agencies will enforce it.

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