Public Policy

  • July 22, 2025

    DC Circ. Puts Fired FTC Dem's Restoration On Ice, For Now

    One of the Federal Trade Commission Democrats who was removed from the agency before her term was up by the Trump administration will not be returning to her seat just yet after the D.C. Circuit agreed to put the order mandating her return to work on hold.

  • July 22, 2025

    Bid Protest Experts Push For Focus On Data, Debriefings

    Bid protest experts told lawmakers Tuesday that they should focus on collecting more data on the federal procurement process and expanding the use of enhanced post-award debriefing procedures to civilian agencies, rather than penalizing companies that file frivolous bid protests.

  • July 22, 2025

    US Olympic Officials Ban Trans Women, Comply With Trump

    The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has banned transgender women from competition in Olympic women's sports, adding a clause to its policy that otherwise protects athletes from abuse but now also complies with President Donald Trump's executive order.

  • July 22, 2025

    Fair Use Carveout Applies To Med Device Repairs, Judge Says

    A D.C. federal judge has shot down two industry groups' challenge to a rule that placed medical device diagnostic procedures and repairs under fair use copyright exceptions, saying all of their challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act were unpersuasive.

  • July 22, 2025

    Power Cos., PJM Back FERC Auction Rerun Decision

    Power producers and PJM Interconnection LLC told the D.C. Circuit Monday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was right to let PJM rerun an electricity capacity auction with an inflated reliability requirement after the Third Circuit ruled changes to it were retroactive ratemaking.

  • July 22, 2025

    Pa. High Court Says Expunged DUI Still Counts As An Offense

    Pennsylvania's highest court ruled Tuesday that the state can count a charge for driving under the influence that was expunged following a diversion program as a prior offense for the purpose of suspending a man's driver's license after he committed another DUI offense.

  • July 22, 2025

    Feds Tell 9th Circ. That Judge Misread Trump's Sanctuary Orders

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Ninth Circuit on Monday that a district court's injunction blocking the Trump administration from withholding federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco rests on the court's misunderstanding of President Donald Trump's executive orders.

  • July 22, 2025

    Divided 3rd Circ. Backs ICE Detention Contracts In NJ

    A split Third Circuit panel on Tuesday backed a lower court's decision invalidating a New Jersey state law barring detention centers from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ruling that the law directly regulates the federal government.

  • July 22, 2025

    ND Fights Tribes' High Court Bid To Stay Voting Rights Order

    North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe urged U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to deny a bid by two North Dakota tribes to pause an Eighth Circuit decision that vacated their challenge to two state voting laws, arguing the tribes have not established a likelihood of reversal.

  • July 22, 2025

    Humana Asks Texas Court To Void 2025 Medicare Ratings

    Humana Inc. has asked a Texas court to vacate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' 2025 star ratings for certain Medicare plans, writing that the evaluation rules "are dizzyingly complex" and unfairly resulted in a lower rating for its plan.

  • July 22, 2025

    Civil Rights Org. Backs 2nd Suit Over Tariffs, In Texas

    The New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing two businesses and a trade association in Texas federal court in a suit filed on Monday against the federal government — the second suit the alliance has taken on to fight President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs.

  • July 22, 2025

    Trump Announces Framework For Indonesia Trade Deal

    Indonesian goods entering the U.S. will face a 19% tariff beginning Aug. 1 as U.S. exports will benefit from a series of tariff reductions and removal of certain trade barriers by Indonesia, according to new details President Donald Trump announced for a trade deal between the two countries Tuesday on Truth Social.

  • July 22, 2025

    Mo. High Court Says Counties Can't Tax Pot In Certain Areas

    Counties can't add their own taxes on sales of adult-use cannabis in incorporated areas such as cities that impose their own tax, Missouri's highest court said Tuesday, reversing a lower court decision that upheld the county taxes.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ohio Justices Accept AG's Bid To Limit Care For Trans Youths

    The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to review an appeals court's finding that portions of a state law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youths are unconstitutional. 

  • July 22, 2025

    Discovery To Continue In Colo. Class Suit Over Seized Property

    A Colorado federal judge on Tuesday ruled that discovery will continue in a proposed class action alleging the Colorado state treasurer unconstitutionally seized and sold their property, regardless of a pending motion to dismiss the case.

  • July 22, 2025

    Amazon Pushes Back On FTC's Trial Time Extension Bid

    Amazon has urged a Washington federal court to reject the Federal Trade Commission's bid to extend the agency's trial time in a lawsuit over automatically recurring Prime subscriptions, calling the proposal both unfair and baseless.

  • July 22, 2025

    Quantum Wants FTC To Lift Order On $5.2B Natural Gas Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is asking for public feedback on a Quantum Energy Partners petition aiming to set aside a consent order the agency entered over a $5.2 billion deal that EQT Corp. struck with Quantum for oil and gas assets in Appalachia.

  • July 22, 2025

    Lawmakers Consider Case Of Would-Be Donor's 'Signs Of Life'

    The nation's organ transplant system is again under the microscope of federal lawmakers after a federal investigation found that a Kentucky organ procurement organization moved forward with the transplant process despite the patient showing "signs of life."

  • July 22, 2025

    4th Circ. Lets End Of Afghan Protected Status Move Forward

    The Fourth Circuit has lifted an administrative stay blocking the Trump administration's attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for Afghans and Cameroonians, allowing those efforts to move forward while the litigation proceeds.

  • July 22, 2025

    House Panel Knocks EBSA Sharing Info With Workers' Attys

    House lawmakers on Tuesday criticized the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits subagency for sharing information from enforcement investigations with plaintiffs attorneys representing benefit plan participants, with some lawmakers calling on Congress to pass new legislation to curb the practice.

  • July 22, 2025

    Gogo Worries 900 MHz Redo Could Disrupt In-Flight Receivers

    In-flight communications provider Gogo told the Federal Communications Commission that a plan advanced early this year to rework two bands of 900 megahertz airwaves could disrupt its air-to-ground receivers that use an adjacent band.

  • July 22, 2025

    USPTO Employee Held In China Amid Visa Disclosure Dispute

    The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it is speaking with Chinese government officials about a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office employee who is being prevented from leaving the country.

  • July 22, 2025

    Mich. Court Changes Course To Uphold Terrorist Threat Law

    A Michigan law that criminalizes terrorism threats is constitutional, a state appellate panel has ruled, marking a reversal months after the law was struck down in a case involving a social media message threatening a school shooting.

  • July 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Gun Club's Bid For Permitting Cost Coverage

    An insurer for a Washington shooting club had no duty to cover roughly $400,000 in costs to secure proper site development permits after county officials won a public nuisance lawsuit against the club, the Ninth Circuit ruled, finding the club can't be covered for its deliberate actions.

  • July 22, 2025

    FCC Urged To Exempt Private Networks In Foreign Owner Rule

    Private networks that offer public safety and industrial communications shouldn't be required to fill out new paperwork saying they aren't under the thumb of foreign adversaries, a nonprofit group told the Federal Communications Commission.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Navigating Antitrust Risks When Responding To Tariffs

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    Companies should assess competitive perils, implement compliance safeguards and document independent decision-making as they consider their responses to recent tariff pressures, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • Breaking Down Part 3 Of The Copyright Office's AI Report

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    On May 9, the U.S. Copyright Office published a prepublication version of the third and final part of its three-part report on artificial intelligence, offering key insights on the unauthorized use of copyrighted material by AI systems, says Courtney Sarnow at CM Law.

  • 8 Insurer Takeaways From Sweeping Georgia Tort Reform

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    Insurers should take note of several critical components of Georgia's tort litigation overhaul — including limitations on damages anchoring, procedural rules governing dismissals, and liability standards in negligent security cases — and adapt claims-handling strategies to reduce litigation risk, says Lucy Aquino at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting

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    A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    FCPA Shift Is A Good Start, But There's More DOJ Should Do

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines bring a needed course correction amid overexpansive enforcement, but there’s more the DOJ can do to provide additional clarity and predictability for global companies, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    IRS Should Work With Industry On Microcaptive Regs

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    The IRS should engage with microcaptive insurance owners to develop better regulations on these arrangements or risk the emergence of common law guidance as taxpayers with legitimate programs seek relief in the federal courts, says Dustin Carlson at SRA 831(b) Admin.

  • How Providers Can Brace For Drug Pricing Policy Changes

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    Though it's uncertain which provisions of the Trump administration's executive order aimed at addressing prescription drug costs will eventually be implemented, stakeholders can reduce potential negative outcomes by understanding pathways that could be used to effectuate the order's directives, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Comparing New Neural Data Privacy Laws In 4 States

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    Although no federal law yet addresses neural privacy comprehensively, the combined effect of recent state laws in Colorado, California, Montana and Connecticut is already shaping the regulatory future, but a multistate compliance strategy has quickly become a gating item for those experimenting with neuro-enabled workplace tools, says Kristen Mathews at Cooley.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

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    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Debunking 4 Misconceptions Around Texas' IV Therapy Law

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    Despite industry confusion, an IV therapy law enacted in Texas last week may actually be the most business-friendly regulatory development the medical spa industry has seen in recent years, says Keith Lefkowitz at Hendershot Cowart.

  • A Pattern Emerges In Justices' Evaluation Of Veteran Statute

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    The recent Soto v. U.S. decision that the statute of limitations for certain military-related claims does not apply to combat-related special compensation exemplifies the U.S. Supreme Court's view, emerging in two other recent opinions, that it is a reviewing court's obligation to determine the best interpretation of the language used by Congress, says attorney Kenneth Carpenter.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Psychedelic Treatment Regs May Be At A Tipping Point

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    Recent scientific and public attention suggest that development of psychedelics as treatment for some conditions may be at a tipping point, which could bring on more rapid change and opportunities for stakeholders who may in the future benefit from greater access to safe and effective psychedelic medicines, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

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