Public Policy

  • August 20, 2025

    'Door To Tyranny' Ajar In Pot Smell Appeal, NC Justices Told

    A man appealing his conviction for unlawful firearm possession told North Carolina's highest court this week that state law enforcement entities were attempting to erode the separation of powers by inserting themselves into his case.

  • August 20, 2025

    Feds Lose Bid To Seal In Vax Patent Case Against Moderna

    The U.S. government has failed to show why names and contact information of certain U.S. Department of the Army employees should be hidden in an mRNA vaccine developer's $5 billion patent suit over Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines, a federal judge has found.

  • August 20, 2025

    Atlanta Ignores Sex Assault Claims Against Cops, Court Told

    A Georgia woman and her teenage daughter who was raped by an Atlanta police officer have told a federal judge that the city doesn't get to dodge their suit, arguing they've claimed in "exhaustive factual detail" how it routinely lets sexual misconduct slide among its officers.

  • August 20, 2025

    DC Circ. Upholds Crow Tribe Water Rights Suit Dismissal

    A D.C. Circuit Court panel won't overturn a decision dismissing a suit that looked to nullify a Montana water rights settlement, saying a 2010 law ratifying the agreement doesn't specify which tribal member can greenlight a deadline extension for publication of the agreement's statement of findings.

  • August 20, 2025

    Texas AG Threatens Suit Over Orgs. Mailing Abortion Pills

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent cease-and-desist letters to three organizations he's accused of shipping abortion drugs to women in the state in violation of state and federal laws.

  • August 20, 2025

    Florida Panel Revives Suit Over Gun Store Zoning Restriction

    A Florida appellate panel on Wednesday issued a split decision reviving a state court lawsuit brought by a gun retailer alleging state law preempts a city zoning ordinance allegedly meant to restrict firearm sales, ruling there's a fact issue that must be decided by a jury. 

  • August 20, 2025

    'Amen': Judge Puts Texas Ten Commandments Law On Hold

    A Texas federal court on Wednesday temporarily blocked a state law requiring public schools to post a copy of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, saying the law likely violates the Constitution.

  • August 20, 2025

    Google To Pay $35M For Australian Search Antitrust Violations

    Google has agreed to pay $55 million to settle antitrust claims brought by Australia's competition regulator over deals to preinstall its search engine on Australian phones.

  • August 20, 2025

    Device Co. Pans FTC's Resistance To $945M Heart Valve Deal

    Edwards Lifesciences Corp. is defending its planned $945 million purchase of JenaValve Technology Inc., telling the Federal Trade Commission the deal is the best way to bring a new lifesaving treatment for a heart valve disorder to the market.

  • August 20, 2025

    Crypto Groups Resist Banks' Stablecoin 'Loophole' Claims

    Cryptocurrency groups have told U.S. Senate lawmakers that banking industry groups are attempting to relitigate issues put to rest with a recently enacted federal law to regulate stablecoins, arguing that the banking groups' proposals to use separate, pending legislation to close alleged "loopholes" would disadvantage the crypto sector.

  • August 20, 2025

    Ark. Woman Gets Probation After Looting Native Burial Site

    An Arkansas woman was sentenced to four years of probation after the U.S. Department of Justice said she excavated a Native American archeological site in the Ozark Mountains and took human remains and Indigenous artifacts.

  • August 20, 2025

    11th Circ. Revives Cannabis Users' 2nd Amendment Challenge

    The Eleventh Circuit said Wednesday that a federal law disarming medical cannabis users likely ran afoul of the Second Amendment because it was inconsistent with the nation's history of gun regulation.

  • August 20, 2025

    In Illinois, Public Defender Welcomes Sea Change In Structure

    Illinois is set to receive the first overhaul of its public defense system in 75 years, and Champaign County Chief Public Defender Elisabeth Pollock is "very much looking forward" to it, she told Law360.

  • August 20, 2025

    Chemours Says Injunction Appeal Warrants Stay Of CWA Suit

    Chemours urged a federal judge to pause a Clean Water Act suit while it appeals a preliminary injunction ordering it to stop its Washington Works plant from discharging excessive amounts of a "forever chemical" into the Ohio River.

  • August 20, 2025

    Commerce Floats 200% Duty On Chinese Plastic Bins, Totes

    The U.S. Department of Commerce preliminarily determined that imported polypropylene corrugated boxes from China could be subject to countervailing duties of up to nearly 200%, according to a notice published Wednesday. 

  • August 20, 2025

    NY Town To Expedite Mosque Approvals In Land-Use Deal

    The town of Oyster Bay, New York, has settled a mosque's claims that the town amended its parking laws in a targeted attempt to thwart redevelopment efforts, agreeing to oversee the quick approval of the mosque's application and to amend the underlying parking ordinance.

  • August 20, 2025

    DOJ's Suit Over Ill. E-Verify Restrictions Gets Tossed

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday denied a bid by the U.S. Department of Justice to block provisions of a recently amended Illinois law restricting the use of systems such as E-Verify to check prospective workers' employment eligibility and dismissed the case outright, calling the DOJ's interpretation of the relevant preemption clause "broad to the point of absurdity."

  • August 20, 2025

    FCC Denies Carrier's Bid To Avoid Rural Fund Clawback

    The Federal Communications Commission denied a Midwest broadband provider's request to waive a $24 million penalty for defaulting on its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund commitments, saying the company's due diligence was inadequate when it decided to pursue fund money for buildouts in areas that were already served by others.

  • August 20, 2025

    ​​​​​​​Farmworkers Union Can't Halt Latest Prevailing Wages Survey

    A farmworkers union cannot halt the U.S. Department of Labor from replacing 2020 prevailing wages with 2022 wage-survey results, a Washington federal judge ruled, saying the alleged harm is self-inflicted because the later wages were published following the union's actions.

  • August 20, 2025

    Mich. Legislature Mulls Reinstating Premises Liability Defense

    Michigan state lawmakers heard testimony on Wednesday on a bill that would bring back a defense to slip-and-fall claims that the Michigan Supreme Court recently scrapped, as business groups said insurance premiums and litigation costs have risen in the wake of the high court ruling.

  • August 20, 2025

    Insurers Say Gov't Misusing FCA To Get Medicare Cost Cap

    Insurers accused of paying brokers to steer customers to their Medicare Advantage plans asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a False Claims Act lawsuit, saying the government is mischaracterizing legal payments for marketing as kickbacks in an attempt to impose caps it has thus far been unable to obtain.

  • August 20, 2025

    Trump Says Fed's Cook 'Must Resign' Amid Loan Fraud Claim

    President Donald Trump's Federal Housing Finance Agency chief on Wednesday accused Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook of potential mortgage fraud and said he has referred the matter to federal prosecutors, prompting Trump to call for Cook's immediate resignation — a call she has rejected.

  • August 19, 2025

    CFPB Ends 'Biased' Investigation Of Gun-Financing Fintech

    Credova, a fintech firm specializing in buy-now, pay-later financing for firearms and outdoor recreational goods purchases, is no longer facing what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now says was a "politically motivated" investigation on its part, the firm's parent company announced Tuesday.

  • August 19, 2025

    Advocacy Groups Ask Judge To Stall Texas Redistricting Plan

    Multiple voting rights advocacy organizations asked a Texas federal judge to hear their case for a court order aimed at stalling the Texas Legislature's controversial redistricting plan, saying the proposed plan blatantly violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • August 19, 2025

    Chamber Scorns Bid To Unseal FTC's Dropped Pepsi Complaint

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has asked a New York federal judge to deny an advocacy group's request to unseal the Federal Trade Commission's abandoned price discrimination case against Pepsi, saying it would reveal "confidential investigatory material that courts routinely keep under seal."

Expert Analysis

  • How To Increase 3rd-Party Preissuance Patent Submissions

    Author Photo

    Attorneys Marian Underweiser and Marc Ehrlich, who helped draft the America Invents Act, discuss changes that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office could potentially implement to facilitate its hopes for increased participation in front-end patent challenges.

  • How Cos. In China Can Tailor Compliance Amid FCPA Shifts

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently updated Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement guidelines create a fluid business environment for companies operating in China that will require a customized compliance approach to navigate both countries’ corporate and legal systems, say attorneys at Dickinson Wright.

  • 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Open Banking Is On Ice As CFPB Seeks To Toss Its Own Rule

    Author Photo

    Even as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's efforts to toss its open banking rule play out in Kentucky federal court, it remains statutorily required to effectuate consumer access to data, raising questions about how it would replace the previously finalized standard, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • SEC, FINRA Obligations In Changing AI Regulatory Landscape

    Author Photo

    Despite the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent withdrawal of its proposed artificial intelligence conflict rules, financial regulators remain focused on firms developing the correct AI compliance framework, as well as continuously testing and supervising them to ensure they're fit for purpose, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Trump Air Emissions Carveouts Cloud The Regulatory Picture

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump's new proclamations temporarily exempting key U.S. industries from air toxics standards, issued under a narrow, rarely-used provision of the Clean Air Act, will likely lead to legal challenges and tighter standards in some states, contributing to further regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • Opinion

    DOJ's HPE-Juniper Settlement Will Help US Compete

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice settlement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise clears the purchase of Juniper Networks in a deal that positions the U.S. as a leader in secure, scalable networking and critical digital infrastructure by requiring the divestiture of a WiFi network business geared toward small firms, says John Shu at Taipei Medical University.

  • How Property Insurers Serve As Climate Change Harbingers

    Author Photo

    Thomas Dawson at McDermott discusses the role that U.S. property insurers may play in identifying and assessing climate risk, as well as in financing climate change adaptation projects, in light of global warming and shifting geopolitical realities.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Assessing Impact Of USPTO's New Patent Policies

    Author Photo

    Recent data shows how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new patent policies are affecting America Invents Act trial institution rates, including spurring an uptick in discretionary denials, say attorneys at Armond Wilson.

  • What US Medicine Onshoring Means For Indian Life Sciences

    Author Photo

    Despite the Trump administration's latest moves to onshore essential medicine manufacturing, India will likely remain an indispensable component of the U.S. drug supply chain, but Indian manufacturers should prepare for stricter compliance checks, says Jashaswi Ghosh at Holon Law Partners.

  • APA Relief May Blunt Justices' Universal Injunction Ruling

    Author Photo

    The Administrative Procedure Act’s avenue for universal preliminary relief seems to hold the most promise for neutralizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA to limit federal district courts' nationally applicable orders, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • Wells Fargo Suit Shows Consumer Protection Limits In Mass.

    Author Photo

    The Massachusetts Appeals Court's May decision in Wells Fargo Bank v. Coulsey underscores that consumer rights are balanced against the need for closure, and even the broad protections of state consumer protection law will not open the door to relitigating the same claims, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Series

    Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

    Author Photo

    Ohio's financial services sector saw several significant developments in the second quarter of 2025, including a case that confirmed credit unions' setoff rights, another that established contract rights between banks and cardholders, and the House passage of a digital asset bill, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Building Better Earnouts In The Current M&A Climate

    Author Photo

    In the face of market uncertainty, we've seen a continued reliance on earnouts in M&A deals so far this year, but to reduce the risk of related litigation, it's important to use objective standards, apply company metrics cautiously and ensure short time periods, among other best practices, say attorneys at White & Case.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.