Public Policy

  • September 10, 2025

    FTA Probes Charlotte Transit After Fatal Light Rail Stabbing

    The Federal Transit Administration has launched itself into the foray surrounding the stabbing death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a city light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina, announcing on Wednesday that it is investigating the city transit system's compliance with federal safety regulations.

  • September 10, 2025

    Longtime Mich. Resident In ICE Custody Gets Bond Hearing

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to give a longtime resident a bond hearing or release him from detention within seven days, finding the government has been inappropriately keeping him in custody under a section of law that applies to those trying to enter at the border.

  • September 10, 2025

    FERC Urged To Drop 'Ill-Conceived' Pipeline Review Updates

    Gas industry groups urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to accept Secretary of Energy Chris Wright's request to scrap plans for greater environmental reviews for pipeline approvals, agreeing that they exceed FERC's authority and undermine regulatory certainty.

  • September 10, 2025

    BLM Says It Will Rescind Biden-Era Land Conservation Rule

    The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday said it will roll back the Biden administration's Public Lands Rule, which the agency says improperly prioritizes land conservation over uses like energy development and livestock grazing.

  • September 10, 2025

    Texas Justices Wary Of Shifting Franchise Tax Calculation

    The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday pushed an energy company to explain why the Texas tax code would make it eligible for a refund for bunker oil sold in the Lone Star State, asking where it should look in the law to create a "destination test" for state franchise taxes.

  • September 10, 2025

    P. Scott Neville Jr. Named Chief Justice Of Ill. Supreme Court

    Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. has been selected to become the next chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, the high court announced Tuesday, calling him a "lifelong champion for equal justice."

  • September 10, 2025

    Trump To Take Fed Gov. Cook's Removal Case To DC Circ.

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a Washington, D.C., federal judge that the government will appeal the judge's decision granting a temporary win to Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook in her challenge to the president's attempt to remove her from her position.

  • September 10, 2025

    Trump's Pick For Fed Board Seat Moves Ahead To Full Senate

    The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday endorsed President Donald Trump's bid to install Stephen Miran, a top White House economist, at the Federal Reserve, advancing his nomination over Democratic objections that he would be a Trump loyalist rather than an independent central banker.

  • September 10, 2025

    Colo. Gov. Urges Extension Of Fed. Enhanced Premium Credit

    Congress should act to preserve the tax credit that subsidizes individual market health plans, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told the state's congressional delegation, warning of significant premium increases if the credit is allowed to expire after this year.

  • September 10, 2025

    Cruz Fights NDAA's Pentagon 'Veto' Of Commercial Spectrum

    Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday he's pushing to remove a draft provision in this year's defense policy bill that he says would allow the U.S. Department of Defense to effectively "veto" certain allocations of military-held spectrum to the private sector.

  • September 10, 2025

    Fired FBI Officials Claim 'Campaign Of Retribution' In New Suit

    Three former senior FBI officials sued the Trump administration in D.C. federal court on Wednesday, accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of politicizing the agency and firing them as part of a "campaign of retribution" in a bid to keep his own job.

  • September 10, 2025

    Wis. Judicial Commission Sued Over Confidentiality Rules

    Two conservative groups have sued the Wisconsin Judicial Commission over its policy of keeping all judicial misconduct complaints strictly confidential, claiming the policy violates the First Amendment and has stymied discussion of a complaint against a sitting state judge.

  • September 10, 2025

    NC Justices Debate 2-Second Reaction Time In Crash Suit

    The North Carolina Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with whether two seconds was enough time for a town utility worker to both register and react to the fact that he was about to hit a pedestrian with his work truck.

  • September 10, 2025

    SEC Taps Gibson Atty To Head Corporation Finance Division

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday named the co-chair of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP's securities regulation practice as the new leader of its Division of Corporation Finance, which is responsible for writing rules and providing guidance to publicly traded companies on shareholder disclosure matters, among other things.

  • September 10, 2025

    Ore. County Failed To Tell Biz It Lost Tax Break, Court Says

    An Oregon meat processor was justified in failing to timely appeal property assessments because it was never notified in writing by a county assessor of its exclusion from an enterprise zone tax incentive program, the state tax court ruled.

  • September 10, 2025

    Mass. Justices Reject Former State Senator's Immunity Claim

    Massachusetts' highest court ruled Wednesday that a former state senator is not immune from prosecution for using his State House staff to work on his reelection campaigns in 2018 and 2020.

  • September 10, 2025

    AT&T Gave Prosecutor's Data To Trump-Tied Attys, Suit Says

    Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor who exited the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump after his romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was revealed, has accused AT&T of unlawfully releasing "breathtaking" amounts of his personal cellphone data to defendants in the case.

  • September 10, 2025

    NTIA Poised To Release First Spectrum Under New Budget Act

    The Trump administration said Wednesday it will make a chunk of spectrum used for weather monitoring available for commercial use, the first such transfer of the airwaves since Congress passed this summer's sweeping budget package.

  • September 10, 2025

    DC Circ. Temporarily Reinstates Copyright Head After Firing

    The fired head of the U.S. Copyright Office has regained her position for the time being after a split D.C. Circuit faulted a lower court's analysis of whether she would be harmed if she didn't get her job back while fighting the Trump administration's dismissal of her.

  • September 09, 2025

    Fed Reserve Gov. Cook Wins Removal Reprieve For Now

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, for now, can stay on the Fed's board while she challenges President Donald Trump's attempt to strip her of her position, a D.C. federal judge ruled late Tuesday, saying Cook has "made a strong showing" that her purported removal was likely illegal.

  • September 09, 2025

    Conservative Groups Warn Against Value-Based 'Patent Tax'

    More than three dozen conservative groups Tuesday urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to refrain from considering charging patent owners a novel "patent tax" based on the value of their patents, warning that such a levy would harm innovation in the U.S., especially for emerging technologies.

  • September 09, 2025

    4th Circ. Debates Whether 'Silence' In 340B Empowers States

    Two states told a Fourth Circuit panel on Tuesday that "silence" in the law governing the federal government's drug discount program permits state enforcers to step in and regulate the delivery of those drugs to their communities.

  • September 09, 2025

    Calif. AG Sues Over 'Uninhabitable,' 'Inhumane' LA Jails

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over the "inhumane" and "uninhabitable" conditions at county jails, pointing to an increase in in-custody deaths and facilities that allegedly lack adequate plumbing, sanitation and temperature control.

  • September 09, 2025

    DOD's Cybersecurity Rule May Help Fend Off FCA Claims

    The U.S. Department of Defense's requirement for certain contractors to have a third-party assessor review their cybersecurity compliance, implemented in a final rule Tuesday, could help contractors protect themselves from False Claims Act enforcement.

  • September 09, 2025

    DC Circ. Talks 'Hypos' On Maritime Refusal To Deal Challenge

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether a rule that the Federal Maritime Commission passed to deal with COVID-19 supply line shortages allows the agency to engage in illegal rate-setting after spending part of its morning hammering the parties with hypotheticals.

Expert Analysis

  • 2 Calif. Cases Could Reshape Future Of Trap-And-Trace Suits

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    A California federal judge's recent dismissal of two California Invasion of Privacy Act cases demonstrates an inherent contradiction in pen register and trap-and-trace claims, teeing up a Ninth Circuit appeal that could either breathe new life into such claims or put an end to them outright, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.

  • How FDIC Appeals Plan Squares With Fed, OCC Processes

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to revise its appeals process merits a fresh comparison to the appeals systems of the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and would provide institutions with greater transparency and independence, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • New Tax Rules Complicate M&A Golden Parachute Planning

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    Deal teams should evaluate the effect of a recent seemingly technical change to U.S. international tax law on the golden parachute analysis that often plays a critical part of many corporate transactions to avoid underestimating its impact on an acquirer's worldwide taxable income following a triggering transaction, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Debut Of Atkins' 'New Day'

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's regulatory flex agenda, published last week, demonstrates a clear return to appropriately tailored and mission-focused rulemaking, with potential new rules applicable to brokers, exchanges and trading, among others, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Restored Charging Project Funds Revive Hope For EV Market

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    While 2025 began with a host of government actions that prompted some to predict the demise of the U.S. electric vehicle market, the Trump administration's recent restoration of federal funding for EV charging infrastructure under new terms presents market participants with reason for optimism, says Levi McAllister at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Adapting To The Age Of AI

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    Though law school may not have specifically taught us how to use generative artificial intelligence to help with our daily legal tasks, it did provide us the mental building blocks necessary for adapting to this new technology — and the judgment to discern what shouldn’t be automated, says Pamela Dorian at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Voiding $2M Litigation Funding Sends A Warning

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    A recent Texas bankruptcy court decision that a postconfirmation litigation trust has no obligations to repay a completely drawn down $2 million litigation funding agreement serves as a warning for estate administrators and funders to properly disclose the intended financing, say attorneys at Kleinberg Kaplan.

  • A Changing Playbook For Fighting Records Requests In Del.

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in Wong v. Amazon, reversing the denial of an inspection demand brought by a stockholder, serves as a stark warning to corporations challenging books and records requests, making clear that companies cannot defeat such demands solely by attacking the scope of their stated purpose, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Tesla Verdict May Set New Liability Benchmarks For AV Suits

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    The recent jury verdict in Benavides v. Tesla is notable not only for a massive payout — including $200 million in punitive damages — but because it apportions fault between the company's self-driving technology and the driver, inviting more scrutiny of automated vehicle marketing and technology, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.

  • Insuring Against FCA Risk In Shifting Trade Landscape

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    In today's heightened trade enforcement environment, companies should proactively assess whether their insurance programs are positioned to respond to potential False Claims Act or customs-related claims, including reviewing directors and officers, professional liability, and representations and warranties policies for key terms, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • What To Expect As Trump's 401(k) Order Materializes

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    Following the Trump administration’s recent executive order on 401(k) plan investments in alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and real estate, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will need to answer several outstanding questions before any regulatory changes are implemented, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Demystifying The Civil Procedure Rules Amendment Process

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    Every year, an advisory committee receives dozens of proposals to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, most of which are never adopted — but a few pointers can help maximize the likelihood that an amendment will be adopted, says Josh Gardner at DLA Piper.

  • RI Menopause Law Brings New Considerations For Employers

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    Rhode Island becoming the first state to provide express antidiscrimination and accommodation protections for employees' menopause-related conditions may be a bellwether for similar protections in other jurisdictions, so employers should consider that while such benefits may improve recruitment and retention, complications may arise from voluntarily adding them, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • A Foreign Currency Breach Won't Always Sink EB-5 Cases

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    Recent court decisions show that, while EB-5 investors must be able to show the lawfulness of their funds and methods of transfer, a third-party currency exchanger's violation of another country’s currency export control law does not, by itself, taint the funds for purposes of U.S. investment, says Jun Li at Reid & Wise.

  • How The 5th, DC Circuits Agreed On FCC Forfeiture Orders

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    The Fifth and D.C. Circuits split this year on the Federal Communications Commission's process for adjudicating enforcement actions, but both implicitly recognized the problem with penalizing a party based on a forfeiture order that has not yet been challenged in any way in court, says Jared Marx at HWG.

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