Public Policy

January 02, 2026
The Top Sports & Betting Cases To Watch In 2026

As attorneys prepare for a busy year of sports cases centering on antitrust, labor laws and prediction markets, all eyes are sure to be locked on the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide the fate of two state laws banning transgender girls and women from competing in female sports.
January 02, 2026
All Eyes On 2026 Elections As Ga. Lawmakers Get Into Gear

Georgia lawmakers are expected to move on from the heavyweight fight over tort reform that stole the stage last year and set their sights on elections slated for November when they return to Atlanta this month, experts told Law360.
January 02, 2026
Approach The Bench: What Judges Had To Say In 2025

Jurists discussed their strategies for decision-making, the difficulties of case management, and their predictions for the future of litigation in a dozen interviews with Law360 this year.
January 02, 2026
Drug Pricing Battles To Watch In 2026

With drugmakers already pushing back on drug affordability programs and policies, Law360 looks at the year ahead for litigation focused on state and federal drug pricing programs.
January 02, 2026
5 Cases In Georgia To Keep An Eye On In 2026

Attorneys in Georgia will be watching several legal battle battles involving hot-button issues in the new year, including a suit over gender-affirming healthcare in state prisons, multidistrict litigation seeking to hold Meta and others liable for alleged social media addiction and a bid by the U.S. Justice Department to obtain 2020 election records. Here is look at five cases to follow in 2026.
January 02, 2026
Copyright & Trademark Policy And Trends To Watch In 2026

Intellectual property attorneys are waiting to see if the U.S. Copyright Office releases an additional report on artificial intelligence and are curious if the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office continues to speed up its handling of trademark applications. Here are Law360's picks for the copyright and trademark policies and trends to watch this year.
January 02, 2026
5 Policy Areas Benefits Attys Should Keep Tabs On In 2026

The new year promises policy shifts that could change the legal landscape for health and retirement benefits, including action to follow through on an executive order encouraging alternative assets in 401(k) plans, and a potential replacement for a Biden-era rule covering how retirement plan managers can factor environmental and social issues into their investment strategy. Here are five policy areas benefits attorneys will be watching in 2026.
January 02, 2026
Patent Litigation Trends To Watch In 2026

Attorneys are expecting a significant increase in district court litigation after a series of dramatic changes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have made the Patent Trial and Appeal Board less attractive, which is one of the most significant trends for 2026.
January 02, 2026
DC Circuit Cases To Watch In January

The D.C. Circuit will start the New Year hearing several noteworthy cases, including a challenge to the Trump administration's transgender troop ban and a fight over whether two common "forever" chemicals qualify as hazardous materials under the Superfund law.
January 02, 2026
Trademark Cases To Watch In 2026

An appeal over the use of foreign words in branding is up for consideration at the U.S. Supreme Court, and a Delaware federal judge is set to deliver his verdict following a bench trial over the "Ugliest House in America." Here are Law360's picks for the trademark cases to watch in 2026.
January 02, 2026
Antitrust Cases Ahead: Live Nation, Middleman On Trial

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission enter 2026 with decisions to make about how to regroup after coming up short in major cases against Google and Meta Platforms.
January 02, 2026
Trade Secret Trends To Watch In 2026

The landscape of trade secret law could see significant developments in 2026 as courts address the aftermath of astronomical jury awards and navigate jurisdictional tensions surrounding the timing and specifics of trade secret disclosures in litigation.
January 02, 2026
Illinois Cases To Watch In 2026

The Seventh Circuit will have its first opportunities in 2026 to analyze recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent narrowing federal bribery convictions as it resolves two high-profile public corruption appeals, while the Illinois Supreme Court could significantly impact state jury management when it decides whether a juror's "surrender" note signaled enough deliberation discord to warrant a retrial.
January 02, 2026
Merger Settlements Keep Rolling, With A Hitch

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission took a more business friendly approach to merger reviews in 2025 than the previous administration, with a string of settlements allowing deals to move ahead without a challenge.
January 02, 2026
NC Legislation To Watch In 2026: Healthcare Funding In Focus

A spate of healthcare legislation is on the line as North Carolina lawmakers get ready to return to the General Assembly in January, from tenuous funding for Medicaid and Planned Parenthood to efforts to control the Tar Heel state's skyrocketing healthcare costs.
January 02, 2026
Guns, Taxes & Labor: Cannabis Litigation Trends To Watch

In 2026, courts throughout the U.S. will consider cases weighing Second Amendment rights of cannabis users, a punitive federal tax policy that affects state-legal marijuana businesses, labor peace requirements in the cannabis space, and whether a constitutional doctrine bars states from preferencing their residents in doling out marijuana licenses.
January 02, 2026
Cases To Watch In Native American Law In 2026

The new year in Native American law is expected to usher in rulings on the rights of Indigenous nations and their citizens, including disputes over voting, hunting and fishing, and a possible expansion of the Supreme Court's 2020 landmark decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma.
January 02, 2026
The Top Telecom Developments To Watch In 2026

As a new Republican administration hits its stride, agencies are looking to pare back regulations and major tech and telecom mergers could be on the horizon. After a year of change at the Federal Communications Commission, experts are also watching to see how quickly the Commerce Department can roll out changes to a massive broadband program, and legal challenges to federal rules continue to ripple across the telecom sector.
January 02, 2026
Marijuana And Hemp Policy Enters Uncharted Waters In 2026

The final weeks of 2025 produced two monumental shifts poised to reshape the cannabis policy landscape in the coming year: Congress' approval of language to redefine lawful hemp nationwide and a presidential executive order directing the administration to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana for the first time in over five decades.
January 02, 2026
Copyright Cases To Watch In 2026

U.S. federal courts this year will continue to review consequential copyright infringement suits involving artificial intelligence, while appeals court decisions remain pending in a pair of notable fair use cases involving ROSS Intelligence and Microsoft. Here are Law360's picks for copyright cases to watch in 2026.
January 02, 2026
SEC Expected To Tackle Exec Comp, Private Investing In 2026

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to hit the ground running this year on fulfilling Chairman Paul Atkins' agenda to lessen the regulatory burden on public and private companies alike, with the agency potentially gearing up to propose changes to everything from the reporting of C-suite pay packages to the accredited investor definition.
January 02, 2026
4 Compliance Trends To Watch In 2026

Compliance professionals will be monitoring the risks brought on by the trade-related turmoil and deregulatory moves that have marked President Donald Trump's first year back in the White House, while new state regulations and artificial intelligence-related risks will also be top of mind.
January 02, 2026
Patent Policy To Watch In 2026

After a year of significant shifts in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office policy on patent reviews and patent eligibility, attorneys will be closely following how the changes play out in 2026, along with proposals for further moves, and whether Congress decides to weigh in on patents.
January 02, 2026
California Cases To Watch In 2026

Legal experts following California courts in 2026 are tracking high-stakes personal injury, antitrust and copyright battles against giants in the social media, artificial intelligence and entertainment industries, as well as wide-ranging legal disputes arising from Los Angeles wildfires and high-profile appeals pending before the California Supreme Court.
January 02, 2026
Washington Cases To Watch In 2026

Evergreen State lawyers will be keeping a close eye on the Washington Supreme Court in 2026 as it wades into lawsuits against Amazon over online sales of a chemical used in suicides, along with battles over Trump administration policies that are making their way from federal district courts to the Ninth Circuit. Here are some of the top cases to watch in Washington in 2026.

Editor's Picks

Trump's Legal Battles

States, federal employee unions, various advocacy groups and several individuals have filed over 220 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's implementation of executive orders and other initiatives. Law360 has created a database of those lawsuits, separated into categories based on their subject matter.

Expert Analysis

3 Securities Litigation Trends To Watch In 2026

Pending federal appellate cases suggest that 2026 will be a significant year for securities litigation, with long-standing debates about class certification, new questions about the risks and value of artificial intelligence features, and private plaintiffs' growing role in cryptocurrency enforcement likely to be major themes, say attorneys at Willkie.
5 Tariff And Trade Developments To Watch In 2026

A new trade landscape emerged in 2025, the contours of which will be further defined by developments that will merit close attention this year, including a key ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court and a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, says Ted Posner at Baker Botts.
What 2025 Enforcement Actions Show About FERC's Priorities

A review of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's 2025 enforcement record suggests that this year, the commission will persist in holding market participants to their commitments, and continue active market surveillance and close cooperation with market monitors, says Ruta Skucas at Crowell & Moring.
Employment Immigration Trends And Challenges For 2026

U.S. companies competing for global talent should brace for a turbulent 2026, with greater compliance burdens, higher costs and the probability of workforce disruptions at every stage of the immigration process, from visa petitions to work authorization renewals, say attorneys at Duane Morris.
Top 5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel To Watch In 2026

With Trump administration enforcement policy having largely taken shape last year, antitrust issues that in-house counsel should have on the radar range from scrutiny of technology-assisted pricing to the return of merger remedies, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
Funding Haze And Deregulatory Pursuits: The CFPB In 2026

In 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau did not seek additional funding from the Federal Reserve and unwound the legacy of former bureau leadership, and this year will bring further efforts to rescind or rewrite bureau regulations, as well as a changed tone to supervision efforts, say attorneys at Covington.
4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.
5 Trade Secret Developments To Follow In 2026

Watch for major developments in trade secret law this year, especially as courts clarify the reach of U.S. law internationally, the availability of trade secret damages and more, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.
How 2026 NDAA May Ease Entry To Defense Contracting

Reforms to implement a warfighting acquisition system included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed on Dec. 18, are likely to reduce the burdens, risks and barriers that have previously impeded nontraditional defense contractors, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
Regulatory Rollback And Lingering Limbo: The CFPB In 2025

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has implemented significant changes since President Donald Trump took office in January, including dismissing actions with prejudice, withdrawing guidance and rescinding rules, casting the bureau in uncertain light heading into 2026, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
Nuclear Power Pitfalls And Opportunities To Watch For In 2026

Shepherding nuclear power projects to completion requires navigating more risks and obligations than almost any other infrastructure undertaking, but with the right strategies, states, developers, vendors and contractors can overcome these hurdles in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
2025 Calif. Banking Oversight Centered On Consumer Issues

The combination of statutory reform, registration mandates and enforcement activity in 2025 signals that California's financial regulatory landscape is focused on consumer protection, particularly in the areas of crypto kiosk fee practices, earned wage access providers and elder fraud, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
A 6th Circ. Snapshot: 3 Cases That Defined 2025

With more than a thousand opinions issued this year, three rulings from the Sixth Circuit stood out for the impact they'll have on the practice of civil procedure, including a net neutrality decision, a class certification standards ruling and an opinion about vulgarity in school, say attorneys at Ice Miller.
Sports Gambling Scrutiny Expands Risks For Teams, Leagues

The Minnesota attorney general recently sent warning letters to 14 website operators for offering what the state considers illegal online gambling, demonstrating why the sports industry, including teams and leagues, should ask critical questions about organizational compliance, internal controls and potential criminal liability, say attorneys at Stinson.