Expert Analysis

• 6th Circ. FirstEnergy Ruling Protects Key Legal Privileges

  

  The Sixth Circuit’s recent grant of mandamus relief in In re: First Energy Corp. confirms that the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections apply to internal investigation materials, ultimately advancing the public interest, say attorneys at Cooley.

• Del. Ruling Reaffirms High Bar To Plead Minority Control

  

  The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Witmer v. Armistice maintains Delaware's strict approach to control and provides increased predictability for minority investors in their investment and corporate governance decisions, says Elena Davis at Ropes & Gray.

• Series

  Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

  

  Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

• How Occasional Activists Have Reshaped Proxy Fights

  

  The sophistication and breadth of first-time activist engagement continue to shape corporate governance and strategic outcomes, as evidenced across corporate annual meetings this summer, meaning advisers should anticipate continued innovation in tactics, increased regulatory complexity, and a persistent focus on board accountability, say attorneys at MoFo.

• US-German M&A Hits Its Stride Despite Economic Headwinds

  

  Against expectations, dealmakers in both the U.S. and Germany are actively seeking investment opportunities in each other's markets, with 2025 shaping up to be the strongest year in recent memory, say attorneys at White & Case.

• Enter The Wu-Tang Ruling That May Change Trade Secret Law

  

  A New York federal court's recent holding that a Wu-Tang Clan album qualifies as a trade secret provides the first federal framework for analyzing trade secret claims involving assets valued primarily for exclusivity, potentially reshaping Defend Trade Secrets Act jurisprudence for the digital economy, says Jason Bradford at Jenner & Block.

• How Financial Cos. Can Prep As NYDFS Cyber Changes Loom

  

  Financial institutions supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services can prepare for two critical cybersecurity requirements relating to multifactor authentication and asset inventories, effective Nov. 1, by conducting gap analyses and allocating resources to high-risk assets, among other steps, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Opinion

  Ending Quarterly Reporting Would Erode Investor Protection

  

  President Donald Trump recently called for an end to the long-standing practice of corporate quarterly reporting, but doing so would reduce transparency, create information asymmetries, provide more opportunities for corporate fraud and risk increased stock price volatility, while not meaningfully increasing long-term investments, say attorneys at Bleichmar Fonti.

• Series

  Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

  

  After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

• A Look At Project Crypto's Plans For Digital Asset Regulation

  

  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent announcement of Project Crypto, an agencywide initiative to modernize federal securities regulations, signals a significant shift toward a more flexible regulatory framework that would shape the future of the U.S. digital asset market, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• Series

  Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

• 3 Trends From AI-Related Securities Class Action Dismissals

  

  A review of recently dismissed securities class actions centering on artificial intelligence highlights courts' scrutiny of statements about AI's capabilities and independence, and sustained focus on issues that aren't AI-specific, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• CFTC, SEC Joint Statement Highlights New Unity On Crypto

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent joint statement announcing a cross-agency initiative enabling certain spot crypto-asset products to trade on regulated exchanges is the earliest and most visible instance of interagency cooperation on crypto regulation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Regulatory Uncertainties Loom As Fed Ends Crypto Oversight

  

  The Federal Reserve Bank's recently ended crypto supervisory program headlines other recent federal actions from Congress, the White House and relevant agencies that may complicate financial institutions' digital-asset use and attendant compliance strategies, say attorneys at Buchalter.

• Opinion

  SEC Arbitration Shift Is At Odds With Fraud Deterrence

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent statement allowing the use of mandatory arbitration by new publicly traded companies could result in higher legal costs, while removing the powerful deterrent impact of public lawsuits that have helped make the U.S. securities markets a model of transparency and fairness, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.