Expert Analysis

• Trade Secret Steps To Take As Exposure Risk Increases

  

  Against the backdrop of rising trade secret litigation, greater employee mobility and constraints on noncompetes, recent cases highlight the importance of minimizing trade secret risks when employees leave or when new hires join, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• What Artists Can Learn From Latest AI Music Licensing Deals

  

  Recent partnerships between music labels and artificial intelligence companies raise a number of key questions for artists, rightsholders and other industry players about IP, revenue-sharing, and rights and obligations, say attorneys at Manatt.

• Courts Are Reanchoring Antitrust Enforcement In Evidence

  

  Recent U.S. antitrust disputes, including with Meta and HPE-Juniper, illustrate how judicial scrutiny combined with internal institutional checks is pushing enforcement toward an evidence-based footing and refinements, says Thomas Stratmann at George Mason University.

• If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Keeping Licensed IP Access

  

  With contracting norms still evolving to account for the licensing of artificial intelligence tools, customers that need to retain access to key AI products in the event of vendor’s bankruptcy should consider four elements that could determine whether they may invoke traditional Section 365(n) intellectual property protections, say attorneys at Sidley.

• AI Scientific Discovery Order Implications For Life Sciences

  

  President Donald Trump's November executive order establishing a government effort to use artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery has the potential to leverage significant federal resources and data to support research, drug and device approvals, and AI model training in the life sciences sector, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

• Tips From Del. Decision Nixing Major Earnout Damages Award

  

  The Delaware Supreme Court recently vacated in part the largest earnout-related damages award in Delaware history, making clear that the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing cannot be used to rescue parties from drafting choices where the relevant regulatory risk was foreseeable at signing, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• USPTO's New Patentability Focus Helps Emerging Tech

  

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent efforts to shift patentability criteria back toward traditional standards of novelty, obviousness and adequate disclosure should make it easier for emerging tech, including artificial intelligence, to obtain patents, says Bill Braunlin at Barclay Damon.

• CFIUS Risk Lessons From Chips Biz Divestment Order

  

  President Donald Trump's January executive order directing HieFo to unwind its 2024 acquisition of a semiconductor business with ties to China underscores that even modestly sized transactions can attract CFIUS interest if they could affect strategic areas prioritized by the U.S. government, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• What Applicants Can Expect From Calif. Crypto License Law

  

  With the July effective date for California's Digital Financial Assets Law fast approaching, now is a critical time for companies to prepare for licensure, application and coverage compliance ahead of this significant regulatory milestone that will reshape how digital asset businesses operate in California, say attorneys at MoFo.

• Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

  

  Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

• Reviewing The Legal Landscape Of Social Media For Minors

  

  States have initiated a wave of legislation regulating minors' access to and use of social media platforms, so it will be critical for social media companies to closely track the patchwork of state laws and pending legal challenges so they are prepared to pivot if necessary, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Tips For Counsel As PE Eyes Data Center Facility Services

  

  As private equity interest in specialized commercial facility services providers heightens, considerations for counsel and private equity investors run the gamut from contract transferability to facility compliance, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Opinion

  CFIUS Must Adapt To Current Foreign Investment Realities

  

  To continue protecting the U.S.’ long-term strategic and economic interests, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should implement practical enhancements that leverage technology, expertise and clear communication, and enable it to keep pace with evolving demands, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

• Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

  

  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

• When Bankruptcy Collides With Product Recalls

  

  The recent bankruptcy filing by Rad Power Bikes on the heels of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warning about dangerously defective batteries sold by the company highlights how CPSC enforcement clashes with bankruptcy protections, leaving both regulators and consumer litigants with limited options, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.