Expert Analysis

• How Shareholder Activism Fared In 2025

  

  2025 was a turbulent yet transformative year in shareholder activism, and there are several key takeaways to help companies prepare for a 2026 that is shaping up to be even more lively, including increased focus on retail investors and the use of social media as a tool, say attorneys at Sidley.

• Reviewing 2025's Artificial Intelligence Disputes Over IP

  

  2025 brought the first major fair use rulings involving generative artificial intelligence, and in 2026 courts will weigh in on more discovery disputes, renewed motions to dismiss, class certification challenges and fair use defenses that could shape the course of future AI litigation, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• The 5 Most Important Bid Protest Decisions Of 2025

  

  In a shifting bid protest landscape, five decisions in 2025 from the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Government Accountability Office that addressed bedrock questions about jurisdictional reach and the breadth of agency discretion are likely to have a lasting impact, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

• Trending At The PTAB: The Journey Of IPR Institution In 2025

  

  Over the course of 2025, inter partes review institution at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board evolved into a more restrictive, policy-driven regime with reshaped discretionary briefing and assessment, and increasing procedural requirements, say attorneys at Finnegan.

• Preparing For Congressional Investigations In A Midterm Year

  

  2026 will be a consequential year for congressional oversight as the upcoming midterm elections may yield bolder investigations and more aggressive state attorneys general coalitions, so companies should consider adopting risk management measures to get ahead of potential changes, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• The Bankruptcy Risks Inherent In AI Data Center Power Deals

  

  While the construction of data centers that fuel artificial intelligence continues to accelerate, some potential risks to their business model and the power supply arrangements they rely on appear on the horizon, says Mark Sherrill at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

• How Bank M&A Prospects Brightened In 2025

  

  Even with less-than-ideal macroeconomic conditions in 2025, federal banking regulators' shift away from procedural concerns to focus more on core financial risks boosted M&A in several key ways, including shorter review timelines and increased interest in de novo charters, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• 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.

• For Data Centers, Both Hyperscale And Edge Are Key In 2026

  

  Recent trends in development of data centers highlight the importance of proactive attention to the zoning, permitting, interconnection and contractual issues associated with both hyperscale and edge facilities, in order to position projects for responsible growth in 2026 and protect their long-term value amid rapid technological and regulatory change, say attorneys at Sidley.

• 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.

• 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.