Expert Analysis

• Handling Sanctions Risk Cartel Control Brings To Mexico Port

  

  Companies operating in or trading with Mexico should take steps to mitigate heightened exposure triggered by routine port transactions following the U.S. Treasury’s recent unequivocal statement that a foreign terrorist organization controls the port of Manzanillo, says Jeremy Paner at Hughes Hubbard.

• Viral Coldplay Incident Shows Why Workplace Policies Matter

  

  The viral kiss cam incident at a recent Coldplay concert involving a CEO and a human resources executive raises questions about how employers can use their code of conduct or morality clauses to address off-the-clock behavior that may be detrimental to the company's reputation, says Masood Ali at Segal McCambridge.

• A Look At NAIC's Proposed Tool For Evaluation Of Insurer AI

  

  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' recently proposed tool that would enable regulators to assess risks posed by insurers' use of artificial intelligence takes a more expansive approach than the organization's 2023 model bulletin, which focused primarily on consumer risks, say attorneys at Eversheds.

• Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

  

  As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• M&A Ruling Reinforces High Bar For Aiding, Abetting Claims

  

  The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in In re: Columbia Pipeline may slow the filing of aiding and abetting claims against third-party buyers in situations where buyers negotiate aggressively, putting buy-side dealmakers' minds at ease that they likely won't be liable for seeking the best possible deal, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Series

  Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

• Reddit V. Anthropic Is A Defining Moment In The AI Data Race

  

  The recent lawsuit filed by Reddit against Anthropic in California state court marks a pivotal moment in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence by sidestepping a typical copyright dispute, focusing instead on the enforceability of online terms of service and ownership of the digital commons, says William Galkin at Galkin Law.

• Del. Dispatch: Conflicted Transactions And New Safe Harbors

  

  Two recent Delaware Court of Chancery decisions involving conflicted transactions underscore that the new safe harbors established by the Delaware General Corporation Law amendments passed in March, going forward, provide a far easier route to business judgment review of conflicted transactions than were previously available, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• FTC Focus: Surprising Ways Meador And Khan Sound Alike

  

  Since becoming a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, Mark Meador's public comments, speeches and writings reveal a surprising degree of continuity with former Chair Lina Khan's approach, in an indication that differing philosophies might have comparable practical effects, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• Opinion

  Privacy Bill Must Be Amended To Protect Small Businesses

  

  While a bill recently passed by the California Senate would exempt a company's use of legally compliant website advertising and tracking technologies from the California Invasion of Privacy Act, it must be amended to adequately protect small businesses, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

• Opinion

  The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

  

  As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

• Unpacking Notable Details From FTC's 'AI Washing' Cases

  

  The Federal Trade Commission has brought many cases involving allegedly deceptive artificial intelligence claims over the past couple of years, illustrating overlooked aspects of AI washing generally and a few new types of AI marketing claims that may line up in regulatory crosshairs down the road, says Michael Atleson at DLA Piper.

• Opinion

  Calif. Must Amend Trade Secret Civil Procedure

  

  A California procedural law that effectively shields trade secret defendants from having to return company materials until the plaintiff can craft detailed requests must be amended to recognize that property recovery and trade secret analysis are distinct issues, says Matthew Miller at Hanson Bridgett.

• Previewing State Efforts To Regulate Mental Health Chatbots

  

  New York, Nevada and Utah have all recently enacted laws regulating the use of artificial intelligence to deliver mental health services, offering early insights into how other states may regulate this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.

• What Dismissal Rulings May Mean For ERISA Forfeiture Cases

  

  Following an influx of Employee Retirement Income Security Act class actions challenging the long-standing practice of plan sponsors using plan forfeitures to offset employer contributions, recent motion to dismiss rulings and a U.S. Department of Labor amicus brief may encourage more courts to reject plaintiffs' forfeiture theories, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.