Expert Analysis

• DOT Standards For EV Chargers Address Key Public Concerns

  

  The U.S. Department of Transportation's recently proposed standards for public electric vehicle charging infrastructure reflect the Biden administration's continued effort to encourage EV deployment in the U.S. markets — and speak to some of the most important concerns of EV consumers relating to charging, say Levi McAllister and Maggie Curran at Morgan Lewis.

• Opinion

  Now's The Time To Address Archaic Law School Curricula

  

  With law school enrollments jumping significantly ahead of a potential recession and more students graduating than the market can absorb, law schools should turn to creative solutions to teach students how to negotiate, work with clients, specialize and use technology to practice their craft more efficiently, says University of Colorado adjunct professor Jason Mendelson.

• Deploying US Discovery In Brazil Following High Court Ruling

  

  While the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in ZF Automotive v. Luxshare may be seen as a limitation on the use of discovery in foreign proceedings, there are still many options for litigants deploying U.S. discovery abroad, which is particularly valuable in Brazil, say attorneys at Kobre & Kim.

• The Unique Nature Of COVID-Era Patent Procurement Trends

  

  Data shows the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting patent procurement differently than past financial crises, with newly filed applications slowing in number while pending applications are maintained and not abandoned, say Michael Sartori and Sarah Hassan at Baker Botts.

• Lessons From Lawyer Fee-Sharing Agreements Gone Wrong

  

  The recent fee-sharing dispute between Edelson and Girardi Keese is a reminder that lawyers who do not strictly follow the applicable rules may risk a disciplinary complaint, lose their share of the fee, or wind up in costly litigation with co-counsel, says David Grossbaum at Hinshaw.

• LeClairRyan Bankruptcy Highlights Pass-Through Tax Issue

  

  A Virginia bankruptcy court's recent ruling in the case of defunct law firm LeClairRyan shows there may be serious tax consequences for pass-through entity partners who give up their ownership interest without following operating agreement exit provisions and updating bankruptcy court filings, say Edward Schnitzer and Hannah Travaglini at Montgomery McCracken.

• Circuits' Remand Of State Climate Suits May Mean Big Liability

  

  Federal circuit courts across the nation have recently affirmed that state and local governments can sue energy companies in state courts over harms attributed to climate change — and if the U.S. Supreme Court does not step in, the energy sector could soon face a deluge of liability claims, says Todd Thacker at Goldberg Segalla.

• Understanding Georgia's New Worker Classification Law

  

  A Georgia law taking effect next month amends the definition of employment for unemployment compensation purposes and may benefit certain technology companies, including ride-sharing and delivery services — as long as their independent contractor arrangements comply with the statute’s requirements, say Meredith Caiafa and Kelli Church at Morris Manning.

• 8 Steps To Creating A Legal Ops Technology Road Map

  

  Legal departments struggling to find and implement the right technologies for their operations should consider creating a road map that summarizes their approach to technology changes, provides clearly defined metrics for success, and serves as the single source of truth for stakeholders, says Melanie Shafer at SimpleLegal.

• The Importance Of Data And Data Analysis In Litigation

  

  Understanding, analyzing and effectively presenting large data sets is an increasingly important skill in litigation as it allows plaintiffs to dramatically scale up the scope of cases and is often critical to defeating motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, says David Burnett at Motley Rice.

• High Court Discovery Ruling Will Transform Int'l Arbitration

  

  A U.S. Supreme Court decision this week slams the door on Section 1782 discovery in private international arbitration, leaving the status of other arbitral bodies involving treaties or intergovernmental elements in flux, and increasing the importance of selecting the forum and adjudicative body to resolve potential disputes, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

• Justices' Airline Ruling Bolsters Arbitration Course Correction

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week in Southwest v. Saxon, together with its May ruling in Morgan v. Sundance, limits the reach of mandatory arbitration and sends a strong message to the federal judiciary, with potentially broad applications in the employment context, says University of Denver professor and Outten & Golden counsel Nantiya Ruan.

• Opinion

  Supreme Court Should Review Flight Break Mandate

  

  Despite government pushback, the U.S. Supreme Court should review Virgin America v. Bernstein, a Ninth Circuit decision that would require meal and rest breaks for flight attendants, as federal law and California regulations are in clear conflict and threaten to disrupt national air transportation, says Patricia Vercelli at Airlines for America.

• 2 New Defenses To Federal Shareholder Derivative Claims

  

  Increasingly, plaintiffs are bringing Securities Exchange Act claims in derivative suits because they perceive these claims to have advantages compared to traditional fiduciary duty claims, but there are several reasons why plaintiffs are wrong and the flawed assumptions underlying these claims should be tested in court, say Brian Lutz and Michael Kahn at Gibson Dunn.

• EU Hydrogen Plans: Infrastructure And Regulatory Challenges

  

  As interest grows in hydrogen import and distribution infrastructure in the European Union, project developers and potential end users need to evaluate possible midstream bottlenecks, and track the EU's evolving hydrogen regulatory framework, say Dan Feldman and Natalya Pilbeam at Shearman.