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Expert Analysis

• SEC Crypto Mining Statement Delivers Regulatory Clarity

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's March 20 statement clarifying that certain crypto mining activities do not constitute the offer and sale of securities marks the end of the SEC's enforcement-first approach and ushers in a more predictable environment for blockchain innovation and investment, says Jeonghoon Ha at Ha Law.

• State Extended Producer Responsibility Laws: Tips For Cos.

  

  As states increasingly shift the onus of end-of-life product management from consumers and local governments to the businesses that produce, distribute or sell certain items, companies must track the changing landscape and evaluate the applicability of these new laws and regulations to their operations, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• Nev. Fraud Ruling Raises Stakes For Proxy Battles

  

  Though a Nevada federal court’s recent U.S. v. Boruchowitz decision involved unusual facts, the court's ruling that board members can be defrauded of their seat through misrepresentations increases fraud risks in more typical circumstances involving board elections, especially proxy fights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

• Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

  

  Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

• NLRB Firing May Need Justices' Input On Removal Power

  

  President Donald Trump's unprecedented removal of National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox spurred a lawsuit that is sure to be closely watched, as it may cause the U.S. Supreme Court to reexamine a 1935 precedent that has limited the president's removal powers, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

• The OCC's Newly Relaxed Approach To Bank Crypto Activity

  

  With the early March rescission of Biden-era interpretive guidance, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has loosened its approach to regulating national banks and federal savings associations' crypto-asset activities, possibly removing one barrier to banks engaging in such activities, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Contractor Remedies Amid Overhaul Of Federal Spending

  

  Now that the period for federal agencies to review their spending has ended, companies holding procurement contracts or grants should evaluate whether their agreements align with administration policies and get a plan ready to implement if their contracts or grants are modified or terminated, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

• 5 Steps To Promote Durable, Pro-Industry Environmental Regs

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's planned wave of deregulation will require lengthy reviews, and could be undone by legal challenges and future changes of administration — but industry involvement in rulemaking, litigation, trade associations, and state and federal legislation can help ensure favorable and long-lasting regulatory policies, say attorneys at Balch & Bingham.

• Trade Policy Shifts Raise Hurdles For Gov't And Cos. Alike

  

  The persistent tension between the Trump administration's fast-moving and aggressive trade policies and the compliance-heavy nature of the trade industry creates implementation challenges for both the business community and the government, says Sara Schoenfeld at Kamerman.

• Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

  

  As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

• Opinion

  7 Ways CFTC Should Nix Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens

  

  Several U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulations do not work efficiently in practice, all of which can be abolished or improved in order to comply with a recent executive order requiring the elimination of 10 regulations for every new one implemented, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

• Key Insurance Issues Likely To Arise From NY Superfund Law

  

  The recently enacted New York Climate Change Superfund Act imposes a massive $75 billion in liabilities on energy companies in the fossil fuel industry, which can be expected to look to their insurers for coverage, raising a slew of coverage issues both old and new, say attorneys at Wiley.

• How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

  

  As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

• Justices' TikTok Ruling Sets Stage For 1st Amendment Battle

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling upholding a law requiring TikTok's sale sets the stage for an inevitable clash between free speech and government interests and signals that future cases will turn on whether a regulation poses a substantial burden on speech, say attorneys at Dykema.

• What Del. Corporate Law Rework Means For Founder-Led Cos.

  

  Although the amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law have proven somewhat divisive, they will provide greater clarity and predictability in the rules that apply to founder-led companies navigating transactions concerning controlling stockholders and responding to books-and-records requests, say attorneys at Munger Tolles.