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Compliance
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May 21, 2025
'DIY' Rape Kit Ban Challenge Seems To Leave 9th Circ. Split
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared divided Wednesday over a company's appeal in its case challenging Washington state's ban on self-administered DNA collection kits for sexual assault survivors, with one judge remarking the product "doesn't do a whole heck of a lot" if the evidence isn't admissible in court. Â
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May 21, 2025
CFTC Member Says Enforcement Needs More Transparency
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Christy Goldsmith Romero on Wednesday called on the agency to be more transparent about its enforcement decisions, while laying out the factors she weighs in crediting firms for self-reporting and cooperation.
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May 21, 2025
Wyden Urges Sens. To Switch Carriers Over Privacy Risks
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile failed to put in place systems notifying senators about government surveillance requests, despite being contractually required to, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told his colleagues Wednesday, urging them in a letter to "seriously consider" switching mobile carriers for personal and campaign phones.
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May 21, 2025
Google, Character.AI Can't Escape Suit Over Teen's Suicide
A Florida federal judge on Wednesday greenlit the bulk of claims in a suit accusing Character.AI and Google of causing a 14-year-old's suicide after he became addicted to an artificial intelligence chatbot, saying the AI app can be considered a product for the purposes of a product liability claim.
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May 21, 2025
House Panel Advances Bills Easing Securities, Banking Regs
The U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee this week approved 25 bills largely aimed at reducing capital markets and banking regulations, moving the deregulatory proposals forward for consideration by the full House.
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May 21, 2025
Yale Says Misconduct Tanks Ex-Student's Defamation Case
Yale University and a woman who accused a classmate of sexual assault, resulting in his expulsion, have together asked a Connecticut federal judge to throw out the since-acquitted student's defamation and contract claims, arguing that repeated and "egregious" litigation misconduct despite court warnings warrants dismissal.
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May 21, 2025
Verizon Looks To Break Free Of TracFone Unlocking Condition
Verizon is once again asking the Federal Communications Commission to let it out of a condition from its takeover of TracFone requiring the carrier to unlock its mobile phones after 60 days.
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May 21, 2025
SC Judge Restores Frozen Federal Grant Funding
A South Carolina federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore 32 grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act after the government said it wasn't contesting the merits of the grant recipients' claims.
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May 21, 2025
Title Insurance Co. Fights Treasury All-Cash Resi Deals Rule
A title insurance company and a subsidiary have filed suit in Florida federal court challenging new reporting requirements for all-cash real estate closings, saying the rule exceeds the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's authority.
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May 21, 2025
Chancery Orders Nominating Do-Over For Ionic Board Vote
Citing overwhelming trial evidence, a Delaware vice chancellor on Wednesday told bankrupt Celsius Network's Ionic Digital successor to reopen a board nomination window after finding that the company wrongly eliminated one of two director seats ahead of an election in a defensive move targeting dissident candidates.
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May 21, 2025
GOP FTC Renews Calls For Orange Book Patent Delistings
The now-Republican controlled Federal Trade Commission again called on Teva, Novartis, Mylan and other drugmakers to remove patents from a key federal database that partially insulates their drugs from generic competition, arguing Wednesday the patents cover "devices," not drugs, and thus don't warrant such protection.
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May 21, 2025
Texas Bills To Watch Before The End Of The 2025 Session
With less than two weeks remaining in the Texas legislative session, lawmakers will hit several deadlines in the coming days that will seal the fate of bills surrounding legal procedure, abortion, artificial intelligence and other topics.
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May 21, 2025
Handel's Accused Of Hiding Dyes In Its 'Homemade' Ice Cream
A Handel's customer filed a false advertising proposed class action in California federal court Wednesday alleging the ice cream retailer claims that its frozen treats are "homemade" using the best quality ingredients with a recipe dating back to 1945, while hiding they contain artificial food dyes and propylene glycol.Â
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May 21, 2025
Courts Can't Review Trump's Tariff Emergencies, Gov't Says
Courts can't review President Donald Trump's decision that unusual or extraordinary threats exist under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a government attorney told the U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday as 12 states seek to block Trump's tariffs under the law.
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May 21, 2025
Offshore Wind Farm Foes Back Trump Permitting Pause
Opponents of a New Jersey offshore wind farm on Wednesday backed the Trump administration's freeze on wind project permitting, telling a Massachusetts federal judge the moratorium is both legal and constitutional.
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May 21, 2025
EPA Chief Defends Trump Plan To Halve Agency Budget
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Wednesday told senators that despite President Donald Trump's proposal to cut the EPA's budget by 55% and an internal reorganization, agency scientists can handle the current workload.
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May 21, 2025
Immigrant Groups Appeal Denied Bid To Halt IRS-ICE Deal
Immigrant advocacy groups on Wednesday appealed a D.C. federal judge's order denying their bid to block the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with immigration enforcement agencies, with their counsel warning "it will be too late" once the information is shared.
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May 21, 2025
Small Texas Communities Trying To Siphon Taxes, City Says
Two Texas state court judges issued court orders Wednesday barring two small municipalities from buying up apartment buildings in the city of Rowlett, Texas, thwarting what Rowlett described as an underhanded attempt to rob the city of property tax revenue.
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May 21, 2025
FCC's Carr Clashes With Dems Over Verizon DEI Deal
Congressional Democrats grilled the Federal Communications Commission's chief Wednesday about the legal basis for targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Verizon, days after the wireless giant agreed to drop DEI initiatives amid its takeover of Frontier Communications.
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May 21, 2025
NY Firm To Repay $1M, Avoids Fine Over Illiquid Investments
New York-based broker-dealer David Lerner Associates Inc. has agreed to pay more than $1 million in restitution to end the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's allegations that the firm's inadequate supervisory system failed to flag representatives' recommendation of illiquid limited partnerships to thousands of customers, in a settlement that includes no fine against the firm.
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May 21, 2025
Montana Reduces Taxes On Residential, Commercial Property
Montana will lower taxes on residential and commercial property, provide property tax rebates to homeowners and implement other changes to the state's property tax regime under legislation signed by the governor.
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May 21, 2025
Payday Lender's Ex-CEO Pleads Guilty In $66M Ponzi Scheme
The former CEO of a Miami payday loan company pled guilty Wednesday to operating a Ponzi scheme that prosecutors say fraudulently raised $66 million from more than 500 investors.
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May 21, 2025
'Rip And Replace' Likely Done In 1 Year, FCC Says
Telecom carriers will likely be finished with work across the country to remove risky foreign-made equipment from their networks in about a year, the head of the Federal Communications Commission told lawmakers Wednesday.
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May 21, 2025
Shell JV Escapes $58M Nigeria Oil Contract Payment Suit
A New York federal judge has said he lacks jurisdiction to hear a Nigerian contracting company's lawsuit seeking $58 million in fees from a Royal Dutch Shell joint venture over the construction of an oil and gas facility in the African nation.
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May 21, 2025
DOGE Seeks High Court's Help In Ducking FOIA Discovery
The Department of Government Efficiency asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to halt discovery into whether it's an agency subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, arguing a Washington, D.C., federal judge has improperly authorized a "fishing expedition" into the internal workings of a presidential advisory entity.
Expert Analysis
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How Trump Orders Affect Health Orgs.' Care For Trans Minors
Two recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump regarding gender-affirming care for minors have put healthcare organizations in a precarious situation, and these institutions should prepare for various implications and potential scenarios, say attorneys at ArentFox.
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FDIC Rules Rollback Foretells More Pro-Industry Changes
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s March withdrawal of Biden-era proposals to tighten brokered deposit rules and impose new corporate governance standards shows that acting chair Travis Hill’s commitment to reviewing regulations that may restrict growth and innovation for financial institution and fintech companies is unlikely to flag soon, say attorneys at Cooley.
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DOJ Memo Maps Out A Lighter Touch For Digital Assets
A recent memo issued by the Justice Department signals a less aggressive approach toward the digital asset industry, with notable directives including disbandment of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, a higher evidentiary bar for unlicensed money transmitting, and prosecutions of individuals rather than platforms, say attorneys at Cleary.
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SEC Update May Ease Accredited Investor Status Verification
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently opened a new avenue to verifying accredited investor status, which could encourage more private fund sponsors and other issuers to engage in a general solicitation with less fear that they will lose the offering's exemption from registration under the Securities Act, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals
If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.
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How To Address FCA Risk After 4th Circ. Ruling On DEI Orders
Following the Fourth Circuit's ruling in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump, which freed the administration to enforce executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, government contractors should take stock of potentially unlawful DEI programs, given their heightened risk under the False Claims Act, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Avoiding Compliance Risks Under Calif. Recycling Label Law
CalRecycle's recently published final findings on California's S.B. 343 — determining which products and packaging materials are eligible to use the "chasing arrows" recyclability symbol — offer key guidance that businesses operating in the state must heed to avert the risk of penalties or litigation, says Christopher Smith at Greenspoon Marder.
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FDIC Unlocks A Door To Banks' Potential Crypto Future
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent crypto guidance broadens the scope of permissible activities for banks to an unprecedented level, although most institutions are unlikely to initiate or expand such practices in the immediate future, says Amanda Kowalski at Barley Snyder.
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Del. Dispatch: Open Issues After Corp. Law Amendments
Recent amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law represent a significant change in the future structuring of boards and how the First State will approach conflicted transactions, but Delaware courts may interpret the amendments narrowly, limiting their impact, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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Series
Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer
While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.
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What Del. Supreme Court LKQ Decision Means For M&A Deals
The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in LKQ v. Rutledge greatly increases the enforceability of forfeiture-for-competition provisions, representing an important affirmation of earlier precedent and making it likely that such agreements will become more common in M&A transactions, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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Tracking FTC Labor Task Force's Focus On Worker Protection
The Federal Trade Commission recently directed its bureaus to form a joint labor task force, shifting the agency's focus toward protecting consumers in their role as workers, but case selection and resource allocation will ultimately reveal how significant labor markets will be in the FTC's agenda, say attorneys at Venable.
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10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks
The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
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Aviation Watch: New FAA Chief Will Face Strong Headwinds
Once confirmed, Bryan Bedford, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration, will face steep challenges — including a shortage of air traffic controllers, a recent spate of high-profile crashes, and the difficulty of working within an administration intent on cutting staffing and funding, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.
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How Trump Energy Order May Challenge State Climate Efforts
Even if the Trump administration's recent executive order targeting state and local environmental, climate and clean energy laws, regulations and programs doesn't result in successful legal challenges to state authority, the order could discourage state legislatures from taking further climate action, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.