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Expert Analysis

• The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

  

  As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• Opinion

  The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

  

  The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

• Current Antitrust Zeitgeist May Transcend Political Parties

  

  The Trump administration's "America First" antitrust policy initially suggests a different approach than the Biden administration's, but closer examination reveals key parallels, including a broad focus on anticompetitive harm beyond consumer welfare and aggressive enforcement of existing laws, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• Neb.'s Cannabis Regulatory Void Poses Operational Risks

  

  With the Nebraska Legislature recently declining to advance any cannabis legislation, leaving the state without a regulatory framework for voter-passed initiatives, the risks of operating without clear rules will likely affect patients, providers and caregivers, says John Cartier at Omnus Law.

• Fla. Bill May Curb Suits Over Late-Night Collections Emails

  

  A recently passed Florida bill exempting email communications from the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act's quiet hours ban may significantly reduce frivolous lawsuits aimed at creditors and debt collectors who use email communications to collect outstanding balances from consumers, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• 4 States' Enforcement Actions Illustrate Data Privacy Priorities

  

  Attorneys at Wilson Elser examine recent enforcement actions based on new consumer data privacy laws by regulators in California, Connecticut, Oregon and Texas, centered around key themes, including crackdowns on dark patterns, misuse of sensitive data and failure to honor consumer rights.

• Google Ad Tech Ruling Creates Antitrust Uncertainty

  

  A Virginia federal court’s recent decision in the Justice Department’s ad tech antitrust case against Google includes two unusual aspects in that it narrowly construed U.S. Supreme Court precedent when rejecting Google's two-sided market argument, and it found the company liable for unlawful tying, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

• Series

  Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

• Birthright Ruling Could Alter Consumer Financial Litigation

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about the validity of the nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship cases, argued on May 15, could make it much harder for trade associations to obtain nationwide relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of invalid regulations, says Alan Kaplinsky at Ballard Spahr.

• Oft-Forgotten Evidence Rule Can Be Powerful Trial Tool

  

  Rule 608 may be one of the most overlooked provisions in the Federal Rules of Evidence, but as a transformative tool that allows attorneys to attack a witness's character for truthfulness through opinion or reputation testimony, its potential to reshape a case cannot be overstated, says Marian Braccia at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

• FDA Commissioner Speech Suggests New Vision For Agency

  

  In his first public remarks as U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Marty Makary outlined an ambitious framework for change centered around cultural restoration, scientific integrity, regulatory flexibility and selective modernization, and substantial enforcement shifts for the food and tobacco sectors, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.

• Signed, Sealed, Deleted: A Look At The California Delete Act

  

  The California Delete Act, proposed Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform regulations, and California Privacy Protection Agency enforcement raise a number of compliance considerations — even for data brokers that have existing deletion processes in place, say attorneys at Hunton.

• AG Watch: Texas Expands Use Of Consumer Protection Laws

  

  In recent years under Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas has demonstrated the breadth of its public interest authority by bringing actions in areas not traditionally associated with consumer protection law, including recent actions involving sports and public safety, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

• Series

  Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

  

  Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

• Fledgling Crypto ATM Regs May Be Due For A Growth Spurt

  

  As cryptocurrency ATM use and availability become more prevalent within the U.S. financial services ecosystem, states — only a few of which currently have a crypto ATM framework — may need to consider expanding legislation and regulation to accelerate consumer fraud protection practices, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.