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Expert Analysis

• Employer-Friendly Fla. Law Ushers In New Noncompete Era

  

  Florida's CHOICE Act is set to take effect July 1, and employers are welcoming it with open arms as it would create one of the most favorable environments in the country for the enforcement of noncompete and garden leave agreements, but businesses should also consider the nonlegal implications, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

• Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Could Shake Up US Pharma

  

  Recent moves from the executive and legislative branches represent a serious attempt to revive and refine the first Trump administration's most-favored-nations model for drug pricing, though implementation could bring unintended consequences for pharmaceutical manufacturers and will likely draw significant legal opposition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Opinion

  Aviation Watch: A Supersonic 'Boom' Going Nowhere Fast

  

  Legislation recently introduced in Congress to repeal the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on supersonic flight over U.S. territory appears to benefit a single company with an uncertain business plan, and is not truly in the public interest, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

• How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

  

  Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

• Opportunity Zone Revamp Could Improve The Program

  

  If adopted, the budget bill's new iteration of the opportunity zone program could renew, refine and enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the original program by including structural reforms, expanded eligibility rules and incentives for rural investment, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• At 'SEC Speaks,' Leaders Frame New Views

  

  At the Practising Law Institute's recent SEC Speaks conference, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted the agency's significant priority changes, including in enforcement, crypto and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

• 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

  Congress Must Restore IP Protection To Drive US Innovation

  

  Congress should pass the RESTORE Patent Rights Act to enforce patent holders' exclusive rights and encourage American innovation, and undo the decades of patent rights erosion caused by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 decision in eBay v. MercExchange, says former Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Paul Michel.

• How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

  

  Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

• Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

  

  Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

• Staying The Course Amid Seismic DOJ White Collar Changes

  

  While some of the big changes at the U.S. Department of Justice during the second Trump administration — like an embrace of cryptocurrency and more politicized prosecutions — were expected, there have also been surprises, so practitioners should advise clients to stay focused on white collar compliance in this unpredictable environment, say attorneys at Keker.

• 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.

• DOJ Could Target Journalists Under Media Policy Reversion

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced media policy largely mirrors policies in effect from 2014 to 2020, but ambiguities in key statutory terms could allow the administration to apply it to journalists in new ways and expand investigations beyond leaks of classified information, says Julie Edelstein at Wiggin.

• 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.

• House Bill Tax Tweaks Would Hinder Renewable Projects

  

  Provisions in the budget reconciliation bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rapidly phase out clean energy tax credits, constrain renewable energy financing arrangements and impose sweeping restrictions on projects with foreign ties, which may create compliance and supply chain issues for many developers, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.