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Public Policy

  • September 23, 2025

    Towing Cos. Can Bill For Special Rigs, Conn. Justices Say

    Upending three lower decisions to the contrary, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Tuesday said tow truck operators can charge extra fees on top of hourly labor rates when using specialized equipment to clear highway wrecks, saying a limited interpretation of a state motor vehicle regulation could hinder accident cleanup efforts.

  • September 23, 2025

    Sandisk Gets Support In 'Settled Expectations' Challenge

    Industry groups, professors and Unified Patents are backing Sandisk Technologies Inc.'s Federal Circuit challenge to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's policy of denying review of patents based on the owner's "settled expectations," saying it flouts the law and undermines the patent review system.

  • September 23, 2025

    Amazon Prime Trapped Consumers, FTC Tells Seattle Jury

    Amazon knew for years that millions of people were inadvertently enrolling in its Prime subscription program because of its design choices but prioritized boosting membership counts over fixing the problem, the Federal Trade Commission told a Seattle federal jury on Tuesday, kicking off a long-awaited consumer protection trial against the e-commerce giant.

  • September 23, 2025

    Banks Urge SEC To Hold Crypto Custody To Same Standards

    Financial services trade groups have cautioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against broadly permitting investment advisers and state-chartered trust companies to safeguard customer's cryptocurrency assets, urging the agency to maintain equal standards for all financial custodians amid planned crypto rulemaking.

  • September 23, 2025

    NC Legislature Passes Bill To Eliminate Cashless Bail

    In the wake of the murder of a Ukrainian refugee on public transit allegedly by a man recently arrested and freed on a promise to appear, North Carolina's General Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to eliminate cashless bail and make it easier to execute people in the state.

  • September 23, 2025

    FCC Demands Boomerang, Others Repay $1.1M For Contracts

    The Federal Communications Commission said it is owed more than $1.1 million for spending more on computer tablets than was needed by two wireless companies during pandemic-era assistance programs.

  • September 23, 2025

    CFTC Seeks Feedback On The Use Of Crypto Collateral

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission launched an initiative on Tuesday to enable the use of certain crypto assets as collateral in derivatives markets, soliciting industry suggestions on potential pilot programs, amendments to regulations and relevant issues.

  • September 23, 2025

    Hedge Funds Call For CFTC To End Dual Registration

    A group representing the hedge fund industry is calling on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to drop the need for industry participants to submit to agency oversight in cases where fund managers are already registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, calling the dual registration requirement "costly" and "inefficient."

  • September 23, 2025

    ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Frees Apple, US Bank From Biden-Era Consent Orders

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has lifted two more enforcement orders issued during the Biden administration, this time granting both Apple Inc. and U.S. Bank NA an early release from ongoing monitoring years ahead of schedule.

  • September 23, 2025

    New Illinois Law Opens The Door To More Toxic Tort Litigation

    A new Illinois law expanding the state's jurisdictional reach in toxic tort cases has drawn mixed reactions from attorneys, with some praising the law as an added accountability measure for toxic exposure and others decrying it as an open invitation for forum shopping that could clog the state's dockets.

  • September 23, 2025

    ACLU Says ICE Won't Provide Records On Colo. Expansion

    The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado claimed in federal court on Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is refusing to comply with a request for information on plans to expand operations in the state.

  • September 23, 2025

    Professor Says New West Point Policy Stifles Free Speech

    The longest-serving law professor at West Point has accused the school of violating the free speech rights of its civilian instructors with a new policy that requires professors to obtain permission before participating in or publishing papers tied to their position at the school.

  • September 23, 2025

    Alaska Tribe Fights State's Bid To Revive Gaming Case

    An Alaskan Native Village is fighting a request by the state to reopen a dispute that rejected the tribe's bid to secure the right to open a bingo hall, telling a D.C. federal court there's nothing to enforce in the matter.

  • September 23, 2025

    Enviro Orgs. Ask 5th Circ. To Review Delfin LNG Project License

    Environmental groups on Monday asked the Fifth Circuit to find that the U.S. Department of Transportation violated federal law when it issued a license for the construction and operation of the Delfin LNG LLC deepwater liquefied natural gas project.

  • September 23, 2025

    11th Circ. Affirms Toss Of Ga. Strip Club's Ordinance Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Atlanta-area strip club Follies against the city of Chamblee, alleging the city passed a series of unconstitutional ordinances related to the sale of alcohol at adult establishments that forced it to close its doors.

  • September 23, 2025

    DHS Floats H-1B Rule To Prioritize Higher-Paid Workers

    The Trump administration proposed a rule on Tuesday to change the H-1B lottery process to one that gives priority to higher-skilled workers at companies offering better pay, according to a Federal Register notice.

  • September 23, 2025

    Trump Tariffs Are Constitutional, President's Allies Tell Justices

    Two Republican lawmakers and two allied nonprofit groups told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that it should allow President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

  • September 23, 2025

    Tribe Fights Mont. County's Bid To Delay Voting Rights Case

    An Indigenous tribe is fighting a county's bid to pause its voting rights lawsuit in Montana federal court, arguing that a dilutive map illegally supports an "at large" election system that has resulted in a failure to meet the needs of tribal citizens.

  • September 23, 2025

    Ex-Provost Says UNC Hired Belichick After Unlawful Meeting

    A former provost is suing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's board of trustees in state court, alleging the board conducted last-minute hiring deliberations over a multimillion-dollar contract for legendary football coach Bill Belichick in an unlawfully secret meeting.

  • September 23, 2025

    Cannabis Cos. To Pay $400K In Deal Over Sleep Aid Product

    The companies behind the 1906 brand of cannabis products have agreed to halt all sales in Colorado and pay $400,000 to the state in order to end an investigation into allegations that they sold a marijuana-based sleep-aid product, "Midnight Drops," that might have caused liver problems.

  • September 23, 2025

    Tylenol MDL In Spotlight After Trump Blasts Use In Pregnancy

    The Trump administration's attack on the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy drew on the work of a Harvard expert whose analysis is central to a legal clash now before a federal appeals court. The president's broadside promises to energize plaintiffs.

  • September 23, 2025

    $6.6M IRS Civil Fraud Penalty Ruled Constitutional

    A Pennsylvania federal judge upheld a $6.6 million civil fraud tax penalty against an insurance broker over its captive deductions, ruling Tuesday that the Internal Revenue Service's assessment of the penalty without a jury trial was constitutional.

  • September 23, 2025

    Watchdog Calls For DC, Md. Bar Investigations Into Carr

    A government accountability watchdog brought a complaint against Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr to the D.C. Bar Association on Tuesday, claiming Carr violated conduct rules when he threatened to bring FCC action against ABC if it declined to discipline Jimmy Kimmel over his remarks following Charlie Kirk's murder.

  • September 23, 2025

    NC Sens. Vote To Cut Planned Parenthood's Medicaid Funds

    Republican state senators in North Carolina have greenlit a bill that would revoke Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, aligning the Tar Heel state with the president's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which prohibits Medicaid funding for nonprofit groups that provide abortion services.

  • September 23, 2025

    Religious Orgs Ask DC Circ. To Revive Bid To Block ICE Raids

    Christian and Jewish religious organizations urged the D.C. Circuit to vacate a denial of their preliminary injunction request to stop immigration raids on places of worship, arguing Monday their injuries caused by attendance drops are traceable to the "unprecedented assault on their religious exercise" by the Department of Homeland Security.

Expert Analysis

  • Unpacking Ore. Law's Limits On PE Healthcare Investment

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    A recent Oregon law imposes significant restrictions on nonphysicians owning or controlling medical practices, but newly enacted amendments provide some additional flexibility in certain ownership arrangements without scuttling the law's intent of addressing concerns about the rise of private equity investment in healthcare, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Environmental Justice Is Alive And Well At The State Level

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    Even as the Trump administration has rolled back federal environmental justice policies, many states continue to prioritize it, with new regulations, strengthened enforcement of existing rules and ongoing private litigation — so companies must stay alert to how state-level EJ enforcement may affect their operations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What FinCEN's AML Rule Delay Means For Advisers

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    Even with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's statement last month delaying the compliance date for a rule requiring advisers to report suspicious activity, advisers can expect some level of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission oversight in connection with anti-money laundering compliance, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

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    Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

  • What Insurers Must Know About New La. Proof Of Loss Law

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    Insurers that comply with all the requirements under a Louisiana law effective this month may condition claim payments on receipt of proof of loss statements, but those that overlook even one prerequisite risk penalties and late payments, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Legal Jeopardy Looms Over Trump's Trade Negotiation Plans

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    Even as the Trump administration announces one trade deal after another, the legal authority of the executive branch to impose tariffs under consensual arrangements with leading trading partners is just as debatable as the unilateral imposition of U.S. tariffs under the president's executive orders, says Jeffrey Bialos at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Criminal Healthcare Fraud Takeaways From 4th Circ. Reversal

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    After the Fourth Circuit reversed a doctor’s postconviction acquittal in U.S. v. Elfenbein last month, defense attorneys should consider three strategies when handling complex criminal healthcare matters, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    Furtive Changes To Federal Health Data Threaten Admissibility

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    A recent study showing that nearly 100 U.S. federal health datasets have been modified this year without any notation in official change logs should concern plaintiffs counsel, defense counsel and judges alike — because undermining data's integrity, authenticity and chain of custody threatens its admissibility in litigation, say attorneys at Kershaw Talley.

  • State Laws Show Uniformity Is Key To Truly Fair Bank Access

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    The lack of uniformity among state laws — including new Idaho legislation — that forbid banks from discriminating against customers based on ideology shows that a single set of federally administered fair access rules would better serve financial institutions and American consumers, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • A Look At Justices' Rare Decision Not To Limit Agency Powers

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    The Supreme Court's recent denial of Alpine's cert petition in its long-running case against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends a strong signal that litigation strategies dependent on the elimination of government agencies merit caution, even from a court that lately hasn't been shy about paring back agency authority, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Series

    Hiking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    On the trail, I have thought often about the parallels between hiking and high-stakes patent litigation, and why strategizing, preparation, perseverance and joy are important skills for success in both endeavors, says Barbara Fiacco at Foley Hoag.

  • Opportunity Zone Overhaul Is Good News For Investors

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    Recently enacted reforms making the qualified opportunity zone program permanent, restoring the basis step-up for capital gains and adding flexibility to the zone designation process enhance the program’s appeal for long-term investment, says Steven Hadjilogiou at McDermott.

  • What US-India Trade Deal Will Mean For Indian Pharma

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    Complicated by newly imposed tariffs from the U.S., the outcome of the U.S.-India trade talks is poised to reshape not just trade policy, but also the strategic alignment of the two countries' pharmaceutical ecosystems, says Jashaswi Ghosh at Holon Law Partners.

  • Opinion

    Time For Full Disclosure Of Third-Party Funding In MDLs

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    It is appropriate that the Federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules is considering a rule to require disclosure of third-party litigation funding in civil litigation — something that is particularly needed in multidistrict litigation, which now comprises more than half of all civil cases in the federal courts, says Eric Hudson at Butler Snow.

  • Regulating Online Activity After Porn Site Age Check Ruling

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    A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding an age verification requirement for accessing online adult sexual content applied a lenient rational basis standard, raising questions for how state and federal courts will determine what kinds of laws regulating online activity will satisfy this standard going forward, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

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