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Public Policy

  • July 16, 2025

    With Discretionary Denials, PTAB Accepting Fewer Petitions

    The rate of patent challenges accepted by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board is still declining, with data for July showing a sharp decrease in the institution rate following major changes in board practice, according to data shared at a Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox PLLC webinar Wednesday.

  • July 16, 2025

    Maine Clinics Sue Over Medicaid Ban On Abortion Providers

    A Maine family planning organization sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday over abortion-related Medicaid restrictions outlined in President Donald Trump's budget act, saying they violate constitutional equal protection rights.

  • July 16, 2025

    AI Tools Taking On Bigger Role In USPTO Patent Examination

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is expanding how artificial intelligence is used in patent examination, adding an image search tool that design patent examiners will soon be trained on to existing tools for utility patent examiners, officials said at a Wednesday event.

  • July 16, 2025

    Cornell Workers Urge 2nd Circ. Remand Suit Justices Revived

    Cornell University workers urged the Second Circuit to remand their sweeping class action alleging retirement plan mismanagement to New York federal court, arguing that the lower court should decide whether to hold a jury trial on a claim that the U.S. Supreme Court revived in April.

  • July 16, 2025

    Family Of Philly Teacher Pushes City For Answers On Death

    The family of Ellen Greenberg, a Philadelphia teacher whose 2011 death was ruled a suicide despite 20 stab wounds, is pressing city officials to honor a settlement in which they agreed to revisit her cause of death after a decade-long legal battle.

  • July 16, 2025

    Hawley Accuses AI Cos. Of Largest IP Theft In US History

    U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley condemned artificial intelligence developers accused of using pirating sites to obtain training material for their AI models, calling the claims part of "the largest intellectual property theft in American history" during a hearing Wednesday.

  • July 16, 2025

    Ga. Prosecutor Resigns Amid DUI Handling Feud With Judge

    A Georgia prosecutor announced his resignation from a county solicitor's post Wednesday amid a public feud with a state court judge and dueling allegations of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct.

  • July 16, 2025

    Mass. Judges To Mull Dismissals Amid Defender Pay Standoff

    Nearly two months after many court-appointed attorneys in Massachusetts stopped accepting new cases over what they say is poor pay, a solution still appears elusive, even as judges will soon start hearing motions to dismiss cases under an emergency order issued by a state high court justice.

  • July 16, 2025

    Dominion Exec Settles Defamation Suit With Election Denier

    A former Dominion Voting Systems Inc. executive reached a settlement on Wednesday in Colorado federal court with a right-wing podcast and speaking tour that he said were spreading defamatory statements surrounding the 2020 election.

  • July 16, 2025

    Justice Kavanaugh Pauses 8th Circ.'s Voting Rights Ruling

    Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday administratively paused an Eighth Circuit decision to vacate two North Dakota tribes' challenge to two of the state's voting laws, pending the outcome of a forthcoming petition to the full high court.

  • July 16, 2025

    FCC Looks To Streamline Regs For Enviro Reviews

    The Federal Communications Commission expects to move a plan forward in August that would overhaul its rules for scrutinizing telecom and broadband projects under the National Environmental Policy Act.

  • July 16, 2025

    House Panel Urged To Modernize Tax Rules For Digital Assets

    Congress needs to create tax rules for digital assets such as cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens because the current regime is burdensome for businesses and pushing development out of the U.S., industry representatives told a House Ways and Means Committee subcommittee Wednesday.

  • July 16, 2025

    DOJ Tells 9th Circ. TPS Cancellation Delay Can't Stand

    The U.S. Department of Justice maintained that the Ninth Circuit should vacate a California federal judge's order postponing its termination of temporary protected status for Venezuelans, based on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling curtailing nationwide injunctions.

  • July 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Tosses Atty-Farmer's Suit Over USDA Organic Label

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule allowing farm collectives in the U.S. and other countries to be certified as "organic" under one certificate and not inspected annually, tossing an attorney-turned-Oregon hazelnut farmer's suit alleging Turkish growers were defrauding the system.

  • July 16, 2025

    States Push To Keep Nationwide Block On Birthright Order

    A coalition of states told a Massachusetts federal court Tuesday that nothing less than a nationwide injunction can provide complete relief in the states' case against President Donald Trump's executive order targeting birthright citizenship.

  • July 16, 2025

    Flowers Foods Pushes Justices To Take Up Arbitration Case

    Flowers Foods pressed the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to take up a case in which the Tenth Circuit decided to keep a distributor's overtime suit out of arbitration, urging the justices to cure a deep circuit split once and for all.

  • July 16, 2025

    Charter, Cox Ask FCC To Approve $34.5B Combination

    Charter Communications and Cox Communications asked federal telecom regulators this week to approve their $34.5 billion megadeal to combine into a broadband, video and mobile services behemoth.

  • July 16, 2025

    FEMA Targeted In 20-State Suit Over Pre-Disaster Grant Cuts

    A coalition of 20 states led by Washington and Massachusetts sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Boston federal court Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of illegally cutting off billions of dollars in grants for proactive disaster mitigation projects across the country.

  • July 16, 2025

    US Fights NY's Bid To Move Climate Superfund Suit Upstate

    The federal government is urging a Southern District of New York judge not to transfer its lawsuit challenging the state's climate change Superfund law to the Northern District, where it would join similar litigation filed by several Republican-led states.

  • July 16, 2025

    Booz Allen Hit With Retaliation, Wrongful Firing Suit

    Booz Allen Hamilton has been sued for race discrimination and retaliation in Georgia federal court by the Black former chief technologist of its global converged resilience practice, who said he was discriminated against and then fired for raising concerns about fraudulent billing.

  • July 16, 2025

    DOJ Tells FCC Terminals Critical To Undersea Cable Security

    The U.S. Department of Justice is calling for new Federal Communications Commission rules to better protect undersea cable systems from foreign adversaries, saying cable licensees should have to report information about nonlicensee entities that operate equipment on submarine cables landing in the U.S.

  • July 16, 2025

    Dems Ask FCC To Drop CBS Probe, Cite Fox 'Double Standard'

    U.S. Senate Democrats are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to drop its probe into alleged news distortion at CBS, claiming there's a "double standard" based on a Fox News interview with President Donald Trump last year about the Jeffrey Epstein case.

  • July 16, 2025

    Judge Sets Execution Date In Shaken Baby Syndrome Case

    A Texas judge on Wednesday granted the state's request to set an execution date for a man convicted of killing his daughter based on a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome despite his pending appeal before the state's highest criminal court.

  • July 16, 2025

    NC Rec Center Immune In Overheating Wrongful Death Suit

    A North Carolina state appeals panel on Wednesday cleared a Scotland County recreational center in a suit alleging that its negligence led to the death from overheating of a basketball player, finding that the center is entitled to governmental immunity.

  • July 16, 2025

    Charity Care Is Not Unconstitutional Taking, NJ Justices Rule

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday held that a state requirement to treat patients regardless of the patient's ability to pay does not amount to unconstitutional per se or regulatory taking, backing a lower court's decision that dismissed a group of Garden State hospitals' challenge to the requirement.

Expert Analysis

  • Review Risk Is Increasing For Foreign Real Estate Developers

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    Federal and state government efforts have been expanding oversight of foreign investment in U.S. real estate, necessitating careful assessment of risk and of the benefits of notifying the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

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    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What's At Stake As Trump Admin Targets Carbon Markets

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    Trading in greenhouse gas emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way to leverage market forces to tackle climate change cost-effectively, and that theory may be put to the test amid momentous progress and fresh challenges, particularly as the Trump administration takes aim at climate initiatives, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What To Know About New Wash. Community Association Law

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    A series of recent legislative updates that greatly expand application of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act pose significant challenges to the volunteer board members who administer and operate condos and homeowners associations, but there are ways to lessen the newly imposed administrative burden, says Tim Feth at VF Law.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    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

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    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.

  • The Legal Risks Of US Restrictions On Investments In China

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    The second Trump administration has continued to embrace a more restrictive economic policy toward China, including an ongoing review of further restrictions on the flow of U.S. capital to China, so early planning and enhanced diligence can reduce exposure to the challenges resulting from further restrictions, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • How Trucking Cos. Can Keep Rolling Under Tariff Burdens

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    Recent Trump administration tariffs present major challenges for the transportation and logistics sector — and, in particular, trucking — but providers who focus on operational efficiency, cost control, customer relationships, creative contract structures and unique offerings will stand out from the competition, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • UK May Play Major Role In Corporate Misconduct Regulation

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    In light of the U.S.' pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office has released new guidance showing it may seize the opportunity to play a heightened role in regulating corporate misconduct by U.S. companies with a global presence, particularly over the next few years, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Tariff Strategies For The US Renewable Energy Sector

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    The Trump administration's tariff actions over the last few months are challenging for the renewable energy industry — but there are strategies for contending with the uncertainty, including diversifying supply chains, seeking certification about equipment origins, and adding tariff-related language to supply contracts and offtake agreements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

  • Opinion

    Why It's Time To Retire The Efficient Market Hypothesis

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    As agentic artificial intelligence systems increasingly affect financial markets, the efficient market hypothesis no longer offers a viable foundation for legal and regulatory engagement, and a new theoretical foundation is needed, say Zachary Brenner, a student at California Western School of Law, and attorney Gary Brenner.

  • Avoiding The Risk Of Continued AI-Washing Enforcement

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    A recent action brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, alleging a software developer defrauded investors by lying about his app’s artificial intelligence capabilities, suggests this administration will continue to target AI washing, so companies should adopt practices to mitigate enforcement risk, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 4 Ways Slater Is Priming DOJ For Continued Antitrust Success

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    Just as Jonathan Kanter did during his recent tenure leading the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater is following the effective blueprint set by Thurman Arnold when he modernized the division more than 80 years ago, says Perry Apelbaum at Kressin Powers.

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