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Expert Analysis

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Reproductive Health Under Trump So Far, And What's Next

  

  Based on priorities stated so far, the Trump administration will likely continue to weaken Biden-era policies that protect reproductive health, with abortion, in vitro fertilization and contraception all being issues to watch closely amid a post-Dobbs shift, say attorneys at McDermott.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• How High Court's Cornell Decision Will Affect ERISA Suits

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cunningham v. Cornell, characterizing prohibited transaction exemptions as affirmative defenses, sets the bar very low for initiating Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation, and will likely affect many plan sponsors with similar service agreements, says Carol Buckmann at Cohen & Buckmann.

• 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.

• 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.

• AI Use Of Hollywood Works: The Case For Statutory Licensing

  

  Amid entertainment industry concerns about how generative artificial intelligence uses its copyrighted content, a statutory licensing framework may offer a more viable path than litigation and petitions — one that aligns legal doctrine, economic incentives and technological progress, says Rob Rosenberg at Telluride Legal.