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Public Policy

  • July 08, 2025

    Conn. AG Hits Ticket Marketplace With 1st Data Privacy Fine

    An online ticket marketplace has become the first to be handed a monetary penalty under Connecticut's comprehensive data privacy law, with the state's attorney general announcing a settlement Tuesday that will require the company to pay $85,000 and maintain consumer rights request metrics to resolve claims that it failed to fix several alleged privacy notice deficiencies.

  • July 08, 2025

    Baltimore Police Want Out Of Md. Hemp Cos.' Suit

    The Baltimore Police Department wants out of a lawsuit filed by hemp businesses and buyers seeking to upend a Maryland law that would require retailers to get recreational cannabis licenses to buy and sell hemp products, arguing that the department isn't responsible for the legislation.

  • July 08, 2025

    Insurer Fights ACA Loss, Citing Justices' Trans Care Ruling

    Premera Blue Cross urged a Washington federal court to rethink an early win it granted against the insurer over its coverage policy for gender dysphoria surgery, arguing the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti is dispositive of a sex discrimination claim in the case.

  • July 08, 2025

    Macy's Says McLaughlin Ruling Backs Axing DOL's ERISA Suit

    Macy's has once again asked an Ohio federal judge to slash a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit claiming the retail company discriminated against tobacco users by charging them an extra fee through its health insurance plan, this time leaning on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent McLaughlin ruling to argue no new lawsuit is required to push aside agency rulemaking.

  • July 08, 2025

    Chinese Man Arrested Over COVID Data Theft, Law Firm Hack

    Federal agents have arrested a Chinese citizen to face criminal charges for his alleged role in the Microsoft "HAFNIUM" cyberattack in which the People's Republic of China allegedly directed him and a co-conspirator to hack email accounts at a law firm and a Texas university to steal crucial COVID-19 vaccine information.

  • July 08, 2025

    Puerto Rico Bond Suit Doesn't Belong In Conn., Insurers Say

    The insurers of billions in bonds issued by the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. say a Connecticut federal judge can't hear a proposed class action accusing them of failing to pay bondholders the full value of their investments after a 2016 bankruptcy default.

  • July 08, 2025

    Pot Smell May Be Hemp So No Probable Cause, 4th Circ. Told

    A North Carolina man urged the Fourth Circuit on Monday to revive his challenge of a police officer's search of his car based on the smell of marijuana, saying the government is wrongly asserting the search was legal because there are legal forms of hemp with an indistinguishable odor. 

  • July 08, 2025

    Trump, Iowa AG Back Florida's Push To Enforce Migrant Law

    The Trump administration, the state of Iowa and the Immigration Reform Law Institute told the Eleventh Circuit they support Florida's push to enforce a law criminalizing the entry of unauthorized immigrants into the state, arguing the law isn't preempted by federal statutes. 

  • July 08, 2025

    Trump Declares 50% Copper Tariff, Floats 200% Pharma Tariff

    President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will impose a new 50% tariff on copper imported into the U.S., while also raising the possibility of imposing a 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals.

  • July 08, 2025

    Crypto Groups Back Developer's Money Transmitter Challenge

    A coalition of crypto industry groups voiced their support for a challenge seeking to protect software developers from catching criminal cases over others' use of their creations, telling the Texas federal judge overseeing the case that the U.S. government has recently taken "an unprecedented, sweeping interpretation" of money transmission statutes.

  • July 08, 2025

    Judge Tosses Pot Convict's Gun Rights Case

    A Maine federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a suit from a man convicted of trafficking cannabis who alleged that his Second Amendment rights were being violated, finding that policies barring felons from gun ownership have been consistent with the country's history.

  • July 08, 2025

    8th Circ. Strikes Down FTC's Click-To-Cancel Rule

    An Eighth Circuit panel on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission's planned "click-to-cancel" rule, which would have required companies to allow customers to ditch their subscriptions with a single click, finding that the commission did not follow the proper procedures once a judge determined the rule change would cost over $100 million. 

  • July 08, 2025

    Chicago Nabs Early Win In City Workers' Genetic Bias Suit

    The city of Chicago defeated allegations that the genetic information of two employees was taken when their spouses took part in a wellness program, with an Illinois federal judge finding that evidence does not back the claims that detailed information was disclosed in violation of federal law.

  • July 08, 2025

    Mich. Judge Certifies Edenville Dam Flood Victim Classes

    A Michigan claims court judge has certified classes of businesses and residents affected by flooding from the collapse of a hydroelectric dam, ahead of a January trial to determine if state agencies are liable for the disaster. 

  • July 08, 2025

    States Back Enviro Orgs. Bid To Block EPA's Halt Of $3B Grant

    A group of Democratic attorneys general on Monday told a D.C. federal district court that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to terminate environmental justice grants deprives vulnerable communities of funding "necessary to achieve a healthy environment."

  • July 08, 2025

    DHS Faces New Suit Over Protected Status Terminations

    An immigration rights group hit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with another Administrative Procedure Act lawsuit in California federal court on Monday, challenging its abrupt termination of temporary protection for over 60,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal who've sought refuge from environmental and political crises in their home countries.

  • July 08, 2025

    Feds Fight Class Injunction Bid In Birthright Citizenship Row

    The Trump administration Monday opposed two immigration advocacy groups' bid to block President Donald Trump's birthright citizenship executive order for a proposed nationwide class, saying the groups were essentially seeking a universal injunction that the U.S. Supreme Court had recently rejected.

  • July 08, 2025

    Trump Tariff Fights Put Spotlight On Major Questions Doctrine

    Challenges to President Donald Trump's global tariffs have brought renewed attention to the U.S. Supreme Court's major questions doctrine, including observations that lower courts have so far inconsistently applied this approach when scrutinizing a range of agency actions.

  • July 08, 2025

    Kansas Extends STAR Bonds To Continue Chiefs, Royals Talks

    Kansas lawmakers have approved a one-year extension of the state's Sales Tax and Revenue bonds while the Missouri-based Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals continue talks with officials about migrating to Kansas.

  • July 08, 2025

    Biosimilars Industry Group Backs Interchangeability Bill

    The current law on how biosimilars are deemed interchangeable or not with their name-brand biologic equivalents has led to public confusion over how safe biosimilars are, a coalition of healthcare industry groups told lawmakers in a letter Monday.

  • July 08, 2025

    Judge Halts Plan To Slash AmeriCorps Workforce, Funding

    A Maryland federal judge determined that the Trump administration must reinstate hundreds of AmeriCorps employees and restore $400 million in funding and grants to nonprofits, saying public interest and a balance of equities favor a preliminary injunction.

  • July 08, 2025

    Poultry Farm Urges NC Justices To Reject Animal Cruelty Case

    A North Carolina poultry farm lambasted a chicken welfare group as allegedly seeking a "third bite at the proverbial apple" by petitioning the state's highest court to revive its animal cruelty case, saying the state's animal protection statute doesn't apply to commercial farmers.

  • July 08, 2025

    DOJ Antitrust Unit Launches Program To Pay Whistleblowers

    The U.S. Department of Justice launched a new program on Tuesday to provide rewards for people who report antitrust crimes related to the postal service, giving whistleblowers the opportunity to receive 30% of any criminal fines recovered for violations.

  • July 08, 2025

    Ex-ComEd CEO Should Get 6 Years In Prison, Prosecutors Say

    Chicago federal prosecutors said Monday that former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore, convicted alongside three others for falsifying books and records in a yearslong scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, should serve nearly six years behind bars, while Pramaggiore said she should receive a sentence of probation.

  • July 08, 2025

    GOP Senators Unveil Employment Bills Package

    Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., and two other Republican senators jointly introduced a package of bills that would give independent contractors access to retirement and health benefits, and introduce a new independent contractor definition. 

Expert Analysis

  • What FCA Liability Looks Like In The Cybersecurity Realm

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    ​Two recent settlements highlight how whistleblowers and the U.S. Department of Justice have been utilizing the False Claims Act to allege fraud predicated on violations of cybersecurity standards — timely lessons given new bipartisan legislation introducing potential FCA liability for artificial intelligence use, say​ attorneys Rachel Rose and Julie Bracker.

  • 'A Deal Is A Deal': Tariffs No Excuse To Dodge Contract Terms

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    Tariff policy uncertainty is unlikely to be a basis for allowing a party to avoid contractual obligations, but businesses can still plan for future disputes related to pricing, operations and the supply chain, including with the addition of tariffs to any force majeure provision, say attorneys at Arnold Porter.

  • Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance

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    A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • Operating Via Bank Charter Offers Perks Amid Industry Shift

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    As bank regulators become more receptive to streamlining barriers that have historically stood in the way of de novo bank formation, and as fintechs show more interest in chartering, attorneys at Goodwin outline the types of charters available and their benefits.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

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    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • 5 Takeaways From DOJ's Media Compulsory Process Rules

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new rules, making it easier for law enforcement investigating leaks to compel members of the media and third parties to disclose information, could have wide-ranging impacts, from reduced protections for journalists and organizations, to an expanded focus on nonclassified material, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Public Cos. Must Heed Disclosure Risks Amid Trade Chaos

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    Ongoing uncertainties caused by President Donald Trump's shifting stances on tariffs and trade restrictions have exponentially escalated financial reporting pressures on public companies, so businesses must ensure that their operations and accounting practices align with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's standards, say Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block and Edward Westerman at Secretariat Advisors.

  • Seven County Ruling Should Trim Agency Enviro Analysis

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County provides needed clarity for infrastructure projects by expressly directing agencies to narrow environmental reviews, and reducing the threat of litigation if even tangential issues are not exhaustively evaluated, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • CMS Guidance May Complicate Drug Pricing, Trigger Lawsuits

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    Recent draft guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposes to expand the scope of what counts as the same qualifying single-source drug, which would significantly alter the timeline for modified drugs facing price controls and would likely draw legal challenges from innovator drug companies, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Digital Equity Act Grant Terminations Raise Key Legal Issues

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    The Trump administration's move to cancel grant programs created under the Digital Equity Act yields key legal and policy questions facing the executive branch, Congress and the courts, including how the administration plans to implement the cancellation of the Digital Equity Act's appropriations in the first place, say attorneys at Akin.

  • GAO Report Reveals How Banks And Regulators Are Using AI

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    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report published last month makes clear that while both federal regulators and regulated entities like banks and credit unions are employing artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, they're maintaining some skepticism, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Robinson-Patman Enforcement May Fizzle Out After PepsiCo

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    After securing an early Robinson-Patman Act victory against the largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., the Federal Trade commission's voluntary dismissal of its own enforcement action against PepsiCo throws into doubt the future of the federal statute that prohibits price discrimination and other anticompetitive practices, say attorneys at V&E.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • High Court Ruling Bucks Trend Of Narrowing Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Kousisis v. U.S. decision, holding that economic loss is not required to establish prosecutors’ fraudulent inducement theory of fraud, is at odds with its decadeslong narrowing of federal fraud statutes’ reach, and may lead to convictions for a wide variety of contractual misrepresentations, say attorneys at Keker Van Nest.

  • Calif. Air Board Offers Early Hints On Climate Reporting

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    As initial reporting deadlines for California's new climate reporting laws approach, guidance provided by the California Air Resources Board in a virtual public workshop sheds some light on rulemaking to come, and how to prepare for compliance during this period of uncertainty, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

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