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For better or for worse, our current culture depends heavily on cars to get where we need to be. In many places across the United States, cars serve as the only convenient link to the outside world. Today, seniors aged 70 and… more

On September 19, 2024, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC d/b/a First Clearing filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Massachusetts after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access the company’s IT… more

On July 1, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a new registration framework for registered index-linked annuity (RILA) contracts. RILA contracts allow investors to allocate purchase payments to one or more… more

Federal court cases are a game, like chess. You file a complaint, you fight the inevitable motion to dismiss, and once you survive that, you either settle or take the chances with the case and see if the defendants settle later down… more

Legal marketers have to accept that not every website visitor will convert into a client. At least not right away. Even if you have qualified traffic coming in, some people are bound to leave your site without contacting you..… more

Le 12 septembre 2024, la Société indépendante d’exploitation du réseau d’électricité (« SIERE ») de l’Ontario a présenté les plus récents développements relativement à la conception de ses appels de propositions à long terme (volet… more

Contour IP Holding LLC v. GoPro, Inc., Nos. 2022-1654, -1691 (Fed. Cir. (N.D. Cal.) Sept. 9., 2024). Opinion by Reyna, joined by Prost and Schall. Contour filed two suits against GoPro asserting infringement of two related patents… more

In a update to the Environmental Law Monitor’s continuing coverage of California’s historic climate disclosure laws, California State Sen. Scott Weiner put forth on August 13 proposals to Senate Bill 219 that would delay the effective… more

In an otherwise unassuming case relating to an insurance company’s obligation to cover an insured, Judge Kevin C. Newsom of the Eleventh Circuit engaged in a fascinating discussion of the merits of using of large language model… more

The European Commission (EC) announced on September 19, 2024, that it adopted new measures under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation to protect human health and the environment by… more

The new Labour government has made good on its promise to introduce to Parliament legislation intended to bolster the UK’s preparedness for and protection from terrorist attacks.  The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will ensure… more

The DEA scheduled an administrative hearing on the proposed rule to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. It will commence December 2, and insiders predict it will last two to 10 days. Any person “adversely affected or… more

AI tools, such as ChatGPT, have become a big part of modern life. They are also becoming more and more relevant in the workplace. The use of AI entails great opportunities, but also a few risks. So far, there is not much case law yet… more

The Deere case is an important reminder for companies to devote proper attention to ensuring robust integration planning for acquired companies.  DOJ has provided important guidance on acquisition practices and the need to integrate… more

On September 13, 2024, following a statutory four-year review of tariff actions taken by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) pursuant to its Section 301 investigation of China, the USTR announced a series of final modifications to the… more

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been a pair of greenwashing lawsuits filed--by both private plaintiffs and government regulators--that highlight the current focus on consumer products as a centerpiece of greenwashing… more

In August, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division announced the launch of a Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program, building off an earlier pilot program started in the Southern District of New York to encourage employees… more

This is the conclusion to a two part article. Please read Part One first. There must be legal recourse to stop this kind of fraud and so protect our basic freedoms. People must have good cause to believe in our judicial system, to… more

The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently issued proposed regulations to implement the Clean Electricity Low-Income Communities Bonus Program, which was created under the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize clean energy… more

Just like the romantic union of global pop superstar Taylor Swift and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, in the business world, combinations of similarly sized companies – or so-called mergers of equals – can yield positive benefits if… more

If the proposed rule is adopted, contractors will no longer qualify for set aside orders and agreements under multiple award IDIQ contracts after a disqualifying recertification. The proposed rule makes many changes to SBA programs… more

On September 9, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra spoke at the National Housing Conference on how a decrease in interest rates could impact mortgage refinancing. Chopra noted that over a fifth of all mortgages currently have interest rates… more

Electronic discovery isn't just a concern for big corporations or the large law firms representing them. Government agencies, like the fictional Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, often engage in eDiscovery when… more

On 5 September 2024, Attorney General (AG) Emiliou delivered a new Opinion in the BSH Hausgeräte/Electrolux case (C‑339/22) acting as an ‘addendum’ to his first Opinion in this case delivered on 22 February 2024. After the AG published… more

Revising the merger control regime in India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on September 10 implemented certain provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 and Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Competition Commission of India… more

AL2024-006, The Health Care Authority of the City of Hoover d/b/a Riverwalk Health and Wellness Center, Shelby County, AL: Proposes to develop a freestanding, non-hospital-based multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center (ASC) with an… more

OFAC issued an interim final rule extending OFAC’s recordkeeping requirements from 5 years to 10 years, to comport with the corresponding statute of limitations extension. OFAC also published a request for public comment with… more

On September 5, the CFPB released its 2024 annual report on the FDCPA, which discussed several issues consumers face in debt collection and highlights practices in the collection of medical and rental debt. Medical debt collection has… more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 18, 2024, the launch of an Outdoor Use Safer Choice label. According to EPA, this new label expands on its existing Safer Choice label and will identify outdoor use… more

September 19, 2024 Comments are due by October 7, 2024. Industry Group Leader Associate On Friday, August 23, the Small Business Administration issued a proposed rule that would significantly change the SBA’s HUBZone small business… more

On September 17, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a circular explaining that financial institutions may violate the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and its implementing regulation, Regulation E, by… more

Would you risk prison time to avoid paying taxes? That’s a question Robert Hunter Biden, publicly known as "Hunter Biden," may have asked himself when he faced serious tax evasion charges recently. While the case attracted national… more

On September 5, the FTC published a letter to the CFPB on the Commission’s annual summary of debt collection activities in 2023. Addressed to CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, the report aimed to assist the Bureau in preparing its annual… more

The High Court has struck out an action brought by a purported class representative against British Airways and EasyJet. The claim sought to obtain automatic compensation payments for passengers whose flights had been delayed or… more

As health care costs continue to rise, many employers are looking for ways they can help contain or eliminate unnecessary health plan costs without impacting the benefits coverage itself. Toward that end, some employers may find that… more

On September 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) initiated an inquiry into the rewards programs of the four largest U.S. airlines to investigate potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices. Secretary of… more

In this episode of BRight Minds in Healthcare Delivery, Blank Rome partner Alex C. Nisenbaum talks with Rajni Natesan, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Clarified Precision Medicine, about how technology is rapidly changing… more

I don’t need studies to tell me that States with mandated SIMPLE IRA programs for employers who don’t have a plan will spur the adoption of private retirement plans. There is no crowd in effect, the fact is that people are wary of the… more

Many who work with defined contribution plan administrators and consult plan sponsors on their ERISA fiduciary duties have been carefully monitoring Disberry v. Employee Relations Committee of the Colgate-Palmolive Company et. al. The… more

The proverbial road to Electric Vehicle (EV) rollout is paved with numerous challenges. Among these speedbumps is the preeminent question of how the infrastructure to support nationwide EV charging will be financed and developed… more

On September 9, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released Circular 26-24-18 announcing the launch of the new Program Participant Management (PPM) system for lenders beginning October 7. The PPM system will replace the… more

Employers have a new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (the Act). After receiving Royal… more

On September 13, plaintiffs in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio action pending against Norfolk Southern arising out of last year’s train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine filed a motion… more

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  In that spirit, what follows are certain pay and leave issues employers may confront during times of natural disaster – all of which are better to be thought about ahead of… more

A federal court last week sustained a First Amendment challenge to a Utah law aimed at addressing the use of social media platforms by minors, holding that the law’s proponents failed to demonstrate that the law served a compelling… more

An interview with Dean Fealk, Partner at DLA Piper by Richard Hsu… more

If the agreement between a creditor and debtor refers disputes to arbitration, what limits should be placed on the creditor to pursue winding-up proceedings based on an unpaid debt under that agreement? Should a court simply stay the… more

On September 4, the FDIC released its latest evaluations of state nonmember banks for compliance under the CRA. The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 requires public disclosure of evaluations and… more

The FCA is consulting on amendments to its Payment Services and Electronic Money Approach Document to provide guidance for payment service providers (PSPs) on how to apply the proposed outbound payments delay legislation published by… more

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a district court order excluding expert validity testimony based on collateral estoppel stemming from an inter partes review (IPR) proceeding of a related patent, finding that an… more

In a state where the sun always shines, California’s film tax credits seem to be the script for success. On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed legislation to extend and expand California’s $330 million-a-year Film and TV Tax Credit… more

On September 13, the Biden-Harris administration announced new actions to address "significant increased abuse" in the use of the de minimis import exemption. The de minimis import exemption allows low-value shipments (i.e., shipments… more

This is the second article in our two-part series on Cybersecurity in the Age of Industry 4.0, focusing on the legal implications and potential liabilities manufacturers face from cyberattacks, as well as practical recommendations to… more

Federal courts are facing an increasing number of lawsuits from employees claiming that their rights were violated when they were required to attend diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. These suits have used various… more

On September 17, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2602 into California law (to be codified at Cal. Lab. Code §927). The law addresses the use of “digital replicas” of performers. As defined in the law, a digital replica is:… more

How strong is your virtual handshake? Your firm’s welcome email is basically your virtual handshake, so let’s make sure it’s rock solid. Welcome Emails 101: Say it simply, set their expectations, and add value. Most importantly, do… more

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded a district court’s decision that the asserted claims were patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101, finding that the district court improperly characterized the… more

This case addresses the application of issue preclusion in scenarios where two closely related cases allege patent infringement against different versions of the same technology. Specifically, this case discusses whether a party’s… more