On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) greenlit a sweeping prohibition on the use of noncompete agreements by for-profit employers nationwide. In a party-line vote, the FTC voted 3–2 to approve a final rule that bans the… more

As we move closer to the end of many states’ legislative sessions, a number of comprehensive privacy law proposals continue to work their way through the legislative process. Since our last update, Nebraska became the sixteenth state… more

Introduction - The legal regime in India relating to data protection and privacy has undergone a significant re-haul and revamp. The Digital Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDPA”) received the President’s assent and was published in… more

DIFC Court of Appeal Confirms Enforceability of Arbitral Awards Granting Interim Relief issued in Non DIFC-Seated Arbitrations - The Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Court of Appeal has recently confirmed, in CA 001/2024… more

A recap of a recent Office Hours conversation about writing to impact your business, with attorney and thought leader Will Cheek III… more

In a recent lawsuit, an oil producer claims significant monthly losses due to a forced pipeline shutdown, alleging the pipeline company violated their contract by failing to adhere to U.S. laws and ensure operational continuity. With… more

Quick reminder that California’s pay data reporting deadline is quickly approaching. Any employer with 100 or more, with at least one worker in California must comply with the state’s updated reporting requirements by May 8, 2024… more

In late April, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final Managed Care Rule, which codifies revisions intended to “improve access to care, accountability and transparency for the approximately 80 million… more

As the lead agency for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the Committee), the U.S. Department of the Treasury released new proposed rules on April 11, 2024 intended to enhance the enforcement and… more

The Illinois Franchise Tax (the “Franchise Tax”) is an extremely complex tax that places unique burdens on corporations conducting business in Illinois. Based on our experience, many corporations incorrectly calculate their… more

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently published an update (the Update) on its approach to artificial intelligence (AI) following the UK government’s publication of its pro-innovation strategy in February 2024 (the… more

On Friday, SEC Enforcement charged audit firm BF Borgers CPA PC and its owner, Benjamin F. Borgers, with “massive fraud” involving “deliberate and systemic failures” to comply with PCAOB standards in auditing and reviewing financial… more

The intersection of technology and commerce has given rise to a myriad of trends that are reshaping the way companies approach commercial contracts. From the retail industry to the broader market, the integration of artificial… more

On April 17, a group of five state attorneys general (AG) and Google filed briefs defending the proposed $700 million settlement agreement reached in three antitrust suits brought against Google… more

Clem v. Skinner, et al., C.A. 2021-0240-LWW (Del. Ch. Feb. 19, 2024) - This Caremark decision involved the retail pharmacy company, Walgreens, and concerned billing practices for a particular insulin pen product that gave rise to… more

The Illinois legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit Biometric Information Privacy Act (Privacy Act or BIPA) per-scan damages and provide a potential lifeline to employers that face potentially catastrophic damages awards… more

Demystifying the often talked about role of Legal Chief of Staff - One of the exciting things about the legal operations industry is that it is still relatively new—nearly half (45%) of legal departments added their first legal… more

The Smejkal v Beck Decision - In Smejkal v Beck, ___NW2d___; 2024 Mich. App. LEXIS 3019, (Ct App, Apr. 18, 2024), Terry Smejkal renewed his automobile insurance policy with Home-Owners Insurance Company on August 11, 2020 (after the… more

Members of the North Carolina General Assembly were back in full force in Raleigh this week as legislators met for their first full week of business since convening the legislative short session last week, on Wednesday, April 24. A… more

On April 25, 2024, the FDA published a notice of availability in the Federal Register for its revised draft guidance, entitled “Promotional Labeling and Advertising Considerations for Prescription Biological Reference Products… more

On April 24, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations (Final Regulations) regarding Section 897. In December 2022, the IRS issued proposed regulations under Sections 897 (the Proposed Regulations) and 892 of the… more

Understanding the Franchise Tax requires an understanding of four critical terms used throughout its computing and filing process. These terms are: Paid-In Capital, Taxable Year, Fiscal Year, and Allocation Factor. While some of these… more

We continue to track important legislative and regulatory proposals and changes in the region. Our most recent prior Alert discussed rent control efforts in Maryland, changes to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, eviction… more

Open insurance is a trend gaining traction throughout the global insurance industry. Similar to open banking, it involves the industry moving to a connected data ecosystem powered by open application programming interfaces (APIs). This… more

Although class actions have been common in the United States for decades, they have not been as widely used in the rest of the world. The situation and risks remain in flux, however, as more countries have renewed momentum to enact… more

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal has finally laid to rest the vexed issue of whether an arbitration agreement or a winding-up petition should take precedence in an insolvency situation. In two parallel decisions, the Court of Appeal ruled… more

In the fast-evolving realm of artificial intelligence (AI), legal professionals face an imperative to not only keep up but to do so ethically and responsibly. As AI technologies permeate the legal industry, understanding their… more

Gaming - This week, a conference committee produced compromise legislation after the House and Senate passed different versions of gaming legislation. The Alabama House of Representatives advanced this compromise legislation, which… more

In re Oracle Corp. Deriv. Litig., Consol. C.A. No. 2017-0337-SG (Del. Ch. Feb. 7, 2024) - Under the mootness rule, a stockholder plaintiff can be awarded attorneys’ fees when the plaintiff’s litigation efforts result in the… more

The importance of calculating your Franchise Tax Allocation Factor cannot be understated. Improper calculation of this factor can lead to over and underpayment of Franchise Tax, triggering penalties, interest accrual, and the stripping… more

There’s a good chance that your estate plan includes a revocable trust — sometimes known as a “living trust.” This type of trust can help your estate avoid probate, guard your privacy and provide protection in the event you’re… more

On 24 April 2024, the European Parliament (Parliament) formally adopted at first reading the final text of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This marks the end of the key legislative process in respect of… more

Good Afternoon! This is Akin’s biweekly policy newsletter on space policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major space headlines and forthcoming space-related events and hearings..… more

Regulatory changes and government antitrust scrutiny of merger and acquisition activity have led to increased attention to Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Second Requests. The past few years have been busy in the M&A space. In Fiscal Year… more

Last year, New Jersey enacted a law prohibiting sellers from imposing certain surcharges for credit card transactions and establishing notice requirements regarding credit card surcharges for transactions in New Jersey. According to… more

On April 29, 2024, the Department of Labor published extensive guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in hiring and employment. While the guidance is addressed to federal contractors, all private-sector employers using or… more

A large convenience store chain recently learned about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s intention to challenge how employers use arrest and conviction records to make hiring decisions… more

To help you stay on top of the latest news, our AI practice group has compiled a roundup of the developments we are following… more

More than two months after the February 2024 Change Healthcare cyber-ransom attack, the healthcare industry continues to grapple with the fallout, creating significant challenges, disruptions, and outages to the healthcare operations… more

On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a final rule mandating aggressive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired turbines (“Final… more

On April 22, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services, a final rule designed to address a range of barriers that Medicaid beneficiaries face in accessing home- and… more

Visual artists sued Google last week, alleging that Google’s AI-powered image generator, Imagen, was trained on their copyrighted content without authorization. The proposed class action asserts claims of direct copyright infringement… more

On April 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced its final determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) but appears ready-to-eat (RTE)… more

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously resolved a circuit split on the issue of whether a failure to disclose information under Item 303 of Regulation S-K (the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Management’s… more

Recent releases from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) show that the mortgage industry is in the crosshairs of the CFPB's campaign against so-called junk fees. Earlier this year, the CFPB indicated its interest in… more

In the homestretch of Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session, tension has mounted in St. Paul as state House and Senate committees scramble to secure enough votes to place their bills on Governor Tim Walz’s desk for signature. With… more

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently released an Issue Spotlight highlighting the costs and fees associated with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). While acknowledging that HSAs offer tax advantages that can help… more

On April 22, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care Access, Finance, and Quality Final Rule and the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Final… more

On April 26, the FTC released a final rule that will amend its Health Breach Notification Rule to require vendors of health apps and related entities not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to… more

For the first time in its history, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently invoked supervisory authority over a nonbank lender, World Acceptance Corp., one of the largest small-dollar installment lenders in the country. Given… more

The Delaware dam may not be bursting but there are signs that it is leaking.  In an earlier post, I observed that despite all of the talk, I had not found many recent examples of publicly traded companies reincorporating in Nevada… more

This series of articles is intended to provide a deep dive into the Illinois State Franchise Tax (the “Franchise Tax”) and should be read sequentially to be best understood. The first article covered the businesses and entities… more

On April 30, 2024, FINRA proposed amendments its Maintaining Qualifications Program (“MQP”) to reopen the period in which certain participants can complete their prescribed 2022 and 2023 continuing education (“CE”) requirements… more

In 2021, Maine passed the most sweeping law related to the regulation of PFAS in consumer products at that time. Subsequently, the law was amended in 2023, and on April 16, 2024, Governor Mills signed L.D. 1537, entitled “An Act to… more

Recently, HUD announced a final rule to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard to “protect communities from flood risk, heavy storms, increased frequency of severe weather events and disasters, changes in development… more

By Jonathan H. Freiberger There are two “components and constitutional predicates of personal jurisdiction.”  Keane v. Kamin, 94 N.Y.2d 263, 265 (1999). “One component involves service of process, which implicates due process… more

Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session… more

A federal judge in the Northern District of California delivered a blow to a potential class action lawsuit against Google over its ad auction practices. The lawsuit, which allegedly involved tens of millions of Google account holders… more