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Freedom of Information Act U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Freedom of Information Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1966 to promote government transparency and the free exchange of public information. Under FOIA, any individual can request federal... more +
The Freedom of Information Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1966 to promote government transparency and the free exchange of public information. Under FOIA, any individual can request federal agency records and enforce that right in a court of law. However, not all agency records can be requested; there are nine exempt categories of information. In addition to the federal law, many states have passed their own freedom of information acts. These acts are often similar but not always identical to the federal version.  less -
ArentFox Schiff

Investigations Newsletter: DOJ Indicts 47 Individuals in Largest COVID-19 Fraud Scheme To Date

ArentFox Schiff on

DOJ Indicts 47 Individuals in Largest COVID-19 Fraud Scheme To Date - On September 20, 2022, the US Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced federal criminal charges against 47 defendants from the nonprofit, Feeding Our...more

Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)

PETA Publicizes Reports to OLAW, USDA Inspections, Targets NIH Intramural Program

Report on Research Compliance Volume 19, Number 9 (September, 2022) - Nina F. Schor, M.D., had been in her job as acting deputy director of NIH’s intramural research program (IRP) for 15 days when she received an email...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Is Your Trade Secret Safe Under FOIA?

Fenwick & West LLP on

In June 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Food Marketing Institute. v. Argus Leader Media. The case marked the Court’s first chance to address an important question: When can (or cannot) the federal government withhold...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Supreme Court Expands Trade Secrets Exemption from FOIA

Businesses often worry that the information they provide to the government will be disclosed, and with good reason – such information is presumptively available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act...more

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Food & Beverage Litigation Update l November 2019 #2

LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - USDA Receives Hundreds Of Comments On Hemp Interim Rule - Two weeks after opening a comment period on an interim final rule on hemp farming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Supreme Court Expands Application of Exemption for Business Data under Freedom of Information Act

Rejecting a standard that had governed lower courts for 45 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has made it easier for federal agencies to protect companies’ commercial information from public disclosure under the Freedom of...more

PilieroMazza PLLC

SCOTUS Strengthens Protections for Federal Government Contractors Under FOIA

PilieroMazza PLLC on

The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA” or “the Act”) provides private citizens access to information in the possession of government agencies that is not otherwise publicly available. Unfortunately, an agency’s disclosure can...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Protecting Government Contractors’ Confidential Information Just Got Easier

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on

At the end of June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) decision that decreases the burden on contractors seeking to protect confidential information. As most contractors are aware,...more

Perkins Coie

Is the U.S. Supreme Court’s FOIA Decision a Game Changer for Companies Seeking to Prevent Disclosure of Proprietary Information?

Perkins Coie on

In its recent decision in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media d/b/a Argus Leader, No. 18-481, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a decades-old legal standard for companies that wish to shield their business...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Protecting Confidential Business Information

Supreme Court Upends Half-Century Standard for Handling Confidential Commercial Information Under the Freedom of Information Act - Businesses that provide sensitive commercial or financial information to the federal...more

Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

Supreme Court Decision Broadens Protection for Confidential Information against Disclosure under FOIA

In a significant decision for Government contractors, the Supreme Court has expanded the types of “commercial or financial information” that are “confidential,” and therefore exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Supreme Court Issues Decision Significantly Expanding the Scope of FOIA’s Confidentiality Exemption

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: On June 24, 2019, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media and resolved fractured circuit splits about the parameters for when the government may withhold...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Supreme Court Rules on FOIA and the Protection of Sensitive Company Information

A recent Supreme Court case determined that private commercial and financial information that is transmitted to the federal government under an assurance of privacy is considered “confidential” and not subject to disclosure...more

Blank Rome LLP

The Supreme Court Expands the Meaning of “Confidential” Information under FOIA Exemption 4

Blank Rome LLP on

The Supreme Court in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, No. 18-481 (U.S. June 24, 2019) recently relaxed the standard for withholding confidential information under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act...more

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media (2019)

Although patentees generally do not have great concerns about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) because of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's secrecy requirements, they may lose control over their information under...more

Morgan Lewis

Government Contract–Specific Impact of Recent Supreme Court FOIA Decision

Morgan Lewis on

In Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, the US Supreme Court held that private sector commercial information in the federal government’s possession may be withheld from public release without a showing that the...more

Morgan Lewis

Supreme Court Provides Greater FOIA Protections for Utilities Commercial Information

Morgan Lewis on

On June 24, the US Supreme Court issued its opinion in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, expanding the scope of information protected under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). FOIA establishes...more

Beveridge & Diamond PC

U.S. Supreme Court Increases Protection For Confidential Business Information Shared With The Federal Government

Many companies that have submitted confidential business information to the federal government have learned the hard way that the Courts and federal agencies have not interpreted the word “confidential” under the Freedom of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Supreme Court Issues Decision Significantly Expanding the Scope of FOIA’s Confidentiality Exemption

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

On June 24, 2019, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media and resolved fractured circuit splits about the parameters for when the government may withhold information from a...more

A&O Shearman

Supreme Court Extends Scope Of Confidential Information Disclosure Exemption Under Freedom Of Information Act

A&O Shearman on

On June 24, 2019, the United States Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Gorsuch, held that information that “is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner and provided to the government under an...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Supreme Court Strengthens Protection of Confidential Business Information Submitted to Federal Agencies

Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, decided June 24, 2019 by the Supreme Court, substantially expands the Freedom of Information Act exemption for confidential business information. The ruling is significant for...more

Cooley LLP

Blog: Will a new SCOTUS decision affect the SEC’s new confidentiality process?

Cooley LLP on

If you thought a case, just decided last week by SCOTUS, involving a claim against the VA by a veteran who had been denied benefits (Kisor v. Wilkie) seemed far afield from the securities laws (but really could have a...more

Knobbe Martens

Supreme Court Clarifies When Commercial or Financial Information Is 'Confidential' Under the Freedom of Information Act

Knobbe Martens on

FOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE V. ARGUS LEADER MEDIA. Before the Supreme Court with J. Gorsuch delivering the majority opinion. Summary: Commercial or financial information is confidential under the Freedom of Information Act...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

OH SNAP! Supreme Court Rejects Substantial Competitive Harm Test For Key FOIA Exemption

On June 24, 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), which protects from public disclosure “trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person [that...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP - Government...

Supreme Court Removes “Substantial Competitive Harm” Requirement for Contractors Seeking to Protect Confidential Information from...

You can rejoice in a recent Supreme Court decision if you have ever spent hours trying to convince a government agency not to release your company’s confidential information to the public in response to a Freedom of...more

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