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In this article, we share a timeline of monthly "bites" for the past year applicable to Payments… more

The English Court of Appeal’s judgment in Ure Energy makes an important contribution to the law of waiver… more

As noted in last week’s post, privacy risk assessments are now required in several states. Of the 19 U.S. states with comprehensive consumer data privacy laws, all but two mandate that businesses conduct privacy risk assessments when… more

In this article, we share a timeline of monthly "bites" for the past year applicable to student lending… more

On January 15, 2026, National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) Chairman and US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, NEDC Vice Chairman and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and the governors of the states located in the PJM Interconnection… more

Welcome to The On-Ramp, the newsletter published by Venable's Autonomous and Connected Mobility Team. The On-Ramp explores legal and policy developments in the world of autonomous and connected vehicles, smart infrastructure… more

On January 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced revised thresholds for merger notifications under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act. The new thresholds and fee schedule will be effective February 17, 2026, which is 30… more

On 8 January 2026, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced that it will return £400,000 to nine victims of a global email fraud dating back more than two decades. The move, achieved through a civil recovery order under the Proceeds of… more

Welcome to 31 Days to a More Effective Compliance Program. Over this 31-day series in January 2026, Tom Fox will post a key component of a best-practice compliance program each day. By the end of January, you will have enough… more

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) issued an Opinion titled “‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ in Texas” on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. In the 74-page Opinion, AG Paxton takes aim at DEI policies and initiatives in Texas… more

The Financial Markets Standards Board has published its 2026 workplan. The workplan covers a wide range of areas in relation to wholesale financial markets, and in 2026 the Board sets out the following focus topics… more

The NSW Government has announced legislative reforms that will enhance the surveillance powers of investigative agencies including NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)… more

The US Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has announced updated enforcement priorities for fiscal year 2026. These changes signal where EBSA will focus its investigative and enforcement efforts… more

The EU has planned potential retaliation if President Trump moves forward with imposing new tariffs on European countries to discourage their support for Denmark/Greenland… more

Welcome to Alston & Bird’s introduction to biological products regulation. In this five-part intro-level series, we provide answers to a number of questions drug developers may have about the regulation and regulatory pathway for their… more

China's National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) has recently issued a new enforcement directive identifying seven categories of illegal trademark use that will be subject to heightened administrative scrutiny… more

Recent headlines about heightened immigration enforcement activity — particularly across Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan — have prompted a familiar question from HR and leadership teams: Are we actually ready if ICE shows up? For… more

Not content to “let it be,” the Financial Services Institute (FSI) sought and received, on November 17, 2025, a significant SEC staff no-action letter relating to the broker-dealer status of personal service entities (PSEs) owned by… more

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has issued a fourth temporary extension of telemedicine flexibilities, first introduced in response to the COVID-19 public… more

The European Supervisory Authorities (comprising the European Securities and Markets Authority, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Banking Authority) have entered into a Memorandum of… more

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that recoveries from False Claims Act (FCA) settlements and judgments in fiscal year 2025 exceeded $6.8 billion, the highest annual amount in FCA history and more than double the 10-year… more

On January 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the annual changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act notification and filing fee thresholds, which will go into effect by February 17, 2026. The FTC is required by… more

On January 2, 2026, the Ninth Circuit issued a closely watched copyright decision in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg. The decision’s significance lies not in the verdict itself, but in the Court’s unusually candid critique of the… more

Recent legislative developments in multiple states have targeted “stay-or-pay” clauses—contract terms that obligate employees to repay certain bonuses and educational or training expenses if the employee does not stay for a required… more

On January 14, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) accepted new rules proposed by Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) regarding the interconnection of High Impact Large Loads (HILLs) and the interconnection of new… more

The most frequently asked question at all-hands meetings for a securities offering is “What financial statements will be needed?” The question seems simple enough. But the answer is rarely straightforward. This User’s Guide is… more

As organizations increasingly rely on third-party service providers (TPSPs) for critical services, including cloud computing, IT management, and fintech solutions, the scale and complexity of cyber risks have grown. A recent industry… more

On January 8, 2026, the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York granted Universal Music Group’s motion to dismiss, and in so doing, prevented hip-hop group, Salt-N-Pepa, from exercising its termination rights under… more

The UK Supreme Court's widely anticipated decision on a tiered termination clause in a commonly used English standard form of construction contract should be welcomed by all sides of the industry and contract drafters generally, as it… more

When a lighted intersection isn’t functioning properly, the lights for one set of lanes typically begin flashing red, and the adjacent set of lights typically begin flashing yellow. Knowing what to do at these intersections can help… more

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, signed into law on 18 December 2025, includes the BIOSECURE Act (the Act), which establishes a new framework governing the use of certain biotechnology equipment and services… more

In case there was any doubt, insider trading enforcement—including DOJ criminal and SEC civil charges—remains a priority to kick off the new year. Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts brought three… more

As the sports industry looks ahead to 2026, sponsorship agreements are becoming more complex, more strategic, and more closely scrutinized. We sat down with Doneld “Don” Shelkey, a leading sports sponsorship and commercial agreements… more

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published an updated webpage on its consultation paper proposing a framework for introducing an equity consolidated tape in the UK, operated by a consolidated tape provider… more

Under the European Union’s (EU) Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), which took effect on 12 July 2023, the European Commission (Commission) may require US and other non-EU companies that have received subsidies from non-EU governments… more

On January 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission finalized a sweeping order against General Motors LLC, General Motors Holdings LLC, and OnStar LLC. The order resolves allegations that the companies collected, retained, and sold… more

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published its 2025 False Claims Act (FCA) statistics on Friday with a record-breaking $6.8 billion in judgments and settlements last fiscal year. This was the highest recovery since 2014, when DOJ… more

In a January 14, 2026 opinion, the Ohio Supreme Court denied an apparel company’s $855,000 refund claim for Ohio’s commercial activity tax (CAT) for tax years 2010 through 2016… more

Against the backdrop of the San Francisco JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, Axinn, Cornerstone, and Concurrences hosted a reception and dinner on January 14, 2026, to discuss the Trump administration’s antitrust enforcement priorities in… more

Recently the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) responded to a request for an opinion clarifying how tipped employees can meet the 7(i) exemption… more

On December 22, 2025, Magistrate Christian Douglas Wright of the Delaware Court of Chancery granted default judgment in a books and records action brought by the Company’s former CEO and largest stockholder. Moran v. Unation, C.A. No… more

In an advisory opinion published at the end of 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) addressed—to a degree—several longstanding questions under the Discount Safe Harbor to the federal… more

In a decision that may foreshadow major doctrinal change, two judges from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have urged the court to rethink – or abandon – its long‑standing framework for assessing substantial similarity in copyright… more

On January 14, 2026, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) adopted revisions to its compliance history rating scheme. Prompted by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission’s 2022 10-year review of TCEQ, the adopted rule aims… more

California’s Assembly Bill (“AB”) 692 took effect on January 1, 2026, significantly limiting the use of commonplace “stay-or-pay” clauses in offer letters and agreements, which require employees or prospective employees to repay… more

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to resolve a critical circuit split over whether the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) must prove that investors were actually harmed to force wrongdoers to disgorge ill-gotten gains… more

Data Privacy Day is recognized globally each year on January 28 as an international effort to raise awareness regarding the importance of secure privacy practices and data protection. The date commemorates the signing of Convention 108… more

Every retirement plan provider now talks about AI, personalization, and “smart” tools. Plan sponsors should listen — but they shouldn’t be dazzled. Technology does not replace fiduciary responsibility. It magnifies it… more

Overview - As public companies prepare for the 2026 proxy and annual reporting season, significant regulatory and market developments are shaping disclosure practices, governance and investor engagement. This update summarizes… more

The most frequently asked question at all-hands meetings for a securities offering is “What financial statements will be needed?” The question seems simple enough. But the answer is rarely straightforward. This User’s Guide is… more

Colorado hospitality businesses are now operating under Colorado House Bill 25-1090, the “Protections Against Deceptive Pricing Practices” law, which took effect on Jan. 1st. The law doesn’t specifically define “junk fees,” rather, it… more

Rob Hughes, the CISO at RSA, has more than 25 years of experience leading security and cloud infrastructure teams. In this episode, he reflects on his unconventional career path, from co-founding the original Geek.com and serving as… more

On Jan. 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a significant ruling about when certain state statutes may apply in diversity actions in federal court. In Berk v. Choy (24-440), the Supreme Court addressed a Delaware statute that… more

As 2026 dawns, project insurance remains one of the most critical risk management tools for developers, builders and design professionals. Yet with multiple acronyms out there such as OCIP, CCIP, OPPI, GL, PL and SDI, defining the… more

On December 12, 2025, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued a decision in Lassiter v. Robeson County Sheriff’s Department, Synergy Coverage Solutions, Truesdell Corporation, and The Phoenix Insurance Company, No. 54PA24… more

In this episode of "Clearly Conspicuous," consumer protection attorney Anthony DiResta breaks down why social media advertising has become a top Federal Trade Commission (FTC) priority for 2026 and how long-standing consumer protection… more

On January 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States issued three decisions: Berk v. Choy No. 24-440: This case involves state “affidavit of merit” statutes that require certain types of lawsuits, like medical malpractice… more

On January 12, 2026, Judge Robert Pitman of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas granted a motion to dismiss a putative securities class action against a cybersecurity company (the “Company”) and certain… more