Two complete MCU fans, Megan Dougherty, co-founder of One Stone Creative, and I indulge in a passion for all things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by re-watching each movie and then podcasting on every film in the MCU. If you want to… more

In today’s edition of Daily Compliance News: 1. AML sanctions enforcer to get more money. (WSJ) 2. Harassment claim made against Elon Musk? (NYT) 3. Pharma Bro was released early from prison. (WaPo) 4. Wells Fargo fined for AML… more

California’s first-of-its-kind law mandating diversity on boards of directors was declared unconstitutional by a superior court in April. In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsome signed Assembly Bill 979 into law, requiring publicly held… more

Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s 2022 Budget is titled a secure future. Coming as it does at a time of considerable financial and geopolitical insecurity, its strong assertions sit on shaky foundations. Robertson yesterday cited… more

Last Friday, the Los Angeles Superior Court in Crest et al. v. Padilla (“Crest”) held that Senate Bill 826 (“SB 826”), also known as the “Women on Boards” law, is unconstitutional. The lawsuit challenging the law was brought by… more

The legality of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in employment decision making should be on the radar for employers, as multiple regulators are addressing the issue. Last fall, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission… more

We previously published an article regarding ASIC’s decision to take action in relation to unlicensed introducers. - The proceedings are a timely reminder that lenders should regularly review their origination arrangements with… more

During an open session of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) this week, the Board of Directors voted to finalize a new regulation that will give the FDIC, and the public, better tools to ensure that deposits advertising… more

It’s Friday at 3:00 p.m. at ABC Corp., and Mike from purchasing enters your office, slumping into his chair with a heavy sigh. Prime resin is in short supply. The next delivery will be weeks late, only half your order can be filled… more

On May 20, 2022, OFCCP announced it posted its first Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) of FY22. The list consists of 400 locations selected for a Compliance Review (Establishment Review), Corporate Management Compliance… more

Introduction - 1. “So how much will this cost?” This is a question that most (if not all) lawyers face. We reckon that it is arguably one of the trickiest question to answer as well… more

In recent data breach news, the Vice Society, a hacker organization, took credit for the recent data breach at Atlanta Perinatal Associates (“APA”). While Atlanta Perinatal Associates has yet to confirm that it was victimized in the… more

The California legislature has several employment-related bills under consideration, including a law that would prohibit discrimination against marijuana users, another that would provide protections for employees with safety concerns… more

Two federal price gouging bills were recently introduced in Congress. Senator Elizabeth Warren led the introduction of the Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2022. The bill prohibits “unconscionably excessive price[s]” at any point in a… more

The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill (Bill) has just been laid before Parliament. Among its many proposals are draft provisions to empower local authorities in England to hold rental auctions and contract to let vacant high street… more

The promise of planning reform seems perennial. After its Planning White Paper received a less than warm reception, compounded by suggestions that it contributed to by-election defeats, the government decided to pause its programme of… more

Someone steals a vehicle every 36 seconds in the US, according to a report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Nationwide theft data shows a marked increase in auto crime since 2019, with the pandemic, supply chain issues… more

On December 3rd, Senior Party Sigma-Aldrich filed its Preliminary Motion No. 1 that asked the Board to deny the Broad Institute, Harvard University, and MIT (collectively, Broad) benefit of its U.S. Provisional Application No… more

After more than a year of negotiations the final text of Europe’s (EU) Digital Services Act (“DSA”) has been agreed upon by the EU Parliament, the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the European Commission (“EU… more

Telehealth—the provision and coordination of healthcare remotely by means of telecommunications technology—is now an essential tool in the delivery of health care services. The COVID-19 pandemic created an incentive for federally… more

While large financial institutions with significant expertise in retirement plan administration are widely expected to sponsor most pooled employer plans (PEPs), other firms (such as franchisors, gig economy employers, joint venture… more

Undertaking screening for negative news, also known as adverse news or adverse media, assists financial institutions to understand the risks posed by existing and prospective customers… more

Governor Newsom floats 5 GW, $5.2B ‘reliability reserve’ amid possible electricity shortfalls Bullet Utility Dive – May 17 Governor Gavin Newsom has earmarked $5.2 billion in a revised budget proposal released Friday to fund a… more

Over the years, I worked with many organizations starting back with student political organizations and the school paper at Stony Brook. This includes actual businesses, civic and religious organizations..… more

While there are many legitimate uses for cryptocurrencies and digital assets, criminals look for ways to exploit new technologies. A global tax group released a bulletin with some red flags that individuals should be aware of when… more

In this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss idea theft claims in California and whether the issue of novelty can be an element of the case… more

In this episode of The Briefing by the IP Law Blog, Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo discuss idea theft claims in California and whether the issue of novelty can be an element of the case… more

AuthWallet asserted a patent directed to methods and systems for processing financial transaction data against Block. Specifically, the claims outline a method for processing financial transaction data using authorization requests and… more

El Presidente de la República de Colombia sancionó la Ley 2207 de 2022 por la cual se derogaron los artículos 5 y 6 del Decreto Legislativo 491 de 2020, "Por el cual se adoptan medidas de urgencia para garantizar la atención y la… more

You’ve got a lot to think about after a motorcycle accident. Should contacting a personal injury attorney be on that list? If you’re weighing the pros and cons of taking on your case and the insurance company yourself versus working… more

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced in a notice issued on May 5, 2022, the commencement of a retrospective investigation of the economic impacts of Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs on the most affected U.S… more

On April 5th, North Carolina became the first state to prohibit state agencies and local governments from paying ransoms after becoming victims of a ransomware attack. Indeed, in addition to prohibiting said entities from paying… more

Given the current market volatility, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) concerns related to the addition of cryptocurrencies in qualified retirement plans seems prescient. In Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01, the DOL… more

Two recent decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit shed light on several recurrent issues that arise in trade secret litigation under the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and related state acts. This post… more

Late last month, Fidelity Investments created a minor firestorm when it announced that it would allow retirement plan sponsors to offer bitcoin as an investment option for participants. In reaction to this move, the Department of Labor… more

On May 19, 2022, Viatris Inc. and Biocon Biologics Ltd. announced that ABEVMY, a bevacizumab biosimilar, is now available in Canada. According to the press release, Viatris and Biocon Biologics co-developed ABEVMY, which references… more

Through North Carolina’s annual Healthcare Planning process, providers now have a first look at the opportunities expected to be identified for 2023 Certificate of Need (CON) proposals. The Proposed State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP)… more

In April 2022, a Kentucky jury awarded $450,000 to a fired employee who claimed that an unwanted office birthday party triggered panic attacks. The employee refused to attend the party on his behalf and was later terminated… more

On May 9, the SEC announced an extension of the comment period for the proposed rulemaking, “Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” until June 17, 2022. The scope and comment process for the… more

Sometimes, the best way to prepare for a cyber attack is to watch one unfold. Please join the Hogan Lovells Los Angeles team for an engaging and interactive presentation based on a hypothetical case study which examines the key… more

Sometimes, the best way to prepare for a cyber attack is to watch one unfold. Please join the Hogan Lovells Los Angeles team for an engaging and interactive presentation based on a hypothetical case study which examines the key… more

Cell and gene therapy transactions have increased dramatically over the last few years, in both number and complexity, and have given rise to a number of issues that merit further attention. In the article below, we outline a few of… more

Ohio, along with sixteen other states, sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday last week, over its March 14, 2022 decision to reinstate a waiver allowing the nation’s most populous state California, under its Advanced Clean… more

Congress and the Biden Administration recognize hydrogen’s potential to address the clean energy imperative. This past year, The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriated $8B of spending to build out clean hydrogen hubs in… more

The Supreme Court of the United States, on April 28, 2022, held that emotional distress damages are not available for private discrimination claims under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)… more

After hackers targeted law firm emails and stole a portion of the merger consideration, the Delaware Court of Chancery found it was “reasonably conceivable” that an M&A buyer could be liable for not ensuring final payment reached… more

It came as no surprise that FINRA’s 2022 Examination and Risk Monitoring Program Report highlighted communications with the public as a continued area of focus. The primary theme across this focus area relates to the sufficiency of… more

On May 17, 2022, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued an opinion in a False Claims Act suit, narrowly interpreting the so-called “government-action bar.” The government-action bar, 31 USC § 3730(e)(3), forecloses qui tam… more

On April 28, 2022, in a joint letter written by the HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, and CMS Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, to the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HHS requested an opinion regarding… more

In February 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it was going to reexamine the Endorsements and Testimonial Guides (Guides) and sought comment on whether and how the Guides should be changed, including addressing… more

The Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and Lake Hamilton School District No. 5 (“Lake Hamilton”) entered into a March 21st Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing alleged… more

WASHINGTON – In a newly issued report, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) shows that opportunities for persons with disabilities in the federal workforce are improving, but that further progress is needed on… more

Under the Biden administration, OSHA rulemaking has increased dramatically. As a result, there are a variety of new regulations and enforcement strategies currently being discussed that will impact general industry and construction… more

US Supreme Court Requests Solicitor General’s Views in FCA Rule 9(b) Context - On May 16, 2022, the US Supreme Court requested a brief from the US Solicitor General on the level particularly required by Federal Rule of Civil… more

The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent criminal prosecutions of health care executives for no-poach and wage-fixing conspiracies have been met with not-guilty verdicts. Despite these losses, the Department continues to prosecute this… more

Can a Lawsuit Filed With the Intent to Remain in State Court Actually Avoid Removal? In December 2021, our office (DBL Tulsa) filed an action in a State of Oklahoma district court against two entity defendants, alleging causes of… more

In the movie classic "Good Will Hunting," the interviewers are shocked and dismayed when Ben Affleck's character appears at an interview intended for Matt Damon's character. Based on Damon's resume and other conversations, the… more

On May 10, 2022, the European Commission (“Commission”) adopted the revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (“VBER”) and Vertical Guidelines (“VG”). The new VBER will enter into force on June 1, 2022 for a period of 12 years and… more