A Discussion with Nacha on Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Fraud - Payments Pros: The Payments Law Podcast
CFPB's Section 1071 Final Rule (Part 3): Potential Problem Areas – The Consumer Finance Podcast
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Perspectives on Counseling on the Creation of Consumer Finance Products, with Guest Joseph Schuster, Managing Director and Senior Counsel, Goldman Sachs
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Recent Federal and State Debt Collection Developments
Medical Spa Start-Ups: What Providers Need to Know
Patent Licensing Tips and Takeaways
A Changed Legal Landscape? Analyzing California’s New Cannabis Laws
Obtaining a Recreational Marijuana License from Your Local Municipality
Mergers and Acquisitions in Healthcare: Getting Your House in Order
Nota Bene Episode 72: Space Law: License, Launch, Finance, Insurance, and Responsible Space Stewardship with Brian Weimer
Meritas Capability Webinar - Legal Cannabis and the Health Care Industry
A federal judge in Oregon has struck down the requirement that cannabis companies enter into a labor peace agreement (LPA) as a condition of obtaining or renewing a license. See Casala v. Kotek, D. Oregon, May 20, 2025....more
The regulatory environment for “Buy Now, Pay Later” (or “BNPL”) loans is entering a new era. On May 9, 2025, New York enacted legislation that will require providers of BNPL loans to be licensed by the state and adhere to...more
On May 25, the Maryland General Assembly chaptered HB 1294 and affirmatively subjected earned wage access products to the Maryland consumer credit and licensing provisions. The law requires companies that offer earned wage...more
On May 21, 2025, Governor Bill Lee signed House Bill No. 979 (the Bill) into law. In addition to amending laws regarding the employment of Hospital-Based Physicians (see this article), the Bill also introduces a new provider...more
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies with values tied to fiat currencies or other assets, and are often said to be “pegged to” a single or a basket of fiat currents and/or other assets....more
On the heels of the 2018 Farm Bill, some states have opted to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid consumer products. One of the early movers in this area is the State of Minnesota. The regulations in Minnesota for hemp-derived...more
Nearly nine years after voters authorized the regulated sale of adult use cannabis in Massachusetts, the Joint Cannabis Committee is addressing the challenges (and that’s an understatement) the industry is facing with a very...more
In the fast-paced world of business consulting, when it comes to choosing a consultant to secure money transmission licenses, experience offers significant advantages...more
On May 21, 2025, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council passed the Stablecoins Bill, establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins–cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to an external asset or commodity. This marks an important...more
Minnesota Adult Use Cannabis Update - We assisted multiple clients in completing and submitting their adult-use cannabis license applications to the Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”), and we continue to monitor how and...more
Tennessee enacted new legislation governing HDC - hemp derived cannabinoids, the state’s term for legal CBD and hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC. The new law does not take effect until January 1, 2026...more
On May 12, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey entered a decision dismissing a lawsuit filed by a Massachusetts radiation oncologist and a Pennsylvania neurosurgeon, which claimed New Jersey’s...more
Digital currency, or cryptocurrency, is an alternative payment method developed with encryption methods. Encryption technology enables cryptocurrencies to act as both a currency and a virtual accounting system. The use and...more
On April 18, 2025, Colorado enacted the Model Money Transmission Modernization Act (MTMA) (HB 25-1201), which repeals and replaces the state’s previous Money Transmitters Act. The law updates standards for the licensing,...more
Alabama has enrolled legislation regulating the sale of consumable products (including beverages, edible products, and topical creams) containing THC or CBD derived from hemp, and has designated the Alabama ABC Board as the...more
At Ward and Smith, we are closely monitoring these developments to help our clients with the potential impacts on their businesses. Below is an overview of what stakeholders in the hemp industry need to know about this...more
“Compromise” sometimes gets a bad rap. And history teaches us that there can be bad compromises. But as your resident glass-is-half-full contributor who has also been closely following debate over access to consumable hemp...more
Indiana has enacted a law that establishes a financial-services oversight regime for earned wage access services, also known as on-demand pay services, which allow workers to access earned but unpaid income before payday....more
Looking to establish an investment management firm in the Channel Islands? This guide, the second in our series, sets out the key steps and considerations for setting up your business in Jersey - a world-class financial...more
Although the prospect of an expanded recreational market has been on the horizon since 2022 when Rhode Island legalized recreational cannabis, Ocean State residents continue to endure limited access to such products, which...more
Recent headlines about President Trump’s Executive Order on “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers” (“EO”) raised questions across the trucking industry and in the media....more
FCC Solicits Feedback on Sweeping Changes to Submarine Cable Landing License Rules and Procedures: In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks comment on comprehensive...more
Our investment funds team outline the latest developments within the investment funds market in Bermuda, covering the Bermuda Monetary Authority ("BMA") business plan 2025, BMA Consultation Paper - operational resilience and...more
On April 16, the Colorado General Assembly enacted HB 25-1201, which repeals the state’s current Money Transmitters Act and replaces it with the Money Transmission Modernization Act (the “Act”), which is based on the model...more
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has released proposed regulations implementing the Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL), creating a formal licensing regime for businesses engaging in a...more