Blogs

Employment arbitration agreements are an important tool for employers who wish to resolve workplace disputes in a more streamline fashion and, more importantly, avoid class and collective actions. However, enforcing arbitration agreements can become challenging and complex, especially when multiple related entities and non-signatories are involved.

Plaintiffs Dow Jones & Company, Inc., NYP Holdings, Inc., and corporate parent News Corporation have renewed their intellectual property (IP) complaint against artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “answer engine” Perplexity AI in the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Proponents of more comprehensive climate regulations who are frustrated by the federal government have increasingly turned their attention to state litigation.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On October 25, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) released its 2024 Annual Report, which highlights significant trends and statistics in ICSID’s cases during the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2024 (FY2024). ICSID administered 341 cases in that period (which was just five short of 346 cases in FY2022), marking the second-highest caseload in its history — a testament to its pivotal role in global investment dispute resolution.

A quick glance on the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) homepage reveals an impressive list of well-known corporate icons of the electric vehicle (EV) world.

As of December 23, health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses (covered entities) and their business associates (collectively, regulated entities) must comply with new reproductive health care privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Enforcement will begin against the backdrop of a pending lawsuit challenging the validity of the new protections and an incoming Trump Administration with an uncertain enforcement posture.

Despite growing public support, Texas continues its challenges to the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana. On December 5, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced a bill that would ban all forms of consumable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products, including hemp-derived, nonintoxicating products.

Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new draft guidance regarding their accelerated approval pathway for new drugs and biologics, an expedited program designed to help address unmet medical needs for serious or life-threatening conditions. As usual, the FDA is soliciting comments to the new guidance, due by February 4, 2025.

The term “resident” is defined differently for US federal income tax purposes and US federal estate and gift tax purposes. The mismatch in the US resident status under the two tax regimes often gives rise to problems. Thus, careful planning is needed to avoid unintended tax consequences.

Welcome to the December 2024 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has reinstituted a union-friendly standard for determining whether an employer’s unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Going forward, an employer acting unilaterally must show that the union surrendered its right to bargain through a “clear and unmistakable waiver.” This significantly raises the bar employers must clear to act unilaterally, while providing unions with more avenues to challenge employer actions.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

There is significant potential that the Congressional Review Act (CRA) will play a prominent role in the early weeks of the Trump Administration. Below, we will break down what the CRA is, when it applies, and how it may be deployed by the incoming US Congress to further Trump Administration regulatory priorities.

After three years of various proposals, on December 6, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the lead agency that implements Proposition 65, finally announced new amendments to “short-form” warning requirements. These amendments have been long anticipated, as OEHHA’s several prior proposals to modify the short-form warnings were unsuccessful.

As the Biden Administration comes to a close, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned two commonly used chemicals under the 2016 Lautenberg Amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

OpenAI finds itself embroiled in another major copyright infringement lawsuit — this time in Canada. Similar to cases filed by major news organizations in the United States, a group of Canada’s biggest news and media companies has filed a lawsuit alleging that OpenAI is illegally using the publishers’ copyrighted material to train its GPT large language models (LLMs). Plaintiffs in the case include the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and parent companies representing the Toronto Star, the Globe & Mail, and dozens of national, provincial, and local newspapers.

Welcome to the Fall 2024 issue of “FCA Enforcement & Compliance Digest,” our quarterly newsletter in which we compile essential updates on False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement trends, litigation, agency guidance, and compliance tips. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

This article provides an analysis of recent updates to federal corporate compliance guidance on artificial intelligence and other new technologies.

Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted changes to its Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulation to include more specific requirements concerning the ability of consumers to opt out of robocalls and robotexts.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

In a December 2, 2024, press release, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the filing of a court order requiring online marketplace GOAT to pay more than $2 million for violating FTC rules and the company’s own policies related to shipping and refunds.

When was the last time your association board and chief executive asked each other, “How should we work together?”

The European Union (EU) has approved updates to its design protection legislation to modernize the framework and support innovation across member states.

Most fashion, beauty, and retail companies depend heavily on global supply chains to produce products sold in the United States, but with significant tariff increases looming and an unpredictable trade landscape, companies need to reassess sourcing and manufacturing strategies. Countries that were traditional sources of lower cost and high-quality products could be the target of tariffs under President-elect Trump’s proposed tariff policies. We explore scenarios for these tariffs, the impacts on the fashion, beauty, and retail industries, and what companies can do to mitigate the impacts of the potential tariffs.