Alerts

On September 30, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and US Department of Treasury released their 2025-2026 Priority Guidance Plan, outlining the topics they intend to prioritize for formal guidance in the upcoming fiscal year. The Plan addresses several topics that may impact tax-exempt organizations.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) updated its Entity List FAQs, providing some additional guidance about the “Affiliates Rule” that came into effect on September 29.

Two recent dismissals in the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) class action landscape expose a significant weakness in these claims.

On September 26, the US Department of Commerce, through its Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), announced the initiation of a new Section 232 investigation into “robotics and industrial machinery” and its parts and components.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced that it will permanently close the Rocky Mountain Regional Outreach Office in Denver, Colorado. This decision reflects the USPTO’s evolving approach to outreach, education, and examiner recruitment.

On September 25, President Trump directed federal agencies to investigate and prosecute organizations and individuals that engage in “acts of political violence.”

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals recently issued a significant tax opinion dealing with whether parties to a real estate transaction could avoid transfer and recordation taxes on a long-term ground lease by characterizing it as a “retained” interest in a deed, rather than as a separate transfer.

The Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act of 2025, as amended, brings sweeping reforms to District housing laws.

On September 29, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an interim final rule that significantly expands end user controls under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by extending restrictions to foreign entities owned, directly or indirectly, 50% or more by one or more parties on specified lists of proscribed companies, including the Entity List.

A significant Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decision authored by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) leadership, including the new USPTO Director John A. Squires, signals the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations to the US economy and paves the way for patenting of AI and machine learning (ML) technologies.

On September 19, President Trump signed a Proclamation imposing an additional $100,000 fee on the US entry of certain H-1B employees, effective September 21.

Earlier this month, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a nationwide crackdown on direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertisements.

More than two years after the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) for Consumers Act took effect on June 27, 2023, the United States, on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), brought the first enforcement action under the Act.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

The plaintiff, John Snyder, worked for a life insurance company from December 2006 to August 2016.

As the federal funding deadline of September 30, 2025, approaches, this alert highlights four possible scenarios and their potential implications.

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would begin daily publication of adverse event data for drugs and biologics via the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

On September 8, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the withdrawal of dozens of pending rulemaking actions, including two related to the cannabis industry.

Prop 65 Counsel: What To Know

Following nearly two years of litigation, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company and the named plaintiffs in Hecht v. Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co., Case No. 1:24-cv-05926 (N.D. Ill.) have announced a class action settlement in principle.

On September 15, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated its guidance to implement President Trump’s September 4 Executive Order (EO) laying out terms of the US-Japan trade agreement and the phased reduction of selected US tariffs on Japanese goods.

On September 12, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidance detailing its approach to using alternative tools, such as remote regulatory assessments (RRAs), information sharing with foreign regulators, and virtual inspections, to evaluate drug manufacturing facilities identified in pending marketing applications.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

In episode three of “Tax Stuff You Should Know,” hosts Bob Pluth and Gene Magidenko delve into the intricate world of S corporations, tracing their historical development, examining the qualifications for electing S status, and identifying the missteps that can inadvertently revoke that designation.