Alerts

As a further update to our alert from March 27, the Trump Administration began mass layoffs at US health agencies on April 1.

As promised by the US Department of Treasury in early March, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an interim final rule removing the requirement for US companies, their beneficial owners, and US persons to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

In a highly unusual move, on March 27, the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) issued a Drug Safety Notice that calls into question both pending and approved abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) and new drug applications (NDAs) that relied on bioequivalence studies conducted by Raptim Research Pvt. Ltd, a contract research organization based in Navi Mumbai, India.

On March 27, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it will no longer defend Biden-era regulations requiring large corporations to disclose the impacts of climate change on their businesses. This announcement follows a vote by the SEC’s three-member governing body to end its defense of the rule and comes amid industry complaints that the rule was an overstep of the SEC’s authority.

Right now, much about the world is uncertain. Risks posed by political changes dominate the headlines and also weigh heavily on many decisions made by corporations, their advisors, and their stakeholders.

Prop 65 Counsel: What To Know

This past year, in the wake of significant economic challenges facing the health care industry, an unprecedented number of receiverships were imposed upon skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts. Historically, Massachusetts receiverships have been used sparingly as a tool to address distressed or insolvent situations, with bankruptcy being the favored option.

The US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Manalapan Surgery Ctr., et al. v. 1199 SEIU National Benefit Fund, No. 23-CV-03525 (EDNY March 12, 2025), recently granted a motion to dismiss a complaint filed by four out-of-network ambulatory surgery centers against 1199 SEIU National Benefit Fund.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On March 26, the Trump Administration announced a sweeping new trade action: a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and certain automobile parts from all countries, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

On March 27, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant restructuring initiative in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative.”

In December 2024, the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC submitted a proposal to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to modify its requirements for calculating the minimum Market Value of Unrestricted Publicly Held Shares in connection with an initial listing on Nasdaq.

It is not all doom and gloom for the cannabis industry this year; positive developments across states and the potential (albeit remote) for federal rescheduling means the cannabis industry can expect ongoing advancements.

Sony Music Entertainment and its affiliate record labels have filed a lawsuit against the University of Southern California (USC) for copyright infringement.

This month, after half a decade of litigation, the copyright infringement case against Disney over its beloved animated film Moana finally reached a conclusion, with a jury finding non-infringement after deliberating for just over three hours.

The electric mobility industry faces significant challenges, to be sure. With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 in peril, leaner times may be ahead.

During the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR) transition, and post LIBOR’s end date of June 30, 2023, the goal for all should be that (1) the effective interest rates be generally economically equivalent as a result of the transition and (2) interest rate expectations be met of the parties to the financial instruments, such as borrowers and lenders, swap counterparties, and bond issuers, trustees and holders.

2025 will be a transformational year for the beverage and food industry, which has already been dramatically impacted by shifting market trends and profound policy changes. Here are the top five topics influencing the strategies and growth plans of beverage and food companies.

In the last year, state activism in healthcare consumer protection has surged, with new laws that heighten oversight of for-profit investors’ engagement with healthcare marketplaces and scrutinize pharmaceutical pricing practices. As part of this activism, several state legislatures have enacted laws regulating use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare delivery.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the authority to search electronic devices — including phones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices — of anyone entering the United States, including US citizens and non-citizens. These searches can happen at US land crossings, airports, seaports, and even at CBP preclearance locations abroad, such as Dublin, Ireland, or Toronto, Canada. These searches can occur without a warrant or suspicion.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On March 19, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released two technical assistance documents focused on educating the public about “unlawful discrimination” related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

A federal court recently rejected arguments by MultiPlan, Inc. and Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company that they had no obligation to ensure payments at the contractually negotiated, in-network rate to Anatomic and Clinical Laboratory Associates, P.C. (ACLA).

The fashion and textile industries have seen a marked uptick in customs enforcement, riding a “roller coaster of trade policy” that is likely to get more chaotic under the Trump Administration. 

On March 5, Do No Harm filed a lawsuit against the American Chemical Society (ACS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, challenging a scholarship program for undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences.