Alerts

The Metaverse is widely regarded as the next frontier in digital commerce, with organizations spending millions of dollars securing a presence by buying digital real estate and investing in platforms to be market leaders.

On July 20, 2022, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a Special Fraud Alert cautioning physicians and other health care practitioners to use “heightened scrutiny” when entering into telemedicine arrangements that have “suspect characteristics” of a fraud scheme.

On July 12, 2022, the Council of the District of Columbia voted to amend the District of Columbia’s Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020 (the “Act”). Implementation of the Act has been delayed on several occasions and is currently set to occur on October 1, 2022. 

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted a new standard called Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI)[1] that shifts the focus on protecting customers first and foremost. Although the regulation possibly puts certain customers first, it leaves some important areas vulnerable. 

Although the emergence of virtual “real” estate in the metaverse presents a unique opportunity for the commercial real estate industry, there are risks associated with virtual real property.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently imposed a $50,000 civil monetary penalty on a dental practice that disclosed patient-identifying information in response to a negative online review. The case is a reminder that healthcare providers risk liability for a HIPAA privacy violation.

Sometimes, a wage and hour decision touches upon several noteworthy issues, either addressing them for the first time, in new contexts, or serving as a good reminder on topics.

Last month, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed into law HB 78, which amends the state’s equal employment opportunity law to require employers to reasonably accommodate a job applicant’s known disability. 

According to guidance published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 11, 2022, EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986, requires hospitals to provide abortion services when necessary to stabilize a pregnant patient’s emergency medical condition.

Enforcement under the major federal environmental statutes is often - but not always - filed by state or federal regulators.

After leading the nation in banning plastic bags, California recently enacted sweeping legislation that requires a reduction in the amount of plastic produced and used in the state. The law is the first of its kind. 

Five Questions, Five Answers

Environmental justice (EJ) issues continue to be at the forefront of the Biden Administration’s regulatory agenda, with promises to deploy non-environmental statutes - most notably, federal civil rights laws.

In an exciting turn of events in the world of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the US Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued two open general licenses (OGLs) authorizing the reexports and retransfers of most unclassified defense articles (including sof

The life sciences and pharmaceutical industry is investigating potential applications in the Metaverse to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and develop novel functionalities.

In the inaugural Energy & Cleantech podcast series, Sarah A. W. Fitts speaks with We Took the Risk (Expected Publication - Fall, 2022) author and renewable energy thought leader Tom Weirich about the future of renewable energy and the characteristics needed to encourage innovation in the industry.

On July 20, 2022, the Justice Department announced that it brought criminal charges against 36 defendants in 13 federal districts across the country, charging more than $1.2 billion in alleged telemedicine, cardiovascular and cancer genetic testing, and durable medical equipment (DME) fraud schemes.

The Federal Reserve will likely raise its target federal funds rate by another 0.75 percentage point as early as next week, according to news reports. Fed officials have already raised benchmark short-term borrowing rates 1.5 percentage points this year.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced plans to crack down on the illegal use and sharing of sensitive data in response to the recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calendar year 2023 rule proposing changes to payment policies under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Medicare Part B (the Proposed Rule) will officially be published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2022.

In Khoiny v. Dignity Health, the California Court of Appeal held that hospital residency programs are primarily employment programs and medical residents are primarily employees. Therefore, courts should not give special deference to residency programs’ termination decisions.

While the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has sought to return Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) to the quiver of tools, it can use to resolve environmental claims, some stakeholders, including the US Chamber of Commerce, Republican lawmakers, and Republican state Attorney’s General have fil

Prop 65 Counsel: What To Know

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries