On May 12, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect. Often referred to as the “Junk Fees Rule,” the Rule targets hidden, misleading, and deceptive charges and fees imposed by live-event ticketing and short-term lodging businesses.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed a summary judgment of no design patent infringement in North Star Tech. Int’l Ltd. v. Latham Pool Products, Inc., ruling that the patented and accused pool designs were “plainly dissimilar” despite sharing structural similarities formed by geometric shapes and angular edges common in preexisting pool designs.
The European Union (EU) Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has refused to register Thom Browne’s position trademark consisting of four horizontal white stripes placed on the upper left sleeve of garments.
Karen Ellis Carr, Katie Heilman, Rebecca W. Foreman, Hannah Z. Shlaferman, Donald C. McLean, Stanley H. Abramson
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, chaired by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has released its long-anticipated report on childhood chronic disease drivers. Although the document is only an assessment and expressly contains no binding policy recommendations, it signals the contours of a federal strategy that officials will draft within 100 days.
On May 23, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License (GL) 25, “Authorizing Transactions Prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations or Involving Certain Blocked Persons,” following President Trump’s May 13 announcement.
On May 22, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This alert highlights the provisions in the Bill that could impact tax-exempt organizations.
D. Jacques Smith, Michael F. Dearington, Nadia Patel, Hillary M. Stemple, Laura Zell, Michelle J. Shapiro, Heather M. Zimmer, Roberto Martinez, Meghan F. Hart
Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries
On May 28, a three-judge panel on the US Court of International Trade (CIT) issued a landmark ruling in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. et al. v. United States of America et al. and The State of Oregon et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al.
They say, “timing is everything.” This podcast comes to our listeners as Washington, DC, contemplates next moves on the US tariff front, including new tariffs on products key to the e-mobility sector.
“Energy security,” the principle that when you flip a light switch the lights will turn on, is something that most Americans take for granted. But the mechanics behind it incorporate both century-old transmission towers and the latest in renewable energy technology.
On May 15, a Texas federal court vacated portions of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, concluding that the agency’s expanded interpretation of “sex” under Title VII exceeded its statutory authority (Texas, et al. v. EEOC, 2:24-CV-173).
Welcome to “Beyond the Lot,” a podcast series hosted by Kevin Timson that invites industry experts to weigh in on trends and auto retail business topics.
Shortly after taking office, President Trump froze funding already allocated to various parties, citing the Administration’s disapproval of issues including climate change and social equity. Additionally, executive agencies removed content discussing climate change from websites.
On May 17, the masts of a 300-foot-long Mexican naval training ship carrying 277 people collided with the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge just minutes after leaving the pier where it has been docked at the South Street Seaport in New York City, New York.
D. Jacques Smith, Michael F. Dearington, Nadia Patel, Hillary M. Stemple, Laura Zell, Michelle J. Shapiro, Meghan F. Hart, Rebekkah R.N. Stoeckler
Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries
Nancy J. Puleo, Robert K. Carrol, Berin S. Romagnolo, Alexandra M. Romero, Kelly K. Ballentine, Lauren C. Schaefer, Saisruthi Paspulati, Trevor M. Jorgensen, Ari Asher, Kimia Pourshadi, Roxana Bokaei
As we approach midyear, the ArentFox Schiff Labor, Employment & OSHA team highlights some of the most pressing legal issues facing employers this year, including artificial intelligence (AI) regulation at the state level, reshaping of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), continuing expansion of state paid family and medical leave laws, challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, and changes to US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance and enforcement.
On May 19, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a novel use of the False Claims Act (FCA) to enforce Trump Administration policies against antisemitism, gender identity and expression, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
There is nothing more inherently unique and personal to an individual than his or her DNA. Unlike many other types of personal information, a person’s DNA is immutable. It can be the key to unlocking extremely sensitive information, such as predisposition to certain health conditions. Unfortunately, as with all other types of personal information, it can be acquired without authorization — breached.
On July 1, the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA), as amended by Senate Bill (SB) 754, will provide additional privacy protections for reproductive and sexual health information. The legislation expands the VCPA to expressly prohibit the unauthorized collection and use of this category of information. Businesses that violate the law may be sued by affected Virginia consumers.
On May 9, President Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) titled “Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations” to address criminal enforcement of regulatory offenses, particularly strict liability offenses where the offender need not have had a culpable state of mind to be convicted.
Since January, California officials have seized more than $316 million worth of illegal cannabis and $474,000 in cash through coordinated enforcement actions with state agency partners and local governments.
For decades, businesses have focused on “doing more with less,” maximizing efficiency by optimizing resources and streamlining processes to achieve greater output with fewer inputs. This effort often involves leveraging technology, improving productivity, and reducing waste to maintain or enhance performance.
On April 25, purchasers of Nike non-fungible tokens (NFTs) filed a class action complaint in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the sportswear giant alleging that the December 2024 shutdown of RTFKT constituted a “brazen rug pull,” resulting in significant monetary losses for the plaintiffs.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are unique employee benefit plans designed to invest primarily in the stock of the sponsoring employer.
As car buyers rush to get in front of tariffs — which are widely expected to boost sticker prices — the flood of demand has been pushing new vehicle prices ever higher, with the trend unlikely to stop any time soon, experts said.