All Perspectives

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.

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.

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.

Earlier this month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new draft guidance regarding their accelerated approval pathway for new drugs and biologics, an expedited program designed to help address unmet medical needs for serious or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.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce the election of 15 new partners, effective January 1, 2025.

Partner Matthew F. Prewitt and Associate Michelle R. Bowling will present at the National Business Institute’s (NBI) Data Privacy and Cybersecurity 2024-2025: Hot Topics and Trends course on December 17.

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

On December 12, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of updated final guidance on cosmetic facility registration and cosmetic product listing. If you are experiencing déjà vu, you are not alone — the FDA announced the issuance of the same final guidance almost exactly one year ago, on December 18, 2023.

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.

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.

Fred Weber will present at the PGGNE December meeting in Waltham, MA, on December 12, 2024.

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).

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce the addition of Partner Elizabeth L. Horner to its Government Relations practice in the firm’s Washington, DC, office. Elizabeth previously worked on the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), where she served as Chief Counsel under Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Senior Counsel under Chairman John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY).

ArentFox Schiff’s Rob Carrol, Lynn Fiorentino, Jeffrey Weston, Noah Woo, Brett Young, Alex Rafuse, Marissa Rael, and Sai Paspulati provided an overview of new California employment laws that will go into effect next year, recent regulatory changes, and a recap of noteworthy legal developments this year.

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.

Join ArentFox Schiff Associates Mario Torrico and Maya Cohen as they speak at the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice Human Rights Day 2024.

Kay Georgi speaks on a panel at the Practising Law Institute’s 2024 conference, Coping with US Export Controls and Sanctions.

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.

Join Ucheora Onwuamaegbu as he speaks on a panel at the Kuwait Business Law Conference.

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.

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.