On February 25, the United Kingdom (UK) Intellectual Property Office (IPO) launched a survey to collect feedback on potential changes to the UK’s design protection framework. The goal is to ensure that the system remains relevant, accessible, and effective in supporting designers and businesses across various industries. This initiative follows a previous call for views in 2022, with insights from the survey informing a formal consultation later in 2025.
As the flurry of Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) developments continues, on March 2, the US Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced the suspension of CTA enforcement against US citizens and domestic reporting companies, following on the heels of last week’s announcement by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) that it is not issuing fines or penalties in connection with beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting for the time being. Going forward, as indicated by Treasury, the CTA will apply only to foreign reporting companies.
On June 18, 2021, a group of ACE American Insurance Company employees filed a class action suit alleging that ACE misclassified them as exempt employees.
Earlier this month, the Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), William Cowen, rescinded a slew of his predecessor’s policy memoranda. While general counsel (GC) memoranda are not the official legal position of the NLRB, if adopted by the Board they could have far-reaching ramifications for covered employers.
To plead, or not to plead. That is a question trademark infringement plaintiffs will need to carefully consider with their legal counsel when deciding which parties to name as defendants in a lawsuit and which legal arguments and facts to assert in a dispute with a company that has many affiliates.
D. Jacques Smith, Michael F. Dearington, Nadia Patel, Hillary M. Stemple, Laura Zell, Nardeen Billan, Rebekkah R.N. Stoeckler
Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries
In the second installment of the Private Company Strategies podcast series, From Start-Up to Stand-Out, hosts Adam Diederich, Berin S. Romagnolo, and Sara Rosenberg are joined by AFS Partner Alexandra M. Romero to discuss essential employment law considerations for startups.
StraightPath Venture Partners, LLC and PMAC Consulting have recently reached settlements with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following SEC enforcement actions against them.
Though most in-house counsel (and even a lot of employment lawyers) are unaware, M.G.L. c. 149, Section 19B makes it unlawful for any employer to subject its employees or job applicants to a lie detector test.
On February 25, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) requiring the US Department of Commerce (Commerce) to investigate the national security implications of the copper supply chain. The investigation will be based on section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
On January 8, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy signed into law “An Act Relative To Pharmaceutical Access, Costs And Transparency.” The Act will have a profound impact on all parties involved in setting and applying drug prices, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), health insurance plans, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and retail pharmacies.
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the end of a years-long shortage of semaglutide injection products — a popular glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) weight loss and diabetes medication.
Ralph V. De Martino, Cavas S. Pavri, Johnathan C. Duncan, Marc E. Rivera, Cody C. Boender, Jeffrey J. Kennedy, Catrina Livermore
On January 17, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Nasdaq’s proposed rule changes addressing companies that fail to meet the minimum bid price requirements of $1 per share and the subsequent delisting process.
California recently enacted the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, sparking pushback from online entities who argue the law is an unconstitutional restriction on children’s First Amendment rights and a legislative overreach to regulate social media.
On January 20, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded 2021 guidelines that prohibited immigration enforcement actions in or near medical and health care facilities and other protected areas. Hospitals and other health care facilities should consider the impact this policy change may have on their workforces and patient populations and develop appropriate protocols for responding to an immigration enforcement action on their premises.
Amidst mounting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulation and litigation, the Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) judge overseeing the federal litigation related to firefighting foam has scheduled a “Science Day.”
The new presidential Administration’s cost-reduction initiatives, including a hiring freeze and return-to-office mandate for federal employees, are poised to impact the efficiency of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), potentially affecting patent examination timelines and strategies.
On February 14, the newly formed Saks Global announced its plan to pay vendors past due balances in 12 monthly installments beginning in July.
Automotive Group Leader and Los Angeles Managing Partner Aaron Jacoby shared his insight on autonomous vehicles in a special ride-along with Waymo robotaxi.
D. Jacques Smith, Michael F. Dearington, Nadia Patel, Hillary M. Stemple, Laura Zell, Pascal Naples, Rebekkah R.N. Stoeckler
Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries
Last month, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill establishing prevailing wage requirements and tax incentives for high voltage transmission line and utility-scale battery storage projects.
Proposed legislation introduced in the US Senate last week would deny tax-exempt status to certain organizations that support undocumented immigrants. The legislation would change the eligibility requirements for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
David S. Greenberg, Douglas A. Grimm, Annie Chang Lee, Michele L. Gipp, Anne M. Murphy, Stephanie Trunk, Hillary M. Stemple, Gayland O. Hethcoat II, D. Jacques Smith, Daniel J. McQueen, Jeffrey B. Tate , Brian D. Schneider, Moyosore O. Koya, William R. Mitchell, Rebekkah R.N. Stoeckler, Pascal Naples
With 2025 underway, the AFS Health Care team highlights some of the most pressing legal issues facing the health care industry this year.
Following a cascade of developments, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is back, but with some potential changes on the horizon. Most reporting companies that have not yet filed all required reports under the CTA should prepare to file their initial, updated, or corrected reports by March 21, 2025.
The Trump Administration is beginning to roll out its policy plans to “dominate” the global energy space. These plans tackle energy transition issues in a dramatically different manner than did the Biden Administration, particularly by leaning into fostering the development of resources, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and hydroelectric power that provide reliable “baseload” supply. This comes as no surprise given President Trump’s promise to “drill, baby, drill” at the inauguration.