On March 31, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) into law, legalizing adult-use cannabis in the state and establishing a regulatory framework to govern what likely will be one of the nation’s largest cannabis markets.

In July 2020, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order (the EO) directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take certain actions and finalize rulemakings designed to “support the goal of safe importation of prescription drugs.”

The owner of Campbell Medical Clinic in Houston and her medical group agreed to resolve fraudulent billing allegations for $2.6 million.

Crippling data breaches and sophisticated ransomware attacks are increasingly common threats to modern businesses. Ransomware attacks can not only target confidential company data and data collected from customers but employee data as well.

On June 8, the Michigan legislature, in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, passed two bills providing for exemptions from the state’s sales and use tax for certain personal protective equipment and supplies (PPES).

On May 24, 2021, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced plans to invest a record-setting $400 million into the District’s affordable housing production via direct injection into the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).

Last week the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case Unicolors, Inc. v. H & M Hennes & Mauritz, LP, which considers when inaccuracies in a US copyright application can be used to invalidate a resulting registration.

On March 31, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) into law, legalizing adult-use cannabis in the state and establishing a regulatory framework to govern what likely will be one of the nation’s largest cannabis markets.

Effective May 28, 2021, Massachusetts employers are required to make paid leave time available to employees for COVID-related illnesses, quarantine, and vaccinations. Paid leave benefits are paid by the employer and then reimbursed by the Commonwealth.

Los Angeles Partner Debra Albin-Riley recently argued before the California Supreme Court in a closely-watched case involving the scope of anti-SLAPP protection for medical staff peer review.

The legislation updates the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from anyone 13- to 15-years old without the user’s consent

In May 2021, two photojournalists filed a class action lawsuit against Instagram, alleging that the social media giant allowed and encouraged third parties to ‘embed’ images shared to the platform in violation of copyright law.

With the new demands on litigators to adapt trial presentation techniques for proceedings conducted by virtual conferencing, success will be driven by how well you are prepared.

US companies have been inundated with lawsuits in the past several years alleging that their websites do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and various state laws, including the California Unruh Act.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will host a public, virtual meeting on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 1 p.m. Central time to present and request feedback on draft reporting guidelines for the Minnesota Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Minnesota Statutes 62.J.84).

The Supreme Court has issued a much anticipated opinion on the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (the CFAA), holding in Van Buren v. United States that an individual “exceeds authorized access” under the CFAA when he accesses a computer with authorization but then obtains files

In addition to the ever-growing number of fraud charges brought in connection with the SBA’s PPP program, recent indictments issued across the country in connection with Covid-19 unemployment benefits and economic injury disaster loans further evince the DOJ’s continued priority to pursue Covid-19 r

Nothing is safe from fraudulent activity, not even emerging NFTs (non-fungible tokens). While most domain owners are still learning about NFTs, cryptosquatters have been busily creating NFTs using well-known trademarks. There is now greater clarity regarding resources for addressing this troublesome

In the most recent WorldSmart podcast, Chief Legal Officer at ESI, Tony Aguilera, sits down with International Co-Chairs Hunter Carter and Malcolm McNeil to discuss supply chain challenges during the age of COVID-19 and what the future of business holds.

On June 1, 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed S.B. 2017, implementing the State of Illinois budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign. The bill includes several material changes to Illinois state taxes affecting many businesses.

Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expanded its technical assistance to address COVID-19 vaccinations. Here are some of the highlights.

Agriculture & AgTech Industry Image

In seeking public comments and suggestions on how to improve the exemption process for pesticides the EPA has provided a unique opportunity for developers to argue for an expedited path to market for their innovative AgTech as well as conventional products.

On this podcast, DC Business & Policy Partner Jon Bouker discusses the highlights, implications, and potential council changes to the Mayor’s proposed budget with Partner David Grosso and Senior Government Relations Director Oliver Spurgeon.

On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance on employer vaccination policies in the form of additional Q&As.

On Thursday, reverse repo activity was $485 billion – the highest level in the New York Fed’s available records.