Administrative Law
Judge Blocks $54 Billion Anthem-Cigna Health Insurance Merger
News
A federal judge blocked the $54 billion merger between health insurance giants Anthem and Cigna, saying the deal would increase prices and reduce competition, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Republican Plan Would Ease Wall St. Rules, As Party Embraces Deregulation
News
Hensarling’s plan would roll back Wall Street rules and consumer protections conceived after the 2008 financial crisis, a step that will largely define the financial deregulation debate in the Trump era, reports Reuters.
Key Issues for Due Diligence of Government Contracts – Part I
Insight
Comprehensive due diligence review of any target company is imperative when determining whether to buy another company, writes Kimi Murakami for Piliero Mazza.
Akin Gump Lawyer Accused of Trying to Sell Lawsuit Under Seal
News
Jeffrey Wertkin immediately lost his job with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP after he was picked up Jan. 31 in the lobby of a hotel in Cupertino, Californiaallegedly trying to collect $310,000 for selling the lawsuit.
What Trump Can – and Can’t – Do to Dodd-Frank
News
American Banker asks and answers the question of what will be the immediate impact of President Trump’s executive order calling for a review of financial regulatory policy, especially the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
Trump May Be Skirting Transparency Law on Advisory Boards
News
There have been no official notices of any meetings and no executive orders laying out the duties of the “Strategic and Policy Forum” or any other groups Trump is convening.
Former Legaltech News Editor Erin Harrison Joins Baretz+Brunelle
News
Erin Harrison, former editor-in-chief of ALM’s Legaltech News and InsideCounsel, has joinedBaretz+Brunelle as a managing director.
Many More Legal Challenges Likely for Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration
News
Scholars say that President Trump’s executive order on immigration is likely to face a series of new legal challenges about whether it violates a 1965 anti-discrimination law and the Constitution, The Washington Post reports.
IRS Rolls Out New Compliance Campaigns for Large Businesses
News
The Internal Revenue Service’s Large Business and International division is taking a new approach to tax compliance, with a series of 13 campaigns aimed at cracking down on tax evasion, reports Accounting Today.
Is Trump Immigrant Order Repeating History? An Attorney Says Maybe
Insight
The First Amendment prohibits government action that favors one religion over another, and the current executive order clearly does so by giving non-Muslims priority status, says David Coale of Lynn Pinker Cox Hurst.
Tech Industry Reacts to Trump’s Order on Immigration With Fear and Frustration
News
Donald Trump’s executive order Friday banning citizens of certain countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days blindsided the technology industry, reports The Los Angeles Times.
Sanctuary Cities See Legal Holes in Trump’s Immigration Orders
News
It’s possible that an exemption in Trump’s order cutting funds from sanctuary cities makes it much more likely that a judge could strike down that section of the order as unconstitutional, Reuters reports.
Transcript Available: Former SEC Chair White Speaks at Securities Regulation Institute
Insight
A free transcript of former SEC Chair Mary Jo White’s speech at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law’s 44th Annual Securities Regulation Institute is available.
U.S. Ethics Lawsuits Against Trump Part of Groups’ Political Strategy
News
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington contended payments to Trump’s businesses for hotel rooms and office leases run afoul of the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
Pipeline Opponents Face High Legal Hurdles Challenging Trump
News
Reuters is reporting that opponents of two controversial oil pipelines face an uphill battle if they fight construction of the lines.
Government Contracts Legislative and Regulatory Update
Insight
Dentons has published the latest edition of its “Government Contracts Legislative and Regulatory Update,” a summary of the relevant changes that took place during December.
Apple Adds to Qualcomm’s Troubles, Filing Lawsuit Over Rebates
News
Apple sued Qualcomm, its longtime partner, over what it said was $1 billion in withheld rebates on Qualcomm’s smartphone technology, according to The New York Times.
Contracting by Tweet: What Impact Can the New Administration Have on Existing Contracts and Future Awards?
Insight
A president always can pressure high-profile government contractors to “voluntarily” take actions to their detriment and in favor of the government, but what legal tools or contractual remedies are available if a president forces a particular outcome?
General Counsel in the U.S. are Bullish on Trump
News
Fifty-six percent of respondents expected Trump to affect their business in a positive way while 44 percent had a negative outlook.
2016 HIPAA Year in Review: Audits, Fines, and Enforcement Trends
Event, Jan. 25, 2 p.m. EST
Compliancy Group will present a complimentary webinar examining the major breaches and fines that made 2016 the most expensive year on record for HIPAA fines and enforcement.
