Government

Roy Moore’s Suspension Upheld By Alabama Supreme Court; Decision Next Week on Senate Race

News
Moore was suspended over his administrative order against the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reports AL.com.

Trump’s Trademark Continues Its March Across the Globe, Raising Eyebrows

News
This business enterprise poses legal and moral perils to the president, even though that business now is run by his two sons.

Ex-U.S. Attorney Links Firing to Trump Team’s ‘Helter-Skelter Incompetence’

News
Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, calls the way his firing was handled a direct example of “helter-skelter incompetence.”

Removal of Energy ‘Burdens’ Could Have Huge Impacts

Insight
A provision of the “energy independence” executive order signed by President Trump is so broad in scope that legal experts say it could affect numerous government responsibilities far beyond those that deal directly with energy and climate change, according to a post by Climate Central.

Democratic Supreme Court Opposition Grows; Schumer Warns GOP

News
Senate Democratic opposition to Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee swelled Friday as Democrats neared the numbers needed to block Judge Neil Gorsuch with a filibuster, reports the Associated Press.

Trump Appoints One of His Lawyers to Review Mergers

News
Companies are hoping that the new Republican administration will be more permissive with mergers than the Obama administration was, The New York Times reports.

Blue State Attorneys General Leading the Resistance to Trump’s Agenda

News
With Democrats outnumbered in Congress, a coalition of blue state attorneys general has emerged as the strongest resistance to Donald Trump’s conservative agenda, according to an article published by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Leon Cooperman Ordered to Trial in Insider-Trading Case

News
A billionaire investor could face trial on allegations that he reaped more than $4 million in illegal profits after conversations with a company insider, Bloomberg reports.

Texas May Face Federal Supervision After Judges’ Ruling on Congressional Districts

Insight
A Dallas attorney says Texas may have to ask for permission to change election laws after a panel of federal judges ruled the maps drawn for three congressional districts violate federal statutes, according to a post on the website of Androvett Legal Media & Marketing.

The U.S. Tax Reform and the Energy Sector

Insight
Reforms in the U.S. tax code proposed being considered in Congress could have significant implications for the energy industry in the U.S., and worldwide, according to an article published on the website of Hogan Lovells.

Tillerson May Face Deposition About ‘Wayne Tracker’ Alias Emails

News
Tillerson sent the most sensitive messages to and from company board members, including communications about the risks associated with climate change, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

House Poised to Pass Bills Overhauling Civil Litigation

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The far-reaching bills address class actions, asbestos cases and attorneys who file “frivolous” suits, reports Bloomberg BNA.

China’s ZTE Pleads Guilty, Settles With U.S. Over Iran, NKorea Sales

News
Reuters is reporting that Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp has agreed to pay $892 million and plead guilty to criminal charges for violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran and North Korea.

U.S. Justice Department Targets Executives in Wells Fargo Probe

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Reuters is reporting that a U.S. Justice Department probe into a phony accounts scandal at Wells Fargo & Co. is asking whether executives hid details from the company board and regulators as the problem grew over years.

Trump Seen as Supportive of Business-Backed Litigation Bills

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An example is legislation calling for business-backed litigation measures, colloquially known as “tort reform,” reports Bloomberg BNA.

Gorsuch Often Sided With Employers in Workers’ Rights Cases

News
Worker’s rights opinions written by Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, are often sympathetic but coldly pragmatic, and they’re usually in the employer’s favor, according to a review conducted by the Associated Press.