Government
Trump Goaded Bloomberg Into Planning a Presidential Campaign. Why He Probably Won’t Run
News
New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been watching the primaries unfold with outrage and frustration, sources tell New York magazine.
5 Ways to Clarify and Strengthen U.S. Cybersecurity Law
Article
Rob Knake, a Senior Fellow for Cyber Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses five ways the U.S. Congress can make the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 better during 2016.
What Does a Former Staffer’s Immunity Deal Mean for Hillary Clinton?
News
The revelation that the Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staff member who worked on Hillary Clinton’s private email server is a likely indication that the investigation is nearing a conclusion.
NY AG: Trump University Fraud ‘Pretty Straightforward’
News
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that evidence of the fraud perpetrated by Trump University is “pretty straightforward,” reports CNN Money.
Apple Lawyer, FBI Director Face Off in Congress on iPhone Encryption
News
FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that a ruling forcing Apple Inc. to give the FBI data from an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters would be “potentially precedential” in other cases, a change from his earlier statements.
Justice Scalia’s Death Prompts Dow Chemical to Settle Price-Fixing Case
NEWS
Dow was facing a $1.1 billion judgment in a price-fixing case, but now Dow Chemical says it no longer thinks it could win its appeal without Justice Antonin Scalia on the bench.
Judge Threatens Subpoena to Force Clinton to Turn Over Entire Email Account
NEWS
Federal judge asks: “How on earth can the court conclude there is not at minimum a reasonable suspicion of bad faith?”
Judge Sanctions Attorneys for ‘Intentionally Misleading Conduct’
NEWS
A King County, Washington, judge has sanctioned two attorneys hired by Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist’s office, citing their “intentionally misleading conduct” during a long-running lawsuit, according to a report in the Tacoma News Tribune.
Katz, Marshall & Banks Issues New Guides for SEC and CFTC Whistleblower Programs
Article
Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP is offering for free download practice guides for the whistleblower programs for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Case Against Ted Cruz’s Eligibility to be Heard in Illinois
NEWS
CNN is reporting that a judge in Illinois on Friday will hear a lawsuit challenging Ted Cruz’s eligibility to serve as president, putting questions about the Texas senator’s status back into the news the day before the South Carolina primary.
VimpelCom to Pay $795 Million to Settle U.S. Bribery Claims
NEWS
More than $114 million in bribes, according to federal prosecutors, was funneled to the Uzbek official during a six-year period by the firm, which issues publicly-traded securities in the U.S. The companies concealed the bribes through various payments to a shell company.
Federal Mandate on E-Voicing & Government Contract Compliance
NEWS
The Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) has issued a memo mandating that all billing and invoicing from government contractors and federal agencies must be electronic. Approximately 12 million invoices still need to make the transition, report two partners in Alston & Bird.
Intellectual Property in Government Contracts – Landmines Abound
Article
Intellectual property is often a company’s most valuable asset, and for companies with federal government customers, following the government’s rules can mean the difference between maximizing and losing value in newly developed IP, reports McGuireWoods in a legal alert.
Reflections on the BLM’s Proposed Methane and Waste Reduction Rule
Article
An article on Van Ness Feldman’s website examines key legal and policy changes in the proposed federal methane and waste reduction rule for oil and gas production on public and tribal lands.
SEC Will Only Target Directors in Egregious Cases
NEWS
An SEC official sought to allay concerns voiced by corporations and their lawyers about the SEC enforcement cases against corporate directors and other gatekeepers, such as compliance officers, who may try to fix compliance problems and find themselves entangled in an agency investigation
Home Health Provider Hit With $238,900 HIPAA Penalty
NEWS
This case marks only the second time that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has imposed civil monetary penalties for a HIPAA violation.
Agency Avoidance of Rulemaking Procedures
White Paper
Agency avoidance suggests that rulemaking procedures do less than commonly thought to promote public deliberation in the rulemaking process, writes Connor Raso.
Veteran Government Affairs Attorney Jim Perras Joins Wilson Elser
NEWS
National law firm Wilson Elser announces that Jim Perras has joined the firm’s Hartford, CT, office as of counsel.
H-1B Visa – 2016 Filing Season
Article
Starting April 1, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting H-1B visa petition filings – subject to the annual cap – for the next fiscal year.
GLBA Compliance Considerations in Technology Transactions
Article
As part of its implementation of the GLB Act, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires financial institutions under its jurisdiction to safeguard customer records and information. This requirement is known as the Safeguards Rule.
