Stay up to date with the latest news and occurrences in US Legal Updates, Blockchain Legal Updates, and Cannabis Legal Updates
Article by: Raza Lawrence and Ivy Perez-Bader Federal cannabis rescheduling has been widely discussed as a tax, banking, and criminal law inflection point. Far less attention has been paid to what may ultimately be its most consequential effect: a re-centering of federal food and drug law in an industry that has largely developed outside of it.…
Article by: Eileen Letts and Radhi Shah We would like to bring to your attention several significant developments to employment laws for 2026. We strongly recommend reviewing these new laws and updating your employment policies accordingly. Should you have any questions or require assistance with policy updates, please feel free to reach out. Paid Leave Developments Many states…
Article by: Tom Zuber and Radhi Shah Federal cannabis policy is entering an exciting phase, but businesses should be cautious about assuming clarity where none yet exists. The proposed move of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act represents a meaningful policy shift, but it does not create a comprehensive federal cannabis framework.…
Article by: Giorgia Giordani, Carla Pareja Paris, and Tom Zuber Montana has enacted a groundbreaking law that significantly expands access to experimental medical treatments, positioning the state as a potential hub for innovation—and controversy—in the healthcare sector. Senate Bill 535 (SB 535), signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte in May 2025, authorizes the use…
Article by: Tom Zuber and Radhi Shah The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently issued a significant opinion at the intersection of intellectual property law and artificial intelligence. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, decided on March 18, 2025, the court upheld the Copyright Office’s refusal to register a visual artwork autonomously generated by an…
Article by: Carla Pareja Paris, Gerold W. Libby, and Tom Zuber Breaking with decades of established practice, the White House announced a temporary suspension of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), aimed at bolstering American economic interests and national security. According to the Trump administration, this decision is designed to recalibrate the enforcement…
We would like to bring to your attention several significant changes to Illinois employment laws that will take effect soon and others that took place recently, impacting all employers in the state of Illinois. If you have or plan to have employees in the state of Illinois, it is crucial to review and update your…
Article by: Josh Lawler, Gerold Libby, Carla Pareja Paris The Corporate Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. §5336 (“CTA”), comes into effect January 1, 2024. The CTA mandates that entities, both existing and newly formed U.S. business entities, as well as foreign business entities registered in the U.S., must file reports of beneficial ownership with the Financial…
Article by: Associate Michael A. Carlin In a post-adjournment session on June 20, 2023, the New York State Assembly took a significant step toward banning employers from requiring employees to enter into non-compete agreements. The bill, A1278B/S3100A, has passed the New York State Assembly and previously passed the Senate. It is now awaiting further possible…
Article by: Associate Michael A. Carlin Noncompete clauses in employment contracts have long been a controversial topic. The debate has gained new momentum this year with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposing a rule to ban such clauses with workers. The FTC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on January 5, 2023, which proposes to…
Article by: Associate Michael A. Carlin The #MeToo movement has led to the passing of several notable federal laws to address sexual harassment in the workplace. On December 7, 2022 President Biden signed another such law, the Speak Out Act. The Speak Out Act prohibits the enforcement of pre-dispute, non-disclosure or non-disparagement clauses related to…
Article by: Brian Beck On July 13, 2022, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7535, the “Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act.” Because quantum computing has the capability to defeat the primary methods of encryption used by government and industry today, scientists and government officials have been working to develop a plan for post-quantum cybersecurity, as…
On July 28, 2022, following a two-week trial, Zuber Lawler secured a jury verdict awarding over $3 million in damages for its client Auto Konnect, LLC, against BMW of North America, LLC for breach of contract. Auto Konnect was a vendor that provided dealership training services for BMW from 2008 through 2018, growing that section…
By: Associate Michael A. Carlin Complying with California’s regulations related to cannabis businesses can be challenging. However, it is important to keep in mind that compliance with the Department of Cannabis Control is only one aspect of the requirements imposed by California state law. Overlooking compliance with California’s labor code can result in cannabis businesses…
By: Of Counsel Mark Bloomberg Successfully bringing a new quantum product to market presents a number of challenges. First, you have to create the product. Second, there must be demand for that product in the market. Third, you have to compete with others in that market. And, fourth, you have to produce a reliable…
From “The Matrix” By Josh Lawler The concept of the collectible is fundamental to the human spirit. Children start collecting things before they can walk. The fascination with collecting only increases as we get older. For most, a collection is fairly simple. Baseball cards, luxury cars, toys, comic books, art, merit badges; sure; but people also…
By Robert Mandel, Jayashree Mitra, Ph.D., Jonathan Purow SUMMARY: Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature on the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”) legalizes adult-use marijuana in the State of New York, one of the largest consumer markets in the nation. While there are many steps to be taken before adult-use marijuana is available for purchase and…
By Tomas A. Ortiz City of Chicago, Illinois v. Fulton, No. 19-357, 2021 WL 125106 (U.S. Jan. 14, 2021) On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion addressing a split among circuit courts on whether an entity violates Section 362(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay provision by passively retaining possession of…
On January 4, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan granted partial summary judgment for Zuber Lawler client Auto Konnect, LLC, that BMW of North America, LLC breached a service provider contract between the parties by directly hiring all 38 Auto Konnect employees providing services to BMW, destroying that entire division…
Zuber Lawler successfully appealed a $62 million judgment to the California Court of Appeal, convincing the appellate court to modify the judgment to zero in valuation damages, and denying a plaintiff request for a retrial. Zuber Lawler also successfully defended a request for rehearing and a petition for review to the California Supreme Court. …
By Mark J. Johnston Contributors Martin P. Greene, John C. (“Jay”) Maloney, Jr., Agnés Sullivan, Giselle B. (“Gigi”) May Welcome to the second issue of the Zuber Lawler Covid-19 Task Force Client Alert. This one is designed to provide useful suggestions to human resource personnel. We have made it easy for you to simply review the contents and forward…
By Martin P. Greene Contributors John C. (“Jay”) Maloney, Jr., Agnes Sullivan, Giselle B. (“Gigi”) May, Mark J. JohnstonClient Alert from the Zuber Lawler COVID-19 Task ForceThese are challenging times for employers and employees alike in navigating the host of changes necessitated by COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Zuber Lawler has created a task force to…
Congratulations Josh Lawler, Jim Robertson, and Sarah Fernandez on representing Lencore Acoustics, Inc. (Lencore) in its sale of its sound masking business to Emmis Communications Corporation (Emmis). Lencore is the world leader in high-quality sound masking solutions for offices and other commercial applications. The transaction included the retention and rebranding of Lencore’s mass notification system…
By Dr. Jayashree Mitra and Brian Beck Claim Construction of “Wherein” Clause May Be Contingent On Prosecution History The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in Allergan Sales, LLC v. Sandoz, Inc., No. 2018-2207 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 29, 2019) (“Allergan”) illustrates how arguments made during prosecution with regards to the term “wherein” can turn the tide on invalidity arguments at…
Congratulations to Martin Greene & Eileen Letts This list aims to recognize those who are making incredible strides towards causes of both justice and equality. Through their work, they have improved the legal profession and inspired all generations of diverse lawyers. Their accomplishments and professional excellence holds a standard in the industry for all who desire to…
In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it is replacing the “broadest reasonable interpretation” standard with the federal court claim construction standard for IPRs, PGRs, and CBMs. This new claim construction standard is consistent with that articulated in Phillips v. AWH Corp., 415…
Zuber Lawler client CNV.com secures dismissal of a health supplement distributor JST Distribution’s civil RICO claim. Although the Court permitted Plaintiff an opportunity to amend its RICO claim, the Court further admonished Plaintiff’s counsel to consider the possibility of Rule 11 sanctions if including RICO claims in its anticipated amended pleading. Id. at 12. CNV.com is an…
Congratulations to Eileen Letts Recipient of The ABA Margaret BrentWomen Lawyers of Achievement Award The purpose of the American Bar Association Margaret Brent Awards is to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women lawyers from around the country who have achieved professional excellence in their practice areas and paved the way to success for other…
