2024 is ‘all about the Fed,’ U.S. Bank exec says

All eyes remain on the Federal Reserve and its inflation strategies for 2024, U.S. Bank’s Stephen Philipson said.

By Grace Noto • Dec. 21, 2023

SEC likely to find other ways to curb stock buybacks after court vacates rule

The agency could use interpretive guidance and filing reviews to spur company transparency on share repurchases as it decides whether to redo its controversial rule.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 21, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Legal Dive

Legal leaders look at practical generative AI use cases and get tough on outside counsel spend, among other priorities this year.

By Legal Dive staff

Rite Aid settles with FTC after facial recognition debacle

The company can’t restart a crime-deterrent program based on people’s biometric data until it puts in place safeguards to prevent a flood of false positives that left many customers humiliated.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 20, 2023

Unilever under UK investigation for alleged greenwashing of products

The British competition regulator will scrutinize environmental claims for consumer goods made by the CPG giant, including Dove, Comfort and Cif.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Dec. 20, 2023

California privacy agency backs opt-out preference for consumers

The regulator would like to see legislation requiring web browser vendors to make it easier for consumers to prevent the selling and sharing of their personal information.

By Lyle Moran • Dec. 19, 2023

Courts could shun new FTC-DOJ merger guidelines

The agencies lowered the threshold for calculating market concentration and increased the focus on labor-market harm among other changes in a revamp to how they look at deals from an antitrust standpoint.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 19, 2023

Regulatory compliance tops risk concerns for GCs, report finds

Chief legal officers are also increasingly concerned about emerging data sources such as collaboration tools and chat applications, but feel unprepared to handle the associated risks. 

By Lyle Moran • Dec. 18, 2023

SEC won’t budge on crypto regulation

In denying a petition submitted by Coinbase, the agency has concluded rulemaking isn’t needed for issuers and intermediaries to know which – and how – crypto assets fit within securities law.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 15, 2023

2023 will be remembered as a big year for employment law

Issues stemming from pay transparency, size discrimination and return-to-office policies remain in flux as in-house counsel look ahead to 2024.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 14, 2023

Judge asks Michael Cohen lawyer if cited cases are fake

In what might be another case of AI hallucination, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman asks attorney David Schwartz why three cases he cites in a motion to end supervised release for the former Trump fixer can’t be found.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 13, 2023

Nuns take on big guns, sue Smith & Wesson board over AR-15 sales

Environmental law professor Victor Flatt said he expects to see more derivative suits filed over environmental, social and governance factors going forward.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 13, 2023

Vanguard, Arjuna Capital issued House Judiciary subpoenas over ESG probe

The committee is seeking information from the two asset management firms for its investigation into whether industry climate alliances violate antitrust law.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 12, 2023

Final SEC climate disclosure rule pushed to April 2024

The Department of Treasury and Federal Trade Commission also have a number of upcoming rules that could affect companies’ environmental, social and governance policies.

By Lamar Johnson • Dec. 7, 2023

ADA discrimination standing stays murky after SCOTUS rules case moot

Lower courts remain split on whether someone can sue for lack of accessibility information even if the person filing the complaint has no intention of going to the company’s physical location. 

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 6, 2023

FTC crackdown could change influencer marketing for food and beverages

Warnings from the antitrust division have the potential to make social media campaigns more cautious in how they communicate.

By Chris Casey • Dec. 5, 2023

GCs called key to getting directors involved in AI oversight

Legal chiefs are uniquely positioned to create a structure tying the board’s duties of care and loyalty to the risks companies face as employees step up use of new technologies. 

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 4, 2023

‘Rough ride’: 5 tips for cutting insurance costs amid climate change

Executives face a seller’s market for commercial property insurance as carriers push up premiums and pull back from high-risk areas.

By Jim Tyson • Nov. 30, 2023

Businesses face automated decisionmaking disclosures under proposed California regulations

Companies using automated technology to make decisions in areas such as employment would have to provide consumers with a variety of information about their activities.

By Lyle Moran • Nov. 28, 2023

Employers willing to pay ‘premium’ for AI-skilled workers: AWS study

Nearly three out of four (75%) employers who view the hiring of talent with AI skills as a priority reported having difficulty finding qualified candidates.

By Alexei Alexis • Nov. 28, 2023

GCs advised to assist with recruitment of board candidates

Legal chiefs can work closely with other executives to ensure skills gaps on boards are identified and broad talent pools are considered. 

By Lyle Moran • Nov. 27, 2023

Navigating religious accommodation after Groff v. DeJoy

Employers may need to institute more rigorous processes than they now have in place for handling such accommodations.

By Jonathan A. Segal and Adam D. Brown • Nov. 21, 2023

Even as perils loom over environmental insurance market, terms remain flexible

As more contaminants are discovered and weather extremes persist, carriers will likely slim down their exposure, a broker says.

By Robert Freedman • Nov. 21, 2023

Environmental groups call on FTC to stop pair of Big Oil mergers

ExxonMobil’s and Chevron’s proposed mergers with Pioneer Natural Resources and Hess Corp., respectively, are two of the largest M&A deals in industry history and allegedly infringe on antitrust laws.

By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 20, 2023

Generative AI policies should focus on four key areas, Gartner advises

General counsel have a key role to play in company discussions about AI use cases, restrictions, decision rights and disclosure obligations. 

By Lyle Moran • Nov. 15, 2023

Most M&A dealmakers expect to acquire companies with AI capabilities

Dealmakers also anticipate that emerging AI will impact several mergers and acquisitions processes in 2024, according to a Dykema survey.

By Lyle Moran • Nov. 14, 2023