On December 5, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a joint letter directed at financial service providers to reinforce the importance of interest rate protections...more
Good Afternoon! This is Akin’s biweekly policy newsletter on space policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major space headlines and forthcoming space-related events and hearings...more
I often introduce myself as an attorney who wears multiple hats: my civilian attorney hat and my military hat. Since law school, I have balanced a career in the Louisiana National Guard with my civilian career. I've often...more
The Impending Shift of City Council Power Dynamics- Regardless of the November election outcome, the power dynamics within City Hall are set to change as members elect new leadership including a council president. While...more
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States issued six decisions: Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, No. 21-757: This case addressed the Patent Act’s “enablement” requirement—the provision that requires a patent applicant to describe...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department), which chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), published a Proposed Rule on May 5, 2023, in the Federal Register. The Proposed Rule...more
Recent acquisitions of land by foreign buyers have sparked concern that the current jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review such transactions is not broad enough. CFIUS,...more
Check out some of the most recent state law updates on wages and paid leave. COLORADO- House Bill 23-1045 clarifies that members of the Colorado National Guard or U.S. reserve forces may take leave from employment to...more
Check out some of the most recent state law updates on COVID-19, employee rights, minimum wage and paid leave. CALIFORNIA- The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (a/k/a Cal/OSHA) has updated its COVID-19 Emergency...more
On July 7, 2022, Governor Wolf approved House Bill 2412, which authorizes the governor additional powers under Title 51 to order the Pennsylvania National Guard to support State and Local government entities with...more
Continuing a recent trend of highlighting potential unfair and deceptive acts or practices (UDAAP) within the auto loan servicing industry, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a new blog post...more
National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Department of Labor, Nos. 21-244, 21-247: Numerous challenges were brought against the emergency rule issued on November 5, 2021, by the Occupational Safety and Health...more
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in two cases: United States v. Vaello-Madero, No. 20-303: Whether Congress violated the equal-protection component of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth...more
On January 21, 2021, the Biden Administration released its National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness (the “National Strategy”). To meet the President’s goal of 150 million doses to be given in the...more
In Washington: On Friday, President Biden signed an executive order expanding the scope of nutrition assistance programs, an effort to address a growing hunger crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and heightening worker...more
In Washington - The blame game between Democrats and Republicans continues as each side signals they want a deal, but negotiations on a Phase Four coronavirus package remain stalled. POLITICO reports that the White House...more
When the 2019-2020 legislative session began, no one could have predicted what challenges Pennsylvania and the General Assembly would encounter with the outbreak of COVID-19. The rules changed to permit remote voting, and the...more
In Washington - A bipartisan group of Senators have agreed on legislation expanding the loan forgiveness period for the Paycheck Protection Program. The “Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act” would allow borrowers 16...more
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act’s (USERRA) federal statutory and regulatory framework prohibits employers of all types and sizes from discriminating against applicants and employees based on...more
Last Friday, as part of the State’s surge capacity plan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he’ll be signing an Executive Order allowing the state to take ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) from upstate...more
Nearly 10,000 National Guardsmen have been called up from across the United States to perform a variety of missions in support of efforts to combat COVID-19. ...more
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), the third and by far the largest stimulus package passed by Congress to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. As discussed...more
As the United States continues to develop its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of members of the National Guard will be activated to help deal with the threat. Last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker...more
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued two executive orders on March 16, 2020, to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Order No. 1458 directs all state entities to review and determine which state employees perform...more
Yesterday (March 16, 2020) the Governor of New Jersey issued Executive Order No. 104 (the “Order”) and activated the National Guard under the Emergency Powers provided under the New Jersey Constitution in another effort to...more