Health Care Partners Lowell Brown and Annie Lee and Counsel Sarah Benator will present at The Institute for Medical Leadership’s Chief of Staff Boot Camp in Los Angeles, California.

Join International Trade & Investment associates James Kim and Mario Torrico for an in-person event with the Professional Association of Exporters and Importers.

Join Leah Scarpelli and former US Congressman Philip English for a Canadian Institute of Steel Construction webinar.

On December 23, 2024, Hudson’s Bay Company, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, completed its acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, the parent company of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, for $2.7 billion following years of on-and-off negotiations.

Now is the time for health care providers to consider participating in the recent Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) antitrust class action settlement and the newly filed antitrust cases alleging widespread price fixing for out-of-network claims by MultiPlan and health insurers.

Tom Abendroth will present during two sessions at the 2025 Heckerling Institute.

The ongoing Los Angeles, California, wildfires have caused widespread devastation, forcing residents to evacuate, and have destroyed homes and communities. President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County on January 8.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently released its priorities for 2025. As in recent years, the SEC is focusing on fiduciary duties and the development of compliance programs as well as emerging risk areas such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). This alert details the key areas of focus for investment advisers.

Employers are paying close attention to pay transparency laws, which are the latest trend in employment legislation. Often expanding on existing pay equity laws, many state and local governments have enacted or proposed legislation with the stated goal of reducing pay inequity and combating wage discrimination.

On June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a federal law enforced by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), went into effect. The PWFA mandates that employers with at least 15 employees, along with other covered entities, provide reasonable accommodations for employees with known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

The US government signals careful optimism with a new general license authorizing some previously prohibited transactions, including many (but not all) transactions with Syrian governing institutions, for the next six months.

With the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) withdrawing yet another set of antitrust compliance guidelines last month, companies that collaborate with their competitors — whether directly or through a trade association — are left without any official agency guidance regarding safe harbors, other than the murkier background of a century of antitrust cases. However, the forthcoming change in presidential administrations might provide increased clarity.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On December 30, 2024, the Massachusetts state legislature passed House Bill 4653 (the Act), which significantly enhances regulatory oversight in the Massachusetts health care market. As signed into law by Governor Maura Healy on January 8, the Act will have profound effects for private equity (PE) investors and real estate investment trusts (REITs) engaging with the Massachusetts health care market. Passage of the Act comes on the heels of prominent PE-backed hospital failures in Massachusetts.

On January 3, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory on the association between alcohol and the risk of cancer. The alcohol beverage industry has swiftly responded highlighting conflicting studies and federal guidelines.

On November 20, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Facilities (Nursing Facility ICPG).

On January 6, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published in the Federal Register a notice announcing its determination that 35 previously authorized Food Contact Notifications (FCNs) for food contact substances containing per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are no longer effective.

Working toward a more circular economy will continue to be at the forefront in 2025. More and more, states are requiring producers to manage the end-of-life of an increasing number of consumer items, from packaging materials, paper products, and food service ware, to mattresses, carpets, and more. California is now the first state in the nation to establish an extended producer responsibility program expressly for textiles.

Government Relations Co-Leader Dan Renberg, Co-Chairs Phil English and Byron Dorgan, and Partner Elizabeth Horner will join the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in a webinar examining the implications of the 2024 Presidential and Congressional election results on January 8, 2025.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting increase in federal telework have reduced the daily usage of federal buildings in Washington, DC. Over the last few years, Mayor Muriel Bowser has not been shy in highlighting the economic harm of reduced foot traffic to small businesses and transit ridership in the District of Columbia, particularly downtown.

ArentFox Schiff served as outside counsel to the New York Red Bulls in a major naming rights and ticketing transaction with Sports Illustrated Tickets.

The parents of two Texas children recently brought a lawsuit against Character Technologies, Inc., alleging that its chatbot, Character.AI, encouraged self-harm, violence, and provided sexual content to their children. They are requesting that the court shut down the platform until the alleged dangers have been resolved. The suit, brought on behalf of the children, aged 17 and 11, was filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Justice Law Project. In addition to Character Technologies, Inc., the lawsuit names its two founders, as well as Google and Alphabet Inc. (collectively, Google).

Happy New Year and welcome to US cosmetics regulation in 2025! With many provisions of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) already in effect and others still waiting in the wings, let’s discuss where the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation of cosmetics stands as of January 1, 2025.

State governments increasingly engage on climate issues. In search of a new source of funding for hundreds of billions of dollars in anticipated climate adaptation costs, a recent New York state law could impose $75 billion of liability on major fossil fuel companies.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries