News from January 2024
Lee Podair and Mona Patel Discuss Electronic Bills of Lading Under the UCC
Thompson Coburn partner Lee Podair and associate Mona Patel authored a Secured Lender Magazine article in the Jan/Feb 2024 edition that details the legal framework prescribed by Articles 7 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) for a secured lender seeking to perfect its security interest in electronic bills of lading.
Kentucky bill to make U.S. citizenship a voting requirement passes House
FRANKFORT, Kentucky – A proposed constitutional amendment that would require U.S. citizenship to vote in Kentucky elections has passed the state House of Representatives.
Attorney General Bailey Leads 20 States in Filing Supreme Court Brief Against Censorship on Social Media Platforms
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey led a 20-state coalition in filing a brief at the United States Supreme Court to combat censorship on social media platforms.
Attorney General Miyares Announces Latest Win Against Martin Shkreli for Illegal Scheme to Monopolize Lifesaving Drug
Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that a federal appeals court has upheld a court order that Virginia, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and six other states won against convicted criminal Martin Shkreli for engaging in illegal and monopolistic behavior as the CEO of Vyera Pharmaceuticals (previously known as Turing Pharmaceuticals).
Over 300 ‘Motel Program’ Occupants to Receive Return of Deposit Money
Attorney General Charity Clark has resolved an investigation into security deposit withholdings at five motels housing Vermonters through the State’s Transitional Housing Program (also referred to as the “motel program”).
Attorney General Ken Paxton Announces Barclays’ Ineligibility to Participate in Texas’s Bond Market For its Inability to Verify its “ESG” Policies Do Not Violate Texas Law
The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”), announced that Barclays would no longer be permitted to underwrite Texas’s municipal bonds after failing to respond to requests for information concerning its “net zero” carbon emissions commitments.
AG’s Office Investigating Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in South Brunswick
The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at a South Brunswick, New Jersey, motel.
Judge: Looks like Green Bay officials trumped up charges to punish election observer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - A Wisconsin judge has thrown out the disorderly conduct fine against an attorney who objected to how Green Bay's clerk accepted absentee ballots in a 2022 election.
Secretive Obama Order May Change Legal Presumptions Regarding Records President Trump Received and Possessed; America First Legal Investigates
Last week, America First Legal (AFL) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Defense Information Systems Agency to investigate the secretive Presidential Information Technology Committee (PITC) created by former President Barack Obama. The committee was established in response to the Russian hacking of the Executive Office of the President's network in 2014. It includes representatives from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, among others.One of the key aspects of the PITC is that it creates a presumption that the President controls all...
Philadelphia jury hands down $2.2B verdict in third Roundup trial, the largest ever for that product
PHILADELPHIA – The manufacturers of weed killer Roundup have lost a third trial in Philadelphia and were hit with its largest-ever verdict at a whopping cost of $2.25 billion, not long after local juries handed down a $175 million verdict award to plaintiffs in the first case and a $3.5 million award in the second.
Law professor loses fight to be paid extra for grading papers
PORTLAND, Maine (Legal Newsline) - A lawyer who taught classes on banking and admiralty law at the University of Maine Law School on the side isn’t entitled to extra pay for the hours he spent preparing for class and grading papers because he was working for a fee, the state’s highest court ruled.
Wisconsin conservatives challenge liberal Supreme Court's explanation for redistricting
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin conservatives are fighting the state Supreme Court’s attempt to redraw legislative voting districts after a liberal majority threw out existing maps over so-called “municipal islands” that have existed for decades and were upheld by the court as recently as 2022.
Lawsuit: Inmate in Washington jail vomited until he died
SPOKANE, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - A lawsuit alleges an inmate in Washington's Chelan County suffered from withdrawals so severe he vomited until he died in custody
Sacramento County sued after inmate dies in custody
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A lawsuit claims a man in custody was severely ill, yet ignored, leading to his death from septic shock.
HSPRD Promotes Charlie Wysong Upholding Tradition of Excellence
HSPRD is delighted to announce the promotion of Charlie Wysong to Shareholder.
Robert Shapiro and Tyler Black Present on the Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy
Thompson Coburn partners Robert Shapiro and Tyler Black presented a Strafford CLE webinar on January 24 that covered the U.S. international trade policy approach that has led to a convergence between import, export, and sanction controls.
HIPAA Hot Topics and Headaches on January 31, 2024
As federal agencies crack down on health care providers over HIPAA compliance, the American Hospital Association and some policymakers are challenging aspects of the law.
Viral in the Law: The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media on February 1, 2024
Josephine Bahn will speak on the “Viral in the Law: The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media” panel at the American Bar Association’s Next Generation and the Future of Business Litigation Conference.
2024 AGA Anti-Human Trafficking Summit on January 31
Siran Faulders will moderate the “The Courageous Conquerors” panel on Wednesday, January 31st from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the upcoming Attorney General Alliance 2024 Anti-Human Trafficking Summit dedicated to eradicating modern-day slavery.
Hammond Grinding and Recycling Indicted for Falsifying Annual Facility Reports
Attorney General John M. Formella announces the indictment of Hammond Grinding and Recycling Inc. a/k/a F.C. Hammond & Son Lumber Co. (“Hammond”) of Orange, in Grafton County for six felony counts of Solid Waste Facility Violations in violation of RSA 149-M.