Alerts

On October 4, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a virtual roundtable discussion to understand the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on creative fields.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

In the latest episode of Fashion Counsel, AFS Chairman Anthony V. Lupo is joined by Thomas Crispi, AFS Product Liability and Mass Torts Practice leader, to discuss how retailers and manufacturers can anticipate potential product issues and have a plan in place to handle US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) inquiries, class actions, and probable liability. 

When an employer “discharges” an employee, California Labor Code section 201(a) provides that “the wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge are due and payable immediately.”

On September 28, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted a final rule that will require any entity that has manufactured or imported per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in any year since 2011 to report detailed information on PFAS usage.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enacted in August 2022, appropriated billions of dollars in additional funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

On October 4, 2023, the US Aluminum Extruders Coalition and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) filed antidumping duty (AD) petitions on Certain Aluminum Extrusions.

Persistent turmoil in the debt and equity markets continues to impact the hospitality industry. This article addresses the state of the hospitality market as we enter into the final months of 2023 and look forward to 2024.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

Effort Supports $1 Billion Commitment to Facilitate Deployment of Wireless AgTech Networks

Most people expect that by signing a contract they are going to be bound by it absent special circumstances. But do situations where the signatory is unsophisticated and/or doesn’t even speak the language in which the contract is written qualify as such special circumstances?

On September 29, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, which presents a legal analysis of the standards for harassment and employer liability applicable to claims of harassment under the statutes enforced by the EEOC. The proposal is open to public comment until November 1, 2023.

On September 21, 2023, the US Departments of Treasury (DOT), Labor (DOL), and Health and Human Services (HHS) (the Departments) issued new rulemaking governing the administrative fee required to access the arbitration process established under the No Surprises Act (the Act). Under the proposed rule, the new fee would be set at $150.

On September 12, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law convened a hearing to discuss potential legislation focused on AI models, the third in a series of hearings by the subcommittee analyzing issues in AI oversight. A key discussion topic was the Bipartisan Framework for US AI Act introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley.

On September 28, 2023, Eastman Kodak Company filed antidumping duty (AD) petitions on Aluminum Lithographic Printing Plates from China and Japan, and a countervailing duty (CVD) petition on the same product from China.

Prior to 2022, multifamily operators acquired properties throughout the United States at record low interest rates, creating a unique buying opportunity for owners and investors.

Following its enforcement action against Impact Theory, LLC, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commenced an administrative proceeding charging Stoner Cats 2, LLC (SC2) with conducting an unregistered offering of securities in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in violation of the Securities Act of 1933.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On September 15, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law legislation (S.5959-B/A.5718-B), which allows out-of-state “risk retention groups” registered in New York State to offer automobile insurance coverage to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations in the state.

The Battery Show, now in its 14th year, is billed as “the most comprehensive advanced battery manufacturing event” in the world.

While increased enforcement resulting from increased federal focus on environmental justice (EJ) issues poses risk to many businesses, how the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assesses and addresses EJ-related “cumulative risk” issues has the potential to create even more uncertainty.

The IRS has announced an immediate moratorium on the processing of new employee retention credit claims and warns taxpayers of aggressive promoters and marketers “hustling to get a hefty contingency fee.”

California state legislators have joined the arena in the fight relating to advertised rates in the hotel industry and beyond. If the recent legislation is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the law will have significant ramifications for hospitality companies nationwide.

Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to encourage enhanced law enforcement and greater coordination through agency information sharing.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries