Business Law and Corporate Law

Former federal prosecutor Guy Singer joins host Eva Davis to discuss his transition to Winston Taylor, where he leads complex white-collar defense and internal investigations. The conversation explores how judgment, collaboration, and team-first leadership shape high-stakes legal work and client relationships in an era where technical excellence alone isn't enough.

New York State has enacted sweeping changes to employee personnel record requirements, mandating that employers provide free access to personnel files, notify employees of negative information within 10 days, and retain records for three years post-employment. These new obligations fundamentally reshape how New York employers must manage and maintain employee documentation.

The FDA, in collaboration with federal partners, held a landmark public hearing on September 14, 2026, to gather input on the future therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, drawing over 18,000 registered attendees. This hearing represents one of the earliest implementations of Executive Order 14401, which directs federal agencies to expedite research, review, and approval of psychedelic drugs for serious mental health conditions.

Corporate legal departments increasingly use third party platforms and managed billing services to review outside counsel invoices. In many cases, the client selects the system and directs its law firms to submit bills through it. Some of these services now use artificial intelligence, automated review, or a combination of technology and human reviewers to examine individual time entries and recommend billing reductions.

A recent California lawsuit alleges that AI-based employee selection tools discriminated against workers on protected leave and those with disabilities during a reduction in force. The case highlights critical legal risks for employers deploying AI in high-stakes employment decisions, particularly around how AI systems handle productivity metrics for employees who are absent or working under accommodations.

In C.S. v. Brick Recycling Co., the New Jersey Appellate Division vacated a trial court decision requiring the disclosure of documents relating to an attorney-led workplace investigation into sexual harassment. In doing so, the court provided important guidance on the discoverability of documents relating to such investigations.

A “Friends Of” organization is a U.S. tax-exempt organization that generally advances charitable work associated with another U.S. organization or a foreign institution or cause. It may be closely identified with one overseas hospital, university, museum, or relief organization. The organizations may share a name, history, mission, supporters, and fundraising priorities. They may collaborate every day. For those Friends Of organizations that support foreign entities, the IRS has very specific requirements on how they can operate and send the funds abroad.

The IRS and Treasury Department have proposed sweeping new regulations that could strip tax-exempt status from private schools using race-based criteria in admissions, scholarships, or programs—even when designed to promote diversity or remedy historical discrimination. These proposed rules would affect an estimated 18,000 educational institutions nationwide and create significant compliance challenges for schools, their donors, and holders of tax-exempt bonds financing educational facilities.

The US Court of Federal Claims recently addressed a critical question for Canadian exempt organizations earning US-source income: can they rely on fiscal transparency rules to claim treaty benefits through investment vehicles? The court's ruling in The South Saskatchewan Community Foundation Inc. v. United States examines when charitable organizations may look through intermediary entities to access tax exemptions under the US-Canada tax treaty, with significant implications for cross-border investment

The SEC has proposed rescinding Rule 206(4)-5 under the Investment Advisers Act, which currently prohibits certain political contributions and restricts the use of placement agents for soliciting government investors. The proposal addresses concerns about the rule's strict-liability standard, overbroad definitions, and disproportionate penalties for inadvertent violations, while raising questions about whether existing safeguards and state laws provide sufficient protection against pay-to-play practices.

The SEC has proposed comprehensive updates to transfer agent regulations, marking the first major overhaul since the 1970s-80s. These modernized rules address electronic recordkeeping, blockchain technology, enhanced risk management, and new compliance requirements that will significantly impact how issuers work with their transfer agents.

A periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance, election law and government ethics issues at the federal, state and local level.