United States: Government, Public Sector

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States released its Annual Report for Calendar Year 2025, revealing significant shifts in filing patterns, declaration clearance rates, and mitigation agreement usage. With declaration filings reaching record highs but clearance rates dropping to historic lows, parties face new strategic considerations when navigating CFIUS review processes under the Trump Administration's America First Investment Policy.

Meet the legal professionals at Foley & Lardner LLP who specialize in serving clients across various practice areas. This directory provides direct contact information and professional profiles for attorneys Roberto Arena Reyes Retana, Marco Najera Martinez, Andres Alvarez Cordero, and Lilia Alvarez.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the Committee) recently released its Annual Report to Congress, covering calendar year (CY) 2025 activity. The Report, a statutory requirement, provides annual statistics about CFIUS actions and processes as well as information on the Committee’s priorities. Although three lapses in appropriations caused CFIUS to toll deadlines for more than 120 days over the reporting period, the Committee generally proved able to clear transactions within historic averages, even in the face of increased caseloads.

The House Financial Services Committee has approved legislation that would fundamentally alter how state opt-outs under DIDMCA affect interstate lending by state-chartered banks and credit unions. This development comes as federal courts grapple with challenges to Colorado's and Oregon's interpretations of their opt-out authority, raising critical questions about interest-rate exportation and charter parity.

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers have issued a second proposed rule refining the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS), addressing ambiguities raised in over 220,000 public comments. The updated proposal clarifies three critical terms—"relatively permanent," "continuous surface connection," and "perennial"—that determine which water bodies fall under federal jurisdiction.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a cooperative framework for interagency information sharing...

Congressional leaders are pressing federal agencies to demonstrate how they balance advancing U.S. biotechnology research with protecting against emerging biosecurity threats. The inquiry focuses on whether agencies have implemented key recommendations from a national security commission and what additional resources they need to maintain American leadership in this rapidly evolving field.

Expands Defense Production Act (DPA; P.L. 81-774) authorities over energy by giving the Secretaries of the Interior and Energy independent authority, alongside the Secretary of Commerce...

On July 22, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (covered separately here) in which the Commission advances its ongoing efforts to secure the U.S.

The Department of Justice announced a $25 million settlement with Accenture Federal Services over allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying compliance with anti-discrimination requirements while allegedly using race or sex in hiring, promotion, and access to professional development programs. This marks the third major DEI-related FCA enforcement action in 2026, following similar settlements with IBM and Deloitte.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has issued Executive Order 658, establishing comprehensive permitting and regulatory standards for data centers exceeding 25 MW of peak electricity demand. The Order mandates community benefits agreements, clean energy procurement protocols, and coordination across multiple state agencies to ensure responsible development that protects ratepayers, communities, and the environment. This action positions Massachusetts alongside other states implementing stricter oversight o

September 2026 marks the first anniversary of the corporate criminal offence of failure to prevent fraud coming into force under section 199 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA). The Home Office guidance recommends that organisations review their fraud prevention measures at least every 12 months.