Government Regulation and Public Sector Law

The GENIUS Act has authorized several regulatory agencies to issue regulations to develop the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework governing payment stablecoins in the United States. The statute directs multiple federal financial regulators to implement a coordinated supervisory structure governing issuance, reserve management, redemption rights, anti-money laundering compliance, custody, and market structure

When banks receive subpoenas or discovery requests seeking Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) or related information, they face a critical but often overlooked compliance obligation. Beyond simply refusing to disclose the confidential reports, financial institutions must also notify federal regulatory agencies about the request itself and their response to it.

Canada is poised to establish its first dedicated Financial Crimes Agency through Bill C-29, a legislative initiative that promises to reshape the country's approach to investigating and prosecuting financial offenses. The proposed agency would operate with broad investigative powers and a sweeping mandate covering everything from money laundering to digital asset crimes, backed by $352.7 million in federal funding over five years. With the authority to create its own specialized police force and coordinate

In August 2025, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (Court) released its decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General) (Cowichan Tribes), declaring Aboriginal title over an area that includes privately owned land and concluding that Aboriginal title and fee simple ownership can legally coexist.

British Columbia's First Nations Equity Financing Program is now accepting applications, offering up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to support First Nations acquiring equity ownership in revenue-generating projects within their traditional territories. The Program aims to position First Nations as equity partners in economic development while reducing borrowing costs and unlocking access to capital for major infrastructure and resource projects.

Osler's Indigenous Law Insights webinar series presents a June 2026 session examining a copyright infringement case involving Indigenous artwork and the Supreme Court of British Columbia's decision in Lil'Wat Nation v. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority. Legal and business professionals can gain practical insights into how these recent developments impact Indigenous law and policy across Canada.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) packaging laws have moved from enactment into active implementation across seven U.S. states, with producer registration deadlines passing, compliance fees being collected, and enforcement actions beginning. As Oregon publishes its first noncompliant producer list and litigation challenges emerge in California, Oregon, and Colorado, companies selling packaged products face an increasingly complex landscape of state-specific obligations, fee structures, and legal uncert

The Supreme Court's landmark decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook fundamentally reshape the executive branch's authority over independent federal agencies, particularly the FTC. While the Court ruled that FTC commissioners may be removed without cause due to their exercise of executive power, it carved out a narrow exception for the Federal Reserve Board based on its unique monetary policy role, creating uncertainty about the future independence of regulatory agencies.

A federal court dismissed a legal challenge to the 2025 Biological Opinion governing Gulf of America oil and gas operations after the Endangered Species Committee issued an unprecedented exemption from ESA requirements. While this removes immediate legal threats for offshore operators, the exemption itself faces multiple court challenges, creating ongoing uncertainty about species protection requirements and permit conditions in the Gulf.

On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a proposed rule (Docket No. USDA-2026-0001; RIN 0560-AI70) that would significantly reshape the regulatory framework under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The proposed rule would broaden what counts as “agricultural land,” narrow long-standing reporting exemptions, expand beneficial ownership disclosure, increase penalties, and move administration of the program to USDA’s Office of Homeland Security.

A convergence of geopolitical shifts, trade uncertainty and heightened industrial policy ambition has fundamentally altered the operating environment for Canadian businesses. How are federal and provincial governments responding with new funding programs, capital sources and talent initiatives to support the retention and growth of technology, intellectual property and human capital in Canada? This comprehensive overview examines recent strategic initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, life sciences,

On July 1, 2026, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced that the United States, Mexico, and Canada failed to reach an agreement to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) in its current form following recent negotiations. Greer stated that “the United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form.”