Government Regulation and Public Sector Law

As rapid data center construction sparks community backlash, technology companies face mounting pressure to address environmental and human rights concerns through sustainable corporate practices. Grassroots resistance is emerging from fears that communities will bear the burden of higher energy costs, water scarcity, air pollution, and noise while tech companies reap the benefits.

Commercial litigation partner Jacques Semmelman joins Dateline NBC's True Crime Weekly podcast to demystify the complex world of international extradition law. Drawing on his experience as a former Assistant US Attorney, Semmelman explains the legal standards, treaty requirements, and diplomatic considerations that govern how individuals are transferred between countries to face criminal charges or serve sentences.

Federal ADA Title III lawsuit filings have reached 5,006 cases at mid-year 2026, marking the highest level since 2021 and suggesting a potential record-breaking year ahead. California continues to dominate with 2,426 cases, while new plaintiffs' firms enter the market and filing patterns shift across states. Will 2026 surpass the all-time high of 11,452 lawsuits set in 2021?

Georgia's Transaction Hold Law, effective July 1, 2026, applies to most federally insured depository institutions doing business in Georgia. The new law grants discretionary authority to hold transactions suspected of involving financial exploitation of eligible adults.

Power and corruption intertwine in the world's most salacious scandals. Hosts Tatiana Sainati and Diana Shaw explore how corruption infiltrates institutions, examining red flags that could have prevented catastrophic failures and the consequences for perpetrators and victims alike.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 has become law, imposing sweeping sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and shadow fleet vessels while authorizing tariffs up to 100 percent on major purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas. How will these new measures impact global trade relationships, particularly with China and India as the largest buyers of Russian crude?

The D.C. Circuit's recent decision in a Buy America waiver challenge establishes new precedent for how federal agencies evaluate domestic availability in infrastructure projects. The ruling addresses whether manufacturers' future production capabilities should factor into waiver decisions and clarifies the standing requirements for suppliers challenging such waivers. This case provides critical guidance for companies navigating federal procurement requirements in transportation and infrastructure projects.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has resolved a longstanding split among lower courts regarding whether companies that win multiple-award IDIQ contracts can challenge their competitors' awards. This precedential decision clarifies the standing requirements for bid protests and establishes new boundaries for post-award challenges in government contracting disputes.

The Small Business Administration has extended the comment period for two proposed rules that could dramatically reshape federal government contracting by significantly expanding the pool of entities eligible for small business set-aside procurements. With some size standard thresholds proposed to increase as much as tenfold, these changes would fundamentally alter the makeup of the small business contractor base.

While the government funding deadline isn’t until December, last week proved that the power of the purse remains very much the topic of the day.

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Covered List reforms adopted on July 22, 2026, will take effect October 13, 2026, with significant impacts on the U.S. drone market. The newly effective rules will tighten procedures for modifying devices, including drones, as well as prohibit authorizations for any device that contains "logic-bearing hardware" produced by Covered List entities and extend marketing rules to online marketplaces while expressly requiring them to display FCC identification numbers at the online point of sale.

The U.S. Department of War's Defense Innovation Unit has launched the CLASS ACT program, a groundbreaking 36-month pilot that sponsors nontraditional defense contractors for top secret facility security clearances before they hold any DOW contract. This initiative eliminates traditional barriers by allowing commercial technology companies and private capital firms to obtain clearances and access classified information needed to compete effectively in the defense marketplace.