Regulation

A second wave of national security concerns hit real estate markets in the United States -- the publication of rules focusing on real estate by the U.S. Department of the Treasury is the catalyst of national security reviews of certain leases, purchases, sales, joint ventures and other investments with non-U.S. parties.

For decades the SEC and the Department of Justice, with the endorsement of federal judges, have used the general securities fraud statutes to patch together a complex and problematic insider trading common law. After years of criticism, however, that could now be changing.

The failure of NYPA to pass is not exceptionally noteworthy. What is noteworthy, however, is that it marks an escalation of data privacy protections and restrictions not seen in other major regulatory regimes, whether in the United States or abroad. And since most believe its failure to pass was due more to the end-of-session rush than its contents, don't be surprised if it pops up again in January 2022.

The Justice Department has confirmed it is looking to develop new policies surrounding how standard-essential patents might be used as tools for anticompetitive practices. The change in policy will mean big business for law firms that can combine highly technical IP advice with their antitrust and litigation practices.

Over the last decade, commercial real estate players have increasingly considered the environment and sustainability when underwriting investments and operating properties, but the pandemic has catalyzed rapid growth in ESG adoption.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit signaled last month that it may fully address, for the first time, the question of whether a decades-old change to federal law rendered a commonly used tool for extending U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations unenforceable in federal court.

In the past four months of 2021, the amount of state legislative activity around consumer data privacy laws has been frantic, by state legislatures standards. So much so, it is not easy to discern the cause for all this effort.

Recently the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York grappled with issues relating to local zoning restrictions on houses of worship.