City of Seattle Passes Hazard Pay for Grocery Employees

On February 3, 2021, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed into law a new ordinance requiring grocery employers to provide their employees an additional $4.00/hour in hazard pay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOJ’s First False Claims Act Settlement Against PPP Borrower Signals Robust Fraud Enforcement Ahead

As the government revives its Paycheck Protection Program with hundreds of billions of dollars in additional loans available to small businesses, there are fresh signs that government fraud investigations and whistleblower litigation related to the loan program are ramping up.

Deadlines Approaching for COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims: Don’t Forfeit Coverage!

Policyholders with COVID-19 insurance claims may not be aware that insurance policies limit the time they have to bring a lawsuit against their insurance company.

US Supreme Court Remands Blaszczak Insider Trading Case Back to the Second Circuit

On January 11, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated an opinion issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in United States v. Blaszczak, which held that a government agency’s confidential information may constitute “property” for the purposes of insider trading cases brought under Title 18 of the U.S. Code.

The Race to a Clean Electricity Future in Washington State Begins With WUTC and Commerce Rules

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and the Department of Commerce have recently adopted rules establishing a framework for electric utilities to comply with the Clean Energy Transformation Act to transition away from fossil fuels towards carbon neutral and eventually carbon-free energy.

What to Expect From Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s FCC

President Biden has appointed Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel as acting chairwoman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Everalbum Settles FTC Claims Alleging Deceptive Use of Facial Recognition Technology

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Everalbum, Inc., the developer of a photo storage app that utilized facial recognition technology.

Washington, New York, and Minnesota Introduce New Privacy Laws to Begin the New Year

In the past few weeks, several states have introduced new privacy legislation that would grant consumers new privacy rights and impose new obligations on businesses.

FDA Announces Action Plan for Oversight of AI/ML in Medical Devices

On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Digital Health Center of Excellence released the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-Based Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) Action Plan.

“Made in America” Executive Order Calls for Expansion and Increased Oversight of Domestic Sourcing Requirements for Government Contracts

On January 25, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order outlining his administration’s policy to increase procurement of U.S.-made products and expand domestic preferences for American-made goods and components purchased by the federal government. In this update, we summarize that executive order and forecast its implications.

Another Blow to Bankruptcy Relief for Marijuana-Adjacent Debtors

A 2018 Colorado bankruptcy case left a narrow opening for marijuana-adjacent companies to utilize the tools provided under the Bankruptcy Code if their income was derived from hemp, now legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.