News & Insights

FEDERAL COURT VACATES BLACK PINESNAKE CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION IN ALABAMA

In Skipper v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 796. F. Supp. 3d 996 (S.D. Ala. 2025), the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama partially vacated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (“FWS”) critical habitat designation for the black pinesnake, offering guidance on how agencies must justify occupied habitats and evaluate economic…
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TENNESSEE’S NEW THIRD-PARTY REVIEW AND INSPECTION LAW: IMPACT ON DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

Tennessee has enacted a significant change to its regulatory framework for design and construction. Public Chapter 771, passed in 2024, authorizes the use of qualified third-party professionals to conduct plan review and building inspections when the local authority fails to act within required timeframes. The law becomes even more consequential when paired with the State…
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SWISS PROSECUTORS CHARGE UBS OVER LEGACY CREDIT SUISSE MONEY LAUNDERING IN MOZAMBIQUE ‘TUNA BONDS’ SCANDAL

On December 1, 2025, Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced criminal charges against UBS and the former Credit Suisse, marking a significant development in the long-running “tuna bonds” scandal. The charges stem from allegations that Credit Suisse failed to prevent money laundering tied to over $2 billion in loans arranged for Mozambique’s state-owned…
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PROJECT FIREWALL LEADS TO ENHANCED FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY HIRING PRACTICES

On November 25, 2025, just five (5) days after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released updated educational materials addressing anti-American bias in employment practices, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) formally announced its partnership with EEOC in a new enforcement initiative known as “Project Firewall.” The initiative, focused on enforcing compliance with the H-1B…
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FOURTH CIRCUIT FINDS CERTAIN CLASS PLAINTIFFS HAVE ARTICLE III STANDING TO PURSUE CLAIMS AFTER DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION IN CYBER DATA BREACH

We recently reported on an anticipated decision from the Fourth Circuit that could limit the scope of cyber insurance claims stemming from the disclosure of personal information in a data breach based on challenges to Article III standing. The case is Holmes v. Elephant Insurance Co., 2023 WL 4183380 (E.D. Va. June 26, 2023), appeal…
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LGWM ATTORNEYS DEFEAT ATTEMPT TO EXPAND PANEL OF FOUR RIGHTS

In Ex parte Michael Lancaster, Jr., Aaron Ashcraft, Sim Johnson and John Webb prevailed on a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Michael Lancaster, Jr. (“the plaintiff”). At the trial court level, the plaintiff sought two panels of four to replace an orthopedic specialist and an ophthalmologist.  Defendant provided Plaintiff with an ophthalmology…
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CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE REJECTED: TRACIA CARTER-SHEPHERD v. ROYAL FURNITURE COMPANY

The case of Tracia Carter-Shepherd v. Royal Furniture Company and State of Alabama involved a constitutional challenge to key provisions of the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act. The Background Tracia Carter-Shepherd (“the employee”) filed a workers’ compensation claim against her employer, Royal Furniture Company. The parties eventually reached a settlement agreement. The employee’s ultimate goal was…
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SEC CHANGES COURSE ON MANDATORY ARBITRATION CLAUSES

On September 17, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a new policy statement clarifying the effect of mandatory arbitration clauses on its decisions to accelerate the effectiveness of registration statements. In doing so, the SEC confirmed that registration agreements containing mandatory arbitration clauses between issuers and investors will not impact decisions to accelerate…
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FLORIDA’S FOURTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS HOLDS DAMAGES ARE BASED ON THE DATE OF BREACH IN CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS CASE

In Vuletic Grp. L.L.C. v. Malkin, 418 So. 3d 627, 629–31 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2025), reh’g denied (Sept. 9, 2025), the Appellate Court for the Fourt District reversed a trial court award of damages calculated nearly two years after Vuletic was terminated as the homeowner’s contractor.  In 2018, Spencer and Fran Malkin (the “homeowners”)…
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