Corporate Compliance
U.S. tightens controls on advanced computing chips and global AI diffusion
On January 13, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released an interim final rule to revise U.S. export controls on advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs) and add a new control on artificial intelligence (AI) model weights for certain advanced, closed-weight, dual-use AI models. According to news reports, Biden administration officials have indicated that they…
What is a Bankruptcy Estate?
A bankruptcy estate is the entirety of assets or property rights that can be administered by the court in a bankruptcy case. The estate is created once a bankruptcy case is filed, and it includes all interests of the debtor in any kind of property.
Essentially this means that when a bankruptcy is filed, a…
SAFETY TIP: Prevent Cold Stress Illness and Injury
It’s the time of year when workers may be at risk of cold stress. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for cold illness. Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and wind speed increases, workers can be at risk for cold stress – and serious health problems.
Cold stress…
U.S. and UK Intensify Sanctions Against Russia’s Oil Sector in one of the Largest Rounds of Designations Since the Outbreak of the War
On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a sweeping set of actions to further reduce Russian revenues from energy, including blocking two major Russian oil producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, and imposing sanctions on a very significant number of oil-carrying vessels, opaque traders of Russian…
CARB will not enforce against “good faith” greenhouse gas emissions reporting efforts in 2026
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced on December 5th that it will not pursue enforcement action in the first year of reporting for California’s SB 253, the “Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act.” The law requires entities doing business in California with total annual revenues over US$1 billion to annually report all Scope 1, Scope…
Oregon Issues AI Guidance for Businesses
As one of her last acts in office, on December 24, 2024, Oregon Attorney General (AG) Ellen Rosenblum issued guidance for businesses deploying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The guidance highlights the risks associated with the commercial use of AI, and underscores that, despite the absence of a specific AI law in Oregon, a company’s use…
HIPAA Security Rule Revamp Is on the Horizon
By Brent Hoard & Emma Trivax
On January 6, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published significant proposed amendments (proposed rule) to the Security Rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Key drivers for the proposed rule include the dramatic increase in cyberattacks, including ransomware, the rapid…
Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Obligations: On Hold Until At Least Late March 2025
A flurry of activity in the Fifth Circuit this holiday season left clients asking the same questions about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA): “Do we report Beneficial Ownership Information?” “If so, when is the deadline?” “Will this Act survive judicial review?”
You may recall that on December 26, 2024, the Fifth Circuit vacated the “part…
So Cal Equal Access Group Takes on the Auto Repair Industry with a Vengeance Over Alleged Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
So Cal Equal Access Group (So Cal) files ADA lawsuits almost on a daily basis. By and large, these lawsuits filed in Federal Court focus on the lack of accessible parking, inaccessible paths of travel to the building entrances, inaccessible entry doors, transaction counters that are excessively high and bathrooms that fail to comply with…