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Inflation Reduction Act
There Ought to Be a Law Before Enforcing Unwritten Crypto Rules
Bracewell’s Keith Blackman assesses government agencies’ gradual regulation by enforcement approach to penalizing cryptocurrency failures, and how the future of this regulation might look.
An Evil Bear May Provide High Court TM Ruling Clarification
The US Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products leaves unanswered questions about the intersection of the First Amendment and trademark rights, which may be answered by the reconsideration of a dismissed case involving Disney and Lotso the bear from "Toy Story 3."
Treasury Department and IRS Issue Additional Guidance on the New Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program
The low-income communities bonus credit (the LIC Bonus), which was introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA), provides an enhanced tax credit for certain wind and solar facilities located in designated low-income communities. On February 13, 2023...
FTC Proposes Sweeping Changes to US Merger Filing Requirements
On June 27, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in concurrence with the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice (DOJ), announced a proposal to drastically overhaul the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger notification process. The proposed rulemaking is yet another...
DSAs: Calculating Security and the Role of Expert Determination
Decommissioning. A word familiar to all of those who are involved in oil and gas exploration and production around the globe. It is defined in the Cambridge English Dictionary as “ taking a factory or other industrial building out of...
Supreme Court Reaffirms Registering To Do Business May Subject You to Lawsuits
Last week the US Supreme Court reaffirmed the constitutionality of state laws requiring businesses to consent to lawsuits in the state after registering with state authorities to conduct business there. In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co ., [1] the...
Bracewell Legal Bites: What Should We Infer From the US Governments Aggressive Actions in the Crypto Industry?
The US government has taken aggressive action against cryptocurrency companies. What should the crypto industry and other stakeholders infer from those actions? Bracewell partner Seth DuCharme, who served in the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York...
Endangered Species Act Developments: Court Finds Species Do Not Get The “Benefit Of The Doubt” & Agencies Propose Compensatory Mitigation Under ESA Section 7
Two recent developments may have meaningful impacts on the implementation of Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). First, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Maine Lobstermen’s Association v. National Marine Fisheries Service and held...
Treasury Department and IRS Release Long-Awaited Guidance on Credit Transfers
On June 14, 2023, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released long-awaited guidance (the Credit Transfer Guidance) regarding the transfer of energy transition tax credits under Section 6418, [1] which was enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act...
Updated Texas Property Tax Incentives Program Adds New Wrinkles
Bracewell’s Bucky Brannen reviews differences between Texas’ new property tax incentives program and the previous version of the program, identifying potential obstacles and considerations for applicants.
Now There Are 10: The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act
Texas has joined the nine [1] other states that have comprehensive data privacy laws after Governor Greg Abbott signed the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (the “TDPSA”). Subject to exemptions, [2] the TDPSA applies to any entity (labeled controller...
Treasury Department and IRS Release Additional Guidance for the Advanced Energy Project Credit Allocation Program
On May 31, 2023, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2023-44 (the Notice). The Notice provides additional guidance for the new program under Section 48C(e) created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the IRA)...
Environmental Essentials Webinar Series – Sackett II/WOTUS IX: Implementation of the Supreme Court’s Interpretation of “Waters of the US” Under the Clean Water Act
Bracewell’s Ann Navaro , Sara Burgin and Daniel Pope discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court’s recent decision in Sackett v. EPA for the reach of the Clean Water Act at the federal level and in the states. They...
Unanimous Supreme Court: Consumer Confusion Is Trademark Infringement Test, Even for Punny Parodies
It may be punny or even funny, but a unanimous Supreme Court has decided that the “Bad Spaniels” dog-toy brand may infringe and dilute the “Jack Daniel’s” trademark. [1] Last week’s opinion puts an end to the toy maker’s attempt...
Congress Amends NEPA in Effort to Reform Federal Permitting
On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The law increased the debt ceiling and, among other things, amended the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is a bedrock environmental law that has not seen...