Inflation Reduction Act
The Changing Landscape for Government Contracts and Government Investigations
On this episode of The Bracewell Sidebar, we talk with Bob Wagman about criminal investigations involving alleged misconduct connected with government programs. Bob is a partner in Bracewell’s Washington DC, where he leads our government contracts practice. Can you lay...
PHMSA Informational Meeting on Upcoming Leak Detection Inspections
On January 27, 2022, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced a public informational meeting on February 17, 2022 regarding PHMSA’s plan for forthcoming audits of updated inspection and maintenance plans to eliminate and minimize leaks pursuant to...
Trial Recap - US v. Elizabeth Holmes
On this episode of The Bracewell Sidebar, we discuss the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos trial and the significance of the mixed verdict. To break it down, 11 counts ultimately went to the jury. Holmes was convicted on some and acquitted on some...
Knowing an Insider and Trading Is Not Necessarily "Insider Trading"
Co-coaching your daughters’ basketball team with your brother-in-law and later profiting from buying stock in your brother-in-law’s company is not, in and of itself, insider trading. This seems fairly obvious. On Monday, December 13, 2021, U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton...
The Risky Business of International Projects
On this episode of The Bracewell Sidebar, we talk with Assaad Nasr about the challenges that US lawyers face when they are working on international projects. Assaad is a deal lawyer, who previously served as general counsel of an international...
Biggest Stories of 2021
On this episode of The Bracewell Sidebar, we look back at some of the significant regulatory and enforcement developments in 2021, including at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We had a new administration and...
Generic ESG Statements Remain Under Fire: Class Certification Granted for the Third Time as the Saga of the Goldman Sachs Securities Litigation Continues
Back in June, we analyzed the Supreme Court’s decision in Goldman Sachs Group v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System , which examined the extent to which a corporation’s arguably generic public statements could form the basis of a securities fraud action...
Government Enforcement and Investigations Year-In-Review: The Administration Has Moved Its Pieces into Place
On Monday, President Biden released the United States Strategy on Countering Corruption , which details how the United States will work “domestically and internationally, with governmental and non-governmental partners, to prevent, limit, and respond to corruption and related crimes.” It...
What In-House Counsel Need to Know About Managing Environmental, Social and Governance Issues
Rachel Goldman and David Shargel presented “ESG Fundamentals for In-House Counsel – What In-House Counsel Need to Know About Managing Environmental, Social and Governance Issues” virtually to members of In-House Connect. In-House Connect is an in-house counsel network that brings...
The IRS Is Mining for Crypto Account Holders
For years, the cryptocurrency wallets of U.S. taxpayers have existed in a reporting gray zone. However, as it becomes clear that crypto asset transactions are not slowing down, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has signaled its expanded focus on regulation...
2021 Year-in-Review – U.S. State Privacy Legislation
The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated our reliance on digital services and platforms, which brings new challenges and expectations for data privacy. But, to date, there has been little movement towards all-encompassing federal privacy legislation. Therefore, the issue of consumer...
ESG Regulatory Landscape Creates Commercial Pitfalls
With Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues top of mind in almost every industry, including at the recently concluded COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, the burgeoning US regulatory landscape and accompanying litigation trends are giving rise to a variety...
FINRA's Eileen Murray Defends Increased Regulation of ESG
In a recent interview with CNBC, FINRA Chair Eileen Murray forcefully made the case for increased government regulation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures by public companies. Citing concerns with the lack of ESG accountability, consistency and transparency, Murray...
Caging the Crypto Beast
On this episode of Bracewell Sidebar, we continue their conversation with Anne Termine about cryptocurrency, including how different regulators are trying to create order in the hard to regulate cryptocurrency markets. Anne joined the firm in June 2021, with over...
Dispute Resolution in the Oil and Gas Sector: Q&A
Bracewell’s John Gilbert offers a Q&A guide to dispute resolution in the oil and gas industry. This Q&A gives a high-level overview of the typical types of claims in the sector, who the parties to a dispute tend to be...