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Category: Vagueness
Show All CategoriesFirm Highlights
Blog Post
SEC Enforcement Launches New Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit
On August 5, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its most recent step in its shift of enforcement priorities with the establishment of a new Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit.[1] According to the SEC’s press release, the Unit will operate within the Enforcement Division as a central resource for all SEC divisions pursuing financial reporting fraud as well as broader efforts.[2]
This move is the latest in Chair Atkin’s efforts to “retur[n] the agency to its core mission of protecting investors; facilitating capital formation; and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.”[3]
Commenting on the new unit’s launch, David Woodcock, Director of the Agency’s Enforcement Division, stated:
Since my return to the Division, I have been assessing every aspect of our staffing to...
Firm News
Barbara Mullin Named Among Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Top 250 Women in Litigation
Partner Barbara Mullin has been named one of Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Top 250 Women in Litigation. The ranking uses an extensive research process, including “months of investigation into individual litigators’ professional activities as well as client feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews” to identify women who are “top players” in their field.
To learn more, please click here.
Event
Greg Baker to Speak at Practising Law Institute's Broker/Dealer Regulation and Enforcement 2026
On Thursday, October 8, Partner Greg Baker will speak on a panel at the Practising Law Institute's Broker/Dealer Regulation and Enforcement 2026 conference titled "Ethical Issues Facing Lawyers in the Financial Services Industry." Mr. Baker will join James Q. Walker (Partner, Ashurst Perkins Coie), Allison Cambria (Head of Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement - Americas, Deutsche Bank), Ilene B. Marquardt (Head of Legal Engagement, Client Relationship Group, Wells Fargo Advisors), and Christopher K. Williams (Associate General Counsel, Fidelity Investments) to share guidance on managing conflicts of interest and privilege issues.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Crosshairs of Enforcement and Reform
Pharmacy benefit managers have been in the crosshairs of enforcement and reform efforts for several years. At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission has obtained favorable settlements for the government, and Congress passed PBM reform in the Comprehensive Appropriations Act in February. Some states have also enacted their own legislation, which has become the latest battleground as PBMs level constitutional challenges to state efforts to regulate PBMs’ limitations on where and how patients can fill prescriptions. The outcome of these challenges may dictate whether other states take similar action, and whether PBM influence on pharmacy selection continues to grow.
To continue reading Amy N. Vegari and Sarah Brand Wasson's article in The National Law Journal, please click here.
Firm News
Firm Secures Complete Patent Litigation Victory on Behalf of J&J
On August 31, 2026, Patterson Belknap secured a victory on behalf of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigation relating to Spravato®, its blockbuster esketamine nasal spray approved for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation.
This litigation was initiated after an ANDA filing by Sandoz, Inc. (“Sandoz”) in 2023, seeking FDA approval for its generic version of Spravato. Janssen asserted that Sandoz’s proposed generic product would infringe certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 11,446,260, 10,869,844; 11,173,134; and 11,311,500. Sandoz counterclaimed for declaratory judgment that each of the asserted patent claims was invalid under 35 U.S.C. §103 and/or § 112. On August 31, 2026, the U.S. District...
Blog Post
You Win Some and Lose Some: Judge Liman Decides Competing Motions to Compel
On September 4, 2026, District Judge Lewis J. Liman (S.D.N.Y.) granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff Lashify, Inc.’s (“Lashify”) motion to compel discovery and denied Defendants Qingdao Network Technology Co., Ltd., d/b/a UCoolMe and Vivicute Limited’s (“UCoolMe”) motion to compel. Lashify, Inc. v. Qingdao Network Tech. Co., Ltd., No. 25-cv-4183 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 4, 2026).
Lashify’s Motion to Compel
Lashify moved to compel UCoolMe to provide responses to discovery requests relating to: (i) product samples and raw materials; (ii) manufacturing; (iii) employees and supply chain; (iv) marketing; and (v) finances. Id. at *2. The Court found that each of those topics were relevant under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a) and that UCoolMe did not sufficiently respond to discovery requests related to...
Publication
DOJ Issues Press Release on Liability for Unregistered Foreign Agents
On September 16, 2026, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release “remind[ing] the public of federal laws that require individuals to register as foreign agents when they act in the United States at the direction or control of a foreign government or foreign principal, and that they will face civil and criminal liability if they fail to do so.” The press release points specifically to two federal laws that require such registration: the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”), 22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq., and 18 U.S.C. § 951. The press release is a departure from former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s February 5, 2025 memorandum to DOJ employees, which directed that criminal charges under FARA should be limited...
Blog Post
AI Companies Find Value in Bankrupt Companies
Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 and, after emerging from bankruptcy, filed again in August 2025. During the second case, the company tried to find a way to keep the airline in business but to no avail. In May 2026, Spirit Airlines pivoted towards a wind-down and ceased operations.
This summer, as a part of its wind-down, Spirit Airlines began marketing its remaining assets. It had plenty of traditional assets to sell. For example, the debtors’ bid procedures motion filed in May 2026 listed the following assets: takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia Airport; aircraft hangar(s); corporate headquarters; training center; multi-family residential buildings; ground service equipment; spare engines; flight simulators; aircraft maintenance equipment; and assets related to the...
Event
Michael Arlein to Speak on Barbri Webinar
On Thursday, October 1, Partner Michael Arlein will speak on a Barbri webinar titled "Planning for Cryptocurrency Investors: Estate Planning, Asset Protection, and Investments." Mr. Arlein will be joined by Matt E. Kirk (Partner, Holland & Knight) to explore the latest developments in federal cryptocurrency regulations and their impact on asset management and share effective planning strategies for owning and investing in cryptocurrency.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
DOJ Revises Justice Manual to Strengthen False Claims Act Enforcement
On September 18, 2026, the Department of Justice announced two revisions to the Justice Manual aimed at strengthening False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement. The first revision reinforces DOJ's longstanding position that sub-regulatory guidance cannot impose legal obligations beyond those established by statute or regulation. The second—and, for companies facing qui tam litigation exposure, the more consequential—directs DOJ attorneys to consider exercising the government's dismissal authority when it declines to intervene in a qui tam action. In particular, where the government does not seek immediate dismissal, the new guidance calls for DOJ to revisit that assessment as the litigation progresses. In other words, when DOJ declines to join a whistleblower lawsuit, its attorneys are now encouraged to affirmatively dismiss unmeritorious complaints....
Blog Post
SEC Enforcement Launches New Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit
On August 5, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its most recent step in its shift of enforcement priorities with the establishment of a new Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit.[1] According to the SEC’s press release, the Unit will operate within the Enforcement Division as a central resource for all SEC divisions pursuing financial reporting fraud as well as broader efforts.[2]
This move is the latest in Chair Atkin’s efforts to “retur[n] the agency to its core mission of protecting investors; facilitating capital formation; and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.”[3]
Commenting on the new unit’s launch, David Woodcock, Director of the Agency’s Enforcement Division, stated:
Since my return to the Division, I have been assessing every aspect of our staffing to...
Firm News
Barbara Mullin Named Among Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Top 250 Women in Litigation
Partner Barbara Mullin has been named one of Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Top 250 Women in Litigation. The ranking uses an extensive research process, including “months of investigation into individual litigators’ professional activities as well as client feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews” to identify women who are “top players” in their field.
To learn more, please click here.
Event
Greg Baker to Speak at Practising Law Institute's Broker/Dealer Regulation and Enforcement 2026
On Thursday, October 8, Partner Greg Baker will speak on a panel at the Practising Law Institute's Broker/Dealer Regulation and Enforcement 2026 conference titled "Ethical Issues Facing Lawyers in the Financial Services Industry." Mr. Baker will join James Q. Walker (Partner, Ashurst Perkins Coie), Allison Cambria (Head of Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement - Americas, Deutsche Bank), Ilene B. Marquardt (Head of Legal Engagement, Client Relationship Group, Wells Fargo Advisors), and Christopher K. Williams (Associate General Counsel, Fidelity Investments) to share guidance on managing conflicts of interest and privilege issues.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Crosshairs of Enforcement and Reform
Pharmacy benefit managers have been in the crosshairs of enforcement and reform efforts for several years. At the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission has obtained favorable settlements for the government, and Congress passed PBM reform in the Comprehensive Appropriations Act in February. Some states have also enacted their own legislation, which has become the latest battleground as PBMs level constitutional challenges to state efforts to regulate PBMs’ limitations on where and how patients can fill prescriptions. The outcome of these challenges may dictate whether other states take similar action, and whether PBM influence on pharmacy selection continues to grow.
To continue reading Amy N. Vegari and Sarah Brand Wasson's article in The National Law Journal, please click here.
Firm News
Firm Secures Complete Patent Litigation Victory on Behalf of J&J
On August 31, 2026, Patterson Belknap secured a victory on behalf of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement litigation relating to Spravato®, its blockbuster esketamine nasal spray approved for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation.
This litigation was initiated after an ANDA filing by Sandoz, Inc. (“Sandoz”) in 2023, seeking FDA approval for its generic version of Spravato. Janssen asserted that Sandoz’s proposed generic product would infringe certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 11,446,260, 10,869,844; 11,173,134; and 11,311,500. Sandoz counterclaimed for declaratory judgment that each of the asserted patent claims was invalid under 35 U.S.C. §103 and/or § 112. On August 31, 2026, the U.S. District...
Blog Post
You Win Some and Lose Some: Judge Liman Decides Competing Motions to Compel
On September 4, 2026, District Judge Lewis J. Liman (S.D.N.Y.) granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff Lashify, Inc.’s (“Lashify”) motion to compel discovery and denied Defendants Qingdao Network Technology Co., Ltd., d/b/a UCoolMe and Vivicute Limited’s (“UCoolMe”) motion to compel. Lashify, Inc. v. Qingdao Network Tech. Co., Ltd., No. 25-cv-4183 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 4, 2026).
Lashify’s Motion to Compel
Lashify moved to compel UCoolMe to provide responses to discovery requests relating to: (i) product samples and raw materials; (ii) manufacturing; (iii) employees and supply chain; (iv) marketing; and (v) finances. Id. at *2. The Court found that each of those topics were relevant under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a) and that UCoolMe did not sufficiently respond to discovery requests related to...