Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) vetoed legislation that would have banned websites from conducting sweepstakes games that some say violate online gambling laws.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the bedrock of Federal procurement, is undergoing an unprecedented (some would say Revolutionary) overhaul. The Sheppard Mullin Government Contracts Team has created an online resource to help the Federal procurement community stay informed of the proposed changes.
On June 10, the CFPB moved to reopen its 2021 enforcement action against the final remaining defendant in a student debt relief case involving over $3.4 million in alleged illegal advance fees. The Bureau, under Acting Director Russel Vought, told the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California it will proceed against the individual defendant following a four-month stay.
Continue Reading CFPB Moves Forward with Debt Relief Suit Over $3.4M in Alleged Advance Fees
On May 28, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to terminate its redlining consent order against a New Jersey-based bank. The five-year order, entered in September 2022, resolved allegations that the banks violated the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act by engaging in a pattern of unlawful redlining in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods across the Newark metropolitan area.
Continue Reading DOJ Moves to End $13 Million Redlining Consent Order
Louisiana and Connecticut recently passed legislation establishing regulatory frameworks for earned wage access (EWA) providers.
Continue Reading Louisiana and Connecticut Advance Earned Wage Access Laws
On May 28, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo approved SB 437, creating a new framework for internet-based consumer lenders that lend to Nevada residents. The law defines an “Internet consumer lender” as any entity that exclusively offers or facilitates consumer loans online and becomes effective on October 1, 2025.
Continue Reading Nevada Enacts Law Allowing Remote Licensing for Internet Consumer Lenders
On June 9, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood issued a letter rejecting the Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ (CSBS) request that the OCC rescind its 2011 preemption regulations.
Continue Reading OCC Rejects Calls to Roll Back Preemption Rules
On June 1, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that, if enacted, will delay the effective date of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act by one year, from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026.
Continue Reading Illinois Delays Interchange Fee Ban by One Year
On Monday June 9, 2025, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche released “Guidelines for Investigations and Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.” This much anticipated update directly responds to Executive Order 14209, signed by President Trump earlier this year, which temporarily paused Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement. The new Guidelines focus FCPA enforcement going forward on protecting U.S. business interests, furthering the Administration’s efforts to stamp out cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and prioritizing prosecution of individuals rather than corporations. Conduct that can be described as “routine business practices” in foreign countries, under the Guidelines, will not be pursued.
Continue Reading DOJ Releases Promised Guidelines for Investigation and Enforcement Under the FCPA
On January 24, 2025, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Laboratory Corp. of America v. Davis, No. 24-0304, which may result in the resolution of a long-standing circuit split on a dispute key to class certification. In its petition for writ of certiorari, petitioner Labcorp sought Supreme Court review of an issue that has divided federal circuit courts: what should courts do when a putative class contains numerous members who lack any Article III injury?
Continue Reading The Supreme Court Gears Up to Resolve Circuit Split on Class Injury Requirements
This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (“OPDP”) posted a warning letter (the “Letter”)[1], issued on May 29, 2025, to Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Sprout”) and its CEO, Cindy Eckert (“Eckert”), regarding a social media post promoting ADDYI® (flibanserin) (“Addyi”). According to FDA, the now-flagged Instagram post, shared by Eckert, touted Addyi’s benefits but left out crucial safety information and important details on for the indicated population. There is a lot to unpack with this Letter and FDA’s manner of issuance, but as previewed in our prior blog posts this year, we believe this to be yet another example of FDA’s enhanced focus on drug advertising and promotion. Expect to see more warning letters—especially via social media advertising and promotion, actions directed at executives or personal social media accounts, and other creative ways the agency can push its mandate—in lieu of written regulation—to police the pharmaceutical industry.
Continue Reading FDA Ratchets Enforcement on Social Media Promotion in New Warning Letter
Leonard Lipsky and Carly Eisenberg Hoinacki from Sheppard Mullin’s Healthcare Team recently sat down with Nick Francia[i] and Sarah Bothner[ii] of The Capital ESOP Group at UBS Financial Services Inc.[iii], to explore the ins and outs of employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transactions as a potential exit strategy for physician practices. Below is the Q&A from their conversation.
Maine’s Gambling Control Unit (GCU) has issued a formal warning regarding the proliferation of illegal interactive gaming (“iGaming”) platforms operating within the state. The warning emphasized that while certain forms of online gambling—such as advance deposit wagering, fantasy contests, and sports betting—are legally permitted and regulated in Maine, online casino-style games remain strictly prohibited. This includes games like slots, blackjack, and roulette when played for real money. The warning goes on to state: “Of particular concern are so-called “sweepstakes” or “social casino” sites that may offer real-money payouts, dual-currency systems, or prizes such as gift cards. These platforms are not licensed or overseen by the GCU.”
In an interesting and somewhat unexpected turnabout over the last six months, FDA has pivoted its focus from regulating industry’s use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) to how the agency itself utilizes AI. This internal shift marks a departure from FDA’s development of AI guidance over the last few years.
Continue Reading What to Watch: FDA Shifts Attention on Artificial Intelligence
The California Court of Appeal issued an important decision clarifying that an employee cannot recover damages for a defamation claim that is derivative of a wrongful termination claim. Defamation causes of action are often alleged by employees in tandem with and related to an underlying discrimination or wrongful termination claim. The Court in Hearn v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co., 108 Cal. App. 5th 301 (2025) held that in order for an employee to recover defamation damages, the defamatory conduct must be based on conduct other than the conduct giving rise to the termination.
At the end of May, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the formation of a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative to “utilize the False Claims Act to investigate and, as appropriate, pursue claims against any recipient of federal funds that knowingly violates federal civil rights laws.” In connection with the Initiative, we will see DOJ’s False Claims Act practitioners in the Civil Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices pairing with DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to “identify and root out instances in which recipients of federal funds fail to uphold their basic obligations under federal civil rights laws.”