On Friday, New Mexico District Judge Fred T. Van Soelen dismissed a Republican challenge to the state’s congressional map that claimed the map disproportionately favors Democratic candidates. This case was processed in the New Mexico County of Lea Fifth Judicial District Court. Judge Soelen concluded that the congressional map does not infringe upon Article II,…
In a significant development in Alabama, a three-judge panel has chosen a new congressional district map. This decision is a response to a lawsuit which posited that the Alabama legislature’s congressional map was racially gerrymandered. This judgement is worth paying attention to, largely since it arrives just a few weeks after the US Supreme Court…
In a move that has significant implications for employers in the construction industry, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a reversal of long-standing precedent, thereby making it easier for unions to represent employees without a secret ballot election. The decision, which has the potential to reshape traditional “9(a)” relationships, does not impact pre-hire…
During renowned attorney John Eastman’s disbarment trial in California, a pivotal witness came forward to share some startling revelations. This witness, a former government intelligence analyst, had data that Eastman utilized when disputing the legitimacy of the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. Interestingly, this very individual had previously written online, alleging that the U.S. Capital riot…
In possibly one of the more unconventional legal stories of the week, it appears that Rudy Giuliani— the former mayor of New York City, and President Donald Trump’s preferred gratis legal representative—has decided to interrupt his cocktail hour and sue President Joe Biden, alleging defamation. In a recent piece by The New York Times, the…
Guatemala has been gripped by political protests since the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), the nation’s apex electoral authority, was purportedly raided for the fourth time by the nation’s Public Ministry (PM) last week. The PM seized election materials amidst a sustained endeavour to destabilise Guatemala’s tranquil transition of power to President-elect Arévalo. The press release…
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is taking swift measures to establish its new standards concerning union elections and bargaining obligations, as part of outcomes from the pivotal Cemex decision. For more information about the Cemex case and the resultant new standards, refer to my team’s previous blog post from September 7, 2023. As per…
In the fiercely competitive political arena of the 2023 elections, maintaining compliance with pay-to-play regulations remains a pressing concern for corporations seeking or currently holding state and local government contracts. As the elections are just over a month away, these businesses have hopefully been diligently educating their directors, officers, and other personnel about the significance…
The US Supreme Court recently made public its orders following its September ‘long conference’. At the conference, the court granted certiorari for 12 cases on Friday and a further two cases on Monday. These cases are set to be argued in the Winter term, either in January or February. All cases put forward in Friday’s…
Climate change protesters from various groups convened in Bern, Switzerland, on Saturday, urging for reforms to current climate change legislation ahead of an imminent national election. The demonstration saw an estimated crowd of over 60,000 concerned citizens, particularly alarmed about the intensifying impact of agriculture and fossil fuels on the environment. The demonstrators claimed that…
In a recent development, Burkina Faso’s coup leader, Ibrahim Traore, announced that there will be no elections in the country until security concerns have been effectively addressed. Traore had previously committed to reinstating elections as part of a pledge to safeguard democracy by 2024. Via a national television broadcast, the junta leader asserted that elections…
A recent ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit holds potential implications for social media platforms and their content moderation policies. The court surmised that the Biden administration had potentially violated the First Amendment by compelling social media platforms to remove content deemed as misinformation on topics like COVID-19 or the…
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, recently announced the implementation of stringent visa restrictions against individuals who are “undermining democracy” in Liberia as the country prepares for the presidential elections in October. In his official statement, Secretary Blinken outlined the United States’ position on the impending Liberian election, specifically stating the use of visa restrictions…
For Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the Supreme Court-focused law blog, SCOTUSblog, assembled a short list of news articles, commentary, and other links pertinent to the Supreme Court. The list provides legal professionals with insights into the Supreme Court’s current work and issues under its purview. Among the various materials spotlighted in this round-up is a…
In a significant shift in labor law, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has made a landmark alteration to the procedures surrounding union recognition and elections stemming from the Cemex decision. For half a century, the standard process has remained largely consistent. The established method saw a union collecting signed authorization cards to demonstrate substantial…
The U.S Supreme Court recently denied an appeal made by Alabama against a court order that prohibits the state from conducting elections with gerrymandered congressional maps. The appeal was an offshoot of allegations of racial gerrymandering that Alabama Secretary of State, Wes Allen, has been countering since last year. These charges are rooted in the…
The United States Supreme Court recently rejected Alabama’s appeal to use a congressional map in the 2024 elections; a map that a lower court deemed in breach of the Voting Rights Act. The unsigned order revealed no public dissents, coming four months after a divided Supreme Court agreed that the 2021 version of the map…
A crowd of 40,000 Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid on Sunday to protest the possible plans to grant amnesty to Catalans who face legal trouble for their roles in the separatist bid six years ago, reports Spanish news site EFE. The crowd held Spanish national flags and displayed signs, with some referring to…
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office recently made an announcement, stating that it has requested a trial for over 20 National Rally (RN) members, suspected of embezzlement of European public funds across a span of 12 years. It has been reported by AFP. Among the accused is the RN Leader, Marine Le Pen, her father Jean-Marie Le…
In September 2023’s Public Company Watch, we tackled several issues influencing public firms, starting with the SEC’s new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations (C&DIs) and sample remark letters. Issuers are advised to consider these points as they begin planning for their Form 10-Q submissions. Of particular note is the SEC’s most recent settlement of charges relating…
The landscape of labor laws and union relationships is ever-changing, and the recent trend towards decertification of union bargaining units provides an intriguing element of flux. A recent episode of the podcast, Labor Law Insider, hosted by Tom Godar delves into this very subject, featuring expert insights from Husch Blackwell attorneys Adam Doerr and Trecia…
As the countdown to Election Day 2023 begins, legal experts turn their attention to the New Jersey Elections Transparency Act, and how it will shape the conduct of the upcoming elections. Situated in a particularly crucial time on the political calendar, the 2023 general election precedes high-stakes contests including the 2024 Presidential and the 2025…
In a complex and ongoing dispute, Alabama voters have turned to the justices of the Supreme Court, encouraging them to remain involved in a disagreement concerning the state’s congressional map. Alabama’s request to the Supreme Court was to temporarily postpone lower-court rulings which suggested that a map, newly established this year, likely infringes upon the…
With the forthcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential elections, the cyber threat landscape has started to draw significant attention. An increasing concern being focused upon is the role of deepfakes, which is adding a new degree of complexity to political warfare and misinformation campaigns. As political campaigning intensifies, voters may find it challenging to distinguish between authentic…
As we approach the 2024 election season, the focus on campaign finance intensifies. The first Republican Presidential debate has taken place as the federal campaign finance season kicked off on the 17th of September. This and other important dates and compliance periods will play a crucial role over the next few years. This season kick-off…