News Type: Articles

Akshay Sewlikar and Dmitriy Gelfand examine the growing intersection of economic sanctions and international arbitration in a new article published by Global Legal Post. In “‘The impacts can be substantive’: Arbitrating in a sanctions led environment,” they explore how sanctions can affect key stages of the arbitration process, from contract drafting and tribunal constitution to procedural issues, merits defenses, and enforcement of awards. With coordinated sanctions regimes expanding globally, Akshay and Dmitriy highlight the practical and strategic challenges parties may face in cross-border disputes and explain why sanctions risk assessment and enforcement planning should be treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time compliance exercise.

Kelly Hagemann and Meredith Bobber Strauss examine the sweeping impact of AB 3275 in The Recorder, detailing how the new law reshapes California’s prompt pay landscape for behavioral healthcare providers. Effective January 1, 2026, the statute replaces “working days” with calendar days, imposes a uniform 30-day payment standard (eliminating the HMO exception), clarifies timelines for contested claims, and strengthens consequences for late payment. As detailed in the article, these are all material changes that directly affect cash flow, revenue cycle management, and leverage in payer disputes. Kelly and Meredith break down what these reforms mean in practice and why providers should begin aligning internal tracking and escalation protocols now.

Sanctions compliance has evolved far beyond simple list screening. In a new article for the International Compliance Association, “Studies in Ownership and Control,” John Gibson examines two recent English Commercial Court decisions that illustrate the complex judgments companies must now make when assessing sanctions risk. Looking at EuroChem v Société Générale and Tonzip Marine v 2Rivers, John explores how courts evaluate ownership, control, and influence—sometimes through exhaustive forensic analysis and other times through the lens of reasonable commercial judgment made under uncertainty. For banks, traders, shipowners, and other global businesses, the takeaway is clear: effective sanctions compliance today requires looking well beyond formal ownership structures and being prepared to explain the reasoning behind critical decisions.

Warren Koshofer and Vincent Melara take a hard look at the legal reality reshaping college sports—and football in particular—in their article for Sports Litigation Alert, “The Transfer Portal and the NIL Economy: Legal Consequences of College Football’s New Labor Market.” As player mobility accelerates and NIL dollars reshape decision-making, they dive into how the transfer portal has evolved into a true labor market, triggering serious implications across antitrust law, contracts, institutional liability, and the long-debated question of athlete employment status. For universities, collectives, and stakeholders navigating this fast-moving terrain, their analysis underscores one clear takeaway: the rules haven’t caught up to the economics, and the legal risk is only intensifying.

Mehdi Sinaki examines how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is reshaping the economics of commercial development in his latest article for Area Development titled, “Capitalizing on the OBBBA Before the 2026 Cliff.” Against the backdrop of restored bonus depreciation and expiring energy incentives, Mehdi explains why the 2025 tax year presents a rare alignment of opportunity and urgency, rewarding taxpayers who move quickly, document carefully, and plan with precision.

Suspicious Activity Reports remain a cornerstone of the UK’s anti-money laundering regime, but the latest data suggests the reporting landscape is more uneven than it appears. In a new article for Compliance Monitor, “SAR Struck: Trends in NCA Suspicious Activity Reporting Figures,” Ruth Paley examines recent statistics from the National Crime Agency’s UK Financial Intelligence Unit, highlighting both the continued surge in overall SAR filings and the notable decline in Defence Against Money Laundering (DAML) reports. Her analysis also raises an important question for compliance professionals: why do some sectors—including so-called “professional enablers”—remain significantly underrepresented in reporting activity? It’s a thoughtful look at what the numbers reveal about the evolving AML compliance environment.

John Gibson, Dan Burbeary and Alice Mills unpack a critical shift in sanctions compliance in their recent FT Adviser article, “Sanctions checks no longer confined to screening exercises.” Drawing on two July 2025 English Commercial Court decisions, they explain why ticking names off a sanctions list is no longer enough, and how courts, banks and counterparties are now demanding deeper, evidence-based assessments of ownership, control and influence. As market pressure, US secondary sanctions and judicial scrutiny converge, sanctions diligence has moved decisively from screening to investigation, with substance trumping form and process often determining outcomes. A must-read for businesses, compliance teams and advisers navigating today’s sanctions risk landscape.

Jared Foley and Jesse Contreras address a major shift in New York franchise litigation in their new article for Bloomberg Law, “Trio of Rulings Shift New York’s Franchise Sales Act Litigation.” They explain how recent state and federal decisions are moving away from the long-standing Olivieri framework and embracing a more text-driven interpretation of the New York Franchise Sales Act—one that strengthens the Section 684 exemption for qualifying high-net-worth franchisors and may significantly narrow Section 683-based disclosure claims. The piece also highlights what this trend means in practice, including where risk still remains (fraud, misrepresentation, and the FTC Franchise Rule) and the smart compliance steps franchisors should take now.

Mehdi Sinaki provides his insight on what pending housing litigation in Huntington Beach, California signals for charter cities, developers, and the broader market. In his most recent article published by the Daily Journal, Mehdi explains how the California Supreme Court’s decision to leave in place a Court of Appeal ruling marks a meaningful shift toward faster, court-enforced compliance with the state’s Housing Element Law, requiring trial courts to impose mandatory remedies once noncompliance is found and making prolonged delay far harder to sustain. The piece thoughtfully balances statewide housing priorities against charter-city autonomy, while underscoring a practical reality: regulatory uncertainty has real costs. As courts sharpen the consequences for delay, predictability is increasingly achieved through compliance, not contention.