News Type: Articles

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.

Ruth Paley’s latest article in FT Adviser examines AML enforcement in 2025, where many of the same foundational issues—gaps in customer due diligence, ineffective transaction monitoring, and delays in remediation—continue to drive regulatory action. What has changed is the tone from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator is moving decisively beyond assessing whether firms have controls on paper to scrutinizing whether those controls actually operate effectively where risk is generated, particularly during periods of growth, shifting customer behavior, and emerging threats. In the piece, Ruth also looks ahead, highlighting what will separate firms from the pack: measurable effectiveness, integrated financial crime frameworks, and speed to action when issues arise.

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.

Ling Kong addresses one of the fastest-moving issues in AI regulation in his new article published by Reuters, “AI Companions Meet the Law: New York and California Draw the First Lines.” As emotionally responsive AI companions move from novelty to mainstream—particularly among teens—Ling examines how New York and California are setting the first concrete legal guardrails, from crisis-response obligations and transparency requirements to heightened youth protections and private rights of action. He also explores how these state laws collide with emerging federal policy signals, creating real compliance uncertainty for developers and platforms.

Lara Shortz offers a roadmap for founders navigating growth in California in her latest article for L.A. Times Studio. Focusing squarely on employment-related risk and legal compliance, Lara explains why missteps around worker classification, wage practices, hiring decisions, and HR infrastructure are among the most costly mistakes young companies make. She also explains how early, targeted legal planning can preserve runway, protect culture, and support sustainable scale. It’s a sharp, practical perspective for founders who understand that smart growth starts with getting their people and compliance strategy right.