US Decision Not to Renew Iran Oil Waivers Could Have Cascading Effects on Iran Sanctions – If Fully Implemented
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Episode 260: Sending our passports to Pornhub
In this episode, Nick Weaver and I discuss new Internet regulations proposed in the UK. He’s mostly okay with its anti-nudge code for kids, but not with requiring proof of age to access adult material. I don’t see the problem; after all, who wouldn’t want to store their passport information with Pornhub?…
Supreme Court Grants Cert in SDNY Case to Address Whether Sexual Orientation Discrimination Violates Title VII
Today, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in two consolidated cases raising the question of whether sexual orientation discrimination violates Title VII.
One of the cases is Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc., in which Judge Failla applied, but heavily criticized, binding Second Circuit precedent disallowing such claims. The Second Circuit, sitting en banc, ultimately reversed the precedent, finding that such claims could proceed.
Our coverage of the Zarda case is here. Supreme Court filings are available…
FERC’s Sunrun Order Should Surprise No One, But May Lead to More Interesting Cases
Yesterday, FERC issued an order on a Petition for Declaratory order from Sunrun, asking that FERC waive the QF certification filing requirements for separately-interconnected, individual residential rooftop solar PV systems and related equipment with maximum net power production of 20 kW or less that Sunrun provides financing for but which the homeowner has an option to purchase, where such 20 kW or less systems may aggregate to over 1 MW within a one-mile radius; and…
The Montana QF Stampede and the Varying Roles of the Judiciary in Enforcing PURPA
Stampedes are dangerous. QF stampedes toward stale above-market standard avoided costs rates are dangerous to ratepayers. The first stampede occurred in the 1980s in California. California’s utilities were compelled to offer standard rates to QFs based on gas and oil prices at the time and then very shortly thereafter the bottom fell out of the oil and gas markets. California ratepayers paid for that stampede for decades. Stampedes toward stale avoided cost rates are continuing…
Podcast Discussion of Recent CFIUS Fine and Forced Divestment
On April 15, Steptoe associate Peter Jeydel commented about recent CFIUS developments on Steptoe’s Cyberlaw Podcast, including the forced divestment of a Russian investor out of Cofense, a US cybersecurity company, and an unprecedented $1M fine for failure to implement a mitigation agreement.
To listen to Pete’s comments, please press play above. To listen to the entire episode, please visit Steptoe’s Cyberlaw Podcast on the Steptoe Cyberblog.…
We Finally Have an Export Control Statute – What Does It Mean for Industry?
Steptoe’s Brian Egan and Peter Jeydel authored a Feature Comment in The Government Contractor, a Thomson Reuters publication, discussing the provisions of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 that are most likely to have a lasting impact on industry. US and international companies should take careful note of the enduring changes to export controls enforcement set out by this statute and prepare for its consequences, including possible changes to China-focused export controls.
To…
Companies Are Ready and Willing to Comply with CCPA – But First, They Need to Know How
Recently, Meegan Brooks, an associate in our San Francisco office, published an article on the California Consumer Privacy Act. Below is an excerpt. You can read the full article here.…
Congress Weighs In on Cryptocurrency Taxation
Bipartisan members of the House are advocating for more clarity in the tax law as it relates to taxation of cryptocurrency.
First, on April 9, Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, reintroduced legislation that would provide clarity on certain tax and securities law issues related to cryptocurrency. The bill, entitled the “Token Taxonomy Act of 2019,” resembles the original bill that Davidson introduced in the 115th Congress with Congressional…
Episode 259: Why France understands Chinese policy better than the rest of us
Our News Roundup is hip deep in China stories. The inconclusive EU – China summit gives Matthew Heiman and me a chance to explain why France understands – and hates – China’s geopolitical trade strategy more than most.
Maury Shenk notes that the Pentagon’s reported plan to put a bunch of Chinese suppliers on a blacklist is a bit of a tribute to China’s own list of sectors not open to Western companies. In…