To help with your writing efforts, here’s what people are looking for in Business Law online. Trending topics culled from JD Supra, search analytics, social media conversations, and other sources:
Consider writing about:
The Serious Fraud Office’s latest business plan; what the plan may indicate regarding the office’s priorities, overall mission and guiding philosophy, and likely enforcement targets in the months ahead; how the latest business plan compares to plans from prior periods; what else the business community should know about the Serious Fraud Office’s direction and agenda.
Related information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sfo-sets-out-ambitions-for-year-ahead
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Recently announced international trade deals; significance of new or expanded free trade agreements among various countries; your top takeaways from any or all of the following agreements: between the European Union and India, between the EU and several African countries, the EU and Mexico, the EU and four South American countries, and also between the United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council; who is likely to benefit most from these trade pacts; any common through-lines across several or all of these agreements; factors that may be driving a push for new or expanded trade agreements.
Related information:
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China’s evolving approach to suspected incidents of bribery and corruption; judicial rulings or other developments that signal how that country’s authorities are treating alleged incidents; what companies doing business in China should take away from these developments, in terms of corporate or individual risk and their strategies for preventing or responding to apparent wrongdoing.
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Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All; what stands out to you about the strategy’s emphases, goals, and overall direction and philosophy; how the strategy compares to AI plans put forth by other countries; the Canadian strategy’s practical implications for the business community.
Related information:
https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/canadas-national-artificial-intelligence-strategy-ai-all
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The UK’s Crime and Policing Act 2026; the measure’s intent, history, main areas of focus, and effective date; implications for findings of corporate criminal liability; how the Act ratchets up potential risk for companies; what companies should be doing now to prepare for changes triggered by the Crime and Policing Act.
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A May 21 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Havana Docks Corporation v. Royal Caribbean Cruises; key points in the high court’s ruling; what the ruling means for the cruise line operators in this case and, more broadly speaking, could mean for other companies that have done business in Cuba amid the United States’ shifting attitudes and policies regarding Cuba from one administration to the next.
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The Directive on Combating Corruption, adopted by the Council of the European Union on April 21; what to know about the council’s role and authority; the scope of the directive, its key focus areas, and to whom it applies; when the directive takes effect; how impacted companies can best prepare for the directive’s compliance obligations; and perhaps a look at how the directive compares to other jurisdiction’s anti-corruption mechanisms, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
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A $12.75 million settlement that California reached with General Motors over the company’s handling of location and driving data; factors contributing to the large dollar size of the record-setting Calfornia Consumer Privacy Act settlement; what this case demonstrates regarding compliance risks involving data minimization; additional practical guidance on navigating data privacy obligations.
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Draft merger guidelines released by the European Commission on April 30; how significant a change these guideline represent from existing guidelines; reasons for the draft changes; what in particular stands out to you about the proposed changes and their potential impacts; what to know about the process (and likely timeline) for adopting, implementing, and enforcing final merger guidelines.
Related information:
https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/mergers/review-merger-guidelines_en
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Expanded U.S. economic sanctions involving Cuba, as announced by the Trump administration this month; types of entities, industries, or individuals who are currently targeted by, or likely to be targeted by, the sanctions; compliance obligations and related risks for businesses; authority under which the Cuba sanctions are being imposed; how the Cuba sanctions compare to prior U.S. actions targeting Cuba and to other U.S. sanctions-related actions.
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The SECURE Data Act and the GUARD Financial Data Act; main focus of these congressional bills; how they compare to current state-level legislative trends or to previous congressional attempts to address data privacy issues; what the latest congressional measures could mean for consumer rights, for companies’ data-related obligations and related liability risks, and for state laws on data privacy; current status of the congressional bills, potential sticking points, and their prospects for passage; what interested parties should be watching for from Congress on this front.
Related information:
https://financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=411100
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The SEC conflict minerals rule; the rule’s intent and history; to whom the rule applies; filing deadline and procedure; additional compliance guidance and points to keep in mind when preparing required reports involving the conflict minerals rule; how to correct any mistakes or oversights after the fact.
Related information:
https://www.sec.gov/rules-regulations/2012/08/conflict-minerals
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The Federal Trade Commission’s FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which was announced on April 3; what stands out to you about the plan’s enforcement priorities and other emphases; how they compare to prior FTC Strategic Plans in nature or scope or as regards any areas that the plan may not highlight or otherwise address; the Strategic Plan’s practical implications for the business community in terms of compliance efforts and potential areas of risk.
Related information:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/ftc-publishes-new-strategic-plan
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Prison sentences imposed this month on former top executives at Lafarge, one of the world’s leading cement manufacturers, in connection with payments allegedly made to jihadist groups in an effort to continue manufacturing operations in Syria after a civil war began in that country. How rare are sentences of this magnitude in a case of this type? Consider examining the practical implications of this case as regards any of the following points: risks involved in international business operations, potential liability on the part of individuals and of subsidiary, parent, or successor companies, importance of complying with economic sanctions, related legal trends (in the jurisdiction of your choice or globally) involving bribery-related enforcement actions and prosecutions.
Related information:
https://www.ft.com/content/54b1480f-43b8-4ef7-9319-d0e133b77194?syn-25a6b1a6=1
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New supply chain regulations announced by Chinese authorities on April 7; the regulations’ effective date, apparent intent, enforcement mechanisms, and potential penalties for violations; the regulations’ key compliance challenges for companies doing business in or with China.
Related information:
https://www.barrons.com/news/us-firms-voice-concern-over-china-s-new-supply-chain-rules-c21b679d
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An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Federal Trade Commission on March 11 regarding the agency’s negative option rule; what negative option practices consist of; what to know about the FTC’s enforcement history – and its current and potential future position – regarding negative option marketing; timeline for the rulemaking process; how businesses sometimes run afoul of federal or state regulators’ enforcement stance on negative option marketing practices.
Related information:
https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/negative-option-rule
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Congressional investigations; industries or issues that are proving to be, or likely to be, priorities for such investigations this year; associated risk areas for the business community; how businesses can best anticipate, stay informed on, and prepare for congressional investigations and hearings. Consider whether to present some best practices, or lessons from past, real-life congressional investigations, or a list of do’s and don’ts on navigating the intricacies, and potential danger zones, of a congressional investigation so as to avoid a “gotcha” moment or other forms of reputational damage or serious repercussions.
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Recent or otherwise noteworthy developments involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; any significant investigations, prosecutions, verdicts, settlements, declinations, or deferred prosecutions; additional issues involving individual liability for actions that fall under the FCPA; potential new FCPA-related liability risks involving actions by Congress or state authorities; where enforcement priorities and key compliance challenges stand now.
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Force majeure clauses; potentially renewed interest in these clauses, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, tariffs, climate-related disasters, geopolitical conflicts, or other developments; common misconceptions about force majeure clauses; what to understand about force majeure clauses’ role, scope, limits, and potential importance; practical guidance on navigating the terms of force majeure clauses.
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Antitrust allegations against Live Nation Entertainment; nature of the alleged violations; history of antitrust investigations into Live Nation’s activities; what to know about a settlement reached between Live Nation and the U.S. Department of Justice, the terms of the settlement, and the court’s concerns over how the settlement’s disclosure was handled; status of the final settlement deal; why more than 30 states have rejected the DOJ’s settlement with Live Nation, and what this development may portend for the company; response from members of Congress to Live Nation’s deal with the DOJ; what the Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act aims to achieve.
Related information:
https://apnews.com/article/livenation-antitrust-justice-department-0a6ef66f497e5f626096de753bfff8ce
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The March 10 release of the U.S. Department of Justice’s first-ever departmentwide corporate enforcement policy for criminal matters; significance of this policy; what this policy means for U.S. Attorney’s Offices; the DOJ policy’s potential benefits to companies of voluntarily disclosing misconduct; additional guidance on key questions or concerns that you may have been receiving from clients since the DOJ’s March 10 announcement of this policy.
Related information:
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A Feb. 24 announcement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York regarding the office’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program; main focus of this new program; how declinations may be obtained under the terms of this program; additional benefits of making a voluntary self-disclosure under the SDNY program; any applicable cautionary notes regarding decisions on whether or not to self-disclose misconduct in conjunction with this new program.
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Tips on disaster planning – or recovery after the fact – potentially including issues related to any or all of the following: business-critical systems and backup systems, protection or recovery of important records, use of cloud services, emergency communications systems and protocols, contract terms and contractual obligations, worker safety and compensation, insurance claims, and/or contingency plans for resuming post-disaster operations. Feel free to go general in nature, or to focus on a specific industry or region, or a particular subset of a company hierarchy (board of directors, middle management, etc.) or a particular type of disaster. (Also consider whether to publish a series on disaster planning and recovery, with each article geared to a specific type of incident.) Alternatively, consider whether to examine noteworthy litigation or settlements stemming from disasters and the adequacy of a company’s disaster preparations and recovery processes.
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The succession planning process and its potential legal and business ramifications. Delve into best practices or common pitfalls associated with planning for and implementing a succession plan. Among various potential approaches to the topic, decide whether to present a detailed list of top items for business owners and decision-makers to consider, or a hypothetical or real-life cautionary tale. Also consider whether to focus on a particular industry or region or type of business (for example: new, smaller, or family businesses).
Consider writing about:
A $2.75 million settlement that California’s attorney general announced on Feb. 11 with the Walt Disney Co.; company practices that led to this record-setting settlement under the California Consumer Privacy Act; practical takeaways for other companies regarding the CCPA, consumer opt-out rights, and business obligations to ensure compliance with those rights.
Related information:
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Noteworthy developments involving federal or state pre-merger notification requirements; history and current status of a Biden-era rule on pre-merger information disclosure obligations; what to know about a Texas federal judge’s Feb. 12 ruling that blocked the rule, and the FTC’s appeal of that ruling; current or anticipated state laws that set forth pre-merger notification requirements.
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Trends involving companies’ auto-renewal policies; the Federal Trade Commission’s renewed attention to the negative option or “click to cancel” rule; company practices and consumer rights that the rule addresses; noteworthy enforcement actions involving companies’ auto-renewal practices or other practices related to customer subscriptions or memberships; where the “click to cancel” rule stands now; how companies should be addressing related legal or regulatory risks, whether involving FTC enforcement actions, consumer lawsuits, or actions by state attorneys general.
Related information:
https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/negative-option-rule
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The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent announcement of a $1 million whistleblower award; nature of the alleged violations in the underlying case; what this whistleblower award may signal regarding DOJ priorities; how companies should be viewing their compliance histories and their internal whistleblower policies in light of the DOJ’s $1 million award; what else to know about antitrust enforcement under the second Trump administration and the DOJ Antitrust Division’s Whistleblower Rewards Program, its origins, and how it works.
Related information:
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An $8.5 million jury verdict against Uber in a lawsuit over a driver’s alleged sexual assault of a passenger; grounds for finding Uber liable for the driver’s conduct; what to know about other lawsuits against the ride-sharing company over similar assault reports; what this week’s verdict could mean for these other cases; whether Uber drivers’ status as independent contractors is a factor in these cases; any practical takeaways for other companies.
Related information:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/05/uber-liable-sexual-assault
Consider writing about:
Pricing practices that are drawing the attention of consumers, legislators, or federal and state regulators; what to know about pricing transparency and algorithmic, surveillance, and dynammic pricing, how they are used, and how they compare to each other; mechanisms or usages that are being scrutinized or challenged; noteworthy settlements or other developments; best practices for companies as they launch or refine their pricing systems.
Related information:
https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/instacart