The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Christensen v. Union Pacific Railroad Co. provides crucial guidance on when employers can invoke the ADA's direct threat defense to deny accommodation requests. This case demonstrates how employers in safety-sensitive industries can successfully defend their decisions by following proper medical evaluation procedures and relying on current medical knowledge to assess workplace safety risks.

Apple, Inc. faces a high-profile lawsuit brought under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) alleging violations of labor laws.

Demonstrating compliance with the vapor intrusion pathway for acute vapor hazards at leaking underground storage sites in Michigan may now be less work.

On Dec. 3, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR) announced its plan to make parental access rights to children's medical records under HIPAA an enforcement priority.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR) announced on Dec. 1, 2025 its plans to produce a video on the HIPAA Security Rule's risk management implementation requirement.

Great news for Illinois employers concerned with efficiency: Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2487 into law on August 15, 2025, eliminating mandatory fact-finding conferences for Illinois Department...

The New Year kicks off with an old problem: extreme backlogs burrowed in the U.S. immigration system. The number of immigration court cases pending adjudication as of November 2023...

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation, through its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), amended its Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) rules to restrict eligibility for non-citizens.

On Dec. 2, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) halted all immigration applications submitted by nationals from 19 countries following the shooting...

I'm pleasantly surprised by the decision in Ex parte Desjardins, Appeal 2024-000567, Application No. 16/319,040 (U.S. PTO Appeals Review Panel Sept. 26, 2025). I'll be watching closely to see how this decision is integrated into the USPTO's existing §101 guidance.

A recent Federal Circuit decision touches on the enablement standard for prior art v. under the standard to obtain patent protection. While the case focuses on gene editing technology and the varying legal standard, the practical lessons apply to a major area of innovation in the agricultural industry: gene editing.

The world of life sciences moves fast. Breakthrough discoveries in genomics, cell therapy, and gene editing are rewriting what's medically possible — but a groundbreaking idea without proper legal protection can disappear just as quickly as it emerges.

On June 10, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) granted the government's motion...

On August 11, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order extending the pause on country-specific ad valorem reciprocal tariffs previously imposed on imports from China pursuant...

On Oct. 24, 2025, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation to review China's implementation of the Phase One Agreement...

In the third installment of their three-part New Jersey Law Journal series, "Investing in Excellence: Take These Steps to Become a Sponsor or Protégé, Part...

In this month's very special episode of Seventh Circuit Roundup, hosts Kian Hudson and Mark Crandley interview legendary Seventh Circuit litigator Tom Fisher.

On this episode of Let's Talk Commercial Real Estate with Barry Saywitz, Barnes & Thornburg partner Salvador LaViña discusses the current legal aspects of 1031 exchanges, real estate tax planning, and more.

In this episode of Minds & Machines, we break down America's AI Action Plan. Barnes & Thornburg attorneys explore the plan's three pillars — promoting innovation...

The White House has announced a series of negotiation frameworks with key Asia-Pacific partners, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia in the lead-up to the August 1, 2025, trade negotiation deadline.