Not much action in Congress this week as foreign policy issues dominated the discussion.

With all the FDA has on its plate these days, including meeting court-ordered deadlines for implementation of the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), it came as a surprise to many when the agency recently issued a notice tentatively determining that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food.

Craig Thompson published "Don't Be Afraid to Be Afraid" in the May/June 2015 issue of Diversity and the Bar.

Recently, the IRS admitted that it employed inappropriate criteria to select certain applications for recognition of tax-exempt status for additional review.

Every day millions of people flying across the country rely on World War II-era technology to guide them safely to their destinations.

Brian Fredkin co-authored "Tax Issues When Settling a Trust and Estate Dispute: A Guide for the Litigator" in California Trusts and Estates Quarterly. The following is an excerpt:

Mike Volpe and Nick Reiter published "Five Things NY Employers Need to Know about Legal Marijuana" in Forbes on July 8, 2014.

On Thursday, June 13, Rob Burton presented testimony on the negative impact of certain government-wide strategic sourcing contracts on small businesses before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce.

The Supreme Court announced that next term it will consider what is required to establish standing to sue for false advertising under Section 43(a)(1)(B) of the Lanham Act.

State attorneys general (AGs) are the chief legal officers of their states, and their areas of concern are vast. Aggressive enforcement against telemarking, debt relief, privacy violations.

September is a good time to take stock of the legal and regulatory events of the past year, and consider what may be coming next.

We are excited to announce Season 2 of Venable's Ad Law Tool Kit Show, the podcast that helps you and your organization identify and avoid potentially problematic advertising practices.

Venable attorneys produce periodic alerts and newsletters covering a variety of topics and practice areas.

Gregory Braker, Peggy Strand and Kathryn Floyd published "New 'Streamlined' DOI Strategy Takes Regional Approach" in Law360 on June 24, 2014.

On August 14, 2012, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued rules implementing various provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA).

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently announced that it will hold several days of informational meetings to address topics important to carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipeline developers and operators.

Last week, Venable and ACG held a webinar, "The Volcker Rule and Its Impact on Private Equity," which included an overview of the final rule, its compliance requirements, its impact on private equity funds, and exclusions to the rule, including SBICs and most BDCs.

Negative option and continuity offers have been under the microscope lately as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and class action plaintiffs continue to scrutinize them.

A jury considering Beyond Systems v. Kraft Foods unanimously found that anti-spam plaintiff Beyond Systems, Inc., an alleged Internet service provider, is "primarily or substantially" engaged in filing anti-spam lawsuits.

President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order and a Presidential Memorandum intended to engender pay equality for women and minorities.