The Trump administration is making sweeping changes in federal policy that directly impact businesses and individuals. We help you understand how this affects you and what you can do.

The Latest

Our most recent thought leadership

• The Administration Again Tries To Reshape Federal Contracting by Mandating Prioritization of Fixed-Price Contracts
• DOJ Officially Reschedules Certain Cannabis
• Trump Administration Targets China, Europe and 14 Other Economies With Probes for Discriminatory Policies
• EPA Withdraws Proposed Rule Listing PFAS as RCRA Hazardous Constituents
• Department of Justice Places Focus on Fraud Involving Tax Dollars

Hot Topics

Popular articles on pressing issues

• Labor Law: NLRB Formalizes Joint Employer Rule, But Is An Upcoming DC Circuit Decision What Counts?
• Government Contracts: What to Know About the Department of Defense's Review of 8(a) and Small Business Awards
• Immigration: Expansion of Penalties for I-9 Violations Signals Rigid Enforcement Against Employers
• Legal Cannabis: What You Need to Know About the Acting AG's Recent Marijuana Rescheduling Moves

High-Impact Areas of Law

Where businesses, institutions and individuals face changes in law and policy

Federal Government Contracts

• First DEI Settlement Under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Targets Conduct Pre-Dating the Current Administration
  This is the first FCA settlement reached under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which was created in May 2025 and tasked with using the FCA as a tool to prosecute federal contractors that engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
• Under New DEI Executive Order, Federal Contractors Risk FCA Prosecution, Termination and Debarment
  The EO sets forth a new clause to be incorporated into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) prohibiting contractors from engaging in racial discrimination on federal contracts, which is defined to include race-based contracting preferences and disparate allocation of contractor resources.
• What to Know About the Department of Defense's Review of 8(a) and Small Business Awards
  The Department of Defense issued a memorandum on January 16, 2026 to announce a two‑stage review of small business set‑aside and 8(a) contract awards over $20 million for possible terminations for convenience.
• Government Makes Initial Awards in 'Golden Dome' SHIELD Procurement: Flexible Contract Structure Creates a Complex Bid Protest Landscape
  In what it described as the first phase in a series of staggered awards, DoD made awards to over 1,000 qualifying offerors.

International Trade

• Trump Administration Targets China, Europe and 14 Other Economies With Probes for Discriminatory Policies
  The Trump administration this week launched 16 new investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
• Court Orders $166 Billion in Tariff Refunds — Then Pauses Them — in 48 Hours
  The court suspended its immediate-compliance directive but did not vacate the underlying refund order.
• International Trade Judge Orders Tariff Refunds
  In a bellwether case, the Court of International Trade ordered refunds of IEEPA tariff duties following the Supreme Court ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump.
• With the Tariffs Struck Down, Now the Refund Fight Begins
  Importers who paid IEEPA duties in 2025–2026 have legal a basis for refunds but must take affirmative steps to recover.
• Importers Are Racing to Preserve Tariff Refund RightsThe Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the Trump administration's 2025 tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, China, and other trading partners were lawful.

Labor & Employment

• Regulatory Whiplash Continues: DOL Proposes Yet Another Independent Contractor Classification Rule
  The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule that would rescind the Biden administration’s 2024 independent contractor rule and replace it with a more business-friendly version of the “economic realities” test under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• NLRB Formalizes Joint Employer Rule, But Is An Upcoming DC Circuit Decision What Counts?
  A labor union is challenging the 2020 rule's "actual exercise" requirement, arguing that an employer's reserved right to control workers should be enough to establish joint employer status.
• Will a Revised USMCA Strengthen Worker Rights and Reduce Outsourcing?
  Testimony suggests continued political pressure to use the USMCA review process to pursue more aggressive, facility-level labor (and possibly environmental) enforcement, as well as structural wage reforms.
• Who’s Interpreting the NLRA in 2025? Courts Step in as Board Precedent Stalls
  Appellate courts have been active in the labor space amid a “lost year” for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which has issued almost no decisions since the beginning of the second Trump administration.

Immigration

• Major Changes to the H-1B Visa Application Process for Fiscal Year 2027
  Employers need to familiarize themselves with these changes now so they can make informed decisions and take steps to ensure their workforce needs are met
• USCIS Issues Guidance on Key Details of $100,000 H-1B Fee
  Exceptions are described as extremely rare and granted only by the Secretary of Homeland Security to an employer on behalf of a specific beneficiary.
• The Trump Administration's $100,000 H-1B Fee: What Employers Need to Know
  The new fee would apply to future H-1B applications, with potential exceptions for workers deemed critical to national security, but uncertainty remains about the details of its implementation.
• The IRS-ICE Tax Data Sharing Agreement: Practical Considerations
  The move may raise concerns for taxpayers involved in immigration proceedings or worried about the privacy of their tax records.

Tax

• FBI and IRS Team Up to Probe Nonprofits for Purported Ties to Domestic Terrorism
  According to a recent report, the FBI and IRS are rolling out a collaborative effort to investigate nonprofit organizations believed to have connections to domestic terrorism.
• Group of U.S. Senators Sound Alarm About State of Federal Tax Enforcement
  A group of Senators is questioning whether recent workforce reductions and funding decreases are shifting the IRS’s audit strategy away from high-income taxpayers.
• IRS Shutdown Backlog May Trigger Collection, Refund Chaos
  Taxpayers and their advisers are now feeling the effects of the shutdown as IRS services dwindle and the backlog mounts.
• IRS Has Funds to Continue Operations for Five Business Days After Potential Midnight Government Shutdown
  The IRS plan is based on employee headcount as of July 24, not September 30, and while it takes into account employees participating in the deferred resignation program, some of those employees were recently offered a chance to return.

Energy, Environmental & ESG

• EPA’s FY 2027 Budget Signals Continued Focus on PFAS
  The agency has identified reducing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Risks to the Public as an Agency Priority Goal.
• EPA’s Rule Agenda Includes Multiple PFAS Initiatives
  EPA released its Unified Agenda which includes plans for a number of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulatory actions.
• ESG Essentials Podcast: The Reshaping of ESG & DEI
  Our ESG Essentials Podcast covers the Trump administration’s executive orders regarding DEI and what the actions mean for government contractors as well as private companies. 
• The EPA’s New Funding Hurdles: What to Expect
  A recent shift in EPA funding approvals has raised questions about potential delays in environmental projects, disaster response and clean energy initiatives.