Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015
Legislative Progress
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
93pct
228d open
vs 6,526 other HR bills in the 114th — cohort avg 56d
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.) Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.
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Filing registrants (26)
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 241 - 185 (Roll no. 501). (text: CR H6112)
HousePassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 241 - 185 (Roll no. 501).(text: CR H6112)
HouseOn motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 179 - 239 (Roll no. 500).
HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H6119)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the DelBene motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a new section at the end of the bill pertaining to Protecting Equal Pay for Women.
Ms. DelBene moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on the Judiciary. (consideration: CR H6118-6119; text: CR H6119)
Bills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
Addressed legislation to curb frivolous lawsuits: H.R.758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 S. 401 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 Support for revisions to the Congressional charter of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 5982, Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act
Client expense: $1,760,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
H.R.373-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act H.R.758-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R.836-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act H.R.865-Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2015 H.R.2603-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act H.R.3682-Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015 H.R.4771-Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2016 S.160-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act S.401-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) S.884-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act S.1475-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
Client expense: $462,139 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 758/S.401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 94/S. 780, Cameras in the Courtroom Act H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act H.R. 917/S.783, Sunshine in Courtroom Act (just Supreme Court) Draft legislation - omnibus judgeship legislation Filling of judicial vacancies - general advocacy H.R. 988 Elder Justice Reauthorization Act S. 1353, H.R. 2329, Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act S. 1607, the Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act H.R. 712, All Economic Regulations Are Transparent (ALERT) Act Communications on proposals regarding diversity jurisdiction in federal courts and on term limits for Administrative Law Judges
Client expense: $180,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Legal Services Corporation, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
H.R. 758/S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 H.R. 2087/S. 1133, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 S. 2506, Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 S. 2897, Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act Various issues relating to the Federal Arbitration Act (P.L. 68-401); Executive Order 13673, Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, including arbitration provisions; restatements of the law issued by the American Law Institute; asbestos litigation; legal reform; civil discovery reform; arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; fraud and abuse in civil litigation; medical liability reform; transnational torts
Client expense: $5,990,000 · Firm income: Not reported
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H6118)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 758.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 348 and H.R. 758. The resolution provides for one hour debate on H.R. 348 and H.R. 758. The resolution provides that it shall be in order at any time on the legislative day of September 24, 2015, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 420. (consideration: CR H6112-6121)
Rule H. Res. 420 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 420 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 348 and H.R. 758. The resolution provides for one hour debate on H.R. 348 and H.R. 758. The resolution provides that it shall be in order at any time on the legislative day of September 24, 2015, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 187.
Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 114-246.
Congress.gov source codes: 5000, H12200
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 19 - 13.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Discharged.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Congress.gov source codes: 1000, Intro-H
| Referred to |
| February 5, 2015 |
| February 5, 2015 |
| Republican |
| CO |
| Steve Chabot | Republican | OH |
| Trent Franks | Republican | AZ |
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
Legal reform issues. S. 1133/ H.R. 2087, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015. Fraud and abuse in civil litigation. H.R. 758/ S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) arbitration proposals. H.R. 526/S. 357, Further Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT ACT) of 2015. H.R. 5063, Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
HR 4771 HEALTH Act of 2016, HR 1927 Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2016; HR 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) of 2015; HR 3624 Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016; HR 865 Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
H.R. 9, The Innovation Act (entire bill) S. 632, The Supporting Technology and Research for Our Nationals Growth (STRONG) Patents Act (entire bill) H.R. 2045, Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (entire bill) S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act). H.R. 862, You Own Devices Act (YODA) (entire bill) H.R. 684, Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act (entire bill) S. 328, A bill to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any State or local government (entire bill) H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 4241, the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act (entire bill) S. 560/H.R. 1057 the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales Act (PARTS Act) of 2015 H.R. 1832, the Innovation Protection Act (entire bill) H.R. 1791/S. 926, the Grace Period Restoration Act (entire bill) H.R. 4829, the Trade Protection Not Troll Protection Act (entire bill) S.2733, the Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 (entire bill) S. 3056, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act (entire bill) H.R. 5757, the Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act of 2016 (entire bill) H.R. 6496, The Fairness for American Small Creators Act" (entire bill) Issues related to USPTO operations Issues related to Department of Commerce Shared Services Initiative Draft legislation related to Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties Implementation
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
Tort issues including asbestos bankruptcy trusts H.R.526 - Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2015 S.357 - FACT Act H.R. 9- the Innovation Act (patent) S. 1137- Patent Act S. 632- STRONG Patents Act of 2015 H.R. 758- Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R. 1927- Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 S. 700 READ Act H.R. 5618 Enhancing United States Trustee Oversight Act of 2016
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 and Gosar Amendment No. 5 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) H.R. 5226 - Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016 H.R. 5982 Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) CEQ, Finalized NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 81 Fed. Reg. 51866 (Aug. 2, 2016) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 EPA, Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
Client expense: $77,176 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 5982, Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act
Client expense: $1,760,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Administration (SBA), State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
HR 5226 Reulatory Integrity Act Government Contracting H.R.185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 S.168 - Regulatory Responsibility for our Economy Act of 2015 H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act H.R. 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015
Client expense: $187,584 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. General lobbying with regard to altering the requirement of complete diversity. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. General lobbying with regard to regulatory reform issues. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S. 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. S. 3446/H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period. General lobbying with respect to diversity jurisdiction and potential changes to the jurisdiction rules. S. 3155/H.R. 889 (Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act); to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title) S. 2763/H.R. 6130 (Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016); to provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis.
Client expense: $1,150,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Consumer Issues/Safety/Products
H.R. 1199 - Innocent Sellers Fairness Act - Exempts a lawful seller from liability for personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property arising out of an accident or transaction involving a seller's products, unless the claimant proves one or more of the following activities by the seller: the seller was the manufacturer or participated in the design or installation of the product;the seller altered, modified, or expressly warranted the product in a manner not authorized by the manufacturer; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product as a result of a recall from the manufacturer or governmental entity authorized to make such recall or actual inspection at the time the seller sold the product to the claimant; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product at the time the seller supplied the product; the seller intentionally altered or modified a product warranty, warning, or instruction from the manufacturer in a way not authorized by the manufacturer; or the seller knowingly made a false representation about an aspect of the product not authorized by the manufacturer. Limits the seller's liability to the personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property directly caused by such activity where a claimant proves one or more of such activities was negligent. H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence. S. 401 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · fourth_quarter · Torts
Work to establish Federal limits on pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Work in support of amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act, including enactment of S.2506 and similar bills that would reduce or eliminate the use of predispute arbitration agreements. Work in opposition to H.R.526 and S.357, the Further Asbestos Claims Transparency Act of 2015. Work in support of S.700, the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Data Base Act of 2015. Work in opposition to H.R.758 and S.401, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015; H.R. 1927, the Fairness in Class Action and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2015; and H.R.3624, the Fradulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT)
2016 · third_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
H.R. 9, The Innovation Act (entire bill) S. 632, The Supporting Technology and Research for Our Nationals Growth (STRONG) Patents Act (entire bill) H.R. 2045, Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (entire bill) S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act). H.R. 862, You Own Devices Act (YODA) (entire bill) H.R. 684, Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act (entire bill) S. 328, A bill to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any State or local government (entire bill) H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 4241, the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act (entire bill) S. 560/H.R. 1057 the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales Act (PARTS Act) of 2015 H.R. 1832, the Innovation Protection Act (entire bill) H.R. 1791/S. 926, the Grace Period Restoration Act (entire bill) H.R. 4829, the Trade Protection Not Troll Protection Act (entire bill) S.2733, the Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 (entire bill) S. 3056, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act (entire bill) H.R. 5757, the Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act of 2016 (entire bill) Issues related to USPTO operations Issues related to Department of Commerce Shared Services Initiative Draft legislation related to Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties Implementation
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 758/S.401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 94/S. 780, Cameras in the Courtroom Act H.R. 917/S.783, Sunshine in Courtroom Act (just Supreme Court) Draft legislation - omnibus judgeship legislation Filling of judicial vacancies -- general advocacy H.R. 988 Elder Justice Reauthorization Act S. 1353, H.R. 2329, Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act Congressional response to Rule 4 (issuance of subpoenas) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure S. 3270, the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act S. 1607, the Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act H.R. 712, All Economic Regulations Are Transparent (ALERT) Act Communications on proposals regarding diversity jurisdiction in federal courts and on term limits for Administrative Law Judges
Client expense: $240,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Legal Services Corporation, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 and Gosar Amendment No. 5 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) H.R. 5226 - Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016 H.R. 5982 Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016 S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) CEQ, Finalized NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 81 Fed. Reg. 51866 (Aug. 2, 2016) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
Client expense: $79,453 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S. 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. S. 3446/H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period. General lobbying with respect to diversity jurisdiction and potential changes to the jurisdiction rules. S. 3155/H.R. 889 (Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act); to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title) S. 2763/H.R. 6130 (Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016); to provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis.
Client expense: $1,750,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015 S. 1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act S. 708, H.R. 1407, Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015
Client expense: $2,820,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Security Council (NSC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, SENATE, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
H.R. 758/S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 H.R. 2087/S. 1133, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 H.R. 4460/S. 2508, Youth Sports Concussion Act S. 2506, Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 S. 2897, Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act Various issues relating to the Federal Arbitration Act (P.L. 68-401); Executive Order 13673, Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, including arbitration provisions; restatements of the law issued by the American Law Institute; asbestos litigation; legal reform; civil discovery reform; arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; fraud and abuse in civil litigation; medical liability reform; transnational torts
Client expense: $8,310,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
Tort issues including asbestos bankruptcy trusts H.R.526 - Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2015 S.357 - FACT Act H.R. 9- the Innovation Act (patent) S. 1137- Patent Act S. 632- STRONG Patents Act of 2015 H.R. 758- Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R. 1927- Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 S. 700 READ Act H.R. 5618 Enhancing United States Trustee Oversight Act of 2016
Client expense: $480,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
Legal reform issues. S. 1133/ H.R. 2087, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015. Fraud and abuse in civil litigation. H.R. 758/ S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) arbitration proposals. H.R. 526/S. 357, Further Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT ACT) of 2015. H.R. 5063, Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Consumer Issues/Safety/Products
H.R. 1199 - Innocent Sellers Fairness Act - Exempts a lawful seller from liability for personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property arising out of an accident or transaction involving a seller's products, unless the claimant proves one or more of the following activities by the seller: the seller was the manufacturer or participated in the design or installation of the product;the seller altered, modified, or expressly warranted the product in a manner not authorized by the manufacturer; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product as a result of a recall from the manufacturer or governmental entity authorized to make such recall or actual inspection at the time the seller sold the product to the claimant; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product at the time the seller supplied the product; the seller intentionally altered or modified a product warranty, warning, or instruction from the manufacturer in a way not authorized by the manufacturer; or the seller knowingly made a false representation about an aspect of the product not authorized by the manufacturer. Limits the seller's liability to the personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property directly caused by such activity where a claimant proves one or more of such activities was negligent. H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence. S. 401 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Government Issues
HR 5226 Reulatory Integrity Act Government Contracting H.R.185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 S.168 - Regulatory Responsibility for our Economy Act of 2015 H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act H.R. 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015
Client expense: $158,851 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
H.R.373-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act H.R.758-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R.836-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act H.R.865-Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2015 H.R.2603-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act H.R.3682-Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015 H.R.4771-Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2016 S.160-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act S.401-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) S.884-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act S.1475-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
Client expense: $512,329 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
HR 4771 HEALTH Act of 2016, HR 1927 Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2016; HR 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) of 2015; HR 3624 Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016; HR 865 Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · third_quarter · Torts
Work to establish Federal limits on pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Work in support of amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act, including enactment of S.2506 and similar bills that would reduce or eliminate the use of predispute arbitration agreements. Work in opposition to H.R.526 and S.357, the Further Asbestos Claims Transparency Act of 2015. Work in support of S.700, the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Data Base Act of 2015. Work in opposition to H.R.758 and S.401, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015; H.R. 1927, the Fairness in Class Action and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2015; and H.R.3624, the Fradulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT)
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
H.R. 1199, Innocent Sellers Fairness Act, H.R. 758, S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $40,000
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
H.R. 9, The Innovation Act (entire bill) S. 632, The Supporting Technology and Research for Our Nationals Growth (STRONG) Patents Act (entire bill) H.R. 2045, Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (entire bill) H.R. 238/S. 23, the Copyright and Marriage Equality Act (entire bill)* S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act). H.R. 862, You Own Devices Act (YODA) (entire bill)* H.R. 684, Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act (entire bill)* S. 328, A bill to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any State or local government (entire bill)* H.R.236, To provide for the exchange of information related to trade enforcement, and for other purposes (entire bill)* H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 4241, the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act (entire bill) S. 560/H.R. 1057 the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales Act (PARTS Act) of 2015 H.R. 1832, the Innovation Protection Act (entire bill) H.R. 1791/S. 926, the Grace Period Restoration Act (entire bill)* H.R. 3326/S. 1890, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (entire bill) H.R. 4829, the Trade Protection Not Troll Protection Act (entire bill) S.2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 (entire bill) Issues related to USPTO operations Draft legislation related to Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties Implementation
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2029 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and amendments H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) H.R. 4768 - Separation of Powers Act of 2016 (SOPA Act) H.R. 4612 Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016 H.R. 5063 Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 H.R. 2304 the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforcts Act of 2015 (SPEAK FREE Act) S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 S.2997 - Securing Access to Networks in Disasters Act of 2016 Criminal Justice Reform Package Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014) Draft U.S. DOI Environmental Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2020 Environmental Justice Action Agenda 2016-2020 (EJ 2020)
Client expense: $127,981 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, SENATE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 758/S.401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 94/S. 780, Cameras in the Courtroom Act H.R. 917/S.783, Sunshine in Courtroom Act (just Supreme Court) Draft legislation - omnibus judgeship legislation Filling of judicial vacancies -- general advocacy S. 192 Older Americans Reauthorization Act H.R. 988 Elder Justice Reauthorization Act S. 1353, H.R. 2329, Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act Congressional response to Rule 4 (issuance of subpoenas) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
Client expense: $250,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Legal Services Corporation, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
H.R.373-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act H.R.758-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R.836-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act H.R.865-Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2015 H.R.2603-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act H.R.3682-Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015 H.R.4771-Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2016 S.160-Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act S.401-Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) S.884-Health Care Safety Net Enhancement Act S.1475-Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act
Client expense: $217,135 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
H.R. 758/S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 H.R. 2087/S. 1133, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 H.R. 4460/S. 2508, Youth Sports Concussion Act S. 2506, Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 S. 2897, Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act Various issues relating to arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; Federal Arbitration Act (P.L. 68-401); Executive Order 13673, Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, including arbitration provisions; asbestos litigation; legal reform issues; civil discovery reform; fraud and abuse in civil litigation; medical liability reform; transnational torts
Client expense: $6,450,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
Legal reform issues. S. 1133/ H.R. 2087, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015. Fraud and abuse in civil litigation. H.R. 758/ S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) arbitration proposals. H.R. 526/S. 357, Further Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT ACT) of 2015.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
Tort issues including asbestos bankruptcy trusts H.R.526 - Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2015 S.357 - FACT Act H.R. 9- the Innovation Act (patent) S. 1137- Patent Act S. 632- STRONG Patents Act of 2015 H.R. 758- Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R. 1927- Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 S. 700 READ Act
Client expense: $340,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, Treasury, Dept of
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 5111 (Consumer Review Fairness Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services offered in interstate commerce that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits the use of certain clauses in form contracts that restrict the ability of a consumer to communicate regarding the goods or services that were the subject of the contract. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. H.R. 5063 (Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016); prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. H.R. 3765 (ADA Education and Reform Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to promote compliance through education, to clarify the requirements for demand letters, to provide for a notice and cure period before the commencement of a private civil action. H.R. 241 (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services (ACCESS) Act of 2015); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit an aggrieved person from commencing a civil action for discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation unless the owner or operator of such accommodation: (1) is provided a written notice specific enough to identify such barrier; and (2) has, within specified time periods, either failed to provide the aggrieved person with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove such barrier or provided such description and failed to remove such barrier. H.R. 4719 (Correcting Obstructions to Mediate, Prevent, and Limit Inaccessibility (COMPLI) Act); amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit persons aggrieved by certain public accommodation violations from commencing a civil action for discrimination unless they: (1) provide the owner or operator of the accommodation with a written notice that is specific enough to identify the violation; (2) specify in the notice that the owner or operator has 90 days to remove or correct the violation before an action will be brought; and (3) refrain from sending demand letters, requests for settlement, or other communications to the owner or operator during such 90-day period.
Client expense: $1,500,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Vice President of the U.S.
2016 · second_quarter · Government Issues
Government Contracting H.R.185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 S.168 - Regulatory Responsibility for our Economy Act of 2015 H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act H.R. 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015
Client expense: $141,413 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
HR 4771 HEALTH Act of 2016, HR 1927 Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2016; HR 758 Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) of 2015; HR 3624 Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016; HR 865 Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · second_quarter · Torts
Work to establish Federal limits on pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Work in support of amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act, including enactment of S.2506 and similar bills that would reduce or eliminate the use of predispute arbitration agreements. Work in opposition to H.R.526 and S.357, the Further Asbestos Claims Transparency Act of 2015. Work in support of S.700, the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Data Base Act of 2015. Work in opposition to H.R.758 and S.401, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015; H.R. 1927, the Fairness in Class Action and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2015; and H.R.3624, the Fradulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2016.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT)
2016 · second_quarter · Consumer Issues/Safety/Products
H.R. 1199 - Innocent Sellers Fairness Act - Exempts a lawful seller from liability for personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property arising out of an accident or transaction involving a seller's products, unless the claimant proves one or more of the following activities by the seller: the seller was the manufacturer or participated in the design or installation of the product;the seller altered, modified, or expressly warranted the product in a manner not authorized by the manufacturer; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product as a result of a recall from the manufacturer or governmental entity authorized to make such recall or actual inspection at the time the seller sold the product to the claimant; the seller had actual knowledge of the defect in the product at the time the seller supplied the product; the seller intentionally altered or modified a product warranty, warning, or instruction from the manufacturer in a way not authorized by the manufacturer; or the seller knowingly made a false representation about an aspect of the product not authorized by the manufacturer. Limits the seller's liability to the personal injury, monetary loss, or damage to property directly caused by such activity where a claimant proves one or more of such activities was negligent. H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence. S. 401 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 - amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Natl Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SENATE
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2016 · first_quarter · Torts
Civil discovery reform. Legal reform issues. S. 1133/ H.R. 2087, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015. Fraud and abuse in civil litigation. H.R. 758/ S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) arbitration proposals. H.R. 526/S. 357, Further Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT ACT) of 2015.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
EPA Science Advisory Board Panel on Whole-Economy Modeling H.R. 1155, SCRUB Act H.R. 1927, Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act H.R. 3624, Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 H.R. 712, Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) Regulatory Reform S. 1607, Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015 S. 1817, Smarter Regs Act of 2015 S. 1818, Principled Rulemaking Act of 2015 S. 1820, Early Participation in Regulations Act of 2015 S. 2006, H.R. 185, Regulatory Accountability Act S. 280, Federal Permitting Improvement Act of 2015 S. 708, H.R. 1407, Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 S. 846, Small Business Regulatory Sunset Act of 2015
Client expense: $1,920,014 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Interior, Dept of (DOI), Library of Congress (LOC), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Natl Security Council (NSC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 22 - Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) H.R. 22 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (FAST Act) H.R. 50 - the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 H.R. 185 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 H.R. 348 - Responsibility and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act) H.R. 399 - Secure Our Borders First Act H.R. 427 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015 (REINS Act) H.R. 445 - Transparency in Rule Making Act H.R. 527 - the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 (SBRFIA) H.R. 585 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements H.R. 712 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 H.R. 758 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R.1155 - Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2015 (SCRUB Act of 2015) H.R. 1407 - Regulatory Improvement Act H.R. 1487 - American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015 (only the judicial review part) H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act H.R. 1759 - ALERT Act H.R. 2647 - Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 (only the judicial review, EAJA, and bonding sections) H.R. 3279 - Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act HR 3353 - Clean Water Citizen Suits HR 3438 - REVIEW Act H. R. 3763 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) S. 1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (amendment #155) S. 280 - Federal Permitting Improvement Act S. 293 - ESA Consent Decrees and Settlements S. 378 - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015 S. 544 - Secret Science Reform Act S. 708 - Regulatory Improvement Act S. 1607 - Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1647-Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) S. 1817 - Smarter Regs Act S. 1818 - Principled Rulemaking Act S. 1820 - Early Participation in Regulations Act S. 1927 - High Impact Rules S. 1944 - RED Tape Act S. 2506 - Restoring Statutory Rights Act of 2016 Rulemakings: CEQ, Revised Draft NEPA Guidance on Consideration of the Effects of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at 79 Fed. Reg. 77,801 (Dec. 24, 2014)
Client expense: $99,930 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Interior, Dept of (DOI), Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SENATE, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 758/S.401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 94/S. 780, Cameras in the Courtroom Act H.R. 917/S.783, Sunshine in Courtroom Act (just Supreme Court) Draft legislation - omnibus judgeship legislation Filling of judicial vacancies -- general advocacy S. 192 Older Americans Reauthorization Act H.R. 988 Elder Justice Reauthorization Act S. 1353, H.R. 2329, Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States Act S. 1607, Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act S. 1418, Judicial Transparency and Ethics Enhancement Act of 2015
Client expense: $210,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Justice, Dept of (DOJ), Legal Services Corporation, SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2016 · first_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
H.R. 9, The Innovation Act (entire bill) S. 632, The Supporting Technology and Research for Our Nationals Growth (STRONG) Patents Act (entire bill) H.R. 2045, Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (entire bill) H.R. 238/S. 23, the Copyright and Marriage Equality Act (entire bill)* S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act). H.R. 862, You Own Devices Act (YODA) (entire bill)* H.R. 684, Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act (entire bill)* S. 328, A bill to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any State or local government (entire bill)* H.R.236, To provide for the exchange of information related to trade enforcement, and for other purposes (entire bill)* H.R. 758, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act H.R. 4241, the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act (entire bill) S. 560/H.R. 1057 the Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales Act (PARTS Act) of 2015 H.R. 1832, the Innovation Protection Act (entire bill) H.R. 1791/S. 926, the Grace Period Restoration Act (entire bill)* H.R. 3326/S. 1890, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (entire bill) H.R. 4829, the Trade Protection Not Troll Protection Act (entire bill) S.2733 - Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2016 (entire bill) Issues related to USPTO operations Draft legislation related to Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties Implementation
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2016 · first_quarter · Government Issues
General lobbying with regard to proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Federal Rules of Evidence. General lobbying with regard to clarifying state and federal court jurisdiction in certain cases. S. 401/H.R. 758 (Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015); amends Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to make sanctions mandatory. Lobbying with regard to federal judicial selection generally, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and with specific regard to the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. H.R. 2304 (SPEAK FREE Act of 2015); Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. H.R. 384/H.R. 3279 (Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act); amends titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party. H.R. 2336/S.__ (Sunshine in Litigation Act); amends Chapter 111 of Title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, and for other purposes. H.R. 2110/S. 2044 (Consumer Review Freedom Act); prohibits contracts that prohibit consumers from making certain public comments on businesses. H.R. 185 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); amends the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which is the law that governs how federal agencies propose and establish regulations. S. 226/ H.R. 427 (REINS Act); provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law. S 543/H.R. 1029 (EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015); amends the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the process of selecting members of the Science Advisory Board, guidelines for participation in Board advisory activities, and terms of office. H.R. 1927 (Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015); amends the federal judicial code to prohibit federal courts from certifying any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representatives. S. 1113; amends title 28, United States Code, to remand certain civil actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation. H.R. 1579 (ALERT Act of 2015); amends title 5, united States Code, to provide for the publication, by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, of information relating to rulemakings H.R. 2648/S. 1109 (Truth in Settlements Act of 2015); requires adequate information regarding the tax treatment of payments under settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies. General lobbying with regard to settlement disclosures. S. 1607 (Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015); authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to: (1) comply, to the extent permitted by law, with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) publish and provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit to the Office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. S. 708 (Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015); Requires the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that have been finalized not later than 10 years before the establishment of the Commission (covered regulations) for the purpose of reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, improving competitiveness, and protecting public safety. S. 1820 (Early Participation in Regulations Act); requires agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule making for major rules. S. 1818 (Principled Rulemaking Act); amends title 5, United States Code, to reform the rule making process of agencies. S. 1817 (Smarter Regs Act of 2015); implements retrospective review of major rules. H.R. 3624 (Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015); amends title 28, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent joinder. Lobbying with regard to factoring and structured settlements. H.R. 712 (Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act); creates new requirements for civil actions seeking to compel agency actions. H.R. 1155 (SCRUB Act); creates new requirements for agencies when making a new rule, creates a regulatory oversight commission. S. 2006 (Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015); reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents. H.R. 4768 (Separation of Powers Restoration Act); modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules. H.R. 4612 (Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016); prohibits some federal agencies from proposing or finalizing any midnight rule unless the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs finds that such a rule will not result in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices; (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete internationally; or (4) a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses.
Client expense: $1,380,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of the Vice President of the United States, SENATE, Vice President of the U.S.
2016 · first_quarter · Torts
Tort issues including asbestos bankruptcy trusts H.R. 526 - Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2015 S. 357 - FACT Act H.R. 9- the Innovation Act (patent) S. 1137- Patent Act S. 632- STRONG Patents Act of 2015 H.R. 758- Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) H.R. 1927- Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2016 S. 700 READ Act
Client expense: $360,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, Treasury, Dept of
2016 · first_quarter · Torts
H.R. 758/S. 401, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015 H.R. 1199, Innocent Sellers Fairness Act H.R. 2087/S. 1133, Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 S. 2506, Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2016 Various issues relating to arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; background on Federal Arbitration Act (P.L. 68-401); Executive Order 13673, Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, including arbitration provisions; asbestos litigation; civil discovery reform; fraud and abuse in civil litigation; legal reform; medical liability reform; transnational torts
Client expense: $6,960,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Justice, Dept of (DOJ), SENATE