Developers Stumped By Energy Credits' Foreign Debt Limits

Kat Lucero

Developers seeking to finalize projects financed with clean energy tax credits and several loans are hitting a roadblock in demonstrating to the IRS that their debt has limited ties to prohibited foreign entities, a requirement for qualifying for the incentives.

Calif.'s Global Reporting Bill Could Embolden Other States

Natalie Olivo
Senior Tax Correspondent

A California bill that would require multinational corporations to report their global profits could spark similar legislation across the U.S. if lawmakers of revenue-hungry states perceive shortcomings in federal and international efforts to tackle profit shifting.

Tax Atty's AI Tools Help Firm Tackle IRS Debt, COVID Refunds

Kat Lucero

A tax controversy attorney has developed platforms using artificial intelligence to help clients sort through Internal Revenue Service collection options and obtain pandemic-related refunds that she says has helped her firm make routine IRS guidance more affordable while preserving lawyers for the cases that demand deeper expertise. Alyssa Maloof Whatley spoke to Law360 about why she created the tools and the challenges that come with integrating AI with taxpayer information.

5 Things Associates Must Ask About Their Firm's Merger Plan

The associates who navigate law firm mergers best ask the right questions early, such as inquiring about partners' plans, to assess how the merger could affect their workflow and career path, says Jackie Bokser-LeFebvre at Major Lindsey.

2 'Rocket Dockets' And The Rules That Propel Them

The fastest civil trial courts in the country are currently in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, and their chief judges provide insights into the court rules that keep them ahead, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

Key Legal Considerations For Data Center Battery Storage

Battery energy storage systems have become essential infrastructure for data center development — but as trade, energy and tax policies continue to shift, companies operating in this space must understand the importance of supply chain requirements and industry-tailored contracts, says RJ Colwell at Davis Graham.

Your Next Litigation Hold Should Cover AI Chat Logs

The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Fortis Advisors v. Krafton to treat a CEO’s artificial intelligence chats as substantive evidence is being read as a discovery warning to litigators, but there is a second duty-to-preserve lesson that is especially pertinent to in-house counsel, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

Cannabis Policy Shift May Reshape Banking, Insolvency Risks

The Trump administration's cannabis rescheduling initiative aims to correct classification that had rendered federal banking, tax administration and insolvency law incoherent, and will begin to restore some alignment between federal law and the economic reality of the marijuana industry, says Richard Ormond at Buchalter.

Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

Sold Inventory May Drive Tax Treatment Of Tariff Refunds

Companies determining the tax treatment of refunds expected following the U.S. Supreme Court's February decision invalidating tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act should consider whether the tariff costs have already reduced their income considering the cost of goods sold, say attorneys at McDermott.

Adapting To AI-Driven Scrutiny Of Foreign Asset Disclosures

As the government expands AI-driven, cross-agency fraud detection, foreign asset disclosure should be viewed as part of a broader, data‑driven enforcement ecosystem that prioritizes consistency, documentation and proactive governance, says Logan Koehring at FBT Gibbons.

Sizing Up The Rescheduling Hurdles Medical Pot Cos. Face

The Justice Department’s recent lowering of certain medical marijuana products to Schedule III means operators — particularly those simultaneously offering federally illegal adult-use cannabis — must implement greater structural discipline to navigate an increasingly fragmented legal landscape if they hope to benefit from new tax deductions and access to capital, say attorneys at Akerman.

Tax Teams Get No Bright-Line Rule From AI Privilege Cases

Three recent appellate decisions that considered artificial intelligence in the context of attorney-client privilege protections illustrate that taxpayers and tax practitioners alike must consider the pertinent facts on a case-by-case basis, with particular attention to confidentiality, disclosure risk and system design, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

NY Times Word Puzzles Make Me A Better Lawyer

Every morning I let The New York Times humble me with word games, which offer a chance to recalibrate my brain before the day's chaos arrives and remind me that a solution — whether to a puzzle or employment law issue — almost always exists once I find the right angle, says Amy Epstein Gluck at Pierson Ferdinand.

Law School's Missed Lesson: Diagnose Before Arguing

Law school often skips over explicitly teaching students how to determine what kind of problem a case presents before they commit to a particular doctrinal path, which risks building arguments that are internally coherent but externally misaligned, says Melanie Oxhorn at Kobre & Kim.

Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.