In his first few days in office, President Trump issued several executive orders (“EOs”) and memoranda, many of which may have implications for federal contractors and grant recipients, including the following:
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Biden Administration Releases Executive Order on AI Infrastructure
On January 14, 2025, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order on “Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure” (the “EO”), with the goals of preserving U.S. economic competitiveness and access to powerful AI models, preventing U.S. dependence on foreign infrastructure, and promoting U.S. clean energy production to power the development and operation of…
The Political ramifications of the UK’s economic travails
Economic Turmoil in the UK
The rate on the 10-year benchmark UK government bond has reached levels last seen in 2008. The rate on the 30-year bond stands at a 27-year high. Today, the Government sold £1 billion of bonds at the most expensive terms since 2004 – albeit with apparently good market demand. Sterling…
Congress Attempts to Revitalize the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act
Since 1986, the little brother to the civil False Claims Act, known as the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 (“PFCRA”), has seen very little use. Section 5203 of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) seeks to breathe new life into the law by renaming it the “Administrative False Claims Act…
State aid – Outlook for the European Commission’s 2025-2029 Mandate
On 1 December 2024 the 2025-2029 College of Commissioners took office, led by President Ursula von der Leyen in her second term.
This blog explores what companies can expect from the new European Commission in the field of EU State aid.
Key takeaways
- The Commission will establish a new State aid framework to allow EU
…
State Attorneys General Issue Guidance On Privacy & Artificial Intelligence
In a new post on the Inside Privacy blog, our colleagues discuss recent guidance from the attorneys general in Oregon and Connecticut interpreting their authority under their state comprehensive privacy statutes and related authorities. Specifically, the Oregon Attorney General’s guidance focuses on laws relevant for artificial intelligence (“AI”), and the Connecticut Attorney General’s guidance…
UK Government Proposes Copyright & AI Reform
In case you missed it before the holidays: on 17 December 2024, the UK Government published a consultation on “Copyright and Artificial Intelligence” in which it examines proposals to change the UK’s copyright framework in light of the growth of the artificial intelligence (“AI”) sector.
The Government sets out the following core objectives for…
President Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025
This is the first blog in a series covering the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (“FY 2025 NDAA”). This first blog will cover: (1) NDAA sections affecting acquisition policy and contract administration that may be of greatest interest to government contractors; (2) initiatives that underscore Congress’s commitment to strengthening cybersecurity, both domestically and…
ICO Audit on AI Recruitment Tools
On November 6, 2024, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) released its AI Tools in recruitment audit outcomes report (“Report”). This Report documents the ICO’s findings from a series of consensual audit engagements conducted with AI tool developers and providers. The goal of this process was to assess compliance with data protection law, identify any…
Just Weeks After COP16: CBD Secretariat Launches Stakeholder Consultations for the Operationalization of the DSI Mechanism. How Should Companies Engage?

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has opened four consultations inviting stakeholder input on the development of the new Multilateral Mechanism on Benefit-Sharing (MLM) for Digital Sequence Information (DSI), including the establishment of the global benefit-sharing fund known as “The Cali Fund.”
Companies are encouraged to actively participate in these consultations…