Faegre Drinker

Sandy Jones spoke to The Wall Street Journal Buy Side about structured settlements, which allow plaintiffs to receive regular payments over a period of time following the settlement of a lawsuit. Sandy noted that structured settlements can take many forms and be tailored to a plaintiff’s needs, making them a helpful tool for financial assistance.

A bipartisan draft of the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act proposes sweeping changes to the Commodity Exchange Act. If enacted, the DCCPA would create a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital commodities, exchanges, brokers, dealers and custodians. Deanna Reitman, Ilene Froom, Glenn Reitman and Josh Andrews identify key features of the proposed act and explain how market participants, platforms, custodians and technology providers can assess whether their products align with the draft bill’s definitions and regulations. They also provide a Digital Commodity Feature-Mapping Matrix to help determine whether a tokenized carbon credit — or any other digital asset — may be considered a digital commodity under the draft.

In early November, the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments on whether the president exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, in cases collectively challenging the “trafficking” tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico and “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Our customs and international trade team recaps the arguments on the merits and administrative issues presented to the Court, and a current analysis of the following questions: • When will the Supreme Court issue its decision? • What happened at oral argument? • Will refunds be available if the challenged tariffs are invalidated? • Do I need to file my own lawsuit to preserve my rights to a potential refund? • What can I do to try and preserve my rights while these issues are resolved if I do not want to file my own lawsuit at this point?

A cross-office team of Faegre Drinker antitrust lawyers won a decisive victory on behalf of Surmodics, Inc., following a hotly contested trial against the Federal Trade Commission in Chicago federal court. Joanne Lewers led Faegre Drinker’s representation of Surmodics since the beginning of the FTC’s merger review process. After the FTC filed its lawsuit in March 2025, Paul Saint-Antoine joined the team as lead trial counsel, along with Josh Mahoney. Anna Sallstrom, Jonathan Todt and Matthew Lechner were also key contributors during the merger review phase and later at trial. Following a lengthy investigation, the FTC sued to block the $627 million acquisition of Surmodics, the nation’s leading medical device coatings supplier, by GTCR, a private equity firm. The parties litigated through a hard-fought, accelerated discovery period and pretrial proceedings, culminating in an eight-day bench trial. It took place over three weeks and was the first antitrust merger challenge brought by the FTC during President Trump’s second administration. Additional members of the Faegre Drinker team who provided critical assistance during the proceedings include Andrew S., Jose Lopez, Kerry Gibbons, Alecks (Alexandra) Lewis, Susan Haag and Shelley Meyer. Nicole Leimer, Mike Stanchfield, Brandon Mason, Kareem Tawfic, JD/MBA, Jennifer Lucas and Sheremy Anderson (Cabrera) represented Surmodics as deal counsel in the transaction and also supported the trial team throughout litigation. The case has received significant media attention in various legal and business publications, and the team was recognized by The American Lawyer’s Litigation Daily’s “Litigator of the Week” column.

Today’s businesses operate in an environment shaped by sophisticated cyber threats, evolving government regulations and complex global trade dynamics. Navigating these challenges requires more than legal knowledge — it calls for strategic insight and a multidisciplinary approach. Faegre Drinker’s new national security team brings together attorneys with extensive experience across the U.S. Departments of Justice, Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense and the intelligence community. Led by Jessica Abrahams and Craig Heeren, this team is ready to advise on all aspects of national security risk, including government contracts, trade and sanctions, cybersecurity, internal investigations and corporate compliance. By assembling this cross-service group with a background in government programs and appropriations, Faegre Drinker continues its commitment to providing clients with a comprehensive and cohesive approach worldwide.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to update the Toxic Substances Control Act reporting rule for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — chemicals found in everything from cookware to industrial products. Included in the proposal are important exemptions for low concentrations and imported articles, making reporting easier for businesses — especially small companies and importers — while still ensuring the EPA collects essential information on PFAS use. The proposed changes will be subject to a 45-day public comment period upon publication in the Federal Register. You can learn more in this alert by Bonnie Barnett, Amani Khoury and Emma LaFrance.

Join us in welcoming Scott M. Angelo as Faegre Drinker's chief technology and innovation officer! Based in our Washington, D.C. office, Scott will lead our technology strategy, security, and innovation initiatives. He brings more than 30 years of experience driving digital transformation and modernization in the legal industry and beyond. Scott’s career highlights include guiding firms through major technology upgrades and introducing AI, automation, and data analytics to enhance client and business outcomes. His award-winning leadership has helped law firms build digital innovation centers and advance collaboration across teams. Scott’s vision and expertise in leveraging technology make him a great fit for our culture of forward-thinking solutions and client-focused service. We’re excited for the impact Scott will have on our firm and the new possibilities he’ll help us create for our clients! Learn more about Scott and his background: https://bit.ly/3LC7RV9

The IRS recently announced the 2026 cost-of-living adjustments to various benefit and contribution limits applicable to retirement plans. It modestly increased the applicable limits for 2026. You can learn more in this post for our "Spotlight on Benefits" blog by Mark Rosenfeld and Kasia Crain.

The European Commission has announced stricter rules for Russian nationals to obtain multiple-entry Schengen visas, citing increased “migratory and security risk” amidst Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine. As a result, unless they fall under one of the limited exceptions, Russian nationals will typically only receive single-entry visas and, therefore, need to apply for a new visa each time they plan to travel to the Schengen area. Learn more in this alert by Claire D. Nilson, James Ford and Abilio Jaribu.