Most trademark problems do not begin with a refusal from the USPTO or a cease-and-desist letter from a competitor. They begin much earlier during product development and brand naming, often before legal is meaningfully involved. For in-house counsel, pre-launch trademark risk is less about technical doctrine and more about process. Decisions made under time constraints, reliance on incomplete clearance signals, selection of legally weak brands, and launching without a filing strategy all narrow options later and increase the cost of correction. The companies that encounter the most difficult trademark...

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Key takeaways Data is increasingly shared across vendors and cloud environments, expanding the attack surface. Organizations should embed cybersecurity resilience into their enterprise risk management framework. Improving third-party risk oversight and building a culture of shared accountability can help.   Financial services organizations continue to be among the industries most targeted for cyberattacks. Banks, lenders, investment firms and payment processors sit at the intersection of sensitive data, global money movement and critical infrastructure, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals, hacktivists and...

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking place this summer across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will capture global attention with its exciting matches, heated rivalries, and memorable moments. However, the tournament also brings challenges off the field that players have to navigate. While athletes focus on the games at hand, they also work with their advisors to address a complex web of international tax obligations—particularly nonresident players who have the potential to earn income from participation bonuses and other...

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On 6 May 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a Public Statement presenting the results of its Common Supervisory Action (CSA) on the integration of sustainability into firms' suitability assessments and product governance processes and procedures under MiFID II. Background In October 2023, ESMA launched the CSA with national competent authorities (NCAs) to assess the progress made by investment firms and credit institutions in applying the key sustainability requirements introduced under the MiFID II Delegated Acts (CDR (EU) 2021/1253 and...

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The data-center sector's rapid growth is colliding with mounting challenges around power, community opposition, concentration, and underwriting risk. Those were among the key takeaways at last week's Trepp Connect conference hosted by Trepp Inc. in Midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Center. It's hard to believe that a sector with a 1% vacancy rate and a global inventory that is expected to nearly double in the next five years could be facing so many uncertainties, but they seem to continue to mount. Those uncertainties...

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