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Sydney is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. She has additional experience assisting with corporate transactions and finance matters.

On September 10, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of California announced that Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLC (Southern Glazer’s), the largest distributor of wine and spirits in the United States, entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) to resolve a federal criminal investigation into the company’s bribery, false invoicing, and other trade practice violations. Under the terms of the agreement, Southern Glazer’s will pay $12.5 million to the U.S. Treasury, enhance its compliance measures, and continue to cooperate with the federal government during the pendency of any criminal prosecution related to this matter. This is one of the most significant federal enforcement actions against an alcohol distributor in recent years and carries important implications for industry members and third-party vendors.

Political activities sit at the intersection of law, policy, and reputation. Companies operating in highly regulated industries cannot avoid political law issues, and it is frequently more complex than expected.

This quarterly newsletter highlights a few practical issues we are seeing with clients and a handful of developments worth keeping on the radar.

The alcoholic beverage industry has always been a visual business. A sun-drenched vineyard on a wine label, the amber glow of whiskey in a crystal tumbler, a frosted pint glass beading with condensation — these images are the currency of alcohol marketing. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) can generate all of them in seconds, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional photo shoot.

Political activities sit at the intersection of law, policy, and reputation. Companies operating in highly regulated industries cannot avoid political law issues, and it is frequently more complex than expected.

This quarterly newsletter highlights a few practical issues we are seeing with clients and a handful of developments worth keeping on the radar.

Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong announced on March 20, 2026, that Connecticut has joined with other states and the federal government to reach a settlement with CVR Management, LLC, the entity that manages the Center for Vein Restoration (CVR), resolving allegations that the company billed government health programs for medically unnecessary procedures. The settlement requires CVR Management to pay $4 million, which will be distributed among the Medicaid programs of eight states, the District of Columbia, the federal government, and the relators of the original lawsuits.

Political activities sit at the intersection of law, policy, and reputation. Companies operating in highly regulated industries cannot avoid political law issues, and it is frequently more complex than expected.

This quarterly newsletter highlights a few practical issues we are seeing with clients and a handful of developments worth keeping on the radar.

This article was originally published on Law360 and is republished here with permission as it originally appeared on February 20, 2026.

When a client receives a civil investigative demand, or CID, or equivalent subpoena from a state attorney general, the first question is always some version of “how can we move to quash this subpoena?”

On December 30, 2025, Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton announced a $1.25 million settlement with Hyatt Corporation (Hyatt). The settlement resolves a 2023 lawsuit alleging that Hyatt violated Texas consumer protection laws by requiring consumers to pay mandatory fees on top of advertised room rates. Under the agreement, Hyatt must clearly disclose any required fees added to a hotel room’s price, reinforcing Texas’s push for transparent online hotel pricing.

On November 10, New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act officially took effect, requiring businesses that use individuals’ personal data to set prices to comply with the act’s disclosure requirements. New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James, charged with enforcement of this new law, has stated that enforcement is a top priority and has urged businesses…