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Whitney Shephard

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Whitney is an associate in the firm's Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. She represents clients facing state and federal regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, as well as related civil litigation.

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This article was originally published on September 7, 2023 in Reuters and is republished here with permission.

State Attorneys General (AGs) uniquely wield power to enforce the law, direct policy, and effectuate political goals. Exercising their civil prosecutorial authority, State AGs have redefined priorities of paramount concern to CEOs and in-house legal counsel that impact the corporate and commercial landscape.Continue Reading Making an Impact: State Attorneys General Races in 2023 and Beyond

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently issued decisions resulting in fines for three of the state’s sports betting operators — MGM Springfield, Plainridge Park Casino, and Encore Boston Harbor. These operators were found to have violated Gaming Commission regulations prohibiting wagers on regular season games of collegiate teams from Massachusetts unless part of a tournament.Continue Reading Massachusetts Gaming Commission Fines Sports Betting Operators for Violating Gaming Commission Regulations

The world of sports gambling has undergone a transformative shift in recent years, with the widespread legalization of betting in numerous states. The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) paved the way for the rapid expansion of legalized gambling, sportsbooks, and mobile gaming. As the realm of sports wagering continues to evolve, it becomes crucial for governing bodies to adapt and establish comprehensive guidelines to preserve the integrity of collegiate athletics.Continue Reading Understanding the NCAA’s New Gambling Guidelines: Permanent Bans and Reinstatement Policies

In a January 10 ruling, U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sided with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), finding that they may continue in their fight to show that the South Carolina state court system’s restriction on automated “scraping” of eviction-related case information violates their First Amendment right to access and record public court records. “Scraping,” an automated data collection technique, is currently prohibited by the terms of use of the state Public Index, and attorneys who violate these terms can face disciplinary action. South Carolina Court Administration also uses technical means to prevent scraping. The NAACP has argued there is no reason for the outright ban, and other court systems allow the practice without any adverse consequences.Continue Reading South Carolina Judge Rules NAACP Public Records Scraping Case May Proceed

Updated November 11, 2022 at 11:29 AM ET

2022 State Attorneys General Election Re-Cap

On November 8, 30 states and the District of Columbia held elections for state attorneys general. Below are the current results of the elections for each of the 31 races. We will continue to update this blog post as results are…

On January 28, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that his office was beginning an “investigative sweep” of businesses operating consumer loyalty programs in California. The California AG’s press release stated that letters were sent to “major corporations in the retail, home improvement, travel, and food service industries” and allege the recipients’ potential noncompliance with…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) recently signaled its readiness to take a more aggressive approach when it comes to enforcing consumer protection laws, especially for violations by for-profit colleges and institutions, advertisers, retailers, consumer products companies, multilevel marketing ventures, and even social media influencers. Over the course of October 2021, the FTC sent…

In early September, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) advisory committee endorsed rule changes to increase disclosure regulations for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). For almost a year now, the SEC has signaled that there may be a need to beef up rules around SPAC mergers, and this recent move all but confirms its…