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Troutman Pepper Locke is proud to sponsor Pub K’s Government Contracts Annual Review Conference in Washington, D.C. Hilary Cairnie will be a panelist on the “Investigations & Audits” session
This article was originally published on Law360 and is republished here with permission as it originally appeared on January 22, 2026.
Since the change in administration last year, much has changed in the payments law landscape. Federal regulators have been busy rescinding agency guidance, advisory opinions, interpretive rules and policy statements.
In a pair of recent submissions to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a bipartisan coalition including more than 20 state attorneys general (AG) opposed action by the FCC to preempt state and local laws relating to artificial intelligence (AI). The coalition’s comments reflect persistent concerns among AGs about how businesses use AI when interacting with their residents, even as some federal policymakers support limiting states’ ability to address those concerns.
On his last day in office, New Jersey Attorney General (AG) Matt Platkin announced a consent order resolving a consumer fraud investigation into Skims Body, Inc. for charging consumers in New Jersey sales tax on items that are exempt under state law. Founded by Kim Kardashian, Skims is primarily an online retailer of apparel. The company agreed to pay $200,000 in civil penalties and to comply with the consent order’s injunctive terms.
Troutman Pepper Locke’s Securities Investigations and Enforcement team counsels and defends clients through all stages of securities enforcement proceedings. Our attorneys have served in key government agencies and regulatory bodies, and bring their insight to bear in each representation. The team includes a former branch chief of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, former enforcement lawyers, regulators and government attorneys, assistant United States Attorneys and former assistant attorneys general, as well as in-house counsel for public companies. Our lawyers and practice have been identified as leaders in the field by publications such as the Legal 500, SuperLawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and Chambers USA.
Troutman Pepper Locke is once again well represented on the Food and Drug Law Institute’s (FDLI) committees for 2026, underscoring the firm’s continued leadership on issues affecting FDA‑regulated industries, including tobacco and nicotine.
On January 5, 2026, Colorado Attorney General (AG) Phil Weiser announced that MC Global Holdings and affiliated persons and entities (collectively, MC) had been fined for allegedly violating the terms of a May 2025 assurance of discontinuance. The defendants, who are engaged in manufacturing, packaging, labeling, distributing, and/or selling industrial hemp products under the brand Vivimu, agreed to a fine of $575,000, of which $500,000 will be suspended as long as they comply with the terms of the new agreement.
State attorneys general (AGs) are among the most active and influential regulators in the U.S., using broad statutory authority, political visibility, and growing technical knowledge to shape policy and enforcement across sectors. In 2025, they asserted their authority to shape the legal and regulatory environment across the U.S. through aggressive and coordinated action. Despite changing
On January 15, Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton announced that the state had settled its long-running lawsuit against Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. over the prices that the company charged for eggs in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, Cal-Maine avoided making any monetary payment as part of the settlement, instead agreeing to donate more than two million eggs to Texas food banks.
On January 6, South Dakota Attorney General (AG) Marty Jackley announced a package of proposed legislation to modernize various aspects of the state’s criminal statutes. Among the proposals is a bill that would expressly authorize law enforcement to seize cryptocurrency as part of a criminal investigation. The measure reflects a growing concern that digital currency occupies a central role in much criminal activity and that legislation may be necessary in some jurisdictions to address those concerns.