Important Recent Supreme Court Decisions Affecting the Business World
Jul 25, 2024
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Join Christopher G. Michel and John Bash as they discuss recent Supreme Court decisions affecting business regulations, including overturning the Chevron doctrine and limiting agency interpretations. They also touch on jury trials vs. administrative law judges in SEC v. Jarkesy, impacting how cases are tried in federal court.
The Supreme Court overturned the Chevron Doctrine, giving courts more authority in interpreting ambiguous statutes affecting businesses.
Litigants can challenge regulations and securities fraud claims, reflecting a trend of rigorous scrutiny of agency powers and statutory compliance in legal landscapes.
Deep dives
Key Point 1: Significant Term for Administrative Law
The Supreme Court's recent term emphasized skepticism towards federal government regulatory power in administrative law, marking a significant shift in evaluating substantive and procedural aspects of regulatory power impacting businesses.
Key Point 2: Reconsideration of Precedents by the Court
The Court, with three Trump appointees, showed a willingness to challenge established precedents that contradict the statute or Constitution, signaling a shift towards reevaluating settled legal doctrines to ensure alignment with text, intent, and separation of powers.
Key Point 3: Overturning of Chevron Doctrine in Loper-Bright Case
The Court, in the Loper-Bright case, overturned the Chevron Doctrine, indicating that agencies no longer have the final say in interpreting ambiguous statutes, with courts now responsible for assessing agency authority and statutory obligations.
Key Point 4: Implications of Supreme Court Decisions on Future Litigation
The Court's decisions, from Corner Post to McCarrie, provide litigants valuable insights into challenging rules, regulatory actions, and securities fraud claims, highlighting a trend towards rigorous scrutiny of agency powers, statutory compliance, and First Amendment protections in evolving legal landscapes.
John is joined by Christopher G. Michel, Partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Washington, D.C. office and John Bash, Partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Austin Office, the two Co-Chairs of the firm’s National Appellate Practice. They discuss several far-reaching decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of its most recent term that significantly affect how the federal government will be able to regulate businesses. First, John Bash explains the decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, in which the Court over-turned the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to the interpretation of ambiguous statutes adopted by the administrative agencies that implement those statutes. He also explains the decision in Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors,in which the Court ruled that the six-year statute of limitations for a plaintiff to challenge federal regulations runs from when the regulation first affects the plaintiff, not from when the regulation is promulgated. They then discuss how Corner Post and Loper Bright together will potentially allow businesses to overturn agency interpretations of statutes that were established decades ago. Chris explains the decision in SEC v. Jarkesy that when an agency brings a case that would typically require a jury at common law, the defendant is entitled to a jury trial in a federal court rather than a trial before one of the agency’s administrative law judges. Chris also explains the Court’s decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., which held that a bankruptcy court may not grant a release of claims against non-parties to a bankruptcy unless the alleged victims consent to the release, and how the decision will affect large bankruptcy proceedings going forward. They then discuss Moody v. NetChoice, LLC, in which the Court expressed skepticism about state laws in Texas and Florida that prohibited social media companies from engaging in certain forms of content moderation, but remanded the case for further proceedings. Finally, they discuss Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. v. Moab Partners, in which the Court ruled that “pure omissions” are not actionable under SEC Rule 10b-5 and a Rule 10b-5 claim must always be based on a statement that is either false or misleading on its own or rendered misleading by a material omission.