On November 12, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, into law, reopening the federal government. And while celebration for some is likely, not all will rejoice, particularly those states, businesses, and individuals involved in the hemp industry, which H.R. 5371 pointedly targets. Jennifer Cave and Jackson Hurst-Sanders take a look at  the changes in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

On November 10, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a pre-publication copy of its proposed rule to significantly reduce the scope of its Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) reporting requirements under Section 8(a)(7) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  Most significantly, the proposed changes seek to exempt imported articles from the reporting requirement.  According to EPA, the proposed rule aims to make PFAS reporting under TSCA more practical and easier to implement by reducing unnecessary or duplicative requirements for businesses, while ensuring EPA continues to receive essential information on PFAS use and safety.

ICANN’s April 2026 Top-Level Domain application round allows organizations to own their dotBrand top-level domain (TLD). In today’s digital-first world, the way brand owners and content creators present themselves online is as important as their goods, services, and creative output. Searchability and reputation are keys to revenue generation as the internet becomes more crowded and competitive. A dotBrand TLD is a powerful, forward-thinking signpost for web consumers to reach your legitimate website. Nancy Kennedy takes a look at how a dotBrand registration can help you in this Stites & Harbison client alert.

The enactment of the Bayh-Dole Act (P.L. 96-517, Patent and Trademark Act Amendments of 1980) established a uniform patent policy across Federal research-funding agencies. This policy allows non-profit organizations, such as universities that receive Federal research funding, to retain title to inventions arising from Federally-funded research programs. Effectively, the Act decentralized technology management, transferring responsibility for commercialization to universities and other nonprofit institutions. The Act has been credited with significantly boosting U.S. innovation and economic growth, generating an estimated over $1 trillion in revenue, creating thousands of new startup companies, and supporting over four million jobs since its enactment. However, recent governmental actions relating to enforcement of provisions of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 have justifiably raised concerns among stakeholders, including universities and research institutions. Pat Torre takes a look at those concerns in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.