Civil Law

Matcha shortage spurs concern about unsafe bargain products in U.S.

A global matcha shortage is flooding U.S. markets with low-quality, potentially hazardous bargain products. Supply chain strains and paused tariffs are raising alarms about food safety.

Japan, the heart of authentic matcha production, is grappling with declining tea yields because of droughts, aging farmers and surging global demand, according to a Japan Times report. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported matcha production grew from 1,471 tons in 2010 to 4,176 tons in 2023. With more than half exported, … Read the rest

Civil Law

PTAB to Discuss “Interim” Bifurcation

Boardside Chat This Thursday

The PTAB will host its next Boardside Chat webinar on Thursday, April 17, noon to 1 p.m. ET, for a discussion of the new interim processes for PTAB workload management. The new processes concern institution of AIA trial proceedings and bifurcation of discretionary considerations from merits and other non-discretionary institution considerations.

The new interim processes were announced on March 26, 2025. The Board will discuss more details about the processes and a question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. (Register Here) … Read the rest

Civil Law

Tariffs threaten safety of imported specialty foods

New U.S. tariffs, particularly on Chinese imports like soy sauce, are driving up costs at specialty stores, raising fears that smaller importers could face pressures challenging their ability to maintain safety standards.

Surprise policy shifts have added uncertainty to the trade landscape.

On April 9, 2025, the Trump Administration paused its steep “reciprocal” tariffs on countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines for 90 days, leaving a baseline 10 percent tariff on most imports from these nations. However, tariffs on … Read the rest

Civil Law

AMT: Does It Impose Additional Taxes Under Income Tax Bill, 2025?

AMT: Does It Impose Additional Taxes Under Income Tax Bill, 2025?

Background

The Alternate Minimum Tax (“AMT”) has its genesis in the Minimum Alternate Tax (“MAT”), which was introduced to ensure that taxes were paid by even those companies that intended to avoid payment of taxes by engaging in ingenuous tax planning methods despite having earned significant amount of book profits. These companies, called “zero-tax companies”, while reporting significant book profits, paid minimal or no income tax by leveraging various exemptions and deductions available under the Income … Read the rest

Civil Law

A New Era for Consumer Protection: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act

An overhaul of the UK consumer law landscape is on the horizon, with the consumer law provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 set to take effect on 6 April 2025.

By Fiona Maclean, David Little, Irina Vasile, and Sean Newhouse

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) represents a significant shift in the UK’s consumer protection regime. By introducing new enforcement powers and substantive obligations on top of a foundation of restated law, the … Read the rest

Civil Law

Former FDA leaders say staff cuts are killing the agency

Two former FDA leaders have taken to social media to say that the agency as we know it no longer exists.

Robert Califf, who stepped down from his post as Food and Drug Administration commissioner earlier this year, wrote on LinkedIn that the agency “is finished.” His pronouncement came as the first wave of firings at the agency went into effect. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. oversees the FDA and is firing 3,500 people from the … Read the rest