As investment opportunities across Africa's energy sector continue to grow, U.S. companies should be aware that sanctions, export controls, and trade compliance requirements can significantly affect project timelines, costs, financing, and operational feasibility.

Whether pursuing oil and gas projects, liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) infrastructure, or renewable and advanced energy technologies, companies that identify compliance risks early are better positioned to avoid costly delays and disruptions.

Illinois businesses participating in the digital asset marketplace will soon face a new layer of tax compliance and reporting obligations. Effective July 1, 2027, a first-of-its-kind Digital Asset Tax (DAT) will impose a 0.2% tax on the value of certain digital assets, broadly defined to include cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and other digital tokens used to store, transfer, or exchange value.

The DAT, which has been subject to legal challenges that delayed its January 1, 2027 originally scheduled implementation, will create new tax collection, reporting, and recordkeeping obligations for digital asset brokers, cryptocurrency exchanges, fintech companies, custodians, and other businesses serving Illinois customers. Organizations that facilitate digital asset transactions should use the additional lead time before implementation to evaluate potential exposure and prepare for compliance.

Businesses that rely on text message marketing just received some welcome news from the Seventh Circuit: consumers may no longer be able to bring private Do-Not-Call (DNC) claims based solely on marketing texts under one key provision of federal law. The decision significantly narrows a potential source of class action liability for companies operating in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Milwaukee recently hosted the 2026 G20 Trade Ministerial, bringing trade officials from the world's largest economies to Wisconsin. Although the meeting did not produce a new trade agreement, it offered a useful glimpse into the priorities increasingly driving trade policy around the world.

In a recent ground-breaking ruling, the Fifth Circuit made it more difficult for taxpayers to challenge certain IRS penalties before paying them first.

In Norcave Properties, L.L.C. v. Internal Revenue Service, the court held that accuracy-related penalties are subject to the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA), a federal law that generally prevents taxpayers from using the courts to stop the IRS from assessing or collecting taxes before payment. As a result, taxpayers who want to contest IRS accuracy-related penalties generally must follow the traditional tax dispute process rather than filing a separate lawsuit in federal district court.

Importers seeking IEEPA tariff refunds should prepare now for the next phase of the refund process. On September 15, 2026, U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) notified the Court of International Trade that (CIT) that the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (“CAPE”) Phase 3 will deploy on October 6, 2026. This marks an important milestone in the implementation of the CAPE process for importers seeking relief.

Can a company profit from your likeness without your permission? The law increasingly recognizes that your face, voice, and identity are assets that cannot simply be taken and repurposed for someone else's profit.

A blockbuster lawsuit involving Disney's Avatar franchise puts this growing legal issue front and center, underscoring that individuals may have legal recourse when others profit from their identity without permission.

Complying with European privacy rules governing the transfer of personal information to the U.S. has always been challenging for U.S. companies. Now, a seemingly unrelated U.S. Supreme Court decision, Trump v. Slaughter, may create new uncertainty around the legal framework governing those transfers, raising fresh considerations for companies that do business in Europe.

A growing trend in Illinois trucking litigation is placing motor carriers under increased legal and financial scrutiny. As plaintiffs increasingly pursue punitive damages against motor carriers, lawsuits are expanding beyond questions of driver negligence and into the company's hiring, training, supervision, and safety practices.

Multinational companies operating across the U.S. and China increasingly face a difficult compliance dilemma: complying with one country's sanctions, export controls, or other trade restrictions may create legal risk under the other's retaliatory laws. 

 Companies must assess whether both regimes apply and whether compliance with one country’s restrictions triggers liability under the other’s laws. As a result, businesses engaged in cross-border trade must develop compliance frameworks to navigate conflict-of-law issues and mitigate risks.