International Trade Bulletin - Volume 1, Issue 15
Client Alert | 2 min read | 10.04.06
Inside this issue:
- ANTITRUST IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- EUROPE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
- Enlargement to the EU-27: The European Commission confirms that Bulgaria and Romania may enter the European Union as of 1 January 2007
- Compensation for U.S. Corporations Stemming from EU Enlargement: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) is requesting U.S. exporters of goods and services to notify them of any adverse commercial implications that may arise as a result of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Divisions at the World Intellectual Property Organization May Halt Work on Global IP Reform
- SANCTIONS: With news reports of Iran's continuing defiance of UN demands to cease enrichment activity, and with negotiations dragging on with no schedule or framework, Congress has moved to increase the pressure on Iran, approving legislation just before departing for the election recess
- FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: Japan Continues to Expand Its Free Trade Agreements (FTA) Network. Is a U.S.-Japan FTA on the Horizon?
- REGULATORY: Reversal of India's Coke and Pepsi Ban Raises Investment Questions
- MARKET ACCESS: The EU uses China's WTO Transitional Review Mechanism exercise as an opportunity to tackle barriers to trade for European industries and enterprises
- GAMBLING: U.S. legislation that has been declared inconsistent with WTO rules by the WTO Appellate Body does not prevent criminal charges being brought against private individuals promoting gambling over the Internet
- TRADE-IN SERVICES: The EU has reached an agreement with seventeen other World Trade Organization (“WTO”) members on binding EU commitments for trade in services
- CUSTOMS CLASSIFICATION: Part 3: After Doha: Practical Approaches for Cutting the Costs of Trade - Classification Review Update: Importers Winning Classification Cases in the CIT
Contacts
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25
On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.19.25
