U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Text Made Public Providing Important Details on How Companies Can Capitalize on New Korean Market Access Opportunities
Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.04.07
The U.S. and Korean Governments have publicly released the text of the recently concluded U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement ("FTA"). The comprehensive 24 chapter agreement (over 1,000 pages) provides details on the schedule for the elimination of Korean tariffs on U.S. manufactured goods and agricultural products, new market access opportunities for U.S. financial and other service sectors, investment protection and Korean obligations to benefit U.S. companies in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, autos, and intellectual property-related industries. The final legal text is scheduled to be signed on June 30 and then will be submitted to Congress for ratification. Our FTA team has been deeply involved throughout the entire negotiation process and is prepared to provide an in-depth analysis of the FTA and/or specific provisions which have an impact on your company's product or sector.
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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
