Insights

Washington – June 4, 2026: Crowell & Moring earned 92 individual rankings for 81 attorneys, as well as 48 national and statewide practice area rankings, in the Chambers USA 2026 guide. The Chambers guide ranks the country’s top law firms and lawyers through in-depth research, client interviews, and feedback from attorneys at peer firms. 

Chicago – February 3, 2026: World Trademark Review has once again recognized Crowell & Moring as a top trademark firm in its 2026 guide. Crowell received the highest ranking—gold—in Illinois for enforcement and litigation, and prosecution and strategy. The firm also achieved “Recommended” status in the International category and silver in the U.S. National and Belgium categories, and earned recognition as a top firm in California. Crowell is one of only three firms in Illinois to earn a gold ranking both for litigation and prosecution. 

Washington – August 20, 2025: The 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 44 Crowell & Moring lawyers as "Best Lawyers." 

On December 11, 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S.8420-A/A.8887-B into law. This first-in-the-nation legislation, called the New York AI Synthetic Performers Disclosure Law, is intended to protect consumers and promote transparency in the age of AI advertising. This law represents a meaningful shift in the legal landscape for AI advertising. For the first time in any U.S. jurisdiction, the mere use of an AI-generated human likeness in a commercial advertisement triggers an affirmative disclosure obligation. The practical implications are significant, particularly for e-commerce retailers, digital advertisers, and agencies that have integrated AI-generated human imagery into high-volume creative workflows.

On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Rule Concerning Subscriptions and Other Negative Option Plans, commonly known as the “Click-to-Cancel” rule. As detailed in a previous client alert, the rule was intended to regulate negative option plans[1]— such as subscriptions and automatic renewals — by imposing stringent requirements on businesses, including streamlined cancellation processes and enhanced disclosure obligations. The Eighth Circuit vacated the Click-to-Cancel rule because it found that the FTC had failed to comply with mandatory procedural requirements. As a result, the rule is no longer in effect, and businesses are not currently subject to its mandates.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs laid out their enforcement priorities during the 2025 ANA Masters of Advertising Law Conference, at which Crowell & Moring attorneys spoke on and attended various panels.

After the recent barrage of lawsuits filed by copyright owners against artificial intelligence platforms, it will likely take a few years for the dust to settle on multiple legal issues surrounding the new technology and intellectual property rights, says Crowell & Moring partner David Ervin, who co-leads the firm’s Advertising & Brand Protection Group.

The landscape for advertisers and marketers has been shifting in an exciting direction. Over the past decade, industries have firmly embraced multichannel communication and brand building, creating a strategy based on a mix of traditional media and social media, with the persona of the “influencer” as the modern incarnation of brand communication. However, early adopters are on to the next, new universe for connecting with a different, wider, and younger audience around their brands: the metaverse.

The 2016 ANA/BAA 38th Marketing Law Conference, at the Downtown Chicago Marriott, Nov. 9-11, 2016 builds on the tradition as the broadest marketing and advertising law conference with deep practical legal content, fruitful networking and major CLE credits. Deep dives into all aspects of Marketing and Advertising Law and Digital Media; IP and Privacy, FTC, State A.G. and state-regulation (NAD, CARU), Lanham Act, Class Actions, with many new sessions and 5 more sessions added to the total; Hear from 125 of the nation's leading inside and outside counsel and federal, state and self-regulatory officials. In 2015 a record attendance of 750, with over 200 major brands present.

Program: 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern

Gift cards, rewards points, and other loyalty programs have improved the way retailers, consumer brands, entertainment companies, restaurants, and other merchants connect with their consumers. However, with these innovative programs comes risk and compliance concerns. Specifically, stringent federal and state consumer protection laws that are sometimes in conflict make compliance associated with these programs tricky and expensive. At the same time, arcane escheat laws subject companies to potential liabilities in the millions for unclaimed property obligations. The risks to companies holding unredeemed account balances has increased as cash-strapped states have ramped-up their enforcement efforts, including Delaware’s recent challenge of third party gift card service provider models and separate issuer entities.