Bloomberg Law senior data analytics manager Tom Shen and senior legal analyst Robert Kim explain the mechanics of cryptocurrencies and how they intersect with regulators and traditional banking. Shen discusses how blockchain technologies are streamlining banking processes and explains why stablecoins aren’t necessarily stable.

The European Commission recently released its highly anticipated Third Annual Report on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. Unlike prior reports, however, the Commission did not confirm that the U.S. continues to ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield Framework. That omission is highly significant for companies that currently rely on the Privacy Shield; it signals the need to explore other data transfer mechanisms should the Privacy Shield fall.

“Smart sanctions” is a mostly forgotten term from the 1990s. President Trump appears to have unwittingly embraced the concept, as illustrated by his failed attempt in October to deter Turkey’s military incursion in Syria via a Twitter threat of sanctions.

Businesses are increasingly turning to litigation finance to fund commercial lawsuits. The practice transfers risk to third parties and moves high legal fees off a company’s balance sheet. Charles Agee, founder and managing partner of Westfleet Advisors, discusses the maturing litigation finance industry. Agee estimates that more than half of Am Law 200 firms have had clients use commercial litigation finance.

Deregulation has created a substantial and profitable U.S. cannabis industry. But while now a multi-billion dollar industry, and more or less legal in 48 states, cannabis is still not just another agricultural product.

2019 has been a year of tariffs announced via tweet, inverted yield curves, avocados and bitcoin (and gold) having things in common, the birth and death of mega deals, and more. It all feels like a blur. Here are a few market and contract drafting trends to keep an eye on and questions to be asking in mergers and acquisitions as we enter 2020.

The European concept of data protection as a fundamental right is certainly gaining traction in the United States. Fueled by highly publicized data breaches, abuses, and consumer complaints, the proposals—and in a few cases, enactments—from legislators have taken on a decidedly European flavor.