The Sidley Podcast

This year’s U.S. Supreme Court term promises to build on the consequential rulings of last year’s. With the midterm elections closing in, challenges to election rules, mail ballots, and congressional maps will all be tested, as the president pushes boundaries to expand his power and limit agency authority. Meanwhile, cultural issues take center stage on the docket, with challenges to semiautomatic weapons, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration.Is the court picking its battles with the executive branch? How has the court stacked up in the estimation of the business community? And what are the cases to watch this term?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Kwaku Akowuah, who co-leads Sidley’s Supreme Court, Appellate, and Litigation Strategies practice, and Tobias Loss-Eaton, a partner in that practice who has argued and won a unanimous decision at the Supreme Court this spring.In this second half of our annual Supreme Court episode, they give insights into the high-profile cases to watch this term, including what lies ahead on the docket in the court’s business-related cases. Join our podcast to hear more.Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

This year’s U.S. Supreme Court term promises to build on the consequential rulings of last year’s. With the midterm elections closing in, challenges to election rules, mail ballots, and congressional maps will all be tested, as the president pushes boundaries to expand his power and limit agency authority. Meanwhile, cultural issues take center stage on the docket, with challenges to semiautomatic weapons, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration. Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Kwaku Akowuah, who co-leads Sidley’s Supreme Court, Appellate, and Litigation Strategies practice, and Tobias Loss-Eaton, a partner in that practice who has argued and won a unanimous decision at the Supreme Court this spring. In this first half of our recording they give insights into the court’s last term, including how the justices expanded presidential power to remove executive officials from office, limited voting and immigration rights, and put a check on the executive’s ability to impose tariffs. Join our podcast to hear more. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

Global prediction markets are booming. Trading volumes reached a record US$24 billion in April this year, heavily driven by excitement over the FIFA World Cup and sports betting. But with that expansive growth come risks. Recent high-profile cases alleging insider trading related to the markets have alarmed businesses over the fear employees could exploit their nonpublic information for personal gain. Regulators have taken notice, and enforcement is on the rise. How can businesses protect themselves from insiders who might use the prediction markets for ill gain? How significant is the enforcement and regulatory impact on companies? And what’s on the horizon as the prediction markets continue to captivate the public? Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Ian McGinley, a partner in Sidley’s Securities Enforcement and Regulatory and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices and a former Commodity Futures Trading Commission director of enforcement, and Matthew Podolsky, also a partner in Sidley’s Securities Enforcement and Regulatory and White Collar Defense and Investigations practices. Matt is a former acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and former chief of their Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Together, they discuss the exponential growth of the prediction markets, what is driving that growth, and the real-world risks of insider trading prosecutions related to engaging with those markets. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

Stablecoins are transforming money. Their very name implies more stability in value than their blockchain siblings such as bitcoin. As their use expands and momentum builds following recent legislative developments, they are increasingly being viewed as a potential means of improving the speed and efficiency of certain payments. But with that rapid growth come important questions about the appropriate regulatory framework and the interaction between stablecoins and the broader financial system. While new legislation is establishing safeguards, market participants differ on the appropriate balance between innovation and risk.How are stablecoins transforming money? Who are the players at the center of this transformation? And how can businesses benefit?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with one of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Jess Cheng, a partner in Sidley’s Banking, Payments and Fintech and Blockchain practices. Together, they discuss how stablecoins are transforming the digital payments ecosystem and the players who are driving that change. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed sweeping new rules that would encourage companies to go, and stay, public. If adopted, the changes would facilitate access to the capital markets and reduce compliance burdens. Industry groups have broadly welcomed the proposals. They say companies will be able to take advantage of desirable market conditions quickly and efficiently. But others are voicing concerns about the balance between flexibility and investor protection. Meanwhile, stakeholders are standing by, assessing the proposed changes for their potential impact. How will the proposed rules affect how companies offer shares and report to investors? How significant is the regulatory impact? And what are the challenges and operational stakes? Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Sonia Barros, co-leader of Sidley’s Public Company Advisory practice, and Carlton Fleming, a partner in Sidley’s Capital Markets and Public Company Advisory practices. Together, they discuss the SEC’s proposed overhaul of the public company regulatory framework – both for raising capital in registered offerings and for ongoing public company reporting obligations –  and how Sidley is advising clients to prepare for the potential changes.  Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

The Supreme Court of the United States has clipped the power of the executive branch in ruling that President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs was illegal. The decision is leading thousands of companies to seek refunds, and threatening to upend trade agreements the U.S. previously struck with countries seeking lower rates. Meanwhile, the administration is vowing to implement new tariffs using different legal statutes.Just how much does this ruling curb the will of the president? Will businesses and households get refunds? And what’s in store for the future of global trade?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Ted Murphy, co-leader of Sidley’s Global Arbitration, Trade, and Advocacy practice, and Kwaku Akowuah, co-leader of the firm’s Supreme Court, Appellate, and Litigation Strategies practice. Together, they discuss the Supreme Court’s tariffs ruling and its impact on executive power, the effect of the decision on businesses, consumers, and supply chains, and the prospects for those who request refunds. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, promising to enhance efficiency and revolutionize business. Corporations are embracing the technology, with AI market size expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030. But companies that deploy AI for their operations are confronting risks involving litigation, privacy, and ethics. And regulators are struggling to keep pace with its rapid deployment, leading some to fear AI is out of control — that it could spawn a surveillance state and render portions of the workforce obsolete.  How can businesses best employ AI efficiently? What are its superpowers — and potential perils? And what’s in store for the future of AI technology?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with one of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Dave Gordon, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, the co-leader of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice, the head of the Litigation group in the firm’s Chicago office, and the co-chair of the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Council. Together, they discuss who is using AI and why, the risks and best practices to deployment, and what to expect in the ever-changing legal and regulatory landscape. 

The Supreme Court of the United States is back in session with a blockbuster docket that could shift the levers of power in America. Issues range from the scope of executive authority, and the role of the federal government, to the power of the lower courts in resolving executive power disputes. As cases on the so-called “shadow docket” pile up, some district judges are speaking out, raising concerns about risks to the high court’s legitimacy. Meanwhile, the business world is watching and waiting for a decision on the administration’s tariff-setting power that could shake the global economy.Have the courts provided sufficient guardrails, what limits can Congress impose — and will those checks and balances last? Will SCOTUS rein in the administration’s tariff strategy? And how should businesses respond? Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Kwaku Akowuah and Tacy Flint, the co-leaders of Sidley’s Supreme Court, Appellate, and Litigation Strategies practice. Together, they discuss the monumental cases of the Supreme Court’s last term, the majority’s backing of executive power over the federal bureaucracy, and the court’s use of the emergency docket.  Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

A brave new world of investing is now open for business, and with it, a new way to conceive of property. Tokenized real-world assets have gone mainstream. Major financial institutions are racing to tokenize everything — from U.S. treasuries, to art, to real estate, converting these assets into digital form and storing them on blockchains so they can be traded easily on new marketplaces. But the breakneck pace has fueled concern over compliance with existing laws, as Congress, regulators, and investors struggle to harness both the potential and risk of the technology. What’s in store for the tokenization of real-world assets in the U.S. and Europe?  Will new legislation assuage concerns — or hinder widespread adoption? Has Europe surpassed the U.S. in regulating tokenization effectively? What is the impact of tokenization on the broader global marketplace? And what role does AI play with regard to digital assets?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Lilya Tessler, who leads Sidley’s Fintech and Blockchain group, and David Stewart, a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets practice. Together, they discuss what’s driving the surge in adoption of the tokenization of real-world assets and the related legislation in the U.S. and Europe, including the ability of these laws to drive innovation and enable entrepreneurs to create technologies. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have upended world trade. And they are spawning haggling over international commerce — even between the U.S. and its closest allies. With the global economy on notice, the business community is feeling the uncertainty, as the Trump administration calibrates just how much executive power it can wield on trade without congressional input. Meanwhile, litigation has hit U.S. dockets and the World Trade Organization.What’s in store for businesses in the days and weeks ahead? Are the tariffs enforceable? Will Congress or court cases ultimately prevail against them? And how are companies and consumers responding?Join The Sidley Podcast host and Sidley partner, Sam Gandhi, as he speaks with two of the firm’s thought leaders on these issues — Ted Murphy, a co-leader of the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice, and Andy Shoyer, a partner in that practice. Together, they discuss President Trump’s goals for his tariffs, the impact on the business community and our trading partners, and what litigation is taking shape in response. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.