Womble Perspectives

In April 2026, the European Union adopted a landmark Directive on Combating Corruption, creating the first harmonized criminal anti-corruption framework across all Member States. In this episode, we break down what the Directive does, how it expands corporate liability, why its jurisdictional reach matters for multinational companies, and how it goes further than the FCPA in critical ways. We also discuss why perceived shifts in U.S. enforcement do not justify scaling back compliance—and what companies should be doing now to prepare for the new European enforcement reality.

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• The EU’s New Anti-Corruption Directive—What it Means for Global Companies as FCPA Enforcement Shifts

About the authors

• Luke Cass
• Audrey N. Karman

In this episode of Womble Perspectives, host Lee Van Voorhis is joined by Kristina Moore to discuss what companies—particularly in the energy and data center sectors—should know about Congressional investigations and oversight. Kristina draws on her extensive Capitol Hill experience to explain how these inquiries differ from traditional regulatory or enforcement actions, including the practical realities of subpoenas, privilege concerns, and political dynamics. The conversation covers current and potential oversight priorities in both the House and Senate, along with what executives and general counsel can do now to reduce risk and prepare. 

About Kristina Moore

About Lee Van Voorhis

In this episode, we’re diving into a critical topic that deals with the future of energy: spent nuclear fuel, or SNF. And as of right now, the U.S. has more than 91,000 metric tons of SNF sitting in storage with no permanent solution.

 That’s a truly staggering number. Especially since about 95% of that material can actually be reused. And through reprocessing and recycling, we could turn what we call “waste” into new reactor fuel, which would dramatically reduce high-level waste.

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• Unlocking the Potential of Spent Nuclear Fuel – Renewed Interest in Reprocessing and Recycling in the United States

About the author

• Thomas J. Dougherty

Today we're breaking down a copyright decision out of the Southern District of New York. On January 8, 2026, the court granted Universal Music Group’s motion to dismiss in a case brought by hip‑hop legends Salt‑N‑Pepa. 

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• Universal Music Group’s Recent Success in Blocking Section 203 Termination Rights Could Pose a Threat to Artists’ Abilities to Reclaim Sound Recording Rights in the Future.

About the authors

• William T. Ramsey
• Mariam N. Stockton
• Dani Bhadare-Valente 

By now, we all know that Generative AI models are trained on massive amounts of data, much of which is collected from the Internet, as well as other sources.

This AI is also generating tons of new content, much of which ends up online. But what happens when this AI-generated content is used again to train the AI models?

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About the author
Dr. Christian E. Mammen

Today we’re digging into the energy demands of artificial intelligence and the political pressure it’s creating. Senate Democrats are calling out Big Tech over the skyrocketing electricity consumption of data centers powering AI, which makes this not just a tech topic, but a conversation about consumer costs, infrastructure, and the politics of energy.

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• Senate Democrats Press Big Tech on the Cost of AI’s Soaring Energy Demands

About the author

• Kristina Moore

Today we’re unpacking our new Energy Outlook 2026. This is our fifth global energy sector report, and with insights from more than 650 senior leaders across energy companies, investors, service providers, and energy-intensive consumers worldwide, it paints a fairly comprehensive picture of what’s ahead. 

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• 2026 Global Energy Sector Under Pressure
• 2026 Energy Report

California residents to be licensed—or have an application pending through NMLS—by July 1, 2026. This episode covers who must comply, key consumer protection requirements under AB 39 and SB 401, new rules for crypto kiosks, and what digital asset companies should be doing now to prepare for DFPI oversight.

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• California’s New Digital Financial Assets Law Requires Application for Cryptocurrency Licenses to be Submitted by July 1, 2026

About the authors

• Amy Greenwood-Field
• Derek W. Edwards
• Scott J. Hyman, CIPP (US/E), CIPM, CIPT
• Robert W. Savoie

Nebraska has enacted Legislative Bill 717, a sweeping update to its consumer finance laws. This brief covers the expansion of the Nebraska Installment Loan and Sales Act from $25,000 to $100,000, changes to how the state’s 16% usury cap applies, and new net tangible benefit disclosure requirements for installment and mortgage refinances—all ahead of an estimated July 18, 2026 compliance date.

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• Nebraska Amends Various Finance Laws

About the authors

• Robert W. Savoie
• Julia Berry Lopez

Data breaches are no longer just cybersecurity incidents, they’re litigation events, and this episode explores how cyber incidents can quickly turn into class actions, regulatory‑driven discovery, and complex disputes over standing, causation, and damages. As cyber risk becomes enterprise‑wide legal risk, litigation readiness is no longer optional. An integrated digital solutions approach can help organizations prepare for cyber incidents with an eye toward what matters most.

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• Under Attack: Managing Disputes Arising from Digital Incidents

About WBD’s Digital Solutions Team

• Digital Solutions at Womble Bond Dickinson