Womble Perspectives

Today’s episode is part of our Recruiting Success stories series. Lori Patton, our Chief Recruiting Officer, sits down with Michael McCue, a partner in our Intellectual Property group who joined Womble as part of our combination with Lewis Roca in January of 2025. 

The two discuss Womble's entrepreneurial approach and his experience since joining the firm.

More about WBD's Intellectual Property practice.

Today, we’re looking at a provocative development in reproductive science: selecting embryos based on projected intelligence. Picture this: a couple undergoing IVF is presented with three embryos. They’re told each has a different predicted IQ. Embryo 1, 2, or 3—who’s likely to be the smartest?

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• The Intersection of Genetics and Law: Navigating New Frontiers

About the author

• Christina Upton Douglas

In today’s episode, we’re diving into a pretty big shift in how lab-developed tests are regulated in the United States. If you’re up on FDA developments, you may have heard that there’s an effort to regulate these tests as medical devices. But a recent federal court ruling in Texas just flipped the script.

Instead of agreeing with the FDA, the court basically said, “Nope, lab-developed tests aren’t devices—they’re services.” And services aren’t under the FDA’s jurisdiction.

Read the full article:

• FDA’s Authority Over Lab-Developed Tests Overturned: What the Court’s Decision Means for Lab Testing

About the authors:

• L. Christine Lawson
• Katie Clowers 

Today’s episode is part of our Recruiting Success stories series. Lori Patton, our Chief Recruiting Officer, sits down with Ana Gutierrez, head of Womble's Environmental Practice. 

The two discuss leaps of faith and what led Ana to land at our firm.

More about WBD's Energy and Natural Resources sector.

Today we’re digging into a potentially groundbreaking legal ruling about AI. It’s the first time a federal court has weighed in on whether chats with an AI tool like Claude or ChatGPT can be considered privileged. Spoiler: the court said no. And this could have implications for businesses and legal teams.

Read the full article

• Client’s Use of AI Not Protected by Attorney Client Privilege

About the authors

• Ian P. O’Keefe
• Hayden J. Silver, III
• Scott D. Anderson
• Luke Cass 

Today, we’re talking about a federal development that’s primed to reshape an entire industry: the booming market for hemp‑derived cannabinoids. If you’ve seen delta‑8 gummies at a gas station or THC seltzers in a mainstream grocery store, you’ve witnessed this explosion firsthand.

Read the article

• Navigating New Hemp Laws: A Major Shift for the Cannabis Industry

About the author

• Jennifer German 

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. 

Read more

• 2026 Global Energy Sector Under Pressure
• 2026 Energy Report

Today’s episode sits at the intersection of culture, commerce, and creativity, diving into a trademark dispute that’s got both the fashion and music industries watching closely. It’s a case that asks: Can a rock band’s name really confuse consumers into thinking they’re buying luxury jewelry?

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• He Has His Heart of Gold…. Why Not a Chrome Heart, Too?

About the author

• Lori B. Cohen

Recently, the White House and the FDA issued statements suggesting a possible connection between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD. These announcements have prompted strong reactions from the scientific community. Organizations like The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and The World Health Organization have responded with caution, emphasizing that the current evidence does not support a definitive causal link.

So, what does the science actually say?

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• Autism and Acetaminophen Use during Pregnancy: Does Science Support the Claim of a Link?

About the author

• Matt Quinn, Ph.D.

Today, we’re diving into a story that’s been making waves: radioactive shrimp. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s very real. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents recently intercepted multiple shipments of cloves and frozen shrimp from two Indonesian islands—Java and Sumatra—that tested positive for Cesium-137. So what comes next?

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• FDA Wields Additional Import Power for First Time

About the author

• Andrew R. de Holl