A recent New York appellate opinion focused on an all-too-common occurrence in the defense of injury actions: an entry in a hospital or medical record containing a statement from the plaintiff concerning the accident that contradicts the version the plaintiff has presented in litigation. Although encountering such an entry often feels like locating the proverbial silver bullet, it is largely worthless if it is not admissible. The problem is that such entries tend to constitute hearsay

On July 23, 2025, the Trump administration released its AI Action Plan, which aims to promote AI infrastructure, innovation and America’s global influence. In conjunction with the Action Plan, President Trump signed three executive orders (“E.O.”) aimed at executing the Plan and reshaping the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States. Together, these documents are part of a broader plan designed to enhance U.S. leadership in AI technology, reduce regulatory barriers, and promote the export of American AI technologies globally.

As previously reported, 2024 brought many employment law developments to employers operating in New York and New York City. Thus far, 2025 appears to be no different. To help employers keep pace with these changes, we summarize some of the key legal developments that have taken effect in the first two quarters of 2025.

Since January 1, 2025, New York has required private-sector employers (of any size) to provide employees working in New York State with up to 20 hours of paid prenatal leave within a 52-week period for health care services related to an employee’s pregnancy (including fertility treatment or care appointments). Paid prenatal leave is in addition to, and is a separate leave right from, New York sick leave. This means employers must provide New York employees with up to 40 or 56 hours of paid or unpaid sick leave (depending on employer size) as well as up to 20 hours of paid prenatal leave.  

In a disappointing ruling on July 8, 2025, the Sixth Circuit in Cox v. Total Quality Logistics, Inc. (24-3599) determined that the plaintiff’s negligent hiring claim against Total Quality Logistics, Inc., and Total Quality Logistics, LLC, (collectively “TQL”) was not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (“FAAAA”) found in 49 U.S.C. § 14501(c)(1). According to the Court, plaintiff’s claim fell within the ambit of the “safety exception” found in 49 U.S.C. § 14501(c)(2)(A).

On June 30, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14312 (Order). The Order bolsters recent U.S. efforts to reset the United States’s relationship dynamic regarding Syria, relying on perceived positive steps from Syria’s new leadership. These changes may offer new business opportunities in that country.

On June 18, 2025, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued the fourth iteration of General License 55 (GL 55D) to continue authorizing certain services related to the maritime transport of Russian crude oil that originated from the Sakhalin-2 project (Sakhalin-2 byproduct), as long as the Sakhalin-2 byproduct is solely for importation into Japan. This is an exception to the prohibition in Executive Order 14071 barring services that facilitate the maritime transport of crude oil of Russian Federation origin.

With the “pause” in imposition of substantial “Liberation Day” tariffs expected to end July 9, give or take some short implementation delays, businesses are evaluating whether force majeure clauses are appropriate avenues for relief from contract performance. This alert provides an overview of force majeure clauses and explains why, in isolation, these clauses are not the best solution for tariff mitigation.