On May 13, 2025, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for David Fink, nominee for Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Led by Senator Ted Cruz, the hearing spanned two hours and focused on Fink’s industry background, safety record, and priorities for the FRA.

Continue Reading Senate Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for FRA Administrator Nominee David Fink

We are pleased to announce the release of Crowell’s Crisis Handbook designed to assist those who find themselves faced with challenging issues that require immediate action. Download your copy today.

Inside the handbook, you can find our recommendations on mastering internal investigations, safeguarding attorney-client privilege, navigating search warrants, handling government subpoenas, and more. Our elite investigations team that comprises seasoned white-collar and regulatory enforcement attorneys from around the world are ready to support you.

Autonomous heavy-duty motor vehicles — those with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or greater — to date have been barred from public roadways in California. This will change if newly proposed California DMV regulations take effect.

The proposed regulations include several notable changes and perhaps most notable among them is the opportunity for providers of autonomous heavy-duty vehicles to apply for a permit to operate through testing or deployment.

Continue Reading Autonomous Commercial Vehicles Now Come “Heavy-Duty” If New California DMV Law Passes 
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EPA recently published an interim final rule delaying by nine months the time for manufacturers and importers of products containing perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to report to EPA on their past activities. EPA’s PFAS reporting rule requires anyone who manufactured (including imported) any PFAS compound, or who imported any article containing a PFAS compound, at any time between 2011 and 2022, to submit detailed information regarding those past activities. The rule published on May 13, 2025, postpones the start of the reporting period from July 11, 2025, to April 13, 2026. Reporting must now be completed by October 13, 2026, for most manufacturers and by April 13, 2027, for small manufacturers reporting exclusively as article importers.

Continue Reading Federal PFAS Reporting Delayed, but Aerospace and Car-Part Companies are not Off-the-Hook

On May 14, 2025, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced significant advancements in drone regulations. FAA’s proposed rules related to Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (BVLOS) and restricting UAS operations at a fixed site facility have been submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) marking a significant step forward.

Continue Reading DOT Announces Progress on Key Drone Regulations

In this podcast, Nicole Simonian and Dj Wolff, co-chairs of Crowell’s International Trade Group, continue their conversation with Daniel Cannistra, an International Trade partner. This session focuses on the newly announced Section 232 Investigation focusing on commercial aircraft and parts, including a summary review of 232 investigations, why this one came as a surprise, how it fits in with other current Section 232 investigations, and how it may impact the industry.

Global Trade Talks is a podcast that shares brief perspectives on key global issues on international trade, current events, business, law, and public policy as they impact our lives.

Listen: Crowell.com | PodBean | SoundCloud | Apple Podcasts 

We are pleased to announce that our very own Amna Arshad has been shortlisted for the 2025 North America Aviation Lawyer of the Year award. This shortlist recognizes top women legal practitioners in the industry and honors their exceptional achievements in the legal profession and the firms that support them. Winners will be announced at the Women in Business Law Americas Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Crowell’s Mimi Dennis addressed the Transportation Lawyers Association’s (TLA) Annual Conference on May 2, 2025. The TLA is an 80-year-old independent bar association of in-house, government, and private practice attorneys who assist providers and commercial users of domestic and international logistics and transportation services. Mimi covered recent freight rail news and events during the “Multi-Modal Lightning Round: Covering Recent Issues in Road, Ocean, Rail, and ‎Air Transportation” session. Her participation underscores our commitment to leadership in the rail legal industry and our dedication to staying on top of changes in the specialized legal environment governing freight rail matters.

Please listen in as hosts Nicole Simonian and Dj Wolff, co-chairs of Crowell’s International Trade Group, continue their conversation with Daniel Cannistra, an International Trade partner, on the Trump Administration tariffs. This session focuses on recent modifications to the automotive/auto parts tariffs, including discussion about the impact of the recent Executive Order “Addressing Certain Tariffs on Imported Articles” and other related guidance.

Global Trade Talks is a podcast that shares brief perspectives on key global issues on international trade, current events, business, law, and public policy as they impact our lives.

Listen: Crowell.com | PodBean | SoundCloud | Apple Podcasts 

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On May 13, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, will hold a nominations hearing that will address key nominations for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Amtrak’s Board of Directors, and the Department of Commerce. Among the nominees is David Fink, who has been tapped to serve as the FRA Administrator.

Crowell will be monitoring the hearing closely.