Womble Perspectives

Why Europe’s Anti-Corruption Directive Changes Everything for Global Companies

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. Read the article * The EU’s New Anti-Corruption Directive—What it Means for Global Companies as FCPA Enforcement Shifts [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/insights/alerts/eus-new-anti-corruption-directive-what-it-means-global-companies-fcpa-enforcement] About the authors * Luke Cass [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/luke-cass] * Audrey N. Karman [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/audrey-n-karman]

What Energy Companies Need to Know About Congressional Investigations

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 [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/kristina-moore] About Lee Van Voorhis [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/lee-van-voorhis]

From Nuclear Energy to Nuclear Waste. And Back Again.

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. Read the full article * Unlocking the Potential of Spent Nuclear Fuel – Renewed Interest in Reprocessing and Recycling in the United States [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/insights/blogs/unlocking-potential-spent-nuclear-fuel-renewed-interest-reprocessing-and-recycling] About the author * Thomas J. Dougherty [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/thomas-dougherty]

Section 203 and Hip‑Hop History

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.  Read the full article * 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. [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/insights/alerts/universal-music-groups-recent-success-blocking-section-203-termination-rights-could] About the authors * William T. Ramsey [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/william-ramsey] * Mariam N. Stockton [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/mariam-stockton] * Dani Bhadare-Valente [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/dani-bhadare-valente]

The Essential Role of Human Input in Sustaining AI Models

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? Read the full article. [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/insights/articles-and-briefings/why-human-created-input-data-needed-maintain-ai-models] About the author Dr. Christian E. Mammen [https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/people/dr-christian-e-mammen]