Thinking globally: Jones Walker Consulting, an affiliate of the law firm of the same name, has partnered with a Ireland-based trade and investment services firm to provide support for international companies expanding to the U.S. In a news release, Jones Walker Consulting says it’s allying with OCO Global, a firm that works to guide internationally expanding businesses through export and foreign direct investment. Jones Walker and OCO Global will provide legal and regulatory guidance, site selection services, business development, market intelligence and short-term incubation facilities to companies entering the U.S.—a popular destination for foreign investment.
Before the court: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on whether the owner of a Colorado cake shop can refuse to provide service to same-sex couples due to his religious beliefs. NPR reports the case is about more than cake. Charlie Craig, one half of the married couple that filed suit against the cake maker, wrote on in a ACLU blog post that the case is about ensuring businesses don’t discriminate against customers. Craig and his husband, David Mullins, sued Jack Phillips, who along with his wife owns Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver. Phillips argued a state law compels him to produce wedding cakes for gay couples, which runs counter to his religious beliefs and violated his First Amendment rights. Read more.
At a limit: The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to go forward with a limited version of its ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries. The Associated Press reports the decision is a victory for the Trump administration. The justices will hear full arguments in October in the case that has stirred heated emotions across the nation. In the meantime, the court says that Trump’s ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen can be enforced if those visitors lack a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” Trump said last week that the ban would take effect 72 hours after being cleared by courts. Read more.
