Foley & Lardner LLP

In a recent blog post we examined a surge in billion-dollar-plus funding rounds in 2026, driven largely by investment in artificial intelligence (AI). Now that venture capital (VC) data for Q3 is officially out, the trend has only intensified, but the full picture is more complicated than the headline numbers suggest. The concentration is striking. According to Q3 data from Crunchbase, roughly one third of all global VC capital went to just 27 companies raising billion-dollar-plus rounds.

One of the things I enjoy most about serving as chair of Foley’s Best Self Steering Committee is the opportunity to have candid conversations about topics that matter to our people and strengthen our culture. I recently had the pleasure of moderating A Conversation About Meaningful Connections with our three legal department chairs, Jeff Blease, Jeff Gundersen, and Jim Peterson.

A year ago, we argued that SPACs had entered a fourth, more disciplined era: experienced sponsors, longer search periods, promotes tied to performance, and targets with real revenue.[1] Twelve months on, that thesis has held. This article discusses where the bottleneck would move. In 2021 the scarce resource was a credible target. In 2026, it is committed cash at closing. There are plenty of SPACs and plenty of companies that want to use them.

Oilfield service firms are reporting rising input costs far more often than rising prices, and contract language may determine who absorbs the difference. Oilfield service firms responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey for the third quarter of 2026 reported substantially broader increases in input costs than in the prices they received.

October 12, 2026 California employers that spent much of 2026 revising their sign-on bonuses, retention agreements, and other compensation arrangements in response to Assembly Bill 692 (AB 692) now face a somewhat unexpected development. On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1697 (AB 1697), postponing the application of California’s new restrictions on employment-related repayment obligations and expanding several statutory exceptions.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two new AI in employment bills that will go into effect as of January 1, 2027. These bills will limit and regulate the use of artificial intelligence decision making in the employer-employee relationship.

October 8, 2026 Foley Viewpoints Ready for Anything: Open for Whom? On Tuesday night, in the middle of San Francisco Tech Week, a full room of CFOs, founders, investors and bankers rode up to the 19th floor of One Market Plaza for a conversation with no slides, no pitches and no record. The premise was the title.

Jump to: Executive Summary | Why State AG Elections Matter to Business | Strategic Considerations for Companies Heading into the Fall | Policy and Enforcement Trends to Watch | The 2026 Election Landscape | State-by-State Races and Transitions to Watch | Conclusion State attorneys general continue to shape the business environment through enforcement actions, multistate investigations, regulatory challenges, and high-profile policy litigation.

On Tuesday night, in the middle of San Francisco Tech Week, a full room of CFOs, founders, investors and bankers rode up to the 19thfloor of One Market Plaza for a conversation with no slides, no pitches and no record. The premise was the title. IPO windows open and close within weeks, the SPAC market has been reborn with a rulebook, and growth companies have to be ready for several outcomes at once. The one ask of the panel beforehand was to be as candid about what is not working as about what is.

Addition of experienced first-chair litigator expands the firm’s antitrust litigation and enforcement depth across key sectors Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that Jonathan Lasken has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner in its Antitrust & Competition Practice Group, further strengthening the firm’s capabilities in high-stakes antitrust litigation, government investigations and enforcement, and merger review.