Foreword

July 2025

Tariffs, regulatory conflict and upheaval, tax code changes, continuing dislocation in the commercial real estate market, and advances in artificial intelligence. For the moment, there is no such thing as “business as usual.” But it is not all doom and gloom in 2025. Disruption often creates opportunity, and the strongest companies will weather the storm not just by surviving but by strategically adapting—and re-adapting—to the deluge of changes on the horizon. Legal analysis is often the tip of the spear in that process, but only if the analysis is forward looking, proactive, and emphasizes speed of execution.

Our objective with this guide is to highlight key areas of opportunity that can empower executives not only to weather the occasional storm but to forecast those storms and lay the groundwork for effective response. Things are moving quickly, but businesses will have opportunities to prepare, mitigate and advance strategically. While no single publication can cover the entirety of the landscape of pressing and emerging legal issues, we have assembled succinct analyses from leaders in several of the most common areas affecting our clients’ day-to-day operations: contracts, labor and employment, AI/cybersecurity, commercial real estate, environmental, tax, and mergers & acquisitions.

The law has always been dynamic, changing and evolving to meet the needs and desires of the marketplace. What is different this time is the speed of that evolution. It is more important than ever to see around the corner to what comes next—to see what new risks may surface in existing contractual relationships, what tax efficiencies can be unlocked in corporate structuring, or what threats are inherent in emerging technologies and who may exploit them. And to act with appropriate speed requires an understanding not just of the applicable legal framework, but also of industry trends, best practices, and what has worked (or not) in prior times of uncertainty.

With all of that said, this is neither legal advice nor a soup-to-nuts playbook, but an issue-spotting guide. This publication is intended to spur conversation and analysis rather than conclude it. Our aim is for readers to come away with new ideas on how to best position their organizations in a shifting landscape and execute with counsel on those approaches.

As we look ahead, Stoel Rives remains committed to providing strategic, business-minded counsel to help our clients navigate the known and unknown with clarity and foresight. We hope this compilation serves as a valuable resource in that journey.