Insights and Analysis

Inside State AG: An Interview with James Tierney — Part 2

A Matter of Law Podcast Series

09 April 2026

State Attorneys General don't need Congress. They don't need the White House. And, as Professor James Tierney, former Maine AG, Harvard lecturer, and the foremost academic authority in this space, argues in part two of this conversation, they increasingly don't need the federal government at all to effect the national regulation landscape. As federal enforcement capacity contracts and major agencies take a step back, the states are stepping in, and the companies that understand this are best positioned to respond.

In Part 2 of Inside State AG, partner and State AG co-heads Karl Racine and Jason Downs continue their conversation with Professor Tierney. Together, they share insights on:

NAAG President and Connecticut William Tong's "Driving Down Costs for American Families" initiative and what it signals for the direction of AG enforcement in 2026
The growing bipartisan case for state antitrust enforcement, and why companies relying on federal counsel with no state experience face a significant blind spot
States proceeding to trial after the federal government settled — and what that means for companies that assume federal resolution equals resolution
Emerging enforcement frontiers in AI and climate, and the regulatory risk that follows when states are the last line of consumer protection
The legacy of the AG institution and what the next generation of attorneys general will be asked to confront

🎧 Listen to Part 2 of the conversation here.

For more information on state AGs, election information, and trends, please see our new client resource Inside State AG Hogan Lovells | Inside State AG.

Authored by Karl Racine and Jason Downs.

A Matter of Law Podcast Series

Hogan Lovells' A Matter of Law goes beyond the headlines to unpack the legal and regulatory shifts driving change across industries. Hosted by members of Hogan Lovells' Global Disputes team, the series offers practical insights and candid conversations on the forces shaping business, policy, and risk, providing sharp perspectives on how today's legal developments will inform tomorrow's decisions.