What’s New in Practical Guidance: January 2026 Highlights

Introduction 

The pace of legal change continues to accelerate in 2026. Attorneys are navigating increased regulatory scrutiny, rapidly evolving artificial intelligence laws, and market-driven shifts in transactional practice—all while maintaining efficiency and accuracy. 

The January 2026 Practical Guidance release responds directly to these challenges. With hundreds of new and enhanced resources across corporate, technology, litigation, employment, and regulatory practice areas, this update delivers practical, jurisdiction-aware tools designed for real-world legal work. 

Smarter Tools for Corporate and Transactional Work 

Business and corporate practitioners gain expanded state-specific guidance to support entity formation, governance, and compliance. New corporation formation process maps across multiple jurisdictions provide visual, step-by-step workflows that help attorneys move efficiently from planning to execution. 

Updates to S-corporation termination guidance reflect current statutory and tax considerations, while new board-level memoranda address special committees, governance best practices, and evolving ESG oversight obligations. 

M&A and transactional teams benefit from a major enhancement to asset transaction templates. New short- and long-form asset purchase agreements incorporate insights from the 2025 SRS Acquiom M&A Deal Terms Study, adding market-driven drafting notes, jurisdictional variations, and data-backed negotiation guidance. 

AI, Privacy, and Technology Take Center Stage 

Artificial intelligence continues to reshape legal risk in 2026, and January’s updates reflect that shift. New AI-focused practice notes, checklists, and model clauses address responsible AI use, generative AI disclosures, and emerging state-level AI governance laws. 

Expanded legislative trackers cover: 

• Artificial intelligence regulation 

• Biometric privacy 

• Children’s data protection 

• Comprehensive state privacy legislation 

These tools give attorneys early visibility into trends that will shape compliance strategies throughout the year. 

Technology and commercial practitioners also gain new guidance on AI in supply chains, influencer marketing compliance, website accessibility standards, and data security contracting, helping clients adopt innovation without increasing exposure. 

Litigation, Employment, and Regulatory Depth 

Litigators see expanded coverage across civil litigation, securities enforcement, and white-collar defense, including new causes of action, affirmative defenses, and expert-driven analysis to support motion practice and case strategy. 

Employment and labor updates introduce: 

• Revamped settlement agreement templates 

• State-specific workplace policies 

• Updated compliance checklists reflecting evolving enforcement priorities 

Regulatory content also grows across environmental, financial services, healthcare, and life sciences. New resources cover PFAS reporting obligations, climate disclosure requirements, healthcare contracting considerations, and FDA regulatory processes. 

Practical Guidance That Keeps Pace with Practice 

The January 2026 Practical Guidance updates deliver the tools attorneys need to keep pace with legal, regulatory, and technological change. With market-driven templates, AI-focused compliance resources, and state-specific practical tools, Practical Guidance continues to support confident, efficient legal work. 

View the full update here.   

For the latest legal developments in your practice area, sign up for the weekly Practical Guidance Newsletter. 

FAQs  

What new AI resources were added to Practical Guidance in January 2026? 

January 2026 introduces AI governance practice notes, generative AI disclosure clauses, and legislative trackers covering AI, biometric privacy, and children’s data laws. 

Are the January 2026 updates state-specific? 

Yes. Many new tools include jurisdiction-specific workflows, policies, and regulatory guidance tailored to individual states. 

Who benefits most from these updates? 

Corporate, technology, litigation, employment, and regulatory attorneys—both in law firms and in-house—benefit from the expanded content.