Today's Legal Pulse
Updated 2h ago
California’s “Protect Our Games Act” forces refunds or offline versions for shut‑down online games
Consumer‑rights group Stop Killing Games is backing a California bill that would require publishers to either release an offline‑compatible version of a game or issue full refunds when servers are shut down. The legislation applies to games sold after Jan. 1 2027 and mandates a 60‑day in‑game and website notice detailing shutdown dates, lost features and security risks. The bill aims to give players clear end‑of‑life options.
BMC Unveils Q1 2026 Operations Report, Flagging DAC8 and ZEC Impacts on Clients
BMC Consulting released its Q1 2026 Operations Quarterly Report, outlining how the EU DAC8 directive, the final year of the ZEC regime and fresh fiscal measures are reshaping client operations. The firm says demand for advisory services has surged as companies scramble to align processes with the new rules.
Harvey Secures $200 Million to Scale AI Agents for Legal Work
Harvey announced a $200 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $11 billion. The capital, co-led by GIC and Sequoia, will accelerate deployment of autonomous AI agents across law firms and corporate legal departments, where more than 100,000 lawyers already rely...
EPA Looks to Evaluate Microplastics Under the Safe Drinking Water Act
On April 6, 2026 the EPA released the draft of its sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, marking the first time microplastics are listed as a priority contaminant group. The draft CCL, which contains 75 chemicals, four...
Volato, M2i Global Target Late‑May Close After SEC Declares Form S‑4 Effective
Volato Group and M2i Global said the SEC has made their Form S‑4 registration effective, clearing the way for a shareholder vote on May 7 and a projected late‑May closing. The deal merges Volato’s aviation‑tech platform with M2i’s critical‑minerals supply‑chain business,...
Pa. Supreme Court Ends Mandatory Life‑Without‑Parole for Felony Murder
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life‑without‑parole (LWOP) sentences for second‑degree (felony) murder violate the state constitution, overturning a law that has kept more than a thousand people behind bars for life. The decision gives the state 120 days...
CMS Proposes 2.4% Medicare Boost for Inpatient Hospitals and Mandatory Joint‑replacement Model
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a 2.4% increase in net payment rates for inpatient hospitals in fiscal year 2027, translating to roughly $1.4 billion more for acute‑care facilities. At the same time, CMS floated its first nationwide...
Fed Demands Detailed Private‑Credit Data From Top Banks, Targeting $1.8 T Market
The Federal Reserve has asked America’s largest banks to submit detailed information on their private‑credit holdings, a move aimed at gauging stress in the $1.8 trillion private‑credit market. The request follows a wave of redemptions from private‑credit funds and rising defaults,...
White House Report Shows Stablecoin Yield Ban Adds Just $2.1 B to Bank Lending
A White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) report released on April 8 estimates that prohibiting yield on stablecoins would increase total U.S. bank lending by just $2.1 billion – 0.02% of outstanding loans. The finding undercuts the Treasury and American...
Senate Reopens CLARITY Act Markup, Aims for April Vote Amid Crypto Market Surge
The U.S. Senate returned from recess on April 12 and reopened the markup window for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. Lawmakers aim to schedule a vote before the midterm election calendar, while the Senate Banking Committee will hold a...
Cornelia Woll | 5th Annual Lecture Series On The Ethics Of Capitalism
Cornelia Woll’s new book, *Corporate Crime and Punishment*, argues that the United States has extended its corporate criminal law beyond its borders to advance both legal objectives and national interests. The extraterritorial reach relies on out‑of‑court settlements that let foreign...
AI, Justice and the Rule of Law #ai #justice #law
The UNESCO‑Oxford initiative launches a free, globally accessible course aimed at judges and justice‑sector professionals confronting the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in the courtroom. Building on twelve years of collaboration with over 38,000 judges across 160 nations, the...
Biosimilars And Complex Medicines For All With RNA Therapeutics' Sarfaraz Niazi, Ph.D.
The interview with Dr. Sarfaraz Niazi, CEO of RNA Therapeutics, explores his decades‑long journey from academia to industry and his pivotal role in shaping the biosimilar landscape. He recounts early work on biological drugs before the FDA had a formal...
CounselLink’s Kris Satkunas on Rising Legal Spend, Law Firm Rates, and Value-Based Pricing
The podcast episode dives into the accelerating rise in corporate legal spend, examining why law‑firm billing rates are soaring and how value‑based pricing is gaining traction. Host Greg Lambert and data strategist Chris Sukunis blend objective invoice data from CounselLink—covering...
🎁 Business Gifts Deduction — Enrolled Agent Exam
The video explains IRS rules governing deductibility of business gifts for professionals preparing for the Enrolled Agent exam. Core rule: $25 per recipient per year, applies to all gifts regardless of total amount. Incidental expenses (packaging, shipping, engraving) are deductible beyond...
ISO 27914:2026: A New Potential Long‑Term Solution for Section 45Q Permanent Secure Geological Storage
The EPA’s proposed repeal of Subpart RR threatens the reporting foundation for Section 45Q carbon‑capture tax credits. ISO 27914:2026, released on April 1, 2026, fills the gap by offering detailed quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) standards for permanent geological CO₂ storage. Treasury and...
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: Impact on Large Institutional Investors
On March 10, 2026 the Senate passed H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, adding Section 901 that bars large institutional investors—those controlling more than 350 single‑family homes—from buying additional units. The provision also forces divestment of certain newly built,...
2026 340B Program Update – 340B Rebate Model RFI Comments Due and Manufacturers Continue Restricting 340B Pricing
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has extended the comment deadline for its proposed 340B rebate‑model pilot to April 20, 2026, giving covered entities extra time to outline operational and financial impacts. At the same time, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have instituted...
Star Power, Legal Power: Lively V. Wayfarer and the Expanding Reach of FEHA
The federal court in New York allowed Blake Lively’s retaliation claim under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to proceed while dismissing her Title VII and whistleblower claims. The court classified Lively as an independent contractor, emphasizing economic reality over on‑set...
California High Court Reinforces Sliding Scale Arbitration Provision Unconscionability Analysis
The California Supreme Court ruled that the visual format of an arbitration clause does not determine its substantive unconscionability, but emphasized that courts must still examine legibility and context for fairness. The decision reaffirmed the sliding‑scale test, where a high...
Navigating the New EAD Landscape: What HR Professionals Need to Know About Automatic Extension Changes, the One Big Beautiful Bill...
The Department of Homeland Security’s October 30 2025 interim final rule ends automatic extensions for employment authorization documents (EADs) filed on or after that date, while pre‑Oct 30 filings retain a 540‑day grace period. USCIS also reduced the maximum validity of several EAD...
