Today's Legal Pulse
UK pushes commonhold reform to boost housing supply
The Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill proposes abolishing leasehold and mandating new homes be sold as commonhold, tying the change to a target of delivering 1.5 million homes annually—the highest since 1968. The model remains untested, with fewer than 25 developments and unresolved issues around dispute resolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Carta Acquires UK AI‑native Law Firm Avantia, Creates Carta Law AI Legal Venture
US fintech giant Carta has purchased UK AI‑native law firm Avantia, forming a new business called Carta Law. The venture blends Avantia’s proprietary AI workflow engine with licensed lawyer oversight to offer compliance, NDA and KYC services to private‑market investors worldwide.
Connecticut Enacts Up‑Front Pay Transparency Law Effective Oct. 1, 2026
Connecticut's legislature has passed Public Act 26‑12, mandating that employers disclose wage ranges and a summary of benefits in every internal or external job posting beginning Oct. 1, 2026. The rule expands disclosure duties to out‑of‑state firms with CT‑based supervision and creates...
Hi, I’m With the Government and I’d Like to Ask You a Question: What State-Licensed Medical Marijuana Operators Need to...
The DEA has moved state‑licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, triggering a mandatory registration process for operators. The registration form asks whether anyone involved previously manufactured, distributed, or dispensed a controlled substance without DEA authorization—a question most applicants will...
Young Americans Demand Court Halt Trump’s Biggest Rollbacks of Pollution Protections
Eighteen young Americans filed Venner v. EPA in the D.C. Circuit, seeking an immediate stay of the Trump administration's repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding that underpins U.S. climate regulations. The suit argues the rollback violates constitutional protections of life,...
A Bitter pH-Ill to Swallow: Federal Circuit Affirms Mylan’s Win Over Actelion’s Epoprostenol Drug Patents
The Federal Circuit upheld a district court ruling that Mylan’s generic version of Actelion’s Veletri® does not infringe the ‘802 and ‘227 epoprostenol patents. The court interpreted the claim term “pH of 13 or higher” as a measurement taken at...
Minnesota Law Lets State Banks Offer Crypto Custody Starting Aug. 1, 2026
Governor Tim Walz signed HF 3709, authorizing Minnesota‑chartered banks and credit unions to offer crypto‑custody services beginning Aug. 1, 2026. The law mandates strict risk‑management policies and coincides with a statewide ban on crypto ATMs, signaling a mixed regulatory approach.
Request for Preservation Order Denied Under the “Cry Wolf” Doctrine
In *In Re Zeta Global Data Privacy Litigation* the Southern District of New York denied a plaintiff’s request for a preservation order, finding the movants failed to show a substantial risk of electronic‑stored information (ESI) loss. The court emphasized that...
UK Law Commission – Charting the Legal Horizon of Autonomous Flight
The UK Law Commission released a final report outlining a legal framework for autonomous aviation, covering drones, VTOLs, and air‑traffic management. It draws a clear line between remotely piloted and fully autonomous flights, assigning responsibility to remote pilots when human...
C Is for Cookie, That’s Good Enough for New York: P.L. 86-272 Regs on Internet-Based Activities Upheld
The New York Appellate Division affirmed that the state’s 20 NYCRR 1‑2.10 regulation, which interprets P.L. 86‑272 for Internet‑based activities, is not preempted by federal law. The rule confines P.L. 86‑272’s protection to activities conducted within New York, distinguishing between solicitation‑related and non‑solicitation online actions....
Samuel Alito Has Exposed Himself to Felony Bribery Charges Under New Jersey Law. I’m Filing for His Disbarment and Submitting...
Justice Samuel Alito is facing a New Jersey bar grievance and a conditional criminal referral after an undisclosed $100,000 private‑jet trip from billionaire Paul Singer in 2008, subsequent votes that benefitted Singer’s hedge fund, and ongoing ownership of energy‑sector stocks...
Executive Order Directs Agencies to Default to Fixed-Price (and Performance-Based) Contracting
On April 30, 2026 President Trump signed Executive Order 14402, directing federal agencies to treat firm‑fixed‑price contracts with performance‑based incentives as the default procurement method. The order requires written justification for any non‑fixed‑price award and senior‑level approval for contracts exceeding...
Democrats Move to Shut Down Trump's $1.8 Billion "Anti-Weaponization" Fund
House Judiciary Committee Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin introduced legislation to block a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" created after former President Trump sued the IRS. The fund would compensate individuals claiming politically motivated prosecutions, including Jan. 6 defendants. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick publicly...
Susman Godfrey Continues DEI Scholarship Program As Other Biglaw Firms Flinch Amid Intensifying Political Attacks
Susman Godfrey announced the 2026 Susman Godfrey Prize, granting $5,000 scholarships to 25 first- and second-year law students of color. The initiative, now in its sixth year, continues despite a wave of political attacks on diversity programs in higher education...
Owner-Ops Respond to Broker Group's Freakout over SCOTUS Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that freight brokers like C.H. Robinson can be sued in state court for negligent carrier selection, overturning a prior protection. The decision sparked alarm among industry groups, with the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) calling the...
Anna's Archive Hit With Global Domain Takedown Order
A coalition of 13 major publishers secured a $19.5 million default judgment against the shadow library Anna’s Archive. U.S. District Judge Sidney Rakoff issued a sweeping permanent injunction ordering more than twenty global domain registrars, hosting providers, and related services to disable...
PTAB Denies Institution of One Elevidys® IPR and Institutes Another
The PTAB issued bulk‑order decisions on two inter partes reviews filed by Sarepta Therapeutics against Genzyme’s patents covering the Elevidys gene‑therapy platform. It denied institution of IPR 2026‑00149 challenging Patent 12,013,326 for rAAV particle characterization, finding an insufficient likelihood of success. It granted...
PTAB Update | April 2026
The USPTO announced a new “pre‑order” paper that patent owners can file before the office decides whether to institute an ex‑parte reexamination (EPR). The move responds to a sharp decline in inter‑partes review (IPR) and a surge in EPR filings,...
Minnesota Prohibits Prediction Markets, Promptly Gets Sued by Trump Admin
The Trump administration’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota, challenging a new state law that makes creating, operating, or advertising prediction markets a felony. The law, signed by Gov. Tim Walz, defines prediction markets broadly—from...
Mango Tycoon's Heir Held Financial Grudge, Gave Contradictory Versions of Father's Death, Judge Says
A Barcelona judge has named Jonathan Andic, 45, as a suspect in the death of his father, fashion mogul Isak Andic, who fell from a cliff near Barcelona. The pre‑trial writ suggests the fall may not have been accidental and that...
Anna’s Archive Hit with $19.5M Judgment and Global Domain Order
Thirteen leading publishers, including Penguin Random House, Elsevier, and HarperCollins, secured a $19.5 million default judgment against the shadow library Anna’s Archive in a New York federal court. Judge Jed Rakoff also issued a global domain takedown order, targeting the site’s...
FTC Warns 12 Major Tech Firms of Violating Take It Down Act
The Federal Trade Commission has issued warning letters to 12 leading tech platforms for failing to comply with the Take It Down Act (TIDA), a law that mandates rapid removal of non‑consensual intimate images. TIDA, effective since May 2025, requires...
BIFURCATION MEANS BIFURCATION: Utah Federal Court Shuts Down Plaintiff’s Attempt to Backdoor Class Discovery in TCPA Suit
The U.S. District Court in Utah upheld a bifurcation order in the TCPA case Jordan Cameron v. CHW Group, preventing the plaintiff from pursuing class‑wide discovery. The court limited Phase 1 to issues directly tied to Cameron’s individual claim, rejecting broad...
Off-Duty Misconduct: Toronto Cop Arrests in Spain Raise Questions
Three Toronto Police Service officers were arrested in Spain after a May 13 incident in a Barcelona taxi, with two charged with sexual assault and a third with assaulting an "agent of authority." The officers were off‑duty, returned to Canada and...
Capitol Police Officers Sue To Block Trump Slush Fund For Rioters
The Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion “Anti‑Weaponization Fund” to reimburse individuals claiming losses from the Jan 6 attack, including convicted rioters. Critics say the fund lacks statutory authority, sidestepping Congress by placing control in a commission appointed by President Trump’s personal...
The YOLO Remand Shows Why the 9th Circuit Should Stop Carving Up Section 230–Bride V. Snap
The Ninth Circuit’s earlier decision in Bride v. YOLO stripped Section 230 immunity for alleged promise‑based claims, allowing plaintiffs to pursue a case against the defunct YOLO platform. The district court has now dismissed the suit twice, rejecting class certification...
What Will the FTC’s Enforcement of the TAKE IT DOWN Act Mean for You?
The Federal Trade Commission is now enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which obligates social‑media, messaging and image‑sharing platforms to remove non‑consensual intimate photos, videos and AI‑generated deepfakes within 48 hours of a user request. The law applies to original content, altered...
Wolters Kluwer Unites Libra AI Workspace with Kleos Practice Management in Europe
Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory announced the integration of its Libra AI workspace with the Kleos cloud‑based practice management platform. The combined solution rolls out first in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Italy, promising a continuous, AI‑assisted workflow from research...
How 3 Elite Firms Drove Biglaw Innovation With Litera
Litera’s Foundation knowledge‑management platform has cultivated a passionate user base that meets annually at the Trailblazers Summit. To spotlight advanced usage, Litera launched the first Foundation Innovation Awards, highlighting three elite Biglaw firms that turned the platform into a strategic...
RealPage Rent-Fixing Settlements Pass $200M (and Counting)
More than $218 million in settlements have been reached with 11 landlords accused of participating in RealPage's alleged rent‑fixing scheme, adding to an earlier $141 million preliminary settlement. Major firms such as Equity Residential, Camden Property Trust and Mid‑America Communities each agreed...
Building a Defensible Legal Hold Process: EDiscovery Best Practices
Designing a defensible legal hold is now a strategic capability, not a simple administrative task. Modern enterprises must preserve electronically stored information (ESI) across cloud platforms, collaboration tools, mobile devices, and even generative‑AI systems when litigation, regulatory inquiries, or internal...
SEC Enforces T+1 Settlement; Schwab Details Broker‑Dealer Impact
On May 28, 2024 the SEC moved U.S. securities settlement from T+2 to T+1, and Charles Schwab outlined seven operational changes for investors and broker‑dealers. The rule aims to cut latency and counter‑party risk, but it also reshapes margin interest,...
UK Regulator Backs Automated Systems to Detect Explicit Deepfakes
The UK communications regulator Ofcom has added a recommendation to its Illegal Content Codes urging platforms to adopt automated hash‑matching technology to spot and block non‑consensual explicit deepfakes. The guidance, released ahead of autumn‑time code implementation, cites the rapid rise...
COA Denies P1.5 Billion Money Claim by Insurance Firms vs Pag-IBIG
The Philippine Commission on Audit (COA) rejected a ₱1.503 billion (≈ $27 million) claim by a coalition of 43 private insurers seeking payment from the Pag‑IBIG Fund for alleged unremitted fire‑insurance premiums. COA ruled the petition defective for missing a forum‑shopping certification, lacking...
Emergency Stay Bid in Carter’s Federal Circuit Appeal Signals High-Stakes Interim Relief Fight
On May 16, appellant Daitona Carter filed an emergency stay motion in the Federal Circuit, invoking Rule 8/18 to pause a lower‑court order while the appeal proceeds. The request hinges on the court’s four‑factor test—likelihood of success, irreparable harm, impact on...
![[Audio] Unexpected Paths to IP Law with Kevin MacDonald](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://jdsupra-static.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-images/og.16301_4225.jpg)
[Audio] Unexpected Paths to IP Law with Kevin MacDonald
Wolf Greenfield’s biotechnology practice spotlighted shareholder Kevin MacDonald, a former life‑science analyst who transitioned from a PhD in parasitology to IP law. The firm’s podcast, “IP Talk with Wolf Greenfield,” chronicles his academic journey, stint at the British Consulate‑General, and current role advising...
Florida Coffee Shop Owner Sues New York Real Estate Giant, Alleges Fraud
Drip Coffee, a single‑store coffee shop in Fort Lauderdale, has filed a lawsuit against New York‑based Kimco Realty and its affiliate Cypress Creek Associates, alleging fraud for inducing a lease it could not honor. The shop opened in September 2025, closed by...
EU Opens MiCA Consultation to Review if Crypto Framework Is Still Fit for Purpose
The European Commission has launched a public consultation to assess whether the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA) remains fit for purpose. MiCA, enacted in 2023, introduced the bloc’s first harmonised rules for crypto‑assets and stablecoins, with key provisions taking...
Bridge News Urges FCC to Drop Unprecedented Early Renewal Demand
Bridge News asks @FCC to reconsider early renewal notices: "The directive is unprecedented, and contrary to past Commission practice and policy. The only issue for which Bridge News LLC is being 'investigated' involves a factually-settled matter concerning an...
The Multifaceted Nature of Government Contracts Practice
Government contracts law stretches far beyond bid protests, encompassing intellectual property, cybersecurity, export controls, labor, and M&A throughout a contract’s life. Federal procurement alone tops $800 billion annually, with state and local spending adding hundreds of billions, making the arena a...
Two Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue Trump to Block $1.8B 'Lawfare' Fund
Two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the Department of Justice’s $1.8 billion “Anti‑Weaponization Fund,” which is intended to reimburse Trump allies alleging prosecutorial overreach. The complaint, filed in Washington, D.C.,...
Sales Tax Is Coming for Your Small Business Clients
Sales and use tax has moved from a back‑office issue to a front‑row priority for small‑business advisors, driven by the Wayfair decision and the pandemic‑era surge in online sales. Vertex data shows 681 rate changes and new taxes in 2025,...
Laws, Regulations, Guidances, and Enforcement Actions
The FDA and federal regulations provide a comprehensive framework governing prescription‑drug advertising and promotional labeling. Key statutes include the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which defines prohibited acts and penalties, while Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
DEADLINE ALERT: Commvault (CVLT) Investors Who Suffered Losses Encouraged to Contact Faruqi & Faruqi Before July 17, 2026 Securities Class...
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is urging investors who bought Commvault (CVLT) shares at inflated prices to contact the firm before the July 17, 2026 deadline to become lead plaintiff in a securities class action. The firm alleges Commvault misled investors with overly...
District of Nevada’s Opportunity for Junior Lawyers to Argue Motions
The U.S. District Court for Nevada, under Judge James Baldwin, has amended its local practice to encourage parties to request that junior attorneys handle oral arguments. By noting in a motion that a less‑senior lawyer will present, litigants increase the...
Is the Claims Management Market Working?
The FCA is launching a comprehensive review of the claims management market after identifying widespread misconduct in car‑finance and housing‑disrepair claims. Since January 2024 the regulator has removed or amended more than 1,000 misleading adverts and forced three firms to...
Gene & Georgetti Sues Midway Concessionaire over Alleged Brand Breach
Michelle Durpetti, owner of the iconic Gene & Georgetti steakhouse, filed a breach‑of‑contract lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against SSP America, the master concessionaire at Chicago Midway Airport. The suit alleges that SSP used the restaurant’s trademarks and trade...
Washington Tightens AI Rules, Targeting Deepfakes and Data Governance
Washington announced a sweeping AI regulatory push, licensing Anthropic’s Mythos model and launching enforcement of the Take It Down Act to force platforms to delete non‑consensual deepfakes within 48 hours. The moves signal a new era of data‑centric oversight for...
New Jersey Supreme Court Affirms Broad Reading of D&O “Capacity” Exclusion
On May 11, 2026 the New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed a broad reading of the D&O policy capacity exclusion, holding that any overlap between an individual’s insured and uninsured roles triggers the exclusion. The court rejected the narrower dual‑capacity argument,...
Meta Sued over Scam Ads: Why HR Should Pay Attention
Meta Platforms is being sued by Santa Clara County, California, alleging the company profits from billions of fraudulent ads across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The complaint, filed on May 11, claims Meta tracks roughly 15 billion scam ads and generates about $7 billion...
UK to Curb Judicial Reviews that Stall Giant Wind Farm Projects
The UK government announced plans to limit the use of judicial reviews that have repeatedly delayed large offshore wind and grid projects. The new measures will tighten standing rules and require pre‑filing permission, aiming to speed up approvals for projects...