Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Legal Tech Advisory Stella Legal Combines Operations With Legal Service Provider CSB-SBS
Legal tech advisory firm Stella Legal has merged operations with legal service provider CSB‑SBS, creating a unified platform that offers AI consulting, managed document review, and legal‑operations advisory. The two firms will pool resources, technology stacks, and client pipelines to accelerate the rollout of AI‑driven solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments. By combining their expertise, the partnership aims to deliver faster, more cost‑effective services while scaling to compete with larger legal‑service networks. The alliance reflects a broader trend of consolidation in the fragmented legal‑tech market.
Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs
Cooley’s appellate team earned a shout‑out in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week Runners‑Up list after securing a unanimous Delaware Supreme Court ruling that overturned a Delaware Chancery Court decision. The decision eliminated roughly $40 million in potential personal damages...
The Musk vs Altman Trial Starts Monday. Here Is What Nobody Is Telling You
On April 27, 2026, Elon Musk and Sam Altman will face off in a federal courtroom in Oakland as their legal battle over OpenAI reaches trial. Musk alleges Altman and CTO Greg Brockman abandoned OpenAI’s original nonprofit mission to enrich...
FCC's Router Ban Expands to Portable Hotspots - 4 Things This Means for You
The FCC has broadened its ban on foreign‑made networking gear to cover portable or mobile MiFi hotspots intended for residential use. The move follows a recent prohibition on new routers from brands such as TP‑Link, Linksys and Asus, and it...
Turkey Introduces Social Media Bans For Teens
Turkey's parliament passed a bill banning users under 15 from major social‑media platforms, requiring age verification via the e‑Devlet portal and a local representative for foreign services. The law, set to roll out over nine months, follows similar restrictions in...
LIVE at 2:30p ET
An unnamed federal appellate court ruled that the Trump administration’s migrant policy violated constitutional protections, effectively invalidating the program. The decision, announced during Frank Figliuzzi’s live Substack broadcast, centered on the policy’s denial of due process for asylum seekers. Legal...
Minnesota Court: Hybrid Worker’s Injury Carrying Equipment Compensable
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a county employee who injured her back while loading county‑owned equipment into her van on a hybrid‑work return trip is eligible for workers‑compensation benefits. The court applied the “special errand” exception, finding the trip...
TV Presenter Withdraws Claims Against Dan Walker After ‘Mutual Agreement’ with Channel 5
TV presenter Claudia‑Liza Vanderpuije has fully withdrawn her unfair dismissal, discrimination and whistleblower claims against former Channel 5 co‑host Dan Walker after a mutual agreement with Channel 5, ITN and Paramount Global. The employment tribunal, which was set to hear the case...
Kash Patel Filed a Defamation Case Monday. His Other Defamation Case Got Dismissed Tuesday.
Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic on Monday, citing an earlier claim against MSNBC commentator Frank Figliuzzi as evidence the outlet should have known its reporting was false. On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed Patel’s Figliuzzi suit,...
Bill Dallas: Brace for CFPB Comeback, Avoid ‘Questionable RESPA Things’
Bill Dallas, a veteran mortgage executive, warns that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is likely to reassert its oversight role under the Biden administration, targeting questionable RESPA practices. He notes that larger lenders are experimenting with one‑stop‑shop models that...
Protecting Innovation for Psychedelic Therapies Fast-Tracked Under New Executive Order
President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that fast‑tracks FDA approval for breakthrough psychedelic therapies targeting serious mental illness. The order creates a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, establishes pre‑approval patient access pathways, and earmarks $50 million in federal funding...
DOJ Asks For Stay Pending Appeal In ACIP Court Case
The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal appeals court to pause all further action in a lawsuit filed by medical organizations challenging recent changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The request seeks a stay pending...
Bourse Lawsuit: Keystone And Dean Adler Trade Legal Blows Over Old City Conversions
Keystone Development + Investment has filed a breach‑of‑contract lawsuit against Dean Adler and his affiliates over stalled conversions of the historic Bourse building and 400 Market St. in Philadelphia. Adler argues the project needs an additional $10 million to stay viable,...
EU Biotech Act: The European Commission’s Landmark Proposal to Strengthen Biotechnology in Europe
On December 2025 the European Commission unveiled the European Biotech Act, a sweeping proposal aimed at cementing the EU’s position as a global biotech leader against the United States and China. The Act introduces fast‑track regulatory pathways, a strategic‑project framework...
Estate Planning for Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) increasingly comprises a sizable portion of creators' net worth, demanding estate plans that go beyond traditional assets. Effective planning starts with a detailed inventory of trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets and any licensing agreements. Because IP can...
Morgan Stanley Hit with Lawsuit over Website Tracking
Morgan Stanley faces a federal lawsuit in California alleging it embedded third‑party tracking software on its website that captured visitors' browsing histories. The plaintiff, Taajudin Elmarouk, claims the firm knowingly sent data to Google, Microsoft and The Trade Desk, violating...
The Router on the Shelf Is Now a National Security Problem
A twelve‑agency joint advisory released on April 23 warns that China‑linked groups are weaponizing compromised home and small‑office routers, IoT gear, and smart devices at industrial scale. The advisory, co‑authored by CISA, the FBI, the DoD Cyber Crime Center and...
Court to Employer: You Can’t Wield a Non‑compete After the Fact
A Quebec Superior Court judge rejected Pipe & Piling Supplies Ltd.'s request for a sweeping safeguard order that would bar former executives Anshu and Inder Bhatia from working on Mahat Steel's U.S. steel‑mill project. The court found PPSL had no...
Alberta Court of King’s Bench Denies Party’s Request to Examine Lawyer Who Drafted Will
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench dismissed a nephew’s request to question the lawyer who drafted his aunt’s will before the estate’s security‑for‑costs hearing. The deceased’s estate, valued at about CAD $1.75 million (≈US $1.28 million), had already sought CAD $85,000 (≈US $62,000) in security for...
AI Litigation Trends: Rapid Growth and Emerging Patterns
Artificial intelligence litigation has entered a rapid expansion phase, with 168 district‑court cases identified through a manual review. filings jumped from 22 in 2024 to a peak of 94 in 2025, accounting for more than half of all cases, and...
Deregulation Endangers Highways, Undermines Truckers' Livelihoods
I wrote a NY Times Op Ed today about the erosion of safety on our highways, caused by a lack of enforcement, under funding, and efforts by a power lobby arm to deregulate whom can become a truck driver. ...
Armenia Approves Legal Framework for Biometric Passport and ID Rollout
Armenia’s cabinet approved amendments that consolidate identity‑document laws into a single framework for biometric passports and ID cards. The legislation makes biometric ID cards mandatory for citizens aged 16 and older and extends them to foreigners, stateless persons and refugees....
Airport Handed a Win in Decades-Old Pollution Coverage Dispute
A federal appeals court ruled that AIG’s subsidiary, Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, did not include an aggregate limit for property‑damage claims in three 1960s‑70s umbrella policies covering the Chino Airport cleanup. The decision overturns a lower‑court ruling...
Justice Department Ends Probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Or Does It?
The Justice Department announced it is closing its criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony on costly Fed‑building renovations, after a judge found the subpoenas improper and evidence lacking. The move removes the primary political hurdle for Kevin...
BROKE: Mills Quietly Freezes MaineCare Provider Payments Until July 1 as Fraud Probes Close In
Governor Janet Mills’ Department of Health and Human Services has again frozen MaineCare provider payments, postponing pharmacy claims from mid‑May through June 30 until the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The delay follows a supplemental budget that...
Hallucinations” By West & Lexis AI?
A Stanford‑Yale study published in 2025 examined hallucination rates in leading legal AI tools, finding that Lexis+ AI hallucinated 17‑33% of the time while Westlaw’s AI‑Assisted Research hallucinated roughly one‑third of its answers. The research highlighted substantial variability in accuracy, with...
Spoiler Alert: Legal Marketing’s Next Evolution Is Agentic and Product-Led –
At the 2026 Legal Marketing Association conference, industry leaders highlighted a growing disconnect between fragmented campaigns and coherent go‑to‑market strategies. The article argues that legal marketing must adopt a product‑marketing discipline, providing clear positioning, value propositions, and consistent messaging. Coupled...
Caihong Secures Decisive Victory at ITC
Cooley secured a decisive win for Chinese LCD glass maker Caihong at the US International Trade Commission. An administrative law judge found Caihong’s 616 glass does not infringe Corning’s patents, allowing continued imports of televisions using the glass. Corning chose...
Capital One’s Recent $425M Settlement Could Mean Money in Your Pocket This Summer
A U.S. judge approved Capital One's $425 million settlement over alleged deceptive marketing of its 360 Savings account. The class action covers anyone who held a 360 Savings account between September 2019 and June 2025. Affected customers will receive individualized payments reflecting lost...
AI-Driven Solo Lawyer Cuts Fees, Boosts Productivity
Lawyers: it's not AI that will get you fired by clients. It's @MikeJShowalter that will get you fired. Talking to him right now. He's a lawyer. He's a litigator, worked in major law firms his career before starting his own firm....
Crown Did Not Have to Prove Exact Time of Sexual Assault for Ontario Man to Be Convicted: SCC
The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously upheld an Ontario man’s sexual‑assault conviction, ruling that the Crown does not have to prove the exact time of the offence. The decision reversed a trial acquittal after the Ontario Court of Appeal found...
A Licensee, Also An Ex-Licensee, Ordered By FCC To Pay Up
Southwest Montana Media, which holds an AM station in Lima, Montana, has been ordered by the Federal Communications Commission to pay outstanding regulatory fees. The company also previously owned a deleted FM translator in Butte and a former station in...
Winklevoss Twins Sued for Alleged False Prediction Market Claims
NEW: Winklevoss Twins sued over false prediction market claims following New York AG's enforcement action vs. Gemini Titan. Lawsuit alleges the Winklevoss' "willfully or recklessly" caused Gemini to engage in illegal gambling and to "make false and misleading statements."...
FCA Publishes Cyber Co-Ordination Group Insights
On 24 April 2026 the UK Financial Conduct Authority released insights from its 2025 Cyber Coordination Group, which convenes up to 140 financial firms to share best practices on cyber resilience. The FCA emphasized senior‑level involvement in incident‑response drills, live‑environment testing, and...
Regulators Reduce Leverage Ratio for Community Banks
Federal regulators finalized a rule that lowers the Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) baseline to 8% and doubles the compliance grace period to four quarters. The optional framework lets qualifying community banks forego risk‑based capital calculations, simplifying reporting and freeing...
Beyond AI Policy: What to Tell Your Clients After Heppner
The U.S. District Court in *United States v. Heppner* ordered the production of AI‑generated documents created with the free version of Anthropic’s Claude, rejecting claims of attorney‑client privilege and work‑product protection. The ruling underscores that consumer‑grade AI tools do not...
Trump's Executive Order Fast‑Tracks Psychedelic Therapy Review, Boosting Compass Pathways
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this weekend to shorten clinical‑trial and regulatory timelines for psychedelic medicines. The move shines a spotlight on Compass Pathways, whose late‑stage psilocybin candidate COMP360 is poised for an FDA filing and has $149.6 million...
Publishers and Authors Clash Over AI‑Generated Text as $1.5 B Anthropic Settlement Fuels Debate
Hachette’s cancellation of the horror novel “Shy Girl” after AI‑authorship allegations and Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement with authors have intensified a dispute between writers and publishers over AI‑generated content. The conflict pits detection tools that flag false positives against authors demanding...
Jackson Lewis Attorneys Spotlighted for Elevation to Office Managing Principal
Jackson Lewis announced the promotion of three senior attorneys to office managing principal roles. Jeremy Schneider will lead the Washington, D.C. office, Amanda Simpson takes the helm in Tampa, and Christopher Valentino assumes leadership of the Charlotte office. The moves...
Harvey Finds GPT‑5.5 Boosts Legal AI Accuracy to 91.7% in New Benchmark
Harvey’s new benchmark analysis reports that OpenAI’s GPT‑5.5 model achieved a 91.7% overall score, edging out GPT‑5.4 by 0.7 points. The gains, highlighted by Head of Applied Research Niko Grupen, are seen as practical advances for transactional and litigation work....
Does The New Federal Data Privacy Bill Have A Snowball’s Chance Of Passing?
House Republicans introduced the SECURE Data Act, a federal privacy bill that would establish a single national standard and preempt state regulations. The legislation applies to companies handling data from over 200,000 consumers or generating at least $25 million in revenue,...
Folks Launches Canada-Focused HR and Payroll Platform to Simplify Multi-Provincial Compliance
Canadian HR software firm Folks rolled out a unified HR and payroll platform designed specifically for the country’s multi‑provincial regulatory environment. The solution embeds compliance into payroll calculations and merges core HR functions, aiming to reduce manual data transfers for...
High 5 Games Moves Baltimore Lawsuit to Federal Court
Update: High 5 Games has removed Baltimore's civil enforcement action vs. sweepstakes casinos to federal court, says its sweepstakes games are "a promotion only, in which prizes were awarded in accordance with Maryland law and with free alternative method of...
When the Mobsters Prosecute the Cops: Trump's DOJ Comes for the Southern Poverty Law Center
On April 21, 2026 the Trump‑appointed Justice Department, led by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, filed an eleven‑count indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The charge alleges the nonprofit defrauded donors by paying informants who infiltrated the Ku...
How Investor-State Arbitration Throttles Environmental Action
Investor‑state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, embedded in over 3,000 treaties, have paid investors $36.6 bn in Latin America, with environmental claims now exceeding a quarter of all cases. A 2004 copper mine plan in Ecuador was halted, but the Canadian firm...
Michigan Senate Bills to Force Private Insurers to Cover Infertility Treatments
Michigan Senate Majority Leader Stephanie Chang introduced SB 922, mandating private health insurers to cover fertility diagnostics, IVF, egg preservation and embryo transfer. The bill, referred to the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee, could reshape coverage mandates and...
Podcast | Let’s Talk Asset Management: Episode 23 – FCA Authorisation Under the Microscope: What the FCA Expects From Asset...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released new guidance aimed at tightening asset‑management authorisation applications. The regulator highlighted common pitfalls, such as weak governance and insufficient risk documentation, and offered best‑practice recommendations. Firms are urged to engage early with the FCA,...
45 African Nations Enact Data‑Protection Laws, Boosting Fintech and Crypto Compliance
Yellow Card’s 2026 report shows that 45 African nations have enacted data‑protection legislation, while 16 have adopted AI strategies, creating a more predictable regulatory environment for fintech, stablecoins and cross‑border payments.
Adverse Media Screening Gains Traction as Financial Firms Tighten Compliance
Dow Jones' Alexa Colquhoun explained how AI‑enhanced adverse media screening is becoming a core component of KYC programs for banks and asset managers. Regulators are urging firms to integrate news‑based risk signals, and the technology promises to cut false positives...
GRC News Roundup: Aravo, RAMPxchange, BYU Law & More
The GRC sector saw a wave of AI‑driven product launches, with Aravo unveiling Aravo AI for third‑party risk, Diligent adding an AI Board Member assistant for directors, Serrala deploying AI agents for finance automation, and Thrive introducing managed Abacode Compliance...