Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Delaware Supreme Court revives insurers' contract claims against Blackbaud over ransomware breach
The court reversed lower‑court dismissals, allowing insurers to pursue breach‑of‑contract claims against Blackbaud for its 2020 ransomware incident. Blackbaud previously paid a $3M SEC fine and $49M settlements to state attorneys general for misleading breach disclosures.
Also developing:
The SEC entered final consent judgments against Joseph C. Lewis, his girlfriend Carolyn W. Carter, and pilots Patrick J. O’Connor and Bryan L. Waugh for alleged insider trading. Lewis, as majority owner of a biotechnology investment fund, obtained material nonpublic information about two public companies and tipped it to Carter and the pilots, who profited from the trades. The judgments resolve the civil enforcement action filed in the Southern District of New York. The case underscores the regulator’s focus on fund managers and their personal networks.
South Korea is drafting amendments to its capital market and virtual‑asset laws that will compel social‑media personalities who promote cryptocurrencies or stocks to disclose both their holdings and any compensation received. The rule targets individuals who repeatedly offer advice through...
Wordsmith and ALSP Cognia Law have announced a strategic partnership to provide AI‑powered managed legal services. The collaboration combines Wordsmith's generative AI platform with Cognia's legal engineering and delivery expertise, offering technology, implementation, and operational support to in‑house legal teams....
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that David Miller will become its enforcement director on March 2, succeeding a period of heightened scrutiny over derivatives trading. Miller, a former federal prosecutor, has spent the last several years as a...
In June 2020 DQ Dream Properties purchased a Butler County commercial building after the seller asserted the property was vacant and free of tenant rights. A youth football league, the Lakota Tomahawks, had been leasing part of the site since...
Chairman Paul Atkins highlighted the steep 40% drop in U.S. public companies and outlined a three‑pillar strategy to revive capital formation. He praised the bipartisan INVEST Act and the Empowering Main Street in America Act for introducing “test‑the‑waters” IPO pilots,...
WisdomTree received SEC exemptive relief to issue tokenized shares of its $730 million Treasury Money Market Digital Fund. The approval lets investors buy and sell shares at a constant $1 price around the clock, rather than the traditional once‑daily NAV pricing....
On January 23 2026 the SEC’s CorpFin issued new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations that broaden flexibility for M&A, proxy and tender‑offer rules without formal rulemaking. The revisions permit lock‑up agreements without meeting traditional prospectus conditions, allow privately placed shares to be registered...
On Jan. 23, the SEC’s CorpFin division issued new Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations that loosen proxy‑broker search timing, broaden lock‑up registration on Forms S‑4/F‑4, and add leeway for cross‑border tender offers. The staff also reversed its stance on voluntary Notices of...
Miley Cyrus’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss Tempo Secured Music Rights Collateral’s copyright lawsuit alleging her 2023 hit “Flowers” copies elements of Bruno Mars’s 2013 ballad “When I Was Your Man.” Tempo, a music‑rights fund now controlled by Warner Music Group,...
The European Commission released a Market Integration Legislative proposal on 4 December 2025 to end the long‑standing fragmentation of the EU’s single market for investment funds. The draft consolidates cross‑border marketing rules for UCITS and AIFs into an expanded Regulation (EU) 2019/1156, shifting from...
Germany is set to replace the legacy Riester pension with the Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD) from 1 January 2027, ending all new Riester contracts. The reform retains a state allowance of up to €480 per year and expands eligible assets to include ETFs, stocks...
UK SMEs increasingly rely on AI-generated legal advice to cut costs and accelerate operations. While AI can produce quick drafts, the article warns that such advice is often only “almost right,” leading to misallocated risk, jurisdictional errors, and costly disputes....
Min Hee‑jin, former ADOR CEO, offered to forgo a KRW 25.6 billion (≈US $17.9 million) court award in exchange for HYBE dropping every civil and criminal lawsuit involving her, NewJeans, former staff and fans. The proposal follows a Seoul court ruling that ordered HYBE...
Cookieless server side tracking does not automatically mean you don't need consent for tracking. Depends on the data you track.
Financial institutions are replacing legacy anti‑money‑laundering (AML) systems with no‑code platforms that let compliance teams build rules, workflows and reports via visual interfaces. Traditional solutions can require six to twelve months for deployment and heavy IT involvement, while modern SaaS‑based...
Magistrate Michelle Bevan‑Margetts was issued formal advice for misconduct after a campaign leaflet she approved contained comments on government policy and the judiciary. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office determined the remarks were added by her political party without her knowledge,...
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a second lawsuit in three months against Shein US Services, accusing the fast‑fashion giant of selling newborn garments containing hazardous chemicals and mishandling minors' personal data. The complaint seeks an injunction, consumer restitution, and...
Sovos and Label have teamed up to launch a joint CARF compliance solution for digital‑asset platforms, integrating Label’s CARF automation with Sovos’ 1099‑DA and broader tax reporting capabilities. The offering, branded Label CARF + Sovos 1099‑DA, automates onboarding, transaction aggregation, foreign‑exchange valuation...
Russia's central bank and finance ministry are drafting legislation to establish a fully regulated domestic cryptocurrency market. The bill, slated for Duma submission in March, would require licensed exchanges, depositories, brokers and asset managers under Central Bank supervision, taking effect...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s 2024‑25 AML report flagged source‑of‑funds checks as a persistent weakness, noting that 10% of reviewed files lacked any verification. Firms risk hefty fines, criminal prosecution, and reputational harm if they fail to match client funds with...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have opened a consultation on revised joint Guidelines for assessing the suitability of management body members and key function holders at large banks and investment firms. The initiative,...
The Paris Court of Appeal refused to set aside a 2022 ICC arbitral award that ordered the Kish Free Zone Organization (KFZO) to pay €39.5 million to Flower of the East Kish Development Company and its shareholder. KFZO’s challenges – alleging...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority reported a 78% overall pass rate for the October 2025 SQE2 sitting, the highest to date and a two‑point increase from the previous July/August exam. A total of 1,342 candidates sat the assessment, with first‑time takers...
The Digital Services Act’s Article 40 gives vetted researchers EU‑wide data access to study systemic risks, but its “necessary and proportionate” test may limit that access. Past denials on privacy grounds show researchers often lack prior knowledge of what data they...
HydroGraph Clean Power announced it has obtained a US EPA TSCA Section 5(e) order and confirmed UK and EU REACH registrations for its graphene materials. The clearances authorize commercial manufacture, supply, and defined uses of turbostratic graphene—both 3‑9‑layer and ~32‑layer grades—across...
Ayora launched an AI‑driven matter pricing and tracking platform for law firms. Its proprietary data enrichment engine cleans historic matter and time records, addressing the “garbage in/garbage out” challenge. The solution offers agentic pricing, allowing lawyers to set rates and...
PRISM, the holding company behind OYO, has named former SEBI chairman Ajay Tyagi as an independent director. Tyagi brings extensive regulatory experience from his 2017‑2022 tenure at SEBI and prior senior roles in the Ministry of Finance. PRISM operates more than...
The Federal Court examined the ACCC’s claim that Coles misled shoppers with its “Down Down” price tags, questioning whether the regulator proved the promotions were deceptive. The ACCC argues Coles inflated prices before offering short‑lived discounts, creating a false impression...
One year after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, first‑party property claims are increasingly turning into legal disputes as insurers lag on replacement cost adjustments and customer service. Many carriers initially undervalued rebuild costs in California’s high‑price market, then froze allowances...
National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) submitted Rule Filing SR‑NSCC‑2026‑003 to the SEC on February 25, 2026, proposing amendments to the shared stress‑testing framework of DTCC, its Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC) subsidiary, and NSCC. The changes aim to broaden scenario coverage, tighten...
On February 25, 2026, The Depository Trust Company (DTC) submitted rule filing SR‑DTC‑2026‑002 to the SEC, proposing amendments to the Clearing Agency Stress Testing Framework shared by DTC, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, and the National Securities Clearing Corporation. The...
On February 25, 2026, Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC) filed rule filing SR‑FICC‑2026‑004 with the SEC to amend the Clearing Agency Stress Testing Framework governing DTCC’s DTC, FICC, and NSCC. The proposed changes aim to modernize stress‑testing methodologies, improve risk...
Tenants are increasingly filing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reports to contest rent and holding‑deposit payments, treating the banking route as a quicker, less adversarial alternative to traditional tenancy dispute mechanisms. Letting agents are left to defend these claims through...
The UK government will fund every Crown court in England and Wales to operate at maximum capacity in 2026/27, with an extra £287 million for digital upgrades and infrastructure. Total court and tribunal funding rises to £2.785 billion, up from £2.538 billion. No...
Congress has stripped more than $40 billion of IRS funding authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening the agency’s capacity to combat cross‑border financial crime. IRS Criminal Investigation referrals fell to a 40‑year low in FY2024, and its special‑agent force has...
On February 6, 2026, CFIUS issued a request for information (RFI) to refine its Known Investor Program (KIP), a fast‑track review mechanism for repeat foreign investors in U.S. advanced‑technology sectors. The RFI outlines eligibility thresholds—at least three covered filings in...
A Deloitte survey of 649 tax, finance and legal professionals shows generative AI adoption in the Gulf Cooperation Council has accelerated, with non‑adoption dropping from 52% in 2024 to 29% in 2025. Quality improvement is the top priority (38%), followed...
President Donald Trump demanded that Congress pass the most restrictive anti-voting bill in US history, the SAVE America Act. But he also exaggerated the bill’s provisions, saying it would impose even more severe restrictions on voting than it actually would....
The Fair Work Commission ruled that a Hansen Corporation database manager was fairly dismissed after falsifying timesheets. The employee, employed since 2019, claimed manager approval and a long‑standing pattern excused the false entries, but the Commission called his explanation wholly...
New Zealand will overhaul open work visa rules on 20 April 2026, dividing them into two streams: unrestricted visas that allow any employment, self‑employment or business activity, and employer‑only visas that limit holders to a single employer. The change targets visas such as...
On 19 January 2026 Indonesia’s Constitutional Court dismissed a petition challenging Article 56 of the 2022 Personal Data Protection Law, which governs cross‑border data transfers. The Court held that such transfers are administrative actions of the executive, not matters requiring parliamentary approval, and...
Amnesty International urges the world to keep pressure on Russia as the fourth anniversary of the invasion marks a test of global resolve. The organization highlights waning sanctions, reduced U.S. aid, and an unexecuted ICC arrest warrant for President Vladimir...
The Department of Justice released more than three million documents tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, including several grand‑jury subpoenas directed at Google. The leaked files reveal Google’s formal responses on company letterhead, detailing the data it produced for specific...
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that held BNSF Railway strictly liable for asbestos dust from the Libby, Montana, vermiculite mine, invoking the federal common‑carrier exemption. A 2024 jury had awarded each estate $4 million, but the appeals court...
A New York federal judge granted ClicknClear’s motion to dismiss Tresóna Multimedia’s false‑advertising lawsuit, ruling that the company’s statements about required music licenses are non‑actionable opinions of law. The dismissal does not bar Tresóna from filing an amended complaint, which...
A federal magistrate in Virginia ruled that the Justice Department cannot conduct an unsupervised search of seized devices belonging to a Washington Post reporter. The judge ordered that any examination of the material be overseen by the court, rejecting the...
A three‑judge Ninth Circuit panel denied an emergency stay, leaving in place a district court injunction that bars the U.S. Department of Education from canceling school‑based mental health grants without following required procedures. The court ordered the department to issue...
A federal prosecutor and defense attorneys opened a high‑profile trial in Fort Worth, alleging that a self‑identified “North Texas antifa cell” conspired to attack the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, shooting fireworks and injuring a police officer. The government...
A U.S. District Judge dismissed xAI's trade‑secret lawsuit against OpenAI, finding no evidence that OpenAI induced former employees to steal confidential information. The ruling emphasized that mere possession of trade secrets does not constitute misappropriation and that the plaintiff failed...
