Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Delaware Court Exposes CEO Employment Deal as Corporate Governance Weapon
On April 21, 2026 the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed Masimo Corp.'s lawsuit against founder‑CEO Joe E. Kiani, ruling his 2015 employment agreement functioned as a corporate governance instrument rather than a standard contract. The agreement granted Kiani a $35 million cash severance and restricted stock units equal to 5% of outstanding shares, triggered by board‑control changes and requiring a 75% supermajority to fire him for cause. The court applied the newly enacted Delaware General Corporation Law §122(18), sending the dispute to California where Kiani’s severance claim is pending. The decision highlights how executive contracts with governance provisions can shift jurisdiction and enforceability.
Rogue AI Agents Won’t Be Testifying - You Will: Agentic AI, IP and Liability Risks, and a Path Forward
AI agents that autonomously execute tasks across systems are challenging traditional agency law, which historically assumes human actors. Courts have begun applying existing doctrines—apparent authority, ratification, and contract law—to AI conduct, as seen in cases like Moffatt v. Air Canada...
Privacy Hardliners Overstate Incomprehensibility of Data Disclosures
The “data collection transparency is bad, actually” argument from privacy hardliners is overstated and inconsistent. First, society asks citizens to navigate complex questions as a matter of routine. We can expect a person to understand nutrition labels or traffic laws,...
AI-Based Hiring: 2026 Developments Employers Can’t Ignore
AI has become a mainstream tool in hiring, with 99% of Fortune 500 companies using it to filter applicants and about 40% planning AI‑driven screening interviews. The rapid adoption has outpaced regulation, prompting courts to apply existing discrimination and consumer‑protection statutes...
Coachella Fined $44,000 After Justin Bieber, Anyma Overrun Curfew
Coachella organizers Goldenvoice were assessed a $44,000 penalty after Justin Bieber and electronic act Anyma performed past the venue’s 1:00 a.m. curfew. The fine highlights the tension between artists’ desire to extend shows and the strict municipal regulations governing large‑scale events.
Single Father Seeks Court Order to Limit In-Law Visitation, Demands More Time with Daughter
Scott Naso, a single father, filed a petition in a local family court to restrict his in‑laws' visitation schedule and gain additional parenting time with his daughter. The case underscores the procedural and emotional challenges single dads face in custody...
AVPA Plots Course for Age Assurance Future Based on Learnings From Australia
AVPA’s latest report shows Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law is being undermined by platforms that favor low‑friction sign‑ups over genuine age checks, with nine‑in‑ten major services still accepting self‑declared ages. The association urges regulators to impose minimum accuracy...
Booking.com Hit With Italy Antitrust Probe Over Hotel Visibility
Italy's competition authority has opened an antitrust investigation into Booking.com, alleging that its preferred partner program gives hotels that pay higher commissions preferential visibility on the site. The regulator says this practice could mislead consumers and push up accommodation prices....
Legal Eagle’s YouTube Channel Hits 4 Million Subscribers, Redefining LegalTech Education
Devin Stone’s Legal Eagle YouTube channel now boasts almost 4 million subscribers and routinely draws over 500,000 viewers per episode. The former big‑law attorney turned professor produces three legal‑analysis videos a week, illustrating how digital platforms are reshaping public legal awareness...
RFK Jr. Says He Would Support a Potential Ban on Junk Food TV Ads
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would support a potential ban on junk‑food television advertisements, though he prefers a voluntary approach for food companies. The proposal follows similar arguments used to curb tobacco advertising and comes amid...
House Republicans Roll Out National Privacy Bill
House Republicans introduced the Secure Data Act, a federal privacy proposal that would let consumers opt out of data collection for targeted advertising, third‑party sales, and automated decision‑making. The bill requires companies to give clear notices, provide portable copies of...
IRDAI Keeps 4% Mandatory Reinsurance Cession for FY27, GIC Re Sole Domestic Partner
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has confirmed a 4% obligatory reinsurance cession for all general insurers for FY 2026‑27, with General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) remaining the exclusive domestic reinsurer. The move, effective April...
Outcome-Based Strategies Must Come Before Outcome-Based Contracts
Outcome-based contracting is gaining traction in federal procurement, but experts warn that a solid outcome‑based strategy must precede contract language. A new IBM Center report identifies five critical success factors—outcome‑focused requirements, data capability, trust‑based collaboration, governance, and results‑centered oversight. The...
US Officials See Proposed European Union Space Act as Complicated Overreach
The European Union is drafting a Space Act to create a single market and impose common technical standards for safety, resilience and sustainability, with implementation slated for 2030. U.S. officials from the Department of Commerce, State Department and FCC argue...
Fannie, Freddie, FHA to Accept VantageScore Immediately
Federal regulators announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will immediately accept VantageScore 4.0 for mortgage loan purchases, joining HUD's move to allow modern credit measures on FHA‑insured loans. Freddie Mac has already tested $10 million in VantageScore‑based sales, and a consortium...
Justin Sun Sues Trump-Backed World Liberty Over Token Freeze, Claims Extortion
Justin Sun, founder of TRON and a leading crypto billionaire, filed a federal lawsuit in San Francisco accusing Trump‑backed World Liberty Financial of extorting him and illegally freezing his tokens. Sun also questions the project's ability to back its USD‑linked...
Law Requiring ICE Agents to Show Identification Struck Down by 9th Circuit
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated California's law that would have forced ICE and other federal officers to display identification while on duty, citing the Supremacy Clause. The decision follows a DOJ lawsuit that also challenged a related mask ban...
Houston Takes Action to Save State Grant Funding
Houston City Council voted 13‑4 to amend a recent ordinance that limited police cooperation with ICE, aiming to preserve roughly $114 million in state public‑safety grants. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton warned the city that non‑compliance with...
Arkansas Tried To Pass An Unconstitutional Social Media Law. Again. It Lost. Again.
Arkansas enacted Act 900, a revised social‑media age‑verification law aimed at protecting minors, but a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, finding the statute unconstitutional. The bill tries to ban "addictive practices," set default privacy and notification settings, and require...
London Police Win Legal Challenge Against Live Facial Recognition Deployment
London’s Metropolitan Police won a High Court challenge, confirming that its live facial recognition (LFR) system does not breach human rights or privacy law. The court rejected claims by anti‑knife‑crime activist Shaun Thompson and digital‑rights group Big Brother Watch, labeling...
Court Transfers Patent Litigation After Finding Venue Improper in New Jersey
A federal court transferred Skull Shaver LLC’s patent infringement suit from New Jersey to the Middle District of North Carolina, finding the venue in New Jersey improper under 28 U.S.C. § 1400(b). The judge applied the Federal Circuit’s three‑part test, concluding the defendant...
![Stark Integrity Podcast: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Law & Compliance, and Compliance Program Effectiveness [Podcast]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://natlawreview.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/2026-04/AI%20Artificial%20Intelligence-475590125_0.jpg.webp?itok=nA2QHgWv)
Stark Integrity Podcast: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Law & Compliance, and Compliance Program Effectiveness [Podcast]
The Stark Integrity podcast released a three‑part series on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare law and compliance, hosted by Nelson Mullins partner Bob Wade and featuring partners Bob Coffield and Darren Skyles. Episodes explore how AI is already adding value, the...
Legislative Efforts to Curb Prescription Drug Prices Gain Momentum Across the U.S.
Virginia’s General Assembly is holding a special session to vote on the Affordable Medicine Act, a bipartisan bill that would extend Medicare‑negotiated drug prices to state‑regulated health plans. The legislation follows successful price‑cap measures in Maryland and Colorado, which have...
The Gold Rush Is Over: Navigating the 2026 Hospice Regulatory Crackdown
The hospice sector, once booming in California, faces a sharp regulatory reversal in 2026 as CMS and Congress intensify oversight. The Unified Program Integrity Contractor, Qlarant, is deploying predictive analytics to audit eligibility, length‑of‑stay, and live‑discharge patterns, with non‑compliance risking...
RBI Floats New Draft Rules To Govern Prepaid Payment Instruments
India’s central bank released a draft Master Direction to overhaul prepaid payment instruments (PPIs). The rules split PPIs into General‑Purpose (full‑KYC and small) and Special‑Purpose categories, setting caps such as ₹2 Lakh (~$2.4k) for full‑KYC wallets and ₹10k (~$120) for small...
France Adopts New Fast-Track Environmental Litigation Regime for Strategic Projects
On 21 April 2026 France enacted Decree No. 2026‑302, creating a fast‑track litigation regime for "strategic projects" such as on‑shore wind, utility‑scale solar, hydro, and biogas. The reform consolidates jurisdiction in the administrative courts of appeal, eliminates intermediate appeals, and imposes a 10‑month deadline...
Kash Patel’s $250 Million Lawsuit Was Going Fine Until He Started Talking About It
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, alleging actual malice. A separate suit against former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi was dismissed by a Texas judge, who ruled the remarks were protected satire. The dismissal undermines Patel’s...
Concerns Grow Around Conflicts, Particularly in CVs: ILPA
A recent ILPA sentiment survey reveals that limited partners are zeroing in on three contract clauses to curb conflicts of interest: key‑person provisions, the mechanics of carried interest distribution, and the fiduciary‑duty standard of care. These terms are seen as...
Pirro Vows Continued Fed Probe, Appeals Grand Jury Ruling
Pirro says her probe of the Fed’s construction project is ongoing and Boasberg's ruling will be appealed: "The cost overruns on that building are well over $1 billion dollars. This investigation continues. I am in the legal lane. There are...
Gemini Follows Coinbase, Challenges NY AG Lawsuit in Federal Court
Gemini has joined Coinbase in removing the New York AG's civil enforcement action to federal court, raising the same arguments (substantial Q of fed law, complete preemption & federal-officer status) that federal courts in MA & NV have rejected. Next...
Coke Bottler Rebuts EEOC Claim that Women-Only Work Trip Harmed Male Workers
Coca‑Cola Beverages Northeast filed a motion to dismiss the EEOC’s reverse‑discrimination lawsuit over a women‑only networking trip. The company argues the trip was a lawful affirmative‑action measure to address a gender imbalance, invoking Title VII and the Supreme Court’s 2024 Muldrow...
No Vote Deals Major Setback to Oklahoma Sports Betting
The bill's sponsor said he will push for a re-vote, but today's no vote was a big blow for legal sports betting efforts in Oklahoma
Parliament Urged to End Assisted Suicide for Non-Terminal Patients
Canada's medical‑assistance-in-dying (MAID) law was expanded in 2021 with a second stream, “Track 2,” allowing non‑terminal patients—including those with mental illness—to access assisted death. Between 2021 and 2024, 2,050 Canadians died under this provision. Disability group Inclusion Canada is urging Parliament...
Who Owns the Seed?
The European Union’s new Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) regulation rewrites seed law by requiring registration and certification for virtually all seed exchanges. By shifting authority from farmers and local breeders to a Brussels‑based bureaucracy, the rule imposes steep compliance costs...
LinkedIn Wins News Bargaining Reprieve as Microsoft Boss Lands in Sydney
Microsoft‑owned LinkedIn is expected to be excluded from Australia’s new News Media Bargaining Incentive, a tax‑like scheme that forces large platforms to pay for the news content they surface. The carve‑out could save Microsoft roughly $111 million USD a year, based...
Working on Public Holidays in Germany: Surcharges and Continued Pay
The German Federal Labor Court clarified that employees covered by the TV‑L collective agreement receive holiday surcharges based on the statutory holiday status of their regular workplace, even when deployed elsewhere. In the private sector, the entitlement to surcharges and...
NYC Targets Landlord in Alleged Airbnb Rental Scheme
New York City’s Mayor’s Office for Special Enforcement has filed a lawsuit against landlord Chananya Bineth and his family for operating illegal short‑term rentals that generated more than $1.3 million in profit over three years. The case alleges 1,400 Airbnb stays...
Why Was an Insubordinate Worker Given His Job Back?
Ontario arbitrator Paula Turtle ruled that Pan‑Oston Ltd.’s termination of a unionized relief operator was void because the disciplinary action was taken beyond the 10‑working‑day limit set out in the collective agreement. The worker had a history of refusing to...
Former Employee Sues Beast Industries for Harassment; Company Denies Claims
MrBeast’s Beast Industries Sued by Former Employee Alleging Sexual Harassment and Retaliation; Company Says Suit Is Based on ‘Categorically False Statements’ https://t.co/iiW9QhO9nD via @variety
Top 100 Lawyers 2026 Specialty Awards – ATTORNEY TO WATCH HONOREE
Andrew Strabone, a partner at Irell & Manella, has been named an Attorney‑to‑Watch honoree in the Top 100 Lawyers 2026 Specialty Awards. At just 11 years into his career, he became the youngest member of the firm’s five‑person management team, a historic appointment...
Losing Goodell’s Antitrust Immunity Could Spark NFL Chaos
In an April 17 meeting with @FCC staff, @NFL General Counsel Ted Ullyot came armed with a 17-page slide deck. This page is a visualization of the alleged ensuing chaos if @nflcommish Roger Goodell lost his antitrust immunity in the...
Checking In On The Smartmatic Action
Smartmatic was criminally indicted in October 2025 for alleged FCPA violations and money‑laundering tied to a 2015‑16 Philippine election‑contract scheme. The company has moved to dismiss the indictment, arguing vindictive and selective prosecution, and the motion is now fully briefed....
2026 Top 100 Lawyers Specialty Award: LEGAL EXCELLENCE HONOREE
Los Angeles‑based co‑managing partner Steven J. Elie of Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP has been named a 2026 Top 100 Lawyers Specialty Award honoree for Legal Excellence. With more than 30 years leading complex business, insurance and environmental litigation across California,...
Indiana Tax Court: Cell Phones Qualify for Telecom Equipment Exemption
The Indiana Tax Court held that cell phones are covered by the state’s telecommunications equipment exemption from sales and use tax. New Cingular Wireless PCS, which bought phones to give free to customers or replace under insurance, was entitled to...
“Former Supreme Court Justice Breyer Says Public Schools Are Essential to Democracy at HGSE Forum”
Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer addressed Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty, arguing that robust public‑school civics programs are essential to preserving American democracy. He warned that a disengaged electorate erodes the Court’s legitimacy and called for curricula that...
Top 100 Lawyers 2026 – Stephanie Yonekura
Stephanie Yonekura, a partner at Hogan Lovells, has been named to the Top 100 Lawyers 2026 list. She heads the firm’s global Investigations, White Collar and Fraud practice, overseeing more than 150 attorneys in 20 jurisdictions. A former Acting U.S. Attorney for the...
A New Enforcement Agency in the UK Is Born: The Fair Work Agency
The UK has launched the Fair Work Agency (FWA) on 7 April 2026, consolidating multiple employment‑rights enforcement functions under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Backed by a £60.1 million budget—about $76 million after conversion, a 25 percent increase—the agency will initially enforce minimum‑wage, SSP, holiday‑pay notices...
Top 100 Lawyers 2026 – Kathy Wunderli
Kathy Wunderli, partner and West Coast co‑chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s Private Wealth Group, has been listed among the Top 100 Lawyers for 2026. She oversees the firm’s wealth‑management practice across three West Coast offices, providing tax, estate‑planning and trust...
A Tale of Two Standards: Supreme Court Lets Conflicting Rules on Third-Party Harassment Stand
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Bivens v. Zep, Inc., leaving a stark circuit split on employer liability for third‑party harassment. The Sixth Circuit maintains an intent‑or‑willful‑indifference standard, while most other circuits follow the EEOC’s negligence test. This divergence...
The Joint Employer Is Back (Again): DOL Proposes New (or Is that Old?) Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule that revives the classic four‑factor test for determining joint‑employer status under the FLSA, FMLA and related statutes. Unlike the 2020 Trump‑era rule, the new proposal counts indirect or reserved authority...