Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Delaware Supreme Court lets insurers pursue contract claims against Blackbaud over ransomware breach
The Delaware Supreme Court reversed lower‑court dismissals, permitting insurers to bring breach‑of‑contract actions against Blackbaud for its 2020 ransomware incident. Blackbaud had previously paid a $3 million SEC fine and $49 million to state attorneys general for misleading breach disclosures.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Oil majors acquire $164M of Alaska oil leases
Northern Dynasty Minerals updated the court schedule for its Pebble mining lawsuit, noting that the Department of Justice must file a response brief by Feb. 17, 2026. The EPA’s 2023 Clean Water Act veto halted the project’s wetlands permit, prompting the company and Alaska partners to pursue summary judgment after filing briefs on Oct. 3, 2025. The firm argues the veto represents a broader permitting risk and continues to seek a settlement while aggressively litigating. A decision could reshape how future administrations use EPA authority to block resource projects.
The 39th annual survey on choice of law in American courts has been published on SSRN, cataloguing the most consequential 2025 decisions on choice of law, party autonomy, extraterritoriality, international human rights, sovereign immunity, jurisdiction, and foreign‑judgment enforcement. Highlights include...
In this episode, the hosts examine ICE’s expanding surveillance apparatus, highlighting recent reports of AI-driven errors, school‑camera collaborations, and the revocation of a Global Entry after facial‑scan detection. They also discuss the broader privacy concerns surrounding doorbell cameras and Iran’s...
A Denver restaurant, Tommy’s Thai, agreed to pay $61,568 in back wages and a $990 civil penalty after the Department of Labor found it kept employee tips and failed to maintain proper payroll records. The investigation, sparked by a tip...
The European Law Institute (ELI) released its project report titled “Enhancing Child Protection,” offering constructive amendments to the European Commission’s 2022 Parenthood Proposal (COM/2022/695). The report aims to align the draft regulation more closely with the EU acquis, prioritize the...
Proof of address has become a cornerstone of Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance across banks, fintechs, and crypto platforms. Regulators such as the FATF and FCA require recent utility bills, bank statements, or government letters to verify a customer’s residence....
Meta’s Ray‑Ban smart glasses, equipped with a hidden camera, have sparked a viral TikTok sensation after a Manhattan restaurant patron was recorded without consent. The clip amassed over two million views, turning an ordinary dining experience into an unintended internet...
https://open.substack.com/pub/pauloffit/p/weaponizing-the-fda-against-vaccines?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web A closer look at the FDA's recent kill shot against an mRNA influenza vaccine.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has long regulated prediction markets, but a wave of state lawsuits is challenging its authority. Nearly 50 cases across the U.S. allege that event contracts offered by platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase and Crypto.com...
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, publicly challenged SEC Chair Paul Atkins during a Feb. 11 hearing, accusing the agency of prioritizing Wall Street and billionaires over ordinary investors. She highlighted that the SEC currently has...
The SEC has filed at least ten complaints in the past year accusing defendants of running Ponzi‑style affinity fraud schemes that target religious, cultural or ethnic groups. This volume mirrors the enforcement activity seen during the final year of Chairman...
The EU will introduce a unified anti‑money‑laundering regulation (AMLR) and the sixth AML directive on July 10 2027, replacing the patchwork of national transpositions of the fifth directive. Until then, companies must continue to meet divergent local UBO reporting and due‑diligence rules...
Safe Harbor Financial, led by new CEO Terry Mendez, is transitioning from a niche cannabis‑banking pioneer to a full‑stack solutions partner for the industry. The fintech has already moved tens of billions of dollars through regulated cannabis channels and now...
The episode examines a lawsuit filed by three right‑wing media figures—podcaster Brandi Kruse, talk‑radio host Ari Hoffman, and Discovery Institute fellow Jonathan Choe—seeking permanent press passes and a revamp of Washington’s statehouse credentialing rules. It outlines how the Capitol Correspondents Association ceded credentialing...
I interviewed a dual-boarded psychiatrist and internist who warns that the ambiguity of CPT codes is being used to criminalize physicians. Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai joined me to discuss the chilling case of Dr. Ron Elfenbein. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Elfenbein...
Barcan+Kirby, a South West UK law firm, has rolled out Legl’s client intelligence and lifecycle management platform across the entire organization. The solution delivers firm‑branded, client‑facing workflows for identity verification, form submission and e‑signatures, while automating AML and regulatory compliance...
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a phase‑1 merger inquiry into Welltower Inc.’s recent acquisition of more than 600 care homes from Barchester, HC‑One, Aria Care and Danforth Care. The regulator has already served initial enforcement orders...
Pay transparency is evolving from a policy debate to a cultural imperative worldwide, with 16 U.S. states, several countries and EU members already enforcing or drafting legislation. Early adopters reveal that defining "equal work," cleaning legacy pay data, and establishing...
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage and fronted by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, announced it would repeal the Equality Act on its first day in office. The party also pledged to dissolve the equalities department, scrap the equalities minister,...
The Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR) has refreshed its regulatory notice suite, adding a 2026 Regulation Source Record, ATAMS and ISM Code guidance, and updated IMO registration requirements. Recent 2025 amendments address diving safety verification and wreck management, while a 2025...
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation issued new guidance clarifying annual leave entitlements and carry‑forward limits. Employees earn a minimum of 30 days paid leave after one year, with accrual at two days per month before that. Unused leave...
HM Treasury’s 2025 policy update outlines a shift from the EU‑derived Capital Requirements Regulation to a UK‑specific framework built on the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The Treasury will revoke parts of the CRR and replace them with rules...
A bipartisan group of nine U.S. senators will introduce the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act to streamline the FAA's type‑certification process for advanced air mobility aircraft, including eVTOLs. The bill mandates transparent timelines, updated delegation guidance for novel technologies,...
Plaintiff law firms are adopting modern portfolio theory to treat their dockets like investment portfolios, using AI‑driven analytics to diversify case mix across timing, value, practice area, and confidence levels. By leveraging predictive cash‑flow models and large data sets, firms...
Digital health firms in 2026 face a sharp tension between accelerating AI capabilities and tightening data regulations across the UK and EU. Hyper‑personalised care, driven by wearables and AI‑powered NHS apps, promises better outcomes but raises compliance challenges. New frameworks...
The newly revised English Arbitration Act 2025 eliminates the implied choice of law for arbitration agreements, mandating an explicit choice or defaulting to the seat’s law. This marks a departure from the established three‑step test—express choice, implied choice, then closest...
The report examines how the United States and China are racing to dominate artificial intelligence (AI) and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), highlighting a widening technology gap in the U.S. defense industrial base. It finds that current export‑control regimes—EAR, ITAR, and...
Brazil’s Executive Branch has submitted a Draft General Law on Private International Law, aiming to modernize the country’s conflict‑of‑laws rules. The bill harmonises court and arbitration regimes by explicitly allowing parties to select the governing law of international contracts and...
LawCare’s 2025 Impact Report shows the charity supported a record 753 legal professionals, surpassing pandemic levels. Trainee solicitors accounted for 13% of contacts, second only to private‑practice solicitors at 42%. Stress, career concerns and anxiety were the top reasons callers...
ams OSRAM and Shenzhen Meizhi Optoelectronics have reached a settlement ending pending LED‑related patent disputes in the United States and Germany. The agreement resolves litigation concerning ams OSRAM's patents used in Spider Farmer horticultural lighting systems. Under the deal, Meizhi...
Andrew MacKenzie, CEO of stablecoin developer Agant, warned that the United Kingdom’s crypto regulatory timetable is too slow to support its ambition of becoming a global digital‑asset hub. While the government plans to pass comprehensive stablecoin legislation later this year,...
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against fast‑fashion giant Shein under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe targets Shein’s addictive design features, opaque recommender‑system algorithms, and the sale of illegal items, including child sexual abuse material. Regulators will...
The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) has enabled users to overturn nearly 50 million content‑moderation decisions in its first two years. About 30% of the 165 million appeals filed through platform internal mechanisms have been reversed, showing the law’s enforcement strength. In...
The UK’s largest dedicated tribunal centre in London will begin hearing cases in March, adding 30 hearing rooms and capacity for up to 60 judges. The move responds to a growing backlog of more than 66,000 tribunal cases across employment,...
Publishers face mounting pressure as AI developers scrape copyrighted material to train large language models. At the Definitive AI Forum in London, leaders from The Guardian, Alvarez & Marsal, and the PPA argued that no single solution exists, but collective action,...
The Department of State Services has filed a three‑count criminal charge against former Kaduna governor Nasir El‑Rufai for allegedly intercepting the telephone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Prosecutors say El‑Rufai admitted the illegal interception during a televised interview on 13 February 2026,...
A British Airways passenger successfully claimed £520 compensation after the airline cited a tropical storm in Nassau as an “extraordinary circumstance” to deny liability. The passenger appealed to an independent arbitrator, who ruled that BA had not demonstrated that it...
Danaher, a US healthcare conglomerate, is close to finalizing a roughly $10 billion acquisition of Masimo, the maker of pulse‑oximetry and other medical monitoring devices. The deal, still subject to antitrust clearance, would add Masimo’s sensor technology to Danaher’s Life Sciences...
LALIGA and Telefónica Audiovisual Digital secured precautionary court orders from Spain’s Commercial Court No. 1 in Córdoba against NordVPN and ProtonVPN. The rulings compel the VPN providers to block IP addresses linked to illegal streaming of protected football matches within Spain,...
The episode critiques the American Constitution Society (ACS) for lacking a coherent constitutional theory beyond opposing Trump and originalism, highlighting President Phil Brest’s admission that the organization has no affirmative interpretive framework. It references Jeffrey Toobin’s NYT column exposing the...
The Planning Inspectorate will extend its digital Appeal a Planning Decision platform to cover enforcement, enforcement listed‑building and lawful‑development‑certificate appeals starting 26 February 2026. The rollout follows a pilot with Cornwall Council, Havering and Brent, which validated the system’s functionality. New features...
The Fair Work Commission ruled that the Transport Accident Commission’s decision to restart a performance‑management process was not retaliatory, finding the employee was not forced to quit. The commission emphasized that the employer’s aim was a “positive and productive” relationship...
The Indian government’s draft Income‑Tax Rules for 2026 propose raising the tax‑free limit on meal vouchers and subsidised office meals from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per meal, potentially allowing employees to claim up to Rs 1.05 lakh annually as a tax‑free benefit. At...
A guide to business meal deductions Lower Risk • Occasional client lunch • Modest amounts • Clean documentation • Clear business relationship Moderate Risk • Frequent meals but defensible revenue • Slightly aggressive % of expenses • Documentation exists but is thin High Risk • Large meals relative to income • vague “business meeting” notes • No attendee names • Receipts missing • Pattern suggest disguised...
In this episode, Lindsay Borgeson, President of Partner Banking at Core Bank, explains how her community bank built the CoreX Banking‑as‑a‑Service platform from the ground up, emphasizing a compliance‑first mindset, early regulator engagement, and careful tech‑partner selection. She highlights the...
Come get this tea ☕️ Reports about a relationship between Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski may raise more than gossip — they could raise legal concerns. As a Special Government Employee, Lewandowski must avoid conflicts of interest and cannot exceed...
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) summoned former Kaduna governor Nasiru El‑Rufai for questioning over alleged mismanagement of public funds during his 2015‑2023 tenure. While El‑Rufai complied, supporters stormed the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, prompting operatives to deploy tear gas...
Judge Margaret Garnett set September 8 for in‑person jury selection in Luigi Mangione’s federal murder case, with a non‑death‑penalty trial slated for October 13 and a death‑penalty trial for January 11. The defendant faces four federal counts for the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare...
Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on cybersecurity governance are exposing a stark inconsistency in public‑sector disclosures. Large NHS trusts and other big bodies tend to refuse or invoke national‑security exemptions, while smaller organisations often provide granular details. This uneven approach...
The Trump Justice Department suffered a high‑profile loss when senior counsel Kathy Ruemmler resigned after a federal judge labeled the workplace abusive. The resignation follows a court order compelling the administration to restore slavery exhibits at the President’s House, underscoring...
