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
Suffolk County Filing Period for Real Property Tax Grievances Begins May 1, 2026
Suffolk County’s real‑property tax grievance window opens on May 1 and closes on the third Tuesday of May—May 19, 2026—giving owners just thirteen business days to file an appeal. The deadline applies uniformly across all ten towns, but each town has its own filing checklist. Missing the May 19 cut‑off forces taxpayers to wait until May 2027 for the next opportunity, effectively locking in the current tax bill for another year. Appeals often move from a brief administrative review to a judicial petition later in the summer.
Trump’s Psychedelic Order Tests Review Norms
BioCentury’s website uses a tiered cookie system to support essential functions, personalization, marketing, advertising, and analytics. Strictly necessary cookies are always active, enabling authentication, registration, and navigation, while functional cookies enhance site features. Marketing and advertising cookies help tailor product...
AI, Patent Strategy, and What Actually Drives Outcomes in 2026 – Part 1
By 2026 AI‑driven platforms have become standard in life‑science patent diligence, turning weeks‑long manual reviews into hour‑long data pulls. The technology now reliably flags prior‑art, claim‑scope gaps and freedom‑to‑operate risks, making issue spotting a commodity. Value has shifted to the...
UK Government Launches Consultation to Overhaul Existing Product Safety Regime
On 31 March 2026 the UK Department for Business and Trade launched a consultation to replace the 2005 General Product Safety Regulations with a new, risk‑based framework under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025. The proposal expands the regulatory scope to all...
Mining for a Joint Venture: A Crypto “Partnership” That Never Got Off the Blocks
In Tesla v. Pelinkovic, a New York federal court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim that a crypto investment formed a joint venture, finding the complaint failed to allege the essential elements of a partnership. The district court and the Second Circuit affirmed...
California Ride-Share Driver Group Sues Uber
Rideshare Drivers United, a nonprofit representing over 20,000 California gig drivers, filed a state‑court complaint accusing Uber of violating Proposition 22 and the Protect App‑Based Drivers and Services Act. The suit alleges Uber improperly deactivates drivers, denies a meaningful appeals...
Social Media Addiction Remains an Open Case Which Could End up in Front of the Supreme Court
A California jury found Meta and Google negligent for designing Instagram and YouTube features that fostered addiction among tweens and teens, who now spend roughly one‑fifth of their day on these platforms. Internal emails showed employees had raised alarms about...
California Supreme Court Considers Key Public Pension System Fiduciary Governance Cases
On May 6, 2026, the California Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two pivotal public pension governance cases: Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) and Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association. The LACERA case examines the California Constitution’s plenary authority and...
Sleeping on Your Stock: A $25 Million Lesson
A Delaware Court of Chancery decision in *Turner v. Lam Research* dismissed a $25 million claim because the plaintiff waited over three decades to assert ownership of allegedly lost shares. The court applied laches, finding that the plaintiff had constructive inquiry...
Fired Manager Accuses CMA CGM of Burying Harassment and I-9 Red Flags
A former Business Process Manager at CMA CGM filed a lawsuit alleging she was terminated after reporting sexual harassment and extensive I‑9 compliance failures. She claims HR ignored her complaints, even advising her to “let it go” because of her L1A...
Zaglin Withdraws Motion For New Trial
Carl Zaglin, convicted in September 2025 of FCPA violations involving Honduran police contracts, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2025. He later filed a second motion for a new trial, alleging that co‑defendant Aldo Nestor Marchena had...
“Justices to Hear Case on Catholic Preschools That Reject Children of Gay Parents; Catholic Preschools in Colorado that Decline to...
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case brought by Catholic preschools in Colorado that refuse to enroll children of LGBTQ parents. The schools argue that participation in the state’s publicly funded preschool program would compel them to...
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs: The Arguments That Shaped America, Now Freely Available
The Internet Archive, bolstered by a donation from William & Mary’s Wolf Law Library, has released over 125,000 U.S. Supreme Court records and briefs spanning 1830‑2019. The collection, now hosted on the Archive’s Democracy’s Library portal, includes petitions, briefs, appendices,...
Nexstar's $6.2 Billion Tegna Deal Pushes Local TV News Toward Trumpian Consolidation
Nexstar Media Group announced a $6.2 billion purchase of rival Tegna after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr lifted the 39‑percent ownership cap. The deal would give Nexstar control of more than 80 percent of U.S. local television newsrooms, prompting antitrust challenges and accusations...
Legal Ops Leaders Flag Value‑Measurement and Governance Hurdles After AI Rollout
Legal operations heads at ArcelorMittal, Dentsu and Syngenta told Orange Rag that after deploying AI tools such as Harvey, the focus has shifted to quantifying value, monitoring workflow usage and tightening governance. The shift reflects a broader industry move from...
Retirement‑Plan AI Adoption Triggers New Fiduciary Risks for Employers
Employers sponsoring retirement plans are confronting heightened fiduciary scrutiny after AI tools began handling record‑keeping, investment advice, and participant communications. Lawyers say the technology creates gray areas under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, raising the potential for lawsuits if...
Top Law Firms Submit Amicus Briefs in D.C. Circuit Appeal of 2025 Executive Orders
A coalition of leading law firms has filed amicus briefs in the D.C. Circuit appeal of the Trump administration's 2025 executive orders aimed at law firms. Oral arguments are set for next month, and the briefs signal deep industry concern...
Woodway Assurance Launches EviData Feature to Tackle Quebec and EU Anonymization Rules
Woodway Assurance introduced an automated inference‑risk assessment module for its EviData platform, aimed at meeting Quebec's privacy regulations and the EU's GDPR. The feature debuted today at a Toronto event co‑hosted with PwC Canada, giving organizations a scalable way to...
House V. NCAA Class Counsel Asks Court to Rein in CSC’s ‘Overreach’
The House v. NCAA class counsel filed a motion asking a court‑appointed special master to curb the College Sports Commission’s (CSC) claim that athlete NIL deals with multimedia‑rights companies fall under its jurisdiction. The CSC maintains that these multimedia rights...
Astound Joins Dish Wireless Lawsuit Frenzy
Astound Business Solutions, a unit of Astound Broadband, filed a lawsuit alleging Dish Wireless refused to pay roughly $1.7 million in termination fees after cancelling 84 installed transport services. The complaint joins a growing slate of suits from tower and infrastructure...
How Much Trouble Is the NFL In, Really?
The NFL’s aggressive push to renegotiate its media rights, including the $4.6 billion Sunday Ticket package and new streaming partnerships, has drawn unprecedented scrutiny from the FCC, the Justice Department and multiple congressional committees. Lawmakers are questioning whether the league’s deals...
Amy Taylor Legal Battle Escalates as Photographer Rejects Settlement
Photographer Jamie Nelson has turned down a settlement offer and will press forward with a federal lawsuit against Australian singer Amy Taylor. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges Taylor used Nelson’s...
Renters’ Rights Act Not Primary Cause of Evictions, Tenants Report
New SpareRoom research of 4,484 English tenants shows the Renters’ Rights Act is cited in only 9% of evictions, contradicting the narrative that the legislation is the main driver. Landlords most frequently cite plans to sell the property (43%) or...
Renters’ Rights Act Risks Locking Out ‘Vulnerable Tenants’
The UK Renters’ Rights Act, designed to boost tenant security, may backfire by prompting landlords to become far more risk‑averse. Paragon’s head of mortgages warns that stricter compliance and the ban on advance‑rent payments will tighten screening, sidelining low‑income and...
From Enforcement to Empowerment: SEC’s Inaugural Podcast Signals Continued Course Correction on Crypto
On April 16, 2026 the SEC debuted its "Material Matters" podcast, hosted by Chairman Paul Atkins and featuring Commissioners Mark Uyeda and Hester Peirce. The series is designed to demystify securities regulation and signals a strategic pivot from "regulation by...
FINRA's Delay Ends: Key Turning Point in Rule 2004
Drumroll please... Loading my report within the hour with a FACT-based analysis on today's major court rule 2004 decisions and what was the key turning point in my opinion... stand by. After over a year by FINRA and others...
FBI Director Kash Patel Sues Atlantic Over Friday's Article
FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic Monthly Group and staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick over a April 17, 2026 article that alleged he was an alcoholic who jeopardized national‑security operations. The complaint asserts the piece...
New Federal Focus on Fraud, Waste and Abuse May Signal Changes for the Health Care Industry
The Trump Administration and Congress have intensified a federal campaign against health‑care fraud, waste, and abuse, launching an interagency task force and expanding criminal prosecutions. CMS imposed a six‑month moratorium on DMEPOS supplier enrollment and deferred $259.5 million in Medicaid matching...
Judge Warns PI Firms of SRA Referrals over Damages Deductions
A senior district judge in Oxford warned personal‑injury firms that inflating base costs to hit the 25% cap on deductions from damages could trigger a referral to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). In the case of a £10,000 (≈$12,500) settlement...
Council Workers Win £11k for Harassment After Outside-Work Flashing
Two Bridgend County Borough Council employees received more than £11,600 (about $15,000) after a Cardiff employment tribunal ruled that a colleague's indecent exposure constituted harassment. The incident, which occurred outside working hours in June 2023, involved the employee exposing himself...
Mobile Phones To Be Banned In Schools In England Under New Plans
The UK government will amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords to make existing guidance on mobile‑phone bans in English schools a statutory requirement. The move is presented as a pragmatic step to secure passage...
They Want To Silence Nick Shirley Because He’s Exposing Too Much
California Assembly Bill 2624, dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” seeks to criminalize independent journalists and citizens who film or document taxpayer‑funded programs, directly targeting investigative reporter Nick Shirley. The bill frames its intent as protecting privacy in immigration services,...
Lawyers Using ChatGPT: Let’s Be Careful
Lawyers are increasingly feeding confidential client information into ChatGPT, relying on the platform’s privacy toggle for protection. Recent analysis warns that the toggle does not guarantee data confidentiality and may conflict with Model Rule 1.6, which governs lawyer‑client privilege. The piece...
Lawyers Using ChatGPT: Let’s Be Careful
Lawyers are increasingly turning to ChatGPT for rapid drafting, but the tool’s privacy toggle may not shield client data as required by Model Rule 1.6. The article warns that confidential information entered into public‑facing AI can be retained, potentially creating a...
Colleges Were Sweating a Major Compliance Deadline. Now the Justice Dept. Has Delayed It.
The Justice Department has postponed the federal web‑accessibility deadline for public colleges by one year, moving the primary compliance date to April 26, 2027 and extending it to April 26, 2028 for smaller entities. The original deadline, set for this Friday, required universities to...
![[Podcast] AI Meets USPTO: The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Evolution in the Digital Era](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://jdsupra-static.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-images/og.14750_4752.jpg)
[Podcast] AI Meets USPTO: The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Evolution in the Digital Era
The United States Patent and Trademark Office launched a new podcast series highlighting its AI‑focused transformation. In the latest episode, the USPTO announced formal guidance on how artificial intelligence should be used by examiners and disclosed by patent applicants. The...
Colorado Law Expands Mortgage Options for First Responders
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 26‑053, expanding eligibility for Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) mortgage programs to include police officers, firefighters and EMTs. The legislation adds an income cap of 110% of the existing CHFA limit for qualifying...
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases Interpretation on the Application of Punitive Damages in the Trial of Civil Disputes Involving Intellectual...
On April 20, 2026, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued an Interpretation on punitive damages for civil intellectual‑property infringement cases, effective May 1, 2026. The guidance sets clear standards for proving intent, defining seriousness, calculating the damage base, and capping punitive awards...
Canadian Law Awards Judge Says ‘Outsized Impact’ One of the Factors Considered when Reviewing Deals
The 2026 Canadian Law Awards have released their shortlist of deal nominees, with the final winners to be announced at a gala on May 5 in Toronto. Judges, including partner Paul Fruitman, note the high caliber of submissions and a broader...
OCC Enters the Interchange Fight and Raises the Stakes
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has stepped into the U.S. interchange fee debate by filing an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit appeal of Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act and by submitting a rulemaking proposal on...
Alabama Becomes Latest State to Enact Comprehensive Privacy Law
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Personal Data Protection Act (APDPA) on April 16, 2026, making it the latest state to adopt a comprehensive consumer privacy law. The statute, which takes effect on May 1, 2027, applies to businesses that process the data...
Public Schools Must Offer Equal Prayer Spaces for All Faiths
In light of @ISD279 plans to add a prayer room at Park Center Senior High and foot-washing stations at Osseo Senior High during their remodels accommodations that address specific religious needs where exactly will the equivalent space be provided for...
DOJ Demands Records, Trump Targets Voting in Key Swing Counties
With the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) last week demanding 2024 election records from Wayne County, Michigan, the Trump administration is now aggressively targeting the voting process in perhaps the country’s three most pivotal voting jurisdictions. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/ahead-of-midterms-trumps-doj-is-targeting-voting-in-three-of-the-most-pivotal-swing-state-counties/
Could Hollywood Actually De-Monopolize?
The episode examines recent antitrust actions affecting major media and entertainment conglomerates, focusing on the blocked $6.2 billion Nexstar‑Tegna TV‑station merger and the jury verdict that Live Nation’s Ticketmaster operates as a monopoly. Host Matt Belony and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw discuss...
Arizona Requests June Hearing, Limited Discovery, Clarifies TRO Limits
Arizona seeks to continue hearing date on CFTC's motion for preliminary injunction from May 6 to June 3, intends to propound "limited, target written discovery on the CFTC", and seeks "clarification" on whether TRO prohibits AZ from "investigating" and issuing...
Former NFLPA Counsel Seeks Case Suspension After Hospitalization
former NFLPA counsel Heather McPhee, who is suing the union and its former ex. director, asked the court to suspend the case because she suffered a serious accident and is hospitalized. Wishing her the best
Out-of-Network Pricing Lawsuits Test MultiPlan, Zelis Business Models
Healthcare providers have filed antitrust lawsuits alleging that insurers and pricing intermediaries Zelis and MultiPlan conspired to suppress out‑of‑network payments using proprietary repricing algorithms. The Zelis case survived a motion to dismiss, with a judge finding plausible price‑fixing claims, while...
Ethics Lawyer’s Trust Overrides Senate Concerns over Warsh
The Bush WH ethics lawyer who cleared Warsh for the Fed in 2006, on his opaque disclosures: He trusts Warsh, but understands why senators are uneasy. "If it were somebody I didn't know and trust, with this administration, I would say,...
The U.S. Financial Regulatory Week Ahead
Kevin Warsh is slated for a Senate Banking Committee hearing on April 21, with the committee expected to approve his nomination to chair the Federal Reserve. However, the Justice Department’s ongoing probe into former Chair Jay Powell’s testimony has become...
Key Legal Updates for Employers: Join Us for Our May Webinar Series
Squire Patton Boggs is hosting a complimentary four‑part webinar series in May for HR leaders, in‑house counsel, and compliance teams. Each one‑hour session, scheduled for the first Thursday of each week, tackles pressing US labor and employment law developments, from...