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
Changes to Virginia Labor Bill Could Gut Worker Rights, Unions Warn
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has introduced sweeping amendments to Senate Bill 378, a collective‑bargaining measure originally designed to expand union rights for state and local government workers. The changes would push the start date for local employee bargaining from 2028 to 2030, give governor‑appointed members of the Public Employee Relations Board greater negotiating authority, and remove the requirement for two union representatives on the board. Spanberger frames the revisions as a balanced approach, while labor unions argue the amendments dilute hard‑won protections and could bar workers from seeking monetary damages. The General Assembly will debate the substitute on April 22.
Alec Baldwin Can’t Evade ‘Rust’ Gaffer’s Negligence Claims, Judge Rules. Trial Set for October
A Los Angeles judge rejected Alec Baldwin's bid to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by Rust gaffer Serge Svetnoy, keeping the actor on the hook for negligence claims related to the fatal on‑set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The ruling found sufficient...
Oil Company Violated Court Order by Restarting Santa Barbara Pipeline, Judge Finds
A Santa Barbara Superior Court judge found Sable Offshore Corp. in contempt for restarting the Santa Ynez and Las Flores offshore pipelines after a Trump administration order, violating a federal consent decree and a preliminary injunction. The pipelines had been...
Official Seeks $10B for Frivolous IRS Lawsuit
To be specific, he is telling Treasury to hand him $10 billion (25,000 president's salaries) for an absurd lawsuit against the IRS https://t.co/UR5RUZEcCg He already told Bondi to give him $230M (575 president's salaries) for an absurd suit against the...
Sit and Stay Seated? Walkouts at One State’s Public Universities Could Soon Be Banned.
Tennessee lawmakers have passed HB 1476, dubbed the Charlie Kirk Act, which bans "staging walkouts" at public universities and ties campus policy to the University of Chicago’s free‑expression principles. The bill defines a walkout as any disruption that forces an event...
![[Video] The Briefing: Taylor Swift, Trademark Law, and the Fight Over ‘Life of a Showgirl’](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://jdsupra-static.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-images/og.15496_4323.png)
[Video] The Briefing: Taylor Swift, Trademark Law, and the Fight Over ‘Life of a Showgirl’
The Briefing episode examines the trademark battle between Las Vegas performer Maren Flaggs and pop star Taylor Swift over the five‑word phrase “The Life of a Showgirl.” The discussion focuses on whether the phrase qualifies as a protectable trademark or...
Trump Is Literally Negotiating With Himself Over How Much Taxpayer Money He Gets Because His Taxes Were Leaked
Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit demanding $10 billion from the IRS after a contractor leaked his 2019‑2020 tax returns. The case, lodged in the Southern District of Florida, now includes a consent motion seeking a 90‑day extension so...
The DOJ Is Launching An Investigation Of MLB’s Streaming Deals For Anti-Competitive Tactics That Harm Viewers
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an antitrust investigation into Major League Baseball’s streaming rights, extending a broader probe of professional‑sports media deals. Regulators are examining how MLB packages national and local digital broadcasts, which often require fans to...
Ex-Broker at Center of Alleged Church Rip Off Scam, New York Charges
Former securities broker Olof Olsson was indicted on 24 counts of grand larceny for allegedly stealing about $3.8 million from the Swedish Church of New York between July 2018 and 2024. Acting as a board member and financial advisor, he is accused of...
Class-Action Suit Over Alleged Understaffing at Alden Group Nursing Homes Moves Forward
A Cook County judge has allowed a proposed class‑action lawsuit against Alden Group, an Illinois nursing‑home operator, to move into the discovery phase. The suit, filed by the AARP Foundation and disability‑rights advocates, alleges Alden chronically operated with staffing levels...
PTAB Ends IPR2025-01302 After Post-Institution Settlement
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) terminated inter partes review IPR2025-01302 after the petitioner and patent owner settled the dispute post‑institution. Under 35 U.S.C. § 317, the Board may end an instituted IPR by joint request when no merits decision has been...
Justice Department Preps Antitrust Lawsuit Against Egg Producers
The U.S. Justice Department is preparing a civil antitrust suit against several leading egg producers accused of coordinating prices through an industry‑wide benchmarking service. The move follows record egg prices that topped $6 per dozen in the spring of 2024‑25...
DTE Producer Hoping For FDA Leniency, BLA Approval
The FDA announced it will exercise enforcement discretion for animal‑derived desiccated thyroid extract (DTE), allowing the product to stay on the market even though it is classified as an unapproved biologic. Producers of DTE welcomed the move, noting it preserves...
Justice Department Targets Leading US Egg Producers in Antitrust Case, WSJ Reports
The U.S. Justice Department is preparing an antitrust lawsuit against major egg producers Cal‑Maine Foods and privately held Versova, alleging they coordinated prices through an industry benchmarking service. The move follows a wave of class‑action suits accusing egg growers of...
SCOTUS Moves Chevron Case to Federal Court
SCOTUS just ruled on this case today...unanimous ruling that Chevron's case can be heard in Federal Court rather than State Court #oott $CVX #climatelawsuits
Russia Introduces Bill to Criminalize Unregistered Crypto Services
Russia’s lower house has received a draft bill that would criminalize any crypto‑related service operating without a Bank of Russia licence. Violators could face fines up to 1 million rubles (about $13,100) and imprisonment of four years, with harsher penalties –...
Attorneys Should Often Avoid Texting Clients And Counsel
Jordan Rothman argues that lawyers should avoid texting clients and opposing counsel for substantive matters. While brief, time‑sensitive texts can be convenient, they often lead to a slippery slope of constant, after‑hours communication. Text messages lack the length and documentation...
FTC Withdraws Demand For Information From NewsGuard
The Federal Trade Commission has withdrawn its civil investigative demand (CID) for information from news‑rating service NewsGuard after reaching settlements with major ad‑holding firms Dentsu, Publicis and WPP. The agreements bar the holding companies from considering a publisher’s political or...
US Supreme Court Sides with Chevron in $745 Million Coastal Lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8‑0 ruling that vacated a Fifth Circuit decision, allowing the $745 million coastal lawsuit against Chevron by Plaquemines Parish to be reconsidered in federal court. The Court found the lower courts erred by not recognizing...
Observability as the Backbone of Compliance in a New Federal Cyber Era
Federal agencies are moving toward continuous compliance validation as AI adoption and a new national cybersecurity strategy raise the stakes for real‑time governance. Lee Koepping argues that observability—beyond simple uptime—must become a unified, enterprise‑wide capability that ties together telemetry, configuration...
Vermont Captive Sues Reinsurers over Claims Linked to Church-Affiliated Entities
Gencon Insurance Company of Vermont, a captive insurer for Seventh‑day Adventist Church affiliates, has filed a lawsuit against its reinsurers, AIG’s Lexington Insurance Company and Swiss Re’s Westport Insurance Corporation. The complaint alleges breach of contract and violation of the...
Pilot Challenges Palm Beach Airport Renaming In Florida Lawsuit
Florida pilot George W. Poncy Jr. filed a lawsuit to block the renaming of Palm Beach International Airport to "Donald J. Trump International Airport," arguing the change could create safety‑critical confusion in charts, databases and dispatch systems. The suit targets...
Court Awards $174.6M in Damages Against Tutor Perini in Philadelphia Hotel Dispute
A Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas ordered Tutor Perini to pay roughly $174.6 million to developer Chestle Development after a protracted dispute over construction defects at the 51‑story W Hotel/Element Hotel complex. The judgment stems from defective concrete work spanning the...
Prosecutor Withdraws From Trump Team’s Investigation of Ex-CIA Director John O. Brennan
A senior Miami federal prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, withdrew from the Justice Department’s investigation of former CIA director John O. Brennan, citing concerns about the case’s legal footing. The probe, led by Trump‑aligned U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, is being...
Developer Clearcuts Neighbor's Yard, Loses Land to Adverse Possession
A Washington Court of Appeals ruled that a Spokane developer who clear‑cut a neighbor’s fence, pet cemetery and memorial tree did not have title to the disputed strip. The land had been openly occupied by homeowner Robert Sydow for over...
Delaware Court Confirms Sheriff Sale After Borrower's Bankruptcy Stalling Tactics Fail
A Delaware court confirmed the sheriff’s sale of five residential properties after the borrower, Kina Lane Enterprises, used a series of Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies to delay foreclosure for nearly four years. The properties were sold to One Pie Investment LLC...
Indirect Doesn’t Mean Exempt: ASBCA Rejects Cross‑Motions Over U.S.-Flag Transportation Costs
The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals ruled that U.S.-flag transportation clauses apply regardless of whether shipping costs are classified as direct or indirect. Lockheed Martin’s attempt to shield roughly $98 million of foreign‑flag freight costs by allocating them to indirect...
Borrower Sues BNY Mellon, PHH Mortgage over RMBS Settlement Proceeds
A Birmingham homeowner filed a federal lawsuit accusing BNY Mellon, the master trustee of the RAMP Series 2006‑RZ3 RMBS trust, and loan servicer PHH Mortgage of retaining settlement proceeds from a $6.75 billion Residential Capital claim without adjusting his loan balance....
Catalan Museum Has Yet to Follow Through on Court Order to Return Contested Murals to Aragon Monastery
Spain’s Supreme Court ordered the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) to return the 13th‑century Sijena Monastery murals to the Royal Monastery in Aragon, but the museum has still not complied a year later. The frescoes, removed during the 1936...
Beltway Buzz, April 17, 2026
President Trump nominated James Macy to the National Labor Relations Board, securing a Republican majority that will last through December 2027, and re‑nominated David Prouty for a full term. OSHA refreshed its National Emphasis Program to sharpen heat‑hazard enforcement in...
Investor Lawsuit Accuses Baltimore Luxury Condo Developer of Inflating Sales Prices
Investors have sued the Paterakis‑family developer of Four Seasons Private Residences, alleging the condo’s public sale prices were artificially inflated through excessive seller credits. The lawsuit claims the developers concealed $100,000‑plus credits that lowered the true transaction values while keeping...
Immigrant Young Founders, Stablecoins Raise AML Concerns
Is it bad that whenever I see immigrant founder + Stablecoins + early 20s my first thought is "I hope it's not an AML hole."
DOJ’s New Corporate Enforcement Policy Gets Its First Real-World Test
The U.S. Department of Justice released a department‑wide Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self‑Disclosure Policy in March 2026 and quickly applied it to the French medical‑device firm Balt SAS and its U.S. subsidiary. After Balt self‑reported an FCPA bribery scheme, DOJ...
Michael Patterson Wins Delaware Supreme Court Appeal, Overturning $40 Million Judgment
Cooley secured a unanimous Delaware Supreme Court ruling that overturned a Delaware Court of Chancery judgment ordering Michael Patterson to pay roughly $40 million for alleged conversion. The dispute stemmed from a $20,000 loan secured by a warrant on one million Romeo...
CHRO Caught on Tape Admitting to Culture that ‘Protected’ Harassers, Workers Claim
A lawsuit filed April 10 alleges the CHRO of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) admitted on multiple audio recordings that the agency’s culture shielded harassers and violated federal labor laws. The recordings capture the CHRO acknowledging a hostile work environment,...
PepsiCo Settles EEOC Lawsuit Alleging It Failed to Accommodate and Fired Blind Employee
PepsiCo has settled an EEOC disability‑discrimination lawsuit by paying $270,000 to a blind former customer‑service employee and agreeing to work with an accessibility consultant. The two‑year consent decree requires the company to develop screen‑reading‑compatible software for its Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, call...
Congress Targets 75% Cut to Estate Tax Exemption, Shaking Wealth Management
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced legislation to slash the federal estate and gift tax exemptions by more than 75%, reverting them to 2009 levels. The proposal would lower the individual estate exemption to $3.5 million and the lifetime gift exemption...
Sessions Introduces Bill to Set up a New Treasury Fraud Watchdog
Rep. Pete Sessions introduced legislation to create a permanent Treasury inspector general focused on fraud, accountability and recovery. The bill mandates an anti‑fraud data platform modeled on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee’s system and expands Treasury’s financial integrity services. It...
Corcept Investors Can Lead $100K+ Securities Fraud Suit by April 21
Rosen Law Firm announced that shareholders who purchased Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CORT) between Oct. 31, 2024 and Dec. 30, 2025 and incurred losses exceeding $100,000 may serve as lead plaintiff in a securities‑fraud lawsuit. The firm set an April 21, 2026 deadline, urging qualified investors to step...
Federal Circuit Clarifies Standard for CICA Stay Overrides
On April 15, 2026 the Federal Circuit issued a decision in Life Science Logistics v. United States that reshapes how courts review agency overrides of Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) automatic stays. The court held that a protester need only...
Amit Shukla Launches SimplerToday.ai to Accelerate Justice for India's Last Person
Amit Shukla, former Accenture and KPMG executive, announced SimplerToday.ai, an AI‑first law firm designed to speed up India’s justice system. Leveraging large‑language models, the venture builds on his earlier EasyGov platform that reached half‑million daily users and targets the 30%...
Taiwan's Taichung Land Bureau Launches Online System for New Standardized Home‑Sale Contracts
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior introduced revised standardized home‑sale contracts on April 1, 2026, and Taichung City’s Land Bureau rolled out a nation‑first online generation system. The platform forces sellers to disclose solar panels, pressurized water equipment and concrete chloride levels,...
China and U.S. Data Rules Cramp Legal‑Tech Cross‑Border Flows
China’s April 7 Regulations on Industrial and Supply Chain Security and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Data Security Program create opposing obligations for legal‑tech providers that move client data across the Pacific. The clash forces vendors to redesign contracts, architecture and...
The Third Circuit Joins the FCA Constitutionality Debate
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court heard oral arguments in United States ex rel. Penelow v. Janssen Products, a qui‑tam case that produced a $1.64 billion jury verdict against Janssen. The panel—Judges Matey, Chung and Freeman—focused on whether the False Claims Act’s qui‑tam provision...
Making Tax Sense Out of March Madness
Starting in 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) limits the amount of gambling losses that individual taxpayers can deduct to 90% of their total losses, while the traditional cap that losses cannot exceed winnings remains. The change means...
AHA Urges en Banc Review of 4th Circuit’s West Virginia 340B Contract Pharmacy Law Decision
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and allied groups filed an amicus brief on April 17 urging the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear en banc a panel ruling that struck down West Virginia’s law protecting 340B contract‑pharmacy arrangements....
The Live Nation Verdict Won’t Fix Tickets. It Should Rattle Hollywood
A federal jury ruled that Live Nation functioned as a monopoly in the concert and ticketing markets, marking a rare antitrust victory for state regulators. While the decision could force a Ticketmaster spin‑off, the core drivers of high prices—limited supply...
‘Reasonably Knowable’ in EO 14398: What Prime Contractors Need to Know About Subcontractor Oversight
Executive Order 14398, issued March 26, 2026, obligates prime federal contractors to report any subcontractor conduct that is "racially discriminatory" DEI activity that is known or reasonably knowable. The order’s language ties the reporting duty to conduct "in connection with...
FDA Shifts to Single Pivotal Trial as Default Standard for All Drug Approvals
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that a single adequate and well‑controlled trial will become the default evidentiary standard for all new drug approvals, replacing the long‑standing two‑trial requirement. The change, unveiled by Commissioner Martin Makary and CBER director...
Netgear Secures FCC Exemption, Keeps Wi‑Fi 6E Routers on U.S. Enterprise Market
Netgear has been granted a conditional exemption from the FCC’s ban on foreign‑made routers, letting the company sell its Wi‑Fi 6E Nighthawk and Orbi models to enterprise customers through Oct. 1 2027. The decision preserves a key supply line for businesses and telecom...