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
Five Questions with California Attorney General Rob Bonta
In a recent Substack Live interview, California Attorney General Rob Bonta broke down the tangled Live Nation‑Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit and explained why the Justice Department withdrew from a bipartisan state coalition seeking to dismantle the ticketing monopoly. He emphasized that state leaders must step in as federal enforcement falters, linking the case to broader consumer‑protection concerns. Bonta also shared his personal journey as the first Filipino‑American to hold the California AG post, highlighting his immigrant roots and Yale education. The conversation touched on his positions regarding gerrymandering, mifepristone access, and the need for robust state action.
Selective Viewing — See Also
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced plans to sue Netflix, claiming the streaming service endangers children—a move critics view as politically motivated against Trump allies. Meanwhile, elite law firm Davis Polk is launching a full‑service office in Southern California, intensifying...
Supreme Court Shuts Down Virginia Democrats’ Fight to Save Redistricting Map
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a last‑minute emergency appeal by Virginia Democrats seeking to reinstate a voter‑approved redistricting plan. The state high court had struck down the amendment after ruling that early‑voting periods count as part of an election, invalidating...
This Firm’s Bonuses Are The Stuff Of Biglaw Mythology
Above the Law’s daily "Trivia Question of the Day" asks readers to identify the law firm that tops the 2027 Vault compensation rankings. The hint notes the firm is rumored to hand out bonuses equal to or exceeding 100% of...
Boston Insider-Trading Case Puts M&A Law Firm Confidentiality Under a Microscope
Federal prosecutors and the SEC have unsealed an insider‑trading case alleging that confidential merger information was passed from attorneys at Goodwin Procter and Latham & Watkins to a trading network. The indictment targets Nicolo Nourafchan and Robert Yadgarov and centers...
Secret Recording at Pretend Date by O'Keefe Media Wasn't Tortious, Court Holds
James O'Keefe's O'Keefe Media Group staged a sting by posing as a liberal on a dating app, secretly recording a top‑secret‑cleared consultant during two dates and later publishing the footage. The consultant sued for misrepresentation, defamation and violations of the...
Anthropic’s $1.5B Copyright Settlement Is Getting Messy as Judge Delays Approval
Anthropic agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement over alleged book piracy used to train its AI models, but U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez‑Olguin has postponed final approval. The judge wants clarification on objections from authors who argue that the $320 million attorney...
Canadian Writers File Proposed Class Action Against Google AI Scraping
A trio of Canadian fiction writers has filed a proposed class action in Federal Court alleging Google scraped their copyrighted books from pirate sites to train its generative AI tools. The complaint claims Google knowingly copied works without licensing, violating...
Trump’s Tax Law Is Slowing Down Projects and Piling Up Legal Work
The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced foreign‑entity‑of‑concern (FEOC) rules that govern eligibility for clean‑energy tax credits. Because the Treasury has not clarified how to calculate foreign debt or equity exposure, developers, investors, and banks face uncertainty about...
Megafarm Can’t Stop Excessive Groundwater Pumping Lawsuit in Arizona
A Maricopa County judge denied Fondomonte Arizona LLC's request to pause a public nuisance lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kris Mayes over alleged excessive groundwater pumping on the Renagras Plain Basin. The megafarm, which accounts for more than 80% of...
Practice Strategies From Cook County Bar Association’s Inaugural Trial Master Award Honoree
On May 29, the Cook County Bar Association hosted its inaugural Trial Master Symposium and presented the first Larry R. Rogers Sr. Trial Master Award to former president Larry R. Rogers Jr. The one‑day CLE aimed to equip attorneys and...
NetDocuments Launches First Legal Context Graph Platform, Redefining Document Management
NetDocuments, the leading document‑management provider for law firms, introduced an industry‑first legal context graph platform that continuously maps every matter, document and communication across hundreds of millions of records. The private preview opened today in Lehi, Utah, marking a shift...
Federal Judge Dismisses Eltek Manipulation Lawsuit Against Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
A federal judge in New York dismissed a derivative lawsuit filed by XDOOD LLC on behalf of Israeli tech firm Eltek, alleging that Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MSSB) helped conceal stock manipulation through a nine‑month electronic trading freeze. The court...
Alex Murdaugh’s $10 Million Life‑Insurance Fraud Scheme Resurfaces Amid Murder Conviction Overturn
New reporting has brought the alleged $10 million life‑insurance fraud scheme linked to former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh back into focus. The scheme, tied to an assisted‑suicide attempt, is now being examined alongside the recent overturning of his murder convictions,...
Marty Makary Steps Down as FDA Commissioner After Complaints, Adding to Regulatory Uncertainties
Marty Makary resigned as FDA commissioner after a turbulent 13‑month tenure marked by rapid regulatory experiments and political controversy. President Trump named deputy commissioner for food, Kyle Diamantas, a lawyer, as acting commissioner, placing a non‑physician at the agency’s helm. Makary’s...
June 2026 Visa Bulletin – Déjà Vu All Over Again: Retrogression Starts with India; May Affect China and Philippines
The U.S. State Department’s June 2026 Visa Bulletin introduces retrogression for high‑demand categories, marking the first such move this fiscal year. EB‑1 and EB‑2 categories for India fall back five and ten months respectively, while EB‑2 China and EB‑3 Philippines...
Former Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick Faces Rule 2004 Request in Retailer’s Bankruptcy
Former Saks Global chief executive Marc Metrick has been served a Rule 2004 discovery request as the retailer’s unsecured creditors committee seeks documents on vendor dealings, the $2.7 billion Neiman Marcus acquisition and other transactions from Jan 1 2022 through the Jan 13 bankruptcy filing. Metrick,...
Colorado Arbitration Reform: What Employers and Businesses Need to Know
Colorado House Bill 26‑1236, slated for a possible governor’s signature, overhauls the state’s arbitration framework effective August 12, 2026. The measure bans class‑action waivers in arbitration agreements, caps consumer‑ and employee‑side fees at roughly $500, and disqualifies arbitrators who show bias in...
Thomas V. EOTech, LLC: Employers Cannot Shorten EEOC Filing Deadlines Under Title VII or ADEA
The Fourth Circuit ruled that employers cannot contractually shorten the statutory deadlines for filing EEOC charges or lawsuits under Title VII and the ADEA. In Thomas v. EOTech, LLC, a pre‑employment “limitations agreement” that reduced the filing window to 180 days...
India Dispatch: Supreme Court Rebukes Lower Courts for Branding a Woman’s Career Choices as Cruelty, Raising Questions About How...
India's Supreme Court on May 13 sharply criticized two lower courts for branding a dentist's professional choices as cruelty and desertion, overturning those findings while upholding the divorce itself. The bench called the lower courts' reasoning feudal and outdated, emphasizing...
Can Employers Host Women-Only Workplace Events? EEOC Sues Coca-Cola Over Alleged Title VII Violation
The EEOC has filed a Title VII lawsuit against Coca‑Cola Beverages Northeast for holding a two‑day, employer‑sponsored retreat that invited only female employees. About 250 women attended the paid event in Connecticut, while male staff were excluded, prompting the EEOC...
New Cuba Executive Order Creates an IEEPA-Based Sanctions Program and Secondary Sanctions Risk
On May 1, 2026 President Trump signed Executive Order 14404, creating an IEEPA‑based sanctions program targeting individuals and entities operating in key Cuban sectors such as energy, defense, metals, mining, finance, and security. The order adds a new designation authority separate from...
Saudi CMA Amends Rules on Board Member Removal and Profit Distribution
On April 2, 2026, Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority approved amendments to the Implementing Regulation of the Companies Law for listed joint‑stock companies. The changes give shareholders holding at least 10 % of voting shares the right to request removal of...
First Qantas, Now Coles: The Star Corporate Lawyer Beating Her One-Time Clients
Australian corporate lawyer Gina Cass‑Gottlieb, a former personal attorney to Lachlan Murdoch and director of the Murdoch family’s corporate trustee, was appointed chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) by the Morrison government. The appointment sparked criticism from...
UK Real Estate: The Ban on Upwards-Only Rent Reviews: Key Questions Answered
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, receiving Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, bans upwards‑only rent reviews in all commercial leases. The prohibition applies to new tenancies and to tenancy‑renewal options entered after 17 March 2026, while existing leases are exempt. It...
DOJ Orders Apple, Google to Hand Over OBDII App User Data in Emissions Probe
The U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed Apple and Google for personal data on more than 100,000 users who downloaded the EZ Lynk Auto Agent OBDII app, and also demanded purchase information from Walmart and Amazon. The move follows a 2021...
Federal Judge Blocks Old-Growth Logging Project on Oregon Coast
A U.S. District Court judge blocked the Bureau of Land Management’s Blue and Gold logging proposal covering 3,200 acres of Oregon’s coastal public lands. The ruling found the BLM’s environmental analysis relied on inaccurate, averaged data that ignored individual old‑growth...
DOJ to Seek Death Penalty for Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect
The Justice Department announced it will pursue the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, the Chicago man charged with the May 21, 2025 shooting at Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum that killed Israeli diplomat Yaron Lischinsky and U.S. citizen Sarah Milgrim. Rodriguez...
INTERVIEW: Corporate Accountability Comes to Conveyancing
Patricia Rees‑Stott, a former Capita executive, has become Director of Operations at Fix My Legals, a conveyancing concierge that links estate agents, solicitors and brokers. The firm, already completing transactions in about 74 days—faster than the sector norm—plans to shrink...
OpenAI Sued For Allegedly Disclosing Queries To Meta And Google
OpenAI faces a privacy lawsuit alleging that its ChatGPT website leaked user queries to Meta and Google through embedded tracking pixels, potentially breaching wiretap and intrusion‑upon‑seclusion laws. The complaint, filed by California resident Amargo Couture, cites sensitive health and financial...
Biglaw’s Los Angeles Talent Wars Just Got More Intense Thanks To Davis Polk
Big law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell has moved quickly to establish a full‑service office in Los Angeles, weeks after announcing its launch. The firm recruited former Skadden Los Angeles leader Jason Russell to head the operation and signaled ambitions...
Crypto Regulation Moved From Theory to Market Force This Week
The U.S. Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the Clarity Act, marking the most consequential crypto‑regulatory move since the FTX collapse. The bill’s progress sparked a rally in Coinbase shares and lifted broader crypto‑linked equities as investors price in a...
Physician Can’t Claim Comp Immunity in Baseball Player Death Suit: Fla. Court
A Florida appeals court affirmed that Dr. David Olson cannot invoke Minnesota workers‑compensation immunity in a wrongful‑death suit over Twins prospect Ryan Costello’s 2019 death. The court applied Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Act, which excludes professional athletes from the definition of...
Taylor Swift, Trademarks, and the Pursuit of a Federal Right of Publicity
Taylor Swift has filed federal trademark applications covering her spoken voice, on‑stage image, and related sound marks to block AI‑generated imitations. The move follows a broader trend of celebrities using trademark law as a nationwide right of publicity, supplementing the fragmented...
RIAs Explore Litigation Finance via SEI Access
SEI expanded its alternatives platform, SEI Access, to offer litigation‑finance investments from Pravati Capital, which has funded over $248 million since 2013. The global litigation‑funding market, valued at more than $20 billion in 2025, is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2036. Advisors...
Bottom Line: “Bum Bum” Packaging Falls Flat on Trade Dress Protection
The Southern District of New York ruled that Sol de Janeiro’s “Brazilian Bum Bum Cream” jar is functional and therefore ineligible for trade‑dress protection under the Lanham Act. The court granted summary judgment to Apollo Healthcare, dismissing SDJ’s infringement counterclaim....
Judge Declares a Mistrial in Harvey Weinstein's Rape Retrial
A Manhattan judge declared a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein's New York rape retrial after the 12‑person jury remained deadlocked, with nine jurors favoring acquittal and three voting to convict. This marks the third trial on the Jessica Mann allegation, following...
Despite 36 Years at Hospital, Surgeon Considered Contractor – Not Employee
A pioneering cardiac surgeon at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre, Teresa Prieur, spent 36 years wearing an Alberta Health Services (AHS) badge and using its resources, yet the Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta ruled she was a contractor, not an employee....
Mercury Capital Wins Ruling in Racial Discrimination Case
A federal jury dismissed the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former Mercury Capital placement‑agent co‑founder, who alleged the firm had become a "safe haven for white men only" under former CEO Michael Ricciardi. The verdict clears Mercury Capital of...
Pilot Models at Scale: What George V. Commissioner Teaches About the Research Credit
The Tax Court’s *George v. Commissioner* decision redefines how the federal research credit applies to large‑scale, production‑level experiments. By treating chickens raised under commercial conditions as eligible “supplies,” the court affirmed that technical uncertainty can exist even after laboratory success,...
USCIS Tightens Signature Rules for Immigration Filings: What Employers, Applicants Should Know
The Department of Homeland Security issued an interim final rule that expands USCIS authority to reject or deny immigration benefit requests with invalid signatures, even after a filing has been accepted. Effective July 10, 2026, the rule allows USCIS to keep filing...
OpenAI May Sue Apple over ChatGPT Integration
OpenAI is weighing a breach‑of‑contract lawsuit against Apple after the tech giant integrated ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence in a way that limits user visibility and simultaneously partnered with Google Gemini for Siri. Apple recently settled a separate $250 million class‑action case...
Oatley Vigmond Named One of Canada’s Top Personal Injury Boutiques
Oatley Vigmond LLP has been named by Canadian Lawyer as one of Canada’s Top Personal Injury Boutiques for the 15th consecutive year, underscoring its dominance in catastrophic injury litigation across Ontario. The firm highlighted landmark wins, including Canada’s largest spinal‑cord injury...
Oklahoma Sues Roblox, Alleging Platform Ignored Child‑predator Warnings
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a 51‑page lawsuit accusing Roblox of neglecting basic safety controls and facilitating sexual exploitation of children. The state seeks civil penalties per violation of its Consumer Protection Act and a permanent injunction to force...
Scheduling Smarter — Five California Wage and Hour Pitfalls Employers Should Address in 2026
California employers must overhaul scheduling practices to avoid costly wage‑and‑hour violations. Predictive‑scheduling rules vary by city, while meal‑break compliance drives most litigation; the recent Bradsbery decision permits limited waivers. Proactively paying break‑premium penalties builds a strong PAGA reasonable‑steps defense, and...
Hong Kong Rolls Out First Stablecoin Licenses to Dodge Chaos and Irrelevance
Hong Kong's securities regulator has issued the first wave of stablecoin licenses, outlining a sandbox‑driven, narrow‑scope framework that balances strict oversight with the need for speed. The move seeks to sidestep the twin risks of financial chaos from lax rules...
Legal Update Article Virginia’s Workplace Changes for Employers- Paid Family Leave
Virginia’s General Assembly approved a statewide paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance program that will be funded through payroll contributions beginning April 1, 2028. Eligible workers can receive up to 12 weeks of leave with wage replacement of up to 80%...
FAA’s “No-Protest” Clause Struck Down
The FAA’s Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) ruled that the SETIS contract’s G.8.3 “no‑protest” clause is unenforceable, reaffirming contractors’ right to protest task‑order awards below $25 million. The decision also clarified that the FAA cannot rely on Federal Acquisition...
DOJ May Intervene in NAACP Lawsuit over xAI’s Data Center Gas Turbines
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it may intervene in the NAACP’s lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech over alleged Clean Air Act violations. The case centers on a gas‑powered plant in Southaven, Mississippi, where 46...
Colorado Corrections Officer’s Lawsuit over Racial Sensitivity Training Tossed Out (Again)
A Colorado corrections officer's lawsuit alleging that mandatory DEI training created a hostile work environment was dismissed for the second time by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court found that a single training session and the officer's resignation...