Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
This AG Fought the Ticketmaster Monopoly and Won
California Attorney General Rob Bonta discusses the landmark antitrust victory against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, detailing how a coalition of 33 states and D.C. proved the company’s monopoly practices—forcing performers, venues, and promoters to use its services—were illegal and harmful to consumers. He highlights the importance of bipartisan state action after a weak federal settlement, emphasizing the power of juries and the need for transparency about corporate misconduct. Bonta also outlines ongoing investigations into other media mergers and warns that state attorneys general can and must step in when the federal government falls short.
Spotlight On: Biosimilar Litigations - April 2026
The April 2026 Spotlight On: Biosimilar Litigations memo outlines which patent disputes are tracked in the sector. It clarifies that lawsuits between biosimilar applicants or manufacturers and reference‑product sponsors are included, while conflicts solely among reference sponsors or non‑practicing entities are...
FERC OKs Transmission Deal to Power 1 GW Data‑Center Campus in Greater Chicago
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a Transmission Security Agreement between Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and data‑center developer Tract, clearing the way for a 1 GW, 2.9 million‑sq‑ft campus at Morris Technology Park. The deal ties upgrade costs to the new load, protecting...
Michigan Legislature Introduces Bill to Restrict AI Employee Surveillance
Michigan legislators have introduced the Responsible AI Security for Employees (RAISE) Act, a bill that would require written notice, employee consent, and an opt‑out option for AI‑powered monitoring tools. The proposal targets screen recording, keystroke tracking, facial recognition and other...
2026 CVSA Roadcheck: ELD Compliance and Personal Conveyance Guide
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Roadcheck will run May 12‑14, 2026, with a sharp focus on Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance, especially falsification, manipulation, and personal conveyance misuse. Recent data show that 32% of out‑of‑service violations stem from hours‑of‑service...
UK FCA Unveils Open‑Finance Framework to Boost Credit Access
The Financial Conduct Authority announced an open‑finance framework that will let consumers and businesses share financial data with a wider range of providers, aiming to speed up loan approvals and broaden credit access. The regulator projects the combined impact of...
Dow Jones Risk & Compliance Unveils New Securities‑Risk Framework for FinTech Platforms
Dow Jones Risk & Compliance rolled out a new risk‑assessment framework that maps every security to its ultimate owners, letting fintech platforms flag “inadvertent transactions” tied to sanctioned entities. The system, built on BIGTXN technology, targets the surge in regulatory...
Pakistan Ends 8‑Year Bank Ban on Crypto, Allows VASP Accounts for 40 Million Users
The State Bank of Pakistan revoked its 2018 prohibition on banks dealing with cryptocurrencies, allowing licensed virtual asset service providers to open segregated client‑money accounts. The move targets roughly 40 million Pakistanis active in crypto and backs a $2 billion tokenisation partnership...
EXEC: Former Exec Sues Adidas Over Alleged Gender Discrimination
Lindsay Gregg, former head of Adidas women’s basketball sports marketing, filed a lawsuit alleging she was terminated for exposing gender discrimination and whistleblower retaliation. She claims she built the program by signing top WNBA talent such as Olivia Miles and...
So You Missed the Tax Deadline. What Happens Now?
Tax Day passed, and taxpayers who missed the April 15 deadline face different outcomes. Those expecting a refund incur no penalties, though the refund may be delayed. Taxpayers who owe money risk a 5% monthly failure‑to‑file penalty (up to 25% or...
No FAA Decision by May 1 on Extending 777F Classic Production
Boeing’s request for a Federal Aviation Administration exemption to keep building the 777F Classic freighter past Dec. 31, 2027 will not be decided by the May 1 deadline it sought. The airline wants to produce 35 more 777Fs powered by legacy GE90 engines...
2,000 Ski Instructors Are Suing Vail Resorts
Nearly 2,000 current and former ski and snowboard instructors have filed a collective action lawsuit against Vail Resorts, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The complaint asserts that instructors were not compensated for off‑the‑clock duties such as travel,...
The Category 2 Peptide Unwind: How a Rogan Appearance, 14 Withdrawn Nominations & a July PCAC Docket Will Reprice the...
Kennedy’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience announced that roughly fourteen peptides could be re‑classified from FDA Category 2 back to Category 1, but no Federal Register rule has been issued yet. The announcement highlights a procedural path where nominators withdraw nominations,...
No Firms Carry Finra’s ‘Restricted’ Tag as Rule Nears Third Year
Almost three years after FINRA introduced Rule 4111 to label high‑risk broker‑dealers with a "restricted" tag, no firm has been officially designated. Consulting firm SLCG Economic Consulting identified nine firms that met the rule's thresholds, all with fewer than 100...
Advocates Press for Preventive Programs, VA Benefits for Struggling Vets
Advocates urged Congress to expand Veterans Treatment Courts and restore VA benefits for incarcerated veterans, highlighting gaps that leave many with other‑than‑honorable discharges without care. Currently more than 600 VTCs exist, but veterans in prison lose disability compensation and health...
![[April 2026] FDA Form 483 Response Guidance, Weight Loss Device Framework + AI-Driven Device Warning Letter](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CHiL!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F59dae4d3-b9e4-442b-8b97-0a78fab4dc99_582x582.png)
[April 2026] FDA Form 483 Response Guidance, Weight Loss Device Framework + AI-Driven Device Warning Letter
The FDA released three pivotal documents in April 2026: a finalized guidance on responding to Form 483 observations, a structured benefit‑risk framework for weight‑loss devices, and a warning letter to an autonomous insulin‑delivery system. The Form 483 guidance offers the...
Banking Borders: New Mandates for Citizenship Tracking and the Shackled Grandma
The episode examines how new U.S. banking mandates requiring banks to collect citizenship data are being used to expand state surveillance and weaponize financial systems against immigrants and dual citizens. It highlights personal tragedies, such as a 61‑year‑old Canadian green‑card...
RFK Jr. Defends FDA, Makary Following Republican Questions
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the podium before the House Energy & Commerce Committee on April 16, 2026 to defend the Food and Drug Administration and its commissioner, Marty Makary, after a line of Republican inquiries. Kennedy asserted that the FDA’s approval processes remain...
Spotlight On: Rituxan® (Rituximab) / Truxima® (Rituximab-Abbs) / Ruxience® (Rituximab-Pvvr) / Riabni™ (Rituximab-Arrx) - April 2026
The April 2026 Venable LLP update details how patent claims covering Rituxan® and its biosimilars—Truxima®, Ruxience®, and Riabni™—are being contested in both Inter‑Partes Review (IPR) proceedings and federal litigation. The report explains that each claim is counted once per proceeding, meaning...
Bitcoin Tops $74,900 as S&P 500 Hits Record, but Options Market Isn’t Buying the Peace Trade
Bitcoin surged to $74,900, up 0.7% in the past day, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 posted record‑high closes amid reports of a tentative U.S.–Iran cease‑fire extension. Despite the equity rally, options traders remain cautious, holding back on bullish bets in...
Legal Challenge Launched To Block Border Wall Through Big Bend Region
The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Ruidosa Church and a local landowner have filed a lawsuit to stop the Department of Homeland Security from constructing a border wall through Texas' Big Bend region. The suit alleges DHS illegally waived...
USPTO, DOJ Statement of Interest Supports Injunctive Relief
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Department of Justice jointly filed a statement of interest urging courts to apply permanent injunctions more broadly in patent infringement cases, including those brought by non‑practicing entities. The agencies argue that NPEs...
Schrödinger’s Quantum Market: Regulating What May or May Not Exist
In March 2026 the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) launched a fact‑finding inquiry into the emerging quantum computing sector, citing risks such as lock‑in, technological pre‑emption and entry barriers. The probe reflects a broader EU shift toward regulating market design rather...
Disney V. Hailou AI: No Sacred Cows, No Legal Remedy
Disney, Warner Bros., Universal and other studios sued MiniMax, NanoNoble and their parent SXJT over the Hailuo AI platform, alleging the service generated copyrighted characters without permission. The defendants responded with two motions to dismiss, arguing that U.S. copyright law...
Loud, Power Hungry - Opposition Grows to Datacenters as Maine Passes Bit Barn Ban
Maine lawmakers approved the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new datacenters that draw 20 megawatts or more, pausing approvals until November 1, 2027 pending the governor’s signature. The pause gives regulators time to assess the facilities’ impact on power grids, water use, noise,...
Hiring Across Borders: What HR Teams Need to Know About Legal Compliance
Hiring employees in another U.S. state opens talent pools but triggers a maze of state‑specific employment laws, tax obligations, and registration requirements. Missteps such as worker misclassification or failing to register as a foreign entity can lead to costly penalties...
Spotlight On: Humira® (Adalimumab) / Amjevita™ (Adalimumab-Atto) / Cyltezo® (Adalimumab-Adbm) / Hyrimoz™ (Adalimumab-Adaz) / Hadlima™ (Adalimumab-Bwwd) / Abrilada™ (Adalimumab-Afzb) /...
The April 2026 update spotlights the extensive patent‑litigation landscape surrounding adalimumab and its biosimilar portfolio, including Humira® and ten newer biosimilars such as Amjevita™ and Cyltezo®. It explains how claims are tallied across Inter‑Partes Review (IPR) proceedings and federal lawsuits, noting...
Seek Qualified Attorneys, Not Unqualified Consultants, for Workplace Lawsuits
Recently saw a post of someone offering consultations (to Black women specifically) on how to sue your employer. This person doesn’t appear to be a legal professional and that is concerning, guidance of that nature should be grounded in legal...
White House Loses Two EO 14260 Energy Cases, Faces More Lawsuits
The White House is 0 for 2 in cases launched under EO 14260: Protecting American Energy From State Overreach. It lost a similar case about an MI lawsuit. Two cases pending on VT and NY Climate Superfund laws. New case against...
Trump Weighs Appointing Michael Murray to Lead Antitrust at DOJ
The White House is weighing a nomination of Michael Murray, a former deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, to lead the Justice Department’s antitrust division. Murray, now a partner at Paul Hastings, would replace Gail Slater, who was dismissed after...
Inside Epic's Confidential Vendor Deal Reveals Innovation Barriers
Second Opinion just published its first scoop: And it's a look inside Epic's confidential vendor services agreement. A source shared it with @RuthReader to give us a sense of why it's so hard out there for healthcare innovators. View in...
Cut Antitrust Red Tape, Build Canadian Champions
First, the Trump administration took the positive step to dramatically reduce the U.S.'s stifling antitrust regulatory regime. Now, the EU is rightfully following suit. Dear PM @MarkJCarney, let's cut regulatory red tape at the Competition Bureau and create Canadian Champions. https://t.co/FrxajvGasb
It Has Begun. An ICE Agent Is Finally Being Charged.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with two counts of second‑degree assault after he pointed his duty weapon at two civilians during a road‑rage incident on Minneapolis Highway 62 on Feb. 5. The charge marks...
Mike Davis' Choice Sparks Allegations of Corrupt Merger Drop
So a Mike Davis picked candidate. Dropping this merger challenge was gross and corrupt. https://t.co/d85hG8s3hx
A Comparative Overview of Patenting AI Inventions
The 2026 update compares AI‑related patent eligibility, inventive‑step standards, and disclosure rules across the United States, Europe, and China. In the U.S., recent USPTO guidance and SMEDs let applicants bolster eligibility by emphasizing concrete technical improvements. Europe maintains a two‑hurdle...
Ashes of Creation Founder Posts Court Case Filings, Including Evidence About Alleged Loan-To-Buy Scheme, Intimidation, And More
Steven Sharif, founder of Ashes of Creation, released court filings accusing Intrepid Studios' former board of a loan‑to‑own scheme that allegedly starved the company of cash, forced mass layoffs and transferred assets to Rob Dawson’s TFE Holdings. The documents include...
The Precedent: Federal Circuit Confirms Limits on Claim Scope in Magnolia Med. Techs., Inc. V. Kurin, Inc.
The Federal Circuit affirmed district‑court rulings that Kurin does not infringe Magnolia Medical Technologies’ patents. It held that the ’483 patent’s claim requires physically separate vent and seal members, which Magnolia’s single porous plug cannot satisfy, and that the ’001...
Damon Jones Will Plead Guilty in NBA Betting Case
Former NBA player and ex‑Lakers assistant Damon Jones has changed his plea to guilty in a federal case alleging he sold nonpublic player health information to gamblers, including tips about LeBron James. He faces conspiracy charges for wire fraud and...
“Very Highly Desirable”: Times Square Billboard at Center of Former Vornado Broker’s Scheme
Vornado’s leasing chief Glen Weiss testified that former broker Jared Solomon fabricated broker entities, including Margoux Media, to siphon roughly $8.6 million from the company. Solomon allegedly overbilled Vornado $4.5 million for a six‑year Times Square billboard lease to LG through Havas...
BIS Imposes Civil Penalty on Thales Defense & Security for Antiboycott Violations
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an order against Thales Defense & Security, Inc., finding the firm admitted to three antiboycott violations under the Export Administration Regulations. The violations stemmed from a 2019 UAE...
SEC Dismisses DeSo Case With Prejudice, No Future Action
What it means that the SEC dismissed the case "with prejudice:" They can't ever go after DeSo in the future 😮 And when they dismissed it, they said that the facts weren't what they thought they were 🫠 https://t.co/C8q3RCD95I
The 183-Day Rule and Safe-Harbor Day-Counting for Washington Taxpayers
The article explains Washington’s emerging 183‑day statutory residency rule and how it interacts with domicile analysis for founders leaving the state. It details how states define a “day,” the pitfalls of permanent places of abode, and why merely staying under...
Trust Planning for Washington High Earners: ING, NING, and DING Trusts Under ESSB 6346
Washington will launch a state income tax on residents whose AGI exceeds $1 million in 2028. High‑earning Washingtoners can use non‑grantor trusts—often called ING, NING, or DING—sited in Nevada, South Dakota, or Delaware to shift portfolio and passive investment income out...
QSBS and Washington Residency: Timing Section 1202, the Sale, and the Move
Washington founders face a narrow 20‑month window before ESSB 6346 takes effect, during which federal Section 1202 qualified small business stock (QSBS) treatment, Washington’s 7% capital gains tax, and the new 9.9% income tax intersect. The article outlines four levers—QSBS...
Signing a Non‑harassment Waiver Is Unusually Rare
"They said we'll dismiss it, but you have to sign this piece of paper saying that you won't sue us for harassment. THAT is really rare." -- @nadertheory https://t.co/s6by3FCRrC
DOJ Praises Live Nation Win Amid State AG Resistance
DOJ officials congratulating themselves for the Live Nation win -- a case they settled after political pressure but state AGs saw through to the end -- is really the definition of chutzpah.
Study Data Technical Conformance Guide - Technical Specifications Document
The FDA has issued the final Study Data Technical Conformance Guide (Docket FDA-2014-D-0092), outlining technical specifications for electronic study data submissions. The guidance clarifies the agency’s expectations but remains non‑binding, allowing sponsors to use alternative approaches that meet regulatory requirements....
Judges Skeptical of Prediction Markets Despite Recent Wins
In short: States have to be excited about today's 9th Circuit Court prediction market hearing, where judges seemed highly skeptical of the PMs' argument; this comes days after court rulings went PMs' way against New Jersey and Arizona These battles have...
Costco Fights Back in Suit Against Rotisserie Chicken
Costco is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit alleging its rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk. The retailer’s attorneys argue the chicken is fully cooked, the plaintiff never bought raw chicken, and no illness was reported. The case relies on a...
Ontario Court of Appeal Orders Firm to Pay Client $37K Costs for Medical Malpractice Suit
The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower‑court ruling that a 2018 contingency‑fee agreement (CFA) in a medical‑malpractice case was unfair, ordering the law firm to pay the client $37,000 CAD (≈$27,000 USD) in costs. The case involved a $14 million CAD...