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
UAE Central Bank Unveils Nationwide KYC Platform
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has signed a technical partnership with Swedish firm Norbloc AB to build a nationwide electronic Know Your Customer (e‑KYC) platform. The system will automate KYC and Know Your Business (KYB) checks, pulling verified data from multiple sources with customer‑consent controls. By eliminating duplicate due‑diligence steps, the platform aims to lower compliance costs and speed digital onboarding for banks and fintechs. The initiative is a core element of the CBUAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme, intended to cement the UAE’s status as a digital‑finance hub.
Jury Trials Are Vital to the Constitutional Order
The UK Labour government has announced plans to curtail trial by jury, routing most cases with sentences of three years or less to judge‑alone “Swift Courts.” The proposal follows a broader efficiency drive but would dramatically reduce the use of...
Saudi Judiciary Integrates AI for Justice Services Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice announced a new AI‑driven transformation, establishing a Supreme Committee to steer the technology’s rollout across judicial and administrative functions. The initiative builds on a recently‑implemented governance framework and performance‑measurement system designed to boost operational discipline....
Gensler: Preempting NJ Gaming Commission Politically Impossible
“Nobody was intending to preempt the New Jersey state gaming commission. It was politically not discussed, and if it had been, it would have been dead in Congress. Senators wouldn’t have voted for it.” - Gary Gensler, former Chair of both...
Iowa Moves to Shield Farmers, Ethanol Plants, From Lawsuits Over Emissions
Iowa lawmakers have passed a bill that shields farmers, ranchers and ethanol plants from most climate‑related lawsuits, pending Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature. The legislation broadly defines “agricultural sources,” encompassing everything from cropland to ethanol facilities, and limits liability to cases...
Has Your Boss Fallen Out of Love With You? 9 Signs
Employees who notice their boss withdrawing support may be at risk of losing their role. The article outlines nine warning signs, from being given low‑level tasks and “special projects” to reduced client flow, misaligned priorities, and an increase in documented...
What Is Alternative Dispute Resolution?
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) offers parties a way to settle conflicts without going to court, using neutral third parties such as mediators or arbitrators. Mediation focuses on collaborative, non‑binding agreements, while arbitration results in a binding, confidential decision. The article...
Kim Iverson Show Interview on Free Speech Legal Defense Fund
Journalist Kim Iverson discussed on the Kim Iversen Show how she faces frivolous, harassing lawsuits in Madrid for posting about a Washington State court case. The suits stem from her reporting on the American Council on Science and Public Health...
Meta Has Made Child Exploitation a Cost of Doing Business
Meta faced two recent jury verdicts— a $375 million penalty in New Mexico for child‑exploitation violations and liability in Los Angeles for a woman’s mental‑health harms—yet advertisers have not altered spend. The article notes Meta’s history of large fines (FTC $5 billion, Ireland €1.2 billion≈$1.3 billion,...
New Immigration Policy Proposal: What’s Ahead?
The Australian Coalition has unveiled a draft immigration policy that emphasizes tighter screening, stronger visa conditions, and heightened compliance monitoring. Although the Coalition is not currently in power, the proposal signals a possible shift in how student, skilled‑worker, and family...
Italian Court Accepts Legal Action Over Facebook Mass Breach
An Italian court in Milan has accepted a class‑action lawsuit against Meta Platforms over the 2018‑19 Facebook data‑scraping breach that exposed personal information of 533 million users worldwide, including tens of millions of Italians. The CTCU consumer association is pursuing compensation...
The Climate Crisis Is Becoming a Legal Obligation, Not a Political Choice
Environmental scholars have moved from traditional environmental law to a broader ecological law framework, epitomized by the 2016 Oslo Manifesto and the creation of the Ecological Law and Governance Association. The International Court of Justice’s July 23, 2025 advisory opinion declared that...
Whistleblowing Claim | Worker Secretly Recorded Disciplinary Meeting After Raising Concerns About Israeli Company Access
A software engineer at Edgescan secretly recorded a disciplinary meeting after flagging concerns about a third‑party vendor’s access to the firm’s cloud hosting environment. The employee, Cian Ó Laoi, filed a whistleblower retaliation and constructive dismissal claim with Ireland’s Workplace Relations...
ICCA Madrid 2026: Congress Day One Round-Up
The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) opened its 2026 Congress in Madrid with roughly 1,300 participants under the theme “International Arbitration: Local, Global or Both?”. Keynote speakers highlighted arbitration’s flexibility, while panels tackled interstate arbitration, the disruptive impact of...
Microsoft Copilot Specifically Targets Lawyers With New Capabilities
Microsoft announced new Copilot features built into Word that target lawyers, finance and compliance professionals. The update adds word‑level Track Changes, contextual comments and auto‑generated tables of contents, all native to Word and auditable. The capabilities launch today through the...
Lidl and Iceland Battered in First Crackdown on LHF Ads
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued its first rulings under the new Less Healthy Food (LHF) restrictions, targeting food and drink ads that exceed fat, salt or sugar thresholds. Lidl’s Instagram post featuring Pain Suisse sweet bread and...
Samsung Electronics Seeks Police Probe Over Circulation of Non-Union Employee List
Samsung Electronics filed a criminal complaint and asked police to investigate after a list of non‑union employees was circulated internally. The list, shared via a group messaging channel, detailed names, identification numbers, departments and union membership status. Union leader Choi...
Europe Shouldn’t “Move Fast and Break Things” With Fundamental Rights
The European Union is considering the Digital Omnibus, a package that would simplify its digital rules but also roll back key safeguards in the GDPR, ePrivacy and the upcoming AI Act. The proposals would narrow the definition of personal data,...
The Court of Justice of the European Union Condemns France’s Police Profiling Practices
On 19 March 2026 the Court of Justice of the European Union issued the “Comdribus” judgment, declaring France’s statutory collection of fingerprints and photographs of suspects disproportionate and contrary to EU law. The ruling emphasizes that biometric data are “sensitive” and may...
Safeguarding Democratic Lawmaking: EDRi’s Contribution to Commission Consultation on Better Regulations
The European Commission has opened a consultation to overhaul its Better Regulation framework, which is intended to make EU lawmaking more evidence‑based, transparent and inclusive. Digital‑rights group EDRi submitted a response warning that the proposed changes risk eroding democratic safeguards...
The Digital Omnibus Reopens the EU Data Acquis Before It Has Even Been Tested
The European Union’s Digital Omnibus proposal folds the Data Governance Act, Open Data Directive and other recent statutes into the 2023 Data Act, turning it into the central hub for data access, reuse and governance. While marketed as simplification, critics...
AI in the Patent Industry: Don't Believe the Hype. Believe the Data.
Recent benchmark data from Artificial Analysis shows that leading large language models—ChatGPT 5, Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemini Pro 3.1—now achieve roughly 75% accuracy on a long‑context reasoning (LCR) test designed for patent work. By contrast, average human domain experts score only 40‑60% on the...
What Are the Risks of Withdrawing a Job Offer?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that a conditional job offer can form a binding contract once the candidate accepts, even if reference checks, right‑to‑work verification, or probation have not yet occurred. In Kankanalapalli v Loesche Energy Systems the EAT rejected...
KRERA Pulls up Developer for Failing to Comply with Its Orders; Slaps a Penalty of up to 5% of the...
The Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (KRERA) has ordered a penalty of up to 5% of the project cost against Ozone Urbana Infra Developers for ignoring earlier directives to refund homebuyers. The authority previously mandated refunds of ₹1.42 crore (≈$171,000) and...
Gabon’s New Law Makes All Social Media Users Traceable
Gabon enacted a law ending online anonymity, forcing social‑media users to provide full personal details and imposing fines up to $89,000 for violations. In Lagos, emergency responders are using virtual‑reality simulations of the Lekki‑Ikoyi Bridge to practice high‑risk incidents without...
Law Student Disciplined for ‘Celebrating’ Charlie Kirk’s Death Sues Texas Tech
Third‑year Texas Tech law student Ellen Fisher has sued the university after the School of Law Honor Council recommended a reprimand for allegedly celebrating the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The proposed sanction would require reporting to the Texas...
Ohio Attorney General Sues Hebrew Union to Prevent Campus Sale
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a lawsuit against Hebrew Union College to stop the sale of its Cincinnati campus. The college announced it will wind down its Cincinnati rabbinical school program by the end of the 2025‑26 academic...
New Trump Lawsuit Is ‘Do-Over’ of Case Already Won, Harvard Says
Harvard University filed a motion asking a Massachusetts federal court to transfer a new Trump administration antisemitism lawsuit to Judge Allison Burroughs, who previously ruled in Harvard's favor in a similar case. The university argues the new suit is a duplicate...
Another Lawfluencer Steps Back From Lawyer Life
Popular lawfluencer Henry Nelson-Case announced he is no longer practicing as a lawyer after more than a decade in the field. He began his career as a paralegal in 2014, qualified as a solicitor in 2018, and shifted to a...
RPC Confirms Location of New City HQ
International law firm RPC announced it will vacate its Tower Bridge House lease and move into a Grade II‑listed warehouse at 10 Devonshire Square. The 67,000 sq ft space spans five floors, includes a private roof terrace, and runs on 100% renewable energy. The location...
Protecting Genetic Information Is No Joke – Australian Parliament Bans Use of Genetic Test Results in Life Insurance
On 1 April 2026 the Australian Parliament enacted the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Act 2026, inserting a strict‑liability ban on insurers using "protected genetic information" for life‑insurance underwriting. The ban, effective 8 October 2026, carries penalties of...
Product Walk Through: August – Genius Mode
August unveiled Genius Mode, an AI‑driven feature that calculates flat fees from billable‑hour data, giving law firms confidence to price and deliver fixed‑fee engagements. The capability ingests invoices, accounting records, and prior client bills, then produces branded presentations and detailed...
SEC Wants to Cede Lending App Oversight to BSP
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a position paper to transfer full oversight of financing and lending firms to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The central bank has signaled openness to a joint‑regulation model, pending legislation...
Gold’s Gym (UK) Limited: Consumer Protection Enforcement Case
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a consumer‑protection investigation into Gold’s Gym (UK) Limited on 17 November 2025. The probe focuses on whether the fitness chain hides mandatory fees from the price displayed at the start of the online purchase...
Opposition’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Claim on CAB3 Is Baseless
Which SADC Guidelines are those? Is Botswana, South Africa, & Angola not in SADC?? The opposition needs serious people…. Apart from shouting “unconstitutional”, we haven’t seen any serious argument against CAB3. There is nothing unconstitutional about amending a constitution, that’s...
Hancock, Wright and Rhodes in Supreme Court Reckoning
After decades of litigation, the Hancock and Wright families are now before Western Australia’s Supreme Court over royalty rights to the Hope Downs mine. Recent evidence suggests the Wright heirs are entitled to a share of the mine’s lucrative royalties....
Compliance Tool Launched to Help Agents Prepare for Renters’ Rights Act
Bilans Solutions has launched Compliance Tracker, a dashboard that integrates with Reapit’s AgencyCloud platform to help letting agents ready their portfolios for the UK Renters’ Rights Act, which takes effect on 1 May. The tool automatically pulls gas safety, electrical, EPC...
Hotel Owner Looks to Sue Australia for $11m over Unpaid Refugee Bills
A Papua New Guinea hotel, Lodge 10, has filed a civil suit seeking roughly $7 million USD in unpaid accommodation fees for refugees formerly detained on Manus Island. The hotel says payments from the Australian government ceased in 2021 when offshore processing...
Charity Probed Amid Claims the Orphanage It Supports Does Not Exist
The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has opened an inquiry into The Orphan Shop, a Fraserburgh charity shop accused of supporting a non‑existent orphanage in Zimbabwe. The charity’s accounts show it transferred nearly £60,918 (about $78,000) to the alleged Winfire Orphanage...
Out of Court
The Magistrates’ Association warns that police‑driven out‑of‑court resolutions have surged 10% in the past year, blurring the line between policing and magistrates’ courts. While cautions, penalty notices and electronic curfews can streamline low‑level offences, the association says some police‑imposed conditions...
Federal Court Allows Appeal by Lesbian Group Seeking to Ban Trans Women
The Federal Court has allowed the Lesbian Action Group’s appeal to seek an exemption from the Sex Discrimination Act that would let it exclude transgender women from its public events for up to five years. Justice Mark Moshinsky ruled that...
Things Worth Reading: 15th April 2026
The European Central Bank released the Eurosystem’s response to the European Commission’s consultation on banking sector competitiveness, outlining measures to boost cross‑border lending, streamline regulatory burdens, and enhance digital finance adoption across the EU. The ECB proposes harmonised capital requirements,...
Teen Admits Creating Deepfakes in Australian-First Prosecution
A 19‑year‑old Adelaide teen, William Hamish Yeates, became the first Australian to be prosecuted under the Commonwealth’s 2024 deep‑fake pornography law after pleading guilty to two counts of creating or altering sexual material without consent and two harassment offences. The...
Do Delayed Staff Comment Letter Releases Enhance Insider Trading Risks?
The SEC’s corporate finance staff is still clearing a backlog from last year’s government shutdown, leading to longer delays in publishing staff comment letters. Olga Usvyatsky warns that these lagging releases risk turning letters into historical artifacts rather than timely...
1H 2026 eDiscovery Business Confidence Survey Launches With Expanded AI and Revenue Focus
ComplexDiscovery and EDRM have opened the 1H 2026 eDiscovery Business Confidence Survey, the 39th edition, running through May 29. The questionnaire expands to 17 items, introducing AI‑governance queries and a new organizational revenue‑size segment. Confidence among eDiscovery professionals is at its highest...
Stalker's Emergency Writ Denied; Case Proceeds Soon
My stalker’s emergency writ, an attempt to delay her case, was just denied by the California Court of Appeal. Her moment of truth is near.
Share Counting: RSUs and Form S-8
The SEC’s Office of Chief Counsel clarified that restricted stock units (RSUs) must be counted against a company’s Form S‑8 registered share capacity at the moment of grant, and each subsequent grant triggers a new deduction regardless of prior forfeitures. Companies...
AI Targets Highest-Cost Jobs First, Not All Workers
AI won’t replace everyone. It will replace what’s most expensive first. Legal teams, documentation-heavy roles, and non-complex work are already in the line of fire. #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #JobAutomation #AIRevolution #TechDisruption https://t.co/kdlcj7tSIk
Sanctions Compliance: OFAC Guidance on Sham Transactions
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued new guidance identifying red flags for sham transactions used to evade sanctions. The guidance outlines indicators such as commercially unreasonable terms, transfers to family or close associates, unclear business purpose,...
Self-Binding Corporations
Corporate charters for giants like Boeing and Google are unusually brief, offering only a generic permission to engage in any lawful activity and omitting any substantive policy guidance. A new paper proposes that companies embed concrete provisions—such as data‑privacy standards...