Today's Legal Pulse
UK pushes commonhold reform to boost housing supply
The Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill proposes abolishing leasehold and mandating new homes be sold as commonhold, tying the change to a target of delivering 1.5 million homes annually—the highest since 1968. The model remains untested, with fewer than 25 developments and unresolved issues around dispute resolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Policyholders Win In Calif. Water Leak Precedent Ruling
A California Court of Appeal ruled that policyholders can rely on a recent precedent to argue for coverage of water leak damages, overturning insurers' blanket exclusions. The decision clarifies that standard property policies may be obligated to pay for gradual water damage, not just sudden events. Legal scholars say the ruling provides a clear framework for future disputes and could reshape how insurers draft leak exclusions. The case marks a pivotal win for consumer advocacy groups pushing for broader homeowner protections.
It’s Not a Trap: A Shared Copyright License Can Still Be Exclusive
The Eleventh Circuit in Great Bowery Inc. v. Consequence Sound clarified that a copyright license can remain exclusive even when the owner retains certain rights or has granted prior non‑exclusive licenses. The district court had dismissed Great Bowery’s infringement claim,...
Apple-OpenAI Alliance Frays, Setting Up Possible Legal Fight
Apple’s two‑year partnership with OpenAI, which embedded ChatGPT in Siri and iOS, is now strained as OpenAI claims Apple has failed to meet integration and promotion expectations. OpenAI has hired external counsel and is weighing a breach‑of‑contract notice, though a...
Apple’s Gemini-Siri Deal Is the Next Microsoft Antitrust Case, Not the Next App Store Fight
Apple announced a multi‑year partnership with Google, paying roughly $1 billion a year for the Gemini model to power the next generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence. The revamped assistant will debut at WWDC on June 8, 2026 and ship with iOS 27...
EvenUp Extends Beyond Software with Launch of ‘Pre-Litigation-as-a-Service’ Offering For PI Law Firms
EvenUp unveiled Pre‑Litigation as a Service (PLAAS), an AI‑driven, staff‑augmented solution that runs the entire pre‑litigation workflow for personal‑injury firms. Early pilots report 95% recovery of policy limits, medical‑record requests 66 days faster, demand letters 47 days quicker, and roughly...
Rocket Sues UWM for $100 Million in Mr. Cooper MSR Fight
Rocket Mortgage has filed a New York state lawsuit against United Wholesale Mortgage, seeking $100 million in damages for allegedly refinancing loans it sold to Mr. Cooper. The suit claims UWM’s targeted refinance promotions violated a non‑solicitation clause, driving prepayment rates on...
Google Denies Breaching Law by Promoting Suicide Forum Linked to 164 UK Deaths
Google has denied violating the UK Online Safety Act after a link to a pro‑suicide forum appeared in its search results, despite the site being linked to 164 deaths in Britain. The forum’s US‑based operator was fined £950,000 (about $1.2 million)...
Musk, OpenAI Lawyers Begin Closing Arguments in Landmark Trial that Could Shape AIs Future
Elon Musk and OpenAI’s legal teams presented closing arguments in a trial that could define AI governance. Musk, who invested $38 million in OpenAI’s early years, alleges the company breached a charitable trust and unjustly enriched its executives. The jury must...
Mamata Banerjee Dons Lawyer Robes, Argues Post-Poll Violence Case in Court
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee donned lawyer robes to argue a post‑poll violence case before the Calcutta High Court. She sought urgent protection for Trinamool Congress workers after the BJP’s historic landslide that reduced TMC to 80 seats...
EDiscovery AI Launches CaseBot™ Conversational Assistant for Automated Case Assessment
eDiscovery AI, a HaystackID subsidiary, announced the general availability of CaseBot™, a conversational AI tool that delivers instant, source‑cited answers to unlimited case‑data questions. The rollout follows a limited release that began in January 2026 and expands the company’s AI‑driven...
US DOJ Probes Nvidia GPU Smuggling After Encrypted Chats Expose China, Russia Scheme
Federal prosecutors have opened an export‑control investigation after encrypted WeChat messages showed a trio conspiring to ship Nvidia GPUs to China and Russia. The case, involving alleged profits of millions per order, arrives amid $420 million in penalties levied by the...
DOJ Sues to Halt DC Bar Disciplinary Case Against Former Trump Aide Jeffrey Clark
The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit on May 13 to block D.C. Bar disciplinary officials from pursuing disbarment of former assistant attorney general Jeffrey Clark. The department claims the bar’s actions infringe the Supremacy Clause and suppress candid legal...
Supreme Court Affirms ‘Jurisdictional Anchor’ in Hotel Guard Arbitration Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected limits on federal courts’ authority to confirm arbitration awards, affirming that filing a federal lawsuit creates a jurisdictional anchor. The case involved former Chateau Marmont security guard Adrian Jules, whose discrimination claims were arbitrated and...
DOJ Runs From Its Own Shadow
The Department of Justice is reportedly weighing a rapid settlement of former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, driven by a May 20 briefing deadline from Judge Kathleen Williams. The settlement could involve a promise that the IRS will not...
IManage Unveils Open Protocol
iManage introduced the iManage MCP Server, an open‑protocol gateway that lets any MCP‑compatible AI pull content directly from its repository without custom integrations or bulk exports. The server preserves existing security, ethical walls and compliance controls, and will be demoed...
Reveal: EDiscovery Hosting in a FedRAMP Environment
Reveal explains that eDiscovery hosting in a FedRAMP environment means deploying litigation support platforms on cloud infrastructure that meets the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s security standards. While FedRAMP authorization is required for federal agencies and contractors, it does...
Trucker Gets Supreme Court Support for Injury Suit Against Freight Broker
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion that states may enforce motor‑vehicle safety regulations against freight brokers, overturning lower courts that had dismissed a truck driver’s suit under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA). The ruling rests on...
The Supreme Court Just Told Every Freight Broker that They Can Be Sued
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, holding that negligent‑hiring claims against freight brokers are not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA). The Court relied on the statute’s safety exception,...
Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Demand for Rhode Island Hospital's Records of Transgender Kids
U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy ruled Wednesday that the Justice Department’s subpoena demanding Rhode Island Hospital’s records on transgender minors is invalid. The demand covered birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses, treatment notes and side‑effect reports for five years of...
Adani Fraud Charges Likely to Be Dropped by US Justice Department: Report
U.S. Justice Department insiders say it will likely drop the criminal fraud indictment against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani as early as this week, while the SEC moves toward a civil settlement. The cases stem from a 2024 allegation that Adani...
BC Court of Appeal Fixes Estate’s Requested Security for Trial and Appeal Costs at $321,700
The British Columbia Court of Appeal ordered the appellants to post security of $321,700 (≈$238,000 USD) for trial and appeal costs, while granting them extra time to file appeal materials. The dispute arose after Chinese businessman Zhang Jr. funded real‑estate...
Secure Your Trademark Early, Not After Success
So many business owners think trademarks come later on. Once they’ve built the brand. Gotten the clients. Earned the recognition…
Sterne Kessler and Thomson Reuters Launch AI Patent Claim Eligibility Analyzer
Sterne Kessler and Thomson Reuters announced a co‑development partnership that produced the Patent Claim Eligibility Analyzer, an AI‑driven workflow for Section 101 patent eligibility analysis. The tool promises to deliver assessments in minutes rather than days, giving litigators faster, precedent‑backed...
California Mayors Threaten Lawsuit Over High‑Speed Rail Tax‑Capture Plan
Nine California mayors, led by Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, have warned they will sue the California High‑Speed Rail Authority if it proceeds with a proposal to capture a share of local property and sales‑tax growth and to assume zoning authority...
Polymarket Insider Trading Charges Illustrate DOJ and CFTC Prediction Markets Enforcement Strategy
On April 23, 2026 the SDNY indicted U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke for using classified military intel to place $33,000 in bets on Polymarket, netting roughly $410,000 in profits. The DOJ and CFTC filed parallel charges, arguing...
CFPB’s Vought Defends Terminating Citi Consent Order
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russ Vought announced the early termination of the 2023 consent order against Citibank, which had alleged surname‑based discrimination against Armenian‑American applicants. Citi completed its $24.5 million civil penalty, paid $1.37 million in redress to...
The DOJ's No Good, Very Bad Day
A Rhode Island judge has quashed a Department of Justice subpoena that sought five years of gender‑affirming care records for minor patients at Rhode Island Hospital. The order marks the eighth federal court to reject the DOJ’s HIPAA‑based demand, accusing...
Rule 506(b) Vs. 506(c): A Practical Guide for Startup Founders
Startup founders raising capital under Regulation D must decide between Rule 506(b) and Rule 506(c), the two exemptions that power most private U.S. financings. Rule 506(b) limits fundraising to private, pre‑existing relationships and bans advertising, while Rule 506(c) permits public solicitation but obligates verified accredited...
Michigan Seeks Early Exit in W.D. Mich. Amended-Complaint Fight
The State of Michigan filed a brief supporting its motion to dismiss the amended complaint in federal case 1:26‑cv‑00246, arguing the pleading still fails to state a viable claim. The motion invokes Rule 12(b)(6) and defenses such as sovereign immunity, jurisdictional...
Boeing Ordered to Pay $49.5M for Single MAX Fatality
Boeing Hit With $49.5 Million Verdict For One 737 MAX Death — Why It Was So High https://t.co/xyHMn7nXbR
CESTAT Rules in Favour of MRPL in ₹212.53 Cr Customs Duty Case
The Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) ruled in favour of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), granting a refund of ₹212.53 crore (≈$25.6 million) customs duty paid under protest. The dispute stemmed from the classification of reformate imports between...
Large Libel Models Strike Again? Google AI Allegedly Hallucinates Sex Crime Allegations Against Utah Man
A Utah man, Michael Murray, has filed a federal lawsuit against Alphabet alleging that Google’s AI "Overview" feature fabricated false sex‑crime accusations. The complaint says the AI-generated statements never appeared in any external source and were solely invented by the...
Antitrust Suit Alleges Monster, CareerBuilder and Resume Genius Are All the Same Company
A federal antitrust complaint filed on April 2, 2026 alleges that BOLD Limited controls more than 20 online resume‑builder brands, including Monster, CareerBuilder, and Resume Genius, effectively dominating over 80% of the U.S. market valued at roughly $750 million annually. The...
NetDocuments Unveils Legal Context Graph to Map Legal Knowledge, Alongside A ‘Reimagined’ Platform
NetDocuments unveiled its Legal Context Graph, a proprietary knowledge infrastructure that continuously maps relationships among documents, matters, communications, and people while preserving permissions. The company also launched a redesigned, “reimagined” platform featuring AI‑generated matter overviews, SmartSearch, and automatic version‑history summaries....
Tribunal Strikes Out Electrician Claim After Violent Threats to Colleagues
A UK employment tribunal struck out the claims of Daniel Niculae, an electrician at the Hinkley Point C nuclear project, after he sent a barrage of threatening emails and WhatsApp messages to former colleagues. Niculae had filed unfair dismissal, disability...
EDig365 Aims To Gives Legal Teams Reporting and Visibility Within Microsoft Purview E-Discovery
eDig365 debuted at the CLOC Global Institute in Chicago, delivering a reporting and observability layer that sits atop Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. The solution provides legal operations teams with real‑time dashboards, case metrics, hold status, and data‑volume insights. Built to fill...
Book Review: Chilton & Rozema’s Trial by Numbers: A Lawyer’s Guide to Statistical Evidence
Oxford University Press’s new title *Trial by Numbers* offers lawyers a concise guide to interpreting statistical evidence. Authored by Adam Chilton and Kyle Rozema, the 207‑page book walks readers through probability, basic statistics, and four core causal‑inference techniques—regression, difference‑in‑differences, regression...
The Elon Musk v Sam Altman Battle Is a Distraction | Karen Hao
Elon Musk has sued OpenAI, claiming Sam Altman and Greg Brockman misled him into funding a nonprofit that later became a for‑profit entity, seeking $150 billion in damages and a return to nonprofit status. The lawsuit arrives as OpenAI prepares a...
The Week in Data May 14: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Law.com’s weekly data roundup highlights key trends in the legal sector, noting that the Am Law 100’s aggregate valuation breached $400 billion for the first time. The Am Law 200’s Second Hundred posted a 6% revenue increase in 2025, lagging behind the 10.8%...
Spirit Airlines Sued by 17,000 Former Staff over Abrupt Shutdown and WARN Breach
Former Spirit Airlines employees have filed a class‑action lawsuit in New York bankruptcy court, claiming the carrier violated the federal WARN Act by giving no 60‑day notice before its May 2, 2026 shutdown. The suit represents roughly 17,000 workers, including 2,500 at...
King's Speech: Society Calls for 'Sustained Investment'
The Law Society, led by President Mark Evans, urged the government to back the justice‑system reforms outlined in the King’s speech with sustained investment, warning that under‑funding threatens access to justice. It criticised the proposal to limit jury trials, arguing...
6th Circuit Ruling Grants Bond Hearings to Hundreds of Detained Immigrants
A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a 2‑1 decision that most immigrants detained in civil removal proceedings must be offered a bond hearing. The ruling, hailed by civil‑rights groups, could free hundreds...
DoJ Sues To Insulate Trump Administration Lawyers From Discipline
Attorney General Todd Blanche has filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia Bar, seeking to block disciplinary actions against former Trump administration lawyers such as Jeffrey Clark and Ed Martin. Blanche claims the bar is a partisan entity and argues...
How Do You Avoid a Corporate Fine When Criminal Conduct Is Discovered? (Part 1)
The Justice Department has updated its corporate enforcement policy, emphasizing three pillars: voluntary disclosure of criminal conduct, full cooperation with investigators, and remediation of compliance programs. Companies that meet these criteria can receive a declination, meaning no criminal fine, only...
US Judge Challenges SEC, Musk Over Twitter Settlement
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan criticized the SEC’s settlement with Elon Musk over his 2022 Twitter acquisition, calling the agreement riddled with red flags and refusing to rubber‑stamp it. The deal channels a $1.5 million penalty through a Musk‑named legal trust,...
South Africa Court Bans Repeat Asylum Applications
South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that foreigners whose asylum applications have been rejected cannot submit a new claim. The decision arose from a case involving two Burundian nationals who reapplied after 2015 election‑related violence was cited as new evidence. The...
Revolut Hires Coinbase Risk Chief to Drive Global Crypto Expansion
Revolut has named Michael Schroeder, former Coinbase chief risk officer for Europe, as its Global Head of Crypto Expansion. Schroeder will steer licensing, regulatory readiness, operations and market launches, underscoring a compliance‑first growth model. The hire follows similar moves by...
ESMA Updates Manual on Pre-Trade and Post-Trade Transparency Under MiFID II/MiFIR
On 12 May 2026 ESMA published an updated Manual on pre‑trade and post‑trade transparency under MiFID II/MiFIR, highlighting a series of changes in a dedicated table. The most notable amendment is paragraph 143, which defines “end of the trading day” (EoD) for on‑venue and...
Post Office Scandal Victim Wins Appeal over £2m Trial Split
Former sub‑postmaster Lee Castleton, a high‑profile victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal, won a Court of Appeal ruling that his civil claim cannot be split into separate trials. The appeal overturns a High Court decision that had ordered a...
One Onboarding Platform, Not Five
Legal firms increasingly rely on a patchwork of compliance tools, creating fragmented workflows that hinder auditability and client experience. Checkboard launches an all‑in‑one onboarding platform that merges ID verification, AML screening, source‑of‑funds analysis, address checks and secure payments into a...