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
U.S. House Lawmakers Move to Codify DHS Biometric Screening Abroad
U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul and Henry Cuellar reintroduced the bipartisan BITMAP Authorization Act to formally embed the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program within DHS. The bill would empower foreign partners to collect and share biometric data on high‑risk travelers, linking that information to U.S. watchlists such as IDENT and the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database. It adds robust oversight, requiring regular congressional reports, GAO audits, and a six‑year sunset. A privacy clause mandates removal of U.S. citizen data unless retained for specific law‑enforcement purposes.
New Crypto Warning as Pepeto Leads Verified Entries
Kentucky lawmakers introduced House Bill 380, which would require crypto hardware wallet makers to embed a reset mechanism for seed phrases and PINs, effectively creating a government backdoor into self‑custody devices. The proposal has sparked alarm among investors who view...
IRS Struggles Against Nonfilers with Large Foreign Bank Accounts
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released a report showing the IRS’s Offshore Private Banking Campaign identified 405 high‑net‑worth taxpayers with undisclosed foreign accounts, yet enforcement was minimal. Only 12 of the 164 examined cases resulted in additional tax,...
Two Years on From Its Launch, How Has the UPC Impacted European Patent Litigation in the Life Sciences Sector?
Two years after its June 2023 launch, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has handled over 480 life‑science patents, with litigation volume steadily rising. The court has established a holistic approach to claim interpretation, inventive step, added matter and sufficiency, often favoring...
California Ghost-Gun Bill Wants 3D Printers To Play Cop, EFF Says
California’s AB 2047 would force 3D‑printer makers to embed state‑certified software that scans design files for firearm components and blocks prohibited prints. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argues the mandate is technically unworkable, easy to circumvent, and would create a...
“Tiny Bit of Oxygen”: CRTC Gives CPAC Rate Bump, Reversing Course on Deferral
The Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reversed its earlier deferral and approved a three‑cent per‑subscriber rate increase for the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). Effective September 1, broadcasters will pay 16 cents per month, adding roughly CAD 2.8 million (≈ US 2 million) to CPAC’s budget...
Fintel Alliance Starts Planning Its Next-Gen Analytics Hub
Australia’s Fintel Alliance – a coalition of banks, regulators, police and gambling operators – is redesigning its collaborative analytics hub (CAH) to handle larger, real‑time financial‑crime monitoring. The existing hub, first deployed in 2024, proved its concept by uncovering hidden...
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Highlights Class Action Against Oddity Tech (ODD) and Upcoming Lead Plaintiff Deadline of May 11, 2026
Faruqi & Faruqi LLP announced a federal securities class action against Oddity Tech Ltd. (NASDAQ: ODD) alleging the company misled investors about a costly algorithm change by its largest advertising partner that inflated customer acquisition costs. The complaint covers purchases...
Are US Businesses Ready for Privacy Fragmentation? Why E-Commerce and Marketing Teams Are Now on the Front Line
U.S. privacy regulation is fragmenting as new state laws in Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island join existing statutes, forcing businesses to embed compliance into front‑end digital experiences. E‑commerce and marketing teams now execute consent, targeting and analytics rules that vary...
Brown & Brown Announces Appointment of Eileen Akerson as Chief Legal Officer
Brown & Brown, Inc. announced the appointment of Eileen Akerson as its chief legal officer, effective immediately, after serving in an interim capacity since January 2026. Akerson will head the firm’s legal, regulatory, compliance, and enterprise risk management functions. She...
Myth: Mothers Automatically Get Custody
A recent article dispels the myth that mothers automatically receive custody in Australian family law, emphasizing that courts base decisions on the child’s best interests, not gender. It outlines the factors judges consider, such as safety, parental involvement, and stability....
Wyden Introduces Bills to Close Tax Shelters
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden introduced two bills targeting tax shelters used by the ultra‑wealthy. The Getting Rid of Abusive Trusts Act would tighten grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs) by imposing a 15‑year minimum term and treating transfers...
Kazakhstan Launches AI System to Predict Court Verdicts and Streamline Legal Aid
Kazakhstan's Justice Ministry, led by Deputy Justice Minister Bekbolat Moldabekov, introduced the "E‑legal support" AI platform to forecast court verdicts, centralize lawyers, and offer free legal advice via a mobile app and call centre. The move signals the country's first...
Queensland Launches Inquiry Into Federal Environmental Laws
Queensland’s Productivity Commission has launched a formal inquiry into how the 2025 amendments to the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act are affecting the state’s resources sector. The review, commissioned by Treasurer David Janetzki, will assess economic impacts,...
CPSC Launches Massive Recall of Millions of Consumer Tech Items Over Burn and Injury Risks
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a sweeping recall affecting more than 2 million consumer tech products, including Bissell steam cleaners, power banks, and smart fans, due to burn, fire and injury hazards. The action underscores growing safety concerns for...
Edelson Lechtzin LLP Launches Class‑Action Probe Into Kloeckner Metals Data Breach
Edelson Lechtzin LLP announced it is investigating a potential class action over the Kloeckner Metals Corporation data breach that exposed personal information for thousands of individuals. The breach, discovered on Feb. 23, 2026, involved unauthorized access between Feb. 17‑23, prompting privacy claims...
Ontario Man Fined $70,000 for Illegal Hiring at Banff Resorts
Kevin Kielty, owner of the One Team employment agency, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to two counts of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals and was sentenced to two years’ probation, 50 hours of community service and a $70,000 fine. The conviction follows...
Professor, Students Sue University of Alberta Board over Dismantling of Pro-Palestinian Encampment
Professor Michael Litwack and two master’s students have filed a lawsuit against the University of Alberta, alleging the school breached their Section 2 Charter rights by calling police to dismantle a peaceful pro‑Palestinian encampment in April 2024. The plaintiffs contend the university’s...
OneTaste Founder Nicole Daedone Sentenced to Nine Years for Forced Labor Scheme
Nicole Daedone, the charismatic founder of wellness startup OneTaste, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after a jury convicted her of a forced‑labor conspiracy that coerced participants into unpaid work and sexual services. The case highlights the legal...
Tulsa Medical Center only Let Workers Pump if ‘Sufficient Staffing’ Was Available, DOL Says
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa violated the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act by restricting lactation breaks to periods when staffing was deemed sufficient. The hospital...
EEOC Settles with Republic Services for $200K in Sex Discrimination Case
The EEOC settled a sex‑discrimination lawsuit against Republic Services' Missouri subsidiary for $200,000, ending claims that the firm repeatedly rejected qualified female driver applicants since early 2020. The case stemmed from a May 2020 interview where interviewers suggested the applicant discuss...
Audit Finds Google, Microsoft, and Meta Still Tracking Users After Opt-Out
An independent privacy audit by webXray examined traffic on over 7,000 popular California websites in March and found that Google, Microsoft and Meta routinely set advertising cookies even when users signaled an opt‑out via the Global Privacy Control (GPC). Google...
CJEU Delivers Pastiche-Style Judgment on … Pastiche
The EU Court of Justice issued a Grand Chamber judgment clarifying the scope of the pastiche exception under the InfoSoc Directive. It adopted an Advocate General’s definition: a work that evokes an existing piece by adopting its aesthetic language, is...
Gabon Institutes Social Media Age Verification for Under-16s
Gabon has enacted a pioneering regulation that obliges all social‑media users under 16 to undergo age verification using national ID, address and digital‑identity data. Platforms have a 12‑month window, ending February 2027, to meet technical standards, undergo HAC audits and...
Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Dba Hers - 716825 - 09/09/2025
The FDA issued a warning letter to Hims & Hers Health, Inc., alleging that the company’s website falsely marketed its compounded semaglutide as equivalent to FDA‑approved products like Ozempic and Wegovy. The agency cites violations of FDCA sections 502(a), 502(bb)...
Exclusive: Former Biden DOJ Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer on Trump’s Corrupt Pardons
In this Raw America episode, former DOJ Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer explains how President Trump has transformed the presidential pardon power into a political, pay‑for‑play system, promising preemptive pardons to staff and donors and bypassing the traditional, merit‑based vetting process....
“Baby Shark” And the Hague Service Convention: The Second Circuit Limits Email Service Abroad
The Second Circuit in Smart Study Co., Ltd. v. Shenzhenshixindajixieyouxiangongsi held that the Hague Service Convention creates a “closed universe” that bars email service on Chinese defendants. The court rejected arguments that the treaty’s silence on email or Rule 4(f)(3) permits...
Cooley Receives Three Managing IP Americas Awards
Cooley LLP earned three Managing IP Americas Awards in April 2026, including Firm of the Year for Trademark Disputes (West), Practitioner of the Year for Trademark Litigator (West) awarded to Bobby Ghajar, and Impact Case of the Year for the Kadrey v. Meta...
Latest Federal Court Cases: IronSource Ltd. V. Digital Turbine, Inc. - April 2026
The Federal Circuit dismissed ironSource Ltd.’s appeal of a post‑grant review decision involving Digital Turbine’s U.S. Patent No. 11,157,256. The court ruled ironSource lacked Article III standing because it could not show concrete plans to re‑introduce product features that would infringe the...
Tax Court Rejects Due Process Challenge to BBA Audit Regime in Jones Bluff
The Tax Court in *Jones Bluff, LLC v. Commissioner* ruled that a partnership cannot bring due‑process claims on behalf of its partners under the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) audit regime. The decision rests on third‑party standing and ripeness doctrines, noting...
In Re Entresto (Sacubitril/Valsartan) Patent Litigation (Novartis Pharms. Corp. V. MSN Labs. Private Ltd.
The Delaware District Court granted Novartis summary judgment in the Entresto patent case, invoking both issue and claim preclusion to bar MSN Labs from relitigating claim construction, validity, and infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,101,659. The court held that the prior...
Justice Department Says Trump Owns His White House Papers, Not the Public
On April 1 2026 the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion declaring the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional, arguing that Congress lacks authority over executive‑branch documents. The memo, aligned with former President Trump’s claim that he can retain his White...
This May Be It For the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Virginia
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation this week that ends the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s (UDC) tax‑exempt status. The move follows a separate bill eliminating specialty license plates for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and comes amid broader efforts...
SEBI Seeks CBDT Clarity on Tax Role of Authorised Representatives of FPIs
India’s securities regulator SEBI has formally requested the tax authority CBDT to define the tax responsibilities of authorised representatives (ARs) and representative assessees (RAs) appointed by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs). Under current income‑tax rules, FPIs must name an AR or...
PTAB Update | March 2026
The PTAB announced a sua sponte rehearing of Ex parte Baurin, revisiting the interplay between obviousness‑type double‑patenting and patent term adjustment in light of the Cellect and Allergan decisions. Simultaneously, the USPTO Director issued a new policy requiring parties in...
More FISA Abuse
The FBI conducted 3.4 million warrantless searches of U.S. citizen data in 2021, up from 1.3 million the year before. A 2024 FISA court finding revealed the agency used an “advanced filter” to evade counting and oversight of U.S. person queries, leaving...
In the Blogs: HIPAA HIPAA Hooray
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a December 2024 proposal that represents the most significant update to the HIPAA Security Rule since 2013, aiming to close long‑standing cybersecurity gaps in healthcare. The IRS released IR‑2026‑46, expanding Business...
Income Tax Dept Tightens Disclosure Norms Under Presumptive Taxation Scheme
The Income‑Tax Department will tighten disclosure norms for taxpayers using the presumptive taxation scheme starting assessment year 2026‑27. The revised ITR‑4 form, effective March 31, 2026, will mandate reporting of bank balances, investments, sundry debtors, sundry creditors and cash. The move aims...
Virginia Enacts Law to Streamline Wireless Infrastructure Upgrades
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bill 277 into law, streamlining upgrades to existing wireless infrastructure by restricting local governments from denying modification requests that do not substantially change a facility’s dimensions. The bill defines “substantial change” to include work...
The Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery Merger: An Antitrust Case for Rejection
Paramount Global agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at roughly $111 billion, consolidating two of the six remaining major Hollywood studios into a single entity. The merger is under antitrust review by the DOJ, state attorneys general,...
Caps on Graduate Student Lending: How Did We Get Here?
The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) enacted in summer 2025 imposes the first federal caps on graduate student loans, ending the near‑unlimited Grad PLUS program created in 2006. The caps respond to mounting fiscal losses, political pressure over loan‑forgiveness, and concerns...
Tax Court OKs Disallowance of Accrued Expenses
Tax Court affirmed the IRS’s disallowance of over $450,000 in deductions for a California hospice‑care C corporation that used the accrual method but failed to record income and expenses accurately. The IRS also found the corporation under‑reported more than $200,000...
Colorado Marijuana Regulators Pledge Crackdown on Intoxicating Hemp
Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division announced a crackdown on firms that use intoxicating hemp to create cheaper vape and edible products marketed as marijuana. Investigators found hemp‑derived vapes contaminated with the carcinogen methylene chloride and uncovered widespread underreporting of bulk marijuana...
IP Law Demands Payment; Ignoring Sparks Lawsuits
Actually Sam, we had something like that, except it specifically required you to pay the people whose economic viability you would be jeopardizing. We called it "IP law", and you decided you would rather ignore it and try to fight...
AI Legal Chats: Should They Get Attorney‑client Privilege?
Should legal chats with an AI be protected by attorney-client privilege or something like it? I have some bias towards yes. But also good to see this person trying to commit fraud with ChatGPT's help lose.
Fordham 33 (Report 5): Trade Secrets
The 33rd Fordham IP Conference featured a panel on trade secrets, highlighting their enduring relevance alongside patents. Speakers noted that while trade‑secret protection is generally easier to secure, many innovators still rely on patents for statutory monopoly rights. The rise...
Scoop: U.S. Eases Bank Sanctions Amid Venezuela's Economic Woes
The U.S. Treasury announced on Tuesday that it is easing sanctions on Venezuela's state‑run banking system, allowing key institutions to transact in U.S. dollars and receive billions from oil sales. The move follows weeks of public‑sector wage protests, where workers...
Why SAG's 'Tilly Tax' Falls Short of Bollywood's AI Future
The Writers Guild of America clinched a four‑year contract that adds $321 million to health and pension funds but stops short of securing compensation for the use of writers’ work in AI training. Studios must only notify the WGA if they...
California Investment Manager To Plead Guilty In Federal Fraud Case
Ken Mattson, former CEO of LeFever Mattson, pleaded guilty to a single wire‑fraud count in a federal case that exposed a 15‑year Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors say he siphoned more than $100 million from hundreds of investors by selling fake interests and...
PREPA Judge Tells Parties to Look at the Past Before the Future
U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered the PREPA Title III bankruptcy parties to first litigate the bondholders’ accounting counterclaim, emphasizing past reporting over speculative future valuations. She noted that methodological disputes over how to value the secured claim must be resolved...