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
Motsepe’s ARC Ruled Not Liable for Breach in Pula Dispute
African Rainbow Capital (ARC) secured a declaratory judgment from the Johannesburg High Court, confirming it bears no liability under a 2019 confidentiality agreement central to a $195 million damages claim filed in Tanzania. The claim, brought by Pula Group and Pula Graphite, alleged that African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) breached the agreement by investing in a competing graphite project. Judge L. Adams ruled ARC was never a signatory, so it cannot be held liable, and also dismissed Pula Graphite’s contractual standing. The dispute now narrows to Pula Group versus ARM, pending Tanzanian proceedings.
Relying Parties in the Spotlight at 2026 Global Age Assurance Standards Summit
The 2026 Global Age Assurance Standards Summit in Manchester highlighted the industry’s shift after the debut of ISO/IEC 27566-1, the first global standard for age‑verification systems. Organisers placed relying parties—such as TikTok, Phillip Morris International and Epic Games—front‑and‑center to discuss liability, trust...
Telehealth Prescribing Laws in 2026: Navigating Controlled Substance Rules
The DEA has extended its COVID‑era telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances until Dec. 31 2026, keeping the federal waiver on the in‑person exam requirement alive. However, many states have enacted stricter telehealth prescribing rules that can supersede the federal allowance, especially...
Updated: FDA Asks for Data on Lilly’s Foundayo to Assess Heart, Liver Risks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Eli Lilly for additional safety data on its newly approved obesity medication, Foundayo. The agency is specifically seeking information on any cardiovascular events and liver‑related adverse effects observed in clinical trials and post‑marketing...
Texas Judge Blocks Termination of MWBE Certification for State Contracts
A Texas judge issued a temporary injunction halting Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock’s effort to strip minority‑ and women‑owned businesses from the state’s Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) program. The emergency rule would have reduced certified firms from over 15,000 to roughly...
“Boasberg Contempt Hearing for Noem Found on Appeal to Be ‘Abuse’”
A divided D.C. Circuit panel ruled that Judge James Boasberg's contempt inquiry into the Trump administration’s rapid deportation of Venezuelan migrants was an abuse of judicial power, effectively ending the probe. The decision shields the administration from potential sanctions and...
Launching the Latest Edition of Our Life Sciences and Healthcare Insights
A&O Shearman released the second edition of its Life Sciences and Healthcare Insights report on April 14, 2026. The edition examines six critical topics—from rising shareholder activism and AI‑driven drug discovery to China’s expanding pharma innovation ecosystem. It also analyzes EU reforms to...
Twitch TOS Now Lets Them Dissect and Monetize Your Content
Twitch just updated the Terms of Service. IANAL, but my analysis: Section 4: Covers Authorized Users (3rd parties, Business Manager role, etc.) Section 8: Pieces apart your content (video, audio, images, text) to allow Twitch to provide and improve the platform.
Identifi Shortlisted for Best AI Solution and Best RegTech Solution at 2026 Banking Tech Awards USA
Identifi, a Florida‑based workflow automation vendor, has been named a finalist in both the Best AI Solution and Best RegTech Solution categories at the 2026 Banking Tech Awards USA. The AI nomination spotlights its Document AI feature, which scans incoming...
California’s Cybersecurity Audit Rule Is Now in Effect: Its Impact for Class Litigation
The California Privacy Protection Agency’s new cybersecurity audit rule took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, obligating certain businesses to conduct and certify an annual audit covering 18 technical and organizational safeguards. While the audit report itself is not filed publicly, the certification...
Separating Fact From Fiction in FACE Act Enforcement
The Trump administration released a report alleging that the Justice Department’s enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act unfairly targeted religious Americans. The analysis shows the report cherry‑picks internal emails, ignores court rulings and the surge...
Inadvertent Production of Work Product Did Not Waive Protection; However, Recipient Showed Substantial Need and Overcame That Protection
A federal court in the Middle District of Florida held that Aerosonic’s inadvertent production of work‑product documents did not waive privilege under Fed. R. Evid. 502, but found that Joby demonstrated a substantial need that overcame the qualified protection. The court affirmed the...
Social Media Platforms Need To Stop Never-Ending Scrolling, UK's Starmer Says
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged social‑media firms to strip away infinite‑scroll features for users under 16, as Britain widens its child‑online‑safety consultation. The government is weighing bans, curfews and app‑time limits to curb addictive usage, and more than 45,000...
France Passes New Restitution Law Focused on Returning Looted Art Stolen During the Colonial Era
France’s parliament unanimously approved a new restitution law that streamlines the return of cultural objects looted between 1815 and 1972. The bill requires state‑initiated requests to be vetted by a scientific committee and a restitution commission, and excludes post‑1972 cases...
The Nanny State Goes Shopping
The article argues that antitrust is drifting from its traditional consumer‑welfare focus—preventing price and output distortions—to a new “anti‑consumer” approach that seeks to reshape outcomes regulators deem preferable. It critiques Neo‑Brandeisian and populist proposals, such as the EU Digital Markets...
Distributed Batteries Get Legislative, Utility Lift in California
California lawmakers are advancing SB 913 to count aggregated residential batteries and electric vehicles as resource‑adequacy capacity, leveling them with traditional generators. Ava Community Energy has launched an $11.25 million SmartHome Battery incentive, offering $500/kWh rebates for low‑income households and $90/kWh for...
Adriana Schwartz Joins Seward Kissel as Partner
Seward & Kissel announced the addition of Adriana Schwartz as a partner in its investment‑management group. Schwartz will focus on securities law, handling regulatory and compliance matters for passive and activist investors, especially Section 13(d) and Section 16 reporting. Her practice also...
Former Von Der Leyen Aide’s New Role Reflects EU Competition Policy Shift
Ursula von der Leyen appointed Anthony Whelan, a trusted digital adviser, as the new Director‑General of the EU competition department. Whelan inherits a heavy agenda, including a rewrite of merger guidelines and a fast‑track review of state‑aid rules amid energy‑price...
SEC Crackdown Spurs Clearer Crypto Regulation Guidance
"In 2022/2023, my work would be violently disrupted by a new enforcement action by the SEC and I'd have to figure out what it meant for crypto ... and now it's new guidance." 😍 -- @kkirkbos "This is a much...
SEC Permits DeFi Front‑ends for Non‑securities, Expires in Five Years
"The SEC gave staff guidance (not as important as commission-level guidance) just released a statement about broker-dealer registration of front-ends and interfaces in DeFi ... And from my reading, it permits front-end DeFi swapping of crypto non-securities, so you can...
Virginia Governor Signs Law Banning Sales Of Location Data
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 338, a privacy law that bans the sale of precise location data within a 1,750‑foot radius. The measure, effective July, replaces the 2021 consent‑based framework and joins Maryland and Oregon in prohibiting such...
Court Transcripts and Public Inquiry Responses: How the UK Gov Is Outsourcing Work to AI
The UK government is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence, notably Google’s Gemini model, to automate the drafting of court transcript summaries and responses to public inquiries. The Department for Transport has piloted Gemini for processing public consultation feedback, aiming to...
DIFC Courts Deploy AI‑Powered Notary Service with DataFlow Group
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts have rolled out an AI‑enabled notary service in partnership with DataFlow Group, delivering instant document tampering detection and primary source verification across three access channels. The initiative marks the UAE’s first AI‑driven notarisation...
Court Grants Maintenance Even to Educated Quitters
She quit her job for marriage... Court said she deserves ₹40,000/month. A woman, an engineer, was working... but after marriage she left her job. Not because she was forced to quit the job... Just for adjustment, to support family and help... After things didn't work...
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What Is the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax (GSTT) and Who Pays?
The generation‑skipping transfer tax (GSTT) is a federal levy that applies when property is gifted or bequeathed to a beneficiary at least 37½ years younger than the donor, typically a grandchild. Introduced in 1976, the GSTT closes a loophole that...
Why Digital Ascension Group Built a Wyoming LLC and Crypto Trading Platform Nobody Else Would
Digital Ascension Group (DAG) unveiled an all‑in‑one platform that merges Wyoming LLC formation, automated compliance documentation, and crypto trading via Uphold into a single login. Users can import existing entities in under three minutes, generate required filings instantly, and trade...
Dialysis Industry Faces Scrutiny as Consolidation Fuels Profit Over Patient Care
A new investigative report highlights how two firms—DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care—control almost 80% of US dialysis centers, inflating prices and prompting a 2025 antitrust lawsuit. The piece underscores disproportionate impacts on Black Americans, who comprise 35% of dialysis patients...
ESMA Guidelines on the Submission of Periodic Information
On April 14, 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority released official translations of new guidelines that govern the submission of periodic information by benchmark administrators, credit rating agencies, and market transparency infrastructures. The rules have been effective since January 1,...
Comcast Agrees to $117 Million Settlement Over 2023 Data Breach
Comcast has agreed to a proposed $117.5 million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit stemming from a data breach in October 2023. The breach exposed customers’ personal information after a third‑party gained unauthorized access. The settlement fund will pay claimants for documented...
Draft Delegated Regulation Specifying the Criteria for Establishing and Assessing the Effectiveness of Investment Firms’ Order Execution Policies
On 14 April 2026 the European Commission released a draft Delegated Regulation that amends MiFID II by introducing new regulatory technical standards developed by ESMA for assessing investment firms’ order execution policies. The draft repeals the 2017 Delegated Regulations 575 and 576 and sets out...
DOT Moves to Clear Regulatory Path for Vehicles Without Steering Wheels
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to strip federal vehicle standards that mandate human controls, clearing a path for fully autonomous cars and trucks. NHTSA is fast‑tracking Amazon‑owned Zoox’s request to operate up to 2,500 purpose‑built robotaxis without steering...
California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency’s Proposed PAGA Regulations: What Employers Need to Know (US)
On February 6, 2026 the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency released proposed regulations to refine the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) after the 2024 amendments. The draft rules introduce a standardized notice form, a 33‑day employer response window, and...
JPMorgan Blasts Capital Proposals, Estimates 4% Increase
JPMorgan Chase says the latest Basel III and U.S. G‑SIB surcharge proposals would force the bank to hold roughly $20 billion more capital, translating to a 4% rise in its common equity tier 1 ratio. Executives argue the G‑SIB surcharge is miscalibrated, inflating...
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All About Levies: Legal Seizures Explained
A levy is a legal seizure of property by tax authorities, most commonly the IRS, to collect unpaid taxes. The agency can target bank accounts, wages, vehicles, real estate, and even retirement assets, though certain income streams like Social Security...
EFF to State AGs: Investigate Google's Broken Promise to Users Targeted by the Government
The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed complaints with the California and New York attorneys general accusing Google of violating its promise to notify users before handing over data to law‑enforcement agencies. The complaint centers on Amandla Thomas‑Johnson, whose ICE subpoena was...
The 7 Step Fraud Risk Assessment Framework
The article outlines a seven‑step fraud risk assessment framework that helps organizations identify, evaluate, and mitigate both internal and external fraud threats. It emphasizes tailoring the assessment to industry specifics, mapping controls to identified risks, and regularly updating the analysis....
Opening Pandora’s Interface: AI Assistants and the DMA
The European Commission has launched DMA Article 6(7) proceedings to define Google’s obligations for AI‑assistant features on Android, targeting hot‑word detection, screen‑content access, and audio‑output monitoring. This follows earlier Apple cases where the EU forced openness for NFC, Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth,...
Colo. Bans Arrests Based Solely on Colorimetric Drug Tests
Colorado enacted a law prohibiting arrests based solely on colorimetric drug test results for misdemeanor possession. Officers must now issue a court summons and inform defendants of false‑positive risks, offering confirmatory testing before any plea. The legislation passed unanimously and...
Group Challenges ESA Exemption For Oil And Gas Drilling In The Gulf Of Mexico
Defenders of Wildlife has filed a petition in the D.C. Circuit to overturn a March 31 decision by the Endangered Species Committee—often called the “God Squad”—that granted a blanket exemption from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for federal oil and gas...
Ontario Moves to Ban Uniform Fees
Ontario is proposing amendments to the Employment Standards Act to ban mandatory, employer‑specific uniform fees for large employers, targeting sectors like restaurants, hotels and retail where workers can pay $50 or more for branded apparel. The proposal also introduces the...
Foreign Ownership of US Trucking Firms Fuels Safety Crisis
I've argued that you should be an American citizen to own a trucking company. This is a requirement in almost every single commercial mode of transportation, except for trucking. The reason is simple: overseas actors will own trucking companies and...
Minnesota Faces 3,800 Illegal Gambling Sites, Officials Warn
There are roughly 3,800 illegal gambling websites available to Minnesota residents, state Department of Public Safety officials estimated in a legislative hearing today
Grenfell Inquiry Expert Witness Appointed as Building Advisory Committee Chair
The Building Safety Regulator appointed Grenfell Inquiry expert witness Barbara Lane as the first independent chair of its Building Advisory Committee (BAC), with Dr Hywel Davies named deputy chair. Lane, a senior engineering executive with three decades of experience, previously testified...
Spain Leads EU by Legalizing 500,000 Undocumented Migrants
Spain continues to be one of the ONLY decent countries in the EU doing the right thing right now and stepping forward in ways that almost no other country has yet. Amazing. 🇪🇸 Spain approves plan to give around 500,000 undocumented...
Section 122 Tariffs Hampered by Undefined Terms
A discussion of section 122 -- balance of payments tariffs -- for those interested. Turns out that the statute never defined its key terms -- international payments problem, large and serious balance of payments deficit -- so there is a bit...
Lessons for a Warming Planet: A Vital History of U.S. Environmental Law
Law professors Alejandro Camacho and Brigham Daniels released “Lessons for a Warming Planet” on Earth Day, offering a sweeping history of U.S. environmental law. The book traces how 19th‑ and 20th‑century social movements turned scientific evidence into landmark statutes, from...
Minnesota Lawmakers Discuss Mobile Sports Betting Legalization
Minnesota lawmakers Tuesday will discuss, but not vote, on a mobile sports betting legalization bill; though no action will be taken today, a conversation in committee is a positive sign in what has been a long (long) journey to bringing...
GAO Warned in 2012: FMCSA Can't Probe Most Carriers
The Government Accountability Office warned about Chameleon Carriers all the way back in 2012 At that time they noted the FMCSA’s lack of ability to investigate these carriers. And they outline how only certain carriers are even looked into https://t.co/Cdhqf0rkwc
Reg Crypto Grants Early Projects Four-Year Fundraising Window
"It sounds like Reg Crypto will create a regime for crypto fundraising with early stage crypto projects getting four years of breathing room ... " 💸 -- @TuongvyLe12 https://t.co/AttQpHMbae
Quantum Threats Could Undermine Bitcoin’s Private‑Key Ownership
"The question quantum raises for me as a laywer is that Bitcoin's notion of ownership rests on you owning your private key. But if quantum allows someone else to make that signature, then whose bitcoin is it?" -- 👀 @kkirkbos https://t.co/jY4EquQA7V