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
Orsted Braces for UK Supreme Court Ruling with Major Implications for Wind
Orsted is awaiting a UK Supreme Court ruling on a £50 million ($68 million) tax dispute over capital allowances for offshore wind survey costs. The case involves the Gunfleet Sands, Walney and West of Duddon Sands projects, where HMRC denied the relief. A 2022 First‑Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal limited the claim, but the Court of Appeal broadened it, leaving the final decision to the Supreme Court. The judgment will set a precedent for how pre‑construction expenses are treated across UK renewable and infrastructure projects.
Imaging AI Vendor Heartflow Sues Competitor over Alleged Patent Infringement
Heartflow, a Mountain View‑based imaging AI vendor, filed a lawsuit against rival Cleerly alleging infringement of six patents covering its CT‑derived heart‑modeling technology. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction and monetary damages, asserting that Cleerly’s Ischemia, Plaque Analysis and Compare...
CA Update: Minimum Wage Increases for Hotel Employees
California’s major hospitality markets are set to raise minimum wages for hotel staff starting July 1, 2026. Long Beach will climb to $29.50 per hour by 2028, while Los Angeles adds an $8.15 hourly health benefit, pushing total compensation to...
Hollywood Titans Oppose $111 B Paramount‑Warner Merger in Open Letter
A coalition of leading filmmakers and actors, including Denis Villeneuve and J.J. Abrams, issued an open letter denouncing the $111 billion Paramount‑Warner merger. They argue the deal would shrink the studio pool, cut jobs and limit audience choice, while Paramount counters...
K&L Gates Achieves ISO 42001 Certification for AI Governance – Interview
K&L Gates has become one of the first major law firms to earn ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification, the global standard for AI management systems. The firm’s AI Management System (AIMS) now governs tool selection, risk assessment, data‑localisation compliance, and continuous monitoring of...
Follow-On Developments in Pump-and-Dump Litigation
Recent securities class actions against Ostin Technology, ChowChow Cloud, and Concorde International illustrate a growing wave of pump‑and‑dump litigation targeting low‑float issuers. The suits allege coordinated social‑media campaigns, AI‑generated deepfakes, and WhatsApp groups that inflated stock prices by over 1,100%...
Charting Change in Legal: What Firms Are Really Seeing in AI Return on Investment
The latest episode of the Charting Change in Legal podcast examines how law firms are quantifying the return on investment from generative AI. Drawing on a global study of 31 firms, host Caroline Hill and analyst Ari Kaplan reveal that...
UPDATE: Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10 Billion Epstein Lawsuit Against the Wall Street Journal
A federal judge dismissed former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, which alleged the paper fabricated a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled the complaint failed to meet the “actual malice”...
FTC Negotiates Settlement with Major Ad Agencies Over X Boycott
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is finalizing a settlement with top advertising firms—including Publicis Groupe, WPP and Dentsu—over alleged coordinated boycotts of Elon Musk's platform X. The deal would prohibit agencies from directing spend away from media outlets for political...
Nexstar Finalizes $6.2 Billion Tegna Takeover After Court Intervention
Nexstar Media Group closed its $6.2 billion purchase of rival Tegna after a court‑ordered waiver cleared antitrust limits. The deal gives Nexstar control of 265 stations in 44 states, reaching 80% of U.S. households, and marks the biggest broadcast‑media consolidation in...
CFTC Asks Congress for $410 Million FY2027 Budget, Proposes Transaction‑based User Fees
The CFTC has submitted a $410 million budget request for fiscal 2027, a 12% increase over 2026, and is urging Congress to allow a transaction‑based user‑fee structure to fund its operations. The move reflects rapid growth in retail derivatives, blockchain‑enabled products...
Anthropic General Counsel Jeff Bleich Declares AI Will End the Billable Hour
Anthropic's general counsel Jeff Bleich announced that artificial intelligence will eliminate the economic basis for the billable hour, aligning with a wave of lawyers urging firms to adopt subscription and value‑based pricing. The statement, made on April 13, 2026, has...
BTS Label BigHit Music Asks US Court to Unmask X User Who Leaked ‘ARIRANG’ Before Release
HYBE’s BigHit Music has petitioned a California federal court to subpoena X Corp. for the identity of the anonymous @jwngkcck account that leaked BTS’s "ARIRANG" album ahead of its March 20 release. The leak threatened the label’s promotional strategy despite the...
Roblox Rolls Out Age‑Based Kids and Select Accounts to Tighten Child Safety
Roblox announced the June launch of two new account tiers—Roblox Kids for ages 5‑8 and Roblox Select for ages 9‑15—paired with mandatory age verification, tighter developer checks and a $4.99 monthly Plus subscription. The move aims to address mounting lawsuits...
FCC Advances Consumer IoT Protection Scheme
The Federal Communications Commission has moved forward with a voluntary cybersecurity program for consumer Internet of Things (IoT) devices by naming the ioXT Alliance as the lead administrator of the US Cyber Trust Mark Programme. The scheme will allow qualifying...
Ontario AI Law Labeled ‘Empty Shell’ by Privacy Watchdog, Raising Insurance Risks
Ontario’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner warned that the province’s AI legislation, the Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act (EDSTA), is “no more than an empty shell.” The critique highlights a regulatory gap that could leave insurers scrambling...
Federal Judge Dismisses Donald Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Suit Against Wall Street Journal
A Miami federal judge dismissed former President Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, ruling he failed to allege actual malice. The decision gives Trump until April 27 to amend and refile, underscoring the high...
Roblox Mandates Age Verification for Users 9+, Impacting 144 M Daily Players
Roblox announced a mandatory age‑verification process for anyone 9 or older, introducing tiered Kids and Select accounts that restrict content and chat. The change, affecting its 144 million daily active users, aims to meet tightening global child‑safety regulations and will be...
Back to Basics in a Deepfake World with Jean Chung
In this episode of Risky Women Radio, Jean Chung, Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer for Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered, discusses how global commonalities outweigh regulatory differences, the emerging role of AI in AML...
Tuesday Talk*: The Chilling Cost Of Challenging Trump
Former President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, claiming the paper published a fake Epstein birthday note. A federal judge dismissed the case, finding Trump failed to prove actual malice because the Journal had...
Over 1,000 Hollywood Stars Oppose Paramount‑Skydance’s $111 Billion Warner Bros. Deal
A coalition of nearly 1,000 Hollywood talent has released an open letter denouncing Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The signatories warn the merger will deepen media concentration, eliminate jobs and increase the combined company’s debt to $79 billion,...
Maharashtra: Marathi Mandatory for Rickshaw and Taxi Drivers From May 1
From May 1, Maharashtra will require every licensed rickshaw and taxi driver to demonstrate basic reading and writing skills in Marathi. The Motor Transport Department will conduct a statewide inspection through its 59 regional offices, and drivers who fail the test...
Responsible Fintech Institute Adds Two Executive Fellows to Shape Global Digital Finance Policy
The Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) announced the appointment of Distinguished Professor Patrick H. M. Loh and Professor Tek Yew Chia as executive fellows. Their mandate is to steer policy coordination as stablecoin volumes soar while real‑world payment use remains around...
Legal Support for Nursing Peer Review Cases
Nursing peer review evaluates clinical decisions, ethics, and professional behavior, and adverse findings can jeopardize a nurse’s license. The article emphasizes the expanding role of specialized attorneys who guide nurses through documentation, protect privacy, and negotiate outcomes. Legal counsel ensures...
Hong Kong Issues First Stablecoin Licences, Targeting HKD Digital Payments
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority approved its first stablecoin issuer licences, naming HSBC and a Standard Chartered‑led consortium as early participants. The move aims to bring regulated, USD‑linked stablecoins to the Hong Kong dollar ecosystem and could reshape cross‑border payments...
Nobody Told You It Would Be This Lonely: A Roadmap for Women Managing Partners
The article highlights the often‑unspoken loneliness that women managing partners in law firms endure, despite their professional success. It explains how chronic “override” of internal stress can erode decision‑making and firm culture. The piece proposes three strategic shifts—recognizing hidden burdens,...
SGX-Nasdaq Dual Listing Bill Moves Forward in Singapore
Singapore’s parliament has tabled the Securities and Futures (Amendment) Bill 2026, paving the way for a joint Global Listing Board between SGX and Nasdaq. The legislation would let the Monetary Authority of Singapore prescribe dual‑listing arrangements and permit issuers to...
InfoReg Raises Alarm as Data Breaches Hit 788 in Q1
South Africa’s Information Regulator recorded 788 data‑breach notifications in the first quarter, a sharp rise that includes high‑profile incidents at Standard Bank, Liberty Group and Statistics South Africa. The regulator, led by Advocate Pansy Tlakula, warned that many reports lack...
Singapore Pushes Integrated Professional Services Model
Singapore’s Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) have signed a memorandum of understanding to create an integrated professional services model. The partnership will launch a Professional Services Centre and a joint digital learning...
ACT Abandons Home Affairs Identity Fees Lawsuit
The Association of Comms & Technology (ACT) has withdrawn its high‑court challenge to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber’s steep identity‑verification fee increase, opting for members to negotiate directly with the department. The fee rose from 15 cents to R10 per query...
Inspire Legal Group Becomes First UK Firm to Integrate Qanooni AI with Actionstep
Inspire Legal Group has become the first UK law firm to embed Qanooni AI within its Actionstep practice‑management platform. The integration links AI‑driven drafting, research and matter summarisation directly into Microsoft Word and Outlook, allowing lawyers to work with live...
Del. Chancery Enforces Forum Selection Bylaw for Actions Filed Before Bylaw’s Effectiveness
The Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that Tesla’s newly adopted Texas forum‑selection bylaw governs pending derivative actions, even though the suits were filed under the old Delaware bylaw. Vice Chancellor David dismissed the plaintiffs’ “vested rights” and equity arguments, relying...
Of Free Speech Claims and Supply Chain Risks: Anthropic’s Battle with the Government
Anthropic sued the U.S. Department of War, alleging retaliation for publicly opposing the deployment of its Claude Gov model in mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. A San Francisco district judge granted a preliminary injunction, finding the DoW’s punitive labeling of Anthropic...
Sumsub and ComplyAdvantage Deepen AML Screening Partnership as Compliance Demands Rise
Sumsub and ComplyAdvantage have deepened their partnership by embedding ComplyAdvantage’s Mesh intelligence layer directly into Sumsub’s verification and monitoring platform. The integration adds real‑time sanction and watch‑list updates—delivered within minutes—and a Bring‑Your‑Own‑Key option that lets clients connect their own Mesh...
The Secret History of the FDA
The Brownstone Institute’s latest post argues that the FDA was created as an industry‑controlled agency to rescue failing meat‑packing and biologics sectors, embedding regulatory capture from its inception. It claims this origin explains why reforms face entrenched resistance and why...
Your Most Important Business Development Tool Is Right in Front of You
Law firms are recognizing their websites as the primary business‑development engine, not merely a marketing brochure. Vinson & Elkins recently relaunched its site through a cross‑functional effort, treating the redesign as a strategic infrastructure project. The firm benchmarked against technology and...
ECB Backs EU Tokenized Markets Under Strict Regulations
JUST IN: The ECB is supporting tokenized capital markets in the EU with stringent regulations in place.
Dozens of Colleges Get More Time to Submit Race and Sex Admissions Data
A federal judge granted dozens of colleges and six private nonprofit institutions an extension until April 24 to submit race and sex admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education. The ruling also permits these schools and their association members to...
4th Circuit Rules Agreements Can’t Shorten Time to File Antidiscrimination Claims
The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employers cannot require employees to sign agreements that shorten the filing deadlines for Title VII or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act claims. The decision arose from a case where a former...
UK Regulators Open Inquiry Into Paramount/WBD Transaction
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened an inquiry into Paramount's proposed $31‑per‑share acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The CMA is seeking comments from interested parties, with written submissions due by April 27, 2026, before deciding whether to launch...
Ex-Times Environment Editor Launches Legal Claim Against Government
Former Times environment editor Ben Webster has launched a judicial review against the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), alleging the department breached Regulation 4 of the Environmental Information Regulations by failing to proactively publish four reports on the...
Supreme Court Blocks GEO Group’s Immediate Appeal in Detainee Labor Litigation
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected GEO Group’s request for an immediate appeal in a civil suit alleging forced labor by immigration detainees in private detention facilities. By denying the contractor’s bid for a collateral‑order appeal, the Court left the case...
AI Court Transcripts Could Boost Justice for Victims
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has launched a study to evaluate its in‑house AI tool, Justice Transcribe, for automatically generating court hearing transcripts. The research aims to meet accuracy standards while slashing the current cost, which can run up...
2026 PAW: Concession Contracts in Times of Energy Transition: Arbitrating Complex Disputes in a Fragmented Regulatory Landscape
At Paris Arbitration Week 2026, White & Case hosted a panel on concession contracts in the energy transition, emphasizing a shift from treaty‑based protection to contractual risk allocation. Speakers highlighted Spain’s 2013 tariff reforms that generated over €1.5 bn (≈$1.6 bn) in arbitration claims and...
827 Days | Employee Wins £400k After Firm Refused to Honour Decades of Unused Holidays
A Commercial Manager at Sabtina Ltd accrued 827.25 days of unused leave over a 37‑year tenure, equivalent to about 2.26 years. An employment tribunal in Watford ruled the firm failed to honor the entitlement and also found the employee unfairly...
Is AI Replacing Google for Legal Search?
In a Conroy Creative Council podcast, Pete Everitt explains that AI tools like ChatGPT are not replacing Google for legal search, but they are reshaping how users discover information. The shift emphasizes AI-generated overviews, entity mapping, and impressions over traditional...
Digest: Ad Companies in Boycott Settlement Talks with FTC; Court Orders Meta to Face Youth Addiction Suit; YouTube Raises Premium...
The FTC is in settlement talks with major ad agencies over a probe into coordinated boycotts of platforms like X, proposing rules that would prevent steering spend based on political content. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has allowed a...
HSE Launches Wide-Ranging RIDDOR Consultation
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a consultation on updating the 2013 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), running until 30 June 2026. The proposals seek to clarify ambiguous terminology, refresh the list of dangerous occurrences,...
The SQE Isn’t Perfect but some of the Criticism Crosses a Line
The National Junior Lawyers Division’s survey found that 80% of SQE candidates deem the route “not fit for purpose,” but the finding rests on a small, self‑selected sample of 476 respondents—about 2% of the over 20,000 candidates who have taken...
Harvey’s Gabe Pereyra on Legal Agents + World Models
Harvey co‑founder Gabe Pereyra explains how autonomous AI agents, exemplified by the Spectre platform, are being adapted for law firms. He describes the “world model,” a unified data infrastructure that gives agents firm‑wide context while preserving ethical walls. The interview explores...