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
California Brands and Retailers Gain Legal Resources for Advocacy and Compliance
California’s retail sector is confronting a surge of new environmental and labor statutes—SB 707, SB 54, and SB 62—mandating stricter compliance. To help brands navigate this complexity, the California Retailers Association has launched the California Retail Law Center, chaired by Williams‑Sonoma deputy general counsel Danielle Hohos. The Center will supply in‑house counsel and external firms with state‑specific guides, webinars, benchmarking surveys, and a forum for direct engagement with regulators and legislators. It also retains the option to file amicus briefs or lawsuits when retailer concerns are overlooked.
ACCC Greenlights Superloop, Lynham Separation Plan
Australia’s competition regulator, the ACCC, has cleared Superloop’s $165 million acquisition of Lynham Networks, subject to a structural separation plan. Under the deal, Lynham will function solely as a wholesale fibre‑to‑the‑premises network, while Superloop’s retail brands—including Superloop Broadband, Exetel, Veda Networks...
Florida Congressional Map Survives First Court Test
A Leon County judge denied a preliminary injunction, leaving Governor Ron DeSantis' new congressional map in place for the 2026 elections. The ruling noted plaintiffs had not shown a substantial likelihood of success and that the map’s use of partisan...
Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds Face $2.1 Million Contractor Liens on New York Estate
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have been served with contractor liens totaling more than $2.1 million on their 110‑acre eco‑friendly property in Lewisboro, New York. The largest single claim, $1.35 million, comes from FlowCon Inc., and the liens threaten to halt construction...
California May Let Linux Bypass Age Check
California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) requires operating system providers to collect users' birth dates for age verification beginning Jan 1 2027. Lawmakers have introduced AB 1856, which adds a carve‑out exempting open‑source OSes that allow copying, redistribution and modification, potentially...
A Potential Weapon Against Content Thievery
A Reddit user demonstrated an AI workflow that scrapes local news to generate full‑length podcast audio, sparking concern over unlicensed content reuse. The article highlights how AI‑driven “slop” is quickly repurposing newspaper stories into competing audio products, as seen with...
Maine Top Court Unwinds Condo Foreclosure over Due Process Failure
Maine's Supreme Judicial Court overturned a $58,885 condo foreclosure judgment after finding the trial judge denied the unit owner a chance to present her disability‑accommodation claim. The decision also questioned a $36,962 attorney‑fee award that included costs unrelated to the...
Content Unavailable: Court Blocks 3 Streaming Patents as Abstract but Keeps Bit Rate Calibration
In BitHarmony LLC v. Amazon, a Virginia federal judge applied the Alice test and dismissed four of five video‑streaming patents as abstract, while allowing a claim that enforces peak and average bit‑rate limits based on program type to proceed. The...
The Accidental Disclosure Trap: How Generative AI Can Void Your Patent Rights
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are reshaping how inventors draft and refine technical disclosures, but they also create a hidden legal risk. Inputting a novel idea into a public‑facing AI model can be interpreted as a...
NYU Faces Lawsuit Alleging DEI Training Exposed Worker's Identity Before Firing
Rachel Varley sued NYU and Hillel International, alleging she was fired because she is queer, non‑binary, and not Jewish after a DEI training revealed her identity. The February 5, 2024 exercise required staff to list race, religion and sexuality on a form...
United Airlines Fires Project Manager Day After Celebrating His Heritage
United Airlines featured project manager Mohanad Alhams in an internal Arab American Heritage Month article on April 11, 2024, and terminated him less than a month later. Alhams alleges his manager and HR retaliated after he raised cultural‑insensitivity concerns, issuing a performance‑improvement...
Equitable Estoppel Does Not Waive Privilege
The district court in A.L.M. Holding Co. v. Zydex Industries ruled that attorney‑client privilege remains intact despite Zydex’s equitable estoppel defense. Zydex sought to use privileged counsel communications to rebut the estoppel claim, but the court held that privilege cannot...
Ahead of June 10 Shareholder Vote, Union Investor Renews Push for Thomson Reuters to Assess Human Rights Impact of Its...
Ahead of its June 10 annual meeting, Thomson Reuters faces a renewed shareholder proposal from the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) demanding an independent human‑rights impact assessment of its CLEAR platform and license‑plate‑reader data sold to ICE. The union...
MiFID II Article 90(5) Report: Commission Assesses Commodity Derivatives Regime
On 26 May 2026 the European Commission delivered its Article 90(5) report under MiFID II, evaluating the EU’s commodity derivatives regime, including emission allowances. The assessment relied on data from national regulators submitted to ESMA and incorporated input from EBA, ACER and...
Episode 417 — OFAC’s $275 Million Adani Settlement: The New Era of Sanctions Enforcement
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) secured a $275 million settlement with Adani Enterprises after the Indian conglomerate was accused of importing Iranian‑origin LPG while falsely labeling it as Omani and Iraqi cargo. The case highlights OFAC’s intensified focus on...
DoJ Crackdown May Cement China's Container Market Dominance
US container cartel charges could backfire and drive consolidation in China-dominated market ▶️The DoJ indictment is likely to squeeze out smaller container producers if it clamps down too hard ▶️Antitrust moves won’t erode China’s dominance of over 95% shares in global container...
Tribes Seek to Join CFTC‑Connecticut Lawsuit Hearing
The Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation have moved to intervene in the CFTC's lawsuit vs. the State of Connecticut, and have requested permission to participate in the court conference scheduled for May 27th. The CFTC opposes the...
SCOTUS Won't Intervene In Vermont Suit Against Meta
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Meta Platforms’ request to intervene in Vermont’s consumer‑protection lawsuit, leaving the state’s case intact. Vermont alleges Instagram’s design features addict teenagers, violating state law. The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed specific jurisdiction, noting Meta’s...
Judge Tightens Restrictions on Prime Capital in Edelman Lawsuit
A federal judge expanded a preliminary injunction that bars Prime Capital Financial from soliciting Edelman advisors and clients, after finding evidence of a coordinated poaching scheme. Edelman alleged that two former advisors were encouraged to resign on a Friday, take...
Prince’s Estate Settles Trademark Lawsuit
Prince’s estate and actress‑singer Patty Kotero, known as Apollonia, have reached a confidential settlement that ends a trademark lawsuit over the “Apollonia” name. The dispute began when the estate filed a 2025 trademark for clothing and entertainment services, prompting Kotero...
Victim Sues Victoria Police Over Alleged Excessive Force in 2022 Home Raid
Daniel, a 56‑year‑old Melbourne resident, has filed a lawsuit against Victoria Police alleging that officers forcibly entered his Chelsea apartment and slammed his head onto concrete on May 12, 2022. The claim cites multiple counts of battery, assault and breaches...
Thomas and Alito See Supreme Court Role in Refereeing Fights Between Red and Blue States
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Florida’s attempt to invoke its original jurisdiction to sue California and Washington over an immigrant truck driver fatal crash. Conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, arguing the Court should hear more interstate disputes....
N.Y. High Court Says Comp Board Rulings Can’t Block Injury Lawsuits
The New York Court of Appeals ruled that Workers Compensation Board findings cannot automatically block related personal injury lawsuits, confirming that the Justice for Injured Workers Act applies prospectively to pending and future cases. The decision stemmed from Waldy Quinones...
Greenberg Taurig Adds John Ormonde Bolstering SALT Practice
John Ormonde, a specialist in state and local tax matters, has joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its Washington, D.C., office. His practice centers on complex California tax disputes, including income‑tax apportionment and municipal tax challenges. Ormonde brings experience...
2026 Massachusetts Employment Law Update
Littler is hosting a virtual 2026 Massachusetts Employment Law Update on June 18, 2026. The live webinar runs from 8:00‑9:30 a.m. ET and will cover recent legal trends affecting Commonwealth employers. Attendees can earn pending HRCI, SHRM, and CLE continuing‑education credits. For registration...
Regions to Pay $4.9M for Allegedly Forgiving Ineligible PPP Loan
Regions Financial agreed to pay a $4.92 million civil penalty after the Justice Department alleged the bank improperly approved forgiveness for a single ineligible Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2021. The settlement covers one loan out of roughly 75,000 PPP loans...
AGX Sues R&R, Huntington over Frozen Credit Line, Unpaid Carrier Invoices
AGX Freight sued R&R Family of Companies and Huntington National Bank, alleging the bank froze a shared revolving credit line and R&R depleted AGX's borrowing capacity, pushing the Jacksonville brokerage toward insolvency. Huntington counter‑claimed AGX defaulted after credit advances stopped...
“Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Feeder Frenzy; The Latest SCOTUS Clerk Hires, a New Feeder Judge ‘Tag Team,’ and a...
The latest Supreme Court clerkship cycle shows a surge in hires from a new feeder‑judge partnership, while law‑school transfers appear to jeopardize candidates’ prospects. At the same time, Democratic leaders face pressure as Supreme Court reform proposals gain traction, and...
HaystackID Advances AI-Enabled Privacy, Security and Legal Discovery Across European Market
HaystackID announced an expanded AI‑driven portfolio aimed at European privacy, security and legal‑discovery challenges. The new solutions are built to meet stringent GDPR, ePrivacy and investigative requirements. They were showcased this week at the 2026 Dublin Tech Summit, where live...
NC Jury Award for Workers Injured in Wall Collapse May Be Largest in State History
A North Carolina jury awarded $45 million to each of two block masons injured when a retaining wall collapsed at a Hajoca showroom in Hendersonville, a verdict that would be the largest personal‑injury award in state history. The plaintiffs, subcontractors for...
Gen Z Craze Toy Maker Jellycat Launches Legal Action Against Next and Hamleys
British plush‑toy maker Jellycat, a Gen‑Z favorite, has filed three separate trademark lawsuits in the London High Court against Next Retail, Hamleys of London and online retailer Bessie London. The company, owned by Jelly Holdings, reported a 66% revenue surge to...
How Callais Broke the Voting Rights Act and Weaponized the Equal Protection Clause: Part 1
The Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision reshapes Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by imposing new evidentiary standards that effectively block vote‑dilution claims. Justice Alito requires plaintiffs to isolate racial bloc voting from partisan influences and to produce illustrative...
Matthew Peters on the AI Tools McCarthy Tétrault's Lawyers Are Actually Using Right Now
Matthew Peters, partner and national leader of transformation at McCarthy Tétrault, detailed the firm’s current AI toolkit in a Canadian Lawyer interview. The firm now operates multiple AI platforms, including its proprietary MT❯Forge, to streamline document drafting, research, and contract analysis. Peters...
What the Federal Circuit’s Poultry Patent Ruling Says About 'About'
On May 4, 2026 the Federal Circuit issued its decision in Enviro Tech Chemical Services Inc. v. Safe Foods Corp., holding that approximation terms such as “about” are permissible only when the patent record supplies a clear technical context. The court found...
Comulate Loses Appeal for Injunction Against Applied Systems
A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois again denied Comulate's request for a preliminary injunction against Applied Systems, maintaining the earlier ruling that favored Applied. Comulate, accused of misappropriating trade secrets by creating a fake insurance agency to...
Dominican Judge Grants Judicial Pardon to Wander Franco After Guilty Verdict in Minor Abuse Case
A Dominican court found former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco criminally responsible for sexual and psychological abuse of a 14‑year‑old girl, but Judge José Antonio Núñez issued a judicial pardon that exempts him from prison. The ruling also sentenced...
An Interesting Take
Morrison & Foerster’s latest alert highlights the dismissal of U.S. v. Rovirosa, where Judge Kenneth Hoyt threw out the indictment after finding that the government’s reliance on translated text messages violated the Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause. The court ruled the...
IBC 2.0 Takes Effect as MCA Notifies Major Insolvency Reforms
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has activated 57 clauses of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Act 2026, ushering in “IBC 2.0.” The reforms tighten timelines—NCLT must rule on applications within 14 days, NCLAT appeals within three months, and liquidation capped...
How a $2.3B Florida Highway Project Turned Into an $80M Courtroom Fight
The 11th Circuit upheld an $80 million judgment for Skanska USA and Granite Construction against JV partner Lane Construction, ending a costly dispute over the I‑4 Ultimate highway rebuild in Florida. The $2.3 billion public‑private partnership, which promised roughly $255 million in profit, spiraled...
Sony Music Moves to Add More than 30,000 Copyrighted Recordings to Its Lawsuit Against Udio
Sony Music has moved to expand its copyright‑infringement lawsuit against AI music generator Udio by adding 30,442 sound recordings identified during discovery. The motion, filed in the Southern District of New York, positions Sony as the sole remaining major‑label plaintiff...
How States’ Moves to Call Abortion Drugs ‘Controlled Substances’ Can Make Childbirth More Dangerous and Interfere with Legal, Safe and...
Louisiana enacted Act 246 in 2024, reclassifying the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances, a designation previously reserved for drugs with abuse potential. The change forces the medications into locked cabinets, adding minutes to emergency retrieval and delaying...
Commercial Litigation and Financial Crime Near Fever-Pitch Levels
U.S. executives predict a sharp rise in corporate disputes in 2026, with 63% expecting more litigation and arbitration. Nearly half (47%) anticipate that cybersecurity and data‑privacy issues will drive a significant portion of that increase. Financial crime is also accelerating,...
Legal Aid Alberta’s 2026–29 Strategic Plan Continues Prioritizing Quality, Access, Accountability
Legal Aid Alberta unveiled its 2026‑29 strategic plan, built around three pillars—quality, access and accountability—to meet rising demand for legal services. The plan responds to population growth, socioeconomic pressures and increasingly complex client needs, emphasizing higher standards of representation, technology‑enabled...
Alberta CA Confirms Bitcoin Mining Operation Breached Hydrocarbon Surface Rights Lease
The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld a lower‑court ruling that a surface‑rights lease from 1999 does not permit a bitcoin‑mining operation. The lease, intended for hydrocarbon exploration and production, was found to be breached when the lessee used natural‑gas generators...
BC Court of Appeal Raises Damages Award to $1.13M From $378K for Minor Motor Vehicle Accident
The British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned a trial judge’s 75 percent negative contingency deduction, applying a 25 percent rate instead. This adjustment raised the plaintiff’s total award to roughly $0.84 million USD (up from $0.28 million USD). The court also barred the deduction...
The First Amendment and Off-Duty Police Officer's Counterprotest of Anti-ICE Student Protest
The district court in Mullen v. Giordano held that Sergeant Mullen’s off‑duty counter‑protest at an anti‑ICE student rally was protected First Amendment activity, but denied his request for a preliminary injunction reinstating him on paid leave. The judge concluded that...
Shipowners Can Cancel Fixtures over Sanctions Fears, Court Rules
The London Court of Appeal ruled that Eastern Pacific Shipping could lawfully cancel the charter of its 16,600‑dwt vessel Catalan Sea because of suspected ties to sanctioned Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev. The decision overturns a lower‑court order that had required the...
Chancery Rules Stockholder, Through Its Board Designee, May Have Conspired with Company Fiduciaries to Commit Fraud
The Delaware Court of Chancery refused to dismiss fraud claims in Diem‑II, LLC and Diem‑III, LLC v. Maisonette, allowing plaintiffs to pursue allegations that the company, its directors, CFO, and the largest stockholder’s board designee conspired to mislead investors. The...
Super Micro Shares Tumble 33% After Class‑action Lawsuit Alleges $2.5 Bn AI Server Fraud
A securities class‑action filed by Hagens Berman accuses Super Micro Computer of concealing a $2.5 billion illegal AI‑server sales scheme to China. The filing triggered a $10.26 per share, 33% plunge in the company's stock, underscoring heightened scrutiny of AI supply‑chain...
New Jersey Governor and Senator Join Memorial Day Protest at ICE Detention Center Amid Hunger Strike
Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senator Andy Kim stood with protesters at Delaney Hall, a privately run ICE detention center in Newark, on Memorial Day. Roughly 300 detainees launched a hunger and labor strike, citing overcrowding, spoiled food and denied medical...