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
Successor Liability: Del. Bankruptcy Court Refuses to Dismiss Fraudulent Transfer Claims
The Delaware Bankruptcy Court denied a motion to dismiss fraudulent‑transfer claims in LB NewHoldCo and Lucky Bucks v. Trive Capital. Plaintiffs allege the founder and COO siphoned assets, repurchased them at inflated prices, and enabled a new owner to raise debt that funded over $400 million in insider distributions, pushing the company into bankruptcy. Defendants argued lender ratification and insufficient fraud pleading, but the court required a fuller factual inquiry and applied the more lenient Rule 8 standard. The decision underscores the durability of early‑stage fraud claims despite strong defenses.
Freshfields Shakes up London Leadership as Former UK Managing Partner Shifts to New Role
Freshfields has appointed Victoria Sigeti as its new UK managing partner, succeeding Mark Sansom who will assume the revived role of global client partner. Sigeti, a private‑capital specialist since 2015, will continue her client practice while steering the firm’s UK business. Sansom...
The Global Legal Post Launches Inaugural Cross-Border Enforcement of Judgments Guide
The Global Legal Post has launched the inaugural Law Over Borders Enforcement of Judgments guide, edited by Andrew Bartlett of Osborne Clarke. The guide offers a comparative, Q&A‑style overview of how judgments and arbitration awards are recognized and executed across multiple...
Carta Acquires Avantia to Launch AI‑First Law Firm Carta Law
Carta, the private‑capital ERP specialist, has bought UK‑based alternative legal service provider Avantia and launched Carta Law, an AI‑first law firm. The deal folds Avantia’s AI workflow engine Ava into Carta’s platform, aiming to unify legal, compliance and fund‑operations on...
Exterro Unveils Autonomous AI Engine, Claims 95% Subpoena Time Savings
Exterro announced the launch of the industry’s first autonomous AI engine designed to automate subpoena processing, promising up to 95% reduction in manual effort and the recovery of roughly 7,500 enterprise hours. The move positions the firm at the forefront...
Utah Court Sets June 25 Hearing on Kalshi Injunction
A Utah federal court has scheduled a hearing on Kalshi's motion for preliminary injunction against Utah Governor Spencer Cox and @UtahAG Derek Brown for June 25th, at 1:30, before Judge Robert J. Shelby. The court will also hear the State's...
26-872 - Souiri V. Rankins
On May 12, 2026, Judge David L. Russell of the Western District of Oklahoma issued an order transferring Aaron Lee Souiri’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma....
25-1373 - Wilson V. Commissioner of Social Security Administration Et Al
On May 12, 2026 Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell issued a Report and Recommendation in Wilson v. SSA, advising dismissal of the plaintiff’s amended complaint without prejudice because the court lacks jurisdiction. The recommendation ends the magistrate’s involvement, and parties have until May 26...
Fact-Checkers Ask Federal Judge to Block Trump Policy They Say Chills Free Speech
A federal court is hearing a challenge to the Trump administration's 2025 visa policy that bars foreign officials and researchers deemed "complicit in censoring Americans" from entering or residing in the United States. The Coalition for Independent Technology Research argues...
Thomson Reuters Integrates Anthropic’s Claude Into CoCounsel Legal AI Platform
Thomson Reuters announced today that Anthropic’s Claude model is now directly integrated into its CoCounsel Legal AI assistant. The move ties Claude to a knowledge base of 1.9 billion Westlaw and Practical Law documents and 1.4 billion KeyCite signals, aiming to give...
Five Rivers Targets $25‑$50 Million Litigation‑Funding Fund as India Market Booms
Five Rivers, together with LegalPay and ELF Partners, is negotiating to close its inaugural litigation‑funding vehicle between $25 million and $50 million. The move follows the Indian Supreme Court’s 2018 approval of third‑party funding and reflects expanding investor appetite for high‑return legal...
26-1010 - Arnett V. Frazier Et Al
On May 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti issued an order consolidating the case Arnett v. Frazier (CIV‑26‑1010‑D) with the already‑pending civil action CIV‑26‑451‑D in the Western District of Oklahoma. The original filing is now administratively closed, and...
Kids Claim Child Labor Law Violations at Roblox
A class‑action lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California alleges Roblox exploited minors by having them work up to 40 hours a week on game design, development and testing without pay, violating state and federal child‑labor laws. The complaint...
Google’s $50M Racial Discrimination Settlement Gets Final Court Approval over Claims Black Employees Deemed “Not Googly Enough”
Google secured final court approval for a $50 million settlement of a 2022 racial discrimination class action brought by Black employees. The lawsuit alleged that the tech giant funneled Black workers into lower‑paid roles, fostered a hostile environment for dissenters, and...
New Vancouver Law Firm Jiwaji Law ‘Focused on Excellence in Women’ Expands with Latest Hire
Vancouver‑based Jiwaji Law, a women‑owned boutique founded last year, announced the addition of Ariyana Dhawan as counsel, bringing its headcount to four lawyers. The firm specializes in corporate advisory, commercial litigation, intellectual‑property and tax disputes, and positions itself as a...
Court Finds that Coles Misled Customers over 'Down Down' Claims
The Federal Court ruled that Coles Supermarkets misled shoppers with its “Down Down” discount claims, finding false representations in 13 of 14 examined tickets. The ACCC alleges Coles raised prices by at least 15% before applying the promotion, keeping the...
Another Firm, Another Nonequity Partner Tier — See Also
Above the Law’s weekly roundup highlights several pivotal legal industry developments. A&O Shearman is reportedly preparing to introduce a nonequity partner tier, echoing a broader shift in law‑firm compensation structures. The piece also notes George Conway’s impeachment‑focused political campaign, a...
Smith Pledges to Appeal Judge's "Anti-Democratic" Decision to Quash Independence Petition
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced her government will appeal a Court of King’s Bench ruling that nullified a citizen‑led petition to hold an Alberta independence referendum. Justice S. Leonard dismissed the proposal, citing a failure to consult First Nations and...
PE-Backed Law Firm Deals in Midlands, Manchester – and Reykjavík
Private‑equity‑backed Fletchers Group announced its third acquisition in a month, buying the clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams from Midlands firm Freeths. The deal adds offices in Derby, Nottingham and Oxford, transfers 21 lawyers per team and 530 active...
Not Sure In-House Counsel Are Really Up On That Whole ‘Compliance’ Thing
A recent Corporate Service Co. survey of general counsel and senior legal leaders reveals that only roughly one‑third of companies consider themselves fully compliant across all global units. Respondents cite the speed of regulatory change—especially in AI, cryptocurrency and data...
Why a Court Overturned Alex Murdaugh's Double Murder Conviction
South Carolina’s Supreme Court unanimously vacated former prosecutor Alex Murdaugh’s double‑murder convictions after finding that court clerk Becky Hill improperly communicated with jurors during the 2023 trial. The decision hinges on the clerk’s alleged advice to jurors to disregard Murdaugh’s testimony, a...
Secure Caregiver Agreements: Protect Taxes and Rights
"How to Write a Caregiver Contract and Why It’s Important" - Nicole Gregory #ElderLawMonth #caregiver #taxes
CLOC Opening Keynote: What If You Could Automate Everything?
At the CLOC conference opening on May 12, former OpenAI executive Zach Cass warned that agentic AI is poised to automate many legal‑operations tasks. He argued that lawyers and legal ops professionals must decide which functions to keep human and which...
Starting Statement with "LOL" Doesn't Keep The Assertion in It From Being Potentially Libelous
The U.S. District Court in San Diego ruled that a defendant’s Instagram comment beginning with "lol" does not shield the false factual assertion that the plaintiffs were "locked up for some f*cked up stuff" from being potentially libelous. The court...
Cushman & Wakefield Hit with Class‑Action Over Data‑Breach Handling
Cushman & Wakefield, the $10.3 billion‑revenue global real‑estate firm, was sued in New York last Friday over alleged negligence after a hacker breach exposed personal data of current and former tenants. The lawsuit claims the firm failed to implement industry‑standard cybersecurity...
Smokeball Launches Archie AI, Embedding Generative AI Directly Into Law Firm Workflows
Smokeball introduced Archie AI, a next‑generation, agentic AI assistant embedded in Microsoft Word, Outlook and its practice‑management platform. The launch targets small‑to‑mid‑size firms seeking productivity gains without learning new tools.
LAUSD Sues Tech Vendor Innive and Former IT Manager over $22 Million Laundering Scheme
The Los Angeles Unified School District has filed a civil lawsuit seeking to recoup $22 million it says was siphoned through fraudulent contracts with Texas‑based tech firm Innive. The suit accuses former IT manager Hong “Grace” Peng and Innive CEO Gautham...
California AG Secures $12.75 Million Settlement with GM Over Connected‑Car Data
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $12.75 million settlement with General Motors, the largest civil penalty under the state’s privacy statutes. The deal includes a five‑year injunction requiring GM to delete previously sold data and overhaul its consent mechanisms for...
Court Of Appeals Erred in Not Considering Issues That Could Lead to Rendition: EDiscovery Case Law
The Texas Supreme Court reversed a lower appellate ruling that ordered a new trial based solely on a spoliation instruction, sending the case back for further review. The high court emphasized that appellate courts must first consider any dispositive issues...
‘Sermonizing’ Easter Email Prompts USDA Employees to Sue Agency
A group of USDA employees and the National Federation of Federal Employees filed a lawsuit after Secretary Brooke Rollins sent an Easter email that framed the holiday in explicitly Christian terms. The plaintiffs argue the message violates the First Amendment’s...
You Suspect Your Client Committed Tax Fraud: Now What?
Tax attorneys Brie Barry and Stephen Josey outline the steps a practitioner should take when suspecting a client of tax fraud. The article, part three of a series, builds on earlier pieces that defined civil tax fraud and its consequences....
Media Coverage – Suffolk Superior Court Allows City of Boston Commercial Property Class Action to Proceed
The Suffolk Superior Court denied the City of Boston’s motion to dismiss a proposed class action that accuses the municipality of retaliatory commercial‑property tax assessments. The lawsuit, filed by Sullivan & Worcester and the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation on...
Claude Changed. The May 2026 Way to Use It
Anthropic unveiled Claude for Financial Services and Claude for Legal in May 2026, extending its AI assistant into industry‑specific stacks. The new Claude is no longer a single chat interface; it offers modular tools—Chat, Projects, Artifacts, Cowork, Code, and Microsoft...
Nike Sued for Refunds Over Trump’s Illegal Tariff Price Hikes
A consumer filed a lawsuit in an Oregon federal court alleging Nike overcharged for Vomero sneakers after President Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, which were later ruled illegal by the Supreme Court. The complaint seeks a nationwide...
Court Urged To Reconsider Meta Liability Over Recommendations
Attorneys for Myanmar refugees have asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear a case that could limit Meta's Section 230 immunity. A three‑judge panel previously ruled that the law shields Facebook’s recommendation algorithms from liability for hate speech...
Plaintiffs Waived Their Assertions of Privilege, Court Rules: EDiscovery Case Law
The Eastern District of Missouri ruled that plaintiffs waived their privilege claims over three eDiscovery documents, including the October 3rd Bruce email, after complying with a Special Master’s directive. Judge Rodney Sippel applied the five‑factor Gray v. Bicknell test and emphasized...
Jackson Lewis Launches We Get Privacy Podcast Focused on Privacy, Data Security and AI
Jackson Lewis P.C., a national employment law firm, announced the launch of its standalone "We Get Privacy" podcast on May 13, 2026. Hosted by privacy, AI and cybersecurity principals Joseph J. Lazzarotti and Damon W. Silver, the series targets in‑house...
ESMA Resolution Briefing for CCPs
On 13 May 2026, ESMA released a resolution briefing for central counterparties, outlining a methodology for national resolution authorities to incorporate into CCP resolution plans. Issued under Article 25 of the ESMA Regulation and EU Regulation 2021/23, the guidance is non‑binding and...
Using “Schedule A” Litigation to Combat Online Trademark Infringement
Schedule A litigation is a streamlined trademark infringement strategy that lets plaintiffs sue hundreds or thousands of online “hit‑and‑run” counterfeit sellers in a single federal action, usually filed in the Northern District of Illinois. By attaching a Schedule A list...
‘MONETIZING HATE’: Alabama AG Investigates SPLC for Deceptive Practices Amid KKK Funding Scandal
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a subpoena demanding the Southern Poverty Law Center’s donor lists, fundraising materials, and internal records as part of a state deceptive‑trade‑practice probe. The move follows a federal grand‑jury indictment charging the SPLC with wire...
Clio Hits $500 Million ARR After $1 B vLex Deal and $500 M Funding Round
Clio announced it has surpassed $500 million in annual recurring revenue, a milestone that follows its $1 billion acquisition of vLex and a $500 million Series G financing led by New Enterprise Associates. The growth underscores the rapid scaling of AI‑driven practice‑management platforms across...
Who Owns the Copyright Under the Work-for-Hire Doctrine?
The work‑for‑hire doctrine shifts copyright ownership from the creator to the employer or commissioning party the moment a qualifying work is fixed. In Texas, employee‑created works are automatically work‑for‑hire, while commissioned works must fall within nine statutory categories and be...
US Broker Lawsuit Expands Into ‘Blacklist’ Claims Against Major Logistics Firms
A federal lawsuit filed by Georgia owner‑operator David Worrell accuses major freight brokers—including Uber Freight, Amazon Logistics, and CH Robinson—of concealing freight rates, retaining hidden margins, and blacklisting carriers. The complaint cites violations of 49 CFR §371.3, which mandates brokers...
Injunction Against Referring to Ex-Wife and Children in Online Media Violates First Amendment
The Washington Court of Appeals reversed a domestic‑violence protection order that barred a father from mentioning his ex‑wife and children in any media. The court held the blanket prohibition was a content‑based restriction that failed the narrow‑tailoring test, violating the...
The Sports Law Playbook: 2026 FIFA World Cup and Unauthorized Marketing
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be surrounded by a tangled legal framework that blends state right‑of‑publicity statutes, the federal Lanham Act’s false‑endorsement provisions, and FIFA’s aggressive trademark‑enforcement program. Advertisers who use a player’s likeness or any World Cup branding...
CommScope Sued by Lenders for at Least $150 Million Over Alleged Breach
CommScope Holding Co., now operating as Vistance Networks, faces a lawsuit from a consortium of lenders alleging a breach of its debt agreement. The lenders claim the company must pay at least $150 million in a premium after the $10.5 billion sale...
Colo. Jury Awards $24 Million to Man in Wrongful Arrest, Prosecution Lawsuit
A Douglas County jury awarded $24 million to Robert Dial after finding Parker Police Detective Shannon Brukbacher maliciously prosecuted him. The verdict includes $22 million in economic damages and $2 million for pain and suffering. Charges were dismissed after five months, but Dial lost...
Agents Warn Against New Zealand Festival Artist Fee Recovery Bid
New Zealand’s insolvent Juicy Fest is attempting to recover pre‑paid artist fees, citing the Companies Act 1993’s insolvent transaction provisions. Liquidators claim up to NZ$8.99 million (≈$5.4 million USD) could be voided, while talent agents warn this could break long‑standing industry precedent....
Fletchers Plunders National Rival to Bring on Board Specialists
Fletchers Group, backed by private equity, announced the acquisition of Freeths' clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams, transferring 21 staff from each unit. The deal adds more than 530 active clinical negligence claims and a substantial Court of Protection...
How In-House Legal Teams Are Using AI to Cut Costs and Win Budget Approval
In‑house legal departments are turning to generative AI to automate routine tasks such as contract review, e‑discovery and compliance monitoring, aiming to slash external spend and justify technology budgets. A recent CLOC Global Institute briefing revealed that while many firms...