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
Form 8.5 (EPT/RI) - Kore Potash Plc
Shore Capital Stockbrokers Ltd, acting as an exempt principal trader, disclosed its dealings in Kore Potash Plc on 10 April 2026. The broker bought 32,747 ordinary shares at 3.075 pence per share (≈$0.038) and sold 21,000 shares at 3.3 pence per share (≈$0.041). No derivatives, options, or indemnity arrangements were involved, and this is the trader’s first disclosure for this offer. The filing was submitted to the Takeover Panel on 13 April 2026.
Irishman Anthony Whelan Appointed to Senior Job in European Commission
Anthony Whelan, an Irish senior civil servant and former adviser to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has been appointed head of the European Commission’s competition directorate. The role places him at the helm of the EU’s most influential antitrust and...
Why Your Practice Management and Document Management Systems Need to Work Together
Midsize law firms often run a practice management system (PMS) and a document management system (DMS) that operate in silos, turning technology from an asset into a hidden cost. Manual data entry and duplicate workspace creation waste attorney time and...
VP Duterte's Husband Asks Court to Void Subpoena for ITRs
The House Committee on Justice in Manila has opened an impeachment inquiry into Vice President Sara Duterte, issuing a subpoena for the Duterte‑Carpio family’s income‑tax returns from 2007 to 2025. Husband Manases Carpio petitioned a Quezon City court to void...
China Starts Bankruptcy Liquidation of Shadow Bank Zhongzhi
Beijing's No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court ordered the liquidation of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Co. and more than 300 affiliated firms, marking a decisive move against one of China’s biggest shadow‑banking conglomerates. Creditors have until June 10 to file claims with the appointed...
Zimbabwe Bans Short-Term Mining Contracts, Forces 12-Month Minimum
Zimbabwe’s Labour Act amendment, Statutory Instrument 71 of 2026, bans mining contracts shorter than twelve months, except for genuine casual, seasonal or project work. The rule limits fixed‑term renewals to two cycles, after which workers are automatically classified as permanent....
When Time Runs Out: Setting Aside of Delayed Arbitral Awards in India
The Indian Supreme Court in Lancor Holdings Ltd. v. Prem Kumar clarified that a delayed arbitral award is not a standalone ground for setting it aside under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act. However, if the delay undermines the award’s reasoning,...
Using AI and Human Expertise to Reduce Global Expansion Risk
Global firms are moving from basic HR automation to tackling complex legal and regulatory risks in overseas expansion. While AI can streamline routine hiring and compliance tasks, the article argues that human expertise remains essential for nuanced decisions such as...
Europe Is Dismantling Its Own Rulebook to Compete with America
On 19 November 2025 the European Commission unveiled a Digital Omnibus package that amends the AI Act, GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, Data Act and several cybersecurity rules. The proposal delays high‑risk AI obligations by up to 16 months, adds a GDPR “legitimate‑interest” basis for...
Orbital Launches Its Own Real Estate Law Firm
Orbital, the legal‑tech and prop‑tech platform, is launching Farringdon, a UK‑based residential conveyancing law firm. The six‑person team, including three AI‑focused conveyancing engineers, will start taking instructions in May. Orbital plans to feed every AI‑driven workflow insight from Farringdon back...
Women of Influence: Healthcare 2026 – Alexandra Busto
Alexandra Busto, a partner at Nixon Peabody, is a leading corporate and regulatory healthcare attorney. She advises providers on long‑term strategies, fee structures, and outpatient solutions that lower inpatient costs. Busto recently led the legal work for Tenor Health Foundation’s acquisition...
Centerbase Launches AI-Powered Business Intelligence Tool That Gives Firms Citation-Backed Answers From Their Own Data
Centerbase, the practice‑management platform for midsized law firms, announced the limited release of Centerbase IQ, an AI‑powered business intelligence tool that answers firm‑specific questions using the firm’s own data and provides citation links to source documents. The solution leverages a...
Malaysia Rejects Death Penalty for Drink-Drivers, Proposes Victim Compensation
Malaysia's transport minister Anthony Loke ruled out adding a death penalty for drink‑driving, saying existing laws and murder charges under the Penal Code are sufficient. Instead, the government plans to amend the Road Transport Act to require offenders to compensate...
18 Border Petrol Stations Under Watch for Fuel Subsidy Leakage
Malaysia’s Kelantan Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will target 18 petrol stations along the Malaysia‑Thailand border identified as hotspots for fuel subsidy leakage. The stations are among 48 operating within a 25‑km radius of the border across Tumpat,...
US Tax Deadline 2026: Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) Explained for Investors
The Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) is a 3.8% federal surtax on passive income that kicks in when a taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 for singles or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. With the April 15, 2026...
MCoBeauty Files Bid to Dismiss Landmark ‘Dupe’ Lawsuit
Australian beauty brand MCoBeauty has moved to dismiss two U.S. copyright lawsuits filed by Sol de Janeiro and Aramara Beauty, the latter behind Glow Recipe. The suits allege MCoBeauty sells "dupe" versions of Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa Perfume Mists and other...
A Legal Imperative for Strengthening Data Governance, Protecting Personal Information
South African companies face mounting pressure from the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to tighten data governance as digital transformation creates fragmented record‑keeping environments. Mohammed Vachiat of Konica Minolta South Africa argues that integrating digital record systems is now...
Centerbase IQ Delivers Citation-Backed Financial and Operational Answers to Law Firms
Centerbase introduced Centerbase IQ, an AI‑powered natural language decision‑support tool embedded in its legal operating platform for midsize firms. The feature delivers instant, visual answers drawn from billing, financial, matter and productivity data, complete with source citations. By eliminating manual...
Legal Tech Raised $2.3B in Q1 2026, But Three Companies Took Most of It
Legal‑tech startups secured $2.34 billion in 103 deals during Q1 2026, but three firms—Relativity, Legora and Harvey—absorbed roughly 63% of that capital. The median round size collapsed to $1 million, highlighting a stark split between mega‑round growth stages and seed‑size investments. Seed‑stage deals...
Ripeness Theory in Dispute Resolution: Seizing the Day
The Minnesota Orchestra faced a financial crisis in 2012, prompting CEO Michael Henson to propose a 32% salary cut for musicians, from $113,000 to $78,000. Musicians rejected the offer, leading to a lockout that lasted over a year and the...
Telecoms Consumer Charter — Sky Broadband Change Calls Into Question What Exactly Is the Point?
Sky Broadband has replaced its explicit £3‑per‑month price rise (about $3.80) with a vague "price may change" clause, testing the limits of the government‑backed Telecoms Consumer Charter. The voluntary charter, signed by major operators, promises consumers certainty and bans unexpected...
CFTC Gets Temporary Restraining Order Against Arizona on Prediction Markets
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission obtained a temporary restraining order from the District Court in Arizona, halting the state’s criminal prosecution of companies operating prediction markets that are regulated under federal law. The order follows the CFTC’s recent lawsuits against...
Your Child’s Screen Time Rules Could Change, Here’s How UK Parents Can Shape New Online Safety Laws
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched a national consultation, "Growing up in the online world," to reshape children’s digital wellbeing laws. Over 45,000 people – including nearly 6,000 young respondents – have already submitted views, with...
Access Consortium Sign up to Digitisation
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has taken the chair of the Access Consortium and unveiled a 2026 action plan focused on shared digital infrastructure and work‑sharing. The five member regulators—Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK—aim...
Over $50M Missing, MACC Pursues Global Money Trail
The money didn’t stay in Malaysia. USD51.3 million — about RM240 million — has been traced overseas, and MACC is now coordinating with Singapore, the BVI, the UAE, and Labuan to find it. This is no longer just a bad deal....
ANAO Gets Its Second Bragg Letter in as Many Months
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is reviewing a request from Coalition Senator Andrew Bragg for a detailed audit of recent amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). Bragg’s letter, dated March 27, urges the auditor‑general...
What Is GRC? Governance, Risk, and Compliance Explained
Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) is an operating framework that unifies policy setting, risk management, and regulatory adherence across an organization. Companies adopt GRC when growth, audits, vendor risk, or regulatory pressure outpace manual processes, seeking scalability and accountability. The...
Digital Filings Appear Instantly; Paper Submissions Cause Weeks-Long Delays
Why is it that some companies submit accounts to Companies House that are visible immediately and others take almost two weeks to become visible? If you send them in digitally then CH can process them and publish almost straight away. However,...
In the Loop: Course Corrections
David Woodcock has been appointed as the SEC’s new senior enforcement official, bringing a reputation for measured, risk‑based oversight. His arrival is expected to temper the agency’s recent aggressive enforcement drive, effectively setting an upper limit on future actions. Nonetheless,...
6 Ways to Automate Docusign with Zapier
Zapier enables businesses to automate post‑signature processes in DocuSign’s Intelligent Agreement Management platform. Using triggers such as Envelope Completed or Status Updated, users can automatically back up contracts to cloud storage, log data in Zapier Tables, and push notifications to...
Rent in Advance Agreements Can Continue After May, but Not All
The UK Renters’ Rights Act, effective 1 May, inserts Section 4B into the Housing Act 1988, prohibiting landlords from demanding more than one month’s rent in advance for new tenancies. Existing tenancies that already include rent‑in‑advance provisions can continue, but only if the...
Aircraft Lease MOU Not Binding Contract, Says Fiji Court
A Fiji court has ruled that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for an aircraft lease does not constitute a binding contract. The judgment arose from a dispute involving Sunflower Aviation's attempt to secure leased aircraft under the MOU. The court...
Monopoly Round-Up: The Ticketmaster Antitrust Verdict Comes This Week
A jury is set to deliver a verdict this week on whether Live Nation/Ticketmaster operates as an illegal monopoly. The case, stemming from a 2024 antitrust complaint filed by the DOJ and dozens of states, hinges on internal communications that...
Transcript: “From S-1 to 10-K – Avoiding Disclosure Pitfalls”
The Corporate Counsel posted the transcript of its webcast “From S‑1 to 10‑K: Avoiding Disclosure Pitfalls,” featuring securities lawyers from Wilson Sonsini, Cooley, Latham & Watkins, and Gibson Dunn. The panel dissected the most common compliance missteps newly public companies encounter, from entering the...
The SEC–CFTC “Historic” Crypto Harmonization: A Defining Inflection Point for Institutional Digital Asset Adoption:
U.S. regulators the SEC and CFTC have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate oversight of cryptocurrency markets. The MoU establishes information sharing, joint enforcement and clearer jurisdictional boundaries, offering the first unified regulatory posture for digital assets. For...
Paul Weiss Discusses Third Circuit Ruling on Exclusive CFTC Jurisdiction Over Sports-Related Event Contracts
On April 6, 2026 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has exclusive jurisdiction over sports‑related event contracts offered by prediction‑market operator Kalshi, deeming them "swaps" under the Commodity Exchange...
FDA’s CRL Transparency Policy Is Boosting Biopharma Accountability
More than a year after the FDA launched its radical transparency agenda, the agency has released over 200 complete response letters (CRLs) covering 2020‑2024 and added historic letters back to 2002. Public availability forces biotech firms to align their disclosures...
Next Crypto Wave Is Happening in AUS, HK & SG
The Asia‑Pacific region is moving crypto from a fringe hobby to regulated infrastructure. Australia’s Digital Assets Framework Bill received Royal Assent, establishing an 18‑month licensing window for digital‑asset platforms and custodians. Hong Kong issued its first fiat‑stablecoin licences to major...
UK Bar Standards Board Requests Budget Boost in 2026-2027 Business Plan
The UK Bar Standards Board (BSB) has asked for an above‑inflation budget boost in its 2026‑27 business plan, raising total operating costs to nearly £24 million (about $30.5 million), a 12% rise from the current £21.1 million. The board expects to generate £19.7 million...
Episode 404 — Venezuela Sanctions Update
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a suite of new general licenses that partially reopen Venezuela’s oil, gas, and mineral sectors to American and allied companies. The framework is not a full sanctions lift; it...
Biotech Company Prothena Promotes Deputy GC to Legal Head
Prothena, the Dublin‑based late‑stage biotech specializing in protein‑dysregulation neurodegenerative therapies, announced that deputy general counsel Michael Isaacs will assume the role of General Counsel in June, succeeding Michael Malecek. Isaacs, who joined the firm in 2020 and was promoted to...
Section 8 Overhaul: New Rules for Selling or Moving in (May 2026)
The Renters' Right Act, effective 1 May 2026, eliminates no‑fault Section 21 evictions but retains Section 8 routes for landlords who wish to sell or move back in. New rules impose a mandatory 12‑month tenancy protection, double the notice period to four months, and...
Right to Explanation in Systems that Can’t Fully Explain Themselves
Regulators are demanding explainability for AI systems, yet foundation models are inherently opaque, creating a gap between legal expectations and technical reality. The article distinguishes between narrative explanations, which are plausible but not necessarily faithful, and system‑level traceability that can...
Solo Lawyers Must Save Early to Build Wealth
Solo lawyers often earn well—but don’t build wealth. Why? No one taught them how. They went to law school not business school. Income goes back into the practice… but a practice is not a financial plan. Start small. Save 5–10%. Build structure early. The...
NLRB Settlement Thwarts Landmark Amazon Driver Responsibility Ruling
Scoop: Trump's NLRB general counsel is proposing a settlement defusing one of the agency's most consequential Amazon cases, averting a potential landmark ruling on the company's responsibility for contract drivers it claims not to employ https://t.co/nimIelUrQz
Seeking Proportionality in Administrative Law
The George Washington Law Review published a foreword urging proportionality as a guiding principle for administrative law. The author argues that Congress, agencies, and courts should calibrate their involvement based on the significance of regulatory actions. Recent Supreme Court decisions,...
Stillwater Capital Files Q1 2026 13F, Highlighting New Tech and Energy Stakes
Stillwater Capital Advisors submitted its Form 13F on April 10, 2026, disclosing long equity positions as of March 31, 2026. The filing, required by SEC rules, provides a snapshot of the hedge fund’s public holdings, signaling fresh bets in technology...
India Makes FASTag and UPI Mandatory at All National Highway Toll Plazas
The Indian government announced that, as of April 11, 2026, all national highway toll plazas must accept only FASTag and UPI payments. The rollout excludes Tamil Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry until elections conclude, aiming to cut delays, improve transparency...
Verdon Armanda Gauthier Avocats Counsel Mireille Pélissier-Simard Joins Superior Court of Quebec
Mireille Pélissier‑Simard, a veteran family mediator from Verdon Armanda Gauthier, has been appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec, filling the vacancy left by Justice Daniel Dumais after his promotion to senior associate chief justice. Her career spans two decades of family and human‑rights...
Arbitration Panel Rejects NFLPA Collusion Claim, Limiting Union Leverage
An appeals panel affirmed arbitrator Christopher Droney's January 2025 decision that the NFL Players Association could not prove owners colluded on quarterback contracts, despite evidence that teams were invited to discuss collusion. The ruling underscores the difficulty unions face in...