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
Delaware LLC Parties Cannot Bypass Fiduciary Waivers via Implied Covenant
The Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed a post‑closing lawsuit challenging VillageMD’s $9 billion acquisition of CityMD, affirming that an LLC operating agreement can expressly waive fiduciary duties. The court held that plaintiffs could not invoke the implied covenant of good faith to override the agreement’s detailed amendment and disclosure provisions. The Delaware Supreme Court later affirmed, reinforcing that Delaware LLCs are governed by contract rather than corporate‑style fiduciary obligations. The decision underscores that self‑interested actions and differential consideration are enforceable when the operating agreement permits them.
How the Oil Barons Are Seeking a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card for Climate Change Damages
The December 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado razed 1,100 homes and generated roughly $500 million in damages, a disaster scientists link to climate change driven by fossil‑fuel emissions. The state’s Boulder‑area governments sued ExxonMobil and Suncor, and after years of appeals...
Icasa Moves to Mandate National Infrastructure Database
South Africa’s communications regulator Icasa has released draft regulations that will require every licensed network operator to submit detailed, geo‑referenced data on fibre, towers, ducts, poles and planned roll‑outs twice a year. The rules create a national rapid‑deployment GIS database,...
Remote Working Tribunal Cases in Great Britain Fall for First Time Since Covid
The number of employment tribunal cases in Great Britain that cited remote‑working fell 13% in 2025, dropping to 54 decisions – the first decline since the pandemic began. The dip coincides with a tightening labour market, where unemployment rose to...
Summaries Sunday: SOQUIJ
The Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s conviction of S.G. c. R. on six firearms‑related charges, finding that the appellant had "imputed possession" of guns discovered in his ex‑partner’s apartment. The judges relied on circumstantial evidence – the appellant’s keys,...
IRS Guidance Threatens 401(k) Rollovers to Gold IRAs, Risks Tax Penalties
The Internal Revenue Service released guidance that most gold products are prohibited collectibles in retirement accounts, allowing only 99.5% pure bullion or specific coins like the American Gold Eagle. Violations can trigger immediate taxable distributions, a 10% early‑withdrawal penalty and...
IBM Pays $17 Million to Settle DOJ DEI Discrimination Lawsuit
IBM has agreed to pay more than $17 million to resolve Department of Justice allegations that its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs violated civil‑rights law. The settlement, the first major outcome of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, underscores growing...
Manhattan DA Opens Criminal Probe Into Eric Swalwell Over Sexual Assault Allegations
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced a criminal investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell following a former staffer’s allegation of sexual assault. The probe arrives as Democratic leaders and a Republican congresswoman push for Swalwell to quit the California governor’s race...
Kremlin Order Seizes $700M CANPACK Russian Unit, Prompting CFOs to Re‑Assess Geopolitical Risk
A Kremlin decree signed on Dec. 31, 2025 transferred 100% of CANPACK’s Russian operations, valued at roughly $700 million, to state‑appointed managers. The move stripped the Pennsylvania‑based holding company of any operational authority, underscoring the growing exposure of multinational firms to political risk...
Kaiser Permanente Reports $9.3 B Profit as Fraud Settlements Spark CEO Scrutiny
Kaiser Permanente announced a $9.3 billion net profit for the year, but the earnings are shadowed by a $556 million fraud settlement and a $30 million mental‑health case. The dual narrative puts the health system’s CEO under heightened scrutiny from regulators, unions and...
Congress Grapples with Divergent AI Bills Targeting Large Language Models
Lawmakers are advancing rival AI bills that could reshape how large language models are trained and deployed. Republican proposals focus on data ownership and Energy Department oversight, while Democratic measures aim at curbing deepfakes and protecting minors. The clash pits...
US Down to 'Last Chance' To Pass CLARITY Act Before 2030: Lummis
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis warned that the CLARITY Act—legislation aimed at giving the crypto sector clear regulatory oversight—faces its final window for passage before a de‑facto deadline in 2030. The push comes amid concerns that the November midterm elections could...
Ovo Sues Talktalk over Failed Broadband Customer Deal
Ovo Energy has sued TalkTalk over a 2022 deal that transferred about 135,000 broadband customers. TalkTalk stopped paying the agreed instalments after high churn reduced the transaction's value. The dispute comes as Ovo seeks £300 million in new funding while reporting...
Tax Dept to Resume Tiger Global Reassessment, Says GAAR Relief Won’t Alter SC Ruling
India's Supreme Court upheld the tax department's claim that Tiger Global's 2018 Flipkart stake sale was a tax‑avoidance transaction, clearing the way for a reassessment of roughly $1.75 billion in gains. The Income Tax Department said the recent GAAR amendment protecting...
Weekly Reads: Federal Stem Cell Charges Disappear, SCBEM Ethics, Diet & MYCN Cancer, How to Make a Nose
The article examines the abrupt dismissal of former South Carolina lawmaker Stephen Goldfinch’s federal stem‑cell charge, underscoring the uneven enforcement of unapproved cellular therapies. It contrasts this with a pending federal indictment targeting peptide manufacturers, especially BPC‑157, highlighting regulatory blind...
Creating AI Deepfakes of Real People to Be Made Illegal in Queensland
Queensland will criminalize the creation of non‑consensual sexual deepfake images, closing a legal gap that currently only bans distribution. Attorney‑General Deb Frecklington announced the proposal, which carries up to three years imprisonment for offenders. The government will begin expert consultations...
Clayton Antitrust Act 1914: Anti-Monopoly Measures
Enacted in 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act supplements earlier antitrust law by prohibiting anticompetitive mergers, price discrimination, tying arrangements, and interlocking directorates. Enforcement rests with the FTC and DOJ, which can block deals, seek injunctions, and impose fines, while private...
Time to Act on Stalled Proposal Toughening Child Abuse Penalties, Lawmakers Say
Hong Kong lawmakers are pressing for a review of child‑protection legislation that has not been updated since 1995, after a South China Morning Post analysis showed only one of 13 serious abuse cases received a near‑maximum 10‑year sentence. The current...
New ABA Book: Leading Cases in Administrative Law
The American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice has released *Leading Cases in Administrative Law*, edited by Matt Wiener after the late Anna Shavers’ passing. The volume features 35 concise chapters, each dissecting a landmark judicial decision,...
Philippines Asks Facebook to Curb Fake News, Warns of Legal Move
The Philippine government has formally asked Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, to introduce safeguards that curb the spread of false and panic‑inducing content on its services. The request, issued by the Presidential Communications Office, cites specific categories of harmful material...
America's Secret Role as Global Tax Haven
I was interviewed by Reveal for their new podcast: “Inside America’s Race to Hide the World’s Money.” It’s about how the U.S. quietly became one of the best places in the world to park wealth. Out of reach and out of sight. If you...
Latin America Races to Secure Rare‑Earth Supply as Brazil Proposes State‑Run Critical‑Mineral Firm
Brazil's ruling PT party introduced legislation to create Terrabras, a state‑owned enterprise to explore and process critical minerals, signaling a sovereign push in Latin America. The move comes as the region draws attention from the U.S., EU and other powers...
Judge Pauses Arizona's Prosecution of Kalshi, Bars Arizona From Regulating Prediction Markets
A U.S. District Judge in Arizona temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its gambling laws against prediction‑market operator Kalshi, halting a criminal arraignment. The ruling follows a lawsuit by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which argued that Kalshi’s event contracts...
Tesla Wins First EU Approval for Supervised FSD, Boosting Euro Stock Outlook
Dutch regulators have approved Tesla's Full Self-Driving Supervised software, marking the first European clearance for the AI‑driven system. The move could lift Tesla's lagging European sales and set a precedent for EU-wide adoption, while giving a modest boost to the...
AppFolio Secures CEO Shane Trigg with New Employment Agreement
AppFolio, Inc. announced a second amended and restated employment agreement with President and CEO Shane Trigg, effective April 9, 2026. The contract replaces the 2023 agreement and adds substantial guaranteed and performance‑based compensation, retention incentives, and change‑of‑control protections, raising questions...
HarassmentHelp.org Unveils Data‑Driven Workplace Harassment Framework for 2026
HarassmentHelp.org introduced a structured, data‑driven workplace harassment framework for 2026, built on more than 8,000 employment matters and 2,000 litigated cases. The tool, created by Phillips & Associates founder William K. Phillips, aims to close the reporting gap that leaves...
Manchester Village Pride Secures First Union Deal for Performers' Pay and Safety
Manchester Village Pride has signed a historic agreement with the performers' union Equity that guarantees pay, health‑and‑safety standards and protection from bullying for drag and burlesque artists. The pact, the first of its kind for a UK Pride festival, sets...
Saturday Rewind: Blocking the Broadcast 'Behemoth'
California Attorney General Rob Bonta observed former President Donald Trump at a Supreme Court hearing on his birthright citizenship challenge, noting Trump appeared only to intimidate the justices. Bonta linked that courtroom moment to a broader fight against media consolidation,...
“When the Supreme Court Nearly Imposed Anarchy on Oklahoma; An Errant 2020 Decision Deprived the Sooner State of Authority to...
Governor Kevin Stitt’s Wall Street Journal op‑ed warns that a 2020 Supreme Court ruling stripped Oklahoma of the power to prosecute many serious crimes, raising concerns about state‑level law enforcement authority. A Fifth Circuit panel later invalidated federal tax code...
Defamation Lawsuits Against Thai Journalists Draw Criticism From Rights Groups
Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has filed criminal defamation lawsuits against Isaan Record journalists Hathairat Phaholtap and Kowit Photisan for reporting a bribery scheme involving Thai officials and Finnish berry farms. The suits seek roughly 50 million...
BMC Issues Q1 2026 Operations Report Highlighting DAC8 Rollout and Fiscal Shifts
BMC released its Q1 2026 Operations Quarterly Report, flagging the EU DAC8 directive, the final year of the ZEC regime and fresh fiscal reforms as the top drivers of operational change. The analysis shows a surge in advisory demand as firms...
UK Savers Rush to Pull Pensions Early Ahead of April 2027 Inheritance Tax Change
British savers are accelerating early pension withdrawals to avoid a new inheritance‑tax rule slated for April 2027, prompting a surge that hit £2.3 billion last year. Financial planners warn the rush could deplete retirement savings and leave households vulnerable.
Legal Analytics Market Projected to Triple by 2033, Forecast Shows $29.75B Valuation
A new market research report projects the global legal analytics market to expand from $10.65 billion in 2025 to $29.75 billion by 2033, a compound annual growth rate of 13.7%. The growth is attributed to rising AI adoption, increased demand for data‑driven...
Sentebale Files Defamation Suit Against Prince Harry Over Alleged Media Campaign
The African AIDS charity Sentebale has lodged a defamation claim against Prince Harry and former trustee Mark Dyer in England’s High Court. The suit alleges a coordinated media campaign since March 2025 that damaged the charity’s reputation and operations, seeking court‑ordered...
UK Law Shields Disabled Claimants From Benefit Reassessment, Boosting Employment
A landmark UK law that takes effect at the end of April removes automatic benefit reassessment for claimants on new‑style ESA, PIP and the Universal Credit health element. The change, backed by a £3.5 bn ($4.4 bn) investment, aims to unlock work...
DOJ 0-4, My Firm 4-0 on Voter File Cases
Just a reminder that for all their big talk, DOJ is 0-4 in lawsuits to obtain state voter files. My law firm is 4-0.😎https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-doj-now-0-for-5-on-voter-roll-cases-as-court-rejects-massachusetts-lawsuit/
Age‑verification Laws Turn Corporations Into Data Harvesters
This is great, but they’re basically just deputizing private corporations to harvest this info for them via “age verification” laws
RBI Proposes Asset‑Size Rule to Redefine Upper‑Layer NBFCs, Targeting Rs 1 Lakh Crore Threshold
The Reserve Bank of India released draft guidelines that would classify any non‑bank finance company with assets above Rs 1 lakh crore (≈$12 bn) as an upper‑layer NBFC, replacing the existing parametric system. The proposal also seeks to bring large state‑run lenders into the...
China’s AI Training on US Broadcasts Raises Legal Hurdles
“China's training AI on our data, every TV news and channel broadcast for the last 55 years.” - if this is true then why don’t we just sue china for copyright infringement? simple solution, no?
SEC Launches Formal Review of Options on Grayscale Crypto ETF, Decision Due July 11
On April 9, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission formally began a review of a NYSE American plan to list options on Grayscale’s Coindesk Crypto 5 ETF. The procedural filing sets a public comment window and a decision deadline of...
Integrity Pays: Fired Whistleblower Wins $125K Settlement
My office just got $125,000 for a guy who was fired after refusing to lie for his boss. They wanted him to forge documents. He wasn’t earning much so losing his job was scary. I’m sure there were times he thought he...
24-1071 - J&J Hudson LLC V. Simmons Bank Et Al
The federal court consolidated J&J Hudson LLC’s case (CIV‑24‑1071) with a related suit (CIV‑24‑1162) on July 30, 2025, streamlining future filings under the original caption. In November 2025 the judge struck Simmons Bank’s demand for a jury trial, limiting the case to...
26-218 - Singh V. Anda-Ybarra Et Al
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo) page lists case 26‑218, Singh v. Anda‑Ybarra et al, filed in the Western District of Oklahoma. The entry provides basic docket metadata, citation formats, and download links for MODS, PREMIS and ZIP files, but...
25-802 - Southern Nazarene University V. HES Facilities Management LLC
On September 2, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma denied HES Facilities Management’s motion to dismiss Southern Nazarene University’s lawsuit, deeming the request moot and permitting the defendant to refile if needed. The university responded...
26-099 - USA V. Haro Pinedo
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma granted 21 unopposed motions to continue the criminal trial of Juan Carlos Haro Pinedo. The jury trial, originally slated for April 14, 2026, has been rescheduled to May 12, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 303 before Chief Judge...
26-609 - Luginbyhl V. Red Rock Corrections Center Et Al
On April 10, 2026 the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma docketed case 26‑609, Luginbyhl v. Red Rock Corrections Center et al. The plaintiff, Luginbyhl, alleges civil‑rights violations stemming from conditions and treatment at the Red Rock Corrections Center,...
A Brief History of Limited Liability Under California Corporate Law
The California Constitution once required each shareholder to be personally liable for a proportion of a corporation’s debts, as outlined in Article XII, § 3. That provision was repealed on November 4, 1930, ushering in limited liability for shareholders. California’s adoption of limited liability...
25-910 - Classen Et Al V. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company Et Al
On April 10, 2026, Chief Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti issued an order granting the plaintiffs’ motion to remand the Classen et al v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company case. The litigation is sent back to the District Court of...
How the Visa Bulletin Affects EB-2 NIW and EB-1A Self-Petitioners
Self‑petitioners in the EB‑2 National Interest Waiver and EB‑1A categories often think an approved I‑140 is the final hurdle, but visa availability dictated by the monthly Visa Bulletin determines when they can file for adjustment of status. EB‑2 NIW applications...
HERTZ After Cert Denial: Make-Wholes, Solvent Debtors, and the Reach of § 502(b)(2)
The Third Circuit’s decision in In re The Hertz Corporation, now settled after the Supreme Court denied certiorari, classifies Hertz’s make‑whole premiums as unmatured interest barred by § 502(b)(2). Because Hertz emerged from Chapter 11 solvent, the court required the company to...