Today's Legal Pulse
Relativity expands legal platform with AI‑native Gavel acquisition
Relativity announced the purchase of AI‑native legal‑tech firm Gavel, adding generative‑AI drafting, automation and review tools to its RelativityOne platform. The integration embeds Gavel’s capabilities directly into Microsoft Word, linking Word‑based documents to underlying matter data for seamless workflow. The move broadens Relativity’s reach beyond e‑discovery into the drafting stage of legal work.
Nonequity Partners Entered The Chat, And Skadden’s Promotion Numbers Soared
Skadden has introduced a nonequity partnership tier, allowing the firm to promote lawyers on both income and equity tracks. The new structure helped the firm announce 55 new partners in April, more than double the 22 promotions recorded in 2025 and far above the 21 in 2024. Executives say the earlier talent development adds clarity to career progression and has been positively received. The firm plans to continue using both tiers to expand its partnership pipeline.
Age Assurance Landscape Diverging Between US, Everywhere Else
The United States is seeing a patchwork of state‑level age‑assurance bills, while the EU, UK, Canada, and Australia move toward unified regulations. Minnesota recently enacted a law requiring parental consent for users under 16 and banning addictive features, prompting NetChoice...
DOJ Opens Criminal Probe Into E. Jean Carroll Over Alleged Perjury on Funding
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into journalist E. Jean Carroll, alleging she lied under oath about receiving $7 million from LinkedIn co‑founder Reid Hoffman’s nonprofit. The probe, referred to federal prosecutors in Chicago, pits the Trump‑aligned DOJ against a...
Boilermakers Ex‑Counsel Flags Luxury Union Meetings, Raising Cost Concerns
Former Boilermakers general counsel Jason McClitis testified that the union’s longtime law firm Blake & Uhlig attended every International Executive Council meeting held at luxury resorts and never questioned the costs. The testimony, delivered on Day 16 of the federal...
Judge Rules that Kennedy Center Name Change Is Illegal
A federal judge on May 29, 2026 ruled that the Kennedy Center cannot be renamed after Donald J. Trump, stating that only Congress may alter the institution’s name. The decision blocks the board’s plan to temporarily close the venue for...
FBI Alerts on Silent Ransom Group’s IT‑Impersonation Scheme Targeting U.S. Law Firms
The FBI issued a flash alert warning that the Silent Ransom Group (SRG) is posing as internal IT staff to infiltrate U.S. law firms, stealing data with external drives and extorting victims. The group combines phone‑based social engineering with physical...
Short Circuit: An Inexhaustive Weekly Compendium of Rulings From the Federal Courts of Appeal
The Institute for Justice’s weekly "Short Circuit" roundup surveys recent federal appellate rulings that spotlight procedural hurdles and qualified‑immunity shields for government actors. Highlights include a D.C. Circuit opinion that constitutional claims cannot remedy fabricated IRS evidence, a First Circuit...
Court Officers Behaving Badly
Ken White and Josh Barrow dissect the collapse of the federal case against the "Broadview Six," anti‑ICE protesters in Chicago, highlighting egregious grand‑jury misconduct by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including redacted transcripts, illegal vouching, off‑record communications, and manipulation of juror...
Cooley Expands Chicago Litigation Practice With Former Federal Prosecutor
Cooley announced that former Deputy Chief for National Security Tom Peabody has joined its Chicago litigation practice, marking the firm’s third ex‑federal prosecutor hire since the office opened in 2021. Peabody brings extensive trial experience in cybercrime, crypto‑related offenses, sanctions...
Tesla Worker Sues, Alleges Vulgar Rap Music Created a Sexually Hostile Workplace
Tesla employee Ivy Gyimah filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a daily stream of vulgar rap music created a sexually hostile workplace, violating Title VII. She claims the explicit lyrics—heard by employees and managers alike—constituted harassment and impaired her performance,...
Local Police Targeted Data Center Opponent, Law Firm Alleges
Law firms allege Birmingham police retaliated against a plaintiff after she sued Nebius over a proposed 300‑MW data center, highlighting tensions between developers and local authorities. Similar friction appears in Mason County, Kentucky, where a Fortune‑500 data center rezoning sparked...
Full 4th Circuit to Rehear Challenges to State Contract Pharmacy Laws
The full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed on May 28 to rehear challenges to 340B contract‑pharmacy laws in West Virginia and Maryland. A three‑judge panel had earlier ruled those state statutes unconstitutional, a decision the American Hospital Association (AHA) criticized...
Court Says Late Paychecks Do Not Violate Oregon's Minimum-Wage Law
The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that paying wages a few days late does not constitute a violation of the state’s minimum‑wage law. The case stemmed from a McMenamins server who claimed a delayed paycheck reduced his effective hourly rate...
Court Temporarily Freezes Trump’s $1.776 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Slush Fund To Figure Out WTF Is Going On
A federal judge in Virginia has issued a temporary injunction that stops the Justice Department from moving forward with the $1.776 billion "Anti‑Weaponization Fund" created by the Trump administration. The order bars any transfers, claim reviews, or disbursements until the parties...
EU Export Controls Continue to Evolve Beyond Traditional Dual-Use Frameworks
The European Commission’s new Information Note shows EU export controls moving beyond a simple list‑based system toward a decentralized, context‑driven regime. Member states are increasingly imposing national authorizations on non‑listed dual‑use items, especially where end‑use or security concerns exist. The...
Collision Communications V. Samsung: What Good Did the Government’s Statement of Interest Do?
The Eastern District of Texas denied Collision Communications’ request for a permanent injunction against Samsung, despite a Department of Justice statement of interest supporting non‑practicing patentees. Judge Gilstrap applied the full four‑factor *eBay* test, finding irreparable harm and inadequate monetary...
Tristan Thompson Sues After Crypto Company Ends His Deal Early
Former NBA star Tristan Thompson has filed a three‑count lawsuit in Delaware against UK‑based World Mobile Group, alleging the crypto firm fabricated a pretext to terminate a $2 million token endorsement agreement. Thompson was to receive up to $1 million worth of...
Reid Hoffman Says Reported DOJ Investigation Into His Nonprofit that Funded E. Jean Carroll's Case Is 'Retaliation'
LinkedIn co‑founder Reid Hoffman blasted a Justice Department probe into American Future Republic, the nonprofit that helped fund E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against Donald Trump, calling the investigation retaliation. He posted on X that Trump is using federal power to silence...
Appeals Court Revives Aberdeen Cash Sweep Fight Against Wells Fargo Servicer LNR
A federal appeals court revived Aberdeen Developers’ lawsuit against Wells Fargo and special servicer LNR Partners over a disputed cash‑sweep provision. The dispute stems from a 2021 tenant bankruptcy that triggered a cash‑sweep, diverting excess building income into an account controlled...
Maine High Court Blocks Receiver-Led Home Sale Before Foreclosure Judgment
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court vacated a trial‑court order that had appointed a receiver to secure, repair, and sell a North Berwick home before a foreclosure judgment was rendered. The case stemmed from Towd Point Mortgage Trust’s 2023 foreclosure action against...
Developer Loses $8 Million Claim Against Oregon City over a Missed Deadline
The Oregon Court of Appeals dismissed Siskiyou Pines Developments' $8.16 million claim against the City of Cave Junction and its engineering contractor after finding the developer missed the statutory 180‑day tort‑claim notice deadline. The developer had sued for delays in final...
Supreme Court Provides Relief to Reliance in 2007 Securities Market Fraud Case
India’s Supreme Court overturned a 2020 SEBI order that labeled Reliance Industries’ 2007 RPL stake sale as market manipulation. The court directed SEBI to refund the ₹2.5 bn ($26.3 m) it had collected from Reliance while reaffirming that a breach of position...
GreenSky to Pay $10M to State AGs
GreenSky, a point‑of‑sale home‑improvement financing firm, agreed to pay $10 million to settle claims it deceived seniors and disabled consumers. The settlement, reached with attorneys general from Texas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the District of Columbia, includes a $575,000 civil penalty,...
Paramount Hires Antitrust Ace Jeffrey Kessler as $110 B Warner Bros. Deal Hits Court
Paramount Pictures has hired top antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler to defend its $110 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after a consumer group filed a preliminary injunction. The move underscores the legal headwinds facing one of the year's biggest media...
ACLJ Files Amicus Brief in Texas App Store Case to Restore Parental Control Over Social Media
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed an amicus brief in the Fifth Circuit case Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Paxton, defending Texas' App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420). The brief seeks to preserve parental authority over...
Missouri Supreme Court Rejects NAACP Challenge as RNC/NRCC Defend GOP Map in New Lawsuit
The Missouri Supreme Court on May 27 unanimously dismissed the NAACP's constitutional challenge to the state's new congressional map, which is projected to add a Republican seat. Days later, the Republican National Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee filed a...
Shareholder Litigation Firm Launches Securities Fraud Probe Into Zscaler
Ademi LLP announced a securities fraud investigation into cloud‑security vendor Zscaler after the company’s Q3 earnings call. The probe focuses on alleged nondisclosure of two senior sales departures and challenges integrating Red Canary, raising compliance concerns for CIOs evaluating Zscaler’s...
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, May 29
Lawfare will host a live webinar on May 29 at 4 pm ET featuring Editor‑in‑Chief Benjamin Wittes and senior editors discussing the DOJ’s E. Jean Carroll inquiry, updates on the Broadview Six case, and three challenges to the Trump administration’s Anti‑Weaponization Fund. The...
Regulators Tighten Global Payments Rules to Strengthen Security and Fight Fraud
Regulators across Europe, Asia and Latin America are revising real‑time payment frameworks, embedding digital identity checks and stricter AML controls. The changes aim to close the fraud gap created by instant transfers, forcing banks and fintechs to embed compliance in...
From Tragedy to Billion-Dollar Law Empire
John Morgan owns the biggest personal injury law firm in America. He's a billionaire. The guy also runs an upside-down tourist attraction in Orlando and a museum that owns OJ's Bronco. He came on MFM a while back and told us...
FCC Announces Effective Date of New Certifications From Buyers of Program Time to Identify Foreign Government Sponsored Programming, But Puts...
On June 7 2026 the FCC will require broadcasters to use a new standard certification form to verify that buyers of program time are not foreign governments or their agents. The rule, originally effective in 2022 for program leases, now also covers...
HMT Letter on Transition and Implementation of the UK Cryptoasset Regulatory Regime
HM Treasury announced that the UK government will implement the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Crypto‑assets) Regulations 2026, creating a dedicated regulatory regime for crypto‑assets. The rollout is designed to spread implementation costs and give firms time to comply before the...
Clarity Act Risks Regulation Without Oversight, Brookings Fellow Says
Brookings Fellow Aaron Klein warned that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is ill‑equipped to handle the expanded mandate proposed in the Clarity Act. He argues that without additional staff, funding, and expertise, new crypto powers could amount to regulation without...
UnitedHealth Medicaid Lawsuit Raises New Questions Over Taxpayer Spending
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has sued UnitedHealthcare Community Plans of Massachusetts, alleging the insurer falsely inflated diagnoses for seniors to secure over $100 million in extra Medicaid payments. The complaint says the scheme spanned 2015‑2025 and targeted the Senior...
Texas’ App Age Verification Law Allowed to Go Into Effect for Now
A federal appeals court has temporarily lifted a district judge's injunction, allowing Texas Senate Bill 2420 – which mandates age verification and parental consent for minors downloading apps or making in‑app purchases – to go into effect. The 5th U.S....
Supreme Court Lets Vermont's Meta Lawsuit Proceed, Opening Door To 50-State Legal Wave
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Meta Platforms’ appeal, allowing Vermont’s attorney general to proceed with a lawsuit alleging that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to addict teenagers. Meta argued the state lacked personal jurisdiction, but the Court...
Zeidler’s MMR-Tool Adds Japan Amid Tightening Fund Rules
Zeidler Group has expanded its AI‑driven Marketing Material Review (MMR) Tool to include Japan, covering domestic and foreign investment trusts, REITs, ETFs, infrastructure funds and private placements. The new module incorporates Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, Cabinet Office Order...
Court Awards $400M Default Judgment Against North Korea to Victims of 1968 Attack on U.S.S. Pueblo
A U.S. federal court awarded $404.55 million in a default judgment against North Korea for the 1968 seizure of the USS Pueblo. The case, filed by surviving crew members, families, and estates, relied on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act’s terrorism exception after...
California Judge "Cited and Relied on a Fictitious Case" Submitted by Lawyer, Even Though …
California Court of Appeal reversed a trial‑court protective‑order decision after finding the judge relied on a non‑existent case and misapplied Family Code §6203. The appellate opinion highlighted that Rudy’s counsel had quoted a fictitious citation and failed to correct the...
Former SG Prelogar Discusses Tenure, First Supreme Court Argument as Private Lawyer
Elizabeth Prelogar, former U.S. Solicitor General, has rejoined Cooley as a partner and is preparing for her 36th Supreme Court argument, the first she will present as a private lawyer. The Law.com profile details her tenure at the Justice Department,...
JPMorgan Contests $4.25M Order over LA Advisor's Super Bowl Spending
JPMorgan Chase is set to appeal a FINRA arbitration award that ordered the bank to pay former Los Angeles wealth manager Brent Bodner $4.25 million for wrongful termination. The dispute centers on a $642.50 deli platter purchased for a 2024 Super Bowl...
Inside the Tireless Lives of Data Center Attorneys
Cooley partner Mark Looney detailed his role representing data‑center developers in marathon public‑hearing sessions that often exceed a full day. He cited a 27‑hour hearing in 2024 as an example of the endurance required. Looney explained how he eases tension...
Australia’s Workplace Tribunal Says AI-Assisted Claims Have Helped Drive a 70% Workload Increase in Three Years
Australia’s Fair Work Commission reports a 70% workload surge over three years, attributing much of the increase to generative AI tools that let individuals file longer, more complex claims. Between July 2025 and April 2026 the tribunal logged 44,039 lodgments...
Justices Validate Arbitration Exemption for “Last-Mile” Drivers
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Federal Arbitration Act’s exemption for interstate transportation workers also applies to “last‑mile” delivery drivers who never cross state lines, shielding them from mandatory arbitration. Justice Neil Gorsuch’s opinion rejected the employer’s narrow bright‑line...
An Indian Court Says Google Can Be Liable for Selling Rivals a Brand’s Name
The Delhi High Court ruled that Google India is liable for allowing competitors to bid on the trademark "Hindware" as a paid search keyword, rejecting the platform’s safe‑harbour defence. Google was ordered to pay Hindware Limited roughly $31,600 in damages...
Ontario Superior Court Summarily Denies Claim that Will Created Testamentary Trust Between Brothers
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the plaintiff’s claim that his mother’s holographic will created a testamentary trust for him and that he qualified as a dependent under the Succession Law Reform Act. The court held the will’s language...
The Supreme Court’s Common Sense Problem
The Supreme Court has increasingly invoked “common sense” language in recent opinions, from the major‑questions tariff case Learning Resources v. Trump to standing decisions like Diamond Alternative Energy v. EPA and the Second Amendment ruling United States v. Rahimi. Every...
Verdacert Rolls Out 24‑Hour USCIS‑Certified Translation Service for Law Firms
Verdacert has launched a 24‑hour, USCIS‑certified translation service aimed at law firms, immigration attorneys, and self‑representing individuals. The offering combines AI‑driven translation, native‑speaker review, and a developer‑friendly API, with pricing starting at $25 per page and a full‑refund guarantee.
Massachusetts Sues UnitedHealthcare for Falsifying Seniors' Health
NEW: Massachusetts is suing UnitedHealthcare, alleging the company intentionally made low-income seniors appear sicker than they were over the past decade to boost its bottom line. https://t.co/sVFVjrDGfo
Delhi HC Grants Naga Chaitanya Interim Relief in Personality Rights Case
The Delhi High Court has issued summons in a lawsuit filed by Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya to protect his personality rights, citing extensive unauthorized use of his image on porn sites, AI‑generated deepfakes, and defamatory content. The court signaled an interim...