Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Tornado Cash Dev Roman Storm’s Case Raises Technical and Ethical Questions
Roman Storm, a developer of the Tornado Cash privacy mixer, returned to a New York federal courtroom on April 9, 2026 to argue that his prior unlawful‑money‑transmitting conviction should be set aside. The judge, Katherine Polk Failla, focused on whether Storm should have blocked or shut down Tornado Cash when he became aware of its alleged use by sanctioned actors. While a jury previously found Storm guilty of unlawful money transmission, it deadlocked on money‑laundering and sanctions‑violation counts. Prosecutors now seek a retrial, while the crypto community backs an appeal.
Third Circuit Rules That UpCodes’ Publication of Incorporated Building Standards Is Likely Fair Use
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that UpCodes, a legal‑tech startup that posts building codes and technical standards online, likely qualifies its use of copyrighted standards as fair use. The decision, issued on April 7, affirmed...
‘Weak Management’ | Network Rail Accepts Failures as Worker Wins Racial Harassment Tribunal
Network Rail has accepted a tribunal ruling that a former employee, Parjmit Bassi, was subjected to racial harassment and ostracism. The tribunal highlighted incidents such as an English Defence League leaflet placed in his locker and criticized the company's laissez‑faire...
Suspicious Activity Reports: Identification of Suspicious Activity and Filing SARs
Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) are mandatory filings that alert law‑enforcement to potential money‑laundering or terrorist‑financing activity. U.S. banks must file a SAR for any transaction aggregating $5,000 (or $2,000 for money‑services businesses) or when structuring is suspected. Structuring involves breaking...
Drew Barred From Voting 15M HUM Shares, Forced to Divest
And there it is: Drew can’t vote his 15m shares acquired in $HUM and must forfeit and divest them https://t.co/cAUDrvXBJ1
The EBA Consults on Major Simplification of Supervisory Reporting to Deliver a Simpler, Smarter and More Proportionate Framework
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has unveiled a package of proposals that would cut roughly half of the data points required in EU supervisory reporting, even as new obligations for IFRS 18, ESG and the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book...
Understanding FATF’s Latest Analysis: Market Developments and Emerging Risks in DeFi
The Financial Action Task Force released a detailed analysis of emerging risks in decentralized finance, spotlighting the rapid diversification of NFTs, the surge in stablecoin usage, and the proliferation of cross‑chain bridges. FATF warns that many DeFi projects retain centralized...
Person of the Week: Alberto Safra – and Outrageous Lawyers’ Fees
Alberto Safra, heir to Brazil's prominent Safra banking dynasty, has secured a judicial review of the more than $35 million in legal fees charged during a protracted inheritance dispute over his late father's estate. The review challenges the fee structure and...
Managing Crypto Red Flags: An Analysis of Causes and Effective Strategies
The article outlines how cryptocurrency’s anonymity creates red flags for money laundering, emphasizing the need for vigilant transaction monitoring. It highlights specific indicators such as mismatched customer IDs and IP locations, suspicious login patterns, and the use of multiple wallets...
Europe Votes Far-Right on ICE-Style Deportations
On 26 March the European Parliament voted to adopt a sweeping Deportation Regulation that expands detention, authorises home raids and mandates the detection of undocumented people in workplaces, schools and hospitals. The draft mirrors U.S. ICE powers, introduces offshore “return hubs”...
Fewer than 3 in 10 Register for HMRC's Making Tax Digital Shake-Up
HMRC reports that only about 28% of the 780,000 sole traders and landlords required to adopt Making Tax Digital (MTD) for income tax have registered, with 219,000 sign‑ups to date. The deadline for the first quarterly filing is 7 August 2026,...
Lawyers Embracing AI but Leaving Clients in the Dark
Clio’s 2026 UK & Ireland Legal Insights Report surveyed over 500 lawyers and 500 members of the public, revealing that 89% of legal professionals now use AI tools, yet only 7% of clients recall being told about AI involvement. While...
Can AI-Assisted Arbitral Awards Survive Enforcement Under the New York Convention?
The American Arbitration Association‑International Centre for Dispute Resolution launched an AI‑native pilot in November 2025 that lets an algorithm draft arbitral decisions for human review. While the pilot has not yet faced a court test, the New York Convention’s enforcement framework was...
When AI Bots Become Clients: How FantasticLawyers.com Is Discovered by Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity Etc
FantasticLawyers.com has recently been discovered by leading AI bots such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, highlighting a new channel for legal service discovery. The blog post details how artificial intelligence is reshaping interactive services for law firms, from automated client...
Chinese Payment Apps Raise Questions in Japan
Japanese lawmakers and the Financial Services Agency have raised alarms that Chinese mobile‑payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay can settle transactions outside Japan’s banking system. They fear the practice could hide revenue from tax authorities and create avenues...
Malaysian Youths File Climate Lawsuit Against Government for Failure to Act on Deforestation
Six Malaysian youths filed a judicial review in the Kuala Lumpur High Court demanding the government halt deforestation and maintain at least 50 percent forest cover, a pledge first made at the 1992 Rio Summit. They cite a new report showing...
Work From Home Tax Claims Restricted After ATO Court Victory
The Australian Federal Court overturned an Administrative Review Tribunal decision that had allowed ABC presenter Ned Hall to claim $5,878 AUD (≈$3,880 USD) in rent and transport deductions for a home office during COVID lockdowns. The court ruled that rent and commuting...
‘Workers’ Rights Police’ | Fair Work Agency Will Have Power to 'Force Entry' Into Offices
The UK Fair Work Agency (FWA) has been granted police powers to conduct unannounced inspections, force entry into workplaces, and arrest suspected labour law violators. The authority stems from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and applies to enforcement...
Ball State President Settles Free Speech Lawsuit
Ball State University President Geoffrey Mearns settled an ACLU‑filed First Amendment lawsuit brought by former staffer Suzanne Swierc, who was terminated after a Facebook post mourning the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. The settlement, announced on April 7, includes undisclosed monetary...
Indonesia’s Richest Man Loosens Grip on Petrindo, Barito Amid Tighter Ownership Rules
Indonesia’s wealthiest tycoon, Prajogo Pangestu, sold a 0.56 percent stake in coal‑mining group Petrindo Jaya Kreasi and trimmed his holding in Barito Renewables Energy to boost free‑float levels. The move follows a new Indonesia Stock Exchange rule that forces listed firms to...
Radiologists Countersue Former Colleague over Delayed $2M Payout in Sale to Private Equity
Southtowns Radiology Associates and eight physicians filed a countersuit against former partner Gregory R. Ball, alleging he is withholding a $2 million payout tied to the practice’s 2023 sale of its imaging centers to private‑equity firm Rezolut. Ball previously claimed the...
SC Regularises Interim Bail Granted to Gujarat-Based Journalist in Money Laundering Case
The Supreme Court on April 10 confirmed the interim bail it had granted in December to Gujarat journalist Mahesh Langa in a money‑laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, upheld the bail while imposing...
SM Entertainment Provides Update As Deepfake Offenders Receive Prison Sentences
SM Entertainment announced that 12 individuals involved in creating, distributing, or possessing illegal deepfake videos of its artists have been sentenced to prison, with terms ranging from 2.5 to 4 years, plus five‑year employment restrictions and mandated sexual‑violence treatment. The...
XTB Gets Category 1 (and 2) Licenses From UAE CMA
Poland‑based retail broker XTB has obtained Category 1 and Category 2 licences from the UAE’s Capital Market Authority for its subsidiary XTB Financial Services LLC. The approvals allow the firm to operate fully under UAE regulations and to expand its product suite...
How Environmental Laws Are Shifting the Focus From Humans to Nature
Environmental law has evolved from ancient human‑focused regulations to a modern ecocentric paradigm that grants nature legal personhood. Early examples include Mesopotamian water treaties and Roman sanitation codes, while the 1972 Stockholm conference cemented an anthropocentric framework. Over the past...
Four Charged with Illegal Possession of over 4,700kg Cooking Oil
A Malaysian man and three Myanmar nationals were charged in Seremban for illegally possessing about 4,705 kg of cooking oil, a regulated commodity. They face charges under the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 and the Control of Supplies Act 1961, which...
Regulators Target Vineyard Employers in South Australia for Surprise Inspections
Australian regulators have stepped up unannounced inspections of vineyard employers in South Australia under Operation Zephyr. To date, the Australian Taxation Office, Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Border Force have visited 18 vineyards across the Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and...
City Law Firm Faces Claims of Bullying and Misconduct at Senior Level
Kennedys, a global insurance‑focused law firm, is under scrutiny after senior partner John Bruce acknowledged bullying and sexual‑harassment allegations during a worldwide partners’ call. Internal sources claim the firm applies a two‑tier disciplinary approach, treating commercially valuable senior staff more...
Legaltech Rundown: Littler Mendelson Appoints Chief AI Officer, Parambil Unveils Enhanced Platform Technology, and More
Littler Mendelson, one of the nation’s largest labor law firms, announced the appointment of a former Google AI lead as its first Chief AI Officer, signaling a strategic push to embed artificial intelligence across its practice. At the same time,...
Military Families Argue Injuries From Hawaii Jet Fuel Water Crisis Weren’t Service-Related
In 2021 a fuel leak from the Navy’s Red Hill storage facility contaminated the water supply for residents of Oahu, including families living in military housing. Service members who were exposed are suing, arguing the injuries occurred outside the scope...
RBI Proposes 1-Hour Delay for UPI, IMPS Transfers Above Rs 10,000
The Reserve Bank of India has floated a discussion paper proposing a mandatory one‑hour cooling period for person‑to‑person UPI and IMPS transfers exceeding ₹10,000 (about $120). The delay targets high‑value P2P payments while merchant transactions remain instant, and a whitelisting...
Worker Wins Nearly $4,500 as Singapore Court Rejects Company’s Bid to Pay Overtime with Allowance
Singapore's High Court overturned a tribunal ruling and ordered Lim Joo Huat Enterprise to pay Indian worker Gena Hulash Ram the full overtime amount of SGD 5,711.11 (about US $4,474). The court rejected the employer’s claim that a fixed SGD 300 monthly "others"...
NYC Helicopter Crash Prompts Push for New Tourist-Flight Rules
U.S. lawmakers from New York City introduced the Helicopter Safety Parity Act, which would apply commercial airline safety standards to sightseeing helicopters after a 2025 Hudson River crash that killed Siemens Mobility chief Agustín Escobar Canadas, his wife and three...
Judge Tosses PETA’s Lawsuit Against American Kennel Club Over Dog Breed Health
A New York judge dismissed PETA’s lawsuit accusing the American Kennel Club of endorsing unhealthy breed standards for French bulldogs, bulldogs, pugs, dachshunds and shar‑peis. The court ruled the state’s consumer‑protection law was misapplied because the AKC is a private...
DOJ NFL TV Deal Probe Likely Just a Bluff
Why the DOJ Investigation of NFL TV Deals May Just Be Bravado https://t.co/Xg4GQNDyc1 via @sportico @McCannSportsLaw
Judge Says Navy Must Release Records Related to Sailor Acquitted of USS Bonhomme Richard Arson
A federal judge in California ordered the U.S. Navy to turn over the full record of the military court proceedings involving former sailor Ryan Mays, who was acquitted of aggravated arson for the 2020 fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard. The...
What if You Cross the Rainbow Bridge First? Why You Should Set up a Pet Trust
New data from online estate‑planning platform Willful shows Canadian pet owners are almost three times more likely to complete a will than non‑owners. About 36% of Canadians already set aside money for pet guardians, with the average pet trust at...
Friday Briefing: KAA Gent Launch Legal Action over Pro League Format Decision
Belgian club KAA Gent has filed legal actions demanding a new vote to revert the Pro League to a 16‑team format with play‑offs, arguing the recent U23 quota changes invalidate the February 2025 decision for an 18‑team league. Meanwhile, Spanish...
Charles Russell Speechlys Elevates Nine to Partnership in Latest Promotions Round
Charles Russell Speechlys promoted nine lawyers to partner in its 2026 promotion round, a modest decline from the twelve elevated last year. Women accounted for six of the new partners, maintaining a two‑thirds gender balance. The promotions span the UK,...
Fladgate Breaks £100m Revenue Barrier for First Time as Turnover Doubles in Five Years
Fladgate, a Top‑100 UK law firm, announced revenue of over £102 million (≈ $129 million) for FY 2025/26, a 16% increase and the first time it has breached the £100 million mark. Turnover has doubled from £51.7 million (≈ $65.7 million) in 2020/21, reflecting rapid growth in its...
Court Dismisses Pepperdine’s Nonsense Trademark Suit Against Netflix Over ‘Running Point’
A U.S. District Court dismissed Pepperdine University’s trademark lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros. over the fictional basketball team “Waves” in the series *Running Point*. Judge Cynthia Valenzuela applied the Rogers test, finding the name was used artistically, not as a source...
Bulk Carrier Banned From Australia over Unpaid Wages
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) detained the Liberia‑flagged bulk carrier BBG Wuzhou after discovering that its crew had gone unpaid for nearly seven months, with wages totaling tens of thousands of dollars. The inspection also revealed inadequate food, lack of...
ASIC Scores Listed Defence, Space Supplier Scalp over Disclosure Breaches
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) secured a federal‑court victory against Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (EOS), a Canberra‑based defence and space supplier. EOS was fined AUD 4 million (≈US$2.6 million) for failing to disclose a material downgrade in its 2022 revenue...
AI Set to Overhaul Legal Practice Within Three Years
“Holy shit this is going to change the business and practice of law as we have known it for decades in less than 3 years.” 👀 https://t.co/Qe988vxjSs
After Sweeping SCOTUS Presidential Immunity Ruling, Trump Wields It Broadly in Push for Power
Two years after the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision granting President Donald Trump sweeping criminal immunity, his legal team has turned the precedent into a tool for expanding executive authority. An ABC News review found that nearly one‑third of the administration’s...
Singer Sia Ordered to Pay $42,500 Monthly Child Support in California Custody Case
Singer Sia has been ordered to pay $42,500 a month in child support for her 23‑month‑old son after a California court approved a settlement with ex‑husband Daniel Bernad. The ruling, which also includes private‑school tuition and a $5 million life‑insurance policy,...
Oregon Governor Signs Bill to Bolster Farm Stands and Local Food Sales
Governor Tina Kotek signed House Bill 4153, granting Oregon farms new permits for on‑site stores and clearer agritourism guidelines. The legislation aims to protect existing farm‑stand permits, expand revenue options for family farms, and safeguard rural economies.
Louisiana Judge Upholds Lawsuit, Orders FDA to Complete Mifepristone Safety Review
U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph in Lafayette upheld Louisiana’s lawsuit against the FDA, ordering the agency to finish its safety review of the abortion pill mifepristone within six months. The decision leaves the drug’s mail‑order availability intact for now...
Ohio Man Convicted Under Federal Take It Down Act for AI‑Generated Deepfake Abuse
James Strahler, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and publishing digital forgeries, becoming the first person convicted under the federal Take It Down Act. Prosecutors say he created more than 700 AI‑generated sexual images, prompting the first enforcement of the law...
Gold IRAs Promoted as Safe Havens Carry Hidden Fees and Liquidity Risks for Retirees
Gold IRAs are booming in 2026, yet investors face hidden costs, strict IRS storage rules and limited liquidity that can erode retirement savings. The CFTC warns that these risks disproportionately affect near‑retirees, prompting calls for tighter oversight.