Today's Legal Pulse
DOJ says Title VII disparate impact liability is unconstitutional
The Office of Legal Counsel concluded that disparate impact liability under Title VII violates the Constitution. The Department of Justice echoed this view, declaring employment disparate impact rules unconstitutional.
Also developing:
McKinsey to Contribute $125 Million to Purdue Bankruptcy over Opioid Sales Advice
McKinsey & Co has agreed to contribute $125 million to Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, ending potential lawsuits over the consulting firm’s advice to aggressively market OxyContin. The payment is part of Purdue’s broader $7.4 billion restructuring plan approved in November, which aims to compensate creditors accusing the company of fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic. McKinsey makes the contribution without admitting wrongdoing, after previously paying $1.6 billion to resolve federal, state and local opioid‑related claims. The firm stopped advising opioid manufacturers in 2019 but has expressed deep regret for its past role.
Increasingly Complex Cases Contribute to Disruption at NL Provincial Court, Working Group Finds
The Provincial Court Working Group in Newfoundland and Labrador found that rising case complexity, expanding workloads and chronic staff shortages have disrupted court operations. The group delivered its findings and a set of recommendations to Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer, calling...
BC’s Health Professions and Occupations Act, Now in Effect, Boosts Transparency on Prior Discipline
The British Columbia Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) became law on April 1, 2026, overhauling the province’s health‑care regulatory framework. It requires all disciplinary actions and summary protection orders to appear on public registries, boosting transparency for patients and employers....
Liquid Sugar in My Maple Syrup?
A Quebec court has filed a lawsuit alleging that some maple syrup producers are diluting their product with liquid sugar. The complaint, highlighted by a CBC report, claims the adulteration violates Canadian food standards and misleads consumers. Industry stakeholders are...
Space and Satellite Futures: Randy Segal Is at the Table When Space Law Gets Written. Now the Cohort Gets a...
In this 42‑minute episode of Orbited, veteran space‑law partner Randy Siegel discusses how she navigates the rapidly evolving legal and regulatory landscape for commercial space ventures, from satellite contracts to commercial space stations and mega‑constellations. She explains the challenges of...
Global Policies Governing Earth Observation Applications
Global earth‑observation (EO) policies are diverging as the United States clings to a Cold‑War‑era licensing regime, while the EU’s Copernicus programme champions free, open‑access data. China’s data‑sovereignty laws tightly control geospatial exports, and India’s 2023 space policy opens the market...
Salt N Pepa Termination Rights Ruling Makes Creator Protections in US “Illusory”, Say Artist Advocacy Groups
Salt N Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music over 1980s recordings has become a pivotal test of the U.S. copyright termination right. The Second Circuit Appeals Court received amicus briefs from the National Society of Entertainment & Arts Lawyers and a coalition of...
Banks Poised to Tap $323B Stablecoin Market, $6T Deposits
The FDIC approved new stablecoin rules earlier this week, clearing the way for Wall Street banks to enter a $323 billion market under the GENIUS Act’s new federal framework. “If they make that legal, we will go into that business,”...
Australia’s AML Reforms: Strategies for Success in 2026
Australia’s anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorism financing reforms will take effect in early 2026, prompting regulators and industry leaders to adopt a risk‑focused, outcomes‑based approach. AUSTRAC’s chief executive signaled a move away from tick‑box compliance toward substantive risk management, encouraging firms...
The Birthright Citizenship Question that Stumped the Solicitor General
During the Supreme Court’s oral argument in Trump v. Barbara, Justice Kavanaugh pressed the Solicitor General on whether Congress could reshape birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. The SG replied that Congress has an inherent power to grant citizenship, then...
UMB Sues Public Finance Authority, Addiction Center Manager After 'Collapse'
Bond trustee UMB Bank NA has filed a lawsuit in Indiana seeking a court‑appointed receiver for two addiction‑treatment centers financed with $117 million of tax‑exempt municipal bonds. The suit targets Wisconsin’s Public Finance Authority (PFA) and three healthcare managers, alleging financial...
There Are ‘Credible Legal Questions as to Whether FDA Has the Legal Authority to Eliminate Self-GRAS,’ Say Legal Experts
The FDA is preparing a proposed rule that would require mandatory submission of GRAS notices, effectively ending the self‑affirmed GRAS pathway that currently allows companies to certify safety without FDA review. The rule, pending OMB approval, would create a public...
RBI Proposes New Measures to Combat Rising Digital Payment Frauds
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has unveiled a discussion paper proposing several safeguards to curb the surge in digital payment frauds. Key measures include a one‑hour delay on account‑to‑account transfers above ₹10,000, a trusted‑person authentication for vulnerable users on...
Canada Considers Easing Work Authorisation for International Students
Canada’s immigration department is proposing to let international students and recent graduates work without a separate work permit while they await study‑permit extensions or post‑graduate work‑permit (PGWP) decisions. The plan also removes the co‑op work‑permit requirement for eligible apprentices and...
Introducing the Sandbox Environment: Safely Test and Optimize E-Signature Workflows
Zoho Sign has launched a sandbox environment that mirrors a live portal, letting users test e‑signature workflows without affecting production. The isolated space supports template tweaks, API and SDK experiments, and integration trials while preserving live credits. Early error detection...
Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Misuse of Facial Recognition by Reno Police
A Nevada lawsuit claims the Reno Police Department arrested Jason Killinger after a casino’s facial‑recognition system falsely matched him to a banned patron. The arrest was made without corroborating evidence, despite Killinger presenting valid IDs, and the officer later admitted...
TRAI Floats Satellite Spectrum Framework, Seeks Industry Views on Direct-to-Mobile Services
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper proposing a Satellite Communication Network framework that would permit Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) satellite services using either Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) or International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum. The initiative aims to...
FDA’s 2026 General Wellness Policy and What It Means for Manufacturers of Wearable Devices
The FDA finalized its General Wellness Policy for low‑risk devices on Jan. 6, 2026, setting clear criteria that wearable products can avoid medical‑device regulation if they are limited to general‑wellness purposes and pose low safety risk. The guidance follows a July 2025 warning...
Hansika Motwani Files Rs 2 Crores Defamation Suit Against Sister-in-Law Muskan Nancy James Amid Legal Battle
Indian actress Hansika Motwani has filed a ₹2 crore (~$241,000) defamation suit against her estranged sister‑in‑law Muskan Nancy James in a Mumbai sessions court. The complaint, lodged through lawyer Adnan Shaikh, demands monetary damages, a public apology and a court order...
Social Media Ban for Children: AP to Work Regulatory Framework
Education Minister Nara Lokesh ordered a draft regulatory framework to bar children under 13 from social media in Andhra Pradesh. The proposal includes secure age‑verification using DigiLocker “age tokens” and seeks collaboration with platforms such as Meta, Google, Snapchat and...
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Spain Approves Expanded Parental Leave and Child‑Care Benefits for Births After August 2024
The Spanish government announced on Tuesday that it will extend maternity, paternity and child‑care benefits to all children born from August 2024 onward. The reform, described as the most sweeping change to family policy in a decade, aims to boost...
Human Drug Compounding Policies and Rules
The FDA has released a series of guidance documents, interim policies, and Federal Register notices spanning 2014‑2025 that shape human drug compounding under sections 503A and 503B of the FD&C Act. Recent 2025 interim policies address bulk drug substance use for both...
IManage Appoints Jon Janes as Global Corporate Market Leader
iManage announced Jon Janes as its Global Corporate Market Leader, tasked with driving worldwide growth of the corporate segment and expanding adoption of iManage Cloud solutions. Janes brings over 15 years of legal‑technology sales experience, including senior roles at Thomson...
Zeidler Group Adds Taiwan to Its RegTech Compliance Tool
Zeidler Group, a law‑firm‑backed RegTech provider, has expanded its Marketing Material Review Tool (MMR‑Tool) to cover Taiwan’s securities regulations, including the SITCA Act and related advertising guidelines. The update lets global asset managers automatically vet marketing content against Taiwan’s fair‑presentation...
TRAI Proposes Voice‑Only Packs to Slash Mobile Recharge Costs in India
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper calling for mandatory voice‑only recharge packs with monthly to yearly validity, aiming to lower the cost of calling for millions of users. The regulator will collect stakeholder feedback...
Dozens of U.S. Cities Pull Flock Safety License‑Plate Cameras After Privacy Outcry
More than 30 U.S. cities have terminated contracts with Flock Safety, removing its AI‑powered license‑plate readers after public pressure over privacy and data‑sharing with ICE. The wave of cancellations, which began in early 2026, underscores growing scrutiny of municipal surveillance...
Federal Appeals Courts Uphold Pentagon's Blacklist of Anthropic, Escalating AI‑Security Clash
Two federal appellate panels rejected Anthropic's request for a stay, allowing the Department of Defense to keep the AI lab on a supply‑chain risk list. The split rulings—one in Washington, D.C., the other in San Francisco—highlight a growing legal battle...
READ THE DOCUMENT: Jay-Z's Sexual Assault Extortion Lawsuit Sent to New York
Jay‑Z’s extortion lawsuit, alleging a false sexual‑assault claim by an unnamed accuser and attorney Tony Buzbee, has been moved from Alabama to the Southern District of New York. The federal judge’s order places the case back in Manhattan, the same...
Wells Fargo Warns Savers: $17 B Annual Cost From Non‑fiduciary Advice
Wells Fargo’s Wealth & Investment Management division released a report warning that non‑fiduciary advice is draining $17 billion from American retirement accounts each year. The analysis finds $1.7 trillion in IRA assets exposed to the "suitability" standard, which can shave as much...
Oklahoma Judge Rejects Settlements in Ongoing Poultry Waste Case
A federal judge in Oklahoma dismissed a $31 million settlement reached by Tyson Foods, Cargill, George’s and Peterson Farms over phosphorus pollution in the Illinois River Watershed. The companies had agreed to fund remediation after a 2025 judgment held them liable...
Bissett Bullet: What Is the Return on Their Investment?
The Bissett Bullet highlights that most business owners view compliance work as a necessary evil, choosing accountants primarily on price. It urges accountants to quantify the monetary value of time saved for clients and present that as a return on...
Landmark Federal Indictment for Pop Peptides Alleged ‘Scheme’ Even as RFK Jr. May Soon Un-Ban Some
A federal grand jury indicted Dr. Justin Watkins, owner of Utah's TruHealth Clinic, for relabeling Chinese‑manufactured peptides and selling them to more than 200 patients without disclosing the source or FDA status. The indictment alleges that the clinic repackaged the...
Proposed Restitution Law in France Advances in National Assembly
The French National Assembly’s Cultural Affairs Committee approved a restitution bill that the Senate’s counterpart cleared in January, setting a plenary debate for April 13. The draft empowers the Minister of Culture to order the return of African artifacts by decree,...
Most Europeans Want Minors Off Social Media
A new POLITICO European Pulse survey of 6,698 adults across six EU nations finds that three‑quarters of Europeans support government‑mandated minimum ages for social media. Half of respondents favor age 16, another quarter prefer 13‑15. Italy and Poland show the...
You Filed Your ADV Annual Amendment – What’s Next?
Advisers with a December 31 fiscal year have met the March 31 deadline for filing their annual Form ADV amendment. The next compliance step is the April 30 delivery obligation, which requires sending an updated Form ADV Part 2A brochure—or a summary of material changes with...
DOJ Blocks Bondi Testimony — And Risks Losing the Trust of Jurors
In this episode of the Tara Palmieri Show, host Tara and independent reporter Scott McFarlane discuss the Justice Department’s decision to block former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi from testifying, highlighting concerns about the department’s political entanglement with former President...
The Golden State Goes HSR- California’s SB 25 and the Rise of State-Level Pre-Merger Notification
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 25 on Feb. 10, 2026, creating the nation’s largest state‑level pre‑merger notification regime. Effective Jan. 1, 2027, any party filing a federal Hart‑Scott‑Rodino (HSR) notification must submit a copy to the California Attorney General if it has...
Today’s Podcast Episode: DIDMCA Opt-Outs Resurface: Oregon Legislation and the Colorado Case Could Alter the Landscape for Interstate Lending by...
The Consumer Finance Monitor podcast highlighted a resurgence of state opt‑out authority under Section 525 of the 1980 DIDMCA, focusing on Oregon's newly passed HB 4116 and Colorado's ongoing litigation. The core dispute centers on whether a loan is “made” where the...
![TMA Chicago/Midwest Podcast Hosted by Paul Musser | Sandeep Gupta on Middle Market Restructurings and Investigations [Podcast]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://natlawreview.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/2026-04/Restructuring%20Bankruptcy%20Business%20Corporate%20Downsizing-15769127.jpg.webp?itok=wFwtLeFG)
TMA Chicago/Midwest Podcast Hosted by Paul Musser | Sandeep Gupta on Middle Market Restructurings and Investigations [Podcast]
Sandeep Gupta, founder of Novo Advisors, discussed the firm’s focus on middle‑market restructuring, its rapid 30‑to‑45‑day turnaround playbook, and the launch of a forensic and dispute advisory line. He explained how Novo works with both family‑owned and private‑equity‑backed companies, emphasizing...
Right‑to‑Repair Settlement Shows Interoperability Beats Antitrust Breakups
Interoperability wins come in all shapes and sizes. This week's shape is... tractor? John Deere just agreed to a $99 million right-to-repair settlement that includes a 10-year court-supervised mandate to open its diagnostic tooling to farmers and independent repair shops. The...
NYC Continues FTC Push, Industry Blocks Negative Option Updates
Interesting to see NYC picking up where the @FTC left off. Advertising & media industry orgs like @iab and @NCTAitv fought hard to stop prevent updates to the Negative Option Rule.
Florida’s New Coastal Resilience Law Blocks Destructive Projects and Supercharges ‘Living Shorelines’
Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 302 on March 19, establishing Florida’s first comprehensive coastal resilience law. The statute directs the Department of Environmental Protection to create clear rules and permits for nature‑based shoreline projects such as dunes, wetlands, mangroves...
AI Revolutionizes Legal Practice: Key Findings Unveiled
1/ Very interesting paper about the use of #AI in the #legal sector, by @Dschwarcz et al.👇
Congressional Gridlock on SAVE Act Is Intentional Design
There is a very good reason why congress is broken and we can’t pass the SAVE Act. It’s a feature, not a bug.
Lawmakers Are Using AI to Write Laws. What Could Go Wrong?
Lawmakers are increasingly turning to large‑language‑model tools to draft legislation, a shift that began with a 2023 California resolution written by ChatGPT and has accelerated to federal and state agencies adopting AI platforms. Companies such as Vulcan Technologies and FiscalNote...
Leagues Likely Breaching Antitrust Laws Amid DOJ Scrutiny
Here's a piece I wrote nearly a year ago on whether the leagues are violating antitrust laws, relevant with today's DOJ/NFL news. https://t.co/GKjPihAKVC
Probate Disputes Jump 12% as Inheritance Fights Increase
UK probate disputes surged 12% last year, with more than 11,500 caveat applications filed to halt estate administration. The low £3 (≈$3.80) filing fee and rising estate values—often $600,000 to $1.2 million—make challenges increasingly attractive. Blended families and concerns over will...
Court Narrows New Jersey’s Case Against RealPage in Rent-Setting Suit
A federal judge in New Jersey partially dismissed the state’s antitrust lawsuit against rental‑software firm RealPage and five major landlords, narrowing the case’s scope. The suit alleged a hub‑and‑spoke conspiracy that used RealPage’s revenue‑management platform to inflate rents, violating the Sherman...
OSHA Moves to Kill Ladder Safety Deadline over Billion-Dollar Costs
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a proposed rule that would eliminate the November 18, 2036 deadline requiring personal fall arrest systems on fixed ladders over 24 feet, allowing existing cages or wells to remain until the...