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
South Africa Pushes Biometric Smartphone ID System to Speed National Rollout
South Africa's Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber has gazetted draft amendments to the Identification Act, proposing a biometric and smartphone‑based digital identity system. The proposal, open for public comment until 6 June 2026, seeks to complement existing physical IDs with secure digital credentials that store documents and enable remote verification.
Chevron's Energy Forge Seeks $227 M Texas Tax Break for Gas Plant Powering Data Center
Chevron subsidiary Energy Forge One has filed for a $227 million tax abatement under Texas’ JETI Act for a new gas‑fired power plant in West Texas that will serve a data center. The request, backed by a Pecos‑Barstow‑Toyah school board endorsement,...
Hong Kong Sets Dec 31 2026 Deadline for New RBC Rules, Steering Insurers Toward Infrastructure
Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority has closed its public consultation on revised risk‑based capital (RBC) rules and set a Dec 31 2026 implementation date. The final framework gives insurers capital relief for qualifying infrastructure investments and extends the benefit to general insurers, reshaping...
IBM Pays $17 Million to Settle First DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative FCA Claim
IBM has agreed to pay just over $17 million to the U.S. government, marking the first False Claims Act resolution under the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative. The settlement stems from allegations that IBM’s federal contracts incorporated discriminatory hiring,...
Hedge Funds Snap Up Distressed Litigation Finance Assets at 10% of Value
Hedge funds such as Davidson Kempner and Attestor are buying litigation‑finance claims at valuations as low as 10 cents on the dollar, exploiting a slump in a $20 billion market. The move reflects a broader shift toward illiquid, distressed assets as regulatory...
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont Signs Labor Bill Expanding Pay Transparency
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a 124‑page omnibus labor bill that widens pay‑transparency rules and prohibits training‑repayment agreements. The legislation, set to take effect on Oct. 1, 2026, also adds protections for service‑contract workers and expands nursing‑room accommodations.
Eudia Assembles Unified Workspace, Inc. Digital Twins +
Eudia, the Palo Alto‑based legal‑AI provider, has rolled out a unified workspace that consolidates its specialized agents—Argument Analysis, Case Analysis, PII Redaction—and its Expert Digital Twins into a single interface. The Digital Twins model senior lawyers’ decision pathways, delivering expert...
NABU Probes Corruption in Ukraine's Defence and Energy Firms
"Semen Kryvonos, NABU's director, told reporters today the probe spanned the energy and defence sectors and that numerous Ukrainian weapons manufacturers, including drone companies, were under investigation for alleged corruption." @ChristopherJM https://t.co/p2iw7DoBU7 https://t.co/b47RZ0lxis
Rosen Law Firm Urges FLOW Token Holders to Join Potential Securities Class Action
Rosen Law Firm is calling on investors who purchased FLOW cryptocurrency on or before Dec. 27 2025 and held it through Dec. 29 2025 to join a prospective securities class action. The firm alleges that Flow Foundation provided materially misleading information to the investing...
Greenboard Raises $15.5 Million to Keep Compliance From Slowing Down Business in the AI Era
Greenboard announced a $15.5 million Series A round led by Base10 Partners, with participation from Y Combinator, General Catalyst, Commerce Ventures, Transpose Platform and Liquid2 Ventures. The AI‑driven compliance platform now serves more than 500 financial institutions and has introduced a conversational tool...
Companies Face Lawsuits for Allegedly Addicting Users
Oh, FFS. These dolts will next sue Star Wars for addicting users. How about Dickens, folks? Not to mention Frito-Lay? Netflix sued by Texas for allegedly spying on children, addicting users https://t.co/qMiVieTu6o
“The Virginia Ruling Bolstered Democracy, If Not Democrats”
Law professor Noah Feldman argues in a Bloomberg Opinion essay that the recent Virginia court ruling improves democratic representation even though it may not benefit Democrats electorally. The Virginia Supreme Court invalidated the state’s 2022 congressional map for excessive partisan...
Morning Docket: 05.12.26
On May 11, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted its injunction against Alabama’s congressional redistricting plan, allowing a map that preserves Black voting strength to proceed. The ABA’s accreditation committee recommended dropping law‑school diversity rules to avoid jeopardizing ABA approval amid...
Judge Combines Fiserv Lawsuits
A Wisconsin federal judge ordered two shareholder lawsuits against payment processor Fiserv to be combined and heard in the Southern District of New York. The cases allege that Fiserv and its executives misled investors about the forced migration to its...
CIRO Finds Couple Helped Themselves to an Elderly Client's Life Savings
Ontario regulators determined that Paul Vincent Ongcapin Encarnacion and Mari Sophia Mendoza Encarnacion stole roughly $1 million CAD (≈$740,000 USD) from an 85‑year‑old client’s retirement accounts, naming themselves as beneficiaries and falsifying expense reports. The couple processed nine fund redemptions in March 2023, deposited...
CA Overturns Referral of KC for Contempt Hearing over Closing Speech
The Court of Appeal has overturned a Crown Court judge’s referral of senior barrister Rajiv Menon KC for contempt, ruling that the High Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter. The decision does not preclude Menon from facing contempt proceedings...
Fat Brands Franchisees Accuse Overcharges, Ad Fund Misuse
Franchisees of various Fat Brands concepts in court filings detail a long list of grievances, including overcharges on supplies, misused ad funds and utter stupidity (my term, not theirs) on trademarks. https://t.co/XWLRmzqjKC
Justice Technology Association Named Access to Justice Partner in Anthropic’s Legal AI Launch
The Justice Technology Association (JTA) announced it will serve as the Access to Justice partner for Anthropic’s debut legal‑AI vertical. Anthropic, the creator of Claude, is launching its first comprehensive legal AI platform aimed at streamlining case analysis, document drafting,...
Another Louisiana SCOTUS Ruling and an Unrestrained Dissent
On April 29 the Supreme Court declared Louisiana's congressional districts an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in *Louisiana v. Callais*. The Court then issued a "judgment forthwith" on May 4, accelerating the state’s redrawing of districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. Justice Ketanji...
The Inside View: Beyond the Hype – GenAI in Legal Practice
Legal IT Insider’s podcast features Travers Smith CTO Olly Bethell discussing the practical impact of generative AI on law firms. He outlines the firm’s current tech stack, its hybrid "buy or build" strategy, and how GenAI is reshaping legal workflows beyond the...
No First Amendment Violation in Ohio Closing DEI-Related Offices and Committees
A federal judge in Southern Ohio ruled that Miami University’s shutdown of multiple DEI offices and programs, mandated by the state’s Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, does not violate professor Darryl Rice’s First Amendment rights. The court emphasized that Rice’s...
Federal Prisoner Sentenced to Additional Two Years of Incarceration for Racketeering Activity at Cambria County Prison
A federal judge sentenced former Cambria County inmate Mikal Davis to an additional 24 months in prison, to run consecutively with his earlier 180‑month term for large‑scale drug trafficking. Davis was convicted of racketeering for bribing correctional officers and medical...
Void Secondary Sales May Keep Original Buyer’s Interest
If Anthropic deems all secondary sales of Anthropic stock to be void Does that mean the original buyer retains financial interest even after selling it away? Lawsuit territory https://t.co/87B5cJO704
NJ High Court Blocks Double Recovery of Future PIP Medical Benefits
The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously held that future medical expenses that fall within the state’s $250,000 no‑fault personal injury protection (PIP) limit are inadmissible in a personal‑injury trial. The decision arose from Murray’s case, where a jury awarded $100,000...
Control Issues: Delaware Holds Parties to Their Bargain in Recent Governance Decisions
Delaware courts reaffirm their contractarian approach in three recent Chancery rulings, emphasizing that parties must adhere to the explicit control mechanisms they draft. In Ropko et al. v. McNeill, Jr., a unilateral removal consent was invalidated because the voting agreement...
Why Divorce Needs an Expert, Not AI
Family‑law mediator Alex Jacobson warned against DIY divorce filings and AI‑generated documents, emphasizing the need for professional legal oversight. He explained how mediation—especially attorney‑assisted mediation—streamlines the process, cuts costs, and reduces emotional strain. Jacobson also detailed the importance of comprehensive...
German Industry Renews Calls for Secondary Ticketing Crackdown
German musicians, promoters and industry bodies, led by Pro Musik and the BDKV, have issued an open letter signed by 169 figures demanding stricter regulation of the secondary ticket market. The letter calls for a legal right for organisers to...
U.S. Lawmakers Push FDA to Fast‑Track Psychedelic Therapies for Mental Health
A bipartisan group of 32 House members, led by Reps. Jack Bergman and Lou Correa, sent a May 1 letter to FDA Commissioner Martin Makary urging the agency to speed up evaluation of psychedelic‑based treatments for PTSD, depression and substance‑use disorders. The...
Need for Speed: What DOJ’s New Approach to the CEP Means for Internal Investigations
On March 19, the U.S. Department of Justice released its first department‑wide corporate enforcement policy, promising leniency for firms that self‑disclose, cooperate and remediate. The policy, reinforced by the recent Balt SAS resolution, shifts focus from end‑stage remediation to the...
What an LA County Court Case Means for the Future of Social Media
In November 2025 a Los Angeles County jury ruled that Meta and Google were negligent for designing addictive social‑media interfaces, awarding the plaintiff K.G.M. $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages, with Meta paying two‑thirds. The decision sidestepped Section 230...
Short Selling on Trial & Wordle Gets a Game Show
The Brew Daily Show covers three main topics: the high‑stakes trial of activist short‑seller Andrew Left and its implications for market‑manipulation law; a Gallup poll revealing that U.S. millennials and Gen Z are dramatically more pessimistic about job prospects than...
OutSolve CEO to Speak on State & Federal Employment Regulations at Gartner CHRO Executive Summit in Minnesota
OutSolve founder‑CEO Jeremy Mancheski will speak at Gartner’s Minneapolis CHRO Executive Summit about the surge in state and federal employment regulations, with Minnesota ranking fourth nationally for law changes. The session will outline a proactive two‑front compliance strategy that tackles...
Suno Fights to Keep Warner Music Settlement Terms Away From UMG and Sony
A U.S. magistrate judge barred Universal Music Group and Sony Music from obtaining the terms of Suno's settlement with Warner Music, citing limited evidentiary value of settlement agreements. Suno reaffirmed the ruling, arguing that disclosing the deal would undermine settlement...
Why Hiring an Injury Attorney Improves Compensation Chances
West Palm Beach saw over 25,000 vehicle crashes in 2025, reflecting a broader Florida trend of more than 366,000 accidents statewide. The article explains how hiring a personal injury attorney can markedly improve a victim’s compensation by managing early claim...
Federal Court Ruling in Kwong V. United States Opens Tax Refund Opportunity for Millions
A federal court in Kwong v. United States ruled that the IRS cannot assess certain penalties and interest accrued between Jan. 20, 2020 and July 10, 2023. The decision gives an estimated millions of taxpayers until July 10, 2026 to file claims for refunds or penalty...
NABU Charge Former Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Administration Yermak with Corruption
Ukraine’s National Anti‑Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have formally charged former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak with laundering roughly $10.5 million through luxury villa projects near Kyiv. The alleged money‑laundering ties into a wider investigation of...
DGA Moves to Final Talks on 2026 Contract, AI and Health Care at Center
The Directors Guild of America has entered the final stage of its 2026 Hollywood labor contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Key issues include AI protections, a health plan that posted a $38 million loss in...
Robinhood Files Confidential Registration for Second Retail Venture Fund IPO
Robinhood has filed a confidential registration statement for RVII, its second publicly traded venture fund, following the strong performance of its first fund, RVI, which has more than doubled since debut. The move could reshape how retail investors gain exposure...
Consultants Rush to Tame 'Shadow AI' As Unapproved Tools Surge in Enterprises
A Business Insider investigation reveals that 71% of UK employees have used unapproved consumer AI tools at work, with many doing so weekly. The rise of “shadow AI” is forcing consulting firms to develop governance frameworks to mitigate data‑leak and...
Everlaw Launches Automated Legal Holds Workflow to Streamline E‑Discovery
Everlaw unveiled an upgraded Legal Holds solution that adds integrated questionnaires, a native Workday connector, expanded preservation‑in‑place integrations, and richer reporting and API tools. The enhancements turn a traditionally manual task into an automated, data‑centric workflow for enterprise legal departments.
EPA Proposes Rule to Let Power Plants and Data Centers Begin Construction Before Air Permits
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal that would let gas‑fired power plants, data centers and factories begin building non‑emitting components before securing air‑emission permits. Administrator Lee Zeldin says the change speeds critical infrastructure, while environmental groups warn it...
Senate's Rush To Regulate AI Chatbots Is Bad For Everybody
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the GUARD Act, a federal bill that would regulate AI chatbots, especially "AI companion" systems, through age‑verification, design mandates, and mandatory disclosures, with civil and criminal penalties up to $100,000 per violation. The legislation forces...
The Real Reasons Your Lawyers Don’t Trust AI – And What to Do About It
Law firms are wary of generative AI because its outputs often lack the matter‑specific context needed for reliable legal work. A SurePoint survey shows 80 % of midsize firms fear AI unreliability, not job loss. Fragmented point solutions force attorneys to...
California AG Hits GM with $12.75 Million CCPA Fine, Largest Ever
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with the California Privacy Protection Agency, announced a $12.75 million settlement with General Motors over unlawful collection and sale of Californians' driving and location data. The penalty marks the largest fine ever imposed under the...
Tuesday Talk*: Can A Jewish DA Prosecute Pro-Palestinian Protesters?
Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Kelly Paul ordered District Attorney Jeff Rosen to step aside from prosecuting five Stanford pro‑Palestinian protesters after a February mistrial, citing a clear conflict of interest. Rosen had highlighted the case on a campaign website...
Banking Groups Rally Against Senate Stablecoin Yield Rules as GENIUS Act Advances
The American Bankers Association and a coalition of banking trade groups are urging senators to tighten the stablecoin yield language in the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. With a Senate Banking Committee markup slated for Thursday, banks argue the bill’s...
FCA Fines, Bans Bluesky Wealth Management Director for Serious Misconduct
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has permanently banned Frank Breuer, director of Bluesky Wealth Management, and fined him roughly $960,000 for repeated integrity breaches. Breuer conducted at least 16 defined‑benefit pension transfers while the firm lacked required professional indemnity insurance,...
FAA Clears Boeing MD-11 Cargo Fleet After UPS Crash, FedEx Resumes Flights
The Federal Aviation Administration approved Boeing's fix for the MD-11 cargo aircraft, allowing FedEx to put its MD-11s back in service. The remedy follows a November 2025 UPS crash that killed 15 people and prompted UPS to retire its MD-11...
Meta's Ad Policy Gaps Let Scam Ads Target Seniors, Report Finds
A Center for Countering Digital Hate report reveals that 30 repeat scam advertisers delivered 215 million ad impressions to seniors on Meta’s platforms, despite the company’s claim of removing 159 million scam ads last year. The findings raise fresh regulatory and legal...
LSK Moves to Secure Seat in High-Stakes Cybercrime Law Appeal
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has applied to be recognised as a substantive party in the Supreme Court appeal over Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA). The Court of Appeal earlier struck down sections 22 and 23 that...