Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Delaware Supreme Court revives insurers' contract claims against Blackbaud over ransomware breach
The court reversed lower‑court dismissals, allowing insurers to pursue breach‑of‑contract claims against Blackbaud for its 2020 ransomware incident. Blackbaud previously paid a $3M SEC fine and $49M settlements to state attorneys general for misleading breach disclosures.
Also developing:
Gboyega Ajibola Okunniga, a Coventry‑based solicitor, was struck off after a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found he fabricated a merger to conceal the diversion of client payments into his personal accounts. A district judge dismissed his £9,600 (~$12,300) claim and ordered him to repay £22,800 (~$29,200) to Clifton Law, while the SRA’s cost claim was reduced to £10,000 (~$13,000). The tribunal also highlighted his false invoices, including a £25,000 (~$32,000) charge for a $15 million gold‑bar recovery, and misleading letters signed under a non‑existent title. The decision underscores the regulator’s zero‑tolerance stance on solicitor fraud.
Former NASA Pathways intern Ravin J. Serrao filed a federal lawsuit alleging that NASA secretly maintained a 56‑entry negative performance log he never saw, while a positive mentor assessment was withheld. He claims race, disability and retaliation discrimination after disclosing...
Hook Tangaza’s report for the Ministry of Justice urges the UK government to invest in court infrastructure and new legislation, especially in technology and financial services, to drive economic growth. It highlights that delays in dispute resolution raise business costs...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is taking direct control of anti‑money‑laundering (AML) oversight, shifting from rule‑making to active supervision. It will demand law firms adopt real‑time risk monitoring and integrate up‑to‑date data, mirroring the approach used with financial‑services firms. Between...
The European Union Intellectual Property Office has signed a five‑year agreement with the European Commission to provide technical and consultative support under the Digital Services Act. EUIPO will focus on curbing online counterfeit goods and pirated content, helping oversee Very...
Today I signed the bipartisan SB26-011 to make Coloradans safer by ensuring that warrants are responded to more quickly This new law, sponsored by Senators Lisa Frizell and Dylan Roberts and Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Jarvis Caldwell, supports our hardworking...
Capital One’s chief legal officer, Matthew Cooper, saw his compensation surge 93% to $15.6 million after he successfully closed the acquisition of a rival credit‑card issuer. The pay rise acknowledges his role in negotiating the deal and steering post‑merger integration. The...
U.S. rapper Eminem, legally Marshall Mathers, is fighting Australian beachwear startup Swim Shady over the similarity of the latter’s name to his Slim Shady moniker. A first hearing in Australia is set for 1 April, while parallel opposition and cancellation proceedings continue in...
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a lower‑court ruling rejecting the Competition Bureau’s request for Amazon.ca transaction data in its fake‑review investigation. The commissioner sought broad data across health, home, tools and electronics categories, but Amazon argued the request was...
California asked a federal judge to let public‑school teachers withhold LGBTQ students' preferred gender identities from parents when abuse is suspected. Judge Roger Benitez rejected the request, upholding his earlier injunction that parental rights trump any school‑level disclosure exception. The...
Congresswoman LaMonica McIver was charged in May 2025 with assaulting ICE agents after she intervened during a mayor’s arrest at an immigration detention center. The indictment, filed by a Trump‑appointed Justice Department, hinges on whether the speech‑or‑debate clause shields her...
Estate planners are increasingly using pet trusts to guarantee long‑term care for clients’ animals. A pet trust designates a human trustee, caregiver, and protector, and funds the pet’s needs, often ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. Without a trust, guardians can...
A French court sentenced Chinese captain Chen Zhangjie to one year in prison and a $170,000 fine for refusing a military boarding order on the shadow‑fleet tanker Boracay, suspected of launching drones that disrupted Copenhagen Airport. The vessel, linked to...
At the IAPP Global Summit, attorneys from OpenAI and Anthropic examined the tension between privacy protection and safety safeguards in generative AI. They highlighted how expanding privacy roles now intersect with model alignment, content moderation, and emerging regulatory mandates such...
The bipartisan Mined in America Act, sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis, proposes a voluntary certification program for U.S. crypto‑mining facilities. It seeks to eliminate hardware sourced from geopolitical adversaries while providing federal energy grants and technical assistance...
A federal judge in Florida sentenced two Navy veterans involved in a marriage‑fraud ring to time served and supervised probation, avoiding additional jail time. The scheme paid U.S. citizens about $35,000 to marry Chinese immigrants, facilitating illegal entry and on‑base...
Vermont’s 2024 climate‑superfund law obligates fossil‑fuel companies to cover adaptation costs linked to climate change. The Trump administration, through the Justice Department, sued to block the statute, claiming it violates the Constitution by regulating emissions beyond state borders. The U.S....
The Supreme Court granted review of Younge v. Fulton Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, a pregnancy‑discrimination suit that asks whether an affirmative defense can be raised after the answer. It denied certiorari in two high‑profile criminal cases: James Skinner’s life‑sentence...
The U.S. Treasury, via FinCEN, has issued a proposed rule to formalize a whistleblower program that rewards individuals for tips leading to financial‑crime enforcement. Under the draft, whistleblowers could earn 10 % to 30 % of penalties collected in successful fraud, sanctions...
Passengers stranded by a July 2024 worldwide software outage have asked the Fifth Circuit to revive a proposed class action against cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The lawsuit alleges CrowdStrike’s faulty update crippled airline IT systems, causing massive flight delays and seeking...
The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled that cryptocurrency broker HoneyBadger Enterprises Ltd. is entitled to the full $200,000 CAD (≈$148,000 USD) disputed loss after fraud victim Norman Bue gave scammers remote access to his computer. The lower court had split liability, but...
The article warns that the entrenched billable‑hour model could cost corporate legal departments up to $285 billion each year as per‑seat software pricing collapses. It highlights that hourly billing inflates spend, hampers budgeting and slows adoption of subscription‑based legal technology. Recent...
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposal to create a safe‑harbor framework for defined‑contribution (DC) plan fiduciaries. Under the draft rule, fiduciaries who objectively and analytically assess at least one of six prescribed factors against participants’ needs and risk...
Law firms that market only during slow periods lose momentum, while firms that maintain a steady flow of content stay top‑of‑mind with prospects. Consistent marketing—such as weekly or monthly newsletters, two to three social posts per week, and one blog...
The Weinberg Center has published the results of its recent survey of law professors on shareholder proposals, now available on SSRN. The data show a notable shift toward greater academic endorsement of ESG‑related proposals and calls for more transparent voting...
OOIDA executive Lew Pugh says the FMCSA is finally engaging directly with owner‑operators, signaling a shift from the long‑standing driver‑shortage narrative toward concrete safety improvements. At the Mid‑America Trucking Show, regulators listened to owner‑operators’ calls for better training, fair pay...
Bill C‑9, the Combatting Hate Act, cleared the House of Commons and moved to the Senate, where further amendments remain possible. The legislation expands Canada’s Criminal Code with new hate‑speech offences and removes the existing religious‑exemption clause. Legal scholars warn...
Ransomware attacks have shifted focus from merely disrupting operations to stealing and monetizing sensitive data, making downtime less valuable than the information compromised. Law firms, with their troves of confidential client and case files, have become prime targets for these...
The latest CareTalk episode spotlights the growing crisis of surprise medical bills that trap millions of Americans in debt. Patricia Kelmar of PIRG breaks down patient rights under the No Surprises Act and explains how the law reshapes billing practices....
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced that Deputy General Counsel Claire McKenna will assume the role of senior vice president and general counsel on May 1, replacing Ashley Carvalho. McKenna, who joined MWAA in March 2020, brings nine years of senior attorney experience...
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a class‑action suit contesting President Trump’s executive order that would end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented or temporary‑resident parents after Feb. 20, 2025. ACLU lawyers argue the move would...
Nigeria’s central bank unveiled a Payments System Vision at the Africa Capital Forum, prompting fintechs to rush for banking and payment licences. The move coincides with $706.84 million of foreign capital entering the country’s banking recapitalisation, underscoring the high stakes for...
Eliza Orlins breaks down the recent San Francisco jury verdict that found Elon Musk liable for misleading investors with two tweets during his $44 billion Twitter acquisition, awarding roughly $2.6 billion in damages. The case stemmed from Musk’s May 2022 “on‑hold” tweet...
Bureau Veritas and Trade Technologies have formed a partnership to embed inspection and conformity documents directly into trade‑finance workflows. The integration targets document‑heavy markets in the Middle East and Africa, aiming to speed up letter‑of‑credit (LC) processing and reduce compliance...
The U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a proposal that would let 401(k) plans invest in cryptocurrency and other alternative assets. The rule creates a safe‑harbor framework for fiduciaries and opens a 60‑day comment period, signaling a shift in retirement‑savings policy.
Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, have asked the Treasury for any communications that might show Elon Musk urged the administration to suspend the Corporate Transparency Act. The 2021 law requires companies to disclose ownership information to combat money...
A federal judge in Miami granted a judgment of acquittal for Ramirez, who was convicted of federal arson after throwing two flares at an Orlando City soccer match. The court held that the government failed to prove the malicious intent...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized an Interoperability and Prior Authorization Rule that obliges payers to publish annual aggregated prior‑authorization metrics, with the first set due March 31 for calendar‑year 2025. The rule also shortens decision timelines to seven...
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6346, imposing a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million. The levy, slated to begin on 2028 income with payments due in 2029, is projected to generate $3‑4 billion annually and affect roughly 21,000...
New York City has again refused a Freedom of Information Law request for records on the toxic environment at Ground Zero, even though the Department of Environmental Protection previously turned over 68 boxes of related material. Survivor advocates, led by...
Michigan’s cannabis industry filed a second lawsuit challenging the state’s 24% wholesale tax, arguing it creates a tax‑on‑tax structure that pushes the effective sales tax above the constitutionally capped 6%. The suit, brought by growers, retailers and the Michigan Cannabis...
Advertisers who sued Meta in 2018 over allegedly inflated ad‑reach metrics are now challenging the platform's last‑minute bid to force most class members into arbitration. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals must decide whether Meta waived its arbitration clause by...
CriticalPoint Partners secured an arbitration ruling that former vice presidents Phillipe Didisheim and Chapin Newhard must return $1.18 million earned from competing firms they launched using the bank's confidential client data. The arbitrator also issued an injunction prohibiting any further use...
Appellate Practice and Procedure Class No. 10 (@MercerLAWSchool, 2026), featuring Justices Charlie Bethel (@CharlieBethel) and Michael Boggs (@SupremeCourtGA). https://t.co/2N3hY2Stxz
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal has asked SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to explain the abrupt resignation of enforcement director Margaret “Meg” Ryan. Blumenthal’s letter seeks records on the agency’s cryptocurrency investigations, including cases involving Justin Sun, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, and...
But can you deduct the cost of the getaway car and driver from the fair value of the stolen property? And is the getaway driver really an independent contractor? So many questions. 😀
A Connecticut federal judge ruled that attorney Michael Bagnell’s defamation lawsuit against Sig Sauer can proceed. The case stems from Sig Sauer’s March 2025 press release, which labeled plaintiffs’ claims that the P320 pistol can fire without a trigger pull as profit‑driven lies...
The Kansas District Court granted Defendants’ motion to amend a protective order, restricting the use of open‑AI generative tools on any discovery material while permitting closed‑AI solutions that meet security standards. The judge rejected plaintiffs’ claims that the amendment would...
A federal judge has allowed authors to add a contributory infringement claim to their class action against Meta, linking it to a separate lawsuit over the company's alleged torrenting of AI training data. Meta is leaning on a recent Supreme...
Founders: Set clear expectations around contract redlining: 'We can handle 1-2 rounds of reasonable changes. Beyond that, legal fees eat the deal value.' Helps prevent endless back-and-forth that kills deals through exhaustion.
