Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Court Dismisses Cyber Coverage Suit over Fraudulent Wire Transfer
A federal court in Mississippi dismissed a law firm's cyber‑insurance claim after a fraudulent wire transfer of about $158,850. The firm sought coverage under a social‑engineering endorsement, but the court ruled the policy only applies when the fraud imitates an existing client or business partner, which was not the case. The imposter posed as a prospective client, signed a fee agreement, and directed the firm to wire funds, but the check later bounced. Consequently, the insurer's denial stood and the firm failed to state a breach‑of‑contract claim.
Georgia Passes Landmark HOA Reform To Protect Homeowners
Georgia lawmakers have passed SB 406, the Georgia Property Owners’ Bill of Rights Act, creating the state’s first formal oversight of homeowners associations. The bill mandates annual registration of HOAs with the secretary of state and bars unregistered groups from...
*NSYNC Choreographer Sues Sony Music for Letting Deadpool Dance His “Bye Bye Bye” Routine
Choreographer Darrin Henson, creator of *NSYNC’s iconic “Bye Bye Bye” dance, has filed a lawsuit against Sony Music for licensing the routine without his permission. The complaint, lodged on March 27, alleges that Sony allowed the choreography to be used in...
Bank of America Agrees $72.5M Settlement with Epstein Victims
Can someone help me answer this- how come Bank of America has to pay a settlement for sex trafficking when there has been ZERO arrests for sex trafficking? How does that work? "A federal judge gave preliminary approval for Bank of...
Tegmark Calls for Ban on Open‑Source AI
I've been in the room with Vitalik-backed Max Tegmark and United States Senators when Tegmark pounds the table demanding open source AI software be made illegal. https://t.co/vmjW8mAykb
Meta Caves To The MPAA Over Instagram’s Use Of ‘PG-13,’ Ending A Dispute That Was Silly From The Start
Meta has reached a settlement with the Motion Picture Association, agreeing to stop calling its Instagram Teen Account moderation "PG-13" and to add a disclaimer clarifying the distinction from movie ratings. The company will continue using the same age‑appropriate filters,...
Are Your Staff First Aid Certified? A Retailer’s Guide to Canadian Compliance
Canadian retailers face a complex web of provincial first‑aid regulations that, if ignored, can lead to steep penalties and costly injury claims. A recent CAD 100,000 (≈US 73,000) fine underscores the financial risk, while national injury costs top CAD 26 billion (≈US 19 billion) annually. Compliance...
Compliance or Capability: Washington Forces Police to Choose
Washington’s Driver Privacy Act, which took effect this week, bars law‑enforcement use of automated license‑plate readers (ALPR) near schools, courts, food banks, places of worship, and reproductive or gender‑affirming health facilities. Though marketed as an immigration‑protection measure, the law effectively...
DOJ Weighs in Favor of Pharma on 340B Dispute
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief backing pharmaceutical manufacturers in the ongoing 340B drug‑discount litigation. The brief argues that discounts should be calculated using the average manufacturer price rather than the lowest price, a stance that could curb...
Atlanta Prosecutor Repeatedly Cites Non-Existent Cases To Avoid Murder Retrial
Atlanta prosecutor Deborah Leslie admitted in a sworn affidavit that she used an AI tool to generate and cite nonexistent case law while arguing before the Georgia Supreme Court to block a murder retrial. The fabricated citations were part of...
Starlink's $35 Fee Challenges Broadband Affordability Goals
Question for @elonmusk: How do you expect state broadband affordability laws and the federal $42.45 billion BEAD program to succeed if you keep charging $35 for a monthly a @Starlink plan? https://t.co/NqXTOLBbYQ
Lawyers Move to Block US Deportations to Uganda Amid Reports Flight en Route
The Uganda Law Society and the East Africa Law Society have filed a court injunction to stop a controversial deportation arrangement between the United States and Uganda after reports that a private aircraft would deliver a dozen individuals to Entebbe...
Circle Acts After Courts; Hackers Moved $300M Unchecked
Circle does blacklist addresses, but only after legal processes ⚖️ Meanwhile, hackers ran $300M through CCTP unchecked. ~ @omeragoldberg https://t.co/DpFazTNV4V
EEOC Sues Butterball for Firing Employee Undergoing Cancer Treatment
The EEOC has filed a lawsuit against Butterball, alleging the turkey‑processor fired a long‑tenured employee undergoing breast‑cancer treatment after improperly handling her leave request through third‑party administrator Voya Financial. The employee, Marie Marc, reported her diagnosis in August 2023, but...
Circle Acts Only When Legally Compelled, Leaving Billions Unchecked
Circle historically only moves when legally forced ⚖️ Otherwise? Reluctant to act. That’s billions in stolen crypto left unchecked. ~ @omeragoldberg https://t.co/DpFazTNV4V
Arkema: Statement About the Number of Shares and Voting Rights in Compliance With the Article L.233-8 II of the French...
Arkema filed a regulatory notice on March 31, 2026 detailing its capital structure in compliance with French Commercial Code article L.233‑8 II and AMF article 223‑16. The company reported 76,060,831 outstanding shares and a total of 95,361,133 voting rights, of which 94,966,115 are held...
EEOC Sues Trucking Firm for Allegedly Refusing to Hire Women Drivers
On March 31, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit against Central Transport, LLC, alleging the trucking carrier has systematically refused to hire female drivers since 2016. The complaint details multiple incidents at terminals nationwide, including Phoenix, Detroit and...
Spain’s MiDNI Mobile App Now Legally Valid for In-Person Identification
Spain’s MiDNI mobile app has become a legally valid substitute for the physical national identity card in face‑to‑face verification as of April 2 2026. The app, available on Android and iOS, connects to National Police servers and issues digitally signed identity data...
Ethio Telecom Launches teleSign Mobile Identity and Document Authentication Platform
Ethio Telecom has launched teleSign, a mobile‑first digital signature and identity verification platform that lets Ethiopian citizens and diaspora authenticate legal documents and access government services online. The service, live since March 30, integrates AI‑powered video verification, liveness detection, and the...
New Bill Mirrors Referendum Topic, Questioning Vote Relevance
This is now the second piece of legislation introduced on a topic directly addressed by one of the 56,432 referendum questions to be put to Albertans this Fall. Perhaps the answers to those questions are not the point?
Bondi’s Deposition Still Required Despite Firing Threats
Pam Bondi must still be deposed on April 14. Being fired should not be a Get Out Of Jail Free card. Bet you $100 bills to donuts that they will don everything to cancel this deposition. Todd Blanche must all...
Rethinking Competitor Collaboration in the AI Era
The FTC and DOJ have launched a joint public inquiry to reconsider antitrust guidance for competitor collaborations, with a focus on artificial‑intelligence markets. They argue that current rules risk over‑deterring joint research, infrastructure projects, standards work and privacy‑enhancing initiatives that...
CFTC Sues Three States over Prediction Market Bans
The CFTC has sued Illinois, Arizona, and Connecticut over the states' efforts to curb prediction markets: https://t.co/FsOmgCZxeX
House Oversight Subpoenas AG Bondi over Epstein File Handling
“Attorney General Pam Bondi has been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to appear for a deposition on April 14, 2026. The subpoena, announced on March 17, 2026, concerns the Department of Justice's handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein...
Sundaram Clayton Corrects Governance Lapse in Company Secretary Appointment
Sundaram Clayton is addressing a corporate‑governance lapse involving its Company Secretary, PD Dev Kishan, by converting his short‑term secondment into a full‑time Key Managerial Personnel role. The move also shifts his reporting line from TVS Holding’s CFO to Sundaram Clayton’s own hierarchy....
Kisumu Court Halts Knut Elections Meant for Friday
The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu issued a temporary injunction halting the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) elections slated for April 2‑3, 2026. The order follows a notice of motion filed by George Anyona Arek and will remain in...
Claim That "100% Real Chocolate" Can't Include "Soy Lecithin and Natural Flavors" "Is Half-Baked, and Is 100% Dismissed"
A federal judge in Illinois dismissed Stephanie Foster’s class‑action lawsuit against Nestlé, ruling that the phrase “100% real chocolate” on a bag of chocolate chips does not mislead consumers. The court relied on the FDA’s definition, which permits emulsifiers like...
Washington Repeals Aircraft Tax Before It Takes Effect
Washington state repealed a 10% luxury aircraft tax slated for April 1, 2026, replacing it with a 7‑cent‑per‑gallon increase in the aviation fuel tax and modest hikes in aircraft registration fees. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the replacement bill on March...
TaxTec, Proxymity and Label Launch End-to-End MiKaDiv Fix
TaxTec, Proxymity and Label announced a strategic partnership to deliver the industry’s first fully connected, end‑to‑end solution for MiKaDiv withholding‑tax compliance. The joint offering links issuer, custodian and investor data, validates it across the custody chain, and produces schema‑driven regulatory...
Florida Circuit Court Reinforces COP Rule by Sourcing Online Bill Pay Services to the Location of the Taxpayer’s Own Activities
The Florida Second Judicial Circuit granted summary judgment to Checkfree Services Corporation, holding that the state’s corporate income tax cost‑of‑performance (COP) rule requires receipts from its online bill‑pay platform to be sourced based on Checkfree’s own transactions, not the locations...
Father-Son Lender Duo Owes Ex-LOs $1M in Back Wages
Illinois‑based Smart Mortgage Centers and its father‑son executives were ordered to pay $1,108,482 in wage damages after a jury found federal Fair Labor Standards Act violations and willful misconduct. A federal judge upheld the verdict, rejected the Birks’ motion for...
What to Do If You Receive an IRS Notice
Receiving an IRS notice can be unsettling, but most are routine inquiries or corrections. The agency may flag mismatched income, math errors, missing forms, or a balance due, and typically provides a clear deadline for response. By carefully reading the...
Enforced $50K Penalty Could Deter Hiring Revoked CDLs
The $50k employer penalty for hiring revoked CDLs is a big deterrent, assuming it gets enforced https://t.co/z0Mw4dFKAt
Staten Island Showdown: NLRB Orders Amazon to Bargain with Union
The National Labor Relations Board, now operating with a full three‑member quorum, ordered Amazon to recognize and bargain with the union at its JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island. The board affirmed the union’s certification as the exclusive bargaining representative, despite...
California's BASED Act Targets Big Tech Abuse
DC spent years trying to rein in Big Tech platform abuse and failed. With California's BASED Act (SB 1074), we're taking the fight to their backyard. Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta — no more rigging the game against startups. https://t.co/lsr9L3M6cv
DraftKings Rolls Out Regulated Prediction‑Market Platform, Challenging Kalshi and Polymarket
DraftKings unveiled a federally regulated prediction‑market app at its March 2 investor day, positioning the product alongside rivals Kalshi and Polymarket. The move gives DraftKings a betting tool usable in all 50 states, aiming to capture revenue from markets where...
CFTC Secures Summary Judgment Against Infinity Q Founder
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission secured a summary judgment against James R. Velissaris, founder of Infinity Q Capital Management, imposing a $2.2 million civil monetary penalty. The court permanently enjoined him from any participation in CFTC‑regulated markets and from registering with the...
Judicate West Adds Judge Barbara Kronlund as Neutral
Judicate West, a leading California ADR provider, announced the addition of retired San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Barbara A. Kronlund to its roster of neutrals. Kronlund, the state’s first female South Asian American judge, brings three decades of bench...
Former FTX Exec Faces $3.7M Disgorgement, Trading Ban
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission ordered former FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh to disgorge $3.7 million, the value of real‑estate bought with misappropriated customer funds. Singh also received a five‑year ban on trading and an eight‑year prohibition on registering with...
5 Unique Challenges in Ediscovery for Construction Litigation and How to Solve Them
Construction litigation increasingly relies on e‑discovery, yet firms face five distinct hurdles: massive, heterogeneous data volumes; fragmented custodians across subcontractors; complex technical drawings and BIM files; metadata erosion; and escalating costs. The article outlines practical fixes such as AI‑driven document...
NTSB Launches Probe Into Ford BlueCruise After Two Fatal Crashes
The National Transportation Safety Board opened a formal investigation into Ford Motor's BlueCruise hands‑free driver‑assist system after two 2024 highway crashes killed three people. The board’s hearing highlighted driver overreliance, speeding and substance use, and called for tighter federal performance...
Coinbase Wins Initial Bank Regulator Nod for Trust Charter, Boosting Custody Push
Coinbase received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust company charter, a key step toward becoming a federally regulated crypto custodian. The OCC requires the exchange to build compliance infrastructure, hire key...
What Are Firms Getting Wrong with Perpetual KYC?
Perpetual KYC (pKYC) promises continuous, automated risk monitoring, contrasting with static, periodic checks. While the market is expanding—valued at $1.2 bn in 2024 and projected to reach $6.5 bn by 2033—many firms misinterpret pKYC as merely increasing review frequency or adding data...
Bipartisan INSULIN Act Targets $35 Monthly Cap for Private‑Insurance Users
Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Raphael Warnock, Susan Collins and John Kennedy introduced the INSULIN Act, capping private‑insurance insulin costs at $35 per month and launching a pilot for uninsured patients in ten states. The move could affect roughly 8.1 million insulin users...
Biglaw Firm Doubles Down On Pro Bono, And Lets The Billable Chips Fall Where They May
Munger, Tolles & Olson reported a 1.8 % dip in revenue while boosting pro bono hours by roughly 50 % in 2025. Co‑managing partners Martin Estrada and Daniel Levin framed the increase as a deliberate choice to uphold the rule of law...
Repeat Offenders Among Trump Pardons Prompt Tougher Penalties
Given that a large number of Trump pardon recipients turn out to be repeat offenders, maybe Congress should pass a law providing for enhanced penalties for anyone who gets a pardon and commits a subsequent crime.
SEC Sues Estate of Massachusetts Advisor, Firm over Alleged $1.68M Misappropriation
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil suit against the estate of John R. Brodacki III and Castle Hill Financial Group, alleging they diverted roughly $1.68 million from at least 18 advisory clients between 2018 and 2025. The complaint...
California Halts Enforcement of VC Diversity Reporting Law
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation announced it will suspend enforcement of the Fair Investment Practices by Venture Capital Companies law, postponing the first mandatory diversity disclosures by VC firms. The pause comes just before the March 1...
Law Clings to Precedent, Stalls Progress in AI Age
This AI era yet again exposes what the legal field rarely admits: we’re masters of precedent, not progress. And that’s exactly the problem.
Ohio Court Upholds Safety Violation Comp Award Against Whirlpool
The Ohio Supreme Court affirmed a workers' compensation award against Whirlpool Corp., finding the company violated a safety rule by failing to install required guard railings at a conveyor crossing. The injury, a 2017 incident where a maintenance technician fell...