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
Suggested A.I. Rule – Proposed Amendment to Maryland’s Computer-Generated Evidence Rule
Maryland’s Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure has drafted an amendment to Rule 2‑504.3, the state’s computer‑generated evidence rule, to expressly cover generative AI exhibits. The proposal mandates prior notice, full disclosure of training data and methodology, a pre‑trial hearing with possible expert appointment, and preservation of the AI output for appellate review. While it targets “acknowledged” AI evidence, the rule does not fully address undisclosed deepfakes. The amendment draws on the state’s facial‑recognition statute and Sedona Conference guidance to create a procedural framework for AI‑generated proof.
Whirlpool Slapped with Safety Penalty After Worker Loses Leg at Plant
The Ohio Supreme Court upheld a workers’ compensation penalty against Whirlpool for failing to install required guard railings at a conveyor‑belt crossing, deeming the task of crossing the belt as effectively required. The court interpreted Ohio Administrative Code 4123:1‑5‑05(C)(3) to...
First American Moves to Freeze $1.6m over Reverse Mortgage Fraud Claims
First American Title Insurance and its mortgage arm have moved to freeze more than $1.6 million in the bank accounts of Novad Management Consulting, alleging the reverse‑mortgage servicer concealed a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ban and a HUD settlement. Novad stopped...
EPA’s Aaron Szabo, Former Oil‑Gas Lobbyist, Leads Rollback of Methane Rules
Aaron Szabo, an EPA assistant administrator who drafted industry arguments against methane controls in 2022, is now overseeing a revision of the Biden administration’s methane rules. Internal EPA documents show he is delaying compliance deadlines and seeking language favored by...
ESMA Clarifies Expectations in the Run-Up to the Launch of EU’s Consolidated Tapes
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has released a detailed Q&A to clarify how data contributors should onboard to the EU’s Consolidated Tapes (CTs) for bonds and equities ahead of the system’s go‑live. It reminds trading venues and Authorized...
Ohio Court Tosses Employer Liability Claim After Workplace Shooting Hits Seven Workers
An Ohio appeals court upheld the dismissal of an employer intentional tort claim stemming from a workplace shooting that injured seven employees. Plaintiff Nicholas Harris alleged Tri‑Tech Laboratories allowed an intoxicated, armed coworker on site, but the court said his...
Former JPMorgan Advisor Fights Zero-Dollar FINRA Award in Federal Court
Former JPMorgan Private Bank executive director Joshua Biering filed a federal petition after a FINRA panel concluded the firm deliberately impeded his move to a competitor but awarded him zero damages. Biering, who managed roughly $1 billion in client assets and...
UPC Structure – Local, Regional And Central Divisions And Court Of Appeal, Judges & Languages (UPDATED)
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) operates a two‑tier system: a Court of First Instance split into local, regional and central divisions, and a Court of Appeal seated in Luxembourg. The central division is anchored in Paris with additional seats in...
“Ghost Courts” — a Year of Insight and Discovery
The author’s year‑long investigation reveals a structural flaw in England and Wales’ Single Justice Procedure (SJP). Digital case‑management platforms assign administrative labels to magistrates’ courts without a legally defined, traceable tribunal identity. This creates a gap between statutory authority and...
Delaware Court Greenlights Lawsuit over Hatteras Fund's Disastrous $305M Asset Sale
A Delaware Court of Chancery judge denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, allowing a lawsuit by the YWCA of Rochester to proceed against the Hatteras fund complex. The case centers on a 2021 transaction that swapped a $305 million diversified portfolio...
Nonprofit Leaders Welcome Court Decision Protecting Public Trust
A federal court on March 31 rejected a proposed settlement that would have weakened the Johnson Amendment, the 70‑year‑old law barring partisan political activity by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The ruling, based on the Tax Anti‑Injunction Act, leaves the law intact and...
STAT+: Government Watchdog Urges FDA to Finalize Guidance for Advisory Committee Conflicts of Interest
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that the FDA has still not finalized the financial conflicts‑of‑interest (COI) guidance for its advisory committees, despite a law mandating it 13 years ago. The agency also fails to publicly disclose how it evaluates...
Supreme Court to Decide Birthright Citizenship’s Future
Today the Supreme Court is hearing a case about the future of who gets to be an American citizen and which babies born in the US get that privilege. In light of Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship, I wrote something...
Kroger Store Violated ADA by Revoking Worker’s Accommodation, EEOC Claims
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against a Texas Kroger store for revoking a previously granted ADA accommodation for an employee with neuropathy. The employee had been allowed to use a walker and take frequent sitting breaks,...
Tax Attorney Secures AI Startup Deal via QSBS Strategy
Today I spoke with two founders who launched an AI powered consulting business that builds industry adjacent applications and software. Q1 Revenue: $300K Why did they want to speak with me? I am a tax attorney and they were referred...
‘Orphan Works’ Scheme Breaks Through with Latest Copyright Reforms
Australia has introduced its first orphan works scheme, allowing libraries and museums to digitise and share works whose copyright owners are unknown or unlocatable. The framework lets owners reclaim exclusive rights if they later surface, while mandating a searchable registry...
Cetera, Ameriprise Face Class Action Lawsuits Over Data Breaches
Cetera Financial and Ameriprise are facing class‑action lawsuits after data breaches exposed client personally identifiable information. Cetera’s breach stemmed from an unauthorized email account access, leaking names, Social Security numbers and account details. Ameriprise was hit by the ShinyHunters ransomware...
Crypto Market Maker CEOs Extradited From Singapore in FBI Wash Trading Sting
Federal prosecutors in California have charged ten foreign nationals from four crypto market‑making firms with orchestrating wash‑trading and pump‑and‑dump schemes that artificially inflated token prices. CEOs of Vortex and Contrarian were arrested in Singapore and extradited to Oakland, where they...
PR Supreme Court: Written Consent Needed to Use Images of Employees, Contractors Commercially
The Puerto Rico Supreme Court ruled in Friger Salgueiro v. Mech‑Tech College that commercial image rights can be transferred only through a written agreement, regardless of whether the individual is an employee or contractor. Verbal consent or implied permission does...
Do’s and Don’ts for Attorneys From Two Texas Judges: EDiscovery Best Practices
At the ABA Techshow, Texas Judges Xavier Rodriguez and Roy Ferguson outlined practical eDiscovery guidance for litigators. They urged attorneys to engage opposing counsel early about data production and to use short depositions to expose missing documents before involving the...
Bullock Moves to Arrest Systemic Gouging of Payments
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock announced a ban on merchant surcharging for card payments. The decision follows a two‑decade review of Australia’s electronic payments market, which regulators say has been exploited by banks and multinational schemes. The ban...
Exclusive: Verlata Partners with ActiveNav to Tackle Unstructured Data Risks for Law Firms
Verlata Consulting has partnered with data‑discovery specialist ActiveNav to offer law firms a joint solution for locating, governing, and securing unstructured content stored outside traditional document‑management systems. ActiveNav Cloud scans network shares, cloud storage and local drives, classifying files and...
Indiana’s New CDL Rule Pushes Ahead on English Proficiency
Indiana enacted House Bill 1200, requiring all commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants to demonstrate English proficiency and restricting license ownership to drivers with established domicile. Effective April 1, the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles began revoking licenses of roughly 2,000...
At the Border, Not Just Court: Why Lashify May Expand the ITC’s Role in Patent Enforcement
The Federal Circuit’s 2025 decision in Lashify, Inc. v. ITC broadened the economic prong of the domestic‑industry requirement, allowing all U.S. labor and capital—including warehousing, marketing and distribution—to count toward eligibility for Section 337 relief. This change enables more patent owners...
Trump’s Goal to Create State-by-State Citizenship Lists Isn’t Feasible, Experts Say
President Trump signed an executive order directing DHS to create state‑by‑state lists of adult U.S. citizens for upcoming federal elections, aiming to curb mail‑in voting. Experts argue the federal government lacks reliable data to compile accurate citizenship and residency records,...
FTC’s OkCupid Action Reframes AI Training Data as a Consumer Protection Issue
The FTC settled with Match Group’s OkCupid over the undisclosed transfer of roughly three million user photos, demographic and location data to AI startup Clarifai for facial‑recognition training. The settlement contains no monetary fine but imposes a 20‑year permanent injunction...
Court Won't Revive Challenge To Minnesota Deep Fake Law
A federal appellate court declined to revive a challenge to Minnesota's 2023 deep‑fake law, leaving the 8th Circuit's earlier ruling intact. The law criminalizes realistic AI‑generated videos of politicians unless they are clearly labeled as parody. Plaintiffs Christopher Kohls and...
Daily Journal Names Cooley Partner Among Leading Litigators
Michael Attanasio, a Cooley partner, was named by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Leading Commercial Litigators. The accolade highlights his role in high‑stakes cases, notably securing a temporary restraining order, a permanent injunction, and summary judgment against a...
Driving School Penalized for Firing Injured Instructor
A New Brunswick labour board ruled on Jan. 8, 2026 that Versatile Training Solutions illegally terminated commercial‑vehicle instructor Evan Theriault after his concussion symptoms resurfaced, ordering the company and its manager to pay $22,440 (≈ $16,400 USD) in damages. The board found the employer’s refusal...
Copyright Industry Continues Its Efforts To Ban VPNs
The European copyright lobby is intensifying legal attacks on virtual private networks (VPNs) across the EU, with Denmark’s draft law, French court orders, and a Spanish ruling all targeting VPN providers. In France, courts have compelled major services such as...
Kevin Lauri Discusses Uptick in Alternative Fee Arrangements
Kevin Lauri of Jackson Lewis highlighted a noticeable rise in client requests for alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) in a recent Law.com article. Although demand is climbing, roughly 60% of clients revert to traditional hourly billing after an initial trial. Lauri...
Ligado Case Might Not Upend Spectrum Auction Certainty: Former NTIA Administrator
Former NTIA administrator John Kneuer told a Federalist Society webinar that the Ligado lawsuit is unlikely to destabilize the certainty surrounding FCC spectrum auctions. Ligado is pursuing roughly $40 billion in damages, claiming the Defense Department’s secret use of L‑band spectrum...
Cincinnati Residents Could Face Foreclosure Over Extensive Vandalism Costing Them Thousands in Repairs
Cincinnati property owners are now liable for removing graffiti within 30 days, or the city will contract the cleanup and bill them. Unpaid bills can become liens and potentially trigger foreclosure, with one homeowner facing an $18,000 charge. Similar nuisance‑abatement...
Nintendo's Legal Fight with Palworld Suffers a Reversal as the USPTO Reject Their Patent on Character-Summoning Battle Mechanics
Nintendo's U.S. patent on character‑summoning battle mechanics was rejected by the USPTO in a non‑final decision, jeopardizing its legal leverage against Pocketpair's Palworld. The patent, granted in September 2025 and covering 26 claims, aimed to protect the summon‑and‑fight loop popularized...
NGO Lawsuit on Illegal Fishing in West Africa Appealed to Spanish Supreme Court
ClientEarth and Oceana have taken their lawsuit over alleged illegal fishing by Spanish‑owned vessels off Senegal and Guinea Bissau to Spain’s Supreme Court after the Madrid High Court dismissed the case. The NGOs allege the vessels routinely switch off AIS and...
OnlyOffice Suspends Nextcloud Partnership For Forking Its Project Without Approval
OnlyOffice has terminated its eight‑year partnership with Nextcloud after the latter launched a fork called Euro‑Office without securing approval. OnlyOffice alleges the fork breaches its AGPL‑based license by omitting required attribution and branding, and accuses Nextcloud of poaching staff and...
Elon Musk’s X Seizes on Supreme Court’s Landmark Cox Ruling in Bid to Derail Music Publishers’ Copyright Case
The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous Cox Communications ruling, which bars liability for internet providers unless they actively induce infringement, is now being leveraged by Elon Musk’s X Corp to seek dismissal of a music‑publisher copyright case. X’s lawyers argue that...
Trump Administration Scales Back Plan to Dismantle Consumer Protection Bureau
The Trump administration has filed a court request to dismiss over half of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s remaining staff, scaling back from earlier plans to cut 90% and shut down the agency. Acting director Russell Vought, who halted most...
Federal Lawsuit Targets Morris Township's Natural‑gas Ban
Administration sues Morris Township, NJ - population 23,000 - to preempt a 2022 ordinance that bans natural gas in new apt buildings.
New Mexico AG Seeks to Void County's ICE Contract for Bond-Financed Facility
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez filed a mandamus petition with the state Supreme Court to void Otero County’s $283 million intergovernmental service agreement with ICE, arguing it lacks required state approval and violates the Immigrant Safety Act. The contract, re‑approved...
Judge Allows Alabama Power to Maintain High Solar Fees
Alabama Power can keep charging steep rooftop solar fee, judge rules #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/6jCLTmK7pW
Republican Senator Calls Chinese Cars A ‘Cancer,’ Vowing Stricter Ban
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno announced plans to broaden the U.S. ban on Chinese electric vehicles, targeting not only the cars themselves but also associated software, components, and joint‑venture partnerships. The proposal would reinforce the existing 100% tariff regime and aim...
Debt Control Law Should Aim to Reduce, Not Expand
We need a debt control law where the objective is to shrink not grow it!
Illegalizing Ransom Payments Would Protect Future Victims
We would all have been much better off if we had made paying a ransom to ransomware criminals illegal. Tough for the first few victims, but then better for all.
Conspiracy Lawsuit Against National Students for Justice in Palestine Parent Organization Can Go Forward
A federal judge in New York ruled that the plaintiff’s civil‑conspiracy allegations against American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and its student arm, National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), are sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss. The complaint alleges...
Workable Simplifies U.S. Hiring Compliance with Built-In I-9 and E-Verify
Workable has launched built‑in Form I‑9 and E‑Verify capabilities for its U.S. onboarding platform, integrating the federal employment eligibility verification directly into its workflow. The new feature, powered by a partnership with Workbright, lets candidates complete Section 1 digitally while HR...
Who Owns the Moon’s Water? The Coming Legal War Over Lunar Resource Extraction Rights
The Moon’s south‑pole water ice is emerging as the first truly valuable commercial resource, promising a propellant depot that could slash deep‑space mission costs. While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty bars sovereignty claims, it remains silent on extraction, prompting a...
Case Law Databases: The Real Competitive Edge in Legal Tech
“the main moat for these tools are (1) the case law database” 👀 - reconcile this with the fact that the law is supposed to be free https://t.co/oETBD2q80h
Why Food Allergen Laws Are Pushing Restaurants to AI
New allergen disclosure laws in California and New York are set to reshape menu transparency for restaurants in 2026. California’s Senate Bill 68, effective July 1, requires chains with 20 or more locations to list the nine major allergens on...
Appeals Court Extends VOA Employees' Uncertain Status
NEW: Voice of America's employees have been in limbo for a year. A federal appeals court just ensured they'll stay there a little longer, halting a plan to return them to work. https://t.co/WKldxnoAs7