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
Fed's Barr: Weakening Oversight Risks 'Race to the Bottom'
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr warned that the current deregulatory push, especially cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, could trigger a systemic "race to the bottom." He highlighted that the CFPB has lost roughly one‑third of its workforce, eroding oversight of non‑bank fintechs and shifting enforcement to states. Barr also cited stalled Community Reinvestment Act reforms as evidence of mounting regulatory pressure. A federal appeals court is now deciding whether the CFPB can proceed with widespread layoffs, further limiting its supervisory capacity.
US Department of Treasury Requests Feedback on Stablecoin Legislation, the GENIUS Act
The U.S. Treasury has opened a notice‑and‑comment rulemaking to solicit feedback on implementing the GENIUS Act, which legalizes payment stablecoins. The agency proposes that issuers with up to $10 billion in outstanding stablecoins may be regulated at the state level if...
April 1, 2026
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in the newly filed case Trump v. Barbara, in which the Trump administration argues that the Fourteenth Amendment does not guarantee birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants. The hearing was notable because a...
The EDRM GenAI Survey Results: AI and eDiscovery Trends
The EDRM GenAI Working Group surveyed 19 senior legal professionals to gauge how generative AI is being applied across the eDiscovery workflow. Respondents, mainly lawyers at large U.S. firms, report strong success with text‑summarization and document‑drafting, while results for full‑scale...
Timely Talk About Wage and Hour Law: New York’s Requirements and Recent Legal Developments
On April 22, 2026, legal experts hosted a one‑hour webinar covering New York’s complex wage‑and‑hour statutes. The session examined split‑shift rules, call‑in and travel‑time pay, overtime exemptions, independent‑contractor criteria, and the state’s varied minimum‑wage thresholds. It also highlighted record‑keeping obligations, prohibitions...
HCW Biologics Appeals Nasdaq Notice, Targets Phase 1 Data for HCW9302 in H1 2026
HCW Biologics Inc. filed an appeal to Nasdaq over a minimum bid‑price compliance notice and announced that Phase 1 results for its lead immunotherapy HCW9302 are slated for the first half of 2026. The appeal follows a 5.56% drop in the...
What to Know About the National Book Ban Bill
On March 17 the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced H.R. 7661, dubbed the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act and informally called the National Book Ban Bill. The resolution would prohibit Title I federal funds for schools that provide or...
T-Mobile Defends Ads After Verizon Wins Injunction
Verizon obtained a federal preliminary injunction forcing T‑Mobile to pull ads claiming consumers can save over $1,000 annually by switching to its “Better Value” plan. T‑Mobile rejected the ruling, asserting its advertising is accurate and backed by HarrisX market research,...
The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Tax Data in Private Capital
FATCA and CRS filings seem on track, yet private‑capital firms wrestle with fragmented investor tax data. Records are siloed across onboarding tools, fund administrators, internal databases and external providers, forcing compliance teams into repetitive reconciliation work. Legacy, manually‑driven infrastructures amplify...
India Delays Cabotage Rewind Plan Amid Carrier Pressure, Middle East Reroutings
India’s Ministry of Ports & Shipping announced a six‑month postponement of the cabotage policy that would have ended foreign‑flag vessels’ right to operate coastal shipping routes. The original rule, introduced in 2018, aimed to force domestic operators to handle intra‑country...
Yes, the Compliance Officer Stands Alone
Tina Tolliver, a veteran healthcare compliance executive, argues that compliance officers remain isolated because many organizations still place them under legal or finance functions despite 25 years of regulator guidance. Since 1998, the HHS Office of Inspector General and the...
CRA Denied Taxpayer with Multiple Health Issues the Disability Tax Credit
The Canada Revenue Agency denied a Newfoundland and Labrador taxpayer’s disability tax credit (DTC) for the 2014‑2018 period, and a Tax Court judge upheld the denial. The claimant, who experiences frequent bowel movements after gallbladder removal and lives with ADHD,...
New York’s Frontier AI Law Gets a California Makeover – With Some Key Differences
New York’s amended Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, signed on March 27, 2026, aligns closely with California’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA) by adopting the same frontier‑AI framework and transparency‑report requirements. The law revises key definitions,...
Justice Harlan's Lectures Gets A Shout-Out In Birthright Citizenship Case
The Supreme Court’s pending case Trump v. Barbara, which questions the scope of birthright citizenship, featured Justice Gorsuch quoting Justice John Marshall Harlan’s 1898 lecture on United States v. Wong Kim Ark. The citation comes from a 2013 scholarly article co‑authored by...
FCC Seeks Comment on Expanding Spectrum Access for “Weird Space Stuff”
On March 31, 2026 the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to broaden spectrum access for emerging commercial space activities such as in‑space servicing, lunar missions, and private orbital labs. The proposal targets the 2320‑2345 MHz band and formalizes piggyback...
Court Extends Building Safety Liability Across Contractor Groups
The Technology and Construction Court issued a landmark ruling in Crest Nicholson v Ardmore, expanding Building Liability Orders (BLOs) under the Building Safety Act. The judgment enforced a £14.9 million (≈$19 million) adjudicator’s award and, for the first time, introduced an anticipatory...
It's Not Over: The Law Lesson Behind EEOC's $15M Recovery
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has secured a $15 million recovery from employers that terminated workers for refusing COVID‑19 vaccinations without exploring reasonable accommodations. The settlement follows a surge of employee lawsuits alleging disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act....
KPMG Faces Allegations of Blown Audit in Private Credit Collapse
Canada’s top securities regulator has accused KPMG of misvaluing loans in four Bridging Finance funds, alleging the auditor failed to challenge inflated loan figures and misrepresented audit quality for 2019‑2020. The OSC seeks an administrative penalty of up to C$40 million...
Cooley Shortlisted for Seven Awards at ALB China Law Awards 2026
Cooley has been shortlisted for seven Asian Legal Business China Law Awards in 2026, covering firm‑wide, deal‑specific and individual categories. The firm earned nominations for International Law Firm of the Year, International Deal Firm of the Year, Capital Markets Law...
Alberta Bans Ideology in Schools with New Education Neutrality Bill
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith introduced Bill 25, an Education Act amendment that bans ideology and political symbols in public classrooms, mandates a weekly playing of the Canadian national anthem, and requires neutral, balanced instruction. The legislation also protects staff from...
D&O Lessons From the Beyond Meat SCA
A securities class action filed in January 2026 accuses Beyond Meat’s board and executives of misleading investors by failing to disclose a material asset impairment before the third quarter of 2025. Plaintiffs allege the company continued to tout cost‑reduction initiatives...
Repeat Litigants: How Party Patterns Change Case Strategy
The Trellis Blog’s latest installment examines how repeat litigants shape case strategy by leveraging state trial‑court data. By tracking parties from filing through resolution, the analysis shows that identifying recurring defendants or plaintiffs can shift uncertainty into tactical advantage. The...
Salt-N-Pepa File Appeal Brief Urging Court to Revive Master Recordings Case Against UMG
Grammy‑winning rap duo Salt‑N‑Pepa filed a 71‑page appellate brief urging the Second Circuit to reverse a district‑court dismissal of their lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the ownership of their 1986 master recordings. The duo contends the lower court applied...
April 1 Tax, PAN, and ATM Rules Overhaul
Key changes starting from 1st April you need to know 1. New income tax rule New income tax rules will be implemented from 1 April Old terms like assessment year and previous year will be replaced by tax year Income tax up to ₹12...
Costs Success for Banksy over 'Unreasonable' Libel Claim
A UK company, Full Colour Black Ltd trading as Brandalised, sued graffiti artist Banksy and his representative Pest Control over an Instagram post about a Guess window display featuring Banksy’s Flower Thrower image. The High Court found the libel claim...
Baruch Singer’s Midwood Office Project Faces Foreclosure
Baruch Singer’s 10‑story, 215,000‑square‑foot office and yeshiva project in Midwood, Brooklyn, faces a foreclosure lawsuit from lender Parkview Financial, which claims Singer owes at least $125 million. The suit alleges Singer missed the October 2023 completion deadline and failed to lease...
Meeting Regulatory Requirements with Informatica
Informatica highlighted the critical role of trusted data in meeting ever‑growing regulatory demands during a DBTA webinar. A recent survey cited by David Thain shows 93% of data leaders say regulations impede their initiatives. Speakers emphasized that siloed data hampers...
Saga Files for 15-Day Extension on 2025 Annual Report
Saga Communications filed a Form 8‑K with the SEC requesting a 15‑day extension to submit its 2025 Form 10‑K, missing the March 31 deadline. The company cited the need for additional time to resolve technical tax issues and accounting impacts stemming...
CASS 15: What Payment Firms Need to Know About the New Safeguarding Rules
The FCA has launched CASS 15, a sweeping overhaul of safeguarding rules for payment institutions and e‑money firms, moving them from the lighter‑touch PSR regime into the stricter Client Assets Sourcebook. The new framework mirrors CASS 7 requirements, demanding segregated customer...
Cities, States, Environmental Groups Sue EPA over Repeal of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
A coalition of 21 states, cities and counties filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit challenging the EPA’s repeal of the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). The plaintiffs argue the rollback violates the Clean Air Act and ignores...
Benchmark Mortgage Sues Ex-Employees for Stealing P&L Data
Benchmark Mortgage filed a Texas Business Court lawsuit against former business development director Marty Preston and former branch manager Denise Donoghue, alleging they stole confidential profit‑and‑loss data and shared it with competitors. The complaint seeks a temporary injunction and more...
From Madonna Photo Ops to Bankruptcy: The Publisher that Owes Bob Dylan Blames 'Predatory' Lenders
Callaway Arts & Entertainment, the New York‑based publisher behind Madonna’s 1992 "Sex" book and a Bob Dylan centennial volume, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company disclosed assets and liabilities ranging between $1 million and $10 million and cited "predatory" alternative lenders...
FDA Threatens Unprecedented Ban Lift on Untested Injectables
If FDA does this, which is highly likely succumbing to pressure from RFK Jr, it crosses a new red line and, as far as I know, is unprecedented. Lifting a ban on drugs that are injected into the bloodstream without...
Lucid Trading Signals New Regulatory Role in Prop Trading
Interesting development with AJ from Lucid Trading hinting at a regulatory role 👀 The prop trading landscape keeps evolving - always important to stay informed about who's overseeing what. Check https://t.co/pKoy2KH6Y5 for the full picture on all firms and their...
Are Journalists Liable for Social Media Comments? An Italian Court Is Poised to Decide
Italian journalist Fabio Butera was ordered to pay roughly $35,000 in damages after courts held him liable for defamatory comments posted by strangers under his Facebook article. Both the Verona court and the Venice Court of Appeal upheld the liability, arguing...
Independent Restaurants Urge FTC to Block Deal
Now, an association representing independent restaurants (the Independent Restaurant Coalition) has come out calling on the FTC to reject the deal. https://t.co/gHLxPAXYqC
Diplomats Exempt From Constitution; Native Americans Have Birthright Citizenship
Foreign diplomats are not "subject to the jurisdiction of" the Constitution. They agree to abide by U.S. and state laws by custom; hence the term "diplomatic immunity." American Indians do have birthright citizenship, by law.
Texas Court Holds Chemical Manufacturer’s Returnable Containers Qualify for Manufacturing Exemption
The Texas Court of Appeals ruled that a chemical manufacturer’s returnable porta‑feed containers qualify for the state’s manufacturing exemption from sales and use tax. The court reconciled the specific container exemption with the broader manufacturing exemption, allowing both to operate...
Thomson Reuters Ruling Set to Shape All AI Lawsuits
"the pending appeals in thomson reuters and ongoing litigation in other cases may significantly shape the legal landscape.” 👀 - what gets decided in thomson reuters v. ross will apply to all other AI cases (all 90+ of them right now)
Nexstar, Tegna Say Merger Halt Irreversible Due to Past Actions
Nexstar and Tegna Claim They Can’t Fully Comply With Court Order Halting Merger Because Certain Actions ‘Cannot Be Undone’ https://t.co/t0tEGLpZam via @variety
Designing a New Digital Regulator
Academics, advocates, and policymakers have long advocated for a new digital regulator (NDR) to oversee AI and technology markets. On February 25, 2026, GWU’s Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics and Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator convened a summit of leading experts to examine...
Gorsuch Challenges Reliance on Wong Kim Ark Precedent
Justice Gorsuch to Solicitor General John Sauer in the #SCOTUS argument just now: "I'm not sure how much you want to rely on Wong Kim Ark..."
Notebook LM Outperforms CoCounsel when You Supply Sources
“Been using Notebook LM more than CoCounsel. I think it's better at finding the "needle in the haystack." If you load your own sources, it's more accurate…The tradeoff is that you have to give it the sources yourself.” 👀 - this...
Agency CIOs Must Supply Top-Down IT Contract Information, OMB Memo States
The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo requiring chief information officers at large federal agencies to report every IT contract they approve each month from May through October. The directive, signed by OMB director Russ Vought, also obliges...
Gun Rights Group Challenges Ban On Firearms In National Park Facilities
The Second Amendment Foundation and partners have filed a lawsuit challenging the 1990 federal ban on firearms in National Park Service facilities, specifically targeting 18 U.S.C. § 930(a). The suit argues the law unconstitutionally bars the roughly 300 million annual park visitors from carrying...
How Dutch Insurers Can Govern Wtp without Rebuilding Systems
The Wet toekomst pensioenen (Wtp) reform has moved Dutch pension insurers into a decisive implementation phase, with regulators treating communication plans as binding operational commitments. Insurers possess strong actuarial and administration systems but lack a unified mechanism to translate approved...
Lok Sabha Passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill
The Lok Sabha approved the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill on April 1, 2026, targeting 784 provisions across 79 central Acts. The legislation de‑criminalises 717 provisions and amends 67, aiming to rationalise over 1,000 offences. It is presented as a major...
SC Extends Filing Deadline, Payment Still Due April 15
South Carolina just extended its tax filing deadline to Oct. 15 👀 But: It’s only to FILE → You still need to PAY by April 15. Here’s the reason for the change (and what other states are doing): https://t.co/dubwEp4ERL
OneTaste Founder Nicole Daedone Sentenced to 9 Years for Forced Labor Scheme
Nicole Daedone, the founder of OneTaste, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $12 million after a jury convicted her of a forced‑labor conspiracy. The ruling underscores growing legal scrutiny of alternative wellness practices that blur...
The Furlong And Patel TECHSHOW Keynote Bookends: Saying The Same Thing, Differently
At TechShow, Jordan Furlong and Nilay Patel delivered back‑to‑back keynotes that converged on a single insight: the human lawyer remains indispensable. Furlong framed the lawyer as a trusted guide who can walk clients through complex valleys, while Patel emphasized law’s...