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
Meta and YouTube Were Found Liable for Harming Kids. But Nobody Is Talking About the Racial Pattern Behind It
A federal jury this week found Meta and YouTube liable for harming children’s developing brains, marking one of the most consequential tech verdicts to date. The decision hinges on evidence that the platforms’ design deliberately exploits reward pathways, fragmenting attention and disrupting sleep. The ruling also highlights a racial disparity, noting that Black and Brown youth bear a disproportionate share of the damage due to existing inequities. Legal experts warn the verdict could open the floodgates for similar lawsuits nationwide.
Bondi Botches It
The Justice Department handed the House Judiciary Committee a January 13, 2023 memo outlining evidence in the Mar‑a‑Lago prosecution of former President Donald Trump. The release came despite Judge Aileen Cannon’s order sealing related materials, raising questions about selective disclosure. Attorney General...
Midsize Law Firm Closing Its Doors After 21 Years Following Partner Exodus
Atlanta‑based midsize firm Taylor Duma announced it will close at month‑end, ending a 21‑year run. The firm’s attorney headcount fell by more than half after a prolonged partner exodus, highlighted by co‑founder Joe English’s 2025 move to Offit Kurman. Offit Kurman has...
China Detains Nearly 70 Panama-Flagged Vessels Amid Canal Dispute
China has detained close to 70 Panama-flagged ships at its ports since March 8, a move U.S. officials say is retaliation over Panama Canal terminal leases. The detentions, largely of older bulk carriers, come as Panama sues for over $2 billion...
FDIC Overturns 2009 Rule, Clearing Path for Private Equity to Acquire Failed Banks
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve announced on March 23 that they have repealed a 2009 rule that limited private‑equity participation in bank resolutions. The change lets non‑bank investors submit bids on failed institutions, a shift that...
Trump’s AI Framework Aims to Shift States’ Authority — But Misses Travel’s Biggest Pressure Point
The Trump administration has unveiled an AI framework that centralizes regulation under the Federal Trade Commission, barring states from governing AI development. Travel companies stand to benefit from reduced compliance complexity for chatbots, automation and other AI tools. However, the...
The First 15 Minutes: Why Early Case Research Changes Everything
The article stresses that the first 15 minutes after a new case lands are critical for attorneys. During this brief window, rapid, focused research can uncover pivotal facts, identify jurisdictional issues, and shape an initial strategy before formal assignment. Firms...
Harvey Secures $200 Million Series C, Valuing Legal AI Platform at $11 Billion
Harvey announced a $200 million Series C funding round that lifts its valuation to $11 billion. The round, co‑led by GIC and Sequoia, will fund the expansion of AI agents that automate complex legal workflows for law firms and in‑house teams worldwide.
Swiss Court Upholds Chlorothalonil Ban, Hits Syngenta Stock
Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court rejected Syngenta’s appeal and kept the ban on the fungicide chlorothalonil in place, a decision that has weighed on the agribusiness giant’s share price and highlights heightened regulatory scrutiny for the European chemical sector.
Pacific Islander Workers Stumble Over REAL ID Requirements, Threatening Mobility and Hiring
Pacific Islander residents of the U.S. under the COFA treaties are hitting legal roadblocks as the 2025 REAL ID mandate limits their ability to travel and work. Advocacy groups warn the lack of passports and enhanced driver’s licenses could cripple...
Supreme Court Rules Trump Tariffs Unconstitutional, $166 Billion Refund Looms for U.S. Companies
The U.S. Supreme Court declared President Trump's emergency tariffs illegal, prompting an estimated $166 billion rebate to importers. Companies such as FedEx and Costco now face a tangled path to recover the funds, creating volatility for earnings forecasts and stock prices.
Turkmenistan Legalizes Crypto Mining and Exchanges Under State Licensing
Turkmenistan enacted a sweeping virtual‑assets law that legalizes crypto mining and exchange operations under a state‑controlled licensing regime effective Jan. 1, 2026. The move signals a new phase of regulated digital‑asset adoption in a historically closed economy.
Cubs' VDX.tv Partner Faces Scrutiny Over Deep Fan Data Collection
The Chicago Cubs' partnership with VDX.tv, a sports streaming vendor, has come under fire for harvesting extensive fan data—including IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing behavior and location—through cookies that persist for up to 90 days. Privacy advocates warn the practice...
U.S. District Court Dismisses X Corp. Advertiser Boycott Lawsuit
A U.S. District Court has dismissed X Corp.'s lawsuit alleging a coordinated advertiser boycott, ending a high‑profile case that could have reshaped ad‑tech policies. The ruling leaves advertisers and platforms to navigate brand‑safety concerns without a court‑mandated remedy.
Palantir Wins £360K FCA Pilot, Boosting Its Government‑Sector Credibility
Palantir Technologies has secured a 12‑week pilot with the UK Financial Conduct Authority worth more than £30,000 a week—about £360,000 ($460,000) in total. The deal gives the data‑analytics firm access to flag fraud, money‑laundering and insider‑trading activity, prompting praise from...
DOL Proposed Rule Seeks Higher Prevailing Wages Levels for Foreign Workers
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule that would raise prevailing wage levels for employment‑based immigration programs, including H‑1B, H‑1B1, E‑3, and PERM EB‑2/EB‑3 visas. Entry‑level wages would shift from the 17th to the 34th percentile, while the...
Freddie Mac's Former Chief Charts Path to GSE Capital Reform
Former Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton argues that the government‑sponsored enterprises (GSEs) can achieve capital reform faster by lowering minimum capital standards and using the 2018 Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework (ECRF) as a template. He cites the Trump administration's executive order...
FCA Publishes Insights and Observations in Relation to Operational Resilience
On 27 March 2026 the FCA released observations from firms' self‑assessments on operational resilience, marking a year after the March 2025 transition deadline. The regulator highlighted good practices such as robust methodologies for defining important business services and strong governance frameworks,...
UK: Consultation Launched on Protection From Detriments for Taking Industrial Action
The UK Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new protections that forbid employers from imposing detriments on workers whose sole or main purpose is to prevent, deter or penalise participation in protected industrial action. The government has opened a consultation until...
How Law Firm Pricing Power Really Works And Why Negotiation Alone Is No Longer Enough
Law firms across the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom are maintaining aggressive outside‑counsel rate hikes as 2026 begins. The Persuit Global Outside Counsel Rate Trends report shows pricing power remains durable, with many corporate clients accepting the increases....
Merrill Fires Back at Dynasty’s ‘Highly Personal Attacks’ in OpenArc Dispute
Brokerage giant Merrill Lynch filed a new brief in federal court seeking to lift the stay on its lawsuit against Dynasty Financial Partners or compel arbitration over the "OpenArc" raiding claim. Merrill argues Dynasty implicitly consented to FINRA arbitration, while...
Theranos Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes' Sentence Reduced by 1 Year
A federal judge reduced Elizabeth Holmes' prison term by one year, setting it at 10¼ years after finding she did not cause "substantial financial hardship" to any individual investor. The decision hinges on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines provision § 4C1.1, which...
Telenor, GlobalConnect Fibre Deal Facing Hurdles
Norway’s competition authority has raised red flags over Telenor’s planned purchase of GlobalConnect’s fibre business, warning that the deal could lift broadband prices and degrade service quality by curbing competition. Regulators highlighted that many households might be left with only...
Court Temporarily Blocks NYCHA, Related’s West Chelsea Redevelopment — Again
The New York State Supreme Court’s appellate division issued a restraining order that temporarily blocks NYCHA’s demolition of the Fulton and Elliott‑Chelsea Houses, halting the West Chelsea redevelopment. NYCHA intends to appeal the injunction, which follows a lawsuit alleging the plan...
Google Loses Top India Legal Counsel Amid Antitrust Cases, AI Training Disputes, and New Content Rules
Google’s senior India lawyer Bijoya Roy resigned after 16 months, adding to a series of high‑level exits that left the firm without a government‑relations chief. The departure occurs amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny, including antitrust investigations, a probe into AI‑training data...
Tanzania Pushes Burundi, Dubai Firms Oil Dispute Out of Court to London
Tanzania’s High Court has ordered that a dispute over a 20,000‑cubic‑metre petrol shipment between Dubai‑based Lamar Commodity Trading and Burundi’s Prestige Investment be referred to the London Court of International Arbitration, citing a binding arbitration clause. The case also involves...
New Duty for UK Employers – Annual Leave Record-Keeping From April 6, 2026
From 6 April 2026, UK employers must keep adequate records of workers’ annual leave and holiday pay under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The obligation covers all leave types, including irregular hours and carried‑over entitlement, and records must be retained for six years....
Venture Global and Edison Put LNG Arbitration Battle Behind Them
Venture Global and Italy’s Edison have signed a commercial agreement that ends their LNG arbitration over the Calcasieu Pass project, with the settlement expected to close by the end of Q2 2026. The deal adds extra cargoes for Europe, beginning with...
Ex-FBI-Agents Alleging They Were Fired for Working on "Arctic Frost" Can Proceed Pseudonymously
A federal judge granted two former FBI special agents permission to proceed pseudonymously in a lawsuit alleging they were fired for working on the "Arctic Frost" investigation into a 2020 election‑interference conspiracy. The agents claim their terminations violated First and...
Pro Se Exam
In this episode of Serious Trouble, hosts Josh Barrow and Ken White dissect a series of high‑profile legal battles, from Sam Bankman‑Fried’s chaotic pro‑se appeal and his mother’s questionable court filings to the Pentagon’s unconstitutional press‑pool policy that the New...
Meta Defeats Spark Fresh US Social Media Regulation Push
Meta’s Court Defeats Fuel New Wave of Social Media Regulation Efforts in US Meta’s back-to-back court losses have ignited fresh momentum for social media regulation in the US Lawmakers argue rulings prove platforms cause harm through design, not just content Pressure is building...
Sealed Charges Doesn't Mean Unmentionable-in-Court-Filings Charges
The District Court in Nebraska denied the plaintiff’s motion to strike paragraph 58 of the defendant’s amended answer, finding that the allegation of a sealed Iowa charge was not immaterial, scandalous, or prejudicial. The plaintiff argued that Iowa’s juvenile‑record confidentiality...
California Agrees to $1.9 Million Settlement in Prison Use-of-Force Case
California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agreed to a $1.9 million settlement with 13 women injured during a mass use‑of‑force incident at the Central California Women’s Facility in August 2024. The plaintiffs reported seizures, respiratory distress and lasting vision problems after...
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking To Allow BASE Jumping In National Parks
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by BASE Access that sought to overturn the National Park Service’s long‑standing ban on BASE jumping in national parks. The court ruled the plaintiffs lacked legal standing and noted that even if the...
Marshall Scholar Tells BU Podcast How to Fix the Age Assurance Debate
Marshall Scholar Ben Fischer, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, declined to sign an open letter urging a global moratorium on privacy‑preserving age‑assurance technology. While he agrees with many concerns in the letter, Fischer remains optimistic that a blend...
Relying on AI-Generated Non-Existent Cases Can Lead to Serious Penalties: Alberta Court of Appeal
The Alberta Court of Appeal in Iyer v. Nazir warned that the plaintiffs relied on AI‑generated, non‑existent case citations, underscoring the need for diligent verification. Although the court imposed no additional cost penalties, it rejected the plaintiffs' appeal for a...
Accounting-Related Class Actions Fall, Settlements Soar: Cornerstone
Accounting-related securities class actions dropped 40% in 2025, reaching a 20‑year low of 34 filings, while settlement values surged 40% to roughly $1.5 billion. The median settlement climbed 38% to $17.1 million, the highest since 2022, and cases now average 4.1 years to...
Corrigendum to Regulation (EU) 2025/1355 of the ECB on Oversight Requirements for Systemically Important Payment Systems
On March 27 2026 the European Union published a corrigendum to Regulation (EU) 2025/1355, the ECB’s framework governing systemically important payment systems. The amendment corrects a typographical error in recital 2, leaving the substantive oversight requirements unchanged. The original regulation, effective July 2025, sets governance,...
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/722 Amending the ITS in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3172
On 27 March 2026 the EU Official Journal published Commission Implementing Regulation 2026/722, which amends the technical standards set out in Implementing Regulation 2024/3172. The amendment refines the European Banking Authority’s Single Access Point (EBA‑SAP) requirements for disclosures by credit institutions that are not...
Joint FCA and ICO Statement on Regulatory Expectations Regarding Firms’ Approaches to Vulnerability Related Data
On 27 March 2026, the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Information Commissioner’s Office issued a joint statement outlining regulatory expectations for firms handling vulnerability‑related data. The guidance ties the FCA’s Consumer Duty to the ICO’s data‑protection standards, covering support...
Lawmakers Question VPN Impact on Americans' FISA Surveillance Protections
Senate and House Democrats sent a letter to DNI Tulsi Gabbard asking whether using virtual private networks could strip Americans of their heightened FISA protections. They argue VPNs obscure a user’s true location, potentially reclassifying U.S. persons as foreign targets...
Social Media May Soon Require Warning Labels, Shaking Ecosystem
Proud of this little graphic I made for this week’s ICYMI newsletter: Is Social Media About to Get Slapped with a Warning Label? And what does that mean for all of us in the ecosystem (creators, marketers and platforms)?! https://liahaberman.substack.com/p/icymi-is-social-media-about-to-get
Lina Khan’s Past Work Explains Viral Video Surge
Why did this video from McMorrow blow up? Lina Khan worked on surveillance pricing years ago. There’s lots of legislation out there already on a state and Federal level.
FBT Gibbons Adds Two Public Finance Attorneys
FBT Gibbons announced the addition of two partners, Martina Hinojosa and Kevin O'Donnell Stanek, to its public finance practice in Houston and Columbus. Hinojosa, formerly of Bracewell, specializes in municipal bond issuances, public‑private partnerships and tax compliance. Stanek joins from...
Pentagon Claims Full Compliance in NY Times Lawsuit
The government responds in N.Y. Times v. Defense Department saying the Pentagon has "complied with every requirement" of Judge Friedman's order. Parties are expected back in court on Monday morning for oral arguments on this issue. https://t.co/wbCqWg5tez https://t.co/UUVLtsHlHk
CAB 3 Explained: Common Sense, No Armageddon
There is no Armageddon… There is nothing out of the ordinary… The Constitution Amendment (No. 3) Bill is a common sense amendment… Here, Sabhuku @TembaMliswa breaks it down in simple terms. It will help those struggling to understand the CAB...
Cleveland & Co CTO: &Lsquo;AI Strengthens the Client Firm Partnership by Creating Shared Intelligence.'
Grant Cleveland, CTO of Cleveland & Co, says AI is deepening client‑firm partnerships by creating shared intelligence across platforms. The firm recently earned the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Award for Most Innovative Law Firm/Client Tech Collaboration, underscoring its pioneering...
Stablecoin Yield Talks Remain Complex, Senate Chair Says
LATEST: 🇺🇸 Senate Banking Committee chair Tim Scott says the stablecoin yield debate is complex, with banks and crypto firms like Coinbase still at the table negotiating https://t.co/guK3dR2LRR
Troutman Pepper Locke Chief KM & Innovation Officer: AI Will Accelerate &Lsquo;Trend Toward Self-Service Intelligence Tools'
Troutman Pepper Locke’s chief knowledge management and innovation officer, William Gaus, says artificial intelligence will speed the shift toward self‑service intelligence tools in legal departments. The firm recently earned the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Award for Innovations in Knowledge...
Kalshi Dedicates up to 15% Staff to Market Integrity
At the Kalshi conference this morning. COO Luana Lopes Lara just noted that 10-15 percent of the company’s team is devoted to market intregrity, preventing insider trading etc https://t.co/kvA31jTP0B