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
Case Study: Regulation Is Becoming Nigeria’s Fintech Advantage
Nigeria’s fintech surge is now being credited to a deliberate regulatory foundation built by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The 2011 launch of the NIBSS Instant Payments platform cut interbank transfer times from days to seconds, generating real‑time data that fintechs used to extend about $2.2 billion in collateral‑free loans to 70,000 SMEs. Simultaneously, the biometric Bank Verification Number, now enrolled by 68 million people, slashed digital fraud losses by 51 % to $56 million and became the core identity layer for credit underwriting. Together, these policies have transformed cash‑heavy commerce into a digital, data‑rich ecosystem that fuels financial inclusion.
Netflix Loses First EU Fight over Local Content Funding
Netflix Loses First Round in Battle Against EU Rules Requiring Streamers to Fund Local Productions https://t.co/ffkOZXRk6t via @variety
Stamp’s Lucy Magri-Overend on Building a Certification System That Puts Creators in Control of Their Credibility
Stamp, a London‑based startup launched in November 2024, is creating an ethical certification system that puts creators in control of their credibility. Co‑founder Lucy Magri‑Overend explains the platform evaluates creators on three pillars—regulatory compliance, audience care, and personal values—through a self‑reflection...
Webinar: Aligning With the FDA on a Regulatory Pathway To Avoid Decision Day Surprises
A BioSpace webinar highlighted how biotech firms can close the expectation gap with the FDA to avoid last‑minute decision‑day setbacks. Speakers emphasized the FDA’s recent pledge—led by Commissioner Marty Makary and CBER Director Vinay Prasad—to provide regulatory navigation for small companies,...
FDA Commissioner Seeks Private Partnerships for Collaboration and Regulation
Couple interesting meetings for FDA Commissioner Makary: met with Arnold Ventures on Mar. 3 about "collaboration opportunities" https://t.co/vEyhDu5xaW and with $MNPR on "establishing a regulatory mechanism" on Mar. 13 https://t.co/DHaD6IlvCS
Los Angeles Jury Orders Meta and YouTube to Pay $3 Million for Teen Social Media Addiction
A Los Angeles jury held Meta Platforms and Google-owned YouTube liable for designing addictive features that harmed a teenage user, ordering $3 million in compensatory damages—$2.1 million from Meta and $900,000 from YouTube. The verdict, the first of its kind, could reshape...
Florida Appeals Court Axes 62‑Year‑Old Expert‑Witness Rule on Attorney Fees
The Florida 6th District Court of Appeals struck down a 62‑year‑old procedural rule that forced parties to hire expert witnesses for attorney‑fee awards. The decision, described as a “sea change,” could slash defense costs for insurers and streamline fee‑shifting disputes...
The ‘Privacy Cult’ Means EU Online Child Sex Abuse Protections Will Expire
The European Parliament voted 311‑against extending an interim e‑Privacy derogation that lets online platforms voluntarily detect, remove and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The measure will lapse on 3 April 2026, stripping services of a legal basis to scan for both...
Court Upholds Injunction Against Disclosing Information Learned From Discarded City Documents
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court affirmed a preliminary injunction that bars a private citizen from publishing personal information he obtained from discarded City of Scranton personnel files. The boxes, marked "Shred 2033," were left at the curb, photographed, and partially disclosed...
Sanders, Ocasio‑Cortez Push AI Data‑Center Moratorium Amid Energy and Labor Concerns
Senators Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez unveiled the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, seeking to halt new AI‑focused data‑center projects until federal standards on climate impact, worker safety and consumer protection are established. The move spotlights rising electricity...
Louisiana to Modernise Captive Laws, Targets Captives Insuring Commercial Trucking
Louisiana lawmakers have introduced three bills aimed at modernizing the state’s captive insurance framework, with a particular focus on entities that underwrite commercial trucking risks. House Bills 936 and 904 would tighten capital requirements, impose stricter governance standards, and broaden...
Litigation Finance Capital Commitments Rebound 23% After Two-Year Contraction
New capital commitments in U.S. litigation finance jumped about 23% in 2025, ending a two‑year contraction. The increase stemmed mainly from existing funders deploying more capital rather than fresh investor inflows, with only one new firm entering the market. Portfolio...
Web Accessibility: The 2026 Deadline You Can’t Ignore
State and local governments must bring their public‑facing digital properties into compliance with the Department of Justice’s WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards by April 24, 2026 if they serve 50,000 or more residents, with a later deadline of April 26, 2027 for smaller entities. The mandate,...
From Justice Frankfurter in the Steel Seizure Case (1952)
Justice Felix Frankfurter’s 1952 remarks in the steel seizure case warned that executive power must be checked by a disciplined judiciary. He argued that courts should limit themselves to narrow, concrete disputes and avoid broad constitutional pronouncements unless no lesser...
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty To Insider Trading | DOJ
Gerard Ryan, a Mississippi resident, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to insider trading using confidential drug‑approval information obtained from a family member employed at a pharmaceutical firm. The scheme involved Ryan and an associate executing thousands of illegal trades...
April 2026 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – EEO Public File Reports, Comment Deadlines, Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists, Political Windows, and More
April 2026 brings a packed slate of FCC deadlines for U.S. broadcasters, including April 1 EEO public‑file reports for stations in Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas, and the start of Mid‑Term EEO reviews for larger units in Delaware, Pennsylvania...
No § 230 Immunity for Meta's AI-Generated Ads
A federal judge in Northern California denied Meta's bid to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the company helped create fraudulent pump‑and‑dump ads for a Chinese penny stock. Plaintiffs claim Meta's AI‑driven tools—Flexible Format, Dynamic Creative, and Advantage+ Creative—generated and optimized deceptive...
17 Million Pairings, Zero Proof
The FTC has sued Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, alleging Robinson‑Patman violations based on 17 million paired price transactions. Southern Glazer’s counters that the agency cannot point to a single unlawful sale or a retailer harmed by price discrimination. The FTC’s...
UK Cracks Down on Chinese Crypto Marketplace for Funding Southeast Asia Scam Hubs
On 26 March the UK government announced sanctions against Xinbi, the region’s largest illicit cryptocurrency marketplace that moved roughly $19.7 billion in fraudulent funds. Xinbi, based in China, is tied to the #8 Park scam compound in Cambodia, which houses up to 20,000...
Utah Bans Polygraph Tests for Those Reporting Sexual Assault
Utah enacted a law banning police and other officials from requiring polygraph tests of sexual assault victims, signed by Gov. Spencer Cox and effective in May. The measure ends a practice that allowed investigators to request lie detector tests, which...
How AI Is Turning the Legal Inbox Into a Productivity Engine
Law firms rely heavily on email for client instructions, draft circulation, and negotiation, creating a hidden productivity bottleneck. Emerging AI tools now scan inboxes, automatically classify messages, extract action items, and summarize long threads. These capabilities link directly to document...
Prior Innocence Shouldn't Grant Leniency to Fraudsters
Should Fraudsters get time off because they did not commit a crime before or were never caught previously?
Agency Judges’ Job Protections Take Hit in Boost for Trump Power
The Merit Systems Protection Board issued a ruling that allows the Trump administration to dismiss non‑partisan administrative judges without cause or prior warning. The decision argues that civil‑service protections impede the president’s Article II authority to oversee agencies that shape policy....
New Amendment Introduces Enduring, Robust Systems for All
The Constitution Amendment (No. 3) Bill introduces BETTER SYSTEMS.. These are systems that will outlive all of us, do not personalise this Amendment. No matter who you are, these systems will be for you too… https://t.co/J7ZaDgqXAd Throughout his Presidency, President @edmnangagwa...
Oversight Failures on Workplace Misconduct Can Support Fiduciary Duty Claims
The Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that directors and senior officers who ignore credible sexual‑misconduct reports can face breach‑of‑fiduciary‑duty claims. The decision applied the Caremark oversight framework, finding that both systemic inaction and superficial responses constitute bad‑faith conduct. It also...
Georgia Election Ballots Hearing: What to Know
A federal judge in Atlanta will hold an evidentiary hearing on March 27 to decide whether the FBI’s January 28, 2026 seizure of 656 Fulton County ballot boxes violated Georgia’s sovereign and constitutional rights. The hearing, presided over by Trump‑appointed...
Family Pet Campaign Secures Parliamentary Bill
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Achieving Transparency: AML Monitoring for Non-Bank Financial Institutions
Non‑bank financial institutions (NBFIs) are increasingly subject to stringent anti‑money‑laundering (AML) requirements, compelling them to adopt comprehensive risk assessments, robust customer‑due‑diligence (CDD) processes, and continuous transaction monitoring. Regulatory frameworks such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act...
Congress Wants to Ban Prediction Markets & Clear Scores From TSA Chaos
In this episode, Neil Freiman and Toby Howell discuss the congressional push to ban prediction markets, highlighting three new bills targeting contracts on elections, sports, and government actions, and the industry’s defense that these platforms are merely event‑based swaps. They...
We Need to Save Ourselves From the SAVE Act
Republicans in the House are advancing the SAVE America Act, a proof‑of‑citizenship bill that would require a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers to register or re‑register to vote. The legislation effectively reinstates a poll tax, with document costs ranging...
How Curiosity Shapes Legal Marketing Careers
Legal marketers who choose curiosity move from execution to strategy, becoming indispensable advisors. By asking deeper questions and immersing themselves in lawyers' work, they gain insights that shape firm positioning and client acquisition. Curiosity enhances four core competencies—relationship building, service‑delivery...
Government Planning to Extend Tax Deferral Period for Livestock Producers Affected by Bovine Tuberculosis Events
The Canadian government will amend the Income Tax Act to lengthen the tax deferral window for livestock producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba who received compensation after bovine‑tuberculosis‑related herd destructions in 2024 and 2025. The new schedule allows deferral of...
EU Customs Overhaul Targets Fashion Parcel Surge
The European Union is revamping its customs code to tighten control over the flood of low‑cost fashion parcels entering the bloc. Under the new rules, online marketplaces such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress will be liable for customs duties, product...
AG Emiliou Advises CJEU to Rule that OCSSPs' Authorization Under Article 17 of the DSM Directive Extends to Acts of...
Advocate General Emiliou urged the CJEU to interpret Article 17 of the EU DSM Directive as covering not only the communication right but also the reproduction right of online content‑sharing service providers (OCSSPs). He argued that storing user‑uploaded content creates a...
U.S. Ambassador to EU: Stop Fining Big Tech
U.S. ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder warned that heavy fines and strict rules could push American tech firms out of Europe, jeopardizing the continent’s participation in the AI economy. He cited recent EU penalties—including a €200 million ($230 million) fine on...
Stay Ahead of the Game: AML Compliance for Mortgage Lenders
Anti‑money laundering (AML) compliance is now a non‑negotiable requirement for mortgage lenders, who are classified as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and the USA PATRIOT Act. Lenders must implement comprehensive programs that include Know‑Your‑Customer (KYC) checks, Customer...
Cracking Down on Money Laundering: Effective AML Policies for Financial Institutions
Financial institutions must adopt comprehensive Anti‑Money Laundering (AML) programs to detect illicit activity, meet regulatory mandates, and protect their reputations. Core components include Customer Due Diligence, rigorous record‑keeping, suspicious activity reporting, and a dedicated AML compliance officer. Emerging threats such...
Transparency Data: CMA Board: Rules of Procedure
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its Board Rules of Procedure, a comprehensive set of governance documents covering everything from audit committees to digital markets oversight. The latest update on 27 March 2026 removed the Nominations Committee’s terms of...
Senior Partner's Evidence 'Lacking Credibility' In Client Dispute
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Guidance: OFSI General Licence INT/2023/2824812
On 27 March 2026, the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced the extension of General Licence INT/2023/2824812 until 26 March 2028. The licence, first issued on 28 March 2023 and previously extended in March 2025, authorises non‑designated persons to engage in bond restructuring activities that...
Federal Judge Halts Pentagon's Anthropic Supply‑Chain Risk Designation
U.S. District Judge Rita Lin issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the Pentagon’s designation of AI startup Anthropic as a national‑security supply‑chain risk. The ruling pauses Trump‑era sanctions and keeps Anthropic’s Claude model usable by federal agencies while the...
DOJ Sues NewYork‑Presbyterian Over Market Power, Claiming Higher Premiums
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against NewYork‑Presbyterian Hospital, alleging the health system leverages its 30% Manhattan market share to compel insurers into costly, all‑or‑nothing contracts. The suit says the practice inflates premiums for millions of...
Linklaters and Freshfields Win €43 B EU Antitrust Clearance for RWE‑E.ON Merger
Linklaters and Freshfields have obtained European Union merger‑control clearance for a €43 billion ($50 billion) asset swap between German energy giants RWE and E.ON. The decision by the EU’s top court ends almost six years of appeals and clears the path for...
California Regulator Labels Tesla’s Robotaxi as Chauffeured Limo, Not True Autonomous Service
The California Public Utilities Commission has ruled that Tesla’s robotaxi service qualifies only for a charter‑party carrier permit—the same license used by limousine operators—rather than a true autonomous‑taxi permit. The classification exempts Tesla from submitting detailed safety and usage data,...
Vatican Bank Names François Pauly President of Board of Superintendence
The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) announced that Luxembourg banker François Pauly will assume the presidency of its Board of Superintendence on April 28. Pauly succeeds Jean‑Baptiste Douville de Franssu, whose tenure saw a sweeping reform of the...
Why Client Onboarding Still Frustrates Both Clients and Law Firms
Client onboarding remains a pain point for law firms, with fragmented emails, calls, and forms creating confusion for new clients. Modern clients now expect digital‑first, real‑time updates, making traditional onboarding feel outdated. Inefficient onboarding forces lawyers into administrative work, reducing...
Sibling IED Plot at MacDill AFB Leads to Federal Indictments, Primary Suspect Fled to China
U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe announced federal indictments against siblings Alen Zheng and Ann Mary Zheng for planting an improvised explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base. The primary suspect fled to China and faces up to 40 years in prison,...
Pitchfork Politics and Sausage-Making: How the Farmers ‘Crisis’ Rewrote EU Green Rules Behind Closed Doors
After massive farmer protests in early 2024, the European Commission fast‑tracked a rollback of the environmental components of the €300 bn (≈$330 bn) Common Agricultural Policy using an urgency procedure. The process bypassed the usual public consultation and impact‑assessment steps, prompting legal...
White House Names David Sacks Co‑Chair of AI and Crypto Advisory Council
The White House announced that entrepreneur David Sacks will serve as co‑chair of the President’s AI and Crypto Advisory Council, a step that deepens government involvement in artificial‑intelligence policy and cryptocurrency regulation. Details of the council’s mandate and funding were...
Can “I Felt Pressured” Undo a Signed Severance Release?
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a chemical company after finding its severance release was knowing and voluntary under a five‑factor test. The court held the employee, a master’s‑degree holder, had ample 45‑day review time, clear language, adequate consideration,...