Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Movers & Shakers: ADF’s Disciplinary Tribunal Renewal
Justice Andrew Coleman has been appointed to the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal, marking a renewal of the military’s top disciplinary body. Coleman, a Supreme Court of NSW judge since October 2024, brings extensive legal experience from Sydney and London. The announcement coincides with senior appointments across the public sector, including Amanda Hosking’s promotion to assistant secretary at Treasury and three new national managers at Services Australia. These moves signal a broader government effort to reinforce leadership and governance in key agencies.
Lawfare Live: The Trials of the Trump Administration, March 27
Lawfare will host a live webinar on March 27 at 4 p.m. ET featuring editor Benjamin Wittes and senior editors Anna Bower and Roger Parloff. The discussion will focus on the Friday hearing where the Justice Department must justify a search...
The Clues Binance Missed That Led to Billions in Crypto Flowing to Iran
The New York Times uncovered that Binance’s vendor Blessed Trust moved roughly $1.2 billion through the exchange, ultimately reaching entities tied to Iran. Internal compliance investigators later identified an additional $1.7 billion in sanction‑evading transfers, but Binance only severed ties with Blessed Trust in...
FTC Settles with AI Startup Accused of Bilking Customers
The Federal Trade Commission settled with AI startup Air AI, banning the firm and its owners from marketing or selling business opportunities that claim AI‑driven growth. The settlement includes an $18 million judgment, though most of it is suspended, and a...
Stakeholders Question PJM Proposal’s Ability to Meet FERC Goals
Parties asked FERC to modify PJM's proposal for complying with December co-location order. Data centers and generation/storage developers say PJM's proposal doesn't meet FERC's objectives. Existing industrials warn it will raise their rates. IMM is skeptical of the whole thing.
New Zealand’s Credit Card Surcharge Ban May Not Happen After All
New Zealand’s proposed ban on in‑store credit‑card surcharges, slated for May, is effectively dead after the ACT Party withdrew its support. The legislation, introduced last year, faced opposition from Retail NZ, which warned businesses would shift costs to prices. While...
House Committee Advances ALERT Act
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously advanced the ALERT Act, directing the FAA to set a Dec. 31, 2031 deadline for aircraft to carry collision‑mitigation technology and permitting portable ADS‑B In devices as an alternative compliance method. The bill also requires a...
FMCSA Announces Major Investigations at Freight Fraud Panel
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a series of high‑profile investigations targeting cargo theft, chameleon carriers, fake electronic logging devices (ELDs) and fraudulent trucking schools at the Mid America Trucking Show. Agency leaders highlighted a new vetting process...
CFTC Chair Selig Says Blockchain Could Help Verify AI-Generated Content
CFTC Chair Michael Selig told The Pomp Podcast that blockchain can timestamp and verify AI‑generated content, creating immutable provenance records. He emphasized a minimal‑regulation approach that targets market participants rather than software developers. Selig linked the need for crypto leadership...
Senate Rejects Proposal to Overturn VA’s Abortion Ban
The Department of Veterans Affairs reinstated a near‑total abortion ban, limiting procedures to life‑threatening emergencies. A Senate vote of 50‑48 rejected Sen. Richard Blumenthal's amendment to overturn the ban, keeping the restriction in place. The 2022 policy that allowed abortions...
Coming Soon: A Must-Listen Conversation with a Key New York Regulator
Ballard Spahr will release a Consumer Finance Monitor podcast episode featuring Max Dubin, Chief of Staff to the Acting Superintendent of Banking at New York’s Department of Financial Services (DFS). The conversation focuses on DFS’s upcoming regulation of the fast‑growing buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL)...
Compliance Officers Are Experts, Stop Wasting Them on Noise
Compliance teams are drowning in false‑positive alerts generated by blanket mobile‑communication surveillance, a byproduct of post‑Dodd‑Frank regulatory pressure. A 2025 benchmark of over 200 leaders shows firms lose roughly $232,457 each year reviewing irrelevant messages. The overload forces officers to...
Why Personal Injury Checks Don’t Arrive Immediately After a Settlement
When a personal injury claim settles, the payout is delayed by several procedural steps. The insurer must first issue and have the plaintiff sign a release form, after which the settlement passes through multiple internal departments for policy, risk, and...
‘Privacy Sweep’ Finds EU Online Safety Measures Stagnating over Past Decade
The Global Privacy Enforcement Network’s 2025 audit of nearly 900 websites and apps used by children revealed a deterioration in privacy safeguards, with more personal data collected and age‑verification mechanisms easily bypassed. Over half of the services required email addresses...
Power Supply Company Hit with AI-Related Securities Suit
Power Solutions International, a maker of engines and power systems, was hit with a securities class‑action lawsuit on March 20, 2026 alleging it overstated the growth and margins of its AI data‑center power solutions. The company’s 2025 results showed an...
How Redaction Software Can Help Government Agencies Comply with FOIA
Government agencies are grappling with a record 1.5 million FOIA requests in fiscal 2024, inflating backlogs by 267,000 cases. Manual redaction cannot keep pace, exposing agencies to legal penalties and eroding public trust. Automated redaction platforms, such as Tonic Textual, use...
Judge Orders USAGM to Release $43.5M to O
Another loss for Kari Lake and USAGM in court. The Open Technology Fund won summary judgment today, with Judge Lamberth ordering the agency to disburse the full $43.5M in appropriated funds. https://t.co/qf9lbrf81F https://t.co/S6F5HLq0xj
Biopharma Industry Pushes Back on FDA's 'America First' User Fee Proposals
The FDA’s upcoming user‑fee framework, dubbed "America First," seeks to tighten eligibility for the small‑business waiver, limiting it to U.S.‑based applicants. Industry groups argue the change politicizes fee policy and could disadvantage foreign‑owned biotech firms that rely on the waiver...
Cardi B Wins Right to Recover Money From Security Guard Who Lost Lawsuit
A Los Angeles judge ordered security guard Emani Ellis to pay Cardi B nearly $20,000 in trial costs after a jury unanimously rejected his assault claim. The $19,690 bill covers deposition fees, court reporting, and photocopies, and the judge deemed the...
Trump Administration Cites “National Security” To Justify God Squad Meeting
The Trump Department of Justice filed an opposition brief on March 25, invoking national security to exempt all oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act. The filing clears the way for a March 31 Endangered...
BREAKING: UK Government Releases New “PANDEMIC PLAN”
The UK government unveiled a new “All Pandemics Hazard Bill” as part of a £1 billion (≈$1.25 billion) pandemic preparedness plan. The strategy adds an AI‑driven contact‑tracing system slated for 2030, a £250 million (≈$312.5 million) biosecurity hub in Harlow expected to be operational...
Musk Rips Twitter Verdict, Claims Jury’s $4.20 ‘Joke’ Mocked Him
Elon Musk’s legal team argues that a San Francisco jury’s verdict in the Twitter shareholder fraud case was tainted by a flippant reference to $4.20, a slang number for cannabis. The jury concluded Musk defrauded Twitter shareholders during his 2022 acquisition,...
FCC Approves Order to Accelerate High-Speed Network Rollouts
The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved a network‑modernization order that streamlines the retirement of copper telephone lines and accelerates the rollout of high‑speed fiber and wireless networks. The rule eliminates filing requirements, simplifies upgrade applications, and preempts state or local...
OFAC’s TradeStation Enforcement Action: A Case Study in “Set It and Forget It” Compliance Failures
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) fined TradeStation Securities about $1.1 million after the broker processed 481 trades totaling roughly $4.4 million for users in Iran, Syria and Crimea. Although TradeStation had a layered sanctions‑compliance framework, a 2018 mobile‑app...
Hoxton Hotel Still Wants Injunction Against Neighbouring Nightclub Yamamori Izakaya
The Hoxton Hotel in Dublin’s city centre is pursuing a court injunction against its neighbour, Yamamori Izakaya nightclub, alleging late‑night music disrupts guests. The hotel says the noise forced it to close 31 of its 129 rooms, costing roughly €300,000...
PSR Annual Work Programme 2026/27
On 26 March 2026 the Payment Systems Regulator released its 2026/27 annual work programme, outlining eight priority areas. The plan emphasizes delivering the National Payments Vision, overseeing Pay.UK and Faster Payments, and publishing an independent evaluation of APP fraud. It also seeks...
FCA Webpage on Cryptoasset Firms’ Registration Under the MLRs Ahead of the New Regime
On 26 March 2026 the FCA launched a guidance webpage outlining how crypto‑asset firms must remain registered under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) until the new Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) regime begins. Authorisation applications under FSMA open on 30 September 2026, with...
Solicitor Claims He Was Left ‘Firefighting’ as Staff Left over Being Denied Working From Home
Solicitor Joseph McNally is suing Ferrys Solicitors LLP for an alleged sham redundancy after his Dublin practice was merged into the firm in early 2023. McNally claims staff left the Ballymun office when remote‑work requests were denied, forcing him into "firefighting" to retain upset...
Questioning Whether Full Vote Would Change Legal Opposition
What would slow-track approval look like? Are you suggesting that a full commission vote would’ve altered your legal opposition to the transaction? Doesn’t seem like that’s the place you would’ve landed.
AI Governance Rises Globally—Readiness No Longer Optional
48 hours this week: US: constitutional protections for AI outputs. Europe: enforceable compliance requirements. Scotland: five-year national AI strategy. Three continents. One conversation. The governance infrastructure is being built. Your company's readiness isn't a factor.
Former Vornado Exec to Face Embezzlement Trial in April
Former Vornado Realty Trust leasing executive Jared Solomon has been indicted on federal fraud charges for embezzling more than $9.5 million over a 15‑year period. Prosecutors allege he created fake brokerage firms, submitted fraudulent invoices, and funneled the proceeds into a...
Ugandan Farmers Use British Court to Try to Stop Oil Pipeline
Ugandan farmers, represented by UK law firm Leigh Day, have filed a letter before action in a British court seeking to halt the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). They allege the $5.6 billion project, now 80% complete, violates Uganda’s constitution...
Court Repudiates Extension of Federal Supervised Release While a Defendant Absconds
The Supreme Court ruled 8‑1 in Rico v. United States that a defendant’s flight does not extend the statutory term of federal supervised release. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(i), courts may still adjudicate violations that occurred before the release period ends if a...
Did Connecticut Cross the Line?
In this episode of The Unknown, hosts Michael Volpe and Richard Luthman dissect the recent conviction of Connecticut blogger Paul Boyne for cyberstalking, focusing on the legal distinction between protected speech and "true threats" under the First Amendment. They argue...
Kids Use Social Media for Messaging; Laws Threaten It
The primary way kids use social media is to message w each other. This is why Snapchat is so popular among that age group. The ppl behind these laws know that, and their goal is to cut off messaging and...
Meta Exploits Addiction Ruling to Craft Surveillance Child‑safety Laws
Using the Meta “social media addiction” ruling to push mass surveillance“child safety” laws that are effectively written by Meta, that Meta has spent millions lobbying for via “child safety” orgs that claim to “fight big tech.” We live in hell...
Germany: IG Metall Challenges Tesla Works Council Election Result in Court
IG Metall has filed a lawsuit in the Frankfurt (Oder) Labour Court challenging the March works council election at Tesla’s Grünheide gigafactory, alleging management intimidation and unequal treatment of candidates. The union’s list secured only 31% of the vote, while...
Court Victory Paves Way For Spanish Flight Attendants to Retire Early With Full Pensions
A Madrid court ruled that Spanish cabin crew face the same hazardous conditions as pilots, extending the 1986 Royal Decree that allows early retirement with full pensions to flight attendants. The decision applies the same reduction‑coefficient formula—0.40 years per year...
UltraTech Settles Arbitration Dispute with Jaiprakash Associates over Dalla Super Unit and Mines
UltraTech Cement announced it has settled the arbitration with Jaiprakash Associates over the Dalla Super unit and its six captive mines, releasing ₹1,000 crore (≈$120 million) of Series A redeemable preference shares from escrow. The deal clears UltraTech’s claim to the assets and...
D&O Policy Doesn’t Cover Antitrust Suit over Drug Acquisition: Court
A federal judge ruled that Old Republic’s directors‑and‑officers insurance does not cover the antitrust lawsuit against Supernus Pharmaceuticals over its 2020 acquisition of USWM Enterprises. The court held that the policy only applies to securities issued by Supernus or its...
The Path To AI Maturity: What Leaders Should Consider In The Coming Year
AI has reached a tipping point in the legal sector, moving from experimental pilots to a baseline expectation for many firms. Litify’s 2025 State of AI in Legal Report shows rapid adoption but uneven maturity across organizations. A March 31 webinar...
Supply‑Chain Cyber Threats Surge: FCC Router Ban, LiteLLM Hack, HackerOne Breach
The U.S. FCC moved to bar new foreign‑made routers, a malicious update to the popular LiteLLM Python package infected up to half a million downloads, and HackerOne disclosed a breach of 287 employees through benefits provider Navia. Together the events...
Signal CTO Warns Mandatory Age‑Verification Laws Threaten Minor Privacy
At the Don’t Be Evil conference in Austin, Signal CTO Ehren Kret warned that pending age‑verification mandates across the U.S., EU and other regions risk compromising minors' privacy. He urged lawmakers to require privacy‑preserving verification methods, citing zero‑knowledge proofs as...
Supreme Court Narrows Contributory Infringement Test in Cox V. Sony Music
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a service provider is only contributorily liable for copyright infringement when it intends its service to be used for piracy, rejecting the long‑standing “knowledge plus material contribution” standard. The decision in Cox v....
Today’s Podcast Episode: Residential Solar Finance Under Intensifying Scrutiny: Key Regulatory and Litigation Trends
The Consumer Finance Monitor podcast highlighted a shift in residential solar finance from rapid growth to heightened regulatory and litigation pressure. The CFPB’s 2024 spotlight on hidden dealer fees and aggressive state‑attorney‑general investigations are driving a wave of enforcement actions....
Roundy's Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Nursing Worker Termination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal complaint on March 23 accusing Roundy's Supermarket Inc. of unlawfully terminating a nursing employee who requested pregnancy‑related accommodations. The lawsuit claims the retailer denied a water bottle at the worker’s workstation...
EPA Issues Temporary E15 Waiver to Ease Gas Prices Amid Iran Conflict
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a five‑day emergency waiver permitting the sale of E15 gasoline across the United States. The move targets gasoline that has risen to almost $4 per gallon as the Iran war tightens oil supplies, and it...
Transparency Data: MOD Gender Pay Gap Reports 2025
The UK Equality Act 2010 mandates public bodies with 250+ staff to publish annual gender‑pay data. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) released its 2025 report on 26 March 2026, fulfilling this statutory duty for the ninth year. The disclosure includes mean and...
White & Case Employee Claims He Was Photographed Naked While Unconscious at Firm Retreat
White & Case is defending a lawsuit filed by a digital production specialist who alleges he was stripped naked and photographed while unconscious during a 2023 firm retreat in Palm Springs. The employee, identified as John Doe, says he discovered...
Volunteer Firefighters: Law Provides Protected Leave, No Time Limit
California’s Labor Code Sections 230.3 and 230.4 grant volunteer firefighters protected leave with no statutory time limit. Employers cannot prohibit the leave, retaliate, or demand advance notice of when the employee will be absent or return. Companies with 50 or...