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
SEC Declares XRP a Digital Commodity, Clearing Ripple's Regulatory Hurdle
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission officially recognized XRP as a digital commodity on March 17, effectively ending its securities lawsuit against Ripple. The decision removes a key regulatory barrier for Ripple's cross‑border payments network and could reignite investor interest in the token.
You Can’t Sue Your Staffing Agency to Cover Your Own Title VII Liability
A federal district court dismissed with prejudice a Title VII defendant’s third‑party indemnification claim against three staffing agencies. The employer had instructed the agencies not to refer women for laborer jobs and then tried to shift any resulting liability to...
Mortgage Order Adds More Rules to Diminished CFPB's Load
President Trump issued a March 13 executive order urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to revisit the Ability‑to‑Repay and Qualified Mortgage rules so smaller banks—those under $100 billion and community banks under $30 billion—can more easily compete in the mortgage market. The CFPB...
When ChatGPT Becomes Co-Counsel: A Cautionary Tale About AI and the Unauthorized Practice of Law
OpenAI faces a lawsuit from Nippon Life Insurance alleging its ChatGPT platform engaged in the unauthorized practice of law after a former policyholder used the tool as co‑counsel. The client, Graciela Dela Torre, fired her attorney, filed 21 motions and...
Claims Firms Face Compliance Risk as FCA Car Finance Deadline Nears
SmartSearch warns claims management firms and law practices that the FCA’s motor‑finance compensation scheme will go live after final rules are published on 30 March 2026, initiating a three‑to‑five‑month implementation window. Millions of consumers are expected to receive compensation before year‑end, creating...
Flynn-Flam
The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, agreed to a $1.25 million settlement with former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to obstruction and later received a presidential pardon. The payment resolves Flynn’s civil...
No, Canada Isn’t Censoring Content: Bill C‑9 Goes After Hate‑Motivated Crime—Not Your Opinions
Canada’s Combating Hate Speech Act (Bill C‑9) cleared second reading on Oct. 1, 2025 and moved to the Justice Committee. The amendment creates a distinct hate‑crime offence, criminalizes wilful promotion of Nazi or terrorist symbols (with journalism, education, art and religion...
New India Bill to Amend Transgender Rights Sparks Protests
India's parliament approved the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, which removes the right to self‑identify and ties legal recognition to biological traits. The legislation mandates medical board and district authority certification for gender‑affirming surgeries and promises to channel...
Veteran Prosecutor Accused of Telling Toronto Cop He Should Have Given ‘False Evidence’ Under Oath — ‘We Protect Our Own’
Veteran Crown attorney Marnie Goldenberg is accused of confronting Toronto police Const. Edin Hasanbasic in a courthouse hallway and suggesting he should have given false evidence, allegedly saying “we protect our own.” The exchange, captured on video, has become central...
Aspiring Judges Given Green Light to Use AI in Job Applications
The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) in England and Wales has released guidance allowing aspiring judges to use AI tools for drafting and polishing self‑assessment materials, provided they retain full responsibility for accuracy. Acceptable uses include grammar checks, structural improvements, theme...
Project Crypto’s Sleeper Storyline: Addressing Public Company Pain Points
The SEC is drafting a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency assets, signaling heightened oversight of digital securities. Cooley’s CapitalXchange blog highlights how tokenization could streamline trading, settlement, and custody for public companies, potentially creating a more direct link between issuers...
Tribunal Rules in Favour of Addison Lee Drivers over Compensation
An employment tribunal in Watford ruled in favour of over 900 Addison Lee drivers, confirming they are workers entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and other employment rights. The judgment establishes the principles for calculating compensation, which lawyers estimate will...
20-851 - Gaines Et Al V. Moore City of Et Al
The protracted Gaines v. Moore case has seen a series of rulings from 2021 through 2026, including the dismissal of several defendants and partial summary judgment on the plaintiff’s § 1983 municipal‑liability claim. The City of Moore retained its defense on...
26-206 - Jordan V. Williams
On March 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma granted the plaintiff’s motion to remand in the case Jordan v. Williams. Judge Scott L. Palk signed the order directing the clerk of court to take...
25-1419 - RLI Insurance Company V. Augusta Contracting LLC Et Al
On March 24, 2026 the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma entered a default judgment in favor of RLI Insurance Company against Augusta Contracting LLC and related defendants. The court found the defendants liable on RLI’s breach‑of‑contract claim and...
25-296 - Brown V. Oklahoma State of Et Al
A civil lawsuit identified as Brown v. Oklahoma State, docket 25‑296, has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. The complaint alleges that the State of Oklahoma and several officials violated the plaintiff’s legal...
24-1220 - Brown V. Green
The U.S. District Court dismissed the petition in Brown v. Green with prejudice after a magistrate judge recommended dismissal based on the petitioner’s waiver of his federal habeas corpus rights. The court adopted the recommendation on March 24, 2026, granting the respondent’s motion...
24-1289 - Warren Real Estate Holdings Inc V. Sinclair Construction Group Inc Et Al
On March 10, 2025, the Western District of Oklahoma granted Sinclair Construction Group and co‑defendants relief from a default judgment, setting aside the clerk’s entry of default and requiring the defendants to answer the complaint within ten days. The plaintiff’s motion for...
Calls Open: Summer School and Workshop on Consumer Law and Green Rights in the EU
University of Udine announced a summer school on consumer and market law in the European circular economy, running July 8‑17, 2026, and a one‑day workshop on judicial protection of green rights on July 14, 2026. Both events target students, researchers...
Fairness and Redistribution in Antitrust Law
The article argues that antitrust law is designed solely to protect competitive output, not to achieve wealth redistribution, with the Robinson‑Patman Act as its only exception. It traces the Act’s origin to a 1930s lobbying effort by independent grocers who...
Usdaw Welcomes ‘Landmark’ Shop Worker Protection Law as Crime and Policing Bill Clears Lords
The Crime and Policing Bill cleared its third reading in the House of Lords, creating a standalone offence for assaulting shop workers, scrapping the £200 (≈$250) shop‑lifting prosecution threshold and introducing Respect Orders for repeat offenders. A USDAW survey of...
Meta and Google Found Guilty of Building Addictive Platforms
A federal court has ruled that Meta and Google deliberately engineered their services to be addictive, marking the first major legal finding of intentional platform manipulation. The judgment cites internal documents and design choices that prioritize user engagement over well‑being....
BIGHIT MUSIC Provides Updates On Legal Proceedings Against Violation Of BTS’s Rights
BIGHIT MUSIC announced on March 26 that it has initiated legal action against individuals and online communities spreading defamatory content about BTS, expanding its real‑time monitoring and evidence‑collection efforts. The agency also reported a recent arrest of a stalker near...
Court Sets Aside S$175,000 Loan Judgment Against Woman After New Evidence of Husband's Payments Emerges
A Singapore District Court judge set aside a S$175,689 (≈US$137,300) loan judgment after the woman’s husband submitted new affidavit evidence showing he had transferred S$620,670 (≈US$484,000) to his mother, potentially covering the debt. The judge ruled that “triable issues” now...
The FRC’s “Evolution” – A Practical Pivot or a Return to Soft Regulation?
The UK Financial Reporting Council is moving from its post‑Carillion enforcement stance to a risk‑based, proportionate supervisory model. In its 2023 audit quality reviews, 77% of audits were rated good or needing limited improvement, rising to 82% among the Big...
Always (Get AI to) Read the Fine Print
Small and medium‑size enterprises (SMEs) often avoid government tenders because dense procurement paperwork creates a costly entry barrier. Emerging AI tools now automate contract creation, from NDAs to service‑level agreements, and can scan uploaded documents to highlight risky clauses. The...
DPDP Is Not a Policy Update; It’s a Structural Shift: Why Easyrewardz Is Reimagining the Modern CRM with OneConsent
India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act rewrites data handling, making consent explicit, purpose‑specific, and auditable, with penalties up to ₹250 crore (≈$30 million) and a compliance deadline of May 2027. Easyrewardz, a custodian for over 250 retail brands, is launching OneConsent, a...
What Tenants Should Know About Bed Bug Infestations and Their Rights
A growing number of tenants are confronting bed‑bug infestations, prompting a closer look at their legal rights. Most states classify bed bugs as a habitability issue, obligating landlords to remediate promptly and at no cost to renters. Tenants must provide...
Big Tech = Big Verdicts
Meta faced two landmark jury verdicts within 48 hours, beginning with a New Mexico jury awarding $375 million in damages for alleged failures to protect children and misleading safety claims. The ruling follows accusations that Meta ignored internal warnings about child...
AI Output Is Protected Speech, Limiting US Regulation
This is the right take. AI output is speech. The US government, from Federal to State to local, has little power to regulate it. You can probably address some harms via tort law (e.g., Meta's recent cases). But in the US...
Charity Commission Warns Alan Turing Institute of Its Legal Duties After Complaints
The UK Charity Commission has formally reminded the Alan Turing Institute’s trustees of their legal duties after a whistleblower lodged eight concerns about governance and financial oversight. While the regulator closed its compliance case, it issued detailed guidance and warned...
Compassionate Reporters
Gemma Kingsley was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court to seven years and seven months in prison for defrauding men of up to £30,000 (approximately $38,000) each. Judge Jason Taylor KC publicly urged reporters to cover the case with compassion, noting...
Australia's Sunscreen Regulator Wants New Rules After Recent Product Scandal
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is proposing sweeping reforms to sunscreen regulation after a consumer‑group test revealed most products failed to meet their SPF claims, prompting recalls and public outrage. The plan includes stricter testing protocols, mandatory accreditation for testing...
Cross-Border M&A: Doing Deals in Latin America
In this episode, host Kisan Patel interviews Rodrigo Domínguez, a partner at White & Case with 25 years of experience in cross‑border M&A across Latin America. They discuss how to assess country‑risk, navigate regulatory frameworks, and structure due‑diligence when buying...
Maduro Case to Test US Narcoterrorism Law with Limited Trial Success
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro returned to a Manhattan federal courtroom on March 26, facing U.S. narcoterrorism charges—a statute enacted in 2006 that carries a 20‑year mandatory minimum and has produced only four convictions to date. The law targets drug...
Balderton, AVP in ‘Covert Plot’ to Oust Cognism Founder, Court Hears
A London court heard allegations that Balderton Capital, AVP and other investors orchestrated a covert scheme to remove Cognism’s founder and former CEO. The investors are accused of leveraging board influence and share‑holder votes to force the ouster. Cognism, a...
LegalZoom Promo Code: Exclusive 10% Off LLC Formations
LegalZoom, a leading online legal service, is offering a 10% promo code for LLC formations, reducing the already modest price tag for small businesses. The author formed an LLC for a band, spending roughly $500 plus a $129 correction fee,...
Delaware Court of Chancery Sustains Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims Based on Terms of LLC Agreement
On Jan. 29, 2026 the Delaware Court of Chancery denied Victory Park Capital Advisors’ motion to dismiss, sustaining Calumet Capital Partners’ breach‑of‑fiduciary‑duty, aiding‑and‑abetting, servicing‑agreement and implied‑covenant claims. The court held that the LLC’s protective provision could not blanket‑away fiduciary duties because Delaware law...
One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact on TPS Work Permits
President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” on July 4, 2025, overhauling numerous federal programs including immigration rules. The law curtails the Department of Homeland Security’s authority over Employment Authorization Documents for Temporary Protected Status, limiting initial and...
African World Cup Fans Must Post $15K US Bond
Fans and players from five African World Cup countries face $15,000 bond to enter US https://t.co/TdcZGXKG6N
Capital + Counterfactual = Income
The Upper Tribunal overturned a First‑tier Tribunal ruling in the Boston Consulting Group UK LLP case, applying the UK mixed‑member partnership rules (MMRs) to the firm’s long‑term incentive scheme. The tribunal found that payments for "Capital Interests" were taxable as...
Spring 2026 Shipping and Energy Newsletter
The Spring 2026 Shipping and Energy Newsletter surveys a wave of UK court rulings that reshape risk allocation in shipbuilding, charter parties and offshore contracts, including the innominate classification of refund‑guarantee obligations, stricter scrutiny of force‑majeure notices, and market‑rate damages for...
U.S. Supreme Court Examines How to Value “Just Compensation” In Tax Foreclosures
On February 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan, probing how "just compensation" should be measured in tax foreclosures. The case follows the 2023 Tyler decision, which barred governments from keeping surplus...
YA Global’s Reply Brief Tees Up Appellate Court Decision
YA Global Investments filed a reply brief in the Third Circuit, contesting a Tax Court ruling that it conducted a U.S. trade or business through its agent Yorkville Advisors. The brief argues that fees labeled as structuring and monitoring were...
Bloomberg Law: Social Media Addiction & Cox Decision (Podcast)
In a Bloomberg Law podcast, Hall Estill cyber‑law partner Collin Walke breaks down a landmark jury verdict that held Meta and YouTube accountable for fostering social‑media addiction. Intellectual‑property scholar Shyam Balganesh explains the Supreme Court’s ruling that favored Cox Communications, affirming its safe‑harbor...
Class-Action Lawsuits over Nutritional Claims on the Rise in MAHA Era
Class‑action lawsuits over nutritional claims are accelerating, with filings up 58 % between 2023 and 2024 and reaching a decade high in 2021. The latest case targets David protein‑bar, alleging nearly double the advertised calories and fat, while Poppi settled an...
With April Fools Day Almost Upon Us, Broadcasters Beware of the FCC Hoax Rule
Broadcasters face heightened scrutiny this April as the FCC re‑emphasizes its hoax rule, which bars knowingly false emergency reports that could cause public harm. The rule, codified in Section 73.1217, was created after on‑air stunts diverted first responders and can trigger...