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
Oil Futures Surge $580 M Minutes Before Trump’s Iran Pause, Triggering Insider‑Trading Probe
A sudden $580 million rush of oil futures contracts hit the market minutes before President Donald Trump announced a five‑day cease‑fire on attacks against Iran, prompting the CFTC to launch an insider‑trading investigation. The spike coincided with a 10% drop in Brent crude and massive $1.5 billion S&P 500 futures buying, highlighting the tight link between geopolitics and derivatives markets.
Mitratech Debuts ARIES AI, Cutting Docket Work by 66%
Mitratech Legal Solutions introduced ARIES™ AI, an advanced docket‑management add‑on for its TeamConnect platform. The governed AI engine claims to reduce manual docketing effort by as much as 66% and save roughly 30 minutes per scheduling order, promising faster, lower‑risk...
Birthright Citizenship: More on Pete Patterson’s Claims
Attorney Pete Patterson’s recent essay on birthright citizenship repeats and expands on earlier errors, notably ignoring the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act that defines citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil. The critique highlights his misreading of the 14th Amendment’s...
Ex-Law-Student's Defamation Claim Against Howard University Can Proceed in Part
The D.D.C. court allowed two of Michael Newman's defamation claims against Howard University to proceed while granting summary judgment on the rest. Newman, a former law student expelled after academic and disciplinary issues, alleges Dean Holley made false, malicious statements...
Kansas House Moves Forward on Bill to Tighten PBM Rules and Lower Drug Prices
The Kansas House of Representatives approved a bill that would tighten regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to help lower prescription‑drug prices. The measure now heads to the Senate, where it could reshape how insurers negotiate drug rebates and pricing.
Anthropic Sues Pentagon over Supply‑chain Risk Ban on Claude AI Model
Anthropic has filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to block the Department of Defense's ban on its Claude AI system, arguing the Pentagon's "supply‑chain risk" label violates the First Amendment and due‑process rights. The case pits the AI startup...
JPMorgan Seeks TRO Against Bank-Based Advisor Who Joined RIA in Indiana
JPMorgan Chase has filed a temporary restraining order in federal court against former Chase Private Client advisor Thomas Staley, who left in February to join independent RIA Maia Wealth. The bank alleges Staley violated a one‑year non‑solicitation agreement by contacting...
Court Dismisses Grenell Lawsuit, Intimidation Fails
They tried to silence me. They failed. Today, the court dismissed Richard Grenell’s lawsuit against me—with prejudice. This case was never about justice. It was about intimidation. Thank you to my attorneys, @markzaid and Tom Craig, and to everyone who stood by me...
Voice of America Lawsuit Again Lands with Judge Lamberth
Unsurprisingly, this new Voice of America lawsuit also was assigned to Judge Royce Lamberth. https://t.co/mhLFiZ9bJc
Russia Postpones Telegram and YouTube Ad Ban, Easing Pressure on Online Marketing
Russia’s Federal Anti‑Monopoly Service (FAS) has delayed the enforcement of its advertising ban on Telegram and YouTube until December 2026, after pushback from lawmakers and the online‑business sector. The postponement grants a three‑year grace period while the ban on Instagram,...
Ontario’s Civil Procedure Reset
Ontario is poised to overhaul its civil justice rules by introducing a three‑track framework that categorises applications, summary matters and trials. The reforms tighten timelines, enforce proportionality, and revamp discovery, jury trials, limitation periods and affidavit evidence. Counsel will need...
LA Trial Pivots Legal Focus to Public Health
Here is the long-term significance of today's Los Angeles social media trial victory: it is a move away from a conversation about speech and innovation, and toward bringing public health concerns decisively to the legal forefront. Read...
Mayer Brown Adds LA Funds Partner
Law firm Mayer Brown announced the addition of a Los Angeles-based partner specializing in private fund matters. The new attorney will advise clients on fund formation, secondary market transactions, and institutional investor mandates. This hire bolsters Mayer Brown’s West Coast...
Europe’s Digital Networks Act: A Foundation for the AI-Driven Economy
The European Commission introduced the Digital Networks Act (DNA) in January 2026 to replace the 2018 Electronic Communications Code and modernize EU telecom rules. The legislation targets accelerated deployment of 5G/6G, fiber, and secure, resilient infrastructure to meet soaring AI‑driven...
Judge Says Jury Gets to Decide if Nexstar Defamed News Directors Fired over Memo
A federal judge rejected Nexstar Media Group's bid for summary judgment, allowing former WOOD‑TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant Amy Fox to proceed to a jury trial on defamation and wrongful‑termination claims. The lawsuit stems from a memo that...
Court to Consider Ability of Federal Courts to Confirm Arbitration Awards
The Supreme Court will hear *Jules v. Andre Balazs Properties*, a case that tests whether federal courts can confirm arbitration awards after compelling arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The dispute stems from Badgerow v. Walters, where the Court...
Lawsuit Claims Austin Transportation Fee Is an Unconstitutional Tax
A Texas Public Policy Foundation lawsuit alleges Austin’s transportation user fee is an unconstitutional tax, demanding the city halt the charge. The fee, enacted in 1991, generated $139.2 million in fiscal 2025 and is projected to rise 11% to $156.7 million for fiscal 2026....
Squires Orders Rehearing to Address Obviousness-Type Double Patenting
On March 5, 2026 USPTO Director John Squires granted a sua sponte rehearing to review the PTAB’s decision overturning obviousness‑type double patenting (OTDP) rejections in the Ex Parte Baurin case. The PTAB found the reference patent was not a proper OTDP reference because its...
Binance Tightens Market Making Rules In Wake of Crash Criticism
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, announced stricter market‑making rules after the October 10 crash that erased roughly $19 billion in leveraged bets. The new policy bans revenue‑sharing arrangements between token projects and market makers, prohibits price‑manipulation tactics, and requires projects...
Secularism Law Challenged in Canada’s Supreme Court
The Canadian Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to Quebec's secularism law, which bars civil servants such as judges and police officers from wearing religious symbols. Quebec seeks to extend the ban to teachers and childcare workers, mirroring France's approach....
The Startup Mistake No One Talks About — Until It Shuts You Down
Startups often ignore regulatory compliance until missed filings trigger penalties or even forced dissolution. State filing requirements differ widely, creating a patchwork that founders rarely anticipate. Building simple, proactive compliance systems early—such as calendars, monitoring tools, and professional agents—can safeguard...
Brief Challenging California Law Banning Publication of Information About Sealed Arrests
The amicus brief challenges California’s anti‑dissemination statute that criminalizes publishing sealed arrest records, arguing it violates the First Amendment. The court granted a special motion to strike, finding the plaintiff’s claims were protected by anti‑SLAPP law and lacked merit. An...
Meta Is Pulling Back From the Metaverse: Is This the End for Virtual Law Offices?
Meta announced a major pullback from its metaverse ambitions, slashing the Horizon Worlds budget and postponing the launch of next‑generation VR headsets. The decision follows stagnant user growth, rising development costs, and a strategic shift toward artificial intelligence and its...
EVENT NEAR CAPACITY, REGISTER NOW: CFTC Enforcement Director David Miller to Announce Enforcement Priorities and Discuss Insider Trading in the...
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Enforcement Director, David Miller, will announce the agency’s 2026 enforcement priorities and discuss insider trading risks in prediction markets at a Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement (PCCE) event on March 31, 2026. The fireside...
Mamdani Makes Campaign Promise About-Face, Appeals Housing Voucher Expansion
Zohran Mamdani’s administration filed an appeal to the state’s highest court challenging the City Council’s authority to expand the CityFHEPS housing voucher program. The appeal contradicts Mamdani’s 2023 campaign promise to broaden vouchers, which currently serve 68,000 households and cost...
Speech, Section 5, and Some Curious Scribbling: A First Amendment Story
The FTC sent a warning letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook alleging that Apple News may favor left‑leaning outlets and suppress conservative sources, raising possible Section 5 violations under the FTC Act. The move comes as critics push to repeal the...
Possible $5K Sanctions for Repeated Mis-Citation in Coomer V. Lindell / My Pillow Election-Related Libel Suit
The federal court in Denver has taken a firm stance against careless use of generative AI in litigation. In the defamation suit Coomer v. Lindell, Judge Nina Wang issued an Order on Post‑Trial Motions compelling the defense to show cause...
IRS Watchdog Cites Resource Limits, Duplication in Partnership Audits
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reported that limited resources and duplicated review steps have crippled the IRS’s partnership audit initiatives. A soft‑letter campaign to 483 large partnerships generated few usable responses, and the Large Partnership Compliance program...
When Routine School Decisions Become Federal Cases
Routine K‑12 decisions—parent notifications, staff speech, student support—are increasingly being framed as federal constitutional claims under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and Title IX. Since 2022 courts have lowered the escalation threshold, allowing ordinary disputes to become multi‑dimensional federal cases with...
Lion King Composer Sues Comedian For Misrepresenting “Circle Of Life”
South African composer Lebo M, famed for the opening chant in Disney’s The Lion King, has sued Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi for allegedly misrepresenting the song’s meaning on a podcast and in a stand‑up routine. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, claims the...
Gov Proposes Disclosure Delay for Most Serious Cyberattacks
Australia is consulting on new rules that would allow a temporary, roughly 30‑day delay in publicly disclosing serious cyber‑attacks on critical‑infrastructure operators, including ASX‑listed firms. The proposal aims to give entities time to mitigate threats without compromising national security or...
Today's Afternoon Briefing
The Supreme Court heard arguments on a challenge to allowing states to count mail‑in ballots for up to five days after an election, with the majority expressing skepticism about the necessity of the extension. The Court also unanimously ruled that...
Family Law Matters: What You Need to Know
Family law covers divorce, separation, child custody, support, and adoption, each with distinct legal pathways. Engaging attorneys who understand local court rules can trim expenses and ease procedural stress. Distinguishing divorce from separation enables clients to select the appropriate legal...
Miley Cyrus ‘Flowers’ Case Must Go to Trial, Her Accusers Say: ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire’
Tempo Music, which owns the rights to Bruno Mars' co‑writer Philip Lawrence, has filed a motion urging a federal judge to reject Miley Cyrus' request to dismiss the copyright lawsuit over her 2023 hit “Flowers.” The plaintiff claims the song...
Never Too Late: If You Missed the IPKat Last Week!
The IPKat weekly roundup highlights a series of cross‑border intellectual property developments. The CJEU clarified copyright subsistence for critical editions, while the EU General Court refined the genuine‑use test for local trademark users. In Australia, federal courts appear more willing...
DOJ Agrees to Pay $1.25 Million Settlement to Michael Flynn
The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to pay Michael Flynn $1.25 million to resolve his claim of wrongful prosecution. The settlement was filed in a Florida federal court, with both government and Flynn’s attorneys notifying the judge of the agreement....
Government AI Defense Contracts Spark Complex Disputes
Supplier contract disputes can be complicated. And when it’s a govt. contract, in a sensitive spend area like defense, and for a high-profile service/application like AI or other emergent tech, then things can get really tricky. Via @CristinaCriddle @FT https://t.co/OJzNWfcs68
Faulty AI Leads to Record $10,000 Fine for Oregon Lawyer
A Salem‑based civil attorney, Bill Ghiorso, was hit with a record $10,000 fine after the Oregon Court of Appeals found his AI‑generated brief contained 15 fabricated citations and nine invented quotes. The judge noted the lawyer’s reliance on a paralegal’s...
KBR Loses $1.8 Billion NASA Contract Challenge to Ascend JV
KBR’s protest of NASA’s $1.8 billion COSMOS contract was rejected by the Government Accountability Office, leaving the award to the Ascend joint venture of Amentum and Aerodyne. The five‑year contract, with two optional extensions, supports command‑and‑control systems for Orion, the Space...
Judge Tosses Former Wells Fargo Branch Manager’s Reverse Discrimination Suit
A federal judge in Fort Wayne dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Wells Fargo branch manager Timothy Poppens, who alleged reverse race and age discrimination and defamation. The court found Wells Fargo’s termination reasons—policy violations and failure to meet recruitment targets—substantiated and...
SkyBell Technologies V. Alarm.com: Reverse Engineering Prohibitions and the Statute of Limitations Discovery Rule in Trade Secrets Litigation
The Eastern District of Virginia ruled in SkyBell Technologies v. Alarm.com that the plaintiff’s trade‑secret claims were not time‑barred despite Alarm.com’s statute‑of‑limitations argument. SkyBell, which licensed its video‑doorbell technology to Alarm.com under a 2015 Development and Integration Agreement, terminated the...
Tariff Pass-Through Litigation Expands
The U.S. Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 decision invalidating IEEPA tariffs has triggered consumer class actions against retailers such as Fabletics and Costco for allegedly passing tariff costs to shoppers. The lawsuits claim violations of state consumer‑protection statutes and seek...
Federal Circuit Widens Net for Corresponding Structure Under §112(f) – Three Takeaways for Patent Counselors
The Federal Circuit reversed a district‑court ruling in Gramm v. Deere, holding that a structure can qualify as corresponding structure under 35 U.S.C. §112(f) even if the patent specification describes additional, unclaimed functions. The court clarified that indefiniteness analysis must focus...
California Wants Grocery Stores to Display Non-Ultraprocessed Food More Prominently
California is advancing a bill that requires grocery stores to prominently display foods that are not ultraprocessed, using a new “California Certified” seal. The seal, modeled after the USDA Organic label, will be available to applicants starting June 2028 and...
Chinese Firms Boost AWS Compliance Demand 250% Abroad
Chinese companies' demand for Amazon Web Services compliance has increased by 250% as they expand overseas | Going Global · Technology _ https://t.co/YUHaLiFdIV https://t.co/w6d3n4u8bd
Liability Under Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave
Massachusetts courts have clarified that the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law imposes liability only on employer entities, not on individual officers or directors. A Superior Court ruling dismissed claims against individuals, while the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed that...
Wealthsimple Gets Regulatory Approval to Enter Prediction Markets
Wealthsimple, the Toronto‑based fintech valued at roughly $10 billion, secured initial approval from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) to launch prediction‑market contracts linked to economic indicators, financial markets and climate trends. The clearance permits binary “yes‑or‑no” forecast contracts, though the...
EFF Sues for Answers About Medicare's AI Experiment
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to obtain records on the WISeR program, a multi‑state Medicare pilot that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate prior‑authorization requests. WISeR,...
Romania Pays the Cyber Price for Backing Ukraine. Where Is the EU?
Romania’s water agency, coal‑power producer and oil‑pipeline operator have suffered ransomware attacks linked to Russian‑aligned groups such as Qilin and Gentlemen, which the country’s top cyber official says are timed with its support for Ukraine. The EU possesses a cyber‑sanctions...
EDiscovery and AI in 2026: What Two Legal Tech Founders Really Think Is Coming
Two leading legal‑tech founders outline how AI will reshape eDiscovery by 2026, forecasting that automated document review will handle the majority of workload and that predictive coding will become self‑training. They predict cloud‑native platforms will become the default for midsize...