Today's Legal Pulse
UK pushes commonhold reform to boost housing supply
The Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill proposes abolishing leasehold and mandating new homes be sold as commonhold, tying the change to a target of delivering 1.5 million homes annually—the highest since 1968. The model remains untested, with fewer than 25 developments and unresolved issues around dispute resolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Sheffield Family Wins $49.5 Million Verdict Over 2019 Ethiopian Boeing Crash
A Chicago jury awarded the family of Samya Stumo $49.5 million after a 10‑day trial over the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash that killed all 157 aboard. The verdict, split into $21 million for suffering, $16.5 million for loss of companionship and $12 million for grief, highlights lingering legal pressure on Boeing to improve safety oversight.
AI‑Powered Law Firm Moritz Secures $9 Million Seed Round with 12‑Slide Pitch
Moritz, the AI‑driven law firm founded by former OpenAI counsel Pamir Ehsas, closed a $9 million seed round—three times its original goal—just before graduating from Y Combinator. The raise was driven by a concise 12‑slide deck and attracted a mix of...
ECJ Ruling on Data Subject Access Requests: Some Welcome Relief for European Employers, or Not Quite Yet? (Part I)
The European Court of Justice ruled that a first data‑subject access request (DSAR) can be classified as excessive under Article 12(5) of the GDPR when the requester’s intent is abusive, seeking to exploit the regulation for advantage. The court requires both...
BigHand and Ayora Partner to Bring AI-Powered Intelligence to Legal Pricing and Budgeting
BigHand and Ayora announced a strategic partnership that embeds Ayora’s AI Pricing Agent and data enrichment layer into BigHand’s Matter Pricing & Budgeting platform. The integration merges BigHand’s established pricing, budgeting and matter‑tracking infrastructure with Ayora’s AI‑driven data quality and...
SEC Proposes Simplified Filer Status Rules and Expanded Disclosure Accommodations
The SEC has issued a proposal to simplify filer status rules and broaden disclosure accommodations. It introduces a $2 billion public float threshold with two‑year and 60‑month eligibility windows, and contemplates an automatic adjustment mechanism for that threshold. The rule also...
Sanctions as a Bar to Enforcement: Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court Weighs In
The Swiss Federal Supreme Court (FSC) ruled that Russia‑related sanctions temporarily bar enforcement of an LCIA arbitral award against a sanctioned Angolan diamond company. The CHF 368,000 award (about $405,000) is not extinguished but placed in statutory deferral for the duration...
WTW Sues Former Yacht Team, Howden US Over Defection
Willis Towers Watson Northeast (WTWNE) filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida accusing Howden US of poaching its entire marine yacht‑insurance team. The suit alleges that senior directors, including Nancy Poppe, solicited clients before resigning and transferred broker‑of‑record...
Gibraltar Rocked Again
Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo KC, has filed a judicial review in the Supreme Court challenging 14 findings of Sir Peter Openshaw’s 700‑page inquiry that accused him of improper interference in a criminal investigation. The inquiry, commissioned by the governor, concluded that the police...
Spin-Offs: IRS Reinstates “Significant Issue” Private Letter Rulings
The IRS has reinstated its significant‑issue private letter ruling program for tax‑free spin‑offs under § 355 and related reorganizations, after suspending it in 2024. The revived program lets taxpayers request rulings on specific tax issues rather than on the entire transaction....
Property Group Lee Kim Tah Reaches Settlement with Ex-Director in Ongoing Misconduct Probe
Singapore property group Lee Kim Tah (LKT) settled its lawsuit with former director Edmund Cheah, securing his cooperation in ongoing investigations into the LKT‑Woh Hup joint venture and its subsidiary L&W Construction. The dispute stemmed from allegations that L&W’s former managing director accepted...
Insights From an Ex-USCIS Officer on Original Contributions, Authorship, and Critical Role
An ex‑USCIS officer, Evan Law of Manifest Law, shared practical guidance on filing EB‑1A extraordinary‑ability petitions. He advises presenting the strongest eligibility criterion first, noting that USCIS reviews every claim and can issue RFEs on weaker criteria even if three...
Minters Breaks the Big Law Silence: AI Is Eating Graduate Jobs
Australian law firm MinterEllison announced it will reduce its 2025‑26 graduate intake by almost a third, accepting only 72 new lawyers. The cut reflects the firm’s response to artificial intelligence automating routine, lower‑level work traditionally performed by graduates. While client...
“Artificial Intelligence Floods Court Dockets with Home-Brewed Lawsuits; For Years, Courts Have Welcomed Cases Brought by Self-Represented Litigants; Now Those...
Artificial intelligence is now being used by self‑represented litigants to draft and file lawsuits, creating a surge of AI‑generated complaints that are overwhelming court dockets. Courts report a 40% increase in filing volume since 2024, with many filings riddled with...
How Law Firm Leaders Can Balance Legacy and Innovation in a Transforming Legal Market
Law‑firm leaders are urged to blend historic identity with rapid innovation as AI reshapes legal service delivery. Thomson Reuters data shows U.S. law‑firm technology spending rose nearly 10% year‑over‑year in 2025, underscoring pressure on margins. Womble Bond Dickinson highlights its three‑decade tech...
The Guild Supports Agents Ahead of Major Regulatory Changes
The Guild of Property Professionals is intensifying support for lettings agents as Wales prepares to enforce new tenant‑protection regulations following England’s Renters’ Rights Act. Compliance officer Paul Offley warns that the pace of legislative change is accelerating, making it essential...
Pope Leo XIV’s AI Encylcical Demands Legal Oversight, Clashes with US Policy
Pope Leo XIV released the encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas,” urging governments to impose strict legal controls on artificial intelligence, especially autonomous weapons. The manifesto has sparked a public clash with the Trump administration and drawn sharp reactions from AI leaders at...
11 Lawyer Tools to Build a Modern Law Firm Stack in 2026
The 2026 guide outlines eleven lawyer tools that together form a modern law‑firm tech stack, emphasizing client communication, AI‑driven research, and seamless integration. Case Status leads with a mobile‑first client‑engagement platform that automates updates and feedback. Larger firms may gravitate...
Judicial Notice (05.25.26): Day Of Reckoning
A federal jury in Oakland dismissed Elon Musk’s $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman and Microsoft, ruling the case time‑barred. The advisory verdict was promptly adopted by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, ending Musk’s challenge to OpenAI’s for‑profit conversion. Wachtell Lipton’s William...
Firms Need to Move Faster on AI Pricing
Law firms are scrambling to align pricing with AI‑driven efficiencies, yet most remain stuck in traditional hourly models. While 80% of corporate legal executives anticipate lower outside‑counsel bills, only 9% of firms report clients actively demanding price changes. Recent data...
J.P. Morgan Ordered to Pay Wells Broker $4.25M in Wrongful Firing, Defamation Award
J.P. Morgan Securities was ordered by a FINRA arbitration panel to pay $4.25 million in damages to former Wells Fargo broker Brent R. Bodner for defamation related to his June 2024 termination. The panel also permitted Bodner to amend his public record, changing...
The AI Reckoning Has Arrived: The Case that Will Rewrite AI Laws in Products Liability
In February 2026 a San Francisco Superior Court order consolidated twelve product‑liability lawsuits against OpenAI’s ChatGPT, shifting AI litigation from isolated complaints to a coordinated mass‑tort. Plaintiffs allege the chatbot caused severe psychological harm by reinforcing delusional beliefs, encouraging self‑harm, and...
Roberts Court’s Recent Rulings Redefine Voting Rights and Court Procedures
The U.S. Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, has issued a series of high‑profile rulings that curtail key provisions of the Voting Rights Act and have sparked a debate over the length of oral arguments. A 6‑3 majority...
AMA with an Immigration Lawyer (Hundreds of EB-1As, EB-2 NIWs, and O-1s Filed, Virtual Event)
On May 20 at 8:30 PM EDT, Manifest Law will host a virtual AMA featuring immigration attorney Elizabeth Mavec. Mavec, co‑counsel at the firm, has managed hundreds of EB‑1A, EB‑2 NIW, and O‑1 visa petitions. The session will dissect recent adjudications, showcase strong...
International Family Law Expert Dr. Hassan Elhais Speaks in Singapore
International family‑law specialist Dr. Hassan Elhais, a Band 1 Chambers & Partners practitioner with 21 years of experience and more than 8,000 cases, joined Drew & Napier’s International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026 in Singapore. The exclusive summit, organized by Shu Mei Hoon,...
Nebraska Supreme Court Denies Death Benefits in Workplace Fall, Cancer Treatment Case
The Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the denial of statutory death benefits for a worker whose pre‑existing metastatic cancer progressed after a workplace hip injury. The court ruled that plaintiffs must present expert testimony with definitive causation, and the medical opinions...
Ninth Circuit Panel Goes Out of Its Way to Question Section 230–Doe V. Meta
The Ninth Circuit revived a Section 230 analysis in Doe v. Meta, a case stemming from the Rohingya genocide, even though the district court had dismissed the claims on statute‑of‑limitations grounds without mentioning the immunity provision. The panel ordered supplemental briefing...
Seventh Circuit Backs Employer on Reference Check in Race Discrimination Case
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Will County Sheriff’s Merit Commission, ruling that a negative reference obtained by phone was a legitimate, nondiscriminatory basis for rejecting a Black applicant’s deputy sheriff candidacy. The court rejected the plaintiff’s claims...
Iowa Supreme Court Bars Negligent Retention Claims when Vicarious Liability Is Conceded
The Iowa Supreme Court adopted the preemption rule, barring separate negligent‑retention claims when an employer concedes vicarious liability for an employee’s misconduct. The unanimous May 22, 2026 opinion aligns Iowa with states such as California and Washington, rejecting the approach taken by...
Georgia Court Expands Non-Compete Reach Into States with No Direct Customers
A Georgia appeals court ruled that a non‑compete can extend into a state where the employer has no direct customers if it maintains a tangible presence through an affiliate. The decision involved Total Play, a North Carolina gaming‑machine firm, whose...
Court Tosses Bid to Force EPA Whistleblower Report Against Federal Contractor
A federal court dismissed a former CSRA contractor’s attempt to compel the EPA Inspector General to issue a whistleblower report, ruling that the 180‑day statutory deadline is final and that missed deadlines shift the remedy to federal court. The decision...
Virginia Enacts Assault‑Firearm Ban, Triggering Major Second Amendment Fight
Virginia's General Assembly approved HB 217/SB 749, effective July 1, criminalizing the transfer or purchase of assault‑style rifles and magazines over 15 rounds with up to one year in jail. Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the measure on May 14, but the ban...
Acceptability of Naked Break Fees in Australian Schemes of Arrangements
Australian M&A practice continues to grapple with "naked" break fees, where a target must pay the bidder if shareholders reject a deal. The Takeovers Panel treats such fees as potentially unacceptable even when they fall below the 1% of target...
The Future of the Legal Profession: Beyond the Billable Hour.
Corporate legal departments are transitioning from pure risk mitigation to measurable value creation as businesses approach 2027. Legal Operations 2.0 emphasizes revenue impact, leveraging contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools to turn static agreements into actionable data. New outcome‑based KPIs such...
Discount Or Deception? Coles Found to Have Misled Consumers in "Down Down" Promotions
On 14 May 2026 the Federal Court of Australia ruled that Coles Supermarkets misled shoppers with its “Down Down” promotions, where “was” prices were only held for about four weeks before a discount was advertised. The court held that a genuine discount requires...
SEC Adds New Jurisdictions to FPI Section 16(a) Relief: Australia, India, and Singapore
On May 20, 2026 the SEC issued an exemptive order expanding Section 16(a) relief for directors and officers of foreign private issuers (FPIs) to include Australia, India and Singapore. The order builds on a March 5, 2026 order that already covered Canada, Chile, the EEA,...
Shell Emissions Case Reaches Dutch Supreme Court
The Dutch Supreme Court has agreed to hear a landmark climate‑change lawsuit against Shell, alleging the company misrepresented its carbon emissions and failed to align with national climate goals. The case stems from a 2021 lower‑court ruling that ordered Shell...
229. A Tale of Two High-Profile Immigration Cases
Federal courts issued opposing rulings in two high‑profile immigration cases from the Trump era. The Third Circuit en banc denied rehearing a panel decision, upholding a statute that forces Mahmoud Khalil to pursue his First Amendment and due‑process claims within...
Jury Dismisses Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI, Spotlighting AI Funding and Governance
A California jury has thrown out Elon Musk’s lawsuit alleging OpenAI breached its nonprofit promise, underscoring the massive capital at stake in frontier AI. The decision fuels debate over how AI ventures are funded and governed as both OpenAI and...
Microsoft Launches Legal Agent AI in Word, Promising Junior‑lawyer‑level Contract Review
Microsoft has introduced a Legal Agent AI feature inside Word that can scan contracts, flag risks and suggest edits with speed and accuracy likened to a junior attorney. The tool is currently in a limited U.S. trial via the Frontier...
Botswana Couple Files Constitutional Challenge to Legalise Same‑Sex Marriage
Lawyers Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile have filed a constitutional case in Botswana seeking to legalise same‑sex marriage. The case pits the couple against the government and traditional groups, with hearings set for 14‑15 July, and could make Botswana the continent’s...
FDIC Board Approves AML Rule Targeting Stablecoin Issuers Under GENIUS Act
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s board approved a notice of proposed rulemaking that adds anti‑money‑laundering and sanctions requirements to its payment stablecoin framework. The rule, part of the GENIUS Act, could affect 5 to 30 FDIC‑supervised institutions that issue payment...
Chaac Pizza Northeast Sues Pizza Hut for $100 Million over Mandatory AI Kitchen System
Chaac Pizza Northeast, which runs 111 Pizza Hut outlets in the Mid‑Atlantic, has filed a $100 million lawsuit in Texas alleging that Pizza Hut’s required Dragontail AI kitchen platform crippled operations and breached the franchise agreement. The case spotlights growing tensions...
AvidXchange and Centerbase Partner to Modernize AP Workflows for Law Firms
AvidXchange has been named the exclusive embedded payments partner for Centerbase, the legal practice management platform. The integration embeds AvidXchange’s Accounts Payable as a Service directly into Centerbase, allowing law firms to approve invoices, execute payments and reconcile transactions without...
Treasury Subpoenas Influencer Hasan Piker and CodePink Co‑Founder Medea Benjamin Over Cuba Aid Trip
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued administrative subpoenas to Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and CodePink co‑founder Medea Benjamin, demanding records on their March 2026 trip to Cuba. The probe examines whether the “Nuestra América Convoy” violated U.S....
Australian Unions Welcome ICJ Ruling Affirming Workers’ Right to Strike
The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion confirming that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention 87, ending a 14‑year stalemate within the UN labour body. Australian unions, led by ACTU President Michele O’Neil, welcomed the ruling...
Artificial Intelligence Floods Court Dockets with Home-Brewed Lawsuits
A Minnesota pro se litigant used ChatGPT and Claude to draft a federal lawsuit after an earlier dismissal. The AI‑generated filing included extensive legal research, prompting judges to note a surge of similar AI‑assisted pro se complaints that are clogging...
When Tariffs Become Treaty Claims: Can U.S. Trade Measures Trigger Investor-State Arbitration?
The U.S. Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not empower the President to impose tariffs, prompting the White House to repeal the IEEPA‑based duties. This domestic ruling...
Virtual Presentation (in English) on May 26, 2026: Prof. TU Guangjian on China’s Shift on Foreign State Immunity and Its...
Professor Tu Guangjian will discuss China’s new Law on Foreign State Immunity, which replaces the absolute immunity doctrine with a restrictive regime. The shift aims to harmonize Chinese practice with international norms and raises complex implementation issues for Hong Kong and...
Three Hospital Systems Sue CVS Over Alleged $250 Million 340B Savings Misuse
Mount Sinai, University of Michigan Health and the University of Kansas Hospital Authority have filed lawsuits accusing CVS Health of diverting roughly $250 million in 340B drug‑pricing savings. The complaints claim CVS kept the spread as profit, prompting demands for damages...
Law Squared Appoints Erica Zhong to Lead Cubed Contract Automation Platform
Law Squared has hired Erica Zhong, a legal‑tech veteran, to run its Cubed contract‑automation platform. The move comes as in‑house legal departments scramble to adopt AI while grappling with data‑governance challenges. Zhong’s blend of corporate law, consulting and tech experience...