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
Supreme Court Hears Mail-In Ballot Case that Could Impact the Midterms
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case brought by the Republican National Committee challenging state laws that permit mail‑in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted after Election Day. Currently, 14 states and the District of Columbia follow this practice, but the RNC argues that federal election statutes require ballots to be received on Election Day. The justices appeared divided along ideological lines, and a decision, expected by June, could force states to rewrite voting rules just months before the 2026 midterms. The outcome may also influence the balance of power between federal and state election authority.
Woman Who Says Bill Cosby Drugged and Raped Her in 1972 Wins Nearly $20 Million From Jury Award
A California jury found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting Donna Motsinger in 1972, awarding her $19.25 million in damages. The verdict includes $17.5 million for past harms and $1.75 million for future emotional distress. Jurors also determined...
Meta Dodges Retaliation Claims From WhatsApp Whistleblower
A U.S. magistrate judge dismissed the retaliation lawsuit filed by former WhatsApp cybersecurity head Attaullah Baig against Meta, Mark Zuckerberg and other executives. The court found Baig failed to plausibly allege a protected activity under the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act and lacked...
Judge Refuses to Release NYC Council Staffer From ICE Detention
U.S. District Judge John Cronan denied a habeas petition and refused to release Rafael Rubio, a Venezuelan data analyst for the New York City Council, keeping him in ICE detention after revoking his Temporary Protected Status. The judge ruled Rubio offered no...
Why Law Firms Fail: People, Tech, Finance Patterns
Swipe through this to see how many times I failed 👉 I found a pattern in failing. It all revolved around 1. People 2. Technology 3. Finance Join us with our Vice president of Finance & Risk (Ahmed Awad) as we go over...
How SCOTUS Could Change Vote-By-Mail
The episode examines the Supreme Court case Watson v. the RNC, where the Court appears poised to strike down Mississippi's law allowing postmarked mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day, potentially invalidating similar rules in 14 states covering about...
PhotobookShop Pays Penalties for Influencer Reviews
PhotobookShop, an Australian online photobook retailer, has been hit with two ACCC infringement notices and a AUD 39,600 (≈US$26,000) penalty for misleading influencer reviews on Instagram. The regulator found the company instructed influencers on 107 occasions between August 2024 and September 2025 not...
Opinion | The EU Trips Itself Up in the AI Race
The authors argue that the EU’s heavy‑handed AI regulations will slow innovation, jeopardizing Europe’s economic growth and security. They cite a White House Council of Economic Advisers report warning of a new "Great Divergence" between AI‑rich and AI‑poor economies. U.S....
21 States Sue Trump Admin over USDA Funding Conditions
The Biden-era USDA funding rules introduced by the Trump administration have triggered a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia. The complaint argues that the 2026 conditions—requiring compliance with broad anti‑discrimination mandates, prohibiting support...
Aggressive Tax Schemes Reveal Deep Ethical Concerns
Quoted in The New York Times on a piece examining the intersection of wealth, power, tax and estate planning in the orbit of Leon Black and Jeffrey Epstein. When tax and estate structures get this aggressive, the legal questions are only...
Illinois Probes Data Center Cost Consumer Protections
Illinois regulators launch investigation into consumer protection against data center costs #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/aw3WBbqTms
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TRC Roulette : Khampepe Inquiry: Former NPA Head Menzi Simelane Challenges Senior TRC Prosecutor’s ‘Scapegoating’
Former senior TRC prosecutor Anton Ackermann publicly apologized to ex‑NPA head Menzi Simelane, admitting his earlier testimony may have mischaracterised Simelane’s involvement in Ackermann’s removal from TRC cases. The Khampepe Commission revealed a 2003 internal memo was later falsified to...
New Bills Would Extend Whistleblower Protections to More Feds
Sen. Chuck Grassley introduced two Senate bills to broaden whistleblower protections for federal employees. S.4100 would extend the same safeguards to civil servants whose primary duties involve investigating wrongdoing, countering recent Merit Systems Protection Board rulings that raised the retaliation...
Judge Hears State Challenge to Trump’s Tech Deal Settlement
A California federal judge is hearing a challenge from Democratic state attorneys general to the Justice Department's clearance of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The states argue the settlement was ineffective and corrupt, marking the first major courtroom test...
Michael Johnson to Repay $500K in Grand Slam Track Bankruptcy Deal
Grand Slam Track reached a consensual settlement with its creditors, agreeing to amend its bankruptcy plan. The deal returns Olympic champion Michael Johnson's disputed $500,000 payment and adjusts payouts to athletes and vendors, with athletes receiving about 70% of the...
'Sled Head': Lawsuits Against USA Bobsled/Skeleton Allege Permanent Brain Damage From the Sports
Former U.S. bobsledders have filed new lawsuits claiming USA Bobsled/Skeleton knowingly hid the sport’s risk of permanent brain injury, a condition they label “sled head.” The complaints detail chronic symptoms such as memory loss, migraines and neurodegenerative disease, and add...
March Madness Cinderella With Mock Airplane Cabin & January 6 Role Getting ABA-Approved Law School
High Point University’s Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law received provisional approval from the American Bar Association, allowing its 2024‑onward graduates to sit for the bar exam. The approval is a stepping stone toward full accreditation, which must be secured...
New H-2A Legislation Coming: GOP Ag Lawmakers Target Year-Round Farm Labor Needs & Cost Controls
U.S. House Republican agriculture leaders are drafting legislation to broaden the H‑2A guest‑worker program, allowing contracts that extend beyond the current 12‑month limit. The Department of Labor’s recent adjustment to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate aligns H‑2A wages more closely...
Advisory Group Conducting Survey on No Surprises Act Good Faith Estimates
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) announced a survey to assess how health‑care providers are delivering good‑faith cost estimates to uninsured and self‑pay patients under the No Surprises Act. The questionnaire, which will remain anonymous, seeks insight into implementation...
Core Club’s Fraud Claims Against Michael Shvo Dismissed
Core Club, a members‑only New York social club, sued developer Michael Shvo alleging fraud over a promised $100 million expansion to New York, San Francisco and Milan. A New York judge dismissed the fraud claim along with breach of contract, fiduciary duty and usury...
DOL Sends New Joint Employer Rule to White House
The U.S. Department of Labor has forwarded a proposed joint‑employer rule to the White House, aiming to replace the 2021 regulation that rescinded the Trump‑era standard. The new rule is expected to be more employer‑friendly, narrowing the definition of joint...
Bimbo Bakeries Can’t Compel Massachusetts Drivers to Arbitrate Misclassification Claim
A federal district court in Massachusetts ruled that two Bimbo Bakeries delivery drivers cannot be forced into arbitration over a state‑law misclassification claim because they qualify as transportation workers exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act. The drivers, one an individual...
Bill Cosby Loses Civil Sex Assault Lawsuit in Los Angeles County; Faces $19-Million Judgment
An LA County civil jury found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting former waitress Donna Motsinger in 1972, awarding her $19.25 million in damages. The verdict follows Cosby’s earlier criminal conviction, which was overturned in 2021 after he served...
Money Laundering Vs Terrorist Financing
Money laundering and terrorist financing are often discussed together, but they are distinct financial crimes. Both fall under anti‑money‑laundering (AML) and counter‑terrorism financing (CTF) regulations, exploiting similar system vulnerabilities. The key difference lies in the source and purpose of funds:...
Commonwealth Settles SEC Revenue-Sharing Case for $5M After Challenging $93M Ruling
Commonwealth Financial Network settled its long‑running SEC revenue‑sharing case for $5 million, far below the $93 million originally ordered. The SEC had accused the firm of undisclosed conflicts of interest from 2014‑2018, alleging it steered clients into higher‑cost share classes. A 2025...
Unintended Consequences: GAO Report Questions Impact of Exercising March-In Rights for Drug Pricing
The GAO released a report evaluating NIST’s draft guidance on exercising Bayh‑Dole march‑in rights, which would let federal agencies compel non‑exclusive licensing of patents stemming from federally funded research. The draft proposes using product price as a factor, but the...
Manitoba Moves Against Retailers Charging Different Prices for the Same Goods
Manitoba has introduced legislation that prohibits retailers from using personal data to charge different prices for identical goods, making it the first Canadian province to tackle algorithmic price discrimination. The move follows similar efforts in a handful of U.S. states...
Bipartisan Senate Bill Proposes Significant Improvements To US Tax Administration
On Feb. 26, 2026 Senate Finance leaders Mike Crapo and Ron Wyden introduced the bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act (TAS), a 162‑page, ten‑title bill aimed at overhauling IRS operations. The legislation requires the agency to fully digitize return processing, launch a...
CFTC and SEC Announce Memorandum of Understanding on Regulatory Harmonization
On March 11, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize coordination across their regulatory domains. The agreement creates a Joint Harmonization Initiative targeting product definitions, clearing and margin frameworks,...
New Mexico County Seeking to Avoid Bond Default Met Illegally, AG Says
Otero County, New Mexico, convened an emergency commission meeting on March 13 to approve a five‑year ICE contract that would fund a $5.26 million debt‑service payment and prevent default on $18.48 million of bonds tied to a 2007 jail project. The state attorney...
Grand Slam Track Secures Creditor Deal, Limits Johnson Control
Grand Slam Track has an agreement with its previously unhappy unsecured creditors committee, paving the way for its Chapter 11 plan to move forward. New company will not be totally owned and controlled by Michael Johnson
What Insurers Should Expect From 2026 Amendments to N.Y. Gen. B.L. § 349
The FAIR Business Practices Act took effect on February 17, 2026, revamping New York’s General Business Law § 349 to cover not only deceptive but also unfair and abusive practices. The law expands the Attorney General’s enforcement reach to out‑of‑state entities...
FINRA Announces Updates to Enforcement Program
FINRA announced on March 2 a series of updates to its enforcement program as part of the FINRA Forward initiative. The changes introduce introductory and final meetings, mandatory 90‑day status updates, a specialization program for complex cases, and a self‑reporting pilot...
Intuit Beats FTC in Court, Ending Restrictions on "Free" TurboTax Ads
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit unanimously ruled that the FTC cannot enforce its cease‑and‑desist order against Intuit’s TurboTax ads through an administrative law judge, citing the Supreme Court’s *Jarkesy* decision. The court sent the case back...
What Does The Viral Afroman Trial Have to Do with Section 230?
A jury recently cleared rapper Afroman of defamation, confirming that his viral songs mocking a police raid were protected speech. The case underscores Section 230's role in shielding platforms like YouTube and TikTok from liability for user‑generated content. Without that...
$815,000: Store Manager Must Pay for Excessive Wages, Expenses
The British Columbia Supreme Court dismissed a wrongful‑dismissal claim and ordered former store manager John Vassilakaki to repay $814,681 CAD (approximately $603,000 USD). The court found he breached his fiduciary duty by funneling excessive wages and personal expenses to his wife, son...
Missouri Standing Committee on Commerce Approves XRP State Reserve
Missouri’s Standing Committee on Commerce voted 6-2 to advance House Bill 2080, rewriting it to create a Cryptocurrency Strategic Reserve Fund that includes XRP alongside Bitcoin. The amendment authorizes the state to purchase XRP with taxpayer dollars, marking the first...
Online Legal Database CanLII and AI Startup Caseway Settle Copyright Dispute
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) and Vancouver‑based AI startup Caseway AI have reached a confidential settlement that ends CanLII’s November 2024 lawsuit alleging unauthorized bulk downloads of its legal database. Both parties announced they will resume independent operations, with...
Lion King Composer Is Suing a Comedian for $27 Million
Hans Zimmer, the composer behind Disney’s 1994 Lion King, has filed a $27 million lawsuit against comedian Learnmore Jonasi. The suit alleges that Jonasi used the opening lines of the iconic "Circle of Life" during a two‑hour podcast appearance without permission, constituting copyright...
Woman Who Says Bill Cosby Drugged and Raped Her in 1972 Wins $59.3 Million Jury Award
A Santa Monica jury awarded Donna Motsinger $59.25 million after finding Bill Cosby liable for drugging and raping her in 1972. The verdict includes $17.5 million for past mental suffering, $1.75 million for future suffering, and $40 million in punitive damages for malice. The...
Preservation Groups File Lawsuit Against Closing Of The Kennedy Center
Eight architecture and cultural organizations have filed a federal lawsuit against President Trump and the Kennedy Center board to halt a two‑year renovation slated to start after July 4. The plaintiffs allege the plan violates historic preservation and environmental statutes and...
Swalwell Drops Lawsuit Against FHFA's Pulte as California Governor Race Heats Up
U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell has withdrawn his lawsuit accusing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte of weaponizing mortgage‑fraud investigations to silence Trump critics. The suit, filed in November, alleged that Pulte illegally accessed Swalwell’s private mortgage records in violation...
Chat, GPT, and 2(e) – The TTAB Rejects CHATGPT’s Inherent Distinctiveness Case
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board rejected OpenAI’s claim that the CHATGPT mark is inherently distinctive, labeling both “Chat” and “GPT” as descriptive under the Lanham Act. The Board affirmed the examiner’s earlier acceptance of OpenAI’s Section 2(f) argument that the...
China's AliExpress Tells EU Lawmakers It Is Working to Comply with Law
Alibaba‑owned AliExpress told EU lawmakers it is taking steps to meet the Digital Services Act after a formal investigation that began in March 2024. The platform pledged to limit default visibility of adult‑oriented products, ban illegal sellers such as the...
EU Committee on Legal Affairs Issues Report on Generative AI and Copyright
On 25 February 2026 the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs adopted a report outlining a comprehensive approach to generative AI and copyright. The document calls for a new licensing framework, mandatory transparency of training data, and a flat‑rate fee of 5‑7 %...
Supreme Court Likely Blocks Mississippi Late Ballot Law
Fascist fuckers continue their quiet coup. Supreme Court Appears Poised to Reject Mississippi Law on Late-Arriving Ballots https://t.co/kFfLNDYgrM
UPDATE: March 20, 2026 Deadline for Comments on GSA’s Proposed AI Clause Extended to April 3, 2026
On March 6, 2026 the General Services Administration issued a draft contract clause, GSAR 552.239‑7001, that would embed AI‑specific safeguarding requirements into GSA Schedule contracts. The comment deadline was extended from March 20 to April 3, 2026, and the clause will be considered...
Mastering Risk: The Role of KYC in E-Commerce Businesses
Know Your Customer (KYC) processes are becoming essential for e‑commerce platforms to secure transactions, combat fraud, and meet evolving AML regulations. By collecting identity data and leveraging AI, machine learning, and biometric technologies, businesses can verify customers in real time...
Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Law Could Be on the Chopping Block
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the state’s AI law (SB 24‑205) in 2025, but warned that its complex compliance regime could stifle innovation. The governor’s AI Policy Working Group has drafted a bill to roll back many employer obligations while preserving...
FRAND Quarterly: Navigating the Global SEP Landscape – March 2026
The first quarter of 2026 saw intensified jurisdictional battles over standard‑essential patents, with U.S., U.K., German and Unified Patent Court courts issuing a wave of anti‑suit and anti‑interim‑license injunctions. In the United States, Judge Rodney Gilstrap allowed Samsung’s RAND counterclaims...