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
EEOC Rescinds 2024 Workplace Harassment Guidance: What Employers Need to Know
The EEOC voted 2‑1 on Jan 22, 2026 to rescind its 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment, its first major policy reversal since regaining a quorum in late 2025. The original guidance modernized Title VII interpretation, incorporated Bostock, remote‑work issues, and gender‑identity protections. The rescission follows a Texas court ruling striking down gender‑identity sections and aligns with Executive Order 14168 directing agencies to drop non‑binary sex interpretations. While the guidance is gone, the underlying statutes and Supreme Court precedents remain fully enforceable.
Supreme Court to Decide Timing of Actuarial Assumptions in Withdrawal Liability Calculations
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari to resolve a split among federal circuits over whether multi‑employer pension plans must use actuarial assumptions fixed at the end of the plan year or may adopt new assumptions after year‑end based on...
Georgia Hasn’t Had a Consumer Advocate for Electric Ratepayers for 18 Years
Georgia eliminated its Consumer Utilities Counsel (CUC) in 2008, leaving the state without an independent advocate for residential and small‑business electricity customers. Recent attempts to restore the office have stalled in the state Senate, despite growing concerns over rapid utility...
A Threat to The Kompetenz-Kompetenz Principle? The Intervention of The São Paulo Appellate Court in The Formation of The...
The São Paulo Appellate Court (TJSP) annulled the CAM B3 President’s decision appointing all arbitrators in the Vale shareholders’ arbitration, intervening before the tribunal was constituted. Vale argued a fundamental right to choose an arbitrator, while the court held the action admissible,...
Baker Botts Adds Arbitration Partner From Norton Rose Fulbright in Singapore
U.S. law firm Baker Botts has added seasoned energy partner Katie Chung from Norton Rose Fulbright to its Singapore office, bolstering its international arbitration capabilities in Asia. Chung arrives with two decades of experience handling high‑stakes disputes across energy, infrastructure...
AI Business Gong Hires Ex-Lacework Legal Head as CLO
Gong, the San Francisco‑based AI revenue‑intelligence platform, announced the appointment of Joe FitzGerald as chief legal officer, succeeding John Slavitt. FitzGerald arrives from Lacework, where he served as CLO, and brings more than 25 years of experience in compliance, corporate...
Marshall Backtracks on Plan to Cut Women’s Swimming and Diving
Marshall University reversed its decision to eliminate the women’s swimming and diving program after a group of athletes filed a Title IX lawsuit. The university cited financial realities and the cost of maintaining Division I swimming facilities as the original reason for...
ICE Futures U.S. Fines, Suspends Former Tereos Trader for Alleged Rule Violations
ICE Futures U.S. announced disciplinary action against former Tereos trader Rabah Djennane for alleged rule violations. The Business Conduct Committee found Djennane placed large orders on one side of the market, cancelled them after smaller opposite orders filled, and later...
‘It Does Feel Like an Intimidation Campaign’: Why Is US Tech Giant Palantir Suing a Small Swiss Magazine?
Palantir, the U.S. data‑analytics giant, filed a lawsuit in a Swiss commercial court demanding a right‑of‑reply from the small, reader‑funded magazine Republik after the outlet published an investigative piece on Palantir’s failed attempts to secure Swiss government contracts. The article,...
Suspending Judgement
The episode critiques the extension of whole‑life prison terms, arguing they contradict efforts to reduce incarceration and actually undermine security in high‑security facilities. It highlights how such sentences make prisons less safe for both inmates and staff, violating the principle...
Would You Trust It? AI Tool to Assist Landlord Compliance
Rent Fix Legals has launched RentFix.ai, an AI‑driven legal platform designed to help UK landlords comply with the upcoming Renters’ Rights Act. Powered by Anthropic’s Claude model and trained on more than 100,000 UK legal documents, the tool claims 99.7%...
Michigan Court Blocks Mortgage Holder From Claiming Tax-Foreclosure Surplus Proceeds
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Banyon Investments lost its claim to surplus proceeds from a tax‑foreclosure sale after missing required filing deadlines. Under the General Property Tax Act, mortgage holders must file a Form 5743 by July 1 and a...
North Myrtle Beach Injury Claims: Your Path Forward
North Myrtle Beach’s seasonal tourism surge raises accident risk, prompting many personal injury claims. South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence law lets victims recover damages if they are less than 50% at fault, a threshold insurers often contest. Local attorneys leverage...
Bachelorette Contracts Demand Full Risk Disclosure, Indemnify Producers
Lawyer thoughts on The Bachelorette being canceled? Reality TV lead agreements are usually loaded with “representations and warranties” clauses that require the participant to disclose any material facts that could impact production, reputation, or insurability—think prior conduct, ongoing investigations, or anything...
Publix Not Liable in ‘Unforeseeable’ 2021 Supermarket Shooting, Florida Court Says
A Florida appeals court ruled that Publix Supermarkets had no legal duty to protect shoppers from an unforeseeable 2021 shooting, upholding a summary‑judgment ruling for the retailer. The court emphasized that liability hinges on the foreseeability of an attack, and...
Ex-Trader Suing Deutsche Bank Wants £500 Million in Paschi Case
Former Deutsche Bank executive Michele Faissola is suing the bank in the UK for up to £500 million, alleging the lender damaged his career over the Monte dei Paschi scandal. Deutsche Bank disclosed that four ex‑employees have filed claims totalling over...
NYC Eyes Ending Legal Support For Ex-Mayor Adams in Sexual Assault Lawsuit
New York City’s corporation counsel filed a motion to withdraw city‑funded legal representation for former mayor Eric Adams in a sexual‑assault lawsuit alleging misconduct in 1993. The city argues Adams was not acting within the scope of his municipal employment...
Trial Begins for Maui Doctor Accused of Trying to Murder Wife
The trial of Gerhardt Konig, a former Maui Memorial Hospital anesthesiologist, opened in Honolulu on charges of second‑degree attempted murder after prosecutors allege he tried to push his wife off a ridge and beat her with a rock. The prosecution...
About to Take Off?: Legal Fights Emerge Over Toxic Fumes on Flights
Toxic fume events on commercial aircraft have surged, with the Wall Street Journal noting a sharp rise in reported incidents over the last decade. Plaintiffs are now suing manufacturers and airlines, highlighted by a $40 million lawsuit against Boeing after a...
Sale of Business Non-Competes: The Forfeiture for Competition Alternative
Mayer Brown’s March 2026 memo urges acquirers to replace traditional non‑compete covenants with forfeiture‑for‑competition (FFC) clauses after Delaware courts increasingly invalidate non‑competes on reasonableness grounds. An FFC ties a supplemental cash benefit to the seller’s agreement not to compete, and because...
How Moelis’ Void/Voidable Distinction May Affect Advance Notice Bylaw Challenges
The Delaware Supreme Court in *Moelis & Company v. West Palm Beach Firefighters’ Pension Fund* clarified that corporate provisions that could be remedied through a charter amendment are “voidable,” not “void,” thereby allowing equitable defenses such as laches. This nuanced...
Week in Review
This week’s federal actions spanned health, environment and constitutional law. A U.S. District Judge halted the CDC’s plan to cut child vaccine recommendations, deeming the process arbitrary, while another judge struck down Arkansas’s Ten Commandments classroom display law as a...
What the EU Biotech Act Delivers for Europe
The European Union’s proposed Biotech Act seeks to streamline fragmented regulatory procedures, create coordinated clinical‑trial pathways, and introduce new instruments such as regulatory sandboxes and data‑quality accelerators. By aligning biotech oversight with the AI Act and the European Health Data...
A Fashion Brand’s Guide to Tariff Refunds, with ArentFox Schiff’s Angela Santos
The Glossy Podcast featured ArentFox Schiff partner Angela Santos discussing the fallout from the Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision that struck down IEEPA‑based tariffs. The ruling sparked an immediate rollout of new tariff regimes, leaving fashion importers uncertain about refund timelines....
Fines Are Just a Cost of Business – and Forgiveness for Big Tech Behaving Badly. Here’s What Needs to Happen
Countries are turning to fines to enforce new social‑media rules for children, following Australia’s lead. Recent penalties – such as the UK’s £14 million fine on Reddit and the EU’s multi‑hundred‑million‑euro fines on Apple, Meta and Google – illustrate a growing...
Fifth Circuit Revives Terroristic Threat Charges Against Roblox Player
A Fifth Circuit panel revived a federal indictment against 18‑year‑old James Wesley Burger for alleged terroristic threats made on the Roblox platform. The appeals court rejected a district judge’s view that the statements were protected role‑playing speech, ordering the issue to...
Nestlé Employee Wins Rs 27 Lakh After Washroom Vaping Row
A UK employment tribunal ordered Nestlé to pay £22,000 (approximately Rs 27 lakh) to Luke Billings, a technical operator dismissed for allegedly vaping in a disabled toilet that set off a fire alarm and halted production. Billings denied vaping at work but admitted...
Paris Appeals Court Blocks Bid to Suspend Shein’s Marketplace
Paris’ Court of Appeal rejected France’s request to suspend Shein’s marketplace, upholding a December ruling that the platform must enforce stricter age‑verification for sensitive items. The decision follows a scandal where child‑like sex dolls and prohibited weapons were found on...
For Staten Island, The Interim Docket Is The Final Docket
On March 3, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency stay in the Staten Island redistricting dispute Malliotakis v. Kosinski, effectively ending the case before the midterm elections. The stay was issued per curiam without explanation, and the parties subsequently dismissed the...
Canada’s Supreme Court Scrutinizes Facebook’s Role in Cambridge Analytica Privacy Scandal
Canada’s Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Privacy Commissioner alleges Facebook violated PIPEDA by lacking meaningful consent and failing safeguards. Facebook argues users consented via terms and that data isn’t sensitive. Justices...
Kevin Spacey’s ‘Mental Illness’ Should Trigger $29.5 Million Payout, ‘House of Cards’ Trial Jurors Hear
A Santa Monica civil trial pits Media Rights Capital (MRC) against insurer Fireman’s Fund over a $29.5 million claim tied to Kevin Spacey’s alleged mental illness. MRC argues Spacey’s diagnosis of sexual‑compulsive behavior rendered him incapable of performing, triggering the policy’s loss provision....
What to Watch in 2026: Key US Fashion, Apparel and Beauty Cases
In 2026 a wave of U.S. lawsuits is testing intellectual‑property limits across fashion, apparel and beauty. Whoop alleges Chinese maker Shenzhen Lexqi copied its minimalist wearable design, while Lululemon claims Costco’s Kirkland dupes infringe trademarks, design patents and trade dress....
Nova Scotia Barristers’ Body Elects Rob Kennedy as Second Vice-President for 2026-2027
The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society has appointed senior Crown counsel Rob Kennedy as its second vice‑president for the 2026‑2027 term, effective June when he will serve as acting president. Kennedy, a Dalhousie Law graduate and King’s Counsel, also teaches criminal...
Top Media Lawyer Receives High Court Apology over ‘Lawfare’ Allegation
Northern Ireland media lawyer Paul Tweed received a formal apology in the High Court after academic Andreas Krieg falsely accused him of "lawfare" against UAE critics. Krieg admitted the allegations in his book *Subversion* were defamatory and agreed to have...
US Immigration Judge Terminates Asylum Claim for Five-Year-Old, Orders Removal
A Minnesota immigration judge denied asylum for five‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, ordering their removal from the United States. The ruling follows the family’s high‑profile ICE detention during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge and a recent federal...
Constant Rebranding Signals a Scam, Not an Agency
If you have an “agency” and you’ve had to rebrand it and rename it 3 times since December to try to get around regulations and bad reviews …you don’t have an agency, you’re running a scam
Supreme Court Hears Facebook Privacy Case, Outcome Uncertain
It was an interesting hearing, with a very engaged bench of judges. Trying to predict the outcome based on the judges' questions is a mug's game, so we'll just have to wait and see. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-reserves-decision-facebook-privacy-case-9.7134978
Multi-Office Firms Add New Openings
Multi‑office law firms Switalskis and Ison Harrison announced new office openings in Grimsby and Bradford, respectively. Switalskis will add about 25 staff at its 12th office, expanding services including legal‑aid work in North East Lincolnshire. Ison Harrison’s new Bradford hub...
Delve's Compliance Certificates Exposed as Fraudulent and Worthless
Damning evidence suggesting that compliance certificates issued by Delve (a startup founded in 2023) are fraudlent + worthless I never understood how eg Cluely could be GDPR, SOC2, HIPAA compliant in ~a week. Now we know: they probably aren't. Just wild https://t.co/XoUjOBAUSD https://t.co/eaqLo0nAJS
Super Micro Staff Indicted for Illegal AI Server Sales
Super Micro Computer Employees Arrested for Alleged Sales to China—An indictment alleges the three men conspired to sell servers housing AI technology to buyers in China https://t.co/dFYGL3rcpX https://t.co/dFYGL3rcpX
Federal Judge Blocks RFK Declaration Targeting Gender-Affirming Care
A federal judge in Oregon vacated a Department of Health and Human Services declaration issued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that threatened to exclude doctors providing gender‑affirming care for minors from Medicare and Medicaid. The ruling found Kennedy...
Did Nvidia Knowingly Ignore Illegal Chinese Device Usage?
Serious question: did Nvidia know they had so many illegal devices active in China? They surely know when and where their devices are being used. So did they look the other way? Or did they help the authorities? They had to...
DOJ Appeals Judge Lamberth's Ruling on VOA Cases
The Justice Department has appealed Judge Lamberth's ruling in the U.S. Agency for Global Media/Voice of America cases. https://t.co/gm4nuCAjgC
ATE Insurer Settles Action over Failed Consumer Claims for £48.5m
Legal expenses insurer AmTrust settled a £48.5 million claim with a disbursement funder after the collapse of litigation‑funding scheme participants Pure Legal and High Street Solicitors. The scheme covered roughly 20,000 consumer claims, of which about 14,000 failed or were abandoned....
Launching a Boutique Law Firm: Lessons and AI Opportunities
Building A Law Firm, Five Years In: Jed Bergman A founding partner of Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes, Jed reflects on the rewards of launching your own firm, lessons learned, and how #AI will benefit boutiques. LINK: https://t.co/vcBISHLjPH https://t.co/xNNrYniZVz
AGs Sue, Deal Closes Same Day: TGNA Winners
State AGs sue to block the merger in the am, deal closes in the pm. Wild ride for $TGNA shareholders - congrats to those who held for $22.00. https://t.co/hroSGkpRRo
NDIS Provider Aidacare Admits to Misleading Customers About Their Consumer Guarantee Rights
Aidacare, a registered NDIS healthcare equipment provider, admitted to making false or misleading statements about consumer guarantee rights between January 2022 and May 2025 and using unfair contract terms that restricted remedies for faulty products. The Australian Competition and Consumer...
Mom Says School Covered up Answers with Pages of Blacked-Out Records
Mid‑Michigan parent Kourtney alleges Bay‑Arenac Intermediate School District obstructed her request for her special‑needs son’s records, delivering roughly 6,000 largely unrelated pages with extensive redactions. She claims the district cited attorney‑client privilege for blacked‑out pages, some predating any litigation, and...
Detainees Urge Minnesota Judge to Extend Order Protecting Attorney Access
Immigration detainees in Minnesota asked a federal judge to extend the February restraining order that guarantees attorney access at the Bishop Henry Whipple detention center. Advocates report that the order has halved average detention times and cut stays longer than...
Tougher Penalties for Gay Hate Crimes
The New South Wales government introduced legislation to increase penalties for hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people. The reforms raise the maximum imprisonment for publicly threatening or inciting violence from three to five years, and create an aggravated offence carrying up...