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
Joe Calve: Judgment as a Service: The Business Model That Replaces the Billable Hour
Legal analyst Jordan Furlong predicts that AI will become the productivity engine for law firms, shifting lawyers from billable‑hour tasks to relationship‑building, empathy, advocacy, and judgment. Joe Calve argues that this shift creates a new business model—"Judgment as a Service"—where firms sell the human judgment that validates AI‑generated work rather than time. The model reframes the legal product as the assurance of quality and strategic insight provided by senior lawyers, effectively replacing the traditional billable‑hour framework.
Off‑Duty Speech on Genocide Must Remain Protected
Employers can punish you for your off-duty speech. That’s the reality. But when that speech is about human rights—about genocide—that shouldn’t be allowed. That’s not politics. That’s conscience. A law that claims to protect human rights but fails to protect the voices defending...
GOV UK Report and Impact Assessment on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
The UK government published a Report and Impact Assessment on the use of copyrighted works in training artificial intelligence systems under Sections 135 and 136 of the Data (Use and Access) Act on 18 March 2026. The documents, available as...
LAPD Commander Fired over Drunken Incident Wins $5.7 Million in Discrimination Lawsuit
A Los Angeles County jury awarded former LAPD commander Nicole Mehringer $5.7 million after finding she was wrongfully terminated for a 2018 drunken incident. The verdict concluded that Mehringer faced a harsher standard than male officers who engaged in similar misconduct...
Protecting Franchisees: The FTC’s Case Against Xponential Fitness
The Federal Trade Commission has sued Xponential Fitness, a major franchisor of boutique fitness studios, alleging it misled prospective franchisees about costs, opening timelines, and executive litigation history. The complaint says Xponential claimed studios could open within six months, when...
Left Kirkland, Launched Firm, Now the Joke's on Them
I left Kirkland in 2022 to launch my own firm. Who’s laughing now? If you said “they are, Eric,” congratulations, you’d be correct.
Police Scotland Hit with £66k Fine over Serious Data Breach
Police Scotland has been fined £66,000 by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office after extracting and disclosing the full contents of a crime complainant’s mobile phone. The ICO found the force lacked adequate policies, failed to redact irrelevant data, and shared...
English High Court Accepts Classification of Refund Guarantee Obligation as Innominate Term in Shipbuilding Dispute
The English High Court in SLB and others v PAK confirmed that the obligation to provide refund guarantees in shipbuilding contracts is an innominate term rather than a condition. Because of this classification, buyers may terminate the contract for non‑delivery...
What’s in the New French Draft Law on Pay Transparency?
France’s Ministry of Labour released a preliminary draft law on pay transparency on 6 March 2026, replacing the current Professional Equality Index with seven new remuneration indicators for firms with 50+ employees. The draft mandates detailed reporting, publication of indicators, and stronger...
ATA’s Endorsement Signals Crucial Congressional Influence
We are all critical of the ATA, but having the organization endorse this law is very important. The ATA is a very important lobbyist group that has an outsized influence on Congress. They are on the right side of history...
New Data Brings ‘Significant Operational Burden for Conveyancers and Estate Agents’
New Thirdfort data shows 57.7% of UK property transactions trigger AML red flags. Analysis of more than 415,000 Source of Funds checks revealed an average of two red flags per report, creating a heavy compliance load. Conveyancers and estate agents...
Dalilah’s Law Cuts CDL Grace Period, Boosts Truckload
Dalilah’s law is a massive pivot from the FMCSA rule. It would mandate that current non-domiciled CDLs are banned 1 year out from the enactment date. The FMCSA offered 5 years. If this passes, go long truckload.
Taiwan Law Mandates
Taiwan securities law requires every listed company to publish monthly revenue by the 10th. That's TSMC, Hon Hai, Wiwynn, Gigabyte, Cooler Master — the entire AI supply chain. Before earnings. Before analyst upgrades. This is the playbook: https://t.co/1zQE3ozz4M
Entry of PE “Puts Focus on Capital Growth, Not Annual Cash Distribution”
Private equity is now pouring patient capital into law firms, shifting the focus from annual cash distribution to long‑term growth. Speakers at the Law Firm Growth Summit highlighted that fragmented, under‑invested legal markets in the UK, US and beyond are...
Rapson Sets Out Priorities for Turning Round SRA Performance
Sarah Rapson, chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, outlined a four‑point agenda to reverse the regulator’s recent performance slump. The plan focuses on operational excellence, stronger collaboration, proactive risk identification, and tackling high‑volume consumer claims. Key initiatives include expanding...
Introducing AI “Should Be Next Phase of Tribunal Reform”
The Administrative Justice Council (AJC) recommends integrating artificial intelligence into the HM Courts and Tribunal Service as the next phase of its £1.3 bn reform programme. AI tools—from rule‑based case triage to predictive scheduling and decision‑support chatbots—are proposed to streamline workloads,...
Strong AML Controls Are Meaningless with Incomplete Data
The Financial Conduct Authority is tightening anti‑money‑laundering oversight for law firms, demanding real‑time risk monitoring and integrated, up‑to‑date data. Recent FCA enforcement shows 68% of AML fines involved data shortcomings, totalling more than £430 m in penalties. Static, rule‑based controls are...
What About TikTok?
The Wall Street Journal editorial criticized FCC Chair Brendan Carr for abandoning his earlier TikTok security warnings after a Trump‑era deal allowed the app to stay operational. The piece highlights that TikTok’s new joint venture still relies on ByteDance’s algorithm,...
Estate Planning Relieves Anxiety and Brings Peace
Nobody told me how much anxiety would leave me once we got our estate plan in order and our wills signed. This might be a temporary feeling, but I’ll take it! Knowing things are in order in the event of...
Heppner Ruling: Privilege Excludes Client’s Solo AI Use
I posted on TikTok about the Heppner case and how Attorney-Client privilege doesn’t extend to what the client does, on their own, with ChatGPT or Claude (per ruling in case)…AND
Significant Forward Movement in April 2026 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State’s April 2026 Visa Bulletin shows notable forward movement across most employment‑based categories. For the Dates for Filing chart, USCIS will continue to accept adjustment‑of‑status applications, with EB‑1, EB‑2 and EB‑3 remaining current for all countries except...
Open Internet Must Remain Free From Surveillance
Sorry that my overview of Bill C-22 (Lawful Access Act, 2026) was 40+ minutes long. The second half, starting here, is what I think Canadians should understand. The open internet should not be deputized to collect more information for cops...
Private Lending: Unfolding Litigation Developments and Managing Risks
Private lending faces heightened scrutiny as economic uncertainty fuels investor withdrawals and valuation disputes. Recent federal indictments under the Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise statute target senior executives for multi‑billion‑dollar fraud schemes, while the SEC has settled civil actions over inadequate...
Education Department Official Warns 2 Accreditors over DEI Standards
U.S. Education Department Under Secretary Nicholas Kent sent letters to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, ordering them to formally eliminate any remaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standards. The...
A Writ of Habeas Corpus for Lord and Lady Laser
The author announced the resolution of a July 5, 2025 incident involving projected laser equipment, agreeing to a $100 civil fine and $30 in court costs while having the property returned and no criminal record. Attorney Mark Goldstone represented the author, and...
How to Create a RFP Response
The author walked through a real janitorial services solicitation for a public library in Petersburg, Alaska, noting its unusually minimal requirements—no formal format, forms, or structured documents. To address the uncertainty such solicitations create, they developed an RFP Response Framework...
Law Lags Behind AI’s Endless Digital Resurrection
Excited to be quoted in this Fast Company article on AI & digital resurrection. The legal problem isn’t just the tech—it’s that existing contracts & doctrines weren’t built for a world where identity can be replicated indefinitely https://www.fastcompany.com/91500169/ai-digital-resurrection-actors-deepfakes?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQn_6xmZGlkFlAytLRTttuVO_GJmkr_NRhIV3ISA_BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeSLbMV2HLT9ucc9r7IyaXGVaZRNfHz0Wz9kOuJzYPyeSoxipZubKs8W10uik_aem_xM7kmfiU0B8c07sWBR03rg
CMPs May Fall Short, Policy Brief Urges CMS to Recalibrate Nursing Home Fines
A Rockefeller Institute policy brief finds that most civil money penalties (CMPs) imposed on nursing homes in 2023 were modest, averaging under 0.5% of net patient revenue despite a total $204 million in fines. The analysis of 3,745 facilities shows that...
GovCon FAQs: My Contract Was Terminated For Convenience, What Do I Do?
A termination for convenience allows the government to end a contract without contractor fault, often due to funding or policy changes. Contractors must halt work, notify subcontractors, and begin compiling cost documentation for a settlement. The FAR outlines specific clauses...
Tiny Particles, Big Risk: Could Netflix’s New Documentary, The Plastic Detox, Accelerate Microplastic Litigation in the Cosmetic and Personal Care...
Netflix’s 2026 documentary *The Plastic Detox* spotlights microplastic exposure and potential health risks, especially in cosmetics and personal‑care products. The film is expected to amplify consumer and legislative scrutiny, adding pressure to an already fragmented U.S. regulatory regime that includes...
Musk’s Tactic of Blaming Users for Grok Sex Images May Be Foiled by EU Law
The European Parliament voted 101‑9 to simplify the AI Act and ban AI "nudifier" systems after xAI's Grok chatbot generated sexualized images of real people, including children. Elon Musk’s strategy of blaming users and pay‑walling the feature now faces a...
UK Drops Opt‑out Preference, Opens Doors for AI Labs
They clearly didn’t read the same report I did The report said the government now has no preference, having prior had the preference of a copyright exception with opt-out That could just as well mean we see a copyright exception with no...
Dalilah's Law Bans Non‑Domiciled CDL Drivers, Limits Foreign Brokers
Not only will Dalilah's law permanently eliminate non-domiciled CDLs, it will also restrict foreign dispatchers and freight brokers https://t.co/zQYNP3Ja4g
Fired MSPB Member Appeals to Supreme Court
The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris was removed by President Trump before her term ended, prompting her attorneys to petition the Supreme Court. The appeal argues that MSPB’s removal protections differ from those examined in *Trump v....
When Is Personal Not Personal? EDPB Asks Stakeholders
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) released a report summarising stakeholder input on pseudonymisation and anonymisation after a CJEU ruling clarified the limits of pseudonymised data. Participants—including corporations, NGOs, academics and law firms—highlighted the difficulty of distinguishing when data moves...
FHFA Loosens Insurance Rules Targeting Condos, Rural Loans
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced new insurance flexibilities for single‑family condominiums and rural mortgages, allowing actual‑cost‑value (ACV) coverage for roofs while keeping replacement‑cost standards for the rest of the property. The rule also streamlines the maximum per‑unit deductible,...
Bitcoin Depot’s ATMs Face Compliance-Related Ban in Connecticut
Bitcoin Depot, the world’s largest crypto‑ATM operator, had its Connecticut money‑transmission license suspended after regulators identified compliance breaches. The state found more than 1,000 instances where fees exceeded the legal 15% cap, resulting in roughly $150,000 in excess charges. Additionally,...
DOJ Charges Individual In Connection With Alleged PEMEX Bribery Scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Alfonso Wilson, a dual‑citizen executive, with orchestrating a $540 million bribery scheme to obtain a December 2021 equipment contract with Mexico’s state oil firm PEMEX. Wilson, CEO of Oil Technologies Consortium, allegedly funneled millions to...
Deportation Fears Complicate NYC's Construction Safety Crackdown
The NYC Department of Buildings completed a 2025 sweep of 705 construction sites, finding violations at 14% and issuing 50 stop‑work orders. Fatalities rose to ten last year, while reported injuries dropped 33% to 320, the lowest in a decade....
SEC Confirms Exemption for Directors and Officers of EEA Foreign Private Issuers
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that directors and officers of European Economic Area foreign private issuers will be exempt from Section 16(a) reporting under the 1934 Exchange Act. The exemption eliminates the need for these insiders to file Form 4,...
Family Sues California Ski Resort Over Hot Chocolate Burn
A California family has filed a lawsuit against Heavenly Mountain Resort, alleging that a server handed their five‑year‑old daughter a lidless hot chocolate that scalded her chest and abdomen. The Burns family claims the beverage was "excessively and unnecessarily hot,"...
Former Transamerica VP Sues, Alleging Retaliation After Depression Disclosure
Former Transamerica Regional Vice President Chad Butler filed a federal lawsuit alleging the insurer retaliated after he disclosed depression and suicidal thoughts. He claims his new supervisor imposed unprecedented in‑person meeting quotas and sales targets not applied to peers, then...
Congress Considers Blowing up Internet Law
The Senate Commerce Committee held a heated hearing on Section 230, the internet liability shield that turned 30, as Democrats and Republicans introduced a bill to sunset the law entirely. Lawmakers highlighted a surge of product‑liability lawsuits, such as the...
Cashier Sues Sam's Club, Alleges Supervisors Laughed at Harassment Complaint
A Black Sam's Club cashier in Tuscaloosa alleges she faced religious‑based harassment and discrimination after coworkers mocked her Holiness Christian faith. She says supervisors laughed when she reported the behavior and the company failed to investigate. After a year of...
A PIP Is Not Always Discriminatory Under SCOTUS’ Relaxed Bias Test, Court Says
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a performance improvement plan (PIP) does not automatically constitute age discrimination under the Supreme Court’s relaxed bias test from Muldrow v. City of St. Louis. In Walsh v. HNTB, the plaintiff, a...
Chinese Engineer Can’t Pursue Age, Racial Bias Lawsuit, 10th Circuit Affirms
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court’s summary judgment for the City of Tulsa, ending a senior Chinese engineer’s age and race discrimination lawsuit. The engineer claimed the city bypassed him for a superintendent role in...
Microsoft Is Threatening to Sue Amazon and OpenAI over a $50 Billion Cloud Hosting Deal
Microsoft is weighing a lawsuit against Amazon and OpenAI over a $50 billion deal that would run OpenAI's Frontier platform on AWS. Microsoft argues the agreement violates its exclusive Azure cloud contract signed with OpenAI last month, which it says limits...
The Federal Circuit Continues to Evolve Its Daubert Gatekeeping Framework: Willis and Exafer
The Federal Circuit’s recent en banc decisions in Willis Elec. Co. v. Polygroup Ltd. and Exafer Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp. refine the Daubert gatekeeping framework established in EcoFactor. Willis holds that a district court must evaluate an expert’s reliability using...
OCC Ends Restrictions on 4 Banks
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced the termination of enforcement actions against four community banks—Heritage Bank, 1st National Bank, Slovenian S&LA, and Touchmark National Bank. Each institution had been subject to consent orders or formal agreements addressing...
Meanwhile, Back at the PTAB with CRISPR – Update
The Federal Circuit vacated the PTAB’s earlier decision granting priority to the Broad Institute, Harvard and MIT in Interference No. 106,115 and remanded the case for further proceedings. The PTAB responded by swapping panel members, appointing Administrative Patent Judges Rachel H....