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
New Zealand Regulator to Broaden FinTech Sandbox, Develop New “On-Ramp” License
New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority announced an expansion of its fintech sandbox, extending controlled market access beyond the initial six‑firm pilot. The regulator is also drafting an “on‑ramp” restricted licence that lets innovative firms enter the market under defined conditions, with restrictions removable as they scale. Feedback from a 2025 tokenisation discussion paper highlighted both liquidity potential and cyber‑risk concerns. Together, these moves signal the FMA’s shift from pure enforcement toward a more facilitative, innovation‑friendly stance.
Tesla VP Explains Latest Updates in Trade Secret Theft Case
Tesla Vice President Bonne Eggleston announced a court‑issued permanent injunction against former supplier Matthews International for misusing Tesla’s dry‑battery‑electrode (DBE) trade secrets. The judge also found Matthews liable for damages, though the exact amount will be determined in the upcoming...
Leon Black Wins Delay in 8-Hour Deposition over His Jeffrey Epstein Ties for Victim Lawsuit
Leon Black, former Apollo Global Management CEO, secured a ten‑day postponement of his eight‑hour deposition in a lawsuit brought by Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. The plaintiffs allege Black’s more than $150 million transferred to Epstein helped fund the sex‑trafficking operation and that...
Bravo, Warner Bros. Can’t Compel Arbitration in Former Real Housewives Cast Member Lawsuit, Judge Orders
Former Real Housewives of New York star Leah McSweeney won a procedural victory when U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Bravo Media and related defendants waived their right to compel arbitration in her disability‑discrimination lawsuit....
Hawley Unveils Bill to Ban Abortion Pill, Strip FDA Approval
Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill to immediately withdraw the FDA's safety approval for mifepristone, the primary abortion medication. The legislation follows recent Supreme Court and Trump‑era reviews of the drug and cites a controversial conservative study alleging serious adverse...
EEOC: Restaurant Fired Worker Who Had Seizure to Allow Her to ‘Focus on’ Her Health
An EEOC lawsuit alleges that Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s Ole Farm Beef LLC, a Mississippi steakhouse, illegally terminated a worker after she suffered a seizure. The employee had informed the employer of her seizure disorder, which the ADA classifies...
Protecting NIL Rights Through Estate Planning
The Pennsylvania Bar Institute highlighted that postmortem name, image and likeness (NIL) rights survive for thirty years after death, extending beyond typical estate administration. These rights can appreciate in value long after probate, creating revenue opportunities and potential disputes if...
Grammarly Is Facing a Class Action Lawsuit Over Its AI ‘Expert Review’ Feature
Grammarly’s AI‑driven "Expert Review" feature presented editing advice as if it came from real authors and academics, using their names without permission. The tool was shut down after public outcry, and a class‑action lawsuit filed by journalist Julia Angwin alleges...
EEOC Staffer Agrees to Settle Bias Lawsuit Against Agency
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled the discrimination lawsuit brought by enforcement manager Shweta Kandan after a jury trial ended in a mistrial. Kandan claimed the agency denied her a promotion to field director because of her sex, race...
Woman Sues Singapore Airlines After She Was Served ‘Tainted’ Inflight Meal That Resulted in Full Blown Allergic Reaction
Northern California resident Tinyan Lawrence has sued Singapore Airlines in a California district court, invoking Article 17 of the Montreal Convention after an alleged shellfish‑contaminated in‑flight meal triggered a severe anaphylactic reaction on a Bali‑to‑Singapore flight. Despite notifying the cabin crew...
Arizona House Committee Supports Restricting Child Access to Sexual Material
The Arizona House committee approved two Republican‑backed bills targeting minors' exposure to sexually explicit material. Senate Bill 1435 makes it a class‑five felony for library or school staff to refer such material to anyone under 18, while Senate Bill 1567...
The Ninth Circuit's En Banc Shadow Docket
The Ninth Circuit’s en banc panel continued its practice of issuing automatic administrative stays on immigration removal cases through the shadow docket, despite criticism from the Supreme Court’s recent emergency‑docket reversals. Judges describe the stays as "patently frivolous" and note that...
Blank Rome Appellate Insights – Winning on Appeal: March 2026
Blank Rome’s March 2026 Appellate Insights newsletter spotlights pivotal appellate rulings affecting businesses, from the Supreme Court’s pending review of APA‑based universal vacatur to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision limiting immediate appeals of arbitration orders. The Third Circuit expanded Pennsylvania’s...
What Happens When a Company Wants to Go Into Voluntary Liquidation?
When a company faces insolvency, directors can opt for voluntary liquidation, either a Members' Voluntary Liquidation (solvent) or a Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation (insolvent). The first step is appointing an experienced insolvency practitioner who halts trading, prepares a directors' report, and...
Don’t Be Fooled: What Employers Need to Know About False Claims Act Enforcement
On April 1, 2026, Littler hosted a one‑hour webinar titled “Don’t Be Fooled: What Employers Need to Know About False Claims Act Enforcement.” The session examined how recent FCA enforcement and settlement trends are expanding scrutiny of employers’ internal compliance programs and...
Above Board: Securities Litigation & Enforcement Outlook for 2026
In this episode of Above Board, Morrison & Foerster partners Jamie Levitt and Ryan Keats discuss the outlook for securities litigation in 2026, highlighting the continued impact of AI, the potential resurgence of IPO-related Section 11 actions, and the evolving debate...
José Maymí-González Authors "Who Is 'Military' On Military Leave?"
Attorney José Maymí‑González published an opinion piece clarifying who qualifies as “military” under military service leave statutes. The article outlines the USERRA definition, emphasizing active duty, reserve, and National Guard service, and applies it to Puerto Rican employers. It warns...
Key ERISA Advisory Panel Goes Dormant Amid DOL Inaction
The Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council has been inactive, holding no meetings in 2025 and showing no plans for 2026. The 15‑member statutory panel, which must meet quarterly, lost five members at the end of 2025, leaving several vacancies...
DOJ Attorney Throws Himself Under The Bus Rather Than Dragging Down Everyone Else
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudy Renfer in the Eastern District of North Carolina filed a court brief generated by artificial intelligence that contained fabricated quotations and incorrect case citations. A magistrate judge rebuked Renfer for the inaccuracies and for failing to...
Navan Shareholder Suit Alleges Materially Misleading IPO Documents
Navan, a travel‑booking platform that raised $6.2 billion in its fall 2025 IPO, has seen its stock tumble nearly 60% amid earnings disappointments and executive turnover. A proposed class‑action filed in February accuses Navan and its senior officers of filing a...
Federal Judge Signals ICE Arrests in DC Not Meeting Probable Cause Standards
Federal Judge Beryl Howell expressed skepticism that ICE is adhering to her Dec. 2 order prohibiting warrantless immigration arrests without individualized probable‑cause assessments. The ACLU presented evidence that 26 of 33 recent arrests in Washington, D.C., lacked any escape‑risk determination, citing...
6 Key Takeaways | A Trademark Practitioner’s Guide to Using AI: Guidelines, Use Cases, and Ethical Considerations
Kilpatrick’s trademark team delivered a comprehensive guide on integrating AI into trademark practice, highlighting both efficiency gains and emerging legal risks. They examined how courts are scrutinizing AI training data for fair‑use defenses and how AI‑generated outputs can create direct...
LPL Wins $820K Clawback From Broker Fired Over Viral Racist Comments
LPL Financial secured a clawback exceeding $820,000 from former broker Eileen L. Cure, who was terminated in 2021 after racist comments went viral on TikTok. An FINRA arbitration panel ordered Cure to repay $122,500 in promissory notes, plus $45,320 in...
Epstein Victims' FBI Lawsuit Dismissed over Anonymity
EPSTEIN VICTIMS SUED FBI TO UNCOVER "THE FBI’S ROLE IN EPSTEIN’S CRIMINAL SEX TRAFFICKING RING", DISMISSED BECAUSE VICTIMS INSISTED ON ANONYMITY You may or may not have heard that in the beginning of 2024, a dozen victims (Jane Does 1-12)...
A ‘Seat At The Table’ For Law Departments Isn’t Enough Anymore
Legal departments have finally secured a seat at the executive table, but the rise of generative AI has exposed deep operational gaps. Speedy AI‑driven drafting shifts the bottleneck from legal judgment to the department’s operating model. Executives now demand consistent,...
Epstein Victims Sued FBI to Uncover "the FBI’s Role in Epstein’s Criminal Sex Trafficking Ring", Dismissed because Victims Insisted on...
In early 2024, twelve self‑identified victims of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against the FBI, alleging the agency failed to investigate and stop Epstein’s sex‑trafficking operation. The plaintiffs sought to proceed under pseudonyms, arguing privacy concerns. A federal judge dismissed...
UBS Hits Impasse in Federal Court over Nazi-Era Controversy
UBS asked a federal judge to issue a clarifying order that the 1999 settlement with Jewish groups bars any new lawsuits or public statements about its predecessor Credit Suisse’s Nazi‑era activities. The hearing in Brooklyn ended without a ruling, as...
UK Government Launches Guidance on Pay Gap and Menopause Action Plans
The UK government released new guidance on March 4, 2026 requiring large employers (250+ staff) to publish gender pay gap action plans that also address menopause support. The requirement stems from the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will become mandatory after a voluntary...
Why More Law Firms Are Turning to IT Staff Augmentation
Law firms are accelerating legal‑technology upgrades—from cloud migrations to cybersecurity—yet many lack the in‑house expertise to execute them. To bridge this gap, firms increasingly turn to IT staff augmentation, hiring external specialists on a flexible basis. This approach supplies the...
Duffy Touts Safety Potential for Autonomous Vehicles
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a series of DOT regulatory moves aimed at creating a consistent national framework for autonomous vehicles, with a focus on safety and innovation. The agency approved updates to safety standards that strip away unnecessary requirements,...
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Open Haitians to Deportation
President Donald Trump has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower‑court order that maintains Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals. The request seeks to dismantle the legal shield that currently prevents their deportation, effectively ending the...
Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: FDA's New Guidance for Biosimilar Development
The FDA issued its fourth revision of draft biosimilar development guidance, allowing scientifically justified streamlining of pharmacokinetic (PK) studies and estimating up to a 50% cost reduction—about $20 million per program. The new guidance also expands the use of clinical data...
Dionne Warwick Sues Rights Company over Alleged ‘Pilfering of Millions’ in Royalty Income
Dionne Warwick has filed counterclaims against Artists Rights Enforcement Corporation (AREC) in the Southern District of New York, accusing the firm of siphoning millions of dollars in royalty income over a 23‑year relationship. Warwick seeks at least $1 million in punitive...
IRS Revises Process for 501(c)(4)s Ahead of Midterms
Starting March 9, 2026, the IRS will require all 501(c)(4) organizations to file Form 8976 electronically through Pay.gov, replacing the previous Electronic Notice Registration System. The filing carries a $50 user fee payable by bank transfer, credit or debit card, and...
Harvey and The LegalTech Fund to Invest in Startups Across the Ecosystem
Harvey, the AI‑driven legal platform, has partnered with The LegalTech Fund (TLTF) to co‑invest in emerging legal‑technology startups. The collaboration will leverage TLTF’s deal pipeline and Harvey’s product expertise to streamline startup vetting and potentially create a marketplace akin to...
California Risk Assessments: Seven Steps for Employers
Effective January 1, 2026, California’s CCPA will require employers with over $25 million in revenue to complete documented risk assessments before any covered data‑processing activity begins. The rule targets automated decision‑making, biometric and location tracking, and the use of sensitive personal information, demanding...
Top 5 ADA Website Accessibility Issues Triggering Hotel Lawsuits
ADA website accessibility lawsuits surged 37 % in the first half of 2025, with hotels becoming a primary target. The article outlines the five most common violations—missing accessibility information, absent alt text, poor color contrast, keyboard navigation barriers, and form labeling...
Protect Your IP: Deal‑Breaker When Clients Want It Free
What's one thing you're incredibly protective of in your business? I'll go first: My IP! I've passed on many opportunities, just because the client wanted to retain my IP without proper licensing. That's the biggest of deal breakers for me.
Anthropic's Legal Case Against Trump’s DoD Strengthens.
AI Agenda: Anthropic Has a Strong Legal Case Against Trump’s DoD — The Information https://t.co/XuMB7NMlTZ
EU Set to Ban AI Nudification Apps in Wake of Grok Scandal
The European Union is poised to outlaw AI‑driven nudification tools after the Grok scandal, where X’s chatbot generated millions of non‑consensual sexual deepfakes, including child images. A proposal slated for approval by EU ambassadors would criminalize marketing any AI system...
Build-to-Rent Ban Distracts From Bill’s Regressive Provisions
Welp... And the crazy thing is the rightful focus on the build-to-rent ban is taking away from from the 1000 other zany regressive aspects of this bill.
CoStar Rebuts Investor Claims, Hires Defamation-Focused Law Firm
CoStar pushed back against activist investors D.E. Shaw and Third Point, who allege its heavy spending on the Homes.com platform is value‑destructive. The company highlighted that Homes.com results are not reported as a separate segment and that it has already...
DOL Won’t Fight Final Motion for Final Judgement in Second Fiduciary Rule Case
The U.S. Department of Labor will not contest a motion to vacate the 2024 Retirement Security fiduciary rule, effectively ending the regulation that required advisers to act in clients' best interests. The rule, stalled since July 2024, has no replacement...
Virginia Lawmakers Weigh Changes to Academic Freedom, Governing Boards
Virginia lawmakers are poised to pass a bill that limits political interference and protects First Amendment rights at the state’s public colleges. The legislation bars governing boards from censoring speech, mandates shared‑governance policies, and expands the Virginia Commission on Higher...
Amazon Blocks Perplexity AI Agent, Sparking E‑commerce Access War
The fight over AI agents and online commerce is escalating. Amazon just secured a court order blocking Perplexity’s AI shopping agent from scraping its site. As autonomous agents start navigating the web for users, the battle over who controls access to digital...
Fire Lobbyists Who Weaponize Regulation Against Competitors
Companies should fire any lobbyist caught trying to use regulation to hamstring their competition. Disgusting.
Vistry and the FRC: When a “Forecast” Becomes a Personal Career Risk
The Financial Reporting Council has opened an investigation into two former Vistry Group accountants over flawed forecasts in the South Division for 2023‑24, which inflated profit expectations by up to £165 million. The mis‑calculation stemmed from a 10 % under‑estimation of building...
Barnes Sues Pentagon over Retaliatory Press Credential Policy
Appreciate the reporting here by Barnes. Worth noting he’s also the plaintiff in the important lawsuit against the Pentagon over its new press policy that creates an opening for the Pentagon to revoke his credentials in retaliation over his...
Valve Posted a Statement on the New York Lootbox Lawsuit
Valve issued a detailed statement responding to the New York Attorney General’s lawsuit alleging its in‑game mystery boxes violate state gambling laws. The company reiterated that loot boxes are purely cosmetic, comparable to physical card packs, and that most players...
MEPs Vote to Change Controversial ‘Chat Scanning’ Measures
The European Parliament voted 458‑103 to extend the EU’s temporary child sexual abuse material (CSAM) rules until 2028, while demanding substantive revisions to the contentious chat‑scanning provisions. The amended text strips proactive‑scanning language, limiting scans to previously identified material or...