Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Delaware Supreme Court revives insurers' contract claims against Blackbaud over ransomware breach
The court reversed lower‑court dismissals, allowing insurers to pursue breach‑of‑contract claims against Blackbaud for its 2020 ransomware incident. Blackbaud previously paid a $3M SEC fine and $49M settlements to state attorneys general for misleading breach disclosures.
Also developing:
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will sunset on April 20, 2026, forcing Congress to decide whether to renew a tool that lets the NSA collect foreign communications but often sweeps up Americans. The article highlights the growing use of artificial‑intelligence systems such as Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s models in government surveillance, raising concerns about mass data aggregation and constitutional rights. It provides a detailed list of questions for lawmakers about AI‑driven domestic surveillance, Fourth Amendment compliance, and contractual safeguards. The piece urges robust congressional scrutiny before any renewal is approved.
Ballard Spahr and Franklin Ross Strategies have launched a six‑part podcast series, Debt Sales 101, debuting Monday. The series walks listeners through the full lifecycle of a debt sale, from why firms sell debt to post‑sale compliance. Co‑hosts Joseph Schuster and Chris Eastman...
ISDA issued guidance for OTC derivative parties regarding the anticipated non‑publication of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) on Good Friday, April 3 2026. The guidance outlines fallback mechanisms, amendment procedures, and confirms the holiday‑driven gap in the benchmark. It advises market...
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has filed a lawsuit against his parents, Daniel and Lisa Bohm, alleging they misused and diverted at least $3 million of his earnings through LLCs they created in 2019. The complaint says the parents transferred...
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life‑without‑parole sentences for second‑degree felony murder are unconstitutional, overturning a decades‑old sentencing scheme. The decision, detailed in a majority opinion and several concurring and dissenting opinions, paves the way for the largest resentencing...
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal of Texas death‑row inmate Rodney Reed, who maintains his innocence in the 1998 murder of Stacey Lee Stites. Reed has asked for DNA testing of the victim’s belt, arguing that modern...
The White House has drafted a drug‑pricing bill and is privately meeting with more than a dozen major pharmaceutical companies to secure their backing. The proposed legislation mirrors voluntary pricing agreements the administration previously struck, and notably would allow cash‑paid...
The U.S. Supreme Court set April 29 as the hearing date for two high‑profile Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cases—Mullin v. Doe (Syrian nationals) and Trump v. Miot (Haitian nationals). The cases combine challenges to the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate...
CoStar has amended its copyright infringement lawsuit, alleging Zillow continues to display about 53,000 of CoStar‑owned photos, up from roughly 47,000 last year. The dispute centers on multifamily rental listings syndicated across Zillow, Trulia and HotPads, with CoStar demanding permanent...
Lawmakers convened a House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing to examine the Telecommunications Act of 1996, acknowledging that the law’s original competition‑boosting framework has not kept pace with broadband, mobile and digital platform evolution. Chairman Rep. Richard Hudson and former...
Domestic violence survivors in San Francisco are urging the city to fund the legal‑counsel program mandated by Proposition D, which created an Office of Victim and Witness Rights but allocated no money. The city faces a $900 million budget shortfall, and...
Brooke Lively, founder of Cathedral Capital, advises law firms to first resolve ownership ambiguity, align partner vision, and prioritize strategic initiatives. She argues that shared ownership without a single accountable leader creates delays and erodes profitability. Misaligned visions fragment strategy,...
Brazil's first officially recognized naturist beach, Praia do Pinho, lost its legal protection after Balneário Camboriú's new master plan removed naturism from all city beaches and a Santa Catarina court denied the Brazilian Naturist Federation's request to suspend the ban....
https://theconversation.com/two-verdicts-in-two-days-how-american-courts-are-rewriting-the-rules-for-big-tech-and-children-279401 "The tobacco litigation of the 1990s ultimately ... imposed permanent restrictions on marketing practices and funded public health programs for decades. The public nuisance theory ... is designed to produce an analogous structural outcome for social media."
Of all the shit that is not happening this is not happening the most. Why? The US Copyright Office regards generative AI works as not eligible for copyright. Most foreign copyright offices the same. What major or minor label is...
On 27 March 2026 the FCA released Handbook Notice 139, amending the FCA Handbook across ten areas including redress reforms, third‑party incident reporting, perimeter guidance, prospectus rules, fee structures, complaints reporting, administrative fees, data decommissioning, concentration limits and handbook administration. The...
Six Democrats sent a letter to the Director of National Intelligence seeking clarity on whether using a commercial VPN could strip citizens of their privacy rights by exposing them to foreign surveillance laws. https://t.co/6Uq3Y7oKvv
The Federal Reserve voted 4‑3 to grant Morgan Stanley an exception allowing its German investment bank to be folded into its U.S. holding company, sidestepping Section 23A limits on foreign affiliate ownership. All three Democratic board members dissented, arguing the move...
As long expected, President Trump has named NLRB member James Murphy as the labor board's chairman, the agency just announced. In statement, Murphy says he looks forward to working with colleagues "to protect and advance the rights of American workers."
The government amended Press Note 3 of 2020 to define beneficial ownership for investors from countries sharing a land border with India, allowing them up to 10% equity via the automatic route and a 60‑day approval window. Foreign direct investment reached a...
The FCC faces a pivotal choice between enforcing its LEO deployment milestones and preserving competition in low‑Earth‑orbit broadband. Amazon has asked for a two‑year extension to meet its 1,618‑satellite Leo deadline, citing launch bottlenecks despite a $10 billion investment and a...
A federal jury this week found Meta and YouTube liable for harming children’s developing brains, marking one of the most consequential tech verdicts to date. The decision hinges on evidence that the platforms’ design deliberately exploits reward pathways, fragmenting attention...
The Justice Department handed the House Judiciary Committee a January 13, 2023 memo outlining evidence in the Mar‑a‑Lago prosecution of former President Donald Trump. The release came despite Judge Aileen Cannon’s order sealing related materials, raising questions about selective disclosure. Attorney General...
Atlanta‑based midsize firm Taylor Duma announced it will close at month‑end, ending a 21‑year run. The firm’s attorney headcount fell by more than half after a prolonged partner exodus, highlighted by co‑founder Joe English’s 2025 move to Offit Kurman. Offit Kurman has...
China has detained close to 70 Panama-flagged ships at its ports since March 8, a move U.S. officials say is retaliation over Panama Canal terminal leases. The detentions, largely of older bulk carriers, come as Panama sues for over $2 billion...
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve announced on March 23 that they have repealed a 2009 rule that limited private‑equity participation in bank resolutions. The change lets non‑bank investors submit bids on failed institutions, a shift that...
The Trump administration has unveiled an AI framework that centralizes regulation under the Federal Trade Commission, barring states from governing AI development. Travel companies stand to benefit from reduced compliance complexity for chatbots, automation and other AI tools. However, the...
The article stresses that the first 15 minutes after a new case lands are critical for attorneys. During this brief window, rapid, focused research can uncover pivotal facts, identify jurisdictional issues, and shape an initial strategy before formal assignment. Firms...
Harvey announced a $200 million Series C funding round that lifts its valuation to $11 billion. The round, co‑led by GIC and Sequoia, will fund the expansion of AI agents that automate complex legal workflows for law firms and in‑house teams worldwide.
Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court rejected Syngenta’s appeal and kept the ban on the fungicide chlorothalonil in place, a decision that has weighed on the agribusiness giant’s share price and highlights heightened regulatory scrutiny for the European chemical sector.
Why did this video from McMorrow blow up? Lina Khan worked on surveillance pricing years ago. There’s lots of legislation out there already on a state and Federal level.
Pacific Islander residents of the U.S. under the COFA treaties are hitting legal roadblocks as the 2025 REAL ID mandate limits their ability to travel and work. Advocacy groups warn the lack of passports and enhanced driver’s licenses could cripple...
The U.S. Supreme Court declared President Trump's emergency tariffs illegal, prompting an estimated $166 billion rebate to importers. Companies such as FedEx and Costco now face a tangled path to recover the funds, creating volatility for earnings forecasts and stock prices.
Turkmenistan enacted a sweeping virtual‑assets law that legalizes crypto mining and exchange operations under a state‑controlled licensing regime effective Jan. 1, 2026. The move signals a new phase of regulated digital‑asset adoption in a historically closed economy.
The Chicago Cubs' partnership with VDX.tv, a sports streaming vendor, has come under fire for harvesting extensive fan data—including IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing behavior and location—through cookies that persist for up to 90 days. Privacy advocates warn the practice...
A U.S. District Court has dismissed X Corp.'s lawsuit alleging a coordinated advertiser boycott, ending a high‑profile case that could have reshaped ad‑tech policies. The ruling leaves advertisers and platforms to navigate brand‑safety concerns without a court‑mandated remedy.
Palantir Technologies has secured a 12‑week pilot with the UK Financial Conduct Authority worth more than £30,000 a week—about £360,000 ($460,000) in total. The deal gives the data‑analytics firm access to flag fraud, money‑laundering and insider‑trading activity, prompting praise from...
The government responds in N.Y. Times v. Defense Department saying the Pentagon has "complied with every requirement" of Judge Friedman's order. Parties are expected back in court on Monday morning for oral arguments on this issue. https://t.co/wbCqWg5tez https://t.co/UUVLtsHlHk
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule that would raise prevailing wage levels for employment‑based immigration programs, including H‑1B, H‑1B1, E‑3, and PERM EB‑2/EB‑3 visas. Entry‑level wages would shift from the 17th to the 34th percentile, while the...
Former Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton argues that the government‑sponsored enterprises (GSEs) can achieve capital reform faster by lowering minimum capital standards and using the 2018 Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework (ECRF) as a template. He cites the Trump administration's executive order...
On 27 March 2026 the FCA released observations from firms' self‑assessments on operational resilience, marking a year after the March 2025 transition deadline. The regulator highlighted good practices such as robust methodologies for defining important business services and strong governance frameworks,...
The UK Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new protections that forbid employers from imposing detriments on workers whose sole or main purpose is to prevent, deter or penalise participation in protected industrial action. The government has opened a consultation until...
Law firms across the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom are maintaining aggressive outside‑counsel rate hikes as 2026 begins. The Persuit Global Outside Counsel Rate Trends report shows pricing power remains durable, with many corporate clients accepting the increases....
Brokerage giant Merrill Lynch filed a new brief in federal court seeking to lift the stay on its lawsuit against Dynasty Financial Partners or compel arbitration over the "OpenArc" raiding claim. Merrill argues Dynasty implicitly consented to FINRA arbitration, while...
A federal judge reduced Elizabeth Holmes' prison term by one year, setting it at 10¼ years after finding she did not cause "substantial financial hardship" to any individual investor. The decision hinges on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines provision § 4C1.1, which...
Norway’s competition authority has raised red flags over Telenor’s planned purchase of GlobalConnect’s fibre business, warning that the deal could lift broadband prices and degrade service quality by curbing competition. Regulators highlighted that many households might be left with only...
The New York State Supreme Court’s appellate division issued a restraining order that temporarily blocks NYCHA’s demolition of the Fulton and Elliott‑Chelsea Houses, halting the West Chelsea redevelopment. NYCHA intends to appeal the injunction, which follows a lawsuit alleging the plan...
Google’s senior India lawyer Bijoya Roy resigned after 16 months, adding to a series of high‑level exits that left the firm without a government‑relations chief. The departure occurs amid intensifying regulatory scrutiny, including antitrust investigations, a probe into AI‑training data...
Tanzania’s High Court has ordered that a dispute over a 20,000‑cubic‑metre petrol shipment between Dubai‑based Lamar Commodity Trading and Burundi’s Prestige Investment be referred to the London Court of International Arbitration, citing a binding arbitration clause. The case also involves...
From 6 April 2026, UK employers must keep adequate records of workers’ annual leave and holiday pay under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The obligation covers all leave types, including irregular hours and carried‑over entitlement, and records must be retained for six years....
