Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
The First-in-the-Nation TikTik Ban that Wasn’t
A Montana federal judge dismissed the state’s TikTok ban on Feb. 20, 2026 after the law’s trigger clause was satisfied by ByteDance selling a majority stake to non‑Chinese investors. The sale, completed on Jan. 23, 2026, left ByteDance with a 19.9% share, automatically voiding the ban under the 2023 legislation. The case, which had been paused since a 2023 injunction, ended without any videos being blocked. The decision underscores the interplay between state‑level social‑media restrictions and federal‑mandated ownership changes.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Confiscates 2,000 Doses of Illegal Weight-Loss Drugs: Report
Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized nearly 2,000 doses of illegal weight‑loss drugs in raids on sites in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, marking its second major operation in four months. The confiscated products were labelled as containing tirzepatide...
CCLEAR Launches Reg CF Filing Dashboard Providing Transparency on Issuer Compliance
CCLEAR, a unit of Crowdfund Capital Advisors, unveiled a Reg CF compliance dashboard that aggregates filing data for nearly 9,000 crowdfunding issuers. The tool reveals that 31.4% of issuers are non‑compliant and only 4.1% are fully up‑to‑date with mandatory annual...
PowerSchool, Chicago Public Schools to Settle Student Data Privacy Lawsuit for $17 Million
PowerSchool and Chicago Public Schools have agreed to a $17.25 million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit accusing the ed‑tech firm of covertly recording student communications. The fund will be divided among more than 10 million potential class members and obligates PowerSchool...
Archer Sues Vertical Aerospace Over Valo eVTOL Design
Archer Aviation has filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas accusing Vertical Aerospace of infringing multiple patents tied to Archer’s Midnight eVTOL design. The complaint alleges that Vertical’s new Valo aircraft copies patented V‑tail, fuselage, wing, and flight‑control...
Founders Beware: ROFR Clauses Can Block Future Exits
For minority investors to include protective provisions within their purchase agreements is common practice, but one provision that founders should be particularly aware of is the right of first refusal (ROFR). A ROFR clause places an obligation on the company...
Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs – What It Means for Freight Markets
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose country‑specific tariffs, but the tariffs themselves remain in place through a new global duty under Section 122, initially set at 10%...
6 Ways Strict Data Laws Create Moats for Fintechs
Fintechs that embed strict data‑law compliance early turn regulatory costs into a durable competitive moat. By localizing data, building audit‑ready architectures, and showcasing trust signals, they raise switching costs for rivals and attract high‑value enterprise contracts. The resulting proprietary, regulator‑approved...
Building a Global Legal Operations Community With Anne Graue & Colin McCarthy
In this episode, hosts Mark and Pepe talk with legal operations veterans Colin McCarthy and Anne Graue about launching OLC, a new global legal‑operations community. They discuss their complementary backgrounds—Colin’s experience building the Legal Operators community in the U.S. and...
The End of the Magic Wand: Why 2026 Demands Resilience Prompting
Law firms have shifted from chasing a perfect AI prompt to recognizing that modern reasoning models can produce fluent but subtly incorrect answers. The article introduces "Resilience Prompting," a workflow mindset that assumes every AI output may be wrong and...
Wealth Isn't Punished—Lack of Asset Protection Is
We don’t actually punish wealth. We punish people who don’t know how to ring-fence it. And this is why asset protection becomes so important when you pass a certain level of wealth.
March 2026 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Daylight Savings Time, Applications for New LPTV/TV Translator Stations, Political Windows, and More
The FCC’s March 2026 calendar is packed with compliance milestones for broadcasters. Daylight‑Saving Time begins on March 8, forcing AM stations to verify sign‑on and sign‑off times, while a filing freeze on March 12 pauses all Class A, LPTV and translator modifications until...
DUPAY: The Income Protection Platform Turning Unpaid Creator Invoices Into Recoverable Revenue
DUPAY, launched in May 2023, offers a subscription‑based income‑protection platform for creators, agencies, and small businesses. Leveraging AI‑generated demand letters and a three‑letter escalation protocol, the service reports an 81% success rate in recovering unpaid invoices across 16 countries. Beyond...
Applied Materials to Pay $252.5M to Settle Export Violations
Applied Materials agreed to pay a $252.5 million penalty to the U.S. Department of Commerce, settling 56 export‑control violations involving illegal shipments of ion‑implanting equipment to China’s SMIC. The settlement also requires two internal audits of the company’s compliance program, and...
Senators Reintroduce Railway Safety Act
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has re‑introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2026, targeting the safety gaps exposed by the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio freight‑train derailment. The bill requires railroads to install defect‑detecting technology, expands hazardous‑material train restrictions, and...
The Grey Area of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is rapidly infiltrating Canadian universities, from exam proctoring to campus services, but legal and privacy safeguards have lagged. In February 2024, Ontario’s privacy commissioner ruled that McMaster University violated student privacy by using Respondus AI to analyze exam...
Payoneer Applies for Bank Charter
Payoneer has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a U.S. national trust bank charter, to be branded as PAYO Digital Bank. The charter would let the firm issue, send and receive stablecoins, provide...
GSA Proposes New SAM Certification Language for Federal Funding Recipients Addressing DEI, Immigration, and National Security
On February 18, 2026 the General Services Administration issued a proposed revision to the System for Award Management (SAM) certifications required of federal financial assistance recipients. The draft adds attestations covering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) compliance, immigration status verification,...
Thoughts on the Potential Broader Significance of the Supreme Court's Tariff Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court in Learning Resources v. Trump struck down President Trump’s expansive tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The majority opinion, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that the president cannot wield unlimited...
Is Claude Out of the War Business? W/ Amos Toh
In this brief episode, host explores the controversial use of Anthropic's Claude AI model in the alleged Venezuelan invasion, discussing legal and ethical concerns around its deployment in military operations. Guest Amos Toh, a researcher at the Brennan Center, explains...
Maintaining Compliance when Adopting AI in Regulated Industries
Regulated firms can integrate AI without sacrificing compliance by leveraging automated testing. Continuous validation mitigates risks from non‑deterministic model behavior, frequent updates, and limited explainability. The approach preserves audit‑readiness, traceability, and documented evidence across frameworks such as SOX, HIPAA, and...
How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Impacts Retail
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) now forces U.S. retailers to prove that imported goods are free of forced labor, shifting the evidentiary burden to importers. Within its first year of enforcement, Customs and Border Protection detained more than...
Camp Mystic Parents Sue Texas, Allege Evacuation Plan Requirement Not Enforced
A federal lawsuit filed by families of nine children and counselors alleges Texas health officials licensed Camp Mystic without enforcing the state‑required evacuation plan. The suit targets six Department of State Health Services officials, claiming they knowingly approved a camp...
Draftwise Launches AI-Driven Playbook Studio
Draftwise unveiled Playbook Studio, an AI‑driven tool that scans a firm’s contracts and deal history to generate a customized, deployable playbook in roughly five minutes. The solution reportedly slashes NDA drafting and review time from an hour to two minutes...
If You Don’t Keep Good Records, Don’t Be Surprised if Your TOS Formation Fails in Court–White V. PayPal
In White v. PayPal, the court examined Honey’s terms‑of‑service (TOS) formation across several years, denying arbitration for most plaintiffs due to inadequate evidence of user assent. The judge accepted Wayback Machine screenshots for some periods but rejected them when UI...
Hays / Polka Dot and Hays / Millington Merger Inquiries
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened merger inquiries into Hays Travel’s proposed acquisitions of Polka Dot Travel and Millington Travel. Initial enforcement orders were served in December 2025, and the CMA set a statutory timetable that places Phase 1 decisions...
Never Stop Watching Your Registered Trademark
as a trademark lawyer i am begging you to please continue to monitor your trademark once you've gotten it reigstered.
U.K. Sanctions Maritime Mutual over Dark Fleet Coverage
Britain has placed sanctions on New Zealand‑based Maritime Mutual Insurance Association and its Gibraltar affiliate, accusing them of insuring dark‑fleet tankers that transport Iranian and Russian oil. The measures include an asset freeze and the disqualification of company directors. Maritime...
Funds ‘Could Be on Hook for Further €9bn Divestment’ Under Revised SFDR
The EU’s revised Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) now obliges funds to disclose and potentially divest from fossil‑fuel holdings, prompting German NGOs to warn that an extra €9 billion of assets may need to be sold. The European Securities and Markets...
NGOs Want Ex-Meta MEP Removed From EU Digital Rules Relaxation
European Parliament MEP Aura Salla, a former Meta EU public‑policy director, was appointed lead legislator on the Digital Omnibus proposal. NGOs and transparency watchdogs are demanding her removal, citing a conflict of interest given her 2020‑2023 tenure at Meta. Salla,...
If the Bot Lies, Who Pays?
A federal court in Georgia dismissed Mark Walters’ defamation lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the complaint lacked the required fault element. The ruling underscores that AI systems themselves cannot be liable for defamation because they lack intent and legal personhood. Liability...
BRYTER Offers Vibe Coding, Returns to Its Roots
Bryter, originally a no‑code workflow platform for lawyers, has launched a general‑release of “vibe coding,” a conversational AI‑driven approach that lets users build applications by describing logic in natural language. The feature blends Bryter’s no‑code roots with generative AI, enabling...
Ex-Solicitor Jailed for 13 Years over Cell Assaults
A 72‑year‑old former criminal‑defence solicitor, Alan Harris, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting clients while they were detained in police and court cells. The convictions cover five counts of sexual assault and five counts of indecent...
How the OCC Is Handling Its Charter Application Workload
Bank charter applications surged in 2025, with 18 new OCC filings—equal to the total received in the previous four years combined. OCC chief Jonathan Gould frames the spike as a return to normal, emphasizing that new bank formation signals system...
Datamaran Launches Regulatory Monitoring Solution to Help Companies Navigate ESG Complexity
Datamaran, a leader in AI‑powered risk tools, unveiled a standalone Regulatory Monitoring solution that aggregates global ESG and sustainability regulations. The platform blends machine‑learning analysis with expert‑curated intelligence, delivering personalized alerts and visual dashboards for sustainability, legal, and compliance teams....
Regional Airline Sues Two of Its Own Pilots Over Allegations They Hacked Computer Systems To Steal Personal Details of Coworkers
SkyWest Airlines has filed a federal lawsuit against two former pilots, accusing them of hacking the airline’s internal SWOL directory to steal personal data of roughly 5,000 coworkers. The complaint alleges the pilots used web‑developer tools to bypass role‑based protections,...
The Next American Unwinding – Barron’s
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s enforcement activity on digital assets has sharply contracted, dropping from 58 actions in 2024 to just 13 in 2025. Many ongoing crypto investigations were closed without any claims, and staff who survived a wave of...
South Korea Considers Updates to Data and Cyber Laws
South Korea is preparing amendments to its Network Act and Personal Information Protection Act after a wave of high‑profile data breaches in telecommunications, retail and finance. The revisions aim to tighten data protection, reinforce security governance, and boost the effectiveness...
World-Class Cybersecurity for UK Law Firms and Why It’s More Important than Ever
UK law firms are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, with 60% of attacks now stemming from credential compromise. Legacy on‑premise systems and fragmented security tools leave firms vulnerable, while modern SaaS platforms like OneAdvanced offer continuous patching, real‑time monitoring, and built‑in...
Trump Declares “War on Fraud” In SOTU, Broadening Rhetoric
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced a “war on fraud,” a term that the administration has used in increasingly broad and deceptive ways. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-fraud-war-jd-vance-doj-assistant-attorney-general/
DC Height Act Forces Windowless Bedrooms in Apartments
If you ever wondered why DC has so many apartments with windowless bedrooms … it’s the Height Act https://t.co/Axl6cvRgrf
Sam Bankman-Fried Is Waging a Campaign for a Pardon—But Trump Will Not Grant One, Says White House | Fortune
Convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman‑Fried has turned to a MAGA‑styled social media campaign, urging President Donald Trump to grant him a presidential pardon. The effort follows Trump’s recent pardons of high‑profile financial‑crime figures, including Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. A White...
Excessive Reporting Stalls Small Banks Against Digital Assets
The more reporting you put on banks, the more difficult it is to compete w/ digital assets. We report suspicious criminal activity & should be getting BSA relief not further requirements. The lift for small banks is extraordinary & we...
Jane Street Sued over USDT Manipulation as Bitcoin Selling Pauses
Jane Street is being sued by Terra Luna, accused of causing the 2022 crypto winter by manipulating USDT. Coincidence? Daily Bitcoin selling halted for the first time in 2 months as Jane Street hit the news. Is the selling finally...
Chat Control Is in the Final Stretch – but It Could Be a Marathon, Not a Sprint
The EU Council, led by Denmark, has rejected mandatory scanning of private messages and added safeguards for encrypted communications in the contentious CSA Regulation. While the Council now proposes a voluntary detection framework, the European Parliament still backs limited mandatory...
Even Dissenting Judges Agree Section 122 Inapplicable Today
"Even the dissenting judges on the Court of Appeals who upheld the [IEEPA] tariffs found Section 122 doesn’t apply to current international circumstances" https://t.co/nWGSiYpBLN https://t.co/RgrI9hEpxx
Netherlands' 36% Tax on Unrealized Gains Shocks Investors
The 36% tax on unrealized gains in the Netherlands. It's beyond insane. I've asked @arnowellens his take on this and he fully explained what this means for any investor.
Prosecuting Insider Trading in the AI Era – Business Law Today From ABA
The article examines how artificial‑intelligence tools are reshaping insider‑trading prosecutions. Defendants may argue that AI‑generated analysis, rather than material nonpublic information (MNPI), drove their trades, invoking a routine‑strategy or diversification defense. It also explores the “mosaic theory,” suggesting AI can...
NYC AI Laws Enacted; Communities Must Drive Governance
New York City And State Have Passed AI Laws—Now Communities Must Lead | Health Affairs Forefront https://t.co/VCtymavrCr #NY #NYC #AIGovernance
Brace for the Next Trade Storm After Tariff Blizzard
After the Tariff Blizzard, Are You Ready for the Next Storm? - https://t.co/syg5yLFZmi @joinindago #TrumpTariffs #IEEPA #SupremeCourt #globaltrade #supplychain #logistics #tradecompliance