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
New York High Court Clears Manhattan Hotel over 2017 Balcony Suicide
New York Court of Appeals cleared the TRYP Hotel of negligence in the 2017 balcony suicide of Dr. Noah Beadell. The majority held the hotel had no control over the guest and that the family’s expectation of an immediate 911 call was not reasonably foreseeable. Chief Judge Rowan Wilson dissented, saying the foreseeability of suicide should be decided by a jury. Lower courts had previously denied summary judgment before the appellate reversal.
Regulators Must Consider ‘Citizen Dignity’ in the AI Age: Hirschhorn
Australian Taxation Office second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn warns regulators that AI adoption must respect citizen dignity. He highlights the tension between moving quickly to harness AI benefits and the risk of exposing massive personal data sets. The ATO, a pioneer...
Supreme Court Clarifies Rules Around Illegible Arbitration Agreements
California’s Supreme Court in Fuentes v. Empire Nissan clarified that a barely readable arbitration clause creates procedural unconscionability, but enforceability still hinges on substantive fairness. The court found the arbitration terms themselves were not inherently one‑sided, yet it sent the...
Federal Court: Temp Workers Count As Employees Under SBA Rules
A federal district court in Bloomfield v. Engineered Structures ruled that temporary workers from staffing agencies must be counted as employees under SBA regulations. The decision relied on 13 C.F.R. §121.106 and the SBA Size Policy Statement, confirming that the...
Inconsistencies and Downstream Effects in the Court’s Approaches to Slaughter and Cook, by Graham Steele
The Supreme Court is poised to decide *Trump v. Slaughter* and *Trump v. Cook*, two cases that pit the Court’s Fed‑specific removal protection against a broader challenge to agency independence. In *Cook*, the Court upheld the Federal Reserve’s unique at‑will...
Labour Codes: Nearly Two Dozen Employer Compliances Listed
India’s labour and employment ministry has issued a handbook detailing nearly two dozen compliance obligations for employers under the four newly‑enforced labour codes. The codes—covering wages, social security, industrial relations, and occupational safety—replaced 29 legacy statutes on 21 November 2025. Obligations are...
Vetting AI Vendors: 6 Areas Every Legal Team Should Assess
The Above the Law guide outlines six critical areas legal teams must evaluate when selecting AI vendors, emphasizing risks around confidentiality, privilege, and reliability. It provides practical questions for each assessment category and highlights Filevine’s LOIS platform as an integrated...
Britain’s Labour Government Feels the Heat over Palantir Contracts
Britain’s Labour government is under growing pressure over its contracts with U.S. data‑analytics firm Palantir, which include a £330 million NHS platform and a £240 million defence deal awarded without competition. Critics cite the company’s founder Peter Thiel, its work with ICE, and...
Illumination Zone: Episode 224 | Timothy Conlon of DarrowEverett Sits Down with Mary Mack and Holley Robinson
Timothy Conlon, a DarrowEverett partner, discusses his transition from family law to eDiscovery on the Illumination Zone podcast, highlighting his new book *Electronic Evidence for Family Law Attorneys*. He explains how smartphones act as “supercomputers in a pocket,” storing self‑disclosed...
Guest Post: Venture Capital, Startup Liability, and D&O Insurance
When a startup secures venture capital, its liability profile shifts dramatically as cash, fiduciary duties, and litigation exposure rise overnight. Without directors and officers (D&O) coverage, founders and executives can face personal financial loss from employment, equity, or disclosure disputes....
3‑Minute Recap of Administration’s Legal Setbacks
Trying something new this week: instead of one legal win at a time or a long deep-dive, here’s a 3-minute roundup of the administration’s legal L’s — a concentrated shot of court losses, blocked policies, and judges saying “not so...
New Article Alert: “SAD Scheme Standing Orders”
Eric Goldman announced a forthcoming Chicago‑Kent Law Review essay titled “SAD Scheme Standing Orders.” The piece surveys the emerging wave of judicial standing orders aimed at curbing the abusive Schedule A (SAD) IP enforcement scheme that has proliferated over the past...
The Rise of Claude Cowork Platform and the Potential to Shake Up the Legal Industry
Claude Cowork has launched a legal plug‑in that automates contract review, NDA triage, compliance workflows, and templated responses, positioning itself as a direct competitor to traditional law firms. The announcement triggered immediate market reactions, with SaaS giants Adobe, HubSpot and...
Simpson Thacher Lures Kirkland’s LME Partner Amid Sponsor Tensions
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has hired a senior partner from Kirkland & Ellis who led the firm’s London Market & Energy (LME) practice. The move comes as Kirkland faces internal sponsor tensions that have prompted several private‑equity‑focused lawyers to reconsider their positions. The recruited...
In FTC Settlement, Cigna Agrees to Change Some PBM Business Practices, Charge Customers Less for Insulin
The episode examines Cigna’s settlement with the FTC over its Express Scripts PBM, which was accused of inflating insulin prices through opaque rebate deals. Key provisions require Cigna to prioritize lower‑cost drug versions, base patient copays on net prices, increase...
Today’s Podcast Episode: The Consumerization of Small Business Lending: Federal and State Regulations Accelerate
Today's Consumer Finance Monitor podcast examines the rapid consumerization of small‑business lending, highlighting a surge in state‑level protection statutes. Host Alan Kaplinsky interviews Louis Caditz‑Peck of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition about the shift from self‑regulation to formal legislation, including...
ICO Wins Appeal over Data Protection Obligations in Currys Cyber Attack
The UK Court of Appeal upheld the Information Commissioner’s Office decision to fine Currys Group Ltd (formerly DSG Retail) £500,000 for failing to protect personal data after a 2017‑18 cyber‑attack. The ruling confirms that organisations must safeguard all personal data,...
Georgia Supreme Court Disbars Workers’ Comp Attorney for Taking Client Funds
The Georgia Supreme Court disbarred workers’ compensation attorney Bryan Matthew Pritchett after an investigation revealed he forged client signatures and diverted nearly $160,000 in settlement funds. Pritchett, suspended in 2024, must repay over $104,000 to one client and additional amounts...
Legalmiga Library Becomes Trusted Partner for Women Founders
Proud to share that The Legalmiga Library® is officially an Entreprenista Approved Partner. ✨ @entreprenistas supports ambitious women founders, and this recognition means our legal templates and resources are trusted to help real businesses protect what they’re building. The Library was created...
Comesa Probes Meta for Locking Rival Chatbots Out of WhatsApp
The COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd for allegedly abusing its dominant position by amending WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October 2025 to block rival AI chatbot providers. The probe follows...
FCC’s Carr Appoints Two to World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appointed George John as chair and Kimberly Baum as vice‑chair of the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee, re‑chartered on Jan. 21. The committee will guide the FCC’s positions for the International Telecommunication Union’s 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference. The...
Can Courts Excuse Late Removals to Federal Court?
The Supreme Court will hear Enbridge Energy LP v. Nessel, a dispute over whether the 30‑day deadline for removing a state‑court case to federal court can be equitably tolled. Enbridge removed a Michigan lawsuit 30 months after filing, arguing that extraordinary circumstances justify an...
Something Big Is Happening — But Not What You Think
Ralph Losey challenges Matt Shumer’s viral claim that AI will soon replace white‑collar workers, arguing that while capability is accelerating, progress is jagged and domain‑specific. He highlights persistent hallucinations in legal AI, the limited relevance of benchmark curves, and the...
Solinex Reviews: Who Can Track Down and Recover Stolen Funds in the Era of Digital Risks?
Solinex, a specialist law firm, offers a full‑service model that merges legal counsel, cryptocurrency analytics, and international coordination to track and recover stolen digital assets. The firm reports a 97% case completion rate and has served over 4,800 clients in...
A Reflection on eDiscovery Today’s 2026 State of the Industry Report: The AI Adoption Gap and What’s Next for eDiscovery
The 2026 State of the Industry Report from eDiscovery Today highlights a widening AI adoption gap across legal firms. Only about 35% of respondents report using advanced AI tools for document review, while the majority remain reliant on legacy workflows....
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About the FDA Pushing OTC Meds, Its New Trial Standards, and Much More
The FDA, under Commissioner Marty Makary, is pushing to expand over‑the‑counter (OTC) availability for safe prescription drugs such as nausea treatments and vaginal estrogen. Simultaneously, the agency proposes dropping the long‑standing requirement for two pivotal clinical trials, moving to a...
Getty Images / Shutterstock Merger Inquiry
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has moved the Getty Images‑Shutterstock merger into Phase 2, issuing an interim report that identifies competition concerns in the supply of editorial content within the United Kingdom. The regulator concluded that the global stock‑image...
CySEC Withdraws License of OBR Investments
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) announced the withdrawal of the Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) licence for OBR Investments Ltd. The decision was taken at a CySEC meeting on 9 February 2026 and is grounded in Section 8(1)(a) of the 2017...
WhatsApp Is Banned in Russia
On February 12, 2026, the Kremlin announced a full ban on Meta’s WhatsApp, citing the app’s failure to comply with Russian data‑access laws. The ban blocks the service for its more than 100 million Russian users, representing over two‑thirds of the...
Procivis to Deliver Lithuanian EU Digital Identity Wallet Sandbox
Swiss firm Procivis has secured a contract to build Lithuania’s end‑to‑end Digital Identity Wallet sandbox, a testbed designed to meet the eIDAS 2.0 requirements that mandate citizen wallets by 2027. The sandbox will enable secure, user‑centric wallet use cases for Lithuanian...
Number Go Down and Other Schadenfreude
In a recent SEC briefing, Commissioners Peirce and Chairman Atkins addressed the sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices, emphasizing that regulators should not panic over market swings. They reiterated that the SEC’s role is to ensure robust disclosures so investors can...
‘Thrilling’ SEC Rule Changes Coming, Says Corp Fin Director
The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, led by James Moloney, announced a sweeping set of rule revisions that will affect disclosure, crypto assets, and reporting frequency. CFOs should anticipate changes to Regulation S‑K aimed at trimming immaterial disclosures, new interpretive guidance...
Musk: SEC Disclosure Claim Represents Targeted Application of Unclear Rule | Law.com
Elon Musk responded to the SEC’s disclosure violation claim regarding his Twitter acquisition with a filing that outlines 14 defenses. He argues that Section 13(d) and Rule 13d-1 compel content‑based disclosures that infringe the First Amendment and are vague about...
How MSPs Can Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Secure Sensitive Data
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) serving healthcare, finance and legal sectors must embed regulatory expertise into every service layer to meet HIPAA, SEC, FINRA and related compliance mandates. The article outlines how MSPs can implement encryption, MFA, role‑based access, documentation and...
Freshfields Advising EBay's $1.2B Depop Purchase From Etsy
eBay announced a $1.2 billion cash acquisition of Depop, the mobile fashion resale platform, from Etsy. Freshfields LLP is advising eBay, while Fenwick & West represents Etsy. The deal aims to strengthen eBay’s appeal to younger, Gen‑Z shoppers and expand its...
Amazon and City Hall Line up for Battle over Delivery Licence in New York
New York City Council is poised to adopt the Delivery Protection Act, a licensing regime that would require final‑mile delivery operators, including Amazon’s third‑party partners, to obtain city permits and directly employ warehouse workers. The legislation follows a city comptroller...
UK Raises Antitrust Concerns In Getty's Shutterstock Deal
Getty Images announced a $3.7 billion acquisition of Shutterstock, aiming to create a global leader in stock photography. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a provisional assessment that the merger could restrict the supply of editorial images in...
52 Orders And Counting
District of New Jersey Judge Michael E. Farbiarz ordered the Justice Department to produce a comprehensive list of every court order it violated since Dec. 5, a request that was unthinkable a year ago. The government’s own filing identified 52 distinct...
SEC Chair Atkins Proposed Further Securities Litigation and Disclosure Reform
SEC Chair Paul Atkins used a Texas A&M law symposium to unveil a second wave of securities‑litigation and disclosure reforms. He urged Texas to consider "loser‑pays" fee‑shifting bylaws and to permit mandatory arbitration provisions for corporations incorporated under state law....
Guest Post: Six Tech Revolutions that Were Supposed to Shrink Legal but Grew It. Will AI Be Different?
The legal profession has repeatedly expanded whenever new technology—typewriters, word processors, computerized research, e‑discovery, and document automation—was introduced, contrary to predictions of job loss. Each wave cut the cost of producing legal work, which in turn created more demand, higher...
Procedural Complaints: Raising Procedural Issues in CMA Cases
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provides an independent Procedural Officer and, for newer regimes, a Procedural Complaints Adjudicator to resolve procedural disputes in competition, merger, digital markets and consumer enforcement cases. Parties must apply within five working days after...
Bonterms Launches Docusign IAM Extension App
Bonterms has introduced a DocuSign IAM extension that links its library of standard agreements and guided‑negotiation playbooks directly to DocuSign’s webform and Navigator platform. The app enables users to launch a deal, negotiate terms, sign electronically, and automatically sync contracts...
AI On Lawyers And AI
Law firms are rapidly integrating AI chatbots into legal workflows, but the technology brings significant pitfalls. AI-generated drafts can hallucinate, producing fabricated citations that have already led to attorney sanctions. Recent rulings, such as USA v. Heppner, show courts treating...
Uber Moves to Enact Stricter Background Checks for Drivers
Uber announced it will tighten driver background checks by permanently barring anyone convicted of violent felonies, sexual offenses, and child or elder abuse, regardless of how long ago the crime occurred. The move follows a New York Times investigation that...
Alira Health Sued for Stock Manipulation and Fraud
Alira Health and its CEO Gabriele Brambilla face multiple lawsuits from startup founders alleging fraud, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Securities Exchange Act. The plaintiffs claim Alira used inflated stock to acquire companies, set unattainable performance targets, and then...
Editor’s Picks: Six Previously Unpublished ICC Awards in the ICCA Awards Series 2025
Six previously unpublished ICC arbitral awards have been added to the ICCA Awards Series 2025, covering topics such as non‑signatory enforcement, vague choice‑of‑law clauses, equity in arbitration, forum‑selection validity, and set‑off jurisdiction. Notably, an award bound an unsigned parent company...
Taylor Wessing Hunts for Investors to Back Start-Up Funding Platform Outpace
Taylor Wessing is actively courting investors to fund Outpace, a new start‑up financing platform it helped launch. The firm aims to leverage its legal expertise and client network to accelerate capital access for early‑stage companies. Outpace will provide a tech‑driven...
How the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill Could Impact MSPs
The UK Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill (CSRB) cleared its first two parliamentary readings, extending the 2018 NIS Directive to cover Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with at least 50 employees and €10 million turnover—roughly 1,100 firms. The legislation forces these MSPs to...
Diocese’s Sex Abuse Claims Fund to Get $180 Million Boost to Pay Survivors
The Catholic Diocese of Camden agreed to contribute an additional $180 million to its abuse‑claims trust, supplementing the $87.5 million settlement approved in 2024. The boost follows a mediation that resolved insurers' objections to the original plan, which had been stalled on...
BLOG: Inside Modern Conveyancing – the Extra Steps Agents and Vendors Don’t See
Modern conveyancing now involves extensive behind‑the‑scenes work that extends beyond the legal milestones agents typically see. Pre‑exchange depends on continuous identity, sanctions and source‑of‑funds checks, while lender criteria evolve throughout the deal. Conveyancers act for both buyer and lender, adhering...