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
SARS Turns Screws on Crypto Tax-Dodgers
South Africa’s tax authority, SARS, has released its domestic Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), outlining how crypto‑related transactions will be reported and shared with tax authorities. The framework mandates crypto‑asset service providers to gather detailed user and transaction data and to file reports using an OECD‑approved XML schema. Reporting obligations begin in September 2026, with the first automatic exchange of information with other jurisdictions slated for September 2027. CARF aligns South Africa with OECD and G20 efforts to improve global tax transparency for digital assets.
Corp Fin Posts More Deal CDIs
The SEC’s Corporation Finance Division released a fresh set of five CDIs, adding two Rule 13e‑3 going‑private interpretations, two tender‑offer clarifications, and a revised Form S‑4 business‑combination guidance. The new Rule 13e‑3 CDIs formalize the equity‑for‑equity exception and limit non‑waivable conditions, while the...
Stockholm-Based Hybridity Raises €2 Million to Automate Regulatory Compliance Through AI
Swedish RegTech startup Hybridity announced a €2 million funding round to accelerate commercialisation of its AI‑driven compliance platform Hy5. The round brings the company’s total capital to €5 million and adds investors such as Henrik Ekelund, Hans Otterling and family office Fonos....
2025 in Review: Pakistan
In 2025 the Kluwer Arbitration Blog published two Pakistan‑focused posts despite the Draft Arbitration Act 2024 never being promulgated, a delay linked to sweeping constitutional amendments. The articles dissected the Draft Act’s attempt to narrowly define public policy, analysed the Lahore...
UK Legaltech Adeus Launches True Wills Ahead of Electronic Will Reforms
London‑based legaltech firm adeus has launched True Wills™, a service that records a cryptographic fingerprint of a will on blockchain while keeping the document off‑chain. Backed by an Innovate UK Smart Grant, the product complements traditional wet‑signed wills and is...
Joe Cohen Joins Harvey as Legal Innovation Partner
Harvey has hired Joe Cohen as a legal innovation partner to help law firms reimagine AI‑driven service delivery, business models, and operations. Cohen will work with firm leaders to align AI strategies with long‑term business priorities. He arrives after a...
Joe Cohen Joins Harvey as Legal Innovation Partner
Harvey has appointed Joe Cohen as its new legal innovation partner, tasked with helping law‑firm leaders reshape service delivery, business models, and operations through AI. Cohen brings over a decade of legal‑tech experience, most recently directing Advanced Client Solutions at...
AltaClaro and Verbit Launch DepoSim, an AI-Powered Deposition Simulator for Litigators
AltaClaro, a legal‑training specialist, unveiled DepoSim, an AI‑driven deposition simulator built with Verbit.ai. The platform creates realistic, on‑demand deposition scenarios and automatically transcribes witness testimony using Verbit’s speech‑to‑text engine. After each session, litigators receive structured, objective performance metrics and actionable...
Czech Ministry Apologizes to Journalist for Blanket Collection of Mobile Phone Data
The Czech Supreme Court ruled that the country's blanket retention of mobile phone metadata violates EU law, labeling the practice a long‑term and serious rights infringement. Following the decision, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a formal apology to...
Ensuring Human Rights-Based, Global Perspectives in the DSA Enforcement: The DSA Human Rights Alliance’s Guidelines
The DSA Human Rights Alliance released an eight‑principle guide urging the European Commission and national regulators to embed a human‑rights‑centered approach as the Digital Services Act moves into enforcement. The recommendations stress cross‑border effects, inclusion of diverse civil‑society groups, and...
How Recommender Algorithms Threaten Election Integrity
A study by ApTI examined how Facebook, Instagram and TikTok recommendation algorithms delivered political content during Romania’s 2025 presidential election. Using four controlled accounts, the researchers found that algorithms routinely overrode explicit user choices, showing adult users political posts from...
European Commission’s Plans Will Lead to Worse Regulations
EDRi warns that the European Commission’s plan to amend the Better Regulation framework will degrade EU lawmaking by introducing procedural shortcuts, reducing scrutiny, and favoring private interests. The civil‑society group submitted evidence highlighting failures in impact assessments, a politicised ‘urgency’...
OSHA Inspector Ranks Fell Sharply Before Projected 2026 Increase, Agency Says
OSHA’s federal safety‑inspection workforce dropped sharply, falling from 812 officers at the end of fiscal 2024 to 629 by September 2025. The agency projects a rebound to roughly 1,720 inspectors in 2026, a figure that includes staff from state‑plan programs....
A Decade on, Lily Mine Rescue Remains Unresolved
The Lily Mine collapse in 2016 triggered a business rescue that has now stretched ten years without resolution. The mine remains closed, the three miners unrecovered, creditors unpaid, and no funding has been verified for revised rescue plans. The case...
Massachusetts OKs Liberty Mutual Affiliate Reorganization
The episode provides a brief news recap announcing that Massachusetts regulators have approved Liberty Mutual's affiliate reorganization, a move that will streamline the company's structure and potentially enhance capital efficiency. It outlines the regulatory rationale, noting the state's focus on...
SEC Moves to Toughen Standards for Philippine Corporate Directors
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a draft memorandum circular proposing stricter training requirements for corporate directors and senior executives. The new framework mandates a comprehensive curriculum that incorporates OECD corporate governance principles, the ASEAN Governance Scorecard,...
Antitrust Lawyers: AI’s Wartime Consiglieres
The piece warns that AI’s high fixed costs, winner‑take‑all dynamics, platform leverage and data lock‑in will drive market concentration, turning antitrust into a primary battleground. Private lawsuits are expected to outpace government enforcement, using timely complaints to stall rivals and...
Litigation Finance Plays an Important Role in Capital Markets
Litigation finance turns contingent legal claims into a source of capital, positioning them alongside other non‑traditional assets like future receivables and intellectual property. By providing non‑recourse funding, it lets companies—especially SMEs lacking traditional credit—access cash without equity dilution or restrictive...
Ongoing Regulatory Uncertainty Means Innovation Is Now Higher Risk
Regulatory uncertainty is rising as the FDA shifts leadership, adopts a single‑trial approval pathway, and tightens its benefit‑risk framework. While the one‑trial standard promises faster, cheaper market entry, recent surprise complete response letters (CRLs) show that even successful Phase 3 results...
Proliferating Patents, Lawsuits Stave Off Pharmas’ Generic Competitors
A new analysis in Health Affairs Scholar reveals that brand‑name drugmakers are exploiting the Hatch‑Waxman framework through serial patent litigation and continuation patents to extend market exclusivity. By filing multiple overlapping patents, companies can repeatedly sue generic challengers, triggering 30‑month...
Environmental Groups Sue DOE Over Approval of CP2 LNG Export Application
Environmental groups including the NRDC, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Energy’s approval of Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) LNG export terminal in Louisiana. The suit alleges the DOE failed to assess how the...
Sierra Club & SW Detroiters Celebrate $100M Penalty, Clean Air Wins in EES Coke Ruling
A federal judge ordered DTE Energy and its subsidiary EES Coke to pay a $100 million civil penalty for Clean Air Act violations at the Zug Island coke plant, and to allocate an additional $20 million for community health projects. The ruling follows...
Majority of In-House Legal Teams Still Stuck in Pilot Phase of AI Use – Survey
A recent Axiom survey shows that 96% of in‑house legal departments have tried AI, yet only 31% have moved past pilot projects to enterprise‑wide deployments. Two‑thirds remain in the testing phase, citing an overwhelming number of vendors, lengthy contracts, and...
Algorithmic Bias May Drive Layoffs After Medical Leave
If you got laid off following a performance improvement plan that came relatively shortly after you took protected medical leave, sought a reasonable accommodation, or reported unlawful employer practices-- you may have experienced algorithmic discrimination. Consult an employment lawyer before...
Accusing Superior of Hating Women Warranted Sacking, but Decision Was Harsh
The Fair Work Commission ordered the reinstatement of a National Jet Express pilot who was dismissed for alleging her superior "hated women" and other personal criticisms. While the employer proved the comments breached a workplace policy, the Commission deemed the...
FWC to Reconsider Reinstatement for Worker Accused of "Deplorable Racism"
The Fair Work Commission’s order to reinstate a Cowra Meat employee will be reconsidered after the employer proved that key evidence of alleged misconduct was not merely hearsay. The original ruling upheld the dismissal for failing to give notice but...
Coin Center Urges Senate Not to Axe Crypto Developer Protection Bill
Coin Center has written to the Senate Banking Committee urging the advancement of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), a bill that would exempt crypto developers and infrastructure providers who don’t control user funds from money‑transmitter classification. The latest draft,...
Financial Crime and Money Laundering Risks in Digital Assets
Regulators are increasingly focused on financial‑crime and money‑laundering risks tied to digital assets as cryptocurrency adoption accelerates worldwide. Anonymity, multiple accounts, unauthorized usage, illegal payments and sanctions breaches are identified as core vulnerabilities. Sources such as FATF lists, public legal...
Not Such an Emergency: Canada (Attorney General) V. Canadian Civil Liberties Association, 2026 FCA 6
The Federal Court of Appeal unanimously held that the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests was unlawful. The court applied the Vavilov framework, finding the government failed to meet objective legal and factual...
Poland Launches Team to Probe Epstein Files
POLAND INVESTIGATING EPSTEIN FILES - THE WALLS ARE SLOWLY CLOSING IN The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, has announced the formation of a team to analyze Epstein files and "possibly also to launch an investigation if our concerns over the...
Stripe-Owned Bridge Clears OCC Hurdle for Federal Bank Charter
Stripe‑owned Bridge announced it has secured conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to organize a federally chartered national trust bank. The charter, once fully granted, will let Bridge offer digital‑asset custody, stablecoin issuance, and reserve‑management...
Legal Help Requires Awareness, Resources, Not Just Willingness
It’s always fascinating to watch people say, “Why didn’t she just hire a solicitor?” as if that’s a normal, frictionless life choice. Of course a poor 18-year-old will not run to hire a lawyer. The legal system (then and now) is navigable...
Warner Bros. Slams ByteDance for AI Deepfake IP Misuse
Warner Bros. Blasts ByteDance for AI Videos of Superman, Batman and ‘Game of Thrones’ https://t.co/f1uTztF2Ef
EFF to Wisconsin Legislature: VPN Bans Are Still a Terrible Idea
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has sent a letter to Wisconsin’s entire legislature urging a vote against S.B. 130 and A.B. 105, bills that would ban VPN use and impose invasive age‑verification on certain websites. The measures have cleared the...
Release of Guidance for the Australian Clearing and Settlement Facility Resolution Regime
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has released its Guidance on the Australian Clearing and Settlement (CS) Facility Resolution Regime, accompanied by a Response to Consultation that outlines stakeholder feedback. The Guidance clarifies how the RBA may exercise its crisis‑resolution...
ASA Rules on Virgin Media Advert Following BT Complaint
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled on Virgin Media’s September 2024 TV spot that claimed the company was “Awarded Best Broadband Experience.” While the ASA concluded the claim was not misleading about technology, it found the advert failed to provide verifiable...
ICMA Publishes Guide to Repo Markets: South Africa
ICMA has published an open‑access guide to South Africa’s repurchase (repo) market, the ninth edition in its global series of market‑specific manuals. The guide outlines the market’s structure, collateral types, counterparties, infrastructure, and the legal‑regulatory framework. Funding came from Strate’s...
Former Students Blast Grand Canyon University over ‘Worthless Degrees’
Grand Canyon University is facing a class‑action lawsuit alleging it misled students about the accreditation and licensure eligibility of its Master of Science in Psychology program. Plaintiff Katie Ogdon says she spent over $20,000 and was told the degree qualified...
When ‘Market’ Isn’t Market: The New Reality of AI Contract Negotiations
The article argues that the traditional notion of market language in technology contracts no longer applies to AI agreements, where terms are still evolving. Because regulatory, insurance, and liability frameworks remain unsettled, parties craft varied clauses focused on transparency, data...
Judge Clears Navy Contractor’s $1.5 Million Settlement with Hunters Point Residents
A federal judge approved a $1.5 million settlement between Tetra Tech, the Navy contractor cleaning the former Hunters Point Naval Yard, and 6,500 local residents, deeming the agreement made in good faith. The settlement follows an earlier, far larger $27 billion...
State Bills Target Nursing Home Transparency, Staffing and CNA Funding
Virginia lawmakers are debating a suite of bills aimed at improving nursing home oversight, staffing, and transparency. One proposal sets minimum nursing care hours at 3.08 per resident per day through 2027, rising to 3.25 by 2031 for facilities in...
Judge’s Ruling Expected On Whether To Block ACIP Meeting
A federal judge is set to rule this week on a lawsuit seeking to prevent the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) from convening. The plaintiffs argue the committee, whose members were appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy...
Doctors Tell Senators CMS Red Tape Is Driving Workforce Exodus, Threatening Access
Physicians, medical educators and health system leaders testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging that escalating CMS regulations—particularly prior authorizations and Medicare quality reporting—are intensifying burnout and prompting many to leave clinical practice. The testimony highlighted that these administrative...
Houston Is Becoming A Biglaw Stomping Ground
Houston is emerging as a premier destination for large law firms, with two Am Law top‑30 firms announcing new Houston offices in 2026. The move leaves only five firms in the top‑30 still without a Houston presence, underscoring the city’s growing...
Wall Street Wants to Bring Election Bets Into Brokerage Accounts – Bloomberg
Roundhill Investments has filed a request with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch six exchange‑traded funds that let investors wager on U.S. election outcomes. Each ETF would hold binary event contracts that settle at either $1 or $0,...
A Year of Change, A Year in Review: A Q&A on SEC Whistleblower Program Results for FY2025 – Outten &...
On February 12, 2026 the SEC released its FY2025 Dodd‑Frank Whistleblower Program report, showing more than $60 million awarded to 48 whistleblowers—a sharp drop from the $255 million paid in FY2024. The agency’s 2025 financial report indicates total whistleblower payouts of $171 million,...
Texas AG Sues Wi-Fi Company over Links to China
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP‑Link Systems Inc., alleging the Wi‑Fi maker deceived consumers by marketing its routers as "Made in Vietnam" while sourcing most components in China. The complaint cites longstanding firmware vulnerabilities that Chinese state‑backed hackers have...
When Artificial Intelligence Discriminates: Employer Compliance in the Rise of AI Hiring (US)
Employers are rapidly adopting AI for candidate screening, with 88% of firms using such tools by 2025. A California federal case, *Mobley v. Workday*, alleges that Workday’s AI hiring platform discriminates against African‑American, older, and disabled applicants. The court granted...
4th Circuit Decision Highlights WARN Act Risks for Broader Corporate Families
The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a group of five related mining companies acted as a single employer for WARN Act purposes, affirming a jury verdict for a class of terminated workers. The court applied a multifactor...
Cemetery Locked Black Employees Out of Restroom Open to White Workers, EEOC Alleges
The EEOC filed a complaint against StoneMor GP, LLC alleging the funeral‑services firm locked a restroom and break room, allowing only White employees to use them while Black staff were forced to use a neighboring gas station’s facilities for ten...