Today's Legal Pulse
UK pushes commonhold reform to boost housing supply
The Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill proposes abolishing leasehold and mandating new homes be sold as commonhold, tying the change to a target of delivering 1.5 million homes annually—the highest since 1968. The model remains untested, with fewer than 25 developments and unresolved issues around dispute resolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
FCA Warns Lenders to Prepare for No-Scheme Scenario
The FCA warned UK motor‑finance lenders to prepare for a possible “no‑scheme” outcome as four legal challenges to its proposed compensation framework proceed. The regulator said the Upper Tribunal is unlikely to hear the case before October, leaving uncertainty over whether the scheme will survive. Lenders are instructed to continue building implementation plans while also developing contingency processes for a complaint‑led redress approach if the scheme is quashed. The FCA emphasized that complaints cannot be paused and that firms must remain financially ready.
Government Can't Dictate Content on Media Platforms
ABC also quotes the DC Circuit dissent from then Judge Kavanaugh in the 2017 net neutrality case: the government may not tell "Amazon or Politics & Prose what books to promote; or tell The Washington Post or the Drudge Report...
University Claims Withholding Water From Nuclear Weapons Data Center Is 'Unlawfully Discriminatory' To Data Centers
The University of Michigan has threatened legal action after the Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority voted to impose a 365‑day moratorium on water service for a proposed $1.2 billion, 220,000‑square‑foot data center that will support Los Alamos National Laboratory’s nuclear‑weapons research and...
One Year After Cancellation, Digital Equity Act Tied Up in Legal Challenges
One year after President Trump cancelled the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and a coalition of 21 states plus the District of Columbia continue to fight the decision in federal court. The lawsuit alleges violations...
26-301 - Galbraith V. Garfield County Jail
The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma issued its opinion in *Galbraith v. Garfield County Jail* on May 7, 2026, docket 26‑301. The decision is publicly available through the Government Publishing Office portal. The case citation is...
DOGE Cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities Were Unconstitutional, Court Rules
A Manhattan federal judge ruled that the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) acted unconstitutionally when it cancelled more than 1,400 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants, a move that wiped out over $100 million in funding. The decision, penned by...
Is 2026 the End of iMessage Work Group Chats?
Businesses relying on iMessage for internal communication face three critical risks: departing employees walk away with years of client data, legal disputes lack a retrievable audit trail, and disgruntled staff can retain access to confidential chats. iMessage was designed for...
US Defense Contractor Who Sold Hacking Tools to Russian Broker Ordered to Pay $10M to Former Employers
Former L3Harris executive Peter Williams was ordered to pay $10 million in restitution, on top of a prior $1.3 million judgment, after stealing and selling advanced hacking tools to Russian broker Operation Zero. Williams, an Australian‑born former intelligence officer, exploited his full access to...
SC ‘Extremely Shy’ to Order Arrest in ADAG Bank Fraud Case
The Supreme Court reiterated its reluctance to order arrests, calling them a last‑resort measure, as petitioners demanded custody of alleged ADAG fraud kingpin Anil Ambani. The CBI’s probe spans nine cases, with seven under investigation and two charge‑sheets already filed, covering...
Essential Reading List for New Head of Legal Ops
Three books I'd buy for any new Head of Legal Ops: — The Fearless Organization (Edmondson) — Right Kind of Wrong (Edmondson again, sorry, she earned it) — The Memo (Minda Harts) No affiliate links. Just the bookshelf I wish I'd inherited.
CTIA Pushes FCC to End Incumbent Transition Reimbursements
"...CTIA has encouraged the Commission to abandon its longstanding policy of reimbursing incumbents for their expenses caused by a band transition. A4A provides herein responses to CTIA’s concerns..." https://t.co/lDJEvD7xLo
26-487 - Nadurath V. Noem Et Al
Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell issued a Report and Recommendation on May 7, 2026, urging the district court to grant the petitioner’s habeas corpus petition and order his immediate release. The recommendation also requires respondents to file a sworn declaration confirming the release...
FCC Priorities Shift with Each Administration
More from @ABC -- "What is newsworthy to today’s FCC may not be newsworthy to the FCC in the next Administration"
26-619 - Castillo Torres V. Grant
On May 7, 2026 Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell issued a Report and Recommendation in the federal habeas corpus case Castillo Torres v. Grant. The magistrate advised the district court to grant the petitioner’s writ and order his immediate release, noting the prior...
Court To DOGE Bros: Asking ChatGPT ‘Yo, Is This DEI?’ Is Not Proper Legal Process & Also A First Amendment...
A federal judge ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials’ use of ChatGPT to label National Endowment for the Humanities grants as DEI and cancel them was arbitrary, capricious, and a violation of the First Amendment. The court...
SEC Slashed Offer to Wells Fargo Whistleblower by $125M
The SEC reduced its proposed whistleblower award to former Wells Fargo security chief Michael Bacon from about $180 million to roughly $55 million, prompting Bacon to appeal the decision. The cut came shortly after Paul Atkins, a vocal critic of the SEC’s whistleblower...
UBS to Pay $1.2M Over Widow’s Variable Annuity Claim
UBS Wealth Management USA was ordered by a FINRA arbitration panel to pay $1.17 million in compensatory damages, plus $36,300 in costs, after a Florida widow alleged a broker improperly recommended a variable annuity using retirement funds. The panel also assessed...
Persistence Beats Skepticism: Tough Laws Can Pass
"Lots of so-called smart people said legislation is never going to happen. It's too hard. The answer is yes, it's too hard, but you just have to press and press and make the case." 💪 https://t.co/Mwr3RXyKXz
Integris Report Finds Law Firms Lag Behind Client Expectations on Tech, Security and AI Transparency
Integris' 2026 law‑firm trust report, based on 416 firm decision‑makers and 600 clients, reveals a widening gap between client expectations and firm capabilities. One‑third of firms cite budgeting and roadmap issues, nearly two‑thirds report email‑based breaches, and over a third...
Critics Oppose Regulation, Seeking to Punish Crypto
"It drives me crazy how much you see from crypto critics who want to punish crypto by preventing regulation that provides rules and regulations." 🤯 https://t.co/Mwr3RXyd81
DOJ Sues Colorado Over Assault‑Weapon Ban and Magazine Limits, Citing Second Amendment
The Justice Department filed two federal lawsuits in Colorado, challenging Denver's assault‑weapon ban and the state's magazine‑capacity limit. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argue the restrictions ban arms in common use and lack a...
EC Grants Google Extra Time in DMA Probe
The European Commission granted Google an extension to address alleged Digital Markets Act breaches after its initial remediation proposals were judged inadequate. The regulator is pressing for structural reforms, including unbundling Search, YouTube and Chrome, revising app‑store rules, and ending...
Regulators Must Use Crypto to Craft Effective Policies
Government officials need to be able to hold Bitcoin. Hold stablecoins. Open a crypto account. 🪙 If the people writing the rules can't use the thing, you don't get good policy. You get policy written by tourists. ~ Faryar Shirzad view https://t.co/Mwr3RXyd81
Greenpeace Suffers Another Blow in Court Fight With Energy Transfer
North Dakota’s Supreme Court issued an anti‑suit injunction that bars Greenpeace International from pursuing its countersuit in the Netherlands against Energy Transfer. The injunction reverses a lower‑court decision and is one of the few instances a U.S. state court has...
Lawmakers Set Ground Rules for Web3 Development
The fact that lawmakers are now fighting over rewards instead of the foundation is the tell. 🔔 Listing rules, developer protections, legal certainty for blockchain builders. All locked in. The second internet just got its ground rules. ~ Faryar Shirzad...
Federal Indictment Puts Attempted Assassination Allegations at Center of High-Stakes Criminal Case
Federal prosecutors have indicted Cole Tomas Allen on charges of attempted assassination of the president and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon. The case, United States v. Cole Tomas Allen, is poised to become one of the...
Isle of Man Regulator Consults on ‘Legitimate Interest’ Route for Public Access to Beneficial Ownership Info
The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority has launched a consultation to create a “legitimate interest” route for public access to beneficial‑ownership information. The proposal would allow case‑by‑case applications, assessed by the Central Registry, to obtain data when a genuine...
$2.4 Million for Exec After Company Breaches Contract
Ontario Superior Court ordered Sigma Lithium Corp. to pay former chief development officer Jamie Flegg more than $2.4 million CAD (≈ $1.78 million USD) after finding the company breached its employment contract and constructively dismissed him. The judgment includes $1.898 million CAD in share‑sale damages, $100,000...
“The Supreme Case for Harvey: A Look at How Harvey Moot Helped Seasoned Litigators Prepare for a Case with the...
Harvey, an AI‑driven moot court platform, was deployed to prepare attorneys for the pending Supreme Court case 25‑95, argued on February 25, 2026. The experience, detailed in a Harvey blog post, shows how the tool replicates high‑stakes oral arguments, providing...
Car Finance Scandal Payments Face Big Delay Due to Legal Challenges
The UK Financial Conduct Authority’s Motor Finance Redress Scheme, designed to pay roughly £700 (about $900) to each of 14 million affected motorists, is now delayed by four legal challenges. The FCA warned that a "no scheme" scenario could force consumers...
Canvas Breach Moves From Disclosure to Demand as ShinyHunters Sets May 12 Deadline
Extortion group ShinyHunters defaced Canvas login pages and set a May 12 deadline to leak data it claims to have exfiltrated from roughly 9,000 schools. The group alleges 275 million records and 3.65 TB of information, including names, emails, student IDs and messages,...
Law Firm Serling Rooks Rebrands as McKoy Worob Averill Scott & Koenig LLP, Elevates Jeffrey Koenig and Adds Margo Scott...
New York‑based music and entertainment law firm Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP has rebranded as McKoy Worob Averill Scott & Koenig LLP, effective January 2026. The name change follows the exit of founding partners Reid Hunter and...
FDA Greenlights Fruit-Flavored Vapes, Sparking Controversy
The FDA finally authorized fruit-flavored vapes. It's quite a story. @imaracingmom explains in @Filtermag_org #smoking #vaping https://t.co/11alD0xXCP
STB Advances ’Data Collection’ Streamlining Efforts
On May 8 the Surface Transportation Board issued a final rule (EP 787) that streamlines Class I railroad reporting by eliminating supplemental Positive Train Control expenditure filings and adding two weekly service metrics—Original Estimated Time of Arrival (OETA) and Industry Spot and Pull...
Virginia Supreme Court Throws Out Redistricting Referendum Results
Virginia's Supreme Court struck down the 2025 redistricting referendum after a narrow voter approval, citing a constitutional timing violation. The decision blocks a Democratic‑led plan to redraw congressional maps mid‑term, which would have shifted the delegation from a 6‑5 Democratic...
Florida Governor Signs Bill Dropping Building Permits for Work Valued at $7,500 or Less
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 803, eliminating building‑permit requirements for residential projects valued at $7,500 or less, effective July 1, 2026. The exemption does not apply to properties in flood‑hazard zones. The legislation also mandates the Florida Building Commission...
Richard Faithfull Gets Additional 499 Days in Prison for Failing to Fully Pay Money Owed Under Confiscation Order
Richard Faithfull was sentenced to an additional 499 days in prison after failing to fully satisfy a confiscation order tied to his £2.5 million (≈$3.2 million) money‑laundering conviction. The court had previously imposed a 5‑year‑10‑month term for his role in a trans‑national...
Exec Ordered to Pay $10M for Selling Exploits to Russia
Trenchant exec, Peter Williams, who stole zero day exploits from his employer and sold them to a Russian buyer (known to sell exploits to the Russian government) has been ordered to pay $10 million in restitution to his former employer...
Louisiana Bill Would Bring Biometric Age Checks to Bars
Louisiana Senate Bill 499, called the Madison Brooks Law, would require patrons entering alcohol‑licensed venues to present a biometric age‑assurance credential that combines a QR code with a live facial match. The credential, issued by the state’s Office of Alcohol...
2026 Outlook: Navigating Third-Party Risk in the Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Sector
Ethixbase360 released its 2026 Outlook guidebook on third‑party risk for pharmaceutical and life‑sciences firms. The report highlights rising regulatory scrutiny, including stricter FCPA enforcement, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and tighter forced‑labor controls under the Uyghur Forced Labor...
Operations Is the Strategy: What The 2026 ALA Conference & Expo Made Impossible to Ignore
At the 2026 ALA Conference, Actionstep highlighted that law‑firm growth now hinges on treating operations as strategy rather than support. Speakers emphasized that client experience, clear SOPs, defined roles, and disciplined execution outweigh hiring more lawyers. A firm that grew...
Canada’s Best Personal Injury Law Firms | Boutique Personal Injury
Canada’s 2026 Top Personal Injury Law Firms ranking, compiled from 1,753 votes, peer input and regional diversity, spotlights firms that build cases early and stay trial‑ready. Only about 7.5‑10.2% of claims reach trial, so firms focus on front‑loading evidence and aggressive litigation...
Medical Marijuana Removed From Schedule I – Moving Closer to Broadcast and Online Advertising but Concerns Still Remain
The Justice Department and DEA moved FDA‑approved medical marijuana and state‑licensed medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, creating a limited federal pathway for distribution. Recreational cannabis remains Schedule I, so its advertising stays prohibited. The change allows federally registered dispensaries to...
European Data Protection Authority Fines Yango €100M
The Dutch data‑protection authority (AP) fined Yango’s Dutch arm MLU B.V. €100 million (≈$109 million) for illegally sending driver and rider personal data to Russia. The joint probe with Norway and Finland revealed that sensitive information—including licence scans, addresses, payment details and...
Virginia Supreme Court Voids Virginia Gerrymander
The Virginia Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, invalidated a 2026 ballot initiative that would have authorized partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. The majority held that the General Assembly’s process violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution, rendering...
South Africa’s Top Court Revives Ramaphosa Impeachment Probe
South Africa’s Constitutional Court overturned a 2022 parliamentary vote that halted President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment, ordering lawmakers to restart the inquiry. The ruling targets the $580,000 cash theft from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm and the alleged cover‑up. Parliament must...
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PHOTO ESSAY: In Pictures: Constitutional Court Delivers Major Ramaphosa Ruling
South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled on May 8, 2026 that the Section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala farm theft must be referred to an impeachment committee. The decision overturns Parliament’s December 2022 refusal to adopt the report, effectively reopening an impeachment inquiry into...
Five Years in Jail, Sh2m Fine: The Law Karen Nyamu May Have Just Walked Into
Senator Karen Nyamu made suggestive remarks about a teenage learner visiting Kenya's Senate, prompting accusations that she violated the Children Act 2022, which bans psychological abuse of children. The law carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment or a fine...
UBO Due Diligence: Ownership Transparency as Strategic Control
Ethixbase360 released an eBook that positions ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) due diligence as a strategic control rather than a routine compliance task. It explains how sanctions, export‑control regimes, the U.S. Corporate Transparency Act and evolving European AML rules are forcing...
Palestinian American Developer Asks US Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit Alleging He Aided Hamas
Palestinian‑American developer Bashar Masri asked a Miami federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by about 200 U.S. families of October 7 victims. The plaintiffs allege his Gaza hotels and an industrial estate concealed tunnels that Hamas used to launch attacks,...