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
Swedish Regulator Finds Telia Compliant with Emergency Call Relay Rules
Swedish telecom regulator PTS announced that Telia Company complies with emergency call relay rules after a year‑long review. The investigation was sparked by concerns that shutting down 2G and 3G networks could block 112 calls from older phones even on 4G. PTS found Telia’s routing and fallback mechanisms meet legal standards, clearing the operator of potential penalties. The decision reassures consumers that emergency services remain reachable during network upgrades.
Appeals Court Kills FCC Effort To Acknowledge Racism In Broadband Deployment
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down the FCC's 2023 rule that would have allowed consumers to file complaints over broadband services that cause disparate impact on low‑income and minority neighborhoods. The court held the agency exceeded...
EU AI Act Deal Would Delay High-Risk Rules to 2027, Ban Abusive AI Content
EU lawmakers reached a provisional Digital Omnibus on AI that pushes the high‑risk Annex III obligations to Dec 2 2027 and the product‑embedded Annex I rules to Aug 2 2028. The deal also adds Article 5, a categorical ban on AI systems that generate child sexual abuse...
L.A. Moves to Limit LAPD Pretextual Traffic Stops
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to restrict LAPD pretextual traffic stops, allowing pulls only when a significant safety threat exists. The proposal mirrors San Francisco’s rule that bars stops for minor equipment violations. Councilmember Imelda Padilla urged the Police Commission...
Seven Additional Canadian Nationals Charged in Connection with Nationwide Multimillion-Dollar “Grandparent Scam” Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont unsealed an indictment on May 7 2026 charging seven Canadian nationals with a nationwide “grandparent scam” that defrauded seniors in Vermont and more than 40 other states between 2021 and 2024. The operation ran...
New Federal Insurance Law Could Kill US Passenger Rail Within Weeks
The U.S. Department of Transportation is set to enforce a new passenger‑rail liability cap that could reach roughly $400 million. Under the rule, every passenger‑rail operator has 30 days to obtain the required insurance or suspend service. The cap, which has risen...
Law Reinvented: Key Takeaways From a “Goldmine of Practical Guidance”
Law Reinvented: Leading AI Transformation in Legal Practice, authored by Adam Curphey, Oz Benamram and Rebecca Pasternak, is slated for release and praised as a practical guide for the legal sector. The book argues that AI strategy cannot exist in...
Blowback Is Building Against Trump’s Cash-For-Quitting Offshore Wind Scheme
President Trump’s administration offered a $1 billion payout to TotalEnergies to abandon two offshore wind leases, marking a rare cash‑for‑quitting deal. The arrangement has sparked a wave of backlash, including a House Democratic inquiry, a California regulator probe, and a reevaluation...
New York Spy Trial Exposes Beijing's Blueprint for Embedding Huawei Cloud Linking CCP Police Stations From New York to Toronto...
A federal trial in Brooklyn accuses naturalized citizen Lu Jianwang of running a covert Chinese Ministry of Public Security outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Prosecutors allege Lu operated an overseas police service station, coordinated with Fujian‑based officials, and planned to install...
Ye Makes Courtroom Joke During ‘DONDA’ Listening Event Sampling Dispute
Kanye West, now known as Ye, appeared in an Atlanta courtroom to defend a copyright lawsuit tied to his 2021 Donda listening event. Producers DJ Khalil, Sam Barsh, John Mease and Dan Seeff claim Ye sampled their composition “MSD PT2”...
Is $WLFI an Unregistered Security? – The FinReg Blog
The SEC settled its three‑year case against Tron founder Justin Sun for $10 million, dismissing remaining charges while still asserting that TRX and BTT were securities under the Howey test. The settlement shows the regulator can apply traditional securities law to...
US Nuclear Innovator NuCube Energy Hires Oklo Deputy GC as First CLO
NuCube Energy appointed Michael Green as its first chief legal officer to guide legal strategy, partnership development, and regulatory engagement for its high‑temperature modular microreactor. Green joins from Oklo, where he was deputy general counsel, and previously held senior roles...
U.S. Audit Watchdog Should Rescind Its Independence Rules, SEC Official Says – WSJ
U.S. audit regulator SEC chief accountant Kurt Hohl said the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) independence rules should be rescinded and replaced with SEC guidance. The SEC plans to issue informal, nonbinding guidance this year, then consider formal rule...
Insider Trading
A former M&A partner was sentenced to prison for an insider‑trading scheme that netted him only about $20,000. The case highlights that even modest illicit gains can trigger severe penalties for lawyers privy to confidential deal information. Industry insiders debate...
Ontario Proposing Faster Police Record Checks
Ontario is moving to amend the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 to accelerate vulnerable sector police checks used for hiring in child‑care, health‑care and seniors’ care. The proposal would allow designated police services to process checks for applicants outside...
Big Law’s Alleged M&A Insider Traders Switched Firms With Ease
U.S. prosecutors have indicted three M&A lawyers for allegedly exploiting confidential client information to trade securities, revealing a pattern of employment at seven major law firms over a decade. One defendant, Nicolo Nourafchan, cycled through Sidley Austin, Latham & Watkins and Goodwin Procter between 2013...
Ask the Tax Editor, May 8: Will I Be Audited by the IRS?
The IRS audit rate for individuals is now well under 1% and is expected to keep falling as budget cuts shrink the agency’s workforce. To compensate, the service is leaning heavily on data analytics and artificial intelligence to pinpoint high‑risk...
EU DMA Targets Google, Data Sharing Sparks Mixed Reactions
With the Digital Market Act (DMA), the EU made its intention to end Google's market dominance clear. While some are already cheering the push for our Search data to be shared with hopefully better alternative services, others fear this could...
D.C. Circuit Challenges FCC's Judicial Review Evasion
'D.C. Circuit Probes FCC’s Evasion of Judicial Review' @EdWhelanEPPC | What is the point here? @FCC procedures should change because a deal is controversial? The same review process was followed below and the parties are awaiting action by the full...
Fake Moustache Trick Raises Questions Over UK Online Safety Act Age Checks
The UK’s Online Safety Act, launched in July 2025, introduced stricter age‑verification and content‑moderation rules to protect children online. Early testing shows simple tricks—such as a 12‑year‑old drawing a fake moustache—can fool AI‑driven facial age checks, exposing a critical vulnerability....
Trade Court Blocks Trump Tariffs After Supreme Court Reversal
Trade court says “no” to Trump tariffs set after Supreme Court strikes down tariffs from Liberation Day. No what for supply chains?
Supreme Court Blocks John Stockton COVID Speech Case
John Stockton Blocked by U.S. Supreme Court in COVID Speech Case 🏀https://t.co/SuUFeHjHp2 via @sportico @McCannSportsLaw
Tribunal Restores Salary Rights for BSNL Employee
The Central Administrative Tribunal ordered Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to continue paying full salary to a junior telecom officer until his retirement, overturning the company’s 2019 decision to force his retirement on grounds of mental illness. The employee, hired...
FCC Reverses Rosenworcel's Net Neutrality, Homework Gap Policies
D.C. Memo: Democrat @JRosenworcel Progressive @FCC Legacy Resides on @Wikipedia, Not in the Federal Code. The Biden FCC’s hard pivot left on Net Neutrality and Digital Discrimination lost in federal court, and FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC dismantled...
Supreme Court VRA Ruling Relied on Misleading DOJ Data
Good analysis by the Guardian. Racism is always built on lies. Supreme court’s Voting Rights Act ruling cited misleading data from DoJ https://t.co/iPl6IJnmby
Regulation: Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) Comment Response Sheets
The UK Ministry of Defence and Military Aviation Authority have released a comprehensive set of Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) comment response sheets, consolidating feedback from industry and stakeholders on a series of aviation regulatory changes. The collection includes over...
Shodai Network Launches to Solve Agentic Economy Agreements
Excited to see the launch of @shodai_network tackling the question of how to get agreements/commitments created in the agentic economy
Regulation: Table of Contents: 3000 (ATM) Regulatory Articles
The 3000‑series ATM regulatory table of contents has been continuously updated since its first publication in November 2014. The most recent entry, Issue 36, was released on 8 May 2026 under NAA 26/27. Each issue adds or revises NAA references that govern air‑traffic‑management safety and...
DOJ Reaches Settlement with Agri Stats Over Meat Price-Fixing
The U.S. Department of Justice and six states settled an antitrust lawsuit against Agri Stats, a data firm whose weekly meat‑pricing reports were alleged to facilitate anti‑competitive behavior in chicken, pork and turkey markets. The settlement limits the company’s data...
Why Legal Assistance Is Important Following a Truck Accident in Lafayette.
Truck accidents in Lafayette cause severe injuries, long‑term disability, and substantial financial strain. Because multiple parties—drivers, carriers, manufacturers—can share fault, claims are legally complex and demand extensive evidence such as maintenance logs and accident reconstructions. Experienced personal‑injury firms, like The...
How a St. Louis Truck Accident Attorney Can Help When Large Rigs Cause Serious Collisions
A St. Louis commercial truck accident attorney guides victims through a complex claims process after collisions involving massive 80,000‑pound rigs. The lawyer conducts a free consultation, gathers black‑box data, driver logs, maintenance records, and witness statements, then files insurance claims...
What’s an Author to Do? Shadow Libraries in the Age of AI.
On March 6, the five largest global book publishers filed a lawsuit in New York federal court seeking to shut down the shadow library Anna’s Archive, alleging it supplies pirated works to AI developers. The case highlights a new wave of litigation...
Capricor Sues Nippon Shinyaku over Duchenne Drug 'Pricing Flaw' And Launch Prep
Capricorn Therapeutics has filed a lawsuit against Japan’s Nippon Shinyaku, alleging a breach of their licensing agreement for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy cell‑therapy candidate deramio‑cel. The complaint centers on a pricing flaw that Capricorn says Nippon Shinyaku misrepresented during launch...
Changes Coming to California Prop. 65 Warnings
California’s Proposition 65 will enforce new short‑form warning language for products manufactured or labeled on or after Jan 1 2028. The revised warnings must identify at least one specific carcinogenic or reproductive‑toxic chemical and can use “CA WARNING” or “CALIFORNIA WARNING” after the...
Judge Approves $425M Capital One 360 Savings Settlement — Payments Expected July
A federal judge approved a $425 million class‑action settlement with Capital One over claims that the bank paid lower interest rates to older 360 Savings customers while offering a higher‑yield 360 Performance Savings product under a similar name. Eligible account holders...
John Stockton Blocked by U.S. Supreme Court in COVID Speech Case
The U.S. Supreme Court denied former NBA star John Stockton’s petition to review a First Amendment challenge against Washington state officials who investigated doctors for “dangerous” COVID‑19 viewpoints. Lower courts had dismissed the case, invoking the Younger Doctrine and finding...
Gujarat High Court Orders Father to Pay $36 Monthly Support for Triplet Children
The Gujarat High Court ruled that a father must pay Rs 3,000 ($36) per month for his triplet children, despite his argument that loan EMIs limit his ability to pay. Justice Gita Gopi emphasized that child‑support obligations are independent of the...
A New Era Of Sanctions Screening
New York’s Department of Financial Services Part 504, effective Jan 1 2017, has reshaped sanctions‑screening compliance by demanding technology‑driven, quality‑focused programs rather than simple list checks. The rule obliges senior management to certify annually that matching tools, data quality controls, and governance meet...
Meta Takes on Canada, UK over Legal, Monetary Matters
Meta Platforms is simultaneously contesting regulatory moves in Canada and the United Kingdom. In Canada, the company warns that Bill C‑22’s provisions allowing broader access to electronic service data could erode privacy and undermine encryption, though it supports the bill’s...
SEC Proposes Optional Semi‑annual Reporting, Prompting Wealth‑advisor Workflow Shift
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a rule change that would let listed companies replace quarterly Form 10‑Q filings with optional semi‑annual Form 10‑S reports. Wealth‑management firms and advisors are weighing the operational impact, with some seeing little risk...
Arkansas Secures $848,000 From Walmart Over Spark Driver Settlement
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin secured an $848,000 payout from Walmart, recouping part of the retailer's $100 million FTC settlement over alleged deceptive pay practices for Spark delivery drivers. The state lawsuit underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of large retailers' gig‑style logistics...
MoFo Builds in London with Tech Transactions Trio From Morgan Lewis, Baker McKenzie
Morrison Foerster has bolstered its London tech‑transactions practice by hiring a trio of senior lawyers from Morgan Lewis and Baker McKenzie. Will Holder joins from Baker McKenzie, while Mike Pierides and Oliver Bell arrive from Morgan Lewis, with associates expected to follow. The hires bring deep experience in...
Propy Secures $100 Million Credit Facility to Accelerate Blockchain Real‑Estate Closings
Propy, the Miami‑based blockchain startup, closed a $100 million credit facility with Metropolitan Partners Group. The funding will be used to consolidate title and escrow firms into an AI‑powered, end‑to‑end closing platform that records deeds on a public blockchain, promising to...
Akin Deploys NetDocuments ndMAX AI Suite Firmwide in $700K Rollout
Akin, the Am Law 100 firm, has rolled out NetDocuments' ndMAX generative‑AI suite firmwide, spending a high‑six‑figure sum. The deployment follows a 100‑lawyer pilot that began in January 2025 and reflects the firm’s strategy to embed AI inside its long‑used...
EU Pushes Back AI Act Timelines
The European Parliament and Council have agreed to push back key provisions of the AI Act, moving high‑risk AI rules to 2 December 2027 and product‑related rules to 2 August 2028. The delay follows criticism from a coalition of 59 tech firms, including Meta...
Blue Cross Reverses In‑Network Kidney Transplant Denial Amid Contract Dispute
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan approved a kidney transplant that it had initially denied, after a Detroit Free Press story sparked public scrutiny. The reversal underscores a broader contract fight with Michigan Medicine that could push 250,000 members out...
Judge Rules DOJ May Retain Seized 2020 Fulton County Ballots
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee ruled that the Justice Department does not have to return the 2020 presidential election ballots and related materials seized from Fulton County, Georgia. The decision hinges on the county’s failure to prove a need for...
Court Rulings Threaten Nationwide Access to Abortion Pill Mifepristone
A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that blocks the FDA’s 2023 rule allowing mail delivery of mifepristone was temporarily halted by the Supreme Court, leaving the future of the abortion pill’s nationwide availability unclear. Advocates warn the split...
California AG Faces Push to Block Paramount‑Skydance's $111 B Warner Bros. Deal
Thirty‑four California Democrats and more than 4,000 industry figures have asked Attorney General Rob Bonta to scrutinize Paramount‑Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning of antitrust harms, job cuts and consumer impacts. The deal, backed by billionaire David Ellison...
StarCompliance Launches Explainable AI Compliance Tool
StarCompliance introduced StarAssist, an AI‑powered, explainable compliance tool embedded in its STAR Platform. The solution translates complex rule evaluations into plain‑language explanations, allowing compliance teams to act without leaving their existing workflow. By providing audit‑ready documentation and reducing manual research,...