Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Ken Crutchfield: When Open Source Meets Legal — How MikeOSS Signals the End of Legal’s Secret Sauce
Will Chen unveiled MikeOSS, an open‑source legal‑tech platform on GitHub that claims feature parity with industry leaders Harvey and Legora. The tool bundles an AI‑driven assistant, tabular review capabilities, and reusable workflow templates. Early developer reaction has been viral, signaling strong community interest. MikeOSS positions itself as a free alternative to costly enterprise contracts traditionally required by proprietary solutions.
![Composition of the Board of Regulators Pursuant to Article 7 and 35(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 [1]](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/67297ce93492d325d3cc67776a56e164.webp)
Composition of the Board of Regulators Pursuant to Article 7 and 35(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 [1]
The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has published the updated composition of its Board of Regulators (BoR) under Article 7 and 35(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971. The roster lists 18 national regulatory authorities from EU member states and candidate countries,...
The Great Crypto Thaw: Regulation Ignites an Infrastructure Boom
Regulatory clarity from the U.S. Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act and Europe’s MiCA framework is igniting a crypto infrastructure boom. Circle secured an AMF license that passports its services across the EU, propelling its stock 40% higher YTD and delivering...
Copia’s Insolvency Case Heads to Kenya’s High Court
Copia Kenya’s administrators have filed a formal insolvency petition in the High Court, marking the end of a two‑year rescue attempt for the rural e‑commerce platform that once served 50,000 agents across Kenya and Uganda. Safaricom reported a record $3.2 billion...
Morale Damage | KPMG Redundancy Backlash Highlights Growing Risks of Poor Communication During Job Cuts
KPMG UK announced a redundancy programme affecting more than 500 employees, including 440 audit assistant managers and roughly 120 advisory staff. Employees have voiced frustration over what they describe as rushed, inconsistent and impersonal communication during the consultation process. Employment...
I Helped Craft the 25th Amendment. It Was Never Meant to Oust a President.
A former congressional aide who helped draft the 25th Amendment clarifies that the amendment was never intended as a tool to oust a president. Adopted in 1967 after Kennedy’s assassination, it solely addresses presidential inability and vice‑presidential vacancies. The author...
Court Rejects Tariff Claim, Trade Deficit Not Crisis
Shocker: a 2026 trade deficit is not a 1974-style Balance of Payment crisis🤷♂️ 👉”Lawyers representing the businesses bringing the case argued that a trade deficit and a serious balance-of-payments crisis were not the same” ➡️ But probably very little impact on tariffs. ✍️Timothy...
NSW Moves to Mandate Pain Relief when Mulesing Sheep
New South Wales introduced the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Enforcement and Operational Powers) Bill 2026, which makes pain‑relief mandatory for any mulesing of sheep. Producers who fail to administer an APVMA‑registered analgesic face fines up to 750 penalty units—about...
Rebel Wilson Accused of 'Complete Revision of History' As Defamation Case Closes
Rebel Wilson faces a defamation lawsuit filed by actress Charlotte MacInnes, who alleges Wilson fabricated a sexual‑harassment narrative to extract professional favors. The case, centered on a September 2023 bath incident with producer Amanda Ghost, includes accusations that Wilson ordered a smear website...
FINRA Imposes $100k Fine on IFP Securities
IFP Securities, LLC agreed to a $100,000 fine and a formal censure after a FINRA settlement. From November 2022 through 2025 the firm’s automated surveillance system for mutual fund and unit investment trust (UIT) transactions failed following a vendor change, leaving...
OSC Fires Off 2026 Risk Questionnaire with a Six-Week Deadline
On May 6, 2026, the Ontario Securities Commission issued a 2026 Risk Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ) to all active registrants, giving them until June 17, 2026 to file. The questionnaire feeds a risk‑ranking system that determines whether firms receive an on‑site or desk compliance review,...
ED Arrests 3 Gameskraft Cofounders In Alleged Betting-Linked Fraud Probe
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Gameskraft Technologies co‑founders Deepak Singh, Prithvi Raj Singh and Vikas Taneja in a money‑laundering probe tied to an alleged betting fraud of roughly ₹1,000 crore (about $120 million). The agency conducted searches at 17 locations in Delhi NCR...
Diesel Fleet Card Abuse – Home Ministry Proposes Court Prosecution Instead of Compounds
Malaysia's Home Ministry announced that cases of subsidised diesel theft via fleet cards will now be prosecuted in court rather than settled with fines. The move follows a police bust of a syndicate in Kedah that resold subsidised diesel, priced...
BC Legal Bodies Appeal Dismissal of Legal Professions Act Challenge
The British Columbia Trial Lawyers Association and the Law Society of British Columbia have filed appeals against a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 2024 Legal Professions Act, which replaces the LSBC with a new government‑appointed regulator. The court previously...
Meta Challenges UK Regulator Over Online Safety Fees, Fines
Meta is contesting Ofcom’s method of calculating Online Safety Act fees and fines, arguing that using worldwide revenue inflates potential penalties. The UK regulator can levy fines up to 10% of a platform’s global earnings, a figure Meta says is...
Michigan High Court Sides With Progressive in Policy Misrepresentation Case
The Michigan Supreme Court upheld an appellate ruling that insurer Progressive could rescind a personal‑injury‑protection (PIP) policy after the insured, Janice Sherman, misrepresented her garaging location and household composition. Had she disclosed accurately, her premium would have risen about 83%,...
LegalTechTalk Launches First Vibeathon for Non-Coders to Turn Ideas Into Tech
LegalTechTalk announced its inaugural Vibeathon, a one‑day event that lets non‑coding legal professionals turn ideas into functional tech prototypes. Attendees will use on‑site AI‑driven no‑code platforms and natural‑language prompts to build proof‑of‑concept applications. The initiative aims to lower the technical...
Rent Appeals Will Overwhelm Tribunals
The Renters' Rights Act has activated the Section 13 process, allowing tenants to challenge rent increases in tribunals. Research by RE:UK shows 2,944 appeals filed in three chambers over the past three years, but only one chamber recorded case duration and...
Liverpool Considers Extending Selective Licensing Scheme
Liverpool City Council has opened a consultation on the future of its selective licensing scheme, which expires in 2027. The current program, launched in April 2022, covers 16 wards and about 80% of privately rented homes, and officials say it...
Attendance Issues Justified Dismissal, but Lack of Notice Was Unfair
The Fair Work Commission ruled that All Lifting & Safety’s dismissal of an employee for regular absences was unfair because the employer failed to properly notify him that attendance itself was a ground for termination. The employee had taken more...
Week in Review
This week’s regulatory roundup featured a U.S. Supreme Court order pausing a Fifth Circuit ban on telehealth‑only access to the abortion drug mifepristone, a $1.5 million civil‑penalty settlement between the SEC and Elon Musk over undisclosed Twitter (X) stock holdings, and...
The Hidden Burden of State Tax Debt Collections
In this episode, Tax Notes Managing Legal Reporter Caitlin Mullaney interviews Sakina Tillman, an assistant professor and director of the tax clinic at the University of the District of Columbia, about her article on how vague state tax collection alternatives...
Sam Altman Had a Bad Day In Court
The second week of the Elon Musk‑OpenAI lawsuit saw Musk’s legal team press witnesses who painted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as neglectful of AI safety and governance. Former safety researcher Rosie Campbell testified that long‑term safety teams were dismantled and...
The FTC Blows the Whistle: First-Ever Enforcement Inquiry Into College Sports Agents Under SPARTA
On Jan. 12, 2026 the FTC issued its first enforcement inquiry under the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA), asking 20 Division I schools for agent contract disclosures and notification records. The probe follows the Supreme Court’s *NCAA v. Alston* decision and the...
U.S. Issues First Designations Under Cuba EO 14404
On May 7, 2026, the U.S. State Department and Treasury issued the first sanctions under Executive Order 14404, designating Cuba’s military‑run conglomerate GAESA, its president Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, and the metals joint venture Moa Nickel for blocking. The designations place these...
CFPB 1071 Final Rule Issued on Small Business Lending Reporting Requirements
On May 1, 2026 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a final rule implementing Section 1071 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, setting a new compliance deadline of January 1, 2028. The rule narrows the reporting scope by excluding merchant cash advances, agricultural...
Patent Case Summaries | Week Ending May 1, 2026
The Federal Circuit affirmed patent‑eligibility for Constellation Designs’ specific‑constellation claims while vacating eligibility for its abstract optimization claims, and upheld the district court’s infringement verdict and damages award against LG Electronics. In a separate decision, the court held that FedEx’s...
Implicit Delegation After Loper Bright: The Case for Reviving the Gray Doctrine
The Supreme Court’s *Loper Bright* decision rejected Chevron’s blanket deference but left open the possibility of limited implicit delegation to agencies. Stephenson argues that the pre‑Chevron *Gray* doctrine provides a workable framework for identifying when vague statutory terms constitute such...
Right of First Refusal and Right of First Offer: What Are They and Why Should You Care?
Rights of first refusal (ROFR) and rights of first offer (ROFO) are restrictive covenants that let a designated holder purchase a property before the owner can sell to others. A ROFR permits the owner to market the property and negotiate...
Packaging EPR Reports Due May 31: What Producers Need to Do Now
Producers of packaging must file state‑specific extended producer responsibility (EPR) reports by May 31, 2026, with California extending the deadline to June 1 for its annual and baseline supply filings. The Circular Action Alliance (CAA) administers reporting portals for six states, while California...
Trump’s New Drug Advertising Proposals Fall Short on Public Health and the Constitution
The Trump administration’s FY 2027 budget proposes two contrasting measures: a sensible requirement that compounding pharmacies prominently disclose that their products have never been evaluated by the FDA, and a broader effort to give the FDA new authority to deem FDA‑approved...
Tonight in Your Rights: Tariffs Torpedoed Again
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Donald Trump’s 10% global tariffs, imposed under the Trade Act of 1974, are unauthorized. The majority opinion emphasized that only Congress can levy duties, and the president’s cited statutes do not...
Sky Italia Seeks Damages From DAZN-TIM Soccer Deal
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit in Milan seeking up to €1.9 billion in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streamer DAZN, alleging their 2021 partnership violated Italian antitrust law. The dispute stems from DAZN’s €2.5 billion (≈$2.9 billion) acquisition of Serie...
Mail-a-Handgun: Trump Administration Pushes to Allow Firearms to Be Delivered by USPS
The Department of Justice has ruled the 99‑year ban on mailing concealable handguns unconstitutional, prompting the Trump administration to push the United States Postal Service to reclassify handguns as mailable firearms. The proposed rule would require guns to be shipped...
Employee's Email Was "a Potential Source of Embarrassment" But Not Sackable Conduct
The Fair Work Commission ruled that a resignation email copied to a client’s staff was not grounds for dismissal. Deputy President Richard Clancy affirmed the employer’s right to inform clients of an employee’s departure but found no breach of the employee’s...
Piki Lopez Asks SEC to Probe ABS-CBN Execs
Filipino businessman Federico “Piki” Lopez filed a complaint with the Philippines SEC demanding an investigation into ABS‑CBN Corp.’s top executives for alleged misuse of funds. He alleges the company incurred about ₱45.5 billion ($827 million) in net losses from 2020‑2025, leaving a...
An Income Tax Play for Professional Athletes
The article examines how state "jock taxes" hit professional athletes when they change teams via free agency or trades. It outlines the historical rise of these taxes, from California’s 1991 lawsuit to Washington’s 9.9% millionaire levy on a single duty...
WOOH Board Member Warns Of Advertising Ban ‘Domino Effect’
World Out of Home Organization (WOOH) board member Dr. Kai‑Marcus Thäsler warned that a cascade of advertising bans is spreading globally, likening it to a domino effect. He cited recent moves such as Berlin’s proposed total outdoor‑ad ban, new gambling‑ad...
Federal Circuit Reminds IPR Petitioners: Get It Right in the Petition
On May 6, 2026, the Federal Circuit upheld the PTAB’s refusal to consider a new invalidity theory introduced in a reply‑brief footnote in DK Crown Holdings (formerly DraftKings) v. AG 18, LLC. The dispute centered on U.S. Patent No. 9978205, which governs...
26-1007 - Ventura V. Vella-Marrone Et Al
On May 6, 2026, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell dismissed Ventura’s complaint against Vella‑Marrone et al. without prejudice, citing the plaintiff’s failure to comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The order emphasizes that procedural deficiencies can halt a case...
25-089 - Ball V. Commissioner of Social Security Administration Et Al
The federal court reversed the Social Security Administration’s decision in Ball v. Commissioner of Social Security Administration, remanding the case for further proceedings. Earlier, the plaintiff, Colby Ball, was ordered to pay the full filing fee after a denied in forma...
“Abortion Pill Fight Brings Volatility of Post-Roe World Back to SCOTUS; Doctors, Drugmakers, Policy Experts and Advocates Flooded the Supreme...
A wave of emergency petitions from doctors, drugmakers, and policy experts has flooded the Supreme Court docket, warning that recent challenges to the abortion pill could endanger nationwide access. Louisiana has asked the Court to block mail‑order distribution of mifepristone...
Advocacy Groups Demand Records on Alleged CNN Compromise
Scoop: Two press advocacy organizations that hold Paramount stock have sent a letter to the company's chief legal officer demanding to inspect records over concerns the Ellisons have agreed to compromise CNN to secure approval of its WBD merger.
Disparate Impact Era Skipped Over Proposition 13
It's a shame that the disparate impact era of jurisprudence came and went without touching Proposition 13.
U.S. Trade Court Rules Trump Tariffs Illegal, but Issues Narrow Block
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Donald Trump's recent 10% global tariffs violate a 1970s trade law, deeming them illegal. The court issued a narrow injunction, shielding only two small businesses and the state of Washington from...
Guilded Professions Will Secure AI Safeguards; Freelancers Won’t
Professions with guilds or membership associations are going to get different AI policy reactions than those without The Bar & the AMA will ensure that human doctors or lawyers are legally required for key activities. There is no equivalent organization for...
Court Rules Trump Misused Decades‑old Trade Law for Tariffs
The Court of International Trade found that Trump had wrongly invoked a decades-old trade law when he applied those duties beginning in February. The president imposed the levies after his previous set of punishing tariffs was struck down by the...
Trade Court Strikes Down Trump 10% Universal Tariffs
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump’s newly imposed 10% universal tariff, enacted under the unused Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, is illegal. The court issued a permanent injunction limited to the two small‑business plaintiffs, leaving...
SEBI Issues First List of 48 ‘Significant Indices’, Sets $2.4 Bn AUM Threshold
On May 5, 2026 SEBI released circular HO/47/17/12(8)2025‑MRD‑POD2, formally naming 48 “Significant Indices” – including Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex – and mandating registration for index providers with assets of at least ₹20,000 cr (≈ $2.4 bn) by Nov 5, 2026. The move brings India’s fast‑growing passive‑fund...
House Signals Readiness to Revise Police Law Following Reform Committee Proposal
Indonesia’s House of Representatives announced readiness to debate a revision of the 2002 National Police Law after President Prabowo Subianto approved a six‑point reform package from a government‑sanctioned police reform committee. The proposal calls for stronger oversight, accountability mechanisms and...