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
Musk Vs. Altman: The Feud of a New Elite Bidding for Power
Elon Musk and board member Shivon Zilis have filed a breach‑of‑contract lawsuit against OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, alleging the nonprofit was covertly turned into a for‑profit venture. The case highlights a $122 billion funding round that lifted OpenAI’s valuation to $852 billion, while Musk claims his $100 million original investment was sidelined. Parallel to the courtroom drama, the Pentagon has sealed AI agreements with seven major tech firms, including SpaceX, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Nvidia, embedding these companies deeper into U.S. defense. The dispute underscores how a tightly knit Silicon Valley elite is intertwining commercial AI, military contracts, and emerging digital‑finance infrastructures.
Organizational Justice and DOJ Expectations — Building a Speak-Up Culture That Works (Part I of II)
The U.S. Department of Justice now places culture, internal reporting, and investigative integrity at the core of its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs. Prosecutors assess whether organizations have trustworthy, confidential speak‑up channels and whether investigations are impartial, consistent, and remedial....
LinkedIn Profile Visitor Lists Belong to the People, Says Noyb
A LinkedIn user in the EU has filed a GDPR Article 15 request for a complete list of profile visitors, challenging Microsoft’s policy that only Premium members receive this data. Privacy activist group Noyb argues the information must be provided free...
Exclusive: Warren Says OCC Rule Limits Oversight to 5 Banks
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned that the OCC's proposed rule would raise the asset threshold for heightened oversight from $50 billion to $700 billion, effectively limiting strict supervision to just five banks instead of the agency’s estimate of eight. The rule would allow...
The “Once 8(a), Always 8(a)–Or HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB” Rule, Where Are We Now?
The FAR 2.0 overhaul (RFO) revises the long‑standing “Once 8(a), Always 8(a)” rule, adding a new exception that permits follow‑on contracts to leave the 8(a) program if they are set aside for HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB competition. Under the prior...
IRS Establishes Program for Rulings on Significant Issues
The IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2026‑21 on May 7, 2026, creating a program that lets taxpayers request rulings on specific, significant legal issues tied to transactions under sections 332, 351, 355, 368, or 1036. The initiative reinstates the practice of issuing letter rulings on parts of integrated transactions, aiming...
WA Dept of Commerce: Deadlines for Tier 1 Buildings, Success Stories, and HB1543 Rulemaking
The Washington Department of Commerce set a June 1, 2026 deadline for Tier 1 buildings larger than 220,000 sq ft to comply with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS), with penalties for non‑compliance and options for exemptions or six‑month extensions. The agency urges owners to...
What the Fire Apparatus MDL Teaches Every Acquisition-Driven Company About Section 2 Risk
Seven U.S. cities have filed antitrust lawsuits that are consolidating into a multidistrict litigation against fire‑truck manufacturers REV Group and Oshkosh’s Pierce subsidiary. The suits allege an “acquisition monopoly” – a pattern of buy‑and‑build deals that created dominant market power...
Europe's Answer to AI Regulation Complexity Is to Just Delay Most of It
The European Commission, Parliament and Council have struck a deal to simplify the AI Act by postponing most high‑risk rules until December 2027 and some product‑specific rules until August 2028. The package, called the Digital Omnibus on AI, adds an explicit ban...
Cooley Wins Major Fourth Circuit Victory for Pro Bono Client Trokon Diahn
Cooley secured a landmark Fourth Circuit win for pro bono client Trokon Diahn, vacating his removal order and remanding the case for further proceedings. The court ruled that administrative exhaustion depends on the substance of a filing, not on formal...
UK Court Deems Waterside’s USD 483 Million Salmon Price-Fixing Class Action Too Costly to Proceed in Current Form
A UK Competition Appeal Tribunal refused to certify Waterside Class Limited’s £382 million (≈ $520 million) collective‑action claim that salmon producers Mowi, Grieg, SalMar, Leroy and Scottish Sea Farms colluded to inflate prices from 2015‑2019. The judges said Waterside’s projected litigation costs were...
Christophe Pettus: The Maintainer Is Not the Owner
In March 2026 Dan Blanchard released chardet 7.0.0 under an MIT license, claiming an AI‑generated rewrite, which original author Mark Pilgrim promptly challenged as an illegal relicensing. The dispute highlights that maintainers inherit commit rights but not ownership or the authority...
Today’s Podcast Episode: White House Executive Order on Scams and Fraud Takes Center Stage
The White House issued Executive Order 14390, a federal blueprint aimed at curbing scams and fraud across the United States. The order calls for a coordinated anti‑scam strategy, stronger inter‑agency cooperation, and expanded public‑private information sharing. It also introduces a...
Democrats Investigate Whether Trump’s Pardons Were ‘Pay-To-Play’: Here Are The Big-Time Donors And Business Allies He’s Sprung Free
Democratic lawmakers have sent letters to dozens of individuals whose convictions were pardoned or commuted by former President Donald Trump, asking whether the clemency was part of a “pay‑to‑play” scheme. The letters, issued by Sen. Peter Welch and Representatives Dave...
‘It’s Quite Literally the Wild West’: Judge Rinder Warns of AI and Social Media Putting Reputations at Risk
At Spear’s 500 Live, former judge and media personality Rob Rinder warned that AI chatbots and social media have turned reputation management into a “Wild West” with no consistent legal standards. Panelists highlighted how AI speeds the creation and spread...
Lawyer and Attorney Are Identical Terms in the U.S.
Every three months or so, the bots start posting threads about “what is the difference between a lawyer and an attorney?” In the U.S., the answer is nothing. We use the terms interchangeably. There is no reason to try to...
White House Plans Pre‑Vetting Frontier AI, Critics Oppose
The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order to pre-vet frontier AI models before release; we wrote up the case against it yesterday https://t.co/gQ079tDh8O #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews https://t.co/OTrmppLHvT
Is It Too Late to Govern Big Tech?
The post spotlights two recent essays that argue for stronger governance of Big Tech and artificial intelligence. Michael Toscano, writing in The New Atlantis, invokes Hannah Arendt’s “homo faber” to claim governments must impose limits on both the use and development of emerging...
EU Probes EU Funds Used for Far‑right Media Training
EU prosecutors are investigating possible misappropriation of Brussels funds relating to media training for French far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella and other party members, Agence France-Presse reports https://t.co/wQll9dtywn via @JReganReg https://t.co/DPGBwvUqaf
The Visa Waiver Wasn’t a Loophole. It Was Infrastructure - Part II.
The blog reveals that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) renewed a Visa Waiver Program carrier agreement for Jeffrey Epstein’s aviation business on Oct. 28, 2011, despite an internal note flagging the aircraft owner as a registered sex offender. Director Dennis...
Colorado House Passes Interchange Ban on Local Taxes
Colorado’s House of Representatives voted 45‑19 to pass the Swipe Fee Fairness and Consumer Safeguards Act, which would prohibit banks from charging interchange fees on the sales‑tax portion of card transactions. The measure would be the second state law of...
SNAP Stocking Standards Require More Variety on Store Shelves
The USDA announced a final rule tightening SNAP stocking standards, requiring authorized retailers to carry at least seven distinct varieties in each of four staple categories—protein, grains, dairy, and fruits and vegetables—and to stock a minimum of three units per...
FDA Proposed Rule Would Eliminate Term ‘Gender’ From Regulations
The FDA has issued a proposed rule to replace every instance of the term “gender” with “sex,” or to delete the reference entirely, across its federal regulations. The change is framed as compliance with the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity,...
I Evaluated the 5 Best Anti-Money Laundering Software in 2026
The article reviews the five top anti‑money‑laundering (AML) platforms for 2026—iDenfy, Ondato, Abrigo Anti‑money Laundering, ComplyCube, and ComplyAdvantage—based on a G2‑driven analysis of over 20 tools and thousands of user reviews. Each solution is evaluated on transaction monitoring, KYC/CDD automation,...
Fewer Earnings Reports Means More Retail Investor Risk
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a rule change that would reduce mandatory public company filings from four quarterly reports to two semi‑annual reports each year. Proponents argue the move cuts compliance costs, but critics warn it will...
Senate Democrats Press Top Media Regulator Brendan Carr to Back Off ABC
Senate Democrats sent a letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr demanding he reverse an order that forces ABC to file early television‑license renewal applications by the end of May, three to seven years ahead of schedule. The chair justified the...
Legora Launches aOS ‘Agentic Operating System’
Legora has unveiled aOS, an "agentic operating system" designed to automate end‑to‑end legal work. The platform’s core Legora Agent autonomously handles matter intake, research, drafting, review and client delivery, delivering draft responses before lawyers log in. CEO Max Junestrand frames...
Ohio State Football Greats Plan to Join Strauss Sex Abuse Plaintiffs
Thirty former Ohio State football players, including ex‑NFLers Ray Ellis, Al Washington and Keith Ferguson, announced they will join the ongoing class‑action lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by former team physician Richard Strauss. Their participation marks the first high‑profile football involvement...
US Treasury Pressures Binance to Tighten Sanctions Compliance
LATEST: Binance is reportedly facing pressure from the US Treasury to tighten sanctions compliance again after alleged Iranian crypto flows resurfaced https://t.co/u3hBnk0Q2E
Flood at the Gate: AI Slop, Streaming Fraud, and the Collapse of the “39-Step” Mechanical Royalty at the CRB
AI‑generated music now dominates streaming uploads, with Deezer reporting 44 % of new tracks created by generative models and 85 % of their streams flagged as fraudulent. This flood threatens the royalty pool that funds human songwriters, as bots and synthetic engagement...
Data-Breach Complaints Surge in 2025, as Europol Accused of Bypassing Laws
The European Data Protection Supervisor reported a 25% jump in admissible data‑violation complaints for 2025, the highest level on record. The surge coincides with the EDPS’s annual report highlighting record document‑access requests and growing workload. Simultaneously, media outlets allege Europol...
LegalEdge Gives This Corporate Legal Team an Edge on AI: Artificial Intelligence Trends
AT&T has launched LegalEdge, an internal AI‑enabled law firm designed to bring eDiscovery, litigation support and other legal functions in‑house. The 30‑person remote team combines attorneys with generative AI tools, aiming to deliver faster, higher‑quality work at lower cost. Since...
SEC Works to Rescind Biden-Era Climate Disclosure Rule
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is moving to rescind the 2024 climate‑risk disclosure rule, following a recommendation from staff at the direction of Chair Paul Atkins. The rule, finalized under former Chair Gary Gensler, required large accelerated filers to...
EBA Amends Guidelines on the Definition of Default
On 7 May 2026, the European Banking Authority issued a final report amending its Guidelines on the definition of default. The amendments clarify the past‑due treatment of non‑recourse factoring and align the guidelines with changes introduced by the Capital Requirements...
Providence Sues Landlord, Alleging Algorithm Drove 44% Rent Hike In Violation Of City Ban
The city of Providence has sued Boston‑based Audubon Capital Partners, alleging the firm used an algorithmic pricing system to raise rents 44% at the 95 Lofts building, breaching the city’s May 2025 ban on AI‑driven rent setting. Tenants saw monthly rent...
Legislative Proposal Would Eliminate Contracting Preferences for Minority, Women-Owned Businesses
A bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Glenn Grothman would strip most diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) clauses from federal contracts, effectively ending preference programs for minority‑ and women‑owned small businesses, including the 8(a) program. The legislation...
FDA Turmoil Casts Shadow Over Gene‑Therapy Conference in Rome
At the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s meeting in Rome, industry leaders grappled with heightened U.S. regulatory uncertainty after the FDA’s cell‑and‑gene therapy rejection rate doubled since 2024 and the agency’s top gene‑therapy regulator, Vinay Prasad, left. Recent approvals for rare‑disease...
Wolters Kluwer Deploys AI Invoice Review Agent with Built‑In Governance, Promising 10% Spend Savings
Wolters Kluwer introduced the LegalVIEW BillAnalyzer Invoice Review Agent, an AI‑driven tool that automatically flags non‑compliant legal invoice line items and makes adjustments. The system, built on a $200 billion invoice data set, claims 98% decision accuracy and can uncover savings of...
Legora Completes Third Acquisition of Graceview, Advised by White & Case
Legal AI startup Legora announced the acquisition of regulatory‑intelligence platform Graceview, its third purchase since March and the first advised by global law firm White & Case. The deal expands Legora’s suite of AI tools for in‑house counsel, underscoring a...
Trade Secrets and Talent Wars Spark Legal Escalation in Indian IT
Slowing revenue growth and rising AI value are prompting Indian IT giants to pursue aggressive legal action over trade secrets, senior‑employee poaching and client data. Major disputes—Infosys vs Cognizant, Wipro vs former CFO, Mphasis vs Coforge, and TCS vs Epic...
Bankruptcy Filing Ties Tieks CEO to Aspiration Scheme
A Los Angeles bankruptcy filing on April 20 adds Tieks CEO Kfir Gavrieli as an alleged recruiter of fake customers in the Aspiration Partners revenue‑fraud scheme. The motion, filed by his sister, claims Gavrieli signed sham letters of intent and received a...
Nuro Secures California Driverless Permit for Uber‑Backed Lucid Robotaxi Service
Nuro has been granted a California DMV driverless testing permit for its Lucid Gravity robotaxis, paving the way for Uber’s premium robotaxi rollout. The approval allows testing without a safety driver at speeds up to 45 mph, bringing the companies closer...
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Homeowners’ Case Against State Farm, Others
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in Ferrier v. State Farm, a lawsuit brought by 60 Southern California homeowners who lost their homes in the January 2025 wildfires. The plaintiffs claim 16 insurers colluded to cancel fire...
Brazil Central Bank Tightens eFX Rules, Limiting Providers to Authorized Institutions
Brazil's central bank approved Resolution BCB No. 561 on April 30, 2026, revamping the eFX framework that underpins cross‑border digital payments. Effective Oct. 1, 2026, only institutions expressly authorized by the central bank may offer eFX services, a move aimed...
California Regulators Post Proposed Medical Evaluator Rules
The California Division of Workers' Compensation released an informal draft of rules to clarify eligibility for qualified medical evaluators (QMEs) and to permit remote‑only office listings. The proposal revises timelines for agency responses to applications and QME placement exams. It...
Fincra Secures Enhanced Payment Licence in Ghana, Expands West African Footprint
Fincra, the Nigerian payments‑infrastructure firm, received an Enhanced Category Payment Service Provider licence from the Bank of Ghana, allowing it to process transactions in cedis and tap Ghana’s $170 billion mobile‑money market. The approval follows a similar licence in Canada and...
NYDFS Hits Delta Dental with $2.25 Million Penalty Over MOVEit Breach
The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) imposed a $2.25 million civil monetary penalty on Delta Dental Insurance Company and Delta Dental of New York for violating Part 500 of the Cybersecurity Regulation. The enforcement, the first of 2026,...
Just 4% of SMEs Are Ready for the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive, Despite Employing Two-Thirds of Ireland’s Workforce
HRLocker’s survey reveals only 4% of Irish SMEs are fully prepared for the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which will be transposed into Irish law despite the government missing the June 7 deadline. The directive mandates objective, documented pay decisions, yet 35%...
Lockheed Martin Fights Request to Ease 2018 Restrictions on Northrop Grumman’s Solid Rocket Business
Lockheed Martin has formally objected to Northrop Grumman’s petition to the FTC to lift a 2018 consent order that obligates Northrop to sell its solid rocket motors (SRMs) to competitors on a non‑discriminatory basis and to keep the SRM unit...
Meta Takes Ofcom to the High Court over How the UK Calculates Online Safety Act Bills
Meta has filed a High Court judicial review challenging Ofcom’s method of calculating fees and penalties under the UK Online Safety Act. The regulator bases charges on "qualifying worldwide revenue," which could subject Meta to fees of tens of millions...