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
Spain to Ban Parental Alienation Syndrome, Paving Way for Child‑Centric Custody Law
Spain's Youth and Childhood Minister Sira Rego announced a draft amendment that will explicitly prohibit the use of parental alienation syndrome in legal proceedings, making the country the first to ban the contested diagnosis by law. The change, part of a broader overhaul of the child‑protection code, aims to strengthen minors' voice in custody cases and curb the criminalisation of protective mothers.
The Gaps in South Africa’s Digital ID Plan
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs released draft regulations to embed a digital identity layer alongside the traditional green ID book and smart ID card. The draft outlines cryptographic standards and envisions citizen‑controlled digital wallets, but industry experts flag critical...
8th Circuit Overturns FCC Broadband Anti‑Discrimination Rule, Boosting Providers
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit vacated the FCC’s 2023 broadband anti‑discrimination rule, declaring the agency exceeded its statutory authority. The decision was hailed by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and industry groups, while digital‑equity advocates warn of...
FDA Launches Real‑Time Clinical Trials to Accelerate Drug Development
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the start of two real‑time clinical trials—one for mantle‑cell lymphoma and another for small‑cell lung cancer—and issued a request for information on a broader pilot program slated for summer 2026. The move aims...
7.5 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Face 57‑Day Deadline to Choose New Repayment Plan
The U.S. Department of Education has warned roughly 7.5 million federal student loan borrowers that they must select a new repayment plan within 57 days after the first notice, or be auto‑enrolled in the highest‑cost plan they qualify for. The deadline, triggered...
Proofpoint Unveils Prism Investigator, Autonomous AI for Compliance Investigations
Proofpoint has launched Prism Investigator, an autonomous AI platform that reconstructs events from scattered communications for compliance and legal teams. Available in mid‑June, the tool promises to replace manual keyword searches with explainable, source‑agnostic AI analysis, speeding up investigations in...
Littler Survey Shows 68% of U.S. Employers Adopt AI Governance, Yet Gaps Remain
Littler Mendelson's 2026 employer survey reports that 68% of U.S. companies have formal AI governance policies, up from 38% in 2025. Despite the rise, fewer than half have key controls such as third‑party vendor vetting or dedicated oversight committees, leaving...
Stefon Diggs Acquitted of Assault and Strangulation Charges in Chef Dispute
Former NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs was cleared of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a Dec. 2 altercation with his former personal chef, Jamila Adams. A jury deliberated less than two hours after a two‑day trial in...
Will Congress Throw Out a Tool to Fight Money Laundering and Corruption?
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee narrowly approved a bill to repeal the 2021 Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), a law that obligates companies to report beneficial owners to FinCEN. The CTA, originally passed with bipartisan support, is credited with closing...
Olthuis Kleer Townshend Adds Indigenous Rights Lawyer Leah Mack as Partner
Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP announced that Indigenous‑rights lawyer Leah Mack has joined the firm as a partner, effective May 1. Mack, founder of Mack Law Corporation, will continue operating from her Saanichton office on Tsartlip First Nation land, extending OKT’s footprint...
D&B and Claude Team up to Streamline KYC Workflows
Dun & Bradstreet has partnered with Anthropic to embed its Commercial Graph risk data into the Claude AI platform via a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. The integration lets enterprises build customized KYC and KYB workflows in minutes, merging natural‑language...
Ontario Court of Appeal Quashes Appeal in Negligence Case Arising From Brain Aneurysm
The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the new defendants’ appeal of an August 6 2025 order that added them to a medical‑malpractice suit over a 2015 brain aneurysm, ruling the order was interlocutory and therefore only appealable to the Divisional Court with...
Morning Docket: 05.07.26
The latest legal docket includes the unsealing of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged suicide note, an FBI raid on Virginia Senator Louise Lucas’s office over a redistricting initiative, and the DOJ’s decision to destroy evidence collected from Rep. Andy Ogles’s corruption probe....
A Rare Peek Into FCPA Settlement Amount Negotiations
The SEC’s 2021 enforcement action against Clear Channel began with a reverse proffer demanding roughly $60 million in disgorgement, interest, and penalties. After a series of stalled talks, Clear Channel countered with a $4.6 million disgorgement offer, prompting the SEC to re‑engage...
Google Revises Spam Policy to Dodge EU Antitrust Fine
Wait, what? Google might change its 'Site reputation abuse' spam policy for this? -> Google offers changes to spam policy to avert EU antitrust fine "Google has proposed changes to comply with the DMA, the document said, giving interested parties until...
Circle Presses OCC to Finalize GENIUS Act Stablecoin Rules
Circle Internet Group submitted comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency urging the agency to lock in the GENIUS Act framework for payment stablecoins. The firm argues that consistent, ring‑fenced rules are essential to protect consumers and...
Independent Report: Report on the Proposed Subsidy to Center Parcs Scotland Limited by South of Scotland Enterprise
The Subsidy Audit Unit (SAU) released a 18‑page report evaluating South of Scotland Enterprise’s (SOSE) proposed financial support for Center Parcs Scotland Limited. The assessment focuses on whether the subsidy complies with the UK’s Subsidy Control Act 2022, which governs public‑funded...
More Interim Docket Action
The Supreme Court denied a motion to recall its Louisiana v. Callais opinion, giving the state extra time to redraw congressional maps before the 2026 elections. Justice Elena Kagan rejected Apple’s request to pause a civil contempt order in its...
Lemon Law Attorney: Role, Responsibilities, and On How They Help You Win
Lemon law attorneys specialize in helping consumers whose new vehicles repeatedly fail to meet safety and performance standards. They evaluate repair histories, determine statutory eligibility, and either negotiate settlements or pursue litigation against manufacturers. Most work on a contingency fee...
Man's ₹27L Credit Card Bill Exposes Income Mismatch
A Mumbai man showed annual income ₹6.3lakh but paid credit card bill of ₹27.65lakh. Income Tax Department found that man paid credit card bill of ₹27.65lakh out of this he paid ₹13.95lakh in cash IT department found a major mismatch in his income...
Direct Athlete Payments Outside NIL Trigger Compliance Risks
Direct payments outside of NIL still raise compliance and accounting questions. Can a Participating Institution provide direct payments to athletes outside of NIL? I walk through this in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Currently 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL https://t.co/dr6qKrAJqC
“Bonus 226: What Makes a Case ‘Big’? The Claim that the Justices Tend to Divide Ideologically in Most of Their...
Howard Bashman’s Bonus 226 unpacks what qualifies a Supreme Court case as “big.” He argues that size is measured by precedent‑shaping impact, policy stakes, and reversal likelihood, not merely the ideological split of the justices. The piece rebuts recent criticism that...
Trump's Jones Act Waiver Undermines Security and Economy
🚨 My new @opinion column explains how the Trump administration's lengthy waiver of the Jones Act implodes many of the law's common security & economic defenses - and finally gives critics the data to prove it: /1 https://t.co/g8C9lAMJBO
Verizon Appoints DOJ Antitrust Veteran Owen Kendler
"We don’t want to read too much into it, but VZ just hired Owen Kendler, a 20+ year veteran of the DOJ Antitrust Division ... to be its Managing Associate General Counsel for Antitrust" https://t.co/X38mtjy9yi $VZ via @BlairLevin
The EBA Amends Guidelines on the Definition of Default
The European Banking Authority (EBA) released a final report amending its Guidelines on the definition of default. It extends the past‑due period for non‑recourse factoring invoices from 30 to 90 days and confirms that the 1% net present value (NPV)...
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Indonesia's Sumatra Flood Victims File Lawsuit as Reconstruction Work Stalls
Victims of last year’s catastrophic floods in Sumatra filed a lawsuit in Indonesia’s state administrative court, demanding that the central government declare a national disaster for Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. The petition argues that provincial budgets are insufficient...
PlayStation Users May Receive Share of $7.85 M Settlement
PlayStation users could get paid from a $7.85 million settlement. Here’s who qualifies: https://t.co/9UDmCqOJc1 #gaming #playstation #gamelife #money
Cerence AI Files Complaint with the International Trade Commission Against Amazon
Cerence Inc., a leader in conversational AI for automotive applications, has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and parallel district court actions against Amazon.com and its subsidiaries. The ITC filing seeks a limited exclusion order to bar...
Pennsylvania Sues AI Chatbot Company for Posing as a Licensed Doctor
Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, accusing the startup of presenting an AI chatbot as a licensed physician in the state. The complaint alleges the bot offered medical advice, misrepresented its credentials, and violated state health‑care regulations. This marks...
HHS Unveils MAHA Action Plan to Slash Psychiatric Overprescribing
On May 4, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced the MAHA Action Plan, a federal strategy aimed at curbing the overprescription of psychiatric medications, especially among children. The plan mandates informed consent, shared decision‑making and a shift toward...
FCC’s Gomez Calls For Review Of Paramount’s Dodgy Merger Financing
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has urged a thorough review of the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount, the Ellison family, and Warner Bros. She highlighted that roughly 49.5% of the deal’s financing comes from Middle‑East and Chinese government‑linked investors, raising foreign‑ownership...
Immigration Battle Returns Yet Again to the US Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing two consolidated cases, Trump v. Miot and Mullin v. Doe, that challenge the Trump administration’s effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Lower courts have placed stays on the...
Artists and Music Businesses Ask UK Prime Minister to Re-Prioritise Ticket Touting Ban
In 2025 the UK Labour government pledged to ban ticket touting, promising an average resale price reduction of £37 (about $47) and annual fan savings of £112 million (≈$143 million). A Financial Times report this week suggests the legislation may be postponed...
Surrogacy Petition by Two Dads Hits 110,000 Signatures, Prompting Possible UK Parliamentary Debate
Adam Frisby and Jamie Corbett's petition demanding automatic parental recognition for intended parents has surpassed 110,000 signatures, triggering a potential debate in the UK Parliament. The move spotlights a legal gap that forces same‑sex fathers to undergo lengthy court processes...
German Tourist Awarded €1,000 After Losing Out on Sunloungers at Greek Hotel
A German family was awarded €986.70 (about $1,080) after being unable to secure sun‑loungers at a resort on Kos, Greece. The Hanover district court held the German tour operator liable, citing strict EU package‑travel regulations that make the operator responsible...
Review of EU Shareholder Rights Law Must End National Fragmentation, Say Stakeholders
Stakeholders have urged the European Commission to end the national fragmentation of shareholder rights law during its ongoing review of the Shareholder Rights Directive. Investors highlighted the need for hybrid annual general meetings, stronger oversight of proxy advisers, and a...
Professors Sue Atlanta’s Emory University over Handling of Israel-Gaza Protests
Emory University is being sued by three tenured professors who say the school’s decision to call Atlanta police onto campus in April 2024 led to wrongful arrests and breached its own open‑expression policy. The lawsuit stems from a rapid police...
With Gilead’s Reasonableness Standard, Side Effects May Vary
The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Gilead Tenofovir case, where plaintiffs seek to impose a novel “duty to commercialize a safer alternative” on drug makers. The proposed duty would require manufacturers to act reasonably in bringing a...
Lexis Launches Protégé Work, Expands Offering
LexisNexis has upgraded its Lexis+ AI platform with Protégé Work, a multi‑faceted system that interprets natural‑language legal goals and routes them to specialized AI skills and workflows. The suite adds Agentic Drafting, Workrooms for secure collaboration, Shepard’s Verify Trust Markers,...
EU Becomes First Strategic Partner of Global Telecom Coalition, Escalating 6G Competition with China
The European Union has been named the first strategic partner of the Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT), expanding a Western‑led policy framework for next‑generation networks. The move intensifies the emerging 6G rivalry with China and signals a coordinated European effort...
Supreme Court Battles: Abortion Pills, Digital Privacy, and Judicial Tensions
The Supreme Court issued a temporary administrative stay on the Fifth Circuit's order that blocked mail‑order distribution of the abortion drug mifepristone, allowing the FDA’s remote‑prescription rule to remain in effect while briefing continues. The Court also heard oral arguments...
Sanofi Pulls Teplizumab From FDA’s Makary Review Over Political Interference
Sanofi has formally requested that the FDA withdraw its type‑1 diabetes therapy teplizumab from Commissioner Marty Makary’s accelerated review pathway after an acting CDER director, a political appointee, stepped into the scientific review. The move follows a missed April 21 decision...
Sen. Gillibrand: No Crypto Bill without Ethics Provision Amid President Trump’s Ties Through Memecoins, World Liberty | The Block
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told the Consensus Miami conference that any sweeping cryptocurrency market‑structure bill must contain a robust ethics provision before it can advance. She highlighted growing Democratic concerns about President Donald Trump and his family’s crypto activities, including memecoins...
FCA Updates Guidance on Its Role Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and the Electronic Money Regulations 2011
On 7 May 2026 the Financial Conduct Authority issued version 8 of its approach document covering the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. The revision incorporates the latest safeguarding and resolution‑pack rules from CASS 15 and 10A, plus new audit and monthly‑return requirements...
Wall Street Went to War with Crypto. It’s Losing. – POLITICO
Wall Street’s long‑standing lobbying dominance is being challenged as cryptocurrency firms pour hundreds of millions into Washington. A bipartisan Senate proposal aims to resolve the clash between banks and crypto companies, clearing the path for a landmark crypto bill. The...
Insider Trading Anxiety Muddles SEC’s Semiannual Reporting Push
The SEC has issued a May 5 proposal allowing public companies to file earnings and material events only twice a year instead of quarterly. While the rule aims to give issuers flexibility, the agency warns that less frequent disclosures could heighten...
Crypto Guidance Is a Step Forward, but only Congress Can Finish the Job
The SEC and CFTC issued joint interpretive guidance on digital assets in mid‑March, providing a taxonomy and clarifying how existing laws apply. The guidance narrows uncertainty around mining, staking and wrapped tokens but stops short of delivering statutory certainty. Industry...
Information Obtained During the Depositions Leads to Re-Opening Discovery: EDiscovery Case Law
In Harms v. Lewis, a New York appellate court reversed its earlier stance after depositions revealed that audit trails—previously claimed unavailable—still existed. The plaintiff’s second motion, supported by new deposition testimony, compelled defendants to produce knowledgeable representatives, internal policies, and...
Consumer Complaints: TRAI Proposes to Remove Advisory Committee, Moots Stricter Penalties
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has drafted the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, proposing to eliminate the two‑member advisory committee and replace it with a senior‑management appellate authority. The amendment mandates 24/7 complaint centres equipped with...
CFTC Chairman Selig Proposes Streamlined Rules for $846 Trillion OTC Derivatives Market
CFTC Chairman Michael Selig announced a plan to simplify rules governing the $846 trillion over‑the‑counter derivatives market. The proposal targets legacy reporting obligations and swap execution facility requirements, promising reduced compliance costs and a more innovation‑friendly framework.