Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Irish ministers warned of delays in transposing EU directives ahead of presidency
Ireland faces potential setbacks as ministers are cautioned about lagging implementation of EU rules before the country assumes the EU Council presidency in July. The European Commission has opened 48 infringement cases against Ireland, down from 60, covering water quality, habitats and anti‑money‑laundering regulations. Junior Minister Thomas Byrne has launched an early‑warning system to flag compliance gaps.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Oil majors acquire $164M of Alaska oil leases
Global RegTech market rebounded in 2025, with funding climbing 31% to $8.5 billion and deal volume up 14% to 736 transactions. The United States dominated, completing 381 deals—52% of worldwide activity—up 26% from the prior year. The UK held a modest share, while Israel emerged as a new top market. Cybersecurity firm Cybereason landed a marquee $120 million round backed by SoftBank and Liberty Strategic Capital, underscoring investor confidence in RegTech‑related security solutions.
South African employers are inundated with complaints filed under whistleblowing policies that are actually ordinary grievances or retaliatory claims. Because many of these reports are anonymous and fall outside the Protected Disclosure Act (PDA), investigations become costly and time‑consuming. The...
Former Yosemite National Park ranger Dr. Shannon “SJ” Joslin, dismissed after hanging a trans flag on El Capitan in May 2025, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior. The op‑ed argues that her off‑duty expressive conduct violated...
Smokeball, a cloud‑based practice management platform for small‑to‑mid‑size law firms, announced a strategic partnership with Thomson Reuters to embed the firm’s CoCounsel Legal AI directly into its software. The integration combines Thomson Reuters’ extensive legal content library with AI‑driven drafting,...
The International Labour Organization has adopted its first global guidelines to extend fundamental labour rights to professional athletes. Covering safety, anti‑discrimination, child protection and harassment prevention, the standards draw on the ILO’s five core principles. The draft will be presented...
The article clarifies that a beneficial owner is the natural person who ultimately controls an account or legal entity, distinct from legal ownership. Under AML and KYC rules, firms must verify and record this ownership before onboarding clients. FATF Recommendations...
In this episode, attorney Harrison James explains how the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), originally aimed at organized crime, is being used in a landmark civil class action against Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly over the diabetes drug Actos....
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal upheld the rape and buggery conviction of Swedish businessman Patrik Tobias Ekstrom, rejecting his challenge to the trial’s jury directions and evidentiary rulings. Ekstrom, who had been granted bail pending appeal, was remanded in custody...
Harish Rana, a 31‑year‑old Indian man who had been in a coma since a 2013 balcony fall, died at AIIMS after the Supreme Court authorized the removal of his life‑support machines. The decision marks India’s first court‑approved instance of passive...
The Irish Dental Council disclosed that an unregistered dentist was providing X‑ray treatments from the sitting‑room of a Dublin apartment, exposing a loophole in the Dentists Act 1985 that prevents regulation of non‑licensed practices. The council reported it could not act...
Hong Kong’s Companies Registry struck off Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, designating them as prohibited organisations under the city’s national security framework. Each firm was fined HK$3,004,500 (approximately $385,000 USD) for breaching the law,...
The International Chamber of Commerce’s executive board has approved a comprehensive amendment to its Rules of Arbitration, effective for any request filed on or after June 1, 2026. The new framework adds streamlined procedures, clearer timelines, and expanded options for parties to...
Insurance claims negotiators are moving from relying on individual talent to building systematic, data‑driven processes. The article argues that inconsistent outcomes stem from a lack of shared standards, metrics, and feedback loops rather than skill deficits. Plaintiff firms already use...
China’s regulators have barred Manus co‑founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao from leaving the country while a review determines if Meta’s $2‑3 billion acquisition breaches Chinese investment rules. The executives were summoned by the National Development and Reform Commission and are...
This month alone, Democracy Docket has published 49 articles on the SAVE Act — on top of tracking more than 160 voting and election cases nationwide. This is why I built it in 2020 and hope you subscribe today. https://bit.ly/4r9A45t
The article examines the original meaning of “sectarian,” tracing its 19th‑century roots as a label for specific denominational doctrines rather than all religion. It highlights the Supreme Court’s *Town of Greece v. Galloway* decision, which allowed non‑generic prayers, and contrasts...
San Francisco’s elected public defender, Mano Raju, was fined $26,000 after a judge found him in contempt for refusing to accept 26 new felony and misdemeanor cases despite a January court order. Raju argues his office is overwhelmed, handling an...
In its 2025 fiscal year, the DOJ Antitrust Division pursued a series of high‑profile actions that reshaped competition policy. The division secured settlements in the RealPage and Constellation‑Calpine cases, forced Google to share search data, and readied a Live Nation‑Ticketmaster...
Utah lawmakers have passed a bill that taxes "targeted advertising"—digital ads that use individualized data profiles— and earmarks the proceeds for youth sports, literacy, mental‑health and foster‑care programs. Governor Spencer Cox has not yet signed the measure, and the state...
On March 24, 1966 the Supreme Court’s Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections decision struck down state poll taxes, cementing voting as a fundamental right protected by the Equal Protection Clause. The article marks the 60th anniversary of that ruling...
ICAC has charged five individuals in three cases for allegedly offering bribes to members of incorporated owners and a representative of flat owners in relation to the grand renovation projects of three housing estates with project sums totalling about...
Former Norton Rose Fulbright partner Ethan Sinclair has joined Dentons in Ottawa as a partner in its infrastructure and public‑private partnerships group. Sinclair brings more than 15 years of corporate commercial law experience, primarily in large‑scale infrastructure, energy and property...
Korean Register (KR) has finished assessing the upcoming International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) amendments and released technical guidance for the maritime sector. The IMO plans to approve the revisions...
The article examines whether U.S. federal courts sitting in diversity can exercise director‑removal powers typically reserved for state courts, citing the Van Steenwyk decision. The court affirmed that federal equity jurisdiction is bounded by historic principles and cannot be expanded by...
A recent general protections claim resulted in a $382,000 award for race discrimination, illustrating that courts interpret race discrimination statutes broadly. Lily Schafer‑Gardiner of HWLE Lawyers explained that, unlike other protected classes, plaintiffs need only show a connection between unfair...
The Justice Department filed a motion to permanently dismiss federal charges against former Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany, accused of falsifying the search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor's 2020 death. The request, framed as an “interest...
In this episode of Computer Says, journalist Julia Angwin and her attorney Peter Romer‑Friedman discuss Grammarly’s controversial "Expert Review" feature, which used AI to mimic the editing style of real experts—including Angwin—without their consent. Angwin explains how she discovered the...
China’s General Administration of Customs released the final “Catalogue of Foods that Require Official Recommendation Registration Letters” under Decree No. 280, which takes effect on June 1, 2026, replacing the 2021 Decree No. 248. The updated catalogue trims the list to 17 food categories...
A new writ filed in Victoria’s Supreme Court expands the AFL concussion class action to include the league and ten additional clubs, adding eight former players as plaintiffs. The lawsuit, led by former Geelong star Max Rooke and Margalit Injury...
New analysis by Legal for Lettings shows possession court delays are costing landlords heavily. In London, average losses per case have risen to about $34,000, with wait times up to twelve months. Six surrounding courts in the South East report...
The Federal Communications Commission gave the green light to Nexstar's $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna, forming a broadcast empire that reaches 80% of U.S. TV households. The approval triggered sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom and a coalition of state...
OpenAI announced it will permit adult‑oriented erotica on ChatGPT for verified users, igniting a scramble among compliance platforms, legal‑tech providers and the adult‑entertainment industry. The shift raises immediate questions about age‑verification, liability and the need for new moderation safeguards.
A record 32 U.S. states have enacted or proposed legislation to prohibit smartphones in K‑12 classrooms, sparking debate over device‑based instruction, classroom management, and the future of EdTech tools. Lawmakers argue the bans protect students, while educators and tech firms...
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the city of Romulus have filed a federal lawsuit to block the Department of Homeland Security from converting a 249,000‑square‑foot warehouse near Detroit Metropolitan Airport into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility for...
Premier Ford: I have known Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim for over 15 years. I represent organizations often 'against' the regulator. We sometimes disagree, but I have NEVER had ANY reason to question her unbiased dedication to her role. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-doug-ford-privacy-commissioner-foi-laws/
And it’s only New Mexico (.7% of US population). Should be a verdict in JCCP in Los Angeles tomorrow. And then MDL with nearly every school district and state AG in NdCal in a few months. They’re toxic. Maybe...
California has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to block a federal order to restart a long‑shut offshore oil pipeline. The state argues the order violates environmental protections and threatens coastal ecosystems, while the administration says the pipeline...
Don’t sleep on First partner of California post. Super to see her using her platform this way. Decision imminent in LA tmw, too. MDL in NdCal in a few months brought by ~40 state AGs. American citizens and counts holding...
NEW: a LinkedIn scandal involving securities fraud tweets: https://t.co/Cvklcqp0qx Musk lawyers try to bar Delaware judge over LinkedIn ‘like’ cheering legal defeat https://t.co/kVtbkkOEVN
Slovenia became the first EU member to impose fuel purchase limits after the Strait of Hormuz blockage triggered long lines and shortages. Private motorists can buy up to 50 liters a day, while companies are capped at 200 liters, with the army...
1/ I support this move, even if it’s trendy among courts to promulgate special rules about generative AI.
Meta fined 16 hours of revenue for aiding child exploitation. Yup. Do the numbers, that’s what it equates to. https://t.co/VWP5HfSSWZ
Consumer groups and regulators warned that data from millions of smartwatches, period‑tracking apps and smart rings is being sold to advertisers and could be subpoenaed in criminal cases. The scrutiny comes as the U.S. smart‑ring market hits 2.6 million units in...
I’m sure it doesn’t help when their official spokesperson is downplaying a $375 million fine with two more potentially coming covering the other 99%+ of the US. https://t.co/tCFjAgLEAr
Movera reported a 33% year‑on‑year increase in sale‑and‑purchase completions across ONP Solicitors and Cavendish for 2025, while its ONP remortgage team processed 5,000 cases in a single day on two occasions. The group added more than 150 new staff, pushing...
The New Zealand government withdrew a proposal to remove minimum‑size limits for commercial fishers from the Fisheries Amendment Bill after intense backlash. Both NZ First leader Winston Peters and National Party leader Christopher Luxon posted near‑identical statements claiming they persuaded Fisheries Minister Shane Jones...
A Thai court ruled that Akara Resources, operator of the Chatree gold mine, is liable for environmental damage and health harms suffered by more than 300 villagers in Phichit and Phetchabun provinces. The judgment marks Thailand’s first environmental class‑action suit,...
Reddit is urging U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson to remand its lawsuit against Anthropic to San Francisco Superior Court, arguing that breach‑of‑contract and unjust‑enrichment claims fall outside federal copyright jurisdiction. Anthropic counters that its data‑scraping practices are protected under copyright law....
Leaseholders are being held hostage by a "paralysis of policy," warned Linz Darlington, managing director of Homehold, after the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee reviewed the stalled Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. The 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act...
