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
Tonight in Your Rights: Patel Flails
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation suit against Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, accusing her of using “sham sources” while evidence emerged of Patel handing out personalized bourbon bottles to agents, raising press‑freedom alarms. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee refused to order the return of more than 600 boxes of 2020 Georgia election ballots seized by the FBI, citing the high legal threshold for such relief. Finally, federal agents raided the office of Virginia Senate President pro tempore L. Louise Lucas, a key redistricting figure, amid claims of political pressure from the Justice Department.
US Reinstates Deportation Proceedings Against Pro-Palestinian Student Mohsen Mahdawi
The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals has reinstated deportation proceedings against Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, a pro‑Palestinian activist whose earlier case was halted by an immigration judge. The judge who blocked the Trump administration’s deportation effort was dismissed in...
Kash Patel’s Strategic, Frivolous Lawsuit Against The Atlantic
Former Trump aide Kash Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, alleging the magazine falsely reported that he was intoxicated on duty and engaged in other misconduct. The case, highlighted by The New Yorker’s general counsel Fabio Bertoni,...
Meta Glasses Users May Qualify for Class Action Compensation
There’s a class action lawsuit over Meta’s glasses user data handling and you may be entitled to compensation if you bought one
Maryland Submits
On the eve of tomorrow's Fourth Circuit oral argument in Kalshi v. Maryland, the State of Maryland has filed recent decisional law from the CA6, SD OH and WD MI preliminarily rejecting PM's federal preemption theory as "supplemental authority" for...
China Asks Banks to Pause New Loans to US-Sanctioned Refiners
China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration has instructed the nation’s largest banks to temporarily suspend new yuan‑denominated loans to five refiners sanctioned by the United States for alleged Iranian oil ties, including major private player Hengli Petrochemical. The directive allows banks...
Catheter Producer Rests Defense in Product Liability, Negligence Trial
A federal bellwether trial in Phoenix is testing liability for more than 3,000 claims that C.R. Bard’s PowerPort catheter caused infections. Plaintiff Robert Cook’s expert argues the sepsis arose during at‑home de‑access of the port, not during surgical implantation, shifting...
New York Times Shadow Docket Papers Show Flimsy Foundations of the “Major Questions Doctrine” By David Doniger
The New York Times released memos showing the Supreme Court’s shadow‑docket handling of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, revealing that the justices relied on an industry‑claimed $480 billion cost that was later proven false. EPA’s own estimate was $5‑8 billion per year...
LinkSquares Unveils First All‑Agentic CLM Platform to Speed Real‑Estate Deals
LinkSquares announced the launch of an all‑agentic, AI‑native contract lifecycle management platform that drafts, redlines and executes real‑estate contracts in minutes. Early‑access users report cutting workflow time from hours to two minutes, promising faster deal cycles and tighter legal oversight.
RunSensible Releases Top 10 Legal Workflows Ready for Automation
RunSensible has published a guide that names ten legal workflows and tasks firms can automate immediately. The list targets high‑volume, low‑judgment activities such as client intake, conflict checking, and document assembly, offering a practical roadmap for firms under pricing pressure....
UAE Innovation City Deploys Blockchain Digital IDs for Instant Business Verification
Innovation City, the UAE’s AI‑focused free zone, launched a blockchain‑based digital business identity system on May 4. Powered by the OPN chain, the platform promises sub‑second verification of corporate credentials, aligning with a federal push to embed AI in half...
Arctera Shifts to Unlimited SaaS Model for Enterprise Compliance
Arctera announced a transition to a fully SaaS operating model that removes traditional limits on data volume, user count and environments, giving large organizations a unified, cloud‑based compliance service. The change aligns product, engineering and go‑to‑market teams under one structure...
Justice Department Can Keep 2020 Ballots Seized From Fulton County in Georgia, Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled that the Justice Department can retain the 2020 election ballots seized from Fulton County, Georgia, after the FBI’s January 2026 raid. The court found Fulton County did not demonstrate a compelling need for the materials nor...
7th Circuit Declares Illinois BIPA Amendment Retroactive, Slashing Potential Damages
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that Illinois' 2024 amendment to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is remedial and therefore applies retroactively. The decision caps statutory damages at a single award per violation, dramatically reducing...
Colorado Judge Finds Evidence Issues in Mother’s 2008 Arson, Murder Trial
A Colorado judge ruled that prosecutors withheld critical fire‑analysis evidence that contradicted the arson theory used to convict Deborah Nicholls of murdering her three children in 2008. The undisclosed reports, including a 2023 Colorado Bureau of Investigation analysis, support the...
Can Companies Insure Against AI’s Growing Risks?
Artificial intelligence is generating a surge of legal and financial liabilities, from fabricated legal citations and biased hiring tools to deep‑fake privacy breaches. High‑profile cases—including Anthropic’s $1.5 billion copyright settlement and a $240 million verdict against Tesla’s autopilot—show that exposure can be...
Moritz Raises $9 Million Seed Round Backed by Y Combinator and 20 Unicorn Founders
Moritz, an AI‑driven legal‑tech startup founded by former OpenAI counsel Pamir Ehsas and ML engineer Stefan Mandaric, closed a $9 million seed round in four days. The round was led by Y Combinator and included Urban Innovation Fund, 20VC, Inception Fund and...
Figure Launches SEC-Registered Yield-Bearing Dollar Token YLDS on Stellar Network
Figure Technology Solutions introduced YLDS, an SEC-registered stablecoin that pays interest, on the Stellar blockchain. The token blends the liquidity of typical stablecoins with money‑market‑style returns, targeting regulated fintechs, neobanks and dollar‑savings platforms.
White House Weighs Pre‑Release Reviews After Anthropic’s Mythos Triggers Security Alarm
The White House is evaluating a pre‑release review process for high‑risk AI models after Anthropic’s newly released Mythos model raised security alarms. Officials say the move aims to curb potential misuse while preserving innovation, marking a rare federal step into...
Circle France Gains AMF Approval to Offer Crypto Services Across EU Under MiCA
Circle France has secured authorization from France's financial regulator (AMF) to provide crypto custody and transfer services across the European Economic Area under the EU's MiCA rules. The approval lets the firm passport its services, extending USDC and EURC stablecoin...
A CAIA Mini Course: A Real Estate Focus on the Crypto Tokenization of Real Assets - Part Three
The third installment of the CAIA mini‑course maps the legal and regulatory landscape for tokenizing real‑estate assets. It explains that most real‑estate tokens are treated as securities, invoking the Howey Test and requiring compliance with securities laws. The piece contrasts...
WBD and Sling Quietly Drop Litigation
Warner Bros. Discovery and Dish (Sling TV) filed a stipulation of voluntary dismissal without prejudice, ending their lawsuit over Sling's flexible Day, Week and Weekend streaming passes. Both parties will bear their own costs, leaving the door open for future...
Louisiana V. Callais and Further Redistricting
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, declaring the state’s congressional map an unconstitutional racial gerrymander under the Equal Protection Clause. The Court held that the Voting Rights Act does not compel Louisiana to...
Nexstar Stays Confident on Tegna
Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna hit a roadblock when a federal court issued a preliminary injunction, forcing the companies to operate separately despite Nexstar’s claim of ownership. The FCC’s Media Bureau had already approved the deal, even though it exceeds...
OpenAI Is Under Criminal Investigation — Why Chatbots Don’t Always Follow the Law
Prosecutors in Florida have launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI after a murder suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to plan a mass shooting at Florida State University. While no charges have been filed against the company, the probe highlights the difficulty...
Elon Musk’s Confidante Shivon Zilis Is Cast as His Inside Source at OpenAI
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI resurfaces as he seeks $150 billion in damages and the dismantling of the company’s for‑profit arm. Musk claims Microsoft’s $10 billion investment gives the tech giant effective control, a view contested by Shivon Zilis, his confidante and...
Why Buc-Ee's Is Suing Another Rival Convenience Store
Buc‑ee’s, the Texas‑based giant of fuel stops, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit on May 1, 2026 against Georgia’s Teddy’s Market, alleging the rival’s mascot mimics its iconic beaver logo. The complaint seeks removal of Teddy’s branding, destruction of related merchandise, denial of...
Rivalry Announces Failure-to-File Cease Trade Order
Rivalry Corp. (TSXV:RVLY) received a failure‑to‑file cease‑trade order from the Ontario Securities Commission after it failed to file its 2025 audited financial statements, MD&A and CEO/CFO certificates. The order bans all trading of Rivalry’s securities in Canada, with limited exceptions...
They're Rigging Voting Maps. We're Building the Bench.
The Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais ruling removes a key barrier to mid‑decade redistricting, opening the door for more partisan map‑drawing. In response, Fair Fight Action and Run for Something are hosting a live conversation on May 7 to discuss how...
The Cost of Systemic Failure and Childbirth Injuries
The NHS has paid roughly $4.45 bn in childbirth‑related medical claims over the past six years, with $3.68 bn in damages and the remainder covering legal costs. The average payout per claim exceeds $1.2 million, highlighting both a financial burden and systemic shortcomings...
State AGs Send Paramount Subpoenas in Warner Bros. Merger Investigation
Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery are advancing a $110 billion merger, but a coalition of state attorneys general has issued civil investigative subpoenas to Paramount. The subpoenas target the Department of Justice’s antitrust review and the competitive impact of the...
LSB Puts SRA Under Pressure Amid Fears of More Law Firm Collapses
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is intensifying pressure on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) after the high‑profile collapses of Axiom Ince and PM Law, which together caused roughly £100 million (about $125 million) in client‑money losses. The LSB invoked statutory powers to demand...
Crypto Finally Gets Its Rulebook — But Congress Has to Finish Writing It First
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, the most comprehensive effort to codify U.S. crypto regulation. The bill, cleared by the House in July 2025, still faces Senate committee splits over stablecoin interest and the DeFi...
Lawyers Granted Injunction Against Harassment From Litigant in Person
A deputy High Court judge granted an interim injunction, later extended, against self‑represented litigant David Protheroe‑Beynon for harassing a solicitor and a barrister in a family case. The harassment included threatening emails, abusive TikTok videos, and vexatious complaints to regulators...
Law Firm’s AI Tool Translates Legalese Into Gen Z or ‘Sassy’ English
Manak Solicitors launched the Legalese Translator, an AI‑driven tool that rewrites contracts, tenancy agreements and court rulings into plain English using five distinct tones—including Gen Z slang, Boomer, sassy, corporate speak and TL;DR. Built on a siloed ChatGPT model, the service...
Massive Insider Trading Allegations Rock Leading US Law Firms
Thirty individuals, including attorneys, were indicted for a decade‑long insider‑trading ring that siphoned confidential merger‑and‑acquisition data from six of the world’s largest U.S. law firms. The scheme involved lawyers accessing privileged documents, passing material non‑public information to traders, and receiving...
Tool Overload Masks Broken Legal Ops Decision Framework
The legal ops industry's obsession with tooling is a structural alignment cope. It's easier to buy software than to redesign decision rights. Dirty secret: 60% of the tools your team complains about would work fine if your operating model wasn't broken.
Judge Sends Washington Kalshi Lawsuit Back to State Court
A federal judge has remanded the State of Washington's civil enforcement action against Kalshi back to state court, finding "no substantial federal issue" and noting that the complaint "only targets activities determined to be gambling under state law." https://t.co/rklwPkT3Ga
Understanding Pennsylvania Intestacy Law: What Happens If You Don’t Have a Will
Pennsylvania intestacy law dictates how probate assets are divided when someone dies without a will, applying a fixed statutory hierarchy that often diverges from personal wishes. The surviving spouse receives the first $30,000 and half of the remaining estate, while...
How Skilled Personal Injury Lawyers Support Wrongful Death Claims in Denver
A Denver personal injury lawyer guides families through wrongful‑death claims by handling case evaluation, evidence collection, and insurance negotiations. Attorneys clarify legal rights, assess both financial and emotional losses, and provide courtroom representation. Their compassionate approach eases the grieving process...
Toronto World Cup Tickets Can only Be Resold for Face Value on FIFA Marketplace
FIFA has updated its ticket resale policy for the 2026 World Cup matches in Toronto, mandating that tickets can only be listed at the original purchase price on its official marketplace. The change complies with Ontario’s Putting Fans First Act,...
In-House Counsel Report Companies Are Doing AI All Wrong
The Paragon Legal survey shows many in‑house counsel are only asked to assess AI tools after they’re live, and 35 % say AI adoption is outpacing internal controls. This reveals a gap between rapid AI deployment and the legal function’s ability...
Southwest Pilots Sue Boeing over 20‑month MAX Grounding
Southwest Pilots Sued Boeing Because They Couldn’t Fly The 737 MAX For 20 Months - View from the Wing https://t.co/ZlwQnRQI6K
The Most Overlooked Legal Intake Process: 4 Tips for Turning Inbound Calls Into Clients
Law firms are missing a critical conversion channel by treating inbound calls as an afterthought. The article outlines four actionable tips: offering 24/7 live intake to improve Google local rankings, replacing automated greetings with a real person to avoid the...
Book Publishers Fire on Zukerberg
Five of the world’s largest book publishers filed a class‑action lawsuit against Meta on May 5, 2026, explicitly naming CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The complaint alleges Zuckerberg personally authorized the use of pirated books to train Meta’s Llama large‑language model. Scott Turow,...
A Pop Star Is Embroiled in a Legal Battle with a New Zealand Label. She Just Wants to Be a...
British‑Australian pop singer Alexandra Hainsworth sued New Zealand label Do It Management and its distributor The Orchard, a Sony subsidiary, over unpaid royalties and contract breaches. She signed a 2022 deal promising a 50% profit share, but alleges the label failed to...
Trump's Mandatory ICE Detention Policy Struck Down in Appeals Court
A federal appeals court in the 11th Circuit struck down the Trump administration's mandatory ICE detention policy, which required all undocumented entrants to be held without bond. The ruling follows a wave of lower‑court decisions challenging the policy’s reinterpretation of...
Alaska Wrestles Over Tax Regime for Massive LNG Export Project
Alaska lawmakers are debating a sweeping overhaul of the state tax code to make the $44 billion Alaska LNG export terminal and its 807‑mile pipeline more financially viable. The proposed changes aim to lower the tax burden on the project, which...
CBRS Proponents Reiterate Opposition to Higher Power
Proponents of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) reiterated their opposition to any increase in power levels during a New America webinar on May 6, 2026. They argue that higher power would overwhelm the spectrum access systems, cause adjacent‑channel interference,...
UCLA Medical School Illegally Used Race in Admissions, Justice Department Finds
The U.S. Justice Department concluded that UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine illegally considered race in its 2023‑24 admissions, favoring Black and Hispanic applicants over higher‑scoring white and Asian candidates. Data showed admitted minorities had lower average GPAs and test...