Know What's Happening in Legal
Know What's Happening in Legal
Delaware Supreme Court lets insurers pursue contract claims against Blackbaud over ransomware breach
The Delaware Supreme Court reversed lower‑court dismissals, permitting insurers to bring breach‑of‑contract actions against Blackbaud for its 2020 ransomware incident. Blackbaud had previously paid a $3 million SEC fine and $49 million to state attorneys general for misleading breach disclosures.
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By the numbers: Oil majors acquire $164M of Alaska oil leases
Nebraska lawmakers have advanced LB1010, the Large Load Customer Regulation Act, to clarify eminent‑domain rights, regulation and taxation for battery energy storage systems (BESS). The bill also mandates data‑centre electricity‑use disclosures and updates provisions affecting cryptocurrency mining. Nebraska is the only U.S. state served entirely by publicly‑owned utilities, and the legislation aims to enable private firms to build large‑scale BESS projects. The measure is currently in the Enrollment and Review stage, with three legislative steps remaining before gubernatorial approval.
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that Title Guaranty Escrow Services acted correctly by releasing a defaulting buyer’s full deposit to the seller, because the escrow agreement, not the sales contract, dictated the disposition of funds. The decision overturned an appellate...
Houston homeowner Sharon Norris filed a federal lawsuit on March 20, 2026, accusing Mr. Cooper, JPMorgan Chase, and the three major credit bureaus of failing to remove bankruptcy notations after her Chapter 13 discharge. The dispute arose when her credit reports...
In March 2026 two new funds signaled a surge of institutional capital into Europe’s digital economy. INVL Asset Management launched a feeder vehicle that lets investors participate with as little as €125,000 (≈$134,000) in Main Capital Partners’ B2B software private‑equity...
DeepJudge announced SuperSearch, a next‑generation, intent‑based search platform for law firms. The tool surfaces granular, actionable insights across a firm’s internal data, enabling cross‑matter intelligence without manual tagging. Built on DeepJudge’s existing AI engine, SuperSearch creates a unified intelligence layer...
On March 20, 2026, Oakland homeowner Tiana Perez filed a federal lawsuit against United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) alleging the lender performed an unauthorized hard credit inquiry. Text messages reveal loan officer Cyrus Mulitalo admitted the pull was accidental and based on no...
Nicki Minaj is being sued by 24/7 Productions for allegedly failing to reimburse more than $275,000 in concert‑related expenses. The production firm says it provided planning, staffing, audio, lighting, transportation and logistics for her 2022 MTV VMA appearance, 2023 Jingle Ball...
Hong Kong amended its national security law, granting police authority to demand passwords and decryption tools, with up to one year in jail for refusal. A U.S. report warns that retirements and a steep drop in students studying China will...
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) now mandates that sole‑practitioner lawyers and paralegals maintain a written contingency plan, effective Jan 1 2025, with the first certification due on the March 31 2026 annual report. The requirement targets only solo practitioners, but the article advises...
Regulators worldwide are elevating enterprise‑wide financial crime risk assessments from a compliance formality to the core blueprint of AML/CTF programmes. The new standard demands assessments that are accurate, complete, evidence‑based and fully integrated with governance, controls and risk appetite. Generic...
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict that denied overtime pay to Jerry Merritt, a former Texas Farm Bureau agency manager who was misclassified as an independent contractor. The court held that under the Fair Labor Standards Act an employer...
Financial crime fuels a massive global child sexual exploitation market, with an estimated half‑million Filipino children forced to produce content and 105 million abuse files identified worldwide in a single year. Demand originates mainly from high‑income Western economies, where offenders may...
Kenyan politician Stephen Tuju failed to appear for his scheduled plea taking, citing health concerns and being admitted to Karen Hospital. Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, leading Tuju's legal team, petitioned the court to defer the plea to a later...
Britain's government has introduced the toughest late‑payment reforms in the G7, tightening rules for large firms dealing with small suppliers. A new 60‑day payment cap and a statutory interest rate of 8 % above the Bank of England base rate will...
The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications asked X Corp. to extend its data‑retention window for communication logs to three‑to‑six months to aid defamation investigations. X declined, saying its internal standard of one to two months would become costly...
The UK Crime and Policing Bill is heading for a final reading in the House of Lords, expanding police powers to restrict public demonstrations. The Equality and Human Rights Commission warns the measure could create a chilling effect on peaceful...
A Democratic senator announced a Senate investigation into the two largest for‑profit child‑care chains, focusing on private‑equity ownership and rising prices. The announcement provided no concrete figures, company names, or timeline, leaving the market to await further clarification.
India's high court cleared Dr Reddys to produce the weight‑loss drug semaglutide, unlocking a billion‑dollar market, as health regulators in Ireland recalled 18,000 Philips Respironics machines over foam degradation. The twin moves underscore mounting compliance pressure across the pharma and...
Eight Chinese state‑owned research vessels allocated deep‑sea mining licences by the International Seabed Authority have logged only about 6% of their total open‑water time inside the designated zones. The Mongabay‑CNN investigation highlights frequent trips to militarily strategic waters, AIS shutdowns...
San Diego County’s Auditor‑General has opened an independent audit of the Harm Reduction Coalition after the nonprofit’s former chief operating officer was charged with embezzlement. The review will examine grant allocations, contract compliance and internal controls, signaling heightened scrutiny of...
A New Mexico jury has begun deliberations in a landmark trial accusing Meta of misleading users about the safety of its platforms for children. Prosecutors are seeking a civil penalty exceeding $2 billion, while Meta argues its safety tools are robust...
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has served a notice on the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) demanding action on alleged denial of life‑insurance policies to individuals with hearing and speech disabilities. The commission gave IRDAI 15...
Amazon has petitioned a federal judicial rules committee to clarify that judges may weigh existing regulatory settlements when deciding whether to certify a class action. The e‑commerce giant argues that inconsistent court rulings create uncertainty for defendants and plaintiffs alike,...
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order on March 23, 2026 requiring a formal review of Egan‑Jones Ratings' application to resume rating asset‑backed securities (ABS) and government securities. The commission must decide by Aug. 12, 2026 whether to...
State senators and representatives are introducing bills to curb the health and energy footprint of rapidly expanding AI data centers in California. The proposals target exemptions from environmental law, impose energy tariffs, and demand water‑use disclosures, reflecting growing community concerns...
PointOne announced a $16 million Series A round, led by 8VC, to expand its AI‑powered platform that silently records lawyers' computer activity and generates billable timesheets. The funding underscores growing venture interest in niche SaaS tools that streamline professional workflows in...
CMS will require pharmaceutical manufacturers to submit the "reasonable assumptions" used to calculate their quarterly Average Sales Price (ASP) beginning in 2026. The move formalizes the estimation process that underlies ASP, covering rebates, bundled discounts, free‑goods programs, 340B sales and...
In regulated industries, Microsoft Teams is now the primary communication hub, but standard recordings omit speaker metadata, exposing firms to compliance risk. Theta Lake’s certified Teams recorder captures audio directly from the source and adds automated speaker diarization, delivering verifiable,...
On 23 March 2026 APRA launched a consultation on implementing the government’s Retirement Reporting Framework, a key pillar of the 2024 superannuation reforms aimed at greater transparency of retirement outcomes. The framework will require all Registerable Superannuation Entity (RSE) licencees – except...
The article warns busy business owners that postponing estate planning can create costly probate, tax, and ownership disputes for their families. It uses the example of Rick and Linda, a $1 million disaster‑remediation franchise, who lack wills, trusts, buy‑sell agreements, and...
On 23 March 2026 the UK Ministry of Defence published ten Judge Advocate sentencing transcripts from the Military Court Service, covering cases heard after 1 January 2025 that resulted in dismissal from His Majesty’s Service. The documents, ranging from four to ten pages, are...
Louisiana veteran prosecutor Hugo Holland, known for aggressive death‑penalty tactics and multiple instances of withholding evidence, has entered the race for a First Judicial District Court judgeship in Caddo Parish. Despite controversies—including racist remarks, a Confederate‑era portrait in his office,...
The article provides a comprehensive FAQ for writers on how U.S. copyright law treats AI‑assisted and AI‑generated works, outlining when authors can claim copyright and when they cannot. It explains recent court decisions on AI training fair use, highlighting split...
The Chilean government settled its ISDS dispute with Norwegian investors NC Telecom and its subsidiary WOM after the investors alleged breaches of the Chile‑Norway BIT over a 5G network project. Under the settlement, WOM paid roughly $52 million, was allowed to...
Magistrate Derek Muhammad received formal advice for misconduct after a private WhatsApp comment about Winston Churchill was deemed racially inappropriate. Muhammad argued the remark critiqued colonial exploitation, not racial animus. The South‑East Conduct Advisory Committee concluded the comment could be...
On 28 April 2026, the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Competition will host a “Reality Check” meeting focused on National Promotional Banks (NPBs) and EU state‑aid rules. The session aims to map NPB activities, pinpoint market failures, and assess obstacles to risk‑finance schemes...
Netsweeper announced its membership in the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), a global trade body that promotes privacy‑preserving age‑assurance standards. The move aligns the company with regulators and industry peers as governments tighten online‑safety rules. Through AVPA, Netsweeper will help...
BBB National Programs praised the Global Cross‑Border Privacy Rules Forum for finalizing CBPR 2.0, a major update that tightens consumer data protections and accountability in cross‑border transfers. The revision adds stronger safeguards for sensitive and children’s data, a “Preventing Harm” principle,...
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence warned that participation in Israeli military‑linked organisations such as Sar‑El is now unacceptable and could trigger legal action. The warning follows the resurfacing of a 2018‑19 blog that encouraged Singaporeans to...
Finnish food‑tech startup Enifer has submitted a formal GRAS notification to the U.S. FDA for its Pekilo mycoprotein powder, moving beyond its earlier self‑affirmed status. The filing aims to secure a “no‑questions” letter that would clear regulatory hurdles for large‑scale...
Macau’s Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a new national security law that permits judges to conduct cases behind closed doors and requires defence lawyers to obtain clearances before participation. The law expands powers first introduced in 2009 and widened in 2023,...
The Supreme Court ruled that women Short Service Commission officers in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force who were denied Permanent Commission will receive full pension benefits. The bench deemed these officers to have completed the 20‑year qualifying service...
Articling is the mandatory licensing stage for Canadian law graduates, giving them hands‑on client work and serving as a de‑facto audition for future associate roles. In Ontario, the Law Society requires an eight‑to‑ten‑month placement, a $2,800 CAD fee (about $2,070 USD), and...
Lord Hermer KC, the UK attorney general, used a Manchester lecture to argue that Britain’s national interest is best served by upholding international law amid escalating US and Israeli military actions against Iran. He warned that a "might is right"...
The 9th Annual Corporate Compliance & Transparency in Life Sciences Conference convenes more than 20 compliance leaders, legal experts, and industry innovators for a single-stage event. Attendees will experience over 15 hands‑on presentations and case studies, targeting actionable strategies for...
If you're Singaporean and you hold more than US$60,000 in US stocks, ETFs, or US-listed funds, your family could face a 40% estate tax bill when you die. On $500K in US holdings, that's roughly US$176,000. Most people in Singapore holding...
Spec Capital Group Pty Ltd has been granted a wholesale Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) by ASIC, allowing it to offer CFD products to wholesale clients in Australia. The approval follows a rigorous compliance review and marks the firm’s entry...
Eel fisherman Declan Conlon is bringing a judicial review against Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) over the severe pollution of Lough Neagh, the UK’s largest lake. The lake is choked by phosphorus and nitrogen from...
UK government announced the toughest late‑payment crackdown in over 25 years, empowering the Small Business Commissioner with new investigative, adjudication and fine‑imposing powers. The reforms introduce a statutory 60‑day payment cap for large firms dealing with SMEs, mandatory interest at...
Britain’s Home Secretary has won a Court of Appeal ruling that overturns a First‑tier Tribunal decision allowing a Turkish asylum seeker convicted of murdering his wife to remain in the UK. The appellant, identified as KD, was sentenced to life...
