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
Compliance Made Easy: A Comprehensive Guide to AML Reporting Obligations
The guide breaks down U.S. anti‑money‑laundering (AML) reporting obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and FINRA, detailing required Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs). It highlights the $10,000 daily CTR threshold, the role of AML compliance officers, and the need for robust customer‑due‑diligence processes. Real‑world enforcement examples show fines ranging from $85 million to $390 million, with NatWest’s £265 million penalty translating to roughly $336 million. The article concludes with best‑practice steps and technology solutions to streamline compliance.
9th U.S. Circuit Court Allows Glacier House To Be Built Next To McDonald Creek
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower‑court ruling that allows John and Stacy Ambler to complete their three‑story home on a private in‑holding beside McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park. The court held that when Montana ceded the...
Competition Bureau Challenges Keyera's Natural Gas Deal, Says It Could Harm Energy Producers
The Competition Bureau has moved to challenge Keyera Corp.'s proposed $5.15 billion acquisition of Plains All American's Canadian natural‑gas‑liquids (NGL) business and select U.S. assets. The bureau argues the deal would shrink competition at the Fort Saskatchewan hub, Canada’s primary NGL...
Legal Help Now, Even if You Started Late
I’ll never shame you for not having your legal handled earlier. There’s approx 2948392 million things to know as a business owner. I don’t know it all and I don’t expect you to either. Will the outcome maybe be not as...
What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
Dying without a will triggers intestate succession, where state law dictates asset distribution rather than personal wishes. This often leads to a court‑appointed administrator, extending probate timelines and increasing legal expenses. Families may receive assets they did not expect, and...
Trump Admin Floats Policy Language Limiting Contractor Say on Agency Uses of Technology
The Trump administration is circulating draft policy language that would cement the government’s authority to determine lawful and appropriate uses of privately sourced AI technologies, potentially through an executive order and a dedicated AI‑model working group. The drafts address licensing...
The Guardian View on the US Supreme Court: Its Judgments Have Slowly Erased Voting Rights | Editorial
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling that significantly weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the primary federal tool limiting partisan gerrymandering. The decision enables Republican‑controlled states to redraw congressional maps, jeopardizing districts that were designed to protect...
The Guardian View on the Renters’ Rights Act: Finally, Protections Fit for the Modern Housing Market | Editorial
Britain’s private‑rental sector has surged, now housing nearly two‑fifths of English households, while homeownership among young adults has slipped to 39% in 2023. Historically, landlords could evict tenants for requesting repairs or contesting rent hikes, creating chronic insecurity. The newly...
Family Lawyer Costs: What to Expect
A Pew Charitable Trust study shows 3.8 million family‑law cases flow through state courts each year, highlighting the sector’s size. Fees for family lawyers vary widely based on location, case complexity, experience and billing model. Attorneys may charge hourly rates, which...
Enhancing Trade Compliance: Roles and Responsibilities of the TBAML Committee in Managing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks
The Trade‑Based Anti‑Money‑Laundering (TBAML) Committee, chaired by the CEO, oversees trade‑related compliance and the mitigation of money‑laundering and terrorist‑financing risks. It establishes policies that define board and committee responsibilities, and drives the creation of a trade‑customer risk‑profiling framework and transaction‑monitoring...
SEC Says “What If We Just… Didn’t” On Quarterly Reporting
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a proposal allowing public companies to replace the mandatory quarterly Form 10‑Q with an optional semiannual Form 10‑S. Under the plan, firms could file one semiannual report and one annual report each fiscal year,...
Connecticut Passes Law Banning Sale Of Location Data, Regulating Ad Volume
Connecticut lawmakers passed Senate Bill 4, a privacy measure that bans the outright sale of precise geolocation data and imposes new limits on surveillance‑based pricing and ad volume in streaming. The bill also requires data brokers to register with the state...
NAACP Seek To Recall Callais Judgment So It Can Seek Reconsideration
On April 29 the Supreme Court issued a rapid judgment in the Callais case, prompting the NAACP to request an immediate issuance of the opinion. Hours later the civil‑rights group filed a motion asking the Court to recall that judgment...
HCA’s Mission Health to Pay Hourly Workers in $1.56M Wage Settlement
HCA Healthcare’s Mission Health agreed to a $1.56 million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit alleging time‑rounding and automatic meal‑break deductions that shortchanged hourly staff. The settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, covers current and former non‑exempt employees...
Supreme Court Conservatives Promised That Ending Roe Would Solve a Major Problem. They’ve Made It Infinitely Worse.
The Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision promised to settle the abortion debate by returning the issue to the states, but it has instead produced legal chaos. A recent 5th Circuit ruling barred nationwide tele‑medicine distribution of the abortion pill mifepristone,...
The Am Law 200: Biglaw’s Second Hundred Firms Bask In Financial Success, With Strong Metrics Across The Board
The American Lawyer’s 2026 Am Law 200 report shows the Second Hundred firms posted a 6% rise in gross revenue to $29.44 billion, with average profits per equity partner climbing 9.5% to $1.21 million and revenue per lawyer up 5.2% to $895,000....
Nominations Open — ABA Administrative Law Section Annual Award for Scholorship in Administrative Law
The American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice has opened nominations for its 2025 Annual Award for Scholarship in Administrative Law. The award honors books or articles published in 2025 that demonstrate clear writing, rigorous reasoning, broad...
Google Sued Over False AI Overview About Musician via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac has filed a civil lawsuit against Google, alleging that an AI‑generated Overview falsely labeled him a convicted sex offender. The claim, lodged in Ontario’s Superior Court, seeks at least $1.5 million in damages and cites reputational harm,...
Op-Ed: Fifth Circuit Shapes Offshore Contract Jurisprudence
Recent Fifth Circuit decisions have refined the Doiron two‑part test for determining whether offshore contracts are maritime. The court held that contracts directly involving vessel maintenance, such as lifeboat upkeep, are maritime, while master service contracts limited to non‑vessel platform...
Unlocking Compliance Excellence: The Role of Regulatory Reporting Software
Regulatory reporting software is becoming essential for financial institutions seeking to automate compliance, improve data accuracy, and meet complex regulatory mandates such as Basel III and BCBS 239. Solutions from providers like Nagarro and Wolters Kluwer offer cloud‑based, real‑time validation, audit‑trail capabilities, and...
Commerce Aiming to Open Novel Space Applications This Summer
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce (OSC) unveiled a one‑stop licensing framework that lets companies submit a single application for novel space missions—ranging from asteroid mining to in‑space refueling—to be shared with the FAA, FCC and other...
FCC Revocation Misjudged: Starlink Meets Speed Targets
Under President Biden, the FCC revoked an $885 million award that Starlink won to provide high-speed Internet to millions of Americans. Back then, the agency claimed that it was revoking the award because it was unlikely that Starlink could provide 100/20...
Scrutiny Update
Merit Medical Systems, a Utah‑based global medical‑device maker, disclosed that the SEC’s Division of Enforcement has been investigating its China subsidiary since August 2022. The company repeatedly reported the inquiry in quarterly filings, noting cooperation and an uncertain outcome. In its...
Labor Dept Drops Defense of Biden Overtime Rule
"The US Department of Labor is ending its legal defense of a Biden-era regulation that widened the eligibility for overtime pay for millions of workers" https://t.co/4J1oWYdNXc @parker_purifoy
Finland Looks to Tighten Rules on International Students’ Finances
Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment unveiled a draft law that would cancel residence permits for non‑EU/EEA students who receive social assistance, even once. The proposal also mandates a legally defined minimum living fund and delays family reunification until...
Reservists Sue Pentagon over Denied Transition Health Care Benefits
A class‑action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleges the Pentagon is unlawfully denying Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) health‑care benefits to eligible National Guard and Reserve members. The plaintiffs argue the DoD’s internal...
READ THE DOCUMENT: Fresh Lawsuit Alleges 50 Cent Inflicted Years of Intimidation, Threats, and Retaliation on Former Insider
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson faces an 83‑page federal lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Georgia by former insider Monique Mayers. Mayers alleges that, after a decade of employment, Jackson launched a campaign of intimidation, threats, and retaliation beginning in...
14th Annual Brewers Briefing
Littler Milwaukee is hosting its complimentary 14th Annual Brewers Briefing, a half‑day conference at American Family Field that runs from 8:15 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. on a day when the Milwaukee Brewers face the San Francisco Giants. The agenda covers employment and labor‑law...
How Workers Compensation Reform Can Cut Litigation Costs
Workers' compensation reform could dramatically lower litigation expenses, according to recent WCRI data. Litigated claims are 388% more costly and take nearly double the time to resolve, while attorney involvement adds $7.7k‑$12.4k in indemnity per claim. High denial rates—7% to...
ADG 5/5: Narrow Shoulders
The SEC proposed rule changes that would let public companies file a new Form 10‑S on a semiannual basis instead of the traditional quarterly Form 10‑Q, giving firms flexibility in interim reporting. At the same time, spring earnings season is delivering a...
Motion to Compel Forensic Image of Cell Phone: Granted in Part; Denied in Part
The California district court partially granted Ticketmaster’s motion to compel a forensic image of plaintiff Michelle Madrigal’s cell phone, finding the data highly relevant to her alleged deceptive‑pricing claims. While approving the request, the court imposed strict limits: the examination...
Public Data Bets Aren’t Insider Trading, Says Ali Yahya
"If you trade on a prediction market by using public data to monitor traffic at Walmarts to bet on its earnings, that's not using insider trading." -- Ali Yahya on whether "insider" trading should be punished 🔥 https://t.co/5tGKOqyEEC
NCLT Refers Eros–Aanand L Rai Dispute to Arbitration
The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has sent the dispute between filmmaker Aanand L Rai and Eros International Media to arbitration, rejecting Eros' claims of oppression and mismanagement. The tribunal ruled that the issues are fundamentally contractual...
Counsel Details Timeline, Still Avoids Refuting Self‑Dealing Claims
Brockman’s counsel is doing a good job of laying out the timeline — but done little so far to refute yesterday’s dissection of her client’s self-dealing and dodgy behavior regarding his fiduciary responsibilities to the nonprofit.
Bondi, DOJ Continue Procedural Chicanery over Epstein Questions
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously refused a congressional subpoena, is now slated to speak about Jeffrey Epstein as a private citizen. The House committee arranged a “transcribed interview” that allows her to be represented by a current...
Ohio State Can't
Yeah, I think the answer here is pretty obviously "hey Ohio State, you don't own the broadcast rights to your games, we do, so you can't sublicense them. There's no B1G TV without you, so we'll see your ass in...
Elon Musk to Pay $1.5M to Settle SEC Lawsuit over Failing to Disclose Twitter Share Purchases Ahead of 2022 Acquisition
Elon Musk has agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle the SEC’s lawsuit accusing him of failing to disclose his stock purchases in Twitter before the $44 billion 2022 acquisition. The regulator claims Musk’s undisclosed buying cost other shareholders...
Who Started It? Delaware Court of Chancery to Address Whether Contacting DOJ Is ‘Initiating’ a Proceeding in Advancement Case
On March 6, 2026 a Delaware Court of Chancery magistrate issued a report in Rushikesh Manche v. MVMT Labs, Inc. that affirmed the former CFO’s right to advancement of legal fees despite the company’s claim he had "initiated" the DOJ investigation into...
An IBM Settlement Is Reshaping How Contractors Look at DEI Compliance
IBM agreed to a $17 million settlement with the Department of Justice over its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, marking the first enforcement action under the Trump-era Civil Rights Fraud Initiative. The deal, which spans conduct back to 2019, includes...
Senators Murray and Wyden Unveil $675 Billion Trust Tax Bill Targeting Billionaire Loopholes
Senators Patty Murray and Ron Wyden introduced the Fair Trusts for Fiscal Responsibility Act, a bill that would levy a graduated tax on trusts holding $50 million or more and could generate $675 billion in revenue over a decade. The legislation threatens...
Two Lawsuits Against SpaceX, Claiming Company Operations Damage Local Homes
SpaceX is facing two separate lawsuits alleging that its Starship launch and test activities have damaged nearby homes. The first suit involves about 80 homeowners living 5‑10 miles from the Boca Chica launch complex, who claim vibrations, noise and broken...
Another Tennessee “DUI” Case with No Alcohol Ends in Lawsuit
A retired FBI employee, Allison Tsiumis, was arrested by Knoxville police in June 2025 for a DUI despite no alcohol or drugs in her system. The officer claimed an odor of alcohol and administered field‑sobriety tests before she consented to a blood...
5th Circuit Reinstates In‑Person Mifepristone Rule, Prompting Supreme Court Stay
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated an in‑person dispensing requirement for the abortion pill mifepristone, prompting Danco Laboratories to seek a stay from the Supreme Court, which granted a one‑week pause. The back‑and‑forth highlights how even long‑approved drugs...
How the CLARITY Act Reshapes Stablecoin Rewards
The Senate reached a compromise on the long‑delayed CLARITY Act, allowing crypto firms to reward users for holding stablecoins only when the incentives are tied to user activity, while prohibiting interest‑like yields. The change addresses banks' fears that deposit‑bearing stablecoins...
Your Clients Have Estate Plans. Their Digital Lives Probably Don’t.
Most clients have traditional estate documents, but they often overlook their digital footprints. The article highlights that digital assets—ranging from email and online banking to cryptocurrency and smart‑home devices—are real property that can cause financial disruption, fraud, or loss of...
LinkSquares Unveils First All‑Agentic CLM Platform, Automating Drafting, Redlining and Execution
LinkSquares announced the launch of an all‑agentic contract lifecycle management platform that automates drafting, redlining and workflow execution. Built on its LinkAI engine, the solution claims to cut hours‑long tasks to minutes, marking a shift from AI‑assisted to AI‑driven contract...
Lawsuit Abuse Is the New Personal Tax
A new Americans for Tax Reform report labels excessive litigation as a hidden tax, estimating it costs the average U.S. household over $6,600 annually. Premiums for personal auto insurance have jumped more than 50% between 2021 and 2024 as insurers...
Nahmad Seeks to Reopen Modigliani Restitution Case With New Witnesses
David Nahmad’s lawyers have filed a motion in New York seeking to reopen the restitution case over Amedeo Modigliani’s *Seated Man with a Cane*, arguing that the painting may have been misidentified. The motion relies on two new witnesses who...
Railroad Wrongfully Suspended Worker for Reporting Collision: OSHA
OSHA concluded that Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) illegally suspended a Kansas City employee for reporting a minor train collision at its Knoche Yard. The employee had filed the required safety report two days after learning of the August 11, 2024 incident,...
UK Tribunal Greenlights $2.1 Bn Microsoft Antitrust Action Despite Funding Doubts
The Competition and Appeals Tribunal (CAT) has certified a £1.7 bn ($2.1 bn) opt‑out collective action against Microsoft over alleged overcharging for Windows Server on rival clouds. The decision came despite a “degree of uncertainty” surrounding the solvency of litigation funder Litigation...