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
The Contents of Journal of International Arbitration, Volume 43, Issue 2 (April 2026)
The April 2026 issue of the Journal of International Arbitration presents seven scholarly articles covering procedural orders, arbitrator immunity, AI‑driven arbitration, mediation of just‑energy transition disputes, ethical considerations, government recognition in investor‑state cases, and enforcement of foreign awards in Iran. Björn Arp analyses the First Procedural Order’s impact on party autonomy and tribunal competence. Muñoz and Meza Barocio propose contractual party‑arbitrator agreements to standardise arbitrator liability. Sienicki and Sienicki outline a two‑track AI framework with safeguards for enforceability. Ishikawa explores mediation as a tool for complex energy‑transition conflicts. Haque questions arbitration’s ethical foundations, while Dumberry and Nasrollahi Shahri examine state representation and award enforcement in volatile jurisdictions.
California Subpoenas Golden State Wind over Trump Lease Deal
California’s Energy Commission has issued a subpoena to Golden State Wind, demanding full details of its recent lease‑buyout with the U.S. Interior Department that paid roughly $120 million to terminate a 2 GW offshore wind lease. The deal, also mirrored in other...
SEBI Proposes Early Pay-In in Commodity Options
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a consultation paper proposing to extend the early‑pay‑in (EPI) settlement mechanism to commodity options, a benefit that currently exists only for futures contracts. The proposal was examined by the Working...
FTC to Ban Data Broker Kochava From Selling Americans’ Location Data
The Federal Trade Commission has moved to ban data‑broker Kochava and its subsidiary Collective Data Solutions from selling precise location data without explicit consumer consent. The order stems from a 2022 FTC lawsuit alleging that Kochava harvested and sold geolocation...
Who Are Critical ICT Third-Party Providers Under DORA?
EU regulators have officially designated 19 technology firms as Critical ICT Third‑Party Providers (CTPPs) under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The designation subjects these vendors—ranging from cloud giants like AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft to data‑centre operators and fintech...
Epiq Sponsors and Speaks at CLOC Global Institute 2026
Epiq announced its sponsorship and speaking role at the CLOC Global Institute 2026 in Chicago, running May 11‑14. The company will showcase its AI‑powered legal solutions at booth 502 and host two sessions focused on improvisation‑driven innovation and C‑suite leadership...
Marine Insurance – Can New Conflicts Be Covered by Old Clauses?
The marine insurance market is relying on decades‑old war clauses as vessels face prolonged disruptions in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. While hull coverage has adapted through recent IUMI and JWC updates, cargo war policies still...
Trump Administration’s Indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center Breaks with Norms – and May Lack Evidence of Criminal Wrongdoing
On April 21, 2026 the Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on federal fraud charges, alleging the civil‑rights nonprofit raised millions and secretly paid informants inside the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups. Prosecutors claim the...
Trademark Law: A Practical Guide to the Basics
The article provides a practical overview of U.S. trademark law, noting that rights stem from first use in commerce and that registration, while optional, delivers stronger, nationwide protection. It enumerates the advantages of federal registration—including presumptive validity, access to federal...
Morningstar CEO: I Agree with the SEC on Ending Quarterly Reporting—With Conditions
Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor backs the SEC’s plan to replace mandatory quarterly filings with semiannual reports, arguing that the current regime imposes heavy compliance costs on smaller public companies. He notes that the number of U.S. listed firms has dropped...
Liquidnet Agrees to Pay $250k Fine to Settle with FINRA
Liquidnet, Inc. agreed to pay a $250,000 fine and accept a censure to settle FINRA’s investigation into inaccurate Rule 605 reporting. Between February 2018 and March 2024 the firm misclassified roughly 67 million orders, publishing 74 erroneous reports that distorted execution‑quality metrics. FINRA cited...
‘We Want To Be the Biggest Law Firm in the World’
Y Combinator‑backed legal tech startup Moritz, formerly Arcline, raised $9 million from prominent tech founders and aims to become the world’s largest law firm by total deal value. In its first three months the firm helped over 100 companies close contracts...
Federal Government Releases New List of Numbers that Are Considered Criminal
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that, effective immediately, the use of a newly published list of expressions will be treated as a felony, with penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death by firing squad. The law applies to...
The Supreme Court’s Indefensible Evisceration of the Voting Rights Act
The Supreme Court’s June decision in Louisiana v. Callais overturns the Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 results test, redefining it as an intent inquiry. The majority opinion, written by Justice Alito, requires plaintiffs to prove intentional racial discrimination and to present...
PornHub Lets UK Apple Users Back on Its Platform
PornHub has fully restored access for UK‑based Apple users after partially blocking the site in January over the UK Online Safety Act. The platform had argued that device‑level age verification, like Apple’s new iOS feature, was essential to meet the...
Broadcasts and Promotions Related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup
FIFA has issued strict intellectual‑property guidelines for the 2026 World Cup, demanding that broadcasters obtain licenses for any use of official marks, mascots or slogans. Unlicensed references risk ambush‑marketing lawsuits, while only generic descriptors like “soccer in Canada” are permitted...
$920,000: CFO Wins Full 5-Year Payout After Early Firing
An Ontario Superior Court granted a former chief financial officer a default judgment for the full balance of his five‑year contract after he was terminated without cause just months after starting. The court found the contract’s termination clauses violated the...
European Parliament Ups SFDR Ambition in First Draft Report
The European Parliament has released its first draft report that raises the ambition of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). The proposal tightens taxonomy‑alignment obligations for all investment funds and introduces more granular disclosure rules for ESG Basic funds. At...
Commission Delegated Regulation Supplementing EMIR by Specifying the Method for the Determination of Fees Charged by the EBA for the...
On 5 May 2026 the European Commission adopted a Delegated Regulation that supplements EMIR by defining how the European Banking Authority will calculate and collect fees for validating pro forma models used in OTC‑derivatives collateral calculations. The rule sets out...
Elite Panic and the Push to Regulate "Misinformation"
The article examines repeated elite panic over online misinformation surrounding the 2024 global elections, especially in the EU, and the subsequent regulatory push. Despite warnings that AI‑driven disinformation could sway billions of voters, analyses by EDMO and the Alan Turing...
NCAA, Power Five to House Counsel: Don’t ‘End Run’ Pay-for-Play Ban
The NCAA and Power Five conferences filed a formal response to class counsel’s motion seeking to enforce the NIL settlement, arguing that multimedia‑rights (MMR) companies such as Learfield and Playfly should be treated as “associated entities” subject to the College...
ESMA Consults on a New Simplified Approach to Updating MMF Stress Test Parameters
On 5 May 2026 ESMA released a consultation proposing a streamlined method for updating money‑market‑fund (MMF) stress‑test parameters. Instead of revising the full Guidelines each year, the regulator would publish the calibrated figures on a dedicated webpage, making them instantly applicable. The...
KuCoin EU Builds ‘Bank-Grade’ AML Machine Head of MiCA Deadline
With the MiCA transitional period ending on July 1, KuCoin EU is strengthening its compliance infrastructure. The exchange has hired C. Kleinhans, former head of compliance at ICBC Austria, as its new Anti‑Money Laundering Officer, and added two ex‑regulators, Klinger and...
The Nine Lives of Employment Division V. Smith
The Supreme Court announced it will hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a Colorado preschool case that challenges the state’s universal preschool program on religious grounds. The Court deliberately avoided revisiting the 1990 Employment Division v. Smith decision, which...
The Creator Economy’s Regulatory Grace Period Is Over
Governments worldwide are ending the creator economy’s regulatory grace period. Australia has banned users under 16 from major social platforms, and the UK launched a consultation that could impose age limits, scrolling caps, and AI‑chatbot duties. Simultaneously, Meta is defending...
Strengthening the Macroprudential Lens in the Regulation of NBFI
On 5 May 2026 the European Central Bank released a report titled “Strengthening the macroprudential lens in the regulation of non‑bank financial intermediation.” The paper outlines a handful of targeted policy proposals aimed at tightening macroprudential oversight of the NBFI...
Meta Draws Bipartisan Senate Fire for Pulling Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ads
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding an explanation for the company’s removal of lawyer‑recruitment ads that promote social‑media‑addiction lawsuits. Meta pulled more than a dozen Facebook and Instagram ads after New Mexico...
Sumsub, Chainlink to Enable Privacy-Preserving KYC Credentials Across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Polygon, and Base
Sumsub has partnered with Chainlink to bring privacy‑preserving KYC credentials to major public blockchains via Chainlink’s Automated Compliance Engine (ACE). The collaboration introduces a Cross‑Chain Identity (CCID) framework that issues reusable on‑chain credentials—such as age verification—without exposing raw personal data....
CareFusion 213, LLC - 722729 - 04/30/2026
The FDA issued Warning Letter 320‑26‑72 to CareFusion 213, LLC, a BD subsidiary, citing extensive CGMP violations at its El Paso sterile drug facility. Inspectors documented over 2,500 customer complaints involving foreign particles, missing components, and compromised seals, and found the company’s investigations,...
Active Cosmetics Manufacturing Inc. - 722408 - 04/22/2026
The FDA issued a warning letter to Active Cosmetics Manufacturing Inc. after an October 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. The firm failed to conduct thorough investigations of out‑of‑specification microbial results, used an inadequately validated rapid...
Intelligent Remedies, Inc. - 681941 - 01/23/2026
The FDA issued a warning letter (CMS #681941) to Intelligent Remedies, Inc., alleging that ten of its products—including Pryenda, Athrombosyn, and VIRAsol—are marketed with therapeutic claims that classify them as new drugs. The agency says the claims violate the Federal Food,...
Respilon Production S.R.O. - 719705 - 04/20/2026
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Warning Letter 320‑26‑69 to Respilon Production S.R.O., a Czech over‑the‑counter drug manufacturer, citing multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. The FDA found failures in identity testing of components, lack of stability studies,...
Ray’s Vitamins - 726694 - 04/24/2026
The FDA issued a warning letter to Ray’s Vitamins after discovering that its product “Yeicob Ácido Hialurónico” contains undeclared diclofenac and dexamethasone, classifying it as an unapproved new drug and a misbranded drug. The agency cited violations of sections 301(d), 505(a) and...
Create Trust Funds with Anyone, Build Collective Black Wealth
Hi ! I am Attorney Henderson and I set up trust funds to sustain black wealth. Here are 3 things you need to about setting up trust funds. 1. You can set up trust fund with ANYBODY. You don’t...
Senate Advances GUARD Act, Banning AI Companions for Minors and Prompting ID‑Check Debate
The Senate Judiciary Committee moved the Guidelines for User Age‑verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act forward, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit AI companions for anyone under 18 and require proof of identity for all AI chatbot users. Critics warn...
SEC Secures $1.5 Million Penalty as Elon Musk Settles Twitter‑Buyout Disclosure Lawsuit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Elon Musk reached a settlement in which Musk’s revocable trust will pay a $1.5 million civil penalty for failing to timely disclose his 5% stake in Twitter before the $44 billion leveraged buyout. The deal...
Over 350 Voting-Related Lawsuits Demand Public Attention
Here is what the Democracy Docket team is tracking: Active Voting Rights Cases: 161 Active Redistricting Cases: 42 Active Anti-Voting Cases: 81 Active Pro-Voting Cases: 77 Active DOJ Lawsuits: 29 Help them by spreading the word and subscribing now. https://bit.ly/4meZPiV
Top Corp Illegally Trains AI on Pirated Authors' Books
“I find it distressing and infuriating that one of the top-10 richest corporations in the world knowingly used pirated copies of my books, and thousands of other authors, to train Llama, which can and has produced competing material,” Turow https://t.co/wCFSd4NIR0...
OpenAI President Greg Brockman Testifies, Exposing Governance Clash with Elon Musk
OpenAI President Greg Brockman took the stand in federal court, offering a combative testimony that highlighted internal governance tensions and his personal financial stakes. The exchange with Elon Musk’s lawyer underscored the high‑stakes nature of the lawsuit accusing OpenAI of...
Court Delays Google Case; Pubs Suffer
aka Court will go at its own pace while pubs are harmed by illegal monopolist. "ORDER denying Motion to Set Oral Argument on Google’s Motions to Dismiss...The court will set argument, if needed, when it is prepared to address the...
White House Reviews SEC Plan to Scrap Climate Disclosures
The White House is reviewing a proposal from the Securities and Exchange Commission to formally end Biden-era climate disclosure rules for publicly-traded companies. https://t.co/Xw3zksqcOJ
'Non-Taxable': CRA Audit Reveals Workers Told They Weren't Being Taxed
The Canada Revenue Agency has launched an audit of Arden Professional Client Care, a Nova Scotia provider of care services that has received more than C$184 million (≈US$135 million) in government funding over eight years. Workers were told their hourly wages were...
Settlement Reached In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of Nicki Minaj’s Father
Nearly five years after the 2021 hit‑and‑run that killed Robert Maraj, his widow Carol Maraj’s wrongful‑death lawsuit against driver Charles Polevich has been settled. The agreement, reached in March, was not disclosed publicly, and the case centered on loss‑of‑companionship damages....
The Reno Siege: Rupert Murdoch and the Great Succession Schism
Rupert Murdoch’s media empire reached a turning point when a Nevada court approved a $3.3 billion settlement that ended a bitter succession fight among his four eldest children. The settlement paid each of James, Elisabeth and Prudence roughly $1.1 billion to exit...
Bayesian Disaster Update: Italian Prosecutors Focus on Captain and Crew
The 180‑foot superyacht Bayesian capsized off Sicily in August 2024 after a sudden waterspout, sinking within minutes and claiming several lives. After a 20‑month salvage, the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch confirmed the extreme weather trigger while noting design vulnerabilities....
From Diagnosis to Deterrence: The Emerging U.S. Response to Adversarial Distillation
In April the White House and the House Foreign Affairs Committee moved to counter Chinese adversarial distillation of U.S. frontier AI models. The Deterring American AI Model Theft Act of 2026 (DAAMTA) would require a 180‑day assessment, publish an attackers...
John Buttress: Consumer Engagement and the Pension Industry’s Missed Moment
The FCA’s March 2026 review warned that firms cannot treat silence as proof of consumer understanding, a point that hits the pensions sector hard. Around 10‑11 million people receive monthly pension payments, creating roughly 126 million moments each year when members are...
The Placement Stage Of Money Laundering: Intercepting It
The placement stage is the first step in money laundering, where criminals introduce illicit cash into the financial system. To avoid triggering alerts, they break large sums into numerous small deposits and open accounts at several banks. AML teams counter...
Ontario Superior Court Stays Ex-Client’s Legal Fee Assessment Request in Favour of Arbitration
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice stayed a former client’s request for a legal‑fee assessment and ordered the dispute with a family law firm to proceed through arbitration, honoring the arbitration clause in the retainer agreement. The court applied the...
NWT Court of Appeal Stays $30M Derivative Action Accusing KPMG of Knowingly Assisting in Breaches
The Northwest Territories Court of Appeal has stayed a $30 million derivative action against KPMG LLP pending appeal of a lower‑court order that set aside an arbitration agreement. The underlying oppression case targets a former CEO of three First Nation‑linked companies,...