Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Widows Targeted by Fraudulent Life‑Insurance Calls; Data Brokers Urged to Tighten Opt‑Outs
Consumer advocates are pressing data‑broker firms to improve opt‑out mechanisms after a wave of life‑insurance scams preyed on grieving widows. Research shows 52.5% of crimes reported by Americans over 60 in 2023 were enabled by personal data online, highlighting a systemic privacy gap.
Fourth Circuit Bars Contractual Shortening of Title VII and ADEA Filing Deadlines
The Fourth Circuit held that employers cannot require employees to waive or compress the statutory filing windows for Title VII and ADEA discrimination claims. The March 4, 2026 decision in Thomas v. EOTech overturns a district‑court dismissal and forces companies in...
Senate Introduces Clinical Trial Modernization Act to Cut Patient Costs
Senators Tim Scott (R‑SC) and Mark Warner (D‑VA) unveiled the Clinical Trial Modernization Act (S.4440), a bipartisan effort to remove financial and geographic obstacles for patients in clinical trials. The legislation would permit sponsors to reimburse up to $2,000 annually...
Tonight in Your Rights: A Shadow Docket Surprise
The Supreme Court’s shadow docket, led by Justice Samuel Alito, issued a one‑week administrative stay that temporarily restores nationwide mail‑order access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The stay halts a Fifth Circuit ruling that had blocked remote dispensing after Louisiana...
ENDING "NO JAB, NO PAY" COERCIVE KIDS VACCINATION
An amendment to the NSW Public Health Act, introduced by Libertarian MLC John Ruddick, seeks to repeal the "No Jab, No Pay" scheme that ties child support and school enrollment to vaccination status. The proposal is backed by former pharmaceutical...
Revolut Pushes for US Banking Licence and IPO Amid Global Expansion
Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky announced the neobank’s bid for a US banking licence, filed in March and expected to be granted within four months, while also confirming plans for an IPO no sooner than two years. The move follows a...
Gomez Speaks Out on Paramount-WBD Foreign Investment
FCC Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called for a rigorous review of foreign investment in the proposed Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Paramount and Skydance have asked the FCC to approve indirect foreign ownership of about 49.5% at closing, and up to...
Stop the PCI DSS 4.0 Audit Toil: A Guide to Inherited Controls
PCI DSS 4.0, now mandatory for all payment‑data handlers, moves audits from point‑in‑time checks to continuous, automated evidence. Fintechs that build on raw cloud primitives spend months gathering OS‑hardening, patch‑management and network‑segmentation documentation, a burden known as audit toil. Upsun’s platform...
NRC Amends and Expands NEPA Categorical Exclusions for Routine Licensing Actions
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a final rule amending 10 CFR Part 51 to broaden and reorganize NEPA categorical exclusions for routine licensing, regulatory and administrative actions, effective April 29, 2026. The rule adds new exclusion categories—including spent‑fuel storage cask certifications, fire‑protection, cybersecurity,...
QSBS Stacking: Leveraging Gifts and Trusts for Additional Section 1202 Exclusions
Section 1202 lets each taxpayer exclude up to $10 million (or $15 million for post‑July 4 2025 issuances) of QSBS gains. Because the exclusion is per‑taxpayer per‑issuer, shareholders can “stack” exclusions by gifting shares to other individuals or placing them in separate trusts. Outright...
Nexstar Takes DIRECTV’s Fight over TV Fees to Supreme Court
Nexstar Media Group has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in DIRECTV’s antitrust lawsuit over distribution fees for about three dozen local stations operated through Mission and White Knight. A lower court dismissed the case, but...
Grateful Brother's Recovery, Wondering Settlement Amount
How much do you think this will settle for ? Thank god bro is ok 🙏🏼
Use an LLC Business Account to Avoid Crypto Freezes
Moving large crypto proceeds to a personal bank account will get flagged and frozen. It happens. The fix is an LLC with a seasoned business bank account and a private banker who knows a liquidity event is coming. Through DWP,...
Oklahoma Amends Medical Marijuana Law: Employers Lose Discretion to Designate ‘Safety-Sensitive’ Positions
Oklahoma’s medical‑marijuana statute has been amended by House Bill 3127 to impose a zero‑tolerance drug and alcohol standard for employees in designated “safety‑sensitive” positions. The amendment removes employer discretion in defining those roles, limiting the definition to nine specific duties...
Major Conveyancing Firm Enters Administration After Sale Collapse
BLB Solicitors, a regional conveyancing firm with six offices in Bath, Bristol, Bradford‑on‑Avon, Swindon, Almondsbury and Trowbridge, entered administration on May 5, 2026 after a proposed sale fell through. The practice, employing over 40 lawyers, ceased trading at midday Thursday and urged...
DOJ Moves Certain Marijuana Products to Schedule III, Sets June Rescheduling Hearing
The U.S. Department of Justice issued an order on April 22, 2026 moving FDA‑approved and state‑licensed medical marijuana products into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. A separate order sets a June 29, 2026 hearing to consider broader rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to...
Are You up to Speed with the Renters’ Rights Act?
Rightmove is hosting a live Q&A webinar on the Renters’ Rights Act, scheduled from 10 am to 11 am on its Rightmove Hub. More than 1,000 UK lettings agents have already registered to learn how the new legislation impacts day‑to‑day operations. The...
California Seeks ‘Historic’ Fine Against State Farm: Just $2 Million
California’s Department of Insurance announced it will seek a record $2 million penalty against State Farm, the state’s largest homeowner insurer, for mishandling wildfire claims from the 2025 Los Angeles fires. A market‑conduct exam of 220 claims uncovered 398 statutory violations across...
Solicitor’s Failure to Redeem Charges “a Warning to Profession”
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal suspended London‑based solicitor Maame Adjoa Doku Djan‑Krofa for 12 months (suspended for two years), fined her £20,000 (≈ $25,400) and ordered her to hire an independent finance director. The sanction stemmed from her failure to verify that three property charges...
CAT Approves £1.7bn Microsoft Action Despite Funder “Uncertainty”
The Competition and Appeals Tribunal (CAT) has certified a £1.7 bn (≈ $2.16 bn) opt‑out collective action against Microsoft, despite lingering doubts about the solvency of its funder, Litigation Capital Management (LCM). LCM disclosed a £58 m (≈ $73.7 m) loss and relies on a $75 m...
Stop Counting Tickets; Measure Legal Value, Not Volume
If your legal ops function is measured on ticket volume, you've already lost. Volume measures activity, not value. A high-volume legal function with bad routing is a hamster wheel with a Lexis subscription. Measure decisions delivered, time-to-clarity, risk averted. Volume is vanity.
Mazur: When Regulators Make Simple Things Complicated
The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s Mazur ruling, confirming that non‑authorised staff may lawfully carry out litigation tasks when genuinely supervised by an authorised solicitor. The decision ends six months of uncertainty for law centres, paralegal teams and...
$3.425 Billion. One Year. A Wake-Up Call for Every Business Operating in the United States.
Gartner reports U.S. states imposed $3.425 billion in privacy‑related fines in 2025, eclipsing the total of the previous five years. Enforcement has shifted from guidance to hefty penalties, with California alone fining Disney $2.75 million for opt‑out violations. Twenty‑two states already have...
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released
The White House is drafting an executive order to create an AI working group that would vet new artificial‑intelligence models before they reach the market. The proposal marks a sharp reversal for the Trump administration, which previously championed a hands‑off...
World Liberty Sues Justin Sun for Defamation in WLFI Dispute
World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against Tron founder Justin Sun in Miami‑Dade County, accusing him of false public statements and breaches of WLFI token‑sale terms through prohibited transfers, short‑selling and straw purchases. Sun responded on X calling the...
Privacy Experts Demand Narrow Amendments to Overbroad Access Bill
Happy to have added my name to this: "Privacy law scholars and lawyers call for amendments to powers in the new lawful access bill that are overbroad and unlikely to survive Charter scrutiny" https://robertdiab.substack.com/p/an-open-letter-on-bill-c-22
Florida Voters Sue Over Unconstitutional 2026 Congressional Gerrymander
Today, Elias Law Group attorneys, in partnership with the National Redistricting Foundation, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Equal Ground Education Fund and 18 Florida voters to challenge the State’s newly enacted 2026 congressional map. https://elias.law/press-release/florida-voters-challenge-desantiss-unconstitutional-partisan-gerrymander/
Cape Breton Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac Sues Google over Alleged Defamation
Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac has filed a civil suit against Google, claiming an AI‑generated summary falsely identified him as a convicted sex offender and led to a concert cancellation. The lawsuit, lodged in Ontario’s Superior Court, seeks $1.5 million in damages...
Justice Kafker Says Lawyer Is Swimming Upstream
“I just feel like you’re swimming upstream here,” Justice Scott Kafker told the lawyer arguing for federal preemption.
President Opposes Bill Forcing Mega‑Landlords To Sell Rental Homes
Politico: “The president doesn’t support language in the bill that would require mega-landlords to sell single-family homes built as long-term rentals after seven years, the people said.” https://t.co/FBGYezAdJV
United States: Private Equity Sunshine Act (SB 1319)
California legislators are moving forward with SB 1319, the Private Equity Sunshine Act, which would amend the state’s Public Records Act to force detailed disclosures from public‑pension funds and their private‑equity managers. The bill expands reporting to include every general partner,...
California Alleges State Farm Law Violations Post-2025 LA Wildfires
California says State Farm violated the law in handling of insurance claims after 2025 LA wildfires https://t.co/ZaxKuiQCJW
One Lawsuit Dismissed Against Ashes of Creation's Steven Sharif, With New Statement As Federal Case Continues
A lawsuit filed by TFE Games Holdings against Ashes of Creation co‑founder Steven Sharif and his husband John Moore was dismissed without prejudice. Sharif announced the dismissal on Discord, calling the claim fabricated and noting the case can be refiled....
National Law Review’s Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Monitor
The National Law Review has released the latest edition of its Delaware Corporate and Commercial Litigation Monitor, edited by Francis Pileggi. The May 2026 issue curates commentary from legal experts nationwide on Delaware corporate law, court of Chancery decisions, and Supreme...
Aderant Momentum 2026: Bringing the Conference to the Community
Aderant Momentum Global 2026 is set to convene law‑firm leaders around AI, analytics, billing performance, and financial operations. The agenda promises deep dives into the business of law and the evolving Aderant ecosystem. Hosted for the ILTA Aderant Community, the...
Complaints Process Failing
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OIAC) launched a privacy‑awareness campaign during Privacy Awareness Week to improve how agencies handle complaints. A new survey shows 93% of Australians consider data protection vital, yet 52% refrain from filing complaints because...
Ohio Threats Case Highlights Federal Focus on Violence Against Public Officials
A New Albany, Ohio man pleaded guilty in federal court for threatening more than 30 public officials, highlighting the Justice Department’s aggressive stance on political intimidation. The case, heard by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison, treats the threats...
Trump Closes San Francisco’s Immigration Court for Good
After more than a year of judge firings and retirements, the San Francisco immigration court at 100 Montgomery Street ceased hearing cases last week, accelerating its planned closure. The bench, once over 20 judges, had dwindled to two, leaving a backlog of...
Google Signs Pentagon AI Deal with Weaker Guardrails than OpenAI, Faces Internal Backlash From 1,000 Employees
Google has inked a Pentagon contract that lets its Gemini AI models operate on classified military networks for any lawful purpose. Unlike OpenAI’s defense deal, the agreement omits strong safeguards and a clause barring mass domestic surveillance, allowing Google to...
Worst Birthday Present Ever
Alabama’s Republican leadership called a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional maps, spending roughly $400,000 of taxpayer money on the effort. The move follows a recent Supreme Court decision that weakened the Voting Rights Act, prompting the party...
Predicted Lively/Baldoni Settlement Months Before It Happened
We called this Lively/Baldoni IT ENDS WITH US settlement MONTHS ago on #MMT🌕 Here was my advice from last night’s show https://t.co/33GThwB3oN
FCC Mandates Stricter Vetting for All New Robocall Providers
The FCC is expanding our crackdown on illegal robocalls. We just voted on a proposal that would require enhanced vetting before any provider can onboard new callers. These enhaced “Know-Your-Customer” regulations are part of a broader FCC effort to combat illegal calls....
Kochava Won't Sell 'Sensitive' Location Data Without Consent
Data broker Kochava agreed to stop selling sensitive precise location data without explicit consumer consent, settling FTC privacy charges. The settlement defines sensitive data as GPS coordinates linked to medical, religious, educational, homeless, domestic‑violence, and law‑enforcement sites. Kochava does not...
What to Know About Sony’s $7.85 Million PlayStation Settlement
Sony has agreed to a $7.85 million class‑action settlement over alleged antitrust practices that limited third‑party retailers from selling PlayStation games via digital vouchers. The deal, finally approved after two prior rejections, does not include an admission of wrongdoing but obligates...
SEC Investigating Alleged Fraud in Private Credit, Atkins Says
The SEC announced a probe into alleged fraud across private‑credit firms, signaling heightened regulatory scrutiny of a fast‑growing market. Chairman Paul Atkins emphasized that the agency is coordinating with the Treasury and the Federal Reserve while refusing to name specific...
Clarity Ready Technically, Stalled by Political Hurdles
"There are no technical gaps to passing Clarity. But the political challenges now need to be overcome: - we have only one commissioner at the CFTC - ethics [Trump's conflicts]. As we saw with Genius, all the craziness happens at the...
Court Revives Eli Karp’s Loan-to-Own Claim Against Madison Realty Capital
A Brooklyn appellate court revived Eli Karp’s 2021 lawsuit against Madison Realty Capital, allowing him to pursue claims that the lender engineered a “loan‑to‑own” scheme on his East Flatbush development. Karp alleges Madison bought the mezzanine debt, raised interest rates...
Is Israel’s Interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla Legal?
Israeli naval forces stopped the Gaza‑bound Global Sumud flotilla in international waters off Greece, detaining two activists. The seizure occurred roughly 1,000 km from the Gaza Strip, prompting immediate legal questions about jurisdiction and the right to intercept vessels on the...
TikTok Drama Ends as Lively, Baldoni Settle Lawsuit
Thank Fucking God. Tik Tok’s hysterical nightmare is over. Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over "It Ends With Us" https://t.co/gU0gEnppZx
Kids Say They Can Beat Age Checks by Drawing on a Fake Mustache
The UK’s Online Safety Act age‑verification measures are being easily circumvented, according to a survey by Internet Matters of over 1,000 children and parents. Nearly half of kids say checks are easy to bypass, with tricks ranging from fake birthdays...