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
What Happens After You Sell Your Car but Before RC Transfer Is Complete?
In India, selling a car does not end the seller’s legal responsibility until the Registration Certificate (RC) is officially transferred in the government’s Vahan database. During the often‑weeks‑long transfer window, any traffic violation, accident claim, or criminal investigation is still linked to the seller’s name. The 2022 amendment introducing "deemed ownership" aims to shift that risk to dealers, but adoption remains limited. Platforms such as Cars24 mitigate the exposure with a Seller Kavach policy that protects sellers until the RC transfer is finalized.
Law School Recommended Against Student's Bar Admission, Partly for Alleged "Celebration" Of Charlie Kirk Assassination in Law School Clinic
Texas Tech University Law School’s dean recommended denying Ellen Fisher’s admission to the Texas Bar after the school concluded she celebrated the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk in a clinical office. The school reprimanded Fisher, reported her to the...
Judge Refuses to Delay Civil Trial Over Fatal Baltimore Bridge Collapse
A federal judge denied a request to postpone the civil trial over the March 26, 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, keeping the June 1 start date. The decision comes as criminal charges have been filed against Singapore‑based Synergy...
Weekly Roundup: May 15-21, 2026
The Harvard Law School Forum’s May 15‑21 roundup highlights a flurry of SEC initiatives, including optional semiannual Form 10‑S reporting and a new framework for half‑year disclosures. A federal court order signals a broader interpretation of Rule 14a‑8, potentially reshaping shareholder proposal practices....
Orange Rag Legal Tech Clinic: Moving to Evergreen – What Law Firms Need to Understand Beyond Migration
Stephen Brown of Lights‑On Consulting explains why law firms must look beyond the technical steps of moving to Evergreen technology. Evergreen platforms—continuously updated cloud, SaaS or PaaS solutions—promise lower maintenance but introduce new cost structures, security considerations, and staffing challenges....
Coles and Brownes Fined $26K Each for Breaching Australian Dairy Code
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has imposed A$39,600 (≈US$26,200) penalties on both Coles Supermarkets and Brownes Foods for contravening the Dairy Code of Conduct. The fines stem from exclusive supply clauses and opaque pricing terms in milk contracts, spotlighting...
French Court Holds Air France and Airbus Criminally Liable for 2009 Crash, Both Companies to Appeal
A Paris appellate court ruled that Air France and Airbus are criminally responsible for the 2009 Atlantic Ocean crash that killed 228 passengers, fining each €225,000 (about $260,000). Both companies announced they will appeal the verdict to France’s highest court,...
Minnesota Charges 15 Providers in $90 Million Medicaid Fraud Scheme Targeting Autism Services
Federal prosecutors have indicted 15 autism and disability service providers in Minnesota for allegedly defrauding Medicaid of roughly $90 million, including a $40 million autism‑program scheme. The charges mark the largest Medicaid fraud cases ever brought in the district and raise questions...
Weightmans Selects Clio Operate (Formerly Sharedo) After Major Selection Process
Weightmans, a leading UK law firm, has chosen Clio Operate—formerly Sharedo—as its new case and matter management platform after an extensive selection process. The firm cited Clio Operate's integration capabilities, scalability, and modern user experience as decisive factors. Implementation will...
Uber and Avride Sued After Jersey City Delivery Robot Injures Cyclist
Uber and Avride are being sued after a delivery robot struck cyclist Conor Shannon in Jersey City, causing a broken shoulder and head injury. The lawsuit, filed by Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, argues the companies failed to ensure safe operation...
If Full-Time Remote Work Would Eliminate an Essential Function, You Don’t Have to Offer It
The Fifth Circuit affirmed an employer’s refusal to grant full‑time telework as an ADA accommodation for an IT systems‑administrator contractor, holding that in‑person attendance is an essential function of the role. The court emphasized that pandemic‑era remote work was a...
US Webinar – Event Contracts and Prediction Markets
A Norton Rose Fulbright webinar on June 17, 2026 will brief firms on legal and regulatory issues surrounding prediction‑market trading. The session covers recent CFTC guidance, enforcement actions, industry comments on proposed rulemaking, and ongoing litigation involving event contracts. Attendees will gain...
Two Men Charged Under A.I.-Revenge Porn Law: What to Know
The U.S. Justice Department has charged 20‑year‑old Arturo Hernandez and 51‑year‑old Cornelius Shannon with violating the newly enacted Take It Down Act by publishing AI‑generated deepfake pornography. Prosecutors allege Hernandez posted 113 albums featuring at least 50 women, while Shannon...
.jpg?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Kenya's Judiciary Embraces AI, Digitization
Kenya’s judiciary has accelerated its digital transformation, moving from e‑filing and virtual courts to AI‑driven tools. Almost all case files are now digitized, and a paperless ERP system supports HR and services. The bench is piloting an AI transcription service,...
HK Court Convicts Movie Producer Wong Pak Ming of Insider Dealing in SFC’s Prosecution
Hong Kong's Eastern Magistrates’ Court convicted film producer Wong Pak Ming of insider dealing in Pegasus Entertainment Holdings. The chairman used confidential details about a $10 million earnest‑money payment from a prospective buyer to transfer $2 million to his sister, who purchased over...
Latest SQE2 Pass Rate Rises to 80%
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination 2 (SQE2) saw its overall pass rate climb to 80% for the January‑February 2026 sitting, up two points from the previous 78% result. A total of 1,141 candidates sat the exam, with four‑fifths passing. First‑time takers recorded a...
DRO v DRP: Singapore Aligns with International Consensus on Jurisdiction–Admissibility Dichotomy on Preconditions to Arbitration
Singapore’s High Court in DRO v DRP re‑characterised non‑compliance with pre‑arbitral steps as an admissibility issue rather than a jurisdictional defect. The ruling overturns the earlier Lufthansa line of authority and brings Singapore in step with recent UK and Hong Kong...
Kenyan High Court Freezes Vodacom’s Bid to Take Majority Stake in Safaricom
Kenyan High Court has frozen Vodacom Group's plan to acquire a majority stake in Safaricom, halting a potential shift in control of the country's leading telecom and mobile‑money operator. The injunction prevents Vodacom, which already holds a minority share, from...
No Cannabis for Cabin Crew - on or Off Duty
A Quebec labour arbitrator upheld Air Transat’s zero‑tolerance cannabis rule for cabin crew, deeming the blanket prohibition reasonable despite encroaching on privacy. The decision relied on safety‑sensitive classifications under Canadian Aviation Regulations and cited recent operational data, including 46 in‑flight...
IManage Touts AI Momentum and a ‘Context Fabric’ as It Unveils Platform Overhaul at ConnectLive 2026
iManage used its ConnectLive 2026 conference in Chicago to unveil a major redesign of its document‑ and knowledge‑management platform, branding the core of the upgrade as a “Context Fabric.” The new architecture structures institutional knowledge for generative‑AI consumption while preserving...
Relativity Adds Collection of Claude Enterprise Data with Claude Compliance API Integration
Relativity announced that its RelativityOne platform now integrates the Claude Compliance API, allowing native collection of Claude Enterprise activity alongside ChatGPT Enterprise and Gemini Enterprise. The integration captures activity logs, user actions, and conversation content, feeding them into RelativityOne’s AI‑driven...
Employment Tribunal Delays Stretch Towards 2030 as Lawyers Warn System Is Nearing Collapse
UK employment tribunals are facing historic delays, with a backlog of over 65,000 cases and some hearings not scheduled until 2030. Shortages of judges and staff, combined with the 2017 removal of tribunal fees, have driven the surge. The Labour...
US Firms Dominate High-Value Litigation in London, Research Shows
U.S. law firms, while filing only about 4% of London litigation matters between 2020 and 2025, dominate the high‑value segment. Their median claim value was roughly £10 million (≈$12.5 million), thirteen times higher than the £740,000 (≈$925,000) median for non‑U.S. firms. U.S....
No First-to-File Rule; Federal Removal Grants Priority
There is no "first-to-file" rule when competing lawsuits are filed in state and federal court on the same day, as both courts have concurrent jurisdiction. However, I expect Kalshi to promptly "remove" the state court case to RI federal court,...
Super Retail Group, Rebel Targeted by Underpayment Class Action
Super Retail Group’s Rebel division is facing a class‑action lawsuit filed by Adero Law alleging that full‑time managers were underpaid between April 2020 and April 2026. The complaint cites forced work during meal and rest breaks, unpaid overtime, and failure to pay...
The Dog That Didn’t Bark in Wixen V. Meta
Wixen’s amended complaint accuses Meta of pulling songs from Instagram and Facebook, blaming the publisher for removals and pressuring it into lower royalty rates. The filing lists copyright, defamation and trade‑libel claims but omits any allegation that Meta used the...
Judge Postpones Settlement Conference in Nexstar Defamation Lawsuit
A federal judge has postponed the final pre‑trial conference in the defamation lawsuit filed by former WOOD‑TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant director Amy Fox against Nexstar Media Group. The conference, originally set for mid‑July, is now scheduled for...
RIL, Foreign Firms Refute in SC Centre's Claim of 'Unjust' Extraction of Gas From KG Basin
Reliance Industries Ltd, along with BP Exploration (Alpha) Ltd and Niko (NECO) Ltd, denied the Indian government’s allegation that they siphoned natural gas from ONGC’s Krishna‑Godavari basin. The Supreme Court is hearing their appeal after a Delhi High Court overturned...
Calcutta High Court Declares ChatGPT an Originator, Not an Intermediary Under India’s IT Act
The Calcutta High Court held that OpenAI’s ChatGPT should be treated as an “originator” rather than an “intermediary” under India’s Information Technology Act, in a suit brought by B2B platform IndiaMart InterMesh Ltd. The decision challenges the applicability of the...
Gibson Dunn and Davis Polk Land Key Roles in SpaceX’s $2 Trillion IPO
Gibson Dunn is advising SpaceX on its planned $2 trillion initial public offering, the largest ever, while Davis Polk is steering the underwriting banks. The deals highlight the firms’ deepening involvement in private‑space finance and set a new benchmark for capital‑markets...
Rising Litigation Costs Drive Corporations Toward Legal Finance Solutions
As litigation expenses surge, 63% of risk executives expect more corporate lawsuits, while top law firms report 13% revenue growth and 16.3% profit gains in 2025. Companies are turning to legal‑finance providers to fund disputes, protect liquidity and unlock the...
Patent Case Summaries | Week Ending May 15, 2026
The weekly Patent Case Summaries report that the Federal Circuit affirmed the ITC’s exclusion of Tineco’s original wet‑dry cleaners in Bissell v. ITC, upheld Actelion’s loss on claim‑construction and prosecution‑history estoppel, and confirmed the dismissal of mCom’s infringement suit with...
Client Alert: South Carolina Freezes Certain Nonprofit Low-Income Housing Property Tax Exemption Applications (Updated)
South Carolina Governor signed S. 853 on May 19, 2026, imposing a temporary freeze on final approvals of nonprofit low‑income housing property‑tax exemption applications filed on or after June 30, 2026 for tax years 2026‑2027. The freeze excludes projects wholly owned by a nonprofit housing...
Would Anti-Weaponization Fund Payments Be False Claims Act Violations?
The Justice Department’s newly created $1.8 billion Anti‑Weaponization Fund is drawing political fire and a novel legal challenge. Some scholars argue that payments from the fund could violate the federal False Claims Act because the program may be deemed a knowingly...
Pro Bono Charity Advocate Names Winners of 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards
Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, announced the winners of its 2026 Bar Pro Bono Awards during a ceremony at the Inner Temple, marking its 30th anniversary. The awards recognized barristers, chambers staff and initiatives across categories such as domestic...
Federal Circuit Affirms $42 Million Damages Award Where Expert Sufficiently Apportioned Damages to the Value of the Patented Feature
The Federal Circuit affirmed a $42 million reasonable‑royalty award in Willis Electric Co. v. Polygroup Ltd., confirming damages tied to a dependent claim covering coaxial trunk connectors in artificial pre‑lit Christmas trees. The jury relied on expert Michele Riley’s income‑based apportionment,...
Debevoise Elevates 16 to Partner in New York and London Dominated Round
Debevoise & Plimpton announced a 16‑partner promotion round, a 45% increase over last year, emphasizing private capital, financial institutions, dispute resolution and regulatory work. The cohort includes seven women and spans New York, London, Washington DC, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Shanghai. London’s six promotions...
SEC Commissioner Peirce Clarifies Scope of Proposed Innovation Exemption for Onchain Stock Trading
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce clarified that the SEC’s proposed innovation exemption for on‑chain trading of tokenized NMS stocks is limited to digital representations of existing listed equities, explicitly excluding synthetic assets. The exemption would allow on‑chain trading of the same securities...
Apple Seeks Supreme Court Review of Contempt Finding and Injunction Scope in Epic Games Case
Apple has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of two lower‑court rulings in its ongoing dispute with Epic Games. The company asks the Court to overturn a contempt finding that it illegally charged commissions on purchases...
Leading Change that Sticks: A Practical Guide for Law Firm CRM Transformation
Law firms traditionally manage CRM change through compliance‑focused programs that emphasize training, mandates, and usage metrics, but these approaches often stall as lawyers perceive the tools as friction‑adding. The article argues that adoption succeeds when CRM delivers immediate, role‑specific value...
NY Archdiocese Can Depose Chubb CEO Greenberg in Clergy Abuse Claims Case
The New York Archdiocese won a court order allowing it to depose Chubb Insurance CEO Evan Greenberg in its lawsuit over liability coverage for clergy‑sex‑abuse claims. A special referee rejected Chubb’s bid to block the testimony, citing New York’s broad...
85% of Law Firms Cite Client Demand as Primary Driver of AI Investment, Litera Survey Shows
Litera's State of Legal AI: Spring 2026 Market Sentiment Report finds 85% of law firms say client demand now drives AI investment decisions. The survey also shows 51% of firms were directly influenced by a client in the past year,...
Utah's VPN Ban for Porn Delayed as Aylo Files Constitutional Challenge
Utah's Senate Bill 73, which would require porn sites to block VPN traffic, has been put on hold pending a lawsuit by Aylo, the parent of Pornhub. The legal challenge cites technical infeasibility and violations of the Commerce Clause, delaying...
In‑House Legal Teams Freeze Hiring as AI and Cost Pressures Mount
In‑house legal departments are placing a hold on hiring as they test artificial‑intelligence tools and tighten budgets, according to a recent MLA report. The study highlights a shift toward hiring lawyers with five‑to‑seven years of experience as a cost‑effective sweet...
Judge Closes Detroit's Historic Bankruptcy, Signaling Fiscal Turnaround
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Thomas Tucker terminated court oversight of Detroit on May 19, officially closing the city’s Chapter 9 case that began in July 2013. The decision follows a decade of balanced budgets, pension restorations and $500 million in reserve buildup, positioning...
Ninth Circuit Denial Clears Path for State Gambling Lawsuits
Ninth Circuit stay denial in the remand appeals means that state court civil enforcement lawsuits vs. PMs over unlicensed/illegal gambling can proceed in state court, allowing NV and WA cases to move forward and boosting prospects for similar cases in...
SRA Ordered to Make Interim £200k Costs Payment to Dentons
The UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been ordered to pay an interim £200,000 (≈ $256,000) to global law firm Dentons after a Court of Appeal decision. The judges awarded Dentons 65% of its total legal costs – roughly £516,000 (≈ $660,000)...
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Announces Innovative Individual Self-Disclosure Program
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois unveiled an individual self‑disclosure program that rewards voluntary reporting of non‑violent crimes. Unlike earlier initiatives, the scheme offers a menu of incentives—including non‑prosecution agreements, deferred prosecution, letter immunity, and sentencing...
Winning Strategies for IP Enforcement at the U.S. International Trade Commission
Knobbe Martens’ IP+ podcast episode outlines when and how companies should use the U.S. International Trade Commission for IP enforcement. The hosts explain exclusion orders versus district‑court injunctions, the domestic‑industry requirement, and the Federal Circuit’s recent Lashify decision that broadens that...
SCOTUS Sides With Pension Fund in Withdrawal Liability Calculation Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that actuaries of multi‑employer pension plans may use assumptions adopted after the measurement date, provided those assumptions rely on data that existed on or before that date. The decision arose from M&K Employee Solutions’ challenge...