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
Focus Hits Breakaway Team With Trademark Suit Over ‘Mosaic’ Name
Focus Financial has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against three former advisors who left its Mosaic Family Wealth Partners practice to join rival Mariner Wealth. The advisors, managing about $1.3 billion, launched a website under the name Mosaic Value Partners despite cease‑and‑desist letters, prompting Focus to seek an injunction and damages. Focus’s Mosaic brand, tied to a $1.6 billion practice, has been protected for over a decade. The case highlights the growing tension between brand ownership and advisor mobility in the consolidating RIA market.
Webinar Announcement: Legal Updates, May 13, 2026
A webinar on May 13, 2026 will examine the most consequential legal developments for federal contractors, with a focus on recent regulatory updates, small‑business contracting rules, and the Revolutionary Far Overhaul (RFO) process. Hosts Gregory Weber and the blog’s author...
Grievance over Daily, Weekly Overtime Dismissed by Arbitrator
Teamsters Local 230’s grievance over overtime pay at Toronto Redi‑Mix was dismissed after arbitrator Norm Jesin interpreted the contract language to mean daily overtime applies only until the 44‑hour weekly threshold, not in addition to weekly overtime. The union argued...
Colorblind Constitution: The Roberts Court Ends A 'Sordid Business'
The U.S. Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais held that racial gerrymandering violates the Constitution, reinforcing a color‑blind interpretation championed by Chief Justice John Roberts. The decision rejects the use of race as a factor in drawing electoral districts and...
Virginia Requires Severance or Other Monetary Payment to Enforce Noncompetes for Discharged Employees
Effective July 1 2026, Virginia’s SB 170 amends the state’s noncompete statute, mandating that employers provide severance benefits or another monetary payment to enforce a noncompete against an employee terminated without cause. The amendment applies only to agreements executed, amended or renewed on...
Supreme Court Turns Down COVID-19 Vaccine Case Brought by John Stockton
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton’s challenge to the Washington Medical Commission’s authority to investigate doctors who question COVID‑19 vaccines. Stockton argued the commission’s actions violated the First Amendment, but a lower appeals...
Lawyer Attempts to Seize Frozen ETH Linked to Kelp Exploit From Arbitrum DAO
A U.S. attorney, Charles Gerstein, filed a restraining notice and three writs of execution against the Arbitrum DAO to seize more than 30,700 ETH—about $55 million—frozen after the April 18 Kelp LayerZero bridge exploit linked to North Korean Lazarus Group hackers. The...
Hemp THC Ban Remains Intact After House Abandons Rescue Plan
The U.S. House voted to keep a federal ban on intoxicating hemp drinks as part of the long‑delayed Farm Bill, leaving the restriction set to take effect in November unchanged. The measure now moves to the Senate, where a proposal...
Dealing With AI Pressures: Thriving With An Abundance Of Knowledge
Law firms are feeling unprecedented pressure from clients to deploy generative AI within weeks, or risk losing business. Many firms respond with panic purchases of off‑the‑shelf tools, often without a clear use case or integration plan, leading to costly failures....
State Courts Are Blocking Abortion Bans Left and Right. Republicans Have a Plan to Stop Them.
State courts in Utah and Tennessee are increasingly blocking abortion bans, prompting Republican lawmakers to enact procedural statutes that reshape how cases are heard. Utah passed a law allowing the state to move a lawsuit to a three‑judge panel after...
Sargento Exec Explains Why We Need to Define 'Natural Cheese'
Sargento executive Chad Hamilton testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, urging passage of the Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions (CURD) Act to create a statutory definition of “natural cheese.” He highlighted that natural cheese is minimally processed and made...
CBP Refund Portal Bars Small Businesses From Tariff Claims
Although US Customs and Border Protection was ordered by a court to set up a new system to refund levies after the president’s tariff regime was thrown out by the Supreme Court earlier this year, only the “importer of record”...
Stuart Russell Testifies in Musk‑OpenAI Trial Despite Exclusion Attempts
Well-known, well-respected AI expert Stuart Russell is now testifying at the Musk-OpenAI trial – despite OpenAI’s BS attempts to exclude him. Read the backstory here:
Getting Legal Off Your Plate: How Founders Can Finally Focus on Growth
Early‑stage founders often juggle legal tasks themselves, creating exposure and slowing growth. Conducting a legal risk audit reveals which duties can stay DIY, be automated, or require professional help. Engaging a fractional General Counsel provides tailored expertise without the expense...
Operation Clean Cart Eliminates 3 Million Illegal Device Listings
President Trump and the FCC are working to protect American consumers and our country’s communications networks. Operation Clean Cart Update: Over the last six months, more than 3 million listings for illegal or dangerous devices have been removed by leading e-commerce sites....
Musk’s “World War III” Threat in Twitter Lawsuit Haunts Him at OpenAI Trial
Elon Musk attempted to settle his lawsuit against OpenAI just days before trial, sending a hostile message to OpenAI President Greg Brockman that warned both Brockman and CEO Sam Altman would become "the most hated men in America." OpenAI has...
Microsoft Puts Legal Agent Inside Word, Sharpening Contract-Review Competition
Microsoft launched Legal Agent inside Word for Windows through its Frontier early‑access program, embedding clause‑by‑clause playbook review, tracked‑change redlining, and rationale comments directly in the drafting environment. The feature is limited to U.S. tenants with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses and...
Thousands of Just Eat Couriers Launch Legal Action to Improve Workers’ Rights
More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers have filed a class‑action claim in a UK employment tribunal seeking recognition as workers rather than self‑employed contractors, which would grant them minimum wage, holiday pay and other statutory rights. The hearing runs from...
The End of Cigarettes Is Coming
The United Kingdom will permanently ban cigarette sales to anyone born on or after Jan 1 2009, creating the world’s first generational tobacco prohibition. Similar bans have been tried in the Maldives and New Zealand, and 22 Massachusetts towns have already enacted comparable...
Legal Week: Voting Rights, Musk‑Altman Clash, Spirit Fallout
In the latest Judicial Notice, my weekly legal news roundup: - the (possibly) vanishing Voting Rights Act - @ElonMusk v. Sam Altman (@sama) - an unsuccessful rescue for Spirit Airlines - a big group move out of Perkins Coie LINK: https://t.co/4mhjeSPK0Y https://t.co/mDxAFBZuKl
Spotify Wins Motion for Arbitration in ‘Payola’ Lawsuit
A New York federal judge granted Spotify’s motion to compel arbitration, dismissing a class‑action lawsuit that accused the streaming service of running a "modern payola" through its Discovery Mode feature. The plaintiff, Genevieve Capolongo, claimed Spotify boosted certain songs in...
North Carolina Targets Hyperscale Costs with Proposed AI Infrastructure Bill
North Carolina lawmakers introduced the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act, requiring hyperscale data centers of 40 MW or more to pay the full cost of power, water and infrastructure and to forgo state and local tax incentives. The bill also mandates...
State AGs Target E-Cigarette Payments
State attorneys general, together with New York City, have sent letters to nine major credit‑card and payment‑processing firms demanding action against illegal online sales of e‑cigarettes to minors. The coalition, representing 25 AGs, cites the 2009 Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking...
World Briefs | EU to Exempt Leather From Anti-Deforestation Law
The European Commission announced that imports of leather, hides and skins will be excluded from the EU’s anti‑deforestation regulation that takes effect in December. The law will still require proof that commodities such as soy, coffee, beef and palm oil...
UK Court Orders Samsung to Pay China’s ZTE a $392M Lump Sum After Patent Trial
A London High Court judge ordered Samsung Electronics to pay a $392 million lump‑sum to China’s ZTE for a licence to use its mobile‑phone patents. Samsung had sued for a fair, reasonable and non‑discriminatory (FRAND) rate after a 2021 agreement fell...
Maurene Comey: The Prosecutor Who Knew Too Much About the Epstein Files?
Maurene Comey, a senior federal prosecutor who secured Ghislaine Maxwell’s 20‑year conviction and assisted in the Jeffrey Epstein case, was abruptly terminated by President Donald Trump in July 2025 under Article II authority. The dismissal came a day after she was assigned...
STAT+: Pump the Brakes on AI, Buddy; and Deposition Deadlock
Elevance Health is attempting to block the deposition of a senior executive in a DOJ‑led Medicare Advantage fraud lawsuit, arguing the request is overly burdensome and could reveal privileged information. The Department of Justice counters that the testimony is essential...
Trump Vows Immediate Signing of CLARITY Act
JUST IN: Trump says he will sign CLARITY Act “IMMEDIATELY” once it reaches his desk
Court of Chancery Invalidates Founder/Executive Chairman’s Unilateral Attempt to Remove the Only Other Members of the Company’s Managing Board
The Delaware Court of Chancery ruled that an LLC’s operating agreement requiring board decisions by the managing board cannot be overridden by a founder’s unilateral removal of board members. In Ropko v. Burdi, the executive chairman’s attempt to remove two...
Clavicular X Polymarket, the CLARITY Act, and What MegaETH Tells Us About Retail | The Breakdown
The episode covers three hot topics: a viral nightclub clip of influencer Clavicular chatting with Polymarket’s CMO, the latest legislative language of the CLARITY Act restricting stable‑coin interest but preserving usage‑based rewards, and the early performance of the MegaETH network...
Never Too Late: If You Missed the IPKat Last Week!
The IPKat’s weekly roundup recaps several high‑profile IP developments across Europe and the UK. Notable cases include the German court’s invalidation of the Neuschwansteiner beverage trademark, a Spanish court’s refusal to deem the Frisby brand “well‑known,” and a UK High...
EU Commission Says Simplification of EUDR Deforestation Law Will Cut Costs for Companies by 75%
The European Commission released a simplification review of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), showing that compliance costs have dropped about 75%, from roughly €8.1 billion ($8.9 billion) to €2.0 billion ($2.2 billion) per year, mainly due to eased rules for small firms. The review...
The High Cost of Withholding Earned Compensation
Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice ruled in Kirchmair v. EXP Global Inc. that an employer’s deliberate refusal to pay a non‑discretionary bonus violated the duty of good faith, resulting in a $150,000 moral‑damage award. The employee ultimately received the $148,000...
US Legislators Revive FAIR Labels Act With Tighter Restrictions on Alt Protein Labeling
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members reintroduced the FAIR Labels Act of 2026, aiming to place plant‑based and cell‑cultivated proteins under the same federal labeling rules as conventional meat. The bill would require the term “cell‑cultivated” or the...
Listen to David and Quinten on the LawDroid Manifesto Podcast
Suffolk Law’s LIT Lab co‑director David Colarusso and former legal‑aid attorney Quinten Steenhuis each appeared on the LawDroid Manifesto podcast to discuss innovation in legal education and access to justice. Colarusso describes his experiential‑learning classroom that exposes law students to automation...
Regulators Eye Rule Changes; Ookla Rates Brazil’s Small ISPs
MY LATEST As regulators contemplate changes to rules that fostered Brazil’s smaller internet providers, Ookla data appraises some of those players. https://t.co/lnOMv5iSr0
Gambling or Derivatives: CFTC Rulemaking Exposes a Structural Divide Over Prediction Markets
The CFTC closed its public comment period on a proposed rule for prediction markets after receiving more than 1,500 responses, revealing a stark split between industry and state regulators. Companies such as Coinbase, Kalshi, and investors like Andreessen Horowitz argue...
Big Law Transformed by Stardom, AI, Private Markets
A great Big Read from @mroliverbarnes @sindap built off of many scoops over the past year as high profile partners moving between firms has revealed how Big Law is being reshaped by an age of stardom, AI and the...
Medical Expert Witness Report Language Gets Cases Struck
The article warns that tentative phrasing in medical expert reports—such as "could have" or "may have"—can render the testimony inadmissible, a risk highlighted by the Kline v. Zimmer decision. Courts require opinions to be supported by a "reasonable degree of...
World Liberty Financial Sues Justin Sun for Defamation
JUST IN: World Liberty Financial files a defamation claim against Justin Sun, the founder of TRON
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About an Abortion Pill Controversy, Another UCB Deal, and More News
Two drugmakers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to restore mail‑order access to the abortion pill mifepristone after a lower court temporarily blocked deliveries. The appeal follows a series of lawsuits challenging the drug’s original 2000...
The VRA Was Gutted. Know the History to Understand the Fight.
Supreme Court's recent ruling in *Louisiana v. Callais* effectively gutted key enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act, raising concerns about renewed voter suppression. In response, Fair Fight Action is hosting a live conversation on May 5 at 12 PM ET featuring Dr....
NYC Targets Vacant $5M+ Second Homes with New Tax
JUST IN: NYC proposes a tax on second homes valued over $5 million that aren’t lived in full time
California’s SB 54 Regulations Approved and in Effect
California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) announced on May 1, 2024 that the Office of Administrative Law approved the permanent regulations for SB 54, the state’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for single‑use packaging. The rules take effect immediately, launching...
Judge on Challenge to Trump Golf Course Takeover: ‘I’m No Amy Poehler’
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes declined to issue an immediate injunction against the Trump administration’s plan to close East Potomac Golf Links, noting that reported renovation plans do not yet merit court intervention. She warned, however, that she will act...
Trump-Appointed Generals Risk Further Illegal Military Actions
It is disturbing to see the U.S. military continuing to carry out orders that outside experts (if not the administration's own lawyers) say are blatantly unlawful. If Trump’s hand-picked generals are willing to act so egregiously this instance, what else...
Republicans Claim Law Doesn't Bind Trump, Defying Legal Norms
This is in direct defiance of the law, but Republicans in Congress say the law doesn't apply to Trump.
This Is Way Bigger than RICO. Is There a Legal Strategy That Could Put the Entire Trump-GOP Criminal Enterprise in...
The post outlines a state‑level legal strategy to prosecute the Trump‑GOP network, using the 2025 Aryam Investment deal in which Eric Trump sold 49% of the family’s cryptocurrency venture for $500 million to a UAE‑linked entity as a focal point. It...
Rubbish
The article calls out a wave of misinformation surrounding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and recent DOJ enforcement. It debunks three high‑profile claims: Talking Points Memo’s assertion that the DOJ stopped enforcing the FCPA, The Dispatch’s report that a...
Defamation Suits Expose Fox's $787 M Election Lie Payout
Defamation lawsuits like this really are a public service. We will be able to cite for eternity the fact that Fox News paid out $787 million for spreading lies about the 2020 election. I'm not sure why progressives seem to...