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
CTA Sets CN, CPKC 2026-27 VRCPIs
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) announced the Volume‑Related Composite Price Index (VRCPI) for the 2026‑27 grain‑shipping season, setting it at 1.9864 for Canadian National (CN) and 1.9474 for Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). Both indices represent modest increases of 0.659% and 0.646% respectively over the 2025‑26 crop year. The VRCPI functions as an inflation factor in calculating each railway’s Maximum Revenue Entitlement (MRE), the statutory cap on revenue earned from moving western Canadian grain. CTA will apply these figures when finalizing MRE determinations by Dec. 31, 2027.
Everlaw and Legora Announce Integration to Connect Discovery and Drafting
Everlaw and Legora announced a technology partnership that integrates Everlaw’s cloud‑based e‑discovery platform with Legora’s collaborative drafting environment. The integration lets attorneys pull documents, metadata and privilege markings directly from Everlaw into Legora without manual export or re‑upload. The secure...
Supreme Court Faces Emergency Request to Restore Mail‑Order Access to Abortion Pill
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stayed the FDA's 2023 rule that permitted mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine and mailed to patients. In response, Danco Laboratories and generic maker GenBioPro petitioned the Supreme Court for an...
The Week Ahead in AI: AI Facial Recognition Warning in UK, China Court Weighs in on AI Layoffs, AI’s Oscar...
AI oversight is tightening as Britain’s watchdog warns facial‑recognition use outpaces regulation, while a Chinese court rejects AI‑driven layoffs, setting a labor‑rights precedent. The Academy also barred AI‑generated performances from Oscar eligibility, reinforcing human‑creativity standards. Meanwhile, investors eye a busy...
How Bad Facts Make Good First Amendment Law
The Supreme Court’s 1931 decision in Near v. Minnesota struck down a Minnesota law that allowed prior restraint of a scandal‑filled newspaper, establishing that the First Amendment forbids government bans on publications before they appear. Publisher Jay Near’s anti‑Jewish, anti‑corruption...
SAG‑AFTRA Secures Tentative Deal with Studios, Averting New Strike
The Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, covering motion pictures, scripted primetime drama, streaming and new media. The deal, pending board approval, stops a...
Candid Therapeutics Acquired by UCB for up to $2.2 Billion
UCB announced it will acquire clinical‑stage biotech Candid Therapeutics for up to $2.2 billion, paying cash and stock to secure the company’s novel T‑cell engager (TCE) platform. Candid, known for its pipeline targeting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, has previously raised $370 million...
Canada’s United Nations Abstention on Slavery Recognition Wasn’t Neutral — It Was a Choice
Canada voted to abstain from a United Nations resolution that formally labeled the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity. The resolution passed with 123 votes in favour, while the United States, Argentina and Israel opposed it and...
Vita Coco Exec Sells 50,000 Shares for $3.4 M Under 10b5‑1 Plan Amid Near‑Double Stock Rise
Vita Coco Executive Chairman Michael Kirban sold 50,000 shares worth about $3.4 million through a Rule 10b5‑1 trading plan, reducing his direct and indirect holdings by 2.28%. The sale came as the stock logged a near‑double gain over the past year, but...
Darrow AI Launches ERISA‑Focused Risk Analytics Platform for Law Firms and Investors
Darrow AI rolled out an AI‑driven risk intelligence platform that analyzes data from more than 200,000 plan sponsors and $6 trillion in assets to flag hidden ERISA, privacy and financial‑services violations. The company used webinars and thought‑leadership content to market the...
Wealthy Grapple with Taxes, Communication,
In today's Family Office Buzz email: ∘ Billionaires can’t talk to their kids about money ∘ Heiress wins court battle to undo £1.2m inheritance tax blunder ∘ Sergey Brin’s family office mobilizing against the California billionaire tax ∘ Wealthy asking AI for legal...
Uzbekistan Aims to Expand Extremism Law and Grow List of Extremist Crimes
Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court updated its extremist blacklist in early April, raising the count from roughly 1,600 to over 1,800 entries, with Telegram accounting for 855 channels. The following day the Legislative Chamber approved a draft law that broadens the catalogue...
Morning Docket: 05.04.26
The Department of Justice granted a selective‑prosecution waiver to former DOJ official Todd Blanche, sparking criticism that other "86" speakers will escape indictment. A prosecutor obsessed with winning Trump’s favor has begun dressing like the former president, raising concerns about...
State Farm Fined by California Regulators over Wildfire Claim Violations
California’s Department of Insurance fined State Farm, the nation’s largest home insurer, for 432 violations of the Unfair Insurance Claims Practices Act tied to wildfire claims. An audit revealed delays, poor assessments, underpayments and “adjuster roulette” in roughly half of...
ActBlue Sues Texas AG Ken Paxton Over Alleged Political Retaliation
ActBlue has filed a federal lawsuit in Boston alleging that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is weaponizing his office to retaliate against the Democratic fundraising platform. The suit seeks to block Paxton's investigations and claims selective prosecution, while Paxton counters...
For Once, some Scientific Fraudsters Have to Pay Their Money Back to the Government.
Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute agreed to pay $15 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it submitted false certifications on six NIH research grants between 2014 and 2024. The institute admitted that researchers reused and altered images in 14 grant‑linked publications,...
AI Startup Artisan Accused of Stealing KC Green’s “This Is Fine” Meme for Subway Ad
AI startup Artisan used a modified version of KC Green’s iconic “This is fine” meme in a subway advertisement, prompting the artist to allege copyright infringement and consider legal action. The dispute highlights growing tensions over AI‑generated marketing and intellectual‑property...
AI-Powered Synthetic Identity Fraud Threatens South African Financial System
Artificial intelligence is enabling fraudsters to mass‑produce synthetic identities that can bypass South African KYC checks, driving a surge in biometric verification failures. A Smile ID report shows 87 % of failed biometric checks stem from AI‑driven impersonation, and an analysis...
An Abortion Pill Battle and New Redistricting-Related Lawsuits
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, seeking a pause on a Fifth Circuit order that forces in‑person dispensing of the abortion pill mifepristone. In the wake of the Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision, Tennessee and...
The Security Advantage in M&A Deals: 5 Foundations for Secure Collaboration
The article outlines five security foundations that must be embedded in M&A collaboration environments, starting with the decision where data is hosted—whether in a private cloud, on‑premise, or a custom AI model. It stresses that encryption, granular access controls, audit...
The Pyramid Has Already Broken
A fast‑growing U.S. law firm, Pierson Ferdinand, now runs with more than 270 partners and no junior associates, relying on AI to perform tasks traditionally done by entry‑level lawyers. The firm’s model proves that capable AI can undercut the economic...
Reverse Patent Pools and Other TTBER Tall Tales
The European Commission’s 2026 Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (TTBER) initially proposed a soft antitrust safe harbor for licensing negotiation groups (LNGs), allowing implementers to bargain collectively with SEP holders. After criticism, the final Guidelines dropped the safe harbor but...
Verdict on Serta LME Uptiers Expected Soon
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a 2023 summary judgment that favored lenders in the controversial Serta Simmons liability management exercise (LME). The case returned to bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez, who is expected to align with the appellate...
Just "Felonious Peccadillos"; I'm "Overqualified for Oklahoma"; Bar Association, "Bring It on Bitch": Surprisingly Ineffective in Fighting Disbarment
The Oklahoma Supreme Court disbarred former legislative candidate and attorney Barlean after he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor domestic‑assault charges and repeatedly violated court‑ordered probation conditions. The court highlighted his pattern of violence, failure to complete anger‑management, and abusive communications...
Coal Miner Thungela Digs in over Shareholder Rights
South African coal miner Thungela is fighting a Gauteng High Court case brought by Aeon Investment Management, Fossil Free SA and activist group Just Share, who seek to file a climate‑related shareholder resolution under Section 65 of the Companies Act. The...
Regulatory Submissions with Real-World Evidence: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned - 09/23/2025
In a September 23, 2025 speech, FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Sara Brenner outlined how real‑world evidence (RWE) has been used to support regulatory decisions and announced the agency‑wide FDA‑RWE‑ACCELERATE initiative. She highlighted recent examples from CDER, CBER and CDRH, and introduced Sentinel 3.0,...
Trump’s World Liberty Financial Countersues Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun for Defamation in Response to Allegations of Fraud
World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s flagship crypto venture, filed a defamation countersuit against billionaire Justin Sun in Florida state court. Sun, who has poured roughly $200 million into Trump‑linked crypto projects—including a $75 million token and a $100 million purchase of the...
Lawsuit Claims Starship Launches Damage Homes
SpaceX is gearing up for the 12th test flight of its Starship vehicle, slated for May 12‑18, marking the debut of the upgraded Starship v3. Residents of Port Isabel and South Padre Island have filed a lawsuit alleging that prior...
How Extradition of Alleged “Narco-Governor” Would Work
U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have indicted Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, the state capital’s mayor and a federal senator, alongside seven other current and former Mexican officials on drug‑trafficking and weapons charges tied to the Sinaloa cartel....
Louisiana Halts House Primary as Redistricting Ruling Reshapes 2024 Election Calendar
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced the suspension of the May 16 congressional primary after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on the state’s congressional map on April 29. The ruling revives the legal battle over whether Louisiana must create...
Posting Video of 10-Year-Old Hockey Player's "Tantrum" Isn't Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
The Illinois Appellate Court reversed a lower‑court ruling and held that posting a YouTube video of a 10‑year‑old hockey player’s on‑ice outburst does not meet the legal threshold for intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED). The court stressed that conduct...
EU Delists Tajik Banks as Kyrgyzstan Feels the Heat
On April 23 the EU removed three Tajik banks—Spitamen Bank, Dushanbe City Bank and Commercebank of Tajikistan—from its sanctions list after Tajik authorities pledged tighter anti‑money‑laundering controls. The same 20th sanctions package simultaneously barred two Kyrgyz banks, Keremet Bank and Capital...
Here's How Medication Abortion Works with Just One Drug That's Still Fully Available
A federal appeals court ordered the FDA to revert to in‑person prescribing rules for mifepristone, overturning the Biden administration’s telehealth flexibility. The decision takes effect nationwide, while the makers of mifepristone have appealed to the Supreme Court for a rapid...
Chancery Finds Investment Manager’s Board May Have Breached Fiduciary Duties, Aided and Abetted by the Buyer
The Delaware Court of Chancery, at the pleading stage of YWCA of Rochester and Monroe Cty. v. Hatteras Funds, found that the investment manager’s board and its controller may have breached fiduciary duties in a master‑fund asset sale, with the...
Maximize Your AML Efforts: Harnessing the Potential of Risk Assessment Software
Anti‑Money Laundering (AML) risk assessment is a regulatory cornerstone for banks, fintechs, and real‑estate firms, requiring systematic evaluation of customer, transaction, and geographic risks. Modern AML risk assessment software automates this process, leveraging AI and data science to flag suspicious...
Officer Blames Rats for Missing Bribe Money
Rat ate the money... And lady government officer got the bail.. A lady government officer was found guilty of taking a bribe of ₹10,000. She challenged the decision in the Supreme Court of India. During the case, a strange claim was made by...
World Liberty's Lawsuit: Meritless PR Stunt, Ready to Win
The alleged defamation lawsuit that World Liberty announced on X today is nothing more than a meritless PR stunt. I stand by my actions and look forward to defeating the case in court.
The Early Line: Senate Subcommittee To Hold Hearing On Sports Betting Integrity
The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy will hold a hearing on May 20, 2026 to examine the integrity of the rapidly expanding U.S. sports‑betting market, now valued at roughly $165 billion across 39 states and the...
House Settlement Could Spark Unionization in College Sports
Calls for a more formal labor framework in college sports are getting louder. Will the House Settlement lead to unionization or collective bargaining in college sports? The full explanation is in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Now 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL https://t.co/CGZGQ42mMz
SEC Delays Launch of Prediction Market ETFs
RAIN DELAY: Prediction Market ETFs have been delayed by the SEC, according to Reuters. They were slated to start rolling out Thursday but SEC is seeking more info about mechanics and disclosures. Delay is likely temporary, so stay tuned.. https://t.co/zTwyblC6Ys
Monette Gets Extension of Creditor Protection and Additional Financing for Seeding
The Alberta Court of King's Bench extended Monette Group's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act protection until June 19, 2026, giving the agribusiness additional time to restructure. A Scotiabank‑led syndicate approved an extra $50 million CAD in debtor‑in‑possession financing, raising the total DIP...
California Seeks Retroactive Wealth Tax on Former Residents
If you move to a new state, can your former state later enact an entirely new tax and retroactively apply it to you after you’ve already changed your residence and domicile? Despite the U.S. Constitution, California’s latest proposed wealth tax...
Getting Digital Fairness Right: EFF's Recommendations for the EU's Digital Fairness Act
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has issued a set of recommendations for the EU’s proposed Digital Fairness Act (DFA), urging the legislation to ban deceptive dark‑pattern designs, curb surveillance‑driven business models, and reinforce user sovereignty. EFF warns that age‑verification mandates...
How a 2022 Law Is Complicating Sexual Harassment Claims
Congress enacted the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (EFAA) in March 2022 to bar pre‑dispute arbitration agreements for sexual harassment and assault claims. Courts remain divided on two key questions: whether the statute invalidates arbitration...
Today in Supreme Court History: May 4, 1942
On May 4, 1942 the Supreme Court heard arguments in Wickard v. Filburn, a landmark New Deal case. The dispute centered on an Ohio farmer’s wheat surplus and whether the federal government could limit production under the Commerce Clause. The Court’s eventual...
Brave Leaders Aren’t Loud
Claire Brumby argues that true bravery in leadership is quiet, truth‑driven action rather than loud confidence. In compliance, mistaking visibility for courage creates cultural decay and hidden risk. Gallup data shows engagement at a record low, with managers especially disengaged,...
Former DLA Piper Partner Seeks To Toss Ex-Associate's Rape Claims
Former DLA Piper partner Brian Biggs is set to argue before a Massachusetts state court on June 10 that the civil rape claims filed by former associate Jane Doe should be dismissed. Doe, whose identity was previously protected, was ordered in March to use...
Unlocking Success: AML Training for Employee Excellence
Anti‑Money Laundering (AML) training is now a mandatory pillar for financial institutions, ensuring staff can spot red flags and report suspicious activity. U.S. regulations such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act, along with global FATF standards,...
Spain's Supreme Court Grants 26‑Week Maternity Leave, Expands Work‑Hour Cuts for Parents
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that a single mother in Tenerife is entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave, adding ten weeks to the statutory minimum. At the same time, the government has issued detailed guidance on how employees with...
Guyana Tells World Court Venezuela's Claim on Oil-Rich Esequibo Region Poses Existential Threat
Guyana has asked the International Court of Justice to rule that Venezuela’s claim to the oil‑rich Esequibo region is illegitimate. The dispute covers a 160,000‑square‑kilometre area, including offshore blocks where recent discoveries have attracted global investors. Guyana’s foreign minister warned...