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 Provocative Abramowitz Keynote And The Computer That Won’t Come On
Zach Abramowitz warned that most generative AI (GenAI) projects fail because firms deploy the technology without truly understanding its mechanics. He framed hallucinations not as bugs but as intrinsic features that reshape how organizations should think about AI. Abramowitz urged leaders to reverse the question—from what GenAI can do to what they should do because of it—thereby aligning deployments with strategic goals. He also called for a broader definition of AI ROI that includes new capabilities and competitive advantage, not just efficiency gains.
The Provocative Abramowitz Keynote And The Computer That Won’t Come On
At ILTA’s Evolve conference, Zach Abramowitz warned that most law firms are mishandling generative AI. He traced failures—poor training, analysis paralysis, and hallucination panic—to a fundamental lack of understanding of how GenAI works. Abramowitz urged firms to treat hallucinations as...
New Lawsuit: Do We Have a Right to Know We're Being Surveilled?
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Village of Scarsdale demanding disclosure of police‑camera locations under the Freedom of Information Law. The suit follows the village’s cancellation of a $2.1 million contract with surveillance firm Flock...
Revisiting Citizens United II: The Corporate Governance Implications
The post revisits the landmark Citizens United decision through the lens of the late corporate law scholar Larry Ribstein. It highlights Ribstein’s seminal works, especially his article on the First Amendment and corporate governance, and his book The Rise of...
Tariffs and the New Wave of Securities Class Actions
Tariff volatility since the 2025 "Liberation Day" announcement and the Supreme Court’s 2026 decision rejecting the IEPA basis has ignited a wave of securities class actions. Plaintiffs are suing not only traditional importers but also firms with indirect exposure, such...
Equal‑pay Rules Can Backdate Liabilities, Risking Bankruptcy
for those of you who are unaware, British employment commissions have in the past found that you need to pay people the same salary for *completely different jobs* if one job attracts more men and the other more women. and...
FCC Unanimously Votes to Bar Chinese Labs and Data Centers, Tightening U.S. Telecom Security
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to prohibit all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the United States and, in a separate 3‑0 vote, moved to bar China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from operating data centers...
SEC Semiannual Reporting Proposal Clears White House Review
The SEC’s plan to let public companies file financial reports twice a year has cleared a White House review, clearing the way for a formal rollout and public comment period. The proposal, first championed by former President Donald Trump, would...
Stand With Crypto Delivers Petition to Congress Demanding CLARITY Act Approval
Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit representing over 52 million U.S. crypto owners, hand‑delivered a petition to the Senate Banking Committee demanding the CLARITY Act be marked up. The petition, signed by more than 28,000 Americans, urges Congress to end regulatory uncertainty...
Assembly Software Launches AI‑powered Smart Document Filing for Personal Injury Firms
Assembly Software introduced Smart Document Filing with NeosAI, an AI‑driven feature that automatically classifies, names, summarizes and extracts data from case documents. The capability is live for NeosAI Platinum firms and promises to replace a multi‑step manual workflow with a...
India Threatens VPN Safe‑Harbor Over Betting Site Access
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an advisory on April 25, 2026 ordering VPN providers to block access to illegal betting and prediction‑market sites such as Polymarket. Non‑compliance could strip providers of safe‑harbor protection under Section 79...
Trump Executive Order Pushes Fixed-Price Contracting, but Implementation Questions Loom
President Trump signed an executive order urging federal agencies to favor fixed‑price contracts over cost‑reimbursement models, citing $120 billion in cost‑reimbursement consulting contracts in FY 2024. The order mandates written justifications for any non‑fixed‑price award and routes those justifications to a political...
Iran's Kleptocratic Elite Fuels Hyperinflation as Sanctions Tighten
Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is at the center of a sprawling offshore wealth network worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Coupled with renewed U.S. sanctions on the IRGC‑linked bonyads, the country is spiralling into hyperinflation, threatening its fragile...
Worker Sues 3M, Alleges "Wheelchair Ramp" Remark and Firing After Harassment Report
John R. Coulter, a former 3M coater operator in Brownwood, Texas, filed a federal lawsuit alleging disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, sexual harassment, retaliation, and FMLA violations. He says his request to limit overtime due to anxiety and depression was...
California DMV Grants Police Ticketing Power Over Robotaxis and Opens Roads to Autonomous Trucks
The California Department of Motor Vehicles approved regulations that let law‑enforcement issue moving‑violation citations to driverless vehicles and cleared the way for autonomous freight trucks over 10,001 lb. The rules, effective July 1, aim to tighten safety oversight as robotaxi fleets expand...
Pipeline Technician Sues Alyeska, Says Employer Fired Him for Backing Harassment Probe
Former Alyeska Pipeline technician Robert Saxton has filed a Title VII lawsuit alleging he was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and participating in the company’s internal investigation. Saxton says his supervisor, Jeff Woods, ignored repeated genital assaults by a...
US and UK Disability Policy Shifts Heighten HR Compliance Risks
Recent U.S. and U.K. policy moves—from Nebraska’s Medicaid work‑requirement rollout to the U.K.’s “Right to Try” legislation—are reshaping benefits for disabled adults. The changes force HR leaders to reassess accommodation, benefits administration, and compliance with ADA and related statutes.
Regulatory and IP Considerations for Veterinary Drugs in Canada
The article outlines Canada’s regulatory framework for veterinary drugs, separating them from other animal health products and detailing the data‑protection, patent‑linkage, and supplementary‑protection regimes that apply only to veterinary drugs. It explains submission requirements, labeling rules, priority‑review criteria, and biowaiver...
UAE’s GCAA Grants First Supplemental Type Certificate to Emirates Engineering
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has issued a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to Emirates Engineering, making it the first UAE‑based entity to receive this advanced airworthiness approval. The move signals a maturing regulatory framework and opens the door for...
Optro Unveils MCP Server to Govern AI Access to GRC Data
Optro introduced a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets customers link enterprise large language models to live governance, risk and compliance (GRC) data while preserving role‑based permissions. The product aims to cut manual data handling and provide an auditable...
Litigation Trends to Watch: Suits Strike at Turkey Prices, Milk Subsidies and '80-20' Employment Rule
A new litigation roundup highlights a wave of lawsuits spanning food, tech, and employment law. Plaintiffs are targeting major poultry producers over alleged turkey price fixing, organic milk companies for subsidizing non‑organic rivals, and employers under the controversial “80‑20” overtime...
Californians Hit Temu with Class Action Over Alleged ‘Spam Abuse’
Chinese e‑commerce platform Temu faces a California class‑action lawsuit accusing it of deceptive email tactics that mimic spam. The complaint alleges false subject lines, spoofed domains and hidden tracking pixels used to bypass spam filters and surveil recipients. Plaintiffs claim...
Charlie Kirk’s Former Security Chief Sues Candace Owens for Defamation
Former head of security for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Brian Harpole, filed a 69‑page defamation lawsuit against right‑wing commentator Candace Owens. Harpole alleges Owens falsely claimed he met Kirk’s wife at a military base and was part of...
Oncor Electric Could Fire Employee for Publicly Disparaging Smart Meters, DC Circuit Holds
Oncor Electric Delivery Co. fired a field technician for disparaging its new smart meters, and the D.C. Circuit upheld the termination, ruling that the employee’s testimony was not protected under the National Labor Relations Act because he failed to disclose...
California Bill Demands Transparency From Private Equity Funds
This is good California legislation. It would force PE funds to disclose write-downs, actual performance statistics, and the use of ponzi style continuation funds. https://t.co/DNO3TCVSvD
Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into Sloth World After Dozens of Animal Deaths
The Florida Attorney General’s office has launched a criminal investigation into Sloth World, an Orlando attraction that saw more than 31 sloths die while the facility was under construction. Inside Climate News reports that the animals, imported from Peru and...
If AI Becomes Conscious, We Have to Grant It Rights, Some Experts Argue—Or Should We Pull the Plug?
Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to regulate federal use of AI in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, while the Pentagon pushes contracts that limit companies' control over classified deployments. Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei warned that current frontier models are unreliable...
The Costs of Contract Duplication
The Army’s Marketplace for Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) is duplicating multiple existing federal contracting vehicles, inflating bid, proposal, and administration costs for both government and industry. Large firms are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each, while the cumulative...
Policy Week in Review – May 1, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Sun Valley Orchards v. Department of Labor, a case that could bar agencies from imposing monetary fines without a judicial hearing. President Trump signed an executive order creating TrumpIRA.gov to give workers without...
A Court Ruling Protected the Institute for Museum and Library Services, but the Fight Isn’t Over
A federal district court ruled that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) cannot be dismantled, and the administration withdrew its appeal, preserving the agency’s staff and authority. Meanwhile, the White House’s FY 2027 budget proposal seeks to eliminate all...
Prohibiting Judges From Considering Immigration Consequences at Sentencing Ignores Reality
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner introduced a private‑member’s bill that would prevent Canadian judges from factoring immigration consequences into criminal sentences. The article argues the proposal misrepresents the law, noting the Supreme Court’s 2013 R v Pham decision explicitly allows such considerations...
Update: Federal Rulings Ease COVID‑Era Interest, Penalty and Filing Burdens
Federal tax rulings stemming from the Abdo and Kwong cases are easing COVID‑era interest, penalty, and filing burdens. The National Taxpayer Advocate urges taxpayers to assess potential refunds and argues for a six‑month extension to file claims tied to pandemic...
Federal Court Shuts Down BVI Tax Escape for Canadian Holding Company
The Federal Court of Appeal overturned a Tax Court decision, holding that DAC Investment Holdings Inc. remained a Canadian‑resident corporation after its continuance to the British Virgin Islands. The court applied the general anti‑avoidance rule (GAAR) to a C$2.36 million (≈US$1.75 million)...
"Gaslighting" Isn't "Abuse" For Child Custody Law Purposes
The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s finding that a mother’s alleged gaslighting constituted abuse in a child‑custody case. The appellate panel held that Oregon statutes define abuse narrowly—requiring physical injury, threats of imminent bodily harm, or sexual...
European Competition Law Newsletter — May 2026
On 1 May 2026 the EU and UK will apply a revised technology‑transfer block exemption (TTBER) that modernises rules for data‑licensing and licensing‑negotiation groups. The UK Competition and Markets Authority issued its first fine under the 2024 Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer...
States Push Bills to Ban Private‑equity Law Firm Ownership
"In California and Illinois, legislators in April advanced bills that would" block private equity owning law firms. "In Colorado, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a similar bill last week, which on Wd passed the House Judiciary Committee." https://t.co/3cRQdmVLre
Colorblindness Won’t Fix Inequality
The Supreme Court’s latest ruling on voting‑rights law flips the burden of proof for race‑based gerrymandering, demanding plaintiffs show explicit racist intent rather than discriminatory impact. The shift jeopardizes the enforcement mechanisms of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and could...
Judge's Ruling Is Likely to Scuttle San Diego Credit Union Merger
A San Diego County Superior Court judge denied California Coast Credit Union’s request for a preliminary injunction, effectively ending the planned merger with San Diego County Credit Union. The dispute stemmed from SDCCU’s attempt to rewrite the deal, including replacing...
Knowing Isn’t Enough: The Supreme Court Redefines ISP Liability for Piracy
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed a $1 billion jury verdict against Cox Communications, ruling that an ISP’s mere knowledge of subscriber piracy does not create liability. The majority opinion limits secondary liability to situations where the provider intentionally encourages infringement...
Voting Rights Groups Sue to Block Louisiana From Suspending Primary Elections
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing Louisiana voting‑rights groups, filed a state‑court lawsuit to block Governor Jeff Landry and Secretary of State Nancy Landry from suspending the congressional primary. Landry halted the primary after early voting began to redraw districts...
Two Steps Back: The Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court has struck down the final remaining provision of the Voting Rights Act, eliminating federal oversight of state redistricting. The ruling opens the door for Republican‑led legislatures to redraw district lines, threatening Black‑majority districts such as Alabama’s 2nd....
Tribunal Declares Referees Self‑Employed, Not PGMOL Employees
Tax tribunal that started in 2017 finally rules in favour of PGMOL against HMRC and referees are deemed to be self employed and not PGMOL employees https://t.co/TDOGnIlaNQ
How California Employers Can Prepare for the July 1, 2026 Minimum Wage Increases
Effective July 1, 2026, several Southern California jurisdictions will raise their minimum wages, with rates ranging from $17.75 in San Diego to $20.87 for West Hollywood hotel workers. The 2024 PAGA reform now requires employers to document “reasonable steps” toward compliance, capping penalties at...
Trade Secret Damages in Texas: How Courts Calculate What You Can Recover
Texas courts applying the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA) can award several damage categories when a trade secret is misappropriated, including actual lost profits, unjust enrichment, reasonable royalties, diminution of value, exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees. The chosen metric...
Non-Compliance with a Looming NERC Deadline Could Cost Clean Energy Owners and Operators, Big Time
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has extended its reliability standards to small inverter‑based resources (IBRs) such as solar farms and wind turbines. Effective May 15 2026, any IBR with an aggregate capacity of 20 MVA (roughly 16‑20 MW) connected at 60 kV or...
China Outlaws Drones Within Beijing City Limits
China’s civil aviation authority announced a blanket ban on civilian drone flights within the Beijing municipal area, effective immediately. The decree imposes fines of up to 50,000 yuan (approximately $7,000) for violations and requires operators to obtain special permits for...
Investors Are a Threat to Farmland ...and Not Just the Foreign Ones
In this episode, host discusses the growing controversy over farmland ownership and access in Ontario, focusing on how domestic investors and speculators—not just foreign buyers—drive up land prices and push for rezoning. Guest Dean Orr, a master's student and farmer,...
It’s Just Racism - Plain and Simple
The Supreme Court’s May 1, 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Cala held that race cannot be used to satisfy the Voting Rights Act, effectively stripping a core enforcement tool. The ruling follows a line of conservative opinions, including Shelby County and Brnovich,...
Stablecoins Grew Up. Now Come the Rules
Stablecoins are moving from niche experiments to mainstream finance as Visa expanded its settlement pilot to nine blockchains, reaching a $7 billion annual run rate, while Meta began offering stablecoin payouts to creators. FinTech OnePay teamed with the Tempo blockchain to...
How AI Will Change Services
Cooley partner Rachel Proffitt says AI will drive Big Law toward value‑based billing, moving away from traditional billable‑hour models. AI tools can automate routine tasks, improve data‑driven outcome predictions, and enable firms to price services based on results. The shift...