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
New UK Law Makes Companies Liable for Criminal Acts of Senior Managers: Four Key Implications
The Crime and Policing Bill 2025 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, expanding corporate criminal liability to any offence committed by a senior manager acting within actual or apparent authority. The new regime supersedes the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which limited liability to specific economic‑crime offences. Companies now face a higher likelihood of prosecution, must strengthen risk assessments and compliance programmes, and need to map and train senior managers. Financial partners, auditors and potential acquirers will scrutinise governance structures more intensely.
IRS Plans a Full-Year Pass on 280E for Medical Marijuana
The Treasury and IRS announced on April 23, 2026 that medical marijuana products re‑classified to Schedule III will receive a full‑year of ordinary tax deductions for 2026, eliminating the mid‑year split. Section 280E, which bars most deductions for Schedule I/II substances, will still...
Legal Foundations of Honorable Military Service
The article, authored by three senior military legal experts, examines how senior U.S. officers increasingly confront orders that may breach constitutional limits. It underscores the judge advocate’s role in advising officers on legal boundaries and ethical redlines. The authors draw...
Data Centers and Communities: Why the Conversation Demands More Nuance
Maine’s House approved LD 307, imposing a moratorium on AI data centers larger than 20 MW until November 2027 and creating a Data Center Coordination Council to assess grid, ratepayer and community impacts. The move reflects growing statewide anxiety, echoing similar legislative efforts...
Market Intelligence: EDiscovery Market Growth From 2012 to 2030
The global eDiscovery market is projected to expand from $4.73 billion in 2012 to $28.08 billion by 2030, reflecting a 10.4% annual compound growth over 18 years. Software spend is accelerating, rising from roughly 30% to 39% of total spend, while services...
The FAA DETER Program: A New Era of Drone Accountability
The FAA launched the Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response (DETER) program on April 16, moving from its historic “educate‑first” stance to a rapid enforcement model for first‑time drone violations. DETER issues a formal violation notice and gives operators ten...
☕ Morning Briefing — May 1, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that Louisiana’s congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrerrymander, prompting Governor Jeff Landry to suspend upcoming primaries while the Republican legislature prepares a new map likely favoring GOP candidates. A USDA‑backed review uncovered roughly...
Before Brazil Scrubs In: The Case Against Digital-Market Surgery
Brazil’s Bill 4,675/2025 would create a Digital Markets Superintendency within CADE and grant the agency power to designate firms as systemically important for up to ten years, imposing tailor‑made ex‑ante obligations. The proposal mirrors aspects of the EU Digital Markets...
James Comey’s Re-Indictment Is the Product of a Twisted Justice Department | Lawrence Douglas
Former FBI director James Comey was reindicted by the Justice Department on April 27, 2026, after a social‑media post of seashells that prosecutors say threatened President Donald Trump. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is seeking a permanent appointment, filed...
Two Massachusetts Men Plead Guilty To Their Roles In Multi-Million Dollar Bank Fraud Ring
Two Massachusetts men, Victor Kolawole and Keith Wainaina, pleaded guilty to a multi‑million‑dollar bank fraud scheme that spanned Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The operation involved stealing personal data, forging IDs, and cashing fraudulent cashier’s checks worth roughly $1.1 million. Both...
Mobile PET Scan Provider to Pay $8.33 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act Violations Based on Unlawful Kickbacks...
Modern Nuclear Inc., a mobile PET‑scan provider, agreed to pay $8,334,350.71 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it offered cardiologists above‑market fees for patient referrals, violating the Anti‑Kickback Statute. The settlement, based on the company’s ability to pay, also...
California Man Sentenced to 144 Months In Prison For Fraudulently Obtaining $59 Million In Public Benefits And Laundering Proceeds To...
Bruce Jin, a 61‑year‑old Los Angeles resident, received a 144‑month prison term for orchestrating a $59 million fraud against state unemployment and stimulus programs. He and co‑conspirators used stolen personal data to create thousands of bank accounts, filed false claims, and...
Oklahoma City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for $1.1 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
Natasha Allmon, a 49‑year‑old Oklahoma City resident, received a 20‑month federal prison sentence for submitting fraudulent behavioral health claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Between January 2021 and December 2023 she filed roughly $1.4 million in false claims, pocketing about $1.1 million in reimbursements....
Two Individuals and a Corporation Charged with Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act and Illegally Emitting Pollutants in Puerto...
A federal grand jury in San Juan indicted Ramón Plaza‑Gregory, Ileana Cortés‑González, and their company Mo‑Na‑Co Biomedical & Environmental Corp. for five Clean Air Act violations and a conspiracy to violate the Act. The indictment alleges the firm burned unpermitted...
Struck Out! (And a Telling Silence)
A UK magistrates’ court struck out the author’s Part 8 claim seeking clarification on whether jurisdiction arises from the abstract statutory machinery of the Single Justice Procedure or from specific, traceable acts. The order offered no reasoning, merely stating the court...
Osborne Administration Extended for Extra Two Years
Geoffrey Osborne, the Surrey‑based contractor that entered administration in 2024 with roughly $58 million of debt, has received a second High Court extension pushing the wind‑down to 29 April 2028. The extension follows an earlier one granted in 2025 and adds another year...
Corporate Report: Mergers Orders and Undertakings Register
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) maintains a public register of merger orders and undertakings under the Enterprise Act 2002 and the Fair Trading Act 1973. First published on 31 March 2014, the register lists remedies in force, lapsed or released measures, and...
The Clause that Lets Netflix Raise Your Price Might Not Be Legal in Europe
Netflix faces a €673 million ($727 million) lawsuit in the Netherlands alleging its price‑increase clause violates EU Directive 93/13 on unfair contract terms. The claim follows an Italian court ruling that declared every Netflix price hike from 2017 to 2024 unlawful, with similar...
EAPIL Conference in Geneva (18-20 June 2026): Registration Closes on 17 May 2026
The European Association of Private International Law (EAPIL) will host its third bi‑annual conference in Geneva, Switzerland, from 18 to 20 June 2026. The event, titled “Shaping the Future of Private International Law in Europe – Putting Together the Pieces & Filling...
Sun Life Targets $213.5M Settlement to Close Long-Running Legacy Policy Lawsuit
Sun Life Financial has reached an agreement in principle to settle a decades‑old class‑action lawsuit involving more than 230,000 life‑insurance policies originally issued by MetLife. The proposed deal would pay up to $213.5 million to eligible policyholders and is expected to...
Deepfakes Are Now a Board-Level Risk & Regulators Are Watching
Deepfake‑enabled fraud is moving from novelty to enterprise‑level threat, with recent scams costing a Hong Kong firm $25 million and a Singapore company $0.5 million. The UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) and the updated corporate governance code (Provision 29) now...
Conservative Justices Actually Consider Race – Except in Correcting Inequality | Saida Grundy
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 6‑3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais effectively nullified the remaining protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act’s Section 2, rejecting a lower‑court‑ordered majority‑Black congressional district in Louisiana. The majority, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, framed the decision...
Are We Losing Our Minds to AI?
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers reprimanded Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during their high‑profile lawsuit in Oakland, urging them to curb social‑media attacks. The courtroom drama follows a recent fire‑bomb attempt on Altman's home, reflecting the intense...
Probe Into Offshore Rig Incident Uncovers Serious Breaches
Norway’s offshore safety regulator Havtil has issued a compliance order to Odfjell Drilling after a lifting‑operation accident on the Deepsea Nordkapp semi‑submersible rig injured a deck operator on October 8, 2025. The 2.67‑tonne logging tool swung uncontrolled, breaking the worker’s arm, ribs...
Associates at Law Firms With AI-Heavy Advisory Practices Feel Less Confident About Using AI Tools Themselves
Law firms that advise clients on AI technology are paradoxically seeing their own junior lawyers hesitate to use AI tools. A recent Chambers survey of 300 associates across 50 U.S. firms found that only about a third feel confident deploying...
South Korean Probe Refers 12 Officials Over Jeju Air Crash Recovery Failures
South Korea's investigation into the Dec. 29 Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash has referred 12 officials for disciplinary action after finding inadequate recovery procedures and missing safety guidelines. The probe also scrutinizes the pilots' go‑around decision amid a massive bird...
T‑Mobile Presses Congress for NTIA Control of FirstNet, Aims to Undercut AT&T
T‑Mobile has sent a memo to congressional aides urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to receive express authority over the FirstNet public‑safety network. The carrier frames the move as a competition fix and a direct challenge to AT&T, which...
IRS Unveils Temporary Rules to Refund Diesel and Kerosene Excise Taxes
The Treasury Department and IRS rolled out new regulations, effective May 1 2026, that let businesses reclaim excise taxes on diesel or kerosene that are later dyed and removed for non‑taxable uses. The temporary rules, which expire May 1 2029, create a formal refund...
Paramount‑Skydance Faces $110 B Merger Lawsuit From Subscribers over Antitrust Concerns
Paramount Global, now under Skydance, and Warner Bros. Discovery are confronting a consumer lawsuit that seeks to block their $110 billion merger. Plaintiffs argue the deal would give the combined firm roughly 24% of theatrical distribution, enabling higher prices and fewer...
Liberia: EPA Shuts Down Illegal Gold Mine in Gbarpolu
The Liberian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the shutdown of Nugget Era Mining Company's large‑scale gold operation in Gbelee Town, Gbarpolu County, after discovering the firm was mining across 32 claims without a valid environmental permit. Inspectors found the...
United Pilot Reports Possible Drone Strike at 4,000 Ft over San Diego, FAA Launches Probe
A United Airlines 737 pilot reported striking a red drone at roughly 4,000 feet while landing at San Diego International Airport, prompting an FAA investigation. The incident exceeds the legal ceiling for civilian drones and raises fresh scrutiny of autonomous aerial...
HC Rejects ESI Evasion Attempt Through ‘Allowance’ Classification
India’s High Court ruled that firms cannot dodge Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) coverage by classifying workers as “allowances” to stay below the 10‑employee threshold. The case involved Diamond Silk Khadi Society, which claimed only nine employees, but records showed 13...
Former Berndale Director Stavro D’Amore Pleads Guilty to Dishonest Conduct, Misusing $700,000 in Company Funds
Former Berndale director Stavro D’Amore pleaded guilty to multiple dishonesty offences, admitting to illegally transferring about AU$681,500 (≈US$450,000) of client‑derived funds between 2017 and 2018. ASIC banned him from providing financial services for six years and the case proceeds to...
Nebraska Launches Medicaid Work Requirements, Sparking HR Concerns
Nebraska became the first state to enforce federal Medicaid work requirements on May 1, obligating roughly 70,000 enrollees to work, train or attend school. The rollout has ignited alarm among workers, health‑care providers and human‑resources teams that must manage new...
‘Clear Gap’ Between Words and Action on New Brunswick Prompt Payment: CANB
New Brunswick’s Prompt Payment Act, passed in June 2023, remains unenforced, with the government targeting a 2027 rollout despite draft regulations still pending. The Construction Association of New Brunswick (CAN B) reports that 80% of its members still endure late payments,...
Agora Finance Seeks U.S. Bank Charter to Scale Stablecoin-Backed Digital Dollar Services
Agora Finance, the issuer of the AUSD stablecoin, filed a national trust bank charter with the OCC to bring its digital‑dollar services to the U.S. market. The move follows a $50 million Series A raise and aims to unlock “tens of billions”...
Why Your AML Data Vendor Choice Matters More than Ever
Selecting an AML data vendor has become a strategic priority for compliance leaders, not just a regulatory checkbox. Firms increasingly run multiple screening solutions—97% use two or more, and 53% manage eight to ten systems—creating siloed data and high false...
Telcos Delay Service Restoration Despite Court Order Freezing Action Against Nairtime
Telecom operators MTN Nigeria and Airtel have not restored Nairtime Nigeria’s access to essential services despite a Federal High Court injunction on April 24 ordering a halt to any disruption. The court barred the operators from blocking USSD, SMS, short codes...
The Week in Brief – 27 Apr to 01 May
The UK Parliament cleared the Pension Schemes Bill, setting the stage for sweeping reforms across defined‑contribution and defined‑benefit markets as Royal Assent looms. FCA data showed total consumer complaints climb to 1.87 million, with a 10% surge driven by insurance and...
Waymos, Robotaxis Can Now Be Ticketed by California Police. But How Exactly?
California’s Assembly Bill 1777 takes effect on July 1, giving police the authority to issue a “notice of AV non‑compliance” and hold autonomous‑vehicle manufacturers liable for traffic violations. Waymo and other robotaxi operators must file a First Responder Interaction Plan, maintain 30‑second...
Can You Trademark a 'Bean Club'? Rancho Gordo's Legal Claim Is Dividing the Industry
Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando trademarked the term “Bean Club” in 2022, securing exclusive rights to the phrase that powers his heirloom‑bean subscription service. The club has grown from a niche market in 2013 to over 30,000 members and a...
Drug Amount Reporting: FDA Publicly Identifies over 7,700 Noncompliant Companies
On March 31 2026 the FDA released a public list showing that more than 7,700 drug manufacturers failed to submit the required 2024 drug‑amount reports. The list separates 1,254 firms with active drug listings from 6,480 firms with inactive listings, highlighting a...
Rebel Wilson’s Ex-Agent Charles Collier Laments “Car Crash” Legal Battle Over ‘The Deb’
Rebel Wilson is being sued for defamation by lead actress Charlotte MacInnes over allegations surrounding a September 2023 bathing incident with producer Amanda Ghost on the set of Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb. In Sydney, Wilson’s former UK agent Charles Collier testified, calling the dispute a...
China Bans Firing for AI, Forces Firms to Bear Costs
China just made it illegal to fire someone to replace them with AI. I’m a Psychologist. Here’s what no one is saying about why. China didn’t ban AI. They banned MORAL OFFLOADING. The court ruled the cost of transformation belongs to the organization. Not the...
SMEs Miss Hidden Risks Until Fine Print Triggers Bankruptcy
Most SME owners, they CAN tell you what they signed. BUT, likely almost none of them can tell you what happens when it goes wrong. That’s where the real exposure lives. A Singapore casino nearly bankrupted a Malaysian business owner through debt...
Hanna Rassamakhina on Ukrainian War Crimes Accountability, POW Standards, and Media Blind Spots
Ukrainian lawyer Hanna Rassamakhina, head of the War and Justice Department at the Media Initiative for Human Rights, discussed accountability for war crimes in the Russia‑Ukraine conflict. She noted that Russian forces have committed over 300 documented killings of Ukrainian...
Trump's DOJ Turns Indictments Into Absurd Contest
I heard Trump's Justice Department is having a contest for the most absurd indictment. This is the leading contender so far.
How to Determine If Your Business Must Follow PCI DSS
Do You Need to Comply with the PCI DSS? A Practical Guide for Businesses https://t.co/lnDusMSyDf https://t.co/ZTBt9Bky8L
Banks Must Audit Geographic Clauses After Goldman Blocks Claude
Goldman Blocked Claude in Hong Kong After Contract Geography Reinterpretation Anthropic: never officially supported there. Other models remain. Despite lockout, still building agents together. Risk: banks must audit geographic clauses - DOJ/BIS enforcement threat https://t.co/5uz3V5sbt7
Leaseholders Need Manager Control, Not Just Rent Caps
Assuming @UKLabour is actually going to push through ground rent cap as promised (which is debatable), the next crucial step is to allow leaseholders to appoint their own managers and control their work. Caps won't get us anywhere, but...