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
Clifford Chance Promotes 28 to Partner in US-Heavy Round
Clifford Chance announced 28 new partners in its latest global promotion round, including six in the United States and nine in London. Women account for nine of the new partners, representing 32% of the cohort. The firm highlighted a sharp increase in US promotions, rising from one per round in 2024‑25 to six this year, as part of an aggressive expansion in private‑equity, M&A and restructuring. Revenue grew 9% to £2.4 bn, roughly $3.05 bn, underscoring the strategy’s financial impact.
Illegal Rave Attendees in Marseille Could Face Fines of €3,000 Under Proposed Legislation
French MPs in Marseille have introduced a draft law that would penalise participants in unlicensed rave parties with fines of up to €3,000 (about $3,240) for repeat offenders. Organisers of events exceeding 250 attendees could face six months in jail...
Commonwealth to Stamp Out Illegal Conduct on Construction Sites
The Australian Government will launch a consultation on new workplace‑relations standards for Commonwealth‑funded construction projects, aiming to curb bribery, illegal conduct and entrenched union influence. Proposed measures include stripping union veto power over subcontractor choice, introducing a fit‑and‑proper person test,...
When Compliance Needs More than Diligence
Regulators in India, led by the RBI, have mandated enterprise‑wide, workflow‑based compliance management systems for banks, NBFCs, insurers and fintechs. A recent RBI circular revealed that most institutions still rely on manual spreadsheets, leaving gaps in obligation tracking and evidence...
Maryland the First State to Regulate Grocery Surveillance Pricing
Maryland became the first U.S. state to ban "surveillance pricing," a practice where grocery retailers adjust prices based on a shopper’s personal data such as address, income or browsing habits. The new law prohibits price discrimination tied to demographic information...
WageSafe Rolls Out Real‑Time Payroll Compliance Features
WageSafe announced new payroll compliance capabilities that detect and correct payment errors in real time. The upgrade aims to help employers avoid costly compliance breaches and streamline payroll operations.
West Virginia Gov. Morrisey Signs Bill Expanding Cybersecurity Oversight and Annual Agency Reviews
Governor Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 5638, bolstering West Virginia's cybersecurity office with enforcement authority and requiring every state agency to complete an annual security review. The law, effective June with a Nov. 30 compliance deadline, marks a shift from compliance‑only...
Xizhi Tech Raises HKD2.5 Bn in Hong Kong IPO, Shares Surge 380% on Debut
Xizhi Technology, the world’s first listed AI silicon‑photonic chip maker, closed its Hong Kong IPO with HKD2.53 bn ($323 m) of proceeds. The stock opened at HKD880, 380% above the HKD183.2 offer, giving the company a market value north of HKD80 bn ($10.2 bn)....
AI Slashes Audit Costs, Big Four Resist Price Cuts
We all know with certainty that AI will drastically reduce the costs of corporate auditing. This cost-reduction already widespread in legal. One problem - the big 4 are holding the line, telling clients despite AI, we are not lowering rates....
DOJ Gains Access to KKR Lawyers’ Emails in Antitrust Probe
Federal prosecutors obtained a rare court order allowing them to examine emails between private‑equity giant KKR & Co. and its counsel at Kirkland & Ellis. The move is part of a criminal probe into whether KKR withheld deal information from...
EU Pay Transparency Directive Deadline Nears, HR Leaders Scramble to Comply
The EU Pay Transparency Directive takes effect on June 7, compelling companies with European operations to audit compensation policies and ready themselves for mandatory pay‑gap reporting. Legal experts warn that failure to meet the new standards could trigger costly enforcement actions,...
Retailers Challenge $200 B Visa‑Mastercard Swipe‑Fee Settlement
Retail groups including Walmart have asked U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to reject a proposed $200 billion antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard. The deal would shave 0.1 percentage points off interchange fees for five years, but merchants argue it limits their...
Nigeria Rolls Out $92 Billion Offshore Crypto Oversight Framework
Nigeria's government released a White Paper outlining a $92 billion offshore crypto oversight framework, seeking to bring the country's fast‑growing virtual‑asset market under formal regulation. The plan promises tighter supervision, broader tax collection and greater investor confidence, while critics warn enforcement...
Can Philippines’ New Anti-Pogo Playbook Rein in Fast-Moving Scam Hubs?
The Philippines unveiled a national playbook on 22 April to standardize raids on online scam centres tied to the banned offshore gambling (Pogo) industry. The Inter‑Agency SOPs, crafted with the UNODC, assign the Presidential Anti‑Organised Crime Commission primary authority and delineate...
Man Charged with Trying to Kill Trump Took Hotel Room Selfie Before Rushing Gala, Investigators Say
Cole Allen, a 31‑year‑old from California, attempted to breach security at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, aiming to kill President Donald Trump. Minutes before the assault he photographed himself in his hotel room, armed with...
SC ‘Forthwith’ Clarification Vindicated Senate’s 2025 Impeachment Court, Ex-Spox Says
On April 29, the Philippine Supreme Court issued a 14‑0‑1 ruling that interprets the constitutional command “forthwith” as requiring action within a reasonable time, not an immediate start. The decision validates the Senate’s 2025 choice, under former Senate President Chiz...
SCOTUS Bulldozes Through VRA. Is TPS Next?
In this episode of All Rise News, immigration attorney Andrea Flores discusses the Supreme Court’s 6‑3 decision that gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, explaining how the ruling enables aggressive partisan gerrymandering and threatens Black and Latino representation, especially...
Dynamic Pricing, Not Scalpers, Needs Legislative Crackdown
Scalpers are a symptom. Dynamic pricing, platinum tickets, surge pricing at the original sale — that's the disease. Ontario's law caps resale but doesn't touch any of that. Here's why fans deserve legislation that goes after the whole problem. ...
MoJ Justice AI Unit Seeks Squad of Engineers to ‘Build Products with Real-World Impact’
The UK Ministry of Justice’s Justice AI Unit is hiring five forward‑deployed engineers to design and launch AI tools for courts, prisons and probation services. Salaries range from £71,381 to £85,257 (approximately $90,600‑$108,300), reflecting senior‑level compensation. Engineers will work directly...
Minister: ‘We Will Impose some Form of Age or Functionality Social Media Restrictions for Children’
UK ministers confirmed they will impose age‑based or functionality restrictions on social‑media use for children under 16, though a full ban is not yet legislated. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill gives the government power to enforce a future ban,...
TheSource.com EXCLUSIVE: Tupac’s Brother Mopreme Shakur Speaks About His Decision To File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Keefe D
Mopreme Shakur has filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit against Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who was charged in 2023 for Tupac Shakur’s 1996 murder. The suit claims that Tupac’s death not only ended a brotherly bond but also stripped Mopreme of millions...
Transcript: China’s Engineering State Vs. America’s Lawyerly Society (W/Dan Wang)
In his book Breakneck, Dan Wang argues that China operates as an engineering state that relentlessly builds, while the United States has become a lawyerly society that habitually blocks projects. He cites stark contrasts such as China’s $36 billion Beijing‑Shanghai high‑speed...
Michigan AG Challenges Kalshi's Preemption Defense, Demands State Court Remand
Borrowing a line from MA federal judge Richard Stearns (who remanded Kalshi back to state court in MA), Michigan AG @DanaNessel asserts that Kalshi's "plain vanilla" preemption defense is insufficient to establish "complete preemption," seeks similar state court remand in...
San Francisco Moves to Halve Eligibility for Six‑Week Fully Paid Parental Leave
Supervisor Danny Sauter introduced a proposal to cut the qualifying employment period for San Francisco’s six‑week fully paid parental leave from 180 days to 90 days, potentially expanding the benefit to thousands of additional workers. The measure, part of the...
Rulemakers Must Be Required to Adhere to a Public Interest Mandate: Pocock
The Australian Greens, led by Senator Barbara Pocock, are urging that the newly formed External Reporting Australia be legally bound to a public‑interest mandate. Pocock’s remarks appear in a Senate economics committee report that backs legislation merging three existing standard‑setting...
India's TRAI Mandates ₹20 (≈$0.24) Minimum Balance to Stop SIM Deactivation
India's telecom regulator TRAI has clarified that a minimum balance of ₹20 (about $0.24) will keep any inactive SIM card from being deactivated. The rule applies to all operators and extends a dormant number for 30 days as long as...
"Design to a North Star": DBS’ Lam Chee Kin Calls for Legal Profession Redesign Amid AI and Burnout Pressures
DBS Group Head Lam Chee Kin, alongside Justice Hri Kumar Nair, launched the Hackathon for a Better World (H4BW) 2026 to overhaul the legal profession in Singapore. The two‑month, learn‑as‑you‑hack event gathers over 40 multidisciplinary teams to address cross‑border capability, responsible...
Montgomery Broker Case Before SCOTUS Featured Topic in Robinson’s Earnings Call
C.H. Robinson’s CEO Dave Bozeman used the Q1 earnings call to address the pending Supreme Court decision in Montgomery vs. Caribe II, a case that could redefine broker liability under the FAA’s safety exception. The company, dismissed as a defendant in...
Coheso Adds AI to Slack, Teams, Outlook and Gmail for In‑house Legal Work
Coheso, the AI‑native legal front‑door platform, rolled out AI‑powered integrations for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Outlook and Gmail, enabling automatic intake and workflow routing of informal legal requests. The enhancements aim to reduce manual effort for legal teams while keeping business...
26-781 - Liu V. Grant Et Al
On April 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick issued an order in Liu v. Grant et al, denying the petitioners' emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction aimed at halting a pending transfer. The court...
Minnesota Settles Trans Athlete Powerlifting Case After Supreme Court Ruling
Transgender lifter JayCee Cooper and advocacy group Gender Justice reached a settlement with USA Powerlifting following a Minnesota Supreme Court decision that the federation’s exclusion of trans women violated the state’s Human Rights Act. The agreement, announced in April 2026,...
25-775 - Clark V. CoreCivic Inc Et Al
A lawsuit titled Clark v. CoreCivic Inc et al was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma under case number 25-775. The plaintiff, Clark, is suing CoreCivic, a major private‑prison operator, along with affiliated parties....
26-523 - Lacy V. United States of America
On April 28, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma dismissed defendant Lacy's motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence, ruling the filing untimely. Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti signed the order, directing...
India Waives Sports IP Fees for Three Years to Fuel Franchising Boom
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced a three‑year waiver of all government fees for intellectual‑property registrations in the sports sector. The policy targets emerging leagues and manufacturers, promising to unlock media‑rights value and accelerate franchising as India...
NYSE Arca Names XRP in Revised Crypto Trust Rules, Expanding Eligible Asset List
NYSE Arca, the NYSE’s listed‑products unit, filed a rule amendment with the SEC that lists XRP alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana as an example of an eligible asset for crypto commodity trusts. The proposal mandates that at least 85% of...
There Was an FCC Meeting?
The FCC voted on six agenda items in April, with five receiving unanimous approval. Commissioner Anna Gomez partially dissented on a report that creates a competitive bidding portal and document repository for the E‑Rate program, citing concerns about filing complexity...
Above Board: What Boards Need to Know About Prediction Markets
In this episode of Above Board, Morrison & Foerster partners Haima Marlier, Scott Lesmus, Trevor Levine (CFTC specialist) and Ryan Adams (SEC specialist) explain what prediction markets are, how they are regulated by the CFTC, and why board members should...
ICMA Publishes the Digital Bonds Annex, an Addition to the GMRA Digital Assets Annex
On April 30, 2026 ICMA released the Digital Bonds Annex, extending the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA) to cover transactions involving natively‑issued digital debt securities. The annex, crafted by ICMA’s Digital Assets Legal Working Group in partnership with ISLA and...
PROPTECH-X : The Renters’ Rights Act Is a Backward Step – the Market Will Prove It
The UK’s Renters’ Rights Act, taking effect on 1 May 2026, eliminates Section 21 no‑fault evictions and shifts all tenancies to periodic arrangements. While marketed as tenant protection, the legislation adds extensive compliance burdens and rent‑increase limits without addressing the chronic supply shortage...
US Tightens Import Rules for 600+ Product Categories
Starting July 8, 2026, the United States will require electronic filing of import data for more than 600 consumer product categories through the Customs and Border Protection ACE system. Importers must submit at least seven core data elements, such as...
How Elon Musk Squeezed OpenAI: They 'Are Gonna Want to Kill Me’
Elon Musk returned to the courtroom on April 29, 2026, to testify in his lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. During cross‑examination, Musk was questioned about a 2017 power struggle in which he allegedly tried to poach OpenAI researchers...
Hongkongers Now Face Fines, Jail Time if Caught Carrying Vapes in Public
Hong Kong will enforce a new public‑place ban on alternative smoking products starting 30 April 2026. Carrying more than five vape pods or 100 heat sticks in public can result in up to six months imprisonment and a HK$50,000 (≈US$6,400) fine, while...
Rejecting Utilitarian Sacrifice for Drunk‑driving Safety Tech
I oppose any laws requiring cars to have technology that shuts them down if the driver is drunk. The reason I oppose them is that I utterly reject the moral logic on which they are based. The moral logic for these...
Stanford Faces Education Department Probe over Racial Discrimination Allegations
The U.S. Department of Education announced a Title VI investigation into Stanford University’s BIPOC Cohort, a program designed to help teachers of color earn National Board Certification. The probe examines whether the cohort’s race‑based eligibility violates civil‑rights law for federally funded...
The Death Letter: How Alito Built a Trapdoor Under the Voting Rights Act
The Supreme Court’s 6‑3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, written by Justice Samuel Alito, overturns the traditional Section 2 standard of the Voting Rights Act by demanding a “strong inference” of intentional discrimination. The ruling declares Louisiana’s court‑ordered congressional map unconstitutional...
Federal Prosecutors Charge Sinaloa's Governor, a Senator, a Mayor, and Seven Other Senior Mexican Officials With Running a Narco-State for...
Federal prosecutors in New York have unsealed a superseding indictment charging ten senior Mexican officials—including the sitting governor of Sinaloa, a federal senator, and the state capital's mayor—with conspiring to protect the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The charges...
It’s Delay, Not Complexity, Holding Back Reform
The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) reacted to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook’s latest remarks, which push the ban on new leasehold properties back to the next parliament while pledging to pass legislation converting existing leaseholds to commonhold before the next general...
Idaho Bans Cellular Trail Cameras on Public Land, Hunting Deer and Elk with Thermals, and More
Idaho enacted House Bill 939, prohibiting the use of cellular trail cameras, drones, thermal imaging and night‑vision devices for hunting big game and upland birds from Aug. 30 through Dec. 31 each year, while keeping cell cams allowed for spring bear season....
Partner Who Acted on Ponzi Scheme Fined £30k over Conflict of Interest
A UK solicitor, Alexander William Bruce Lee, was fined £30,000 (≈$38,000) by the Solicitor Disciplinary Tribunal for serving as director of Global Security Trustees while also acting for London Capital & Finance (LCF), a collapsed mini‑bond scheme later judged a...
John Roberts’ Wife Took Millions From Firms He Rules On—How We Show He’s Not Above the Law
A recent blog post alleges that Chief Justice John Roberts’ wife earned millions from law firms that have cases before the Supreme Court, and that Roberts failed to recuse himself while mischaracterizing those earnings on his financial disclosures. The piece...