News•Feb 19, 2026
Washington Justices Revive Sodium Nitrite Suicide Suit Against Amazon
The Washington Supreme Court revived a wrongful‑death suit against Amazon, allowing families of four young victims who ingested high‑purity sodium nitrite purchased on the platform to pursue claims. The court rejected the lower courts' view that sellers have no duty when a product is misused, finding Amazon could be liable under state product‑liability law. Plaintiffs allege Amazon knowingly sold the chemical and used its algorithm to promote related suicide‑aid items. Amazon has since limited sales of high‑concentration nitrite and disputes the ruling.
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 19, 2026
Big Law Is Still Running the Geographic Expansion Playbook—And Winning
Big law firms continue to pursue aggressive geographic expansion, opening new offices across the United States and Europe. Kirkland & Ellis launched a Nashville office with ten litigators and plans additional hires, while Morrison & Foerster added 15 former Perkins Coie partners to start...
By Law.com (ALM)
News•Feb 19, 2026
LA Fire Victims Suing City Utility for Billions Win Major Ruling
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner ruled that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can be sued for failing to supply sufficient water during the 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire. The decision rests on a California law that...
By Insurance Journal
News•Feb 19, 2026
New York High Court Clears Manhattan Hotel over 2017 Balcony Suicide
New York Court of Appeals cleared the TRYP Hotel of negligence in the 2017 balcony suicide of Dr. Noah Beadell. The majority held the hotel had no control over the guest and that the family’s expectation of an immediate 911...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 19, 2026
Ballard Spahr Public Finance Team Moves to Barnes & Thornburg
Barnes & Thornburg has hired the entire public finance and infrastructure team from Ballard Spahr, adding 35 attorneys—including 25 partners—to its Government Services and Finance Department. The acquisition more than doubles Barnes’ public finance bench to 56 lawyers and expands its...
By The Bond Buyer (municipal finance)
News•Feb 19, 2026
BLOG: Inside Modern Conveyancing – the Extra Steps Agents and Vendors Don’t See
Modern conveyancing now involves extensive behind‑the‑scenes work that extends beyond the legal milestones agents typically see. Pre‑exchange depends on continuous identity, sanctions and source‑of‑funds checks, while lender criteria evolve throughout the deal. Conveyancers act for both buyer and lender, adhering...
By The Negotiator – Technology (UK)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Labour MP Calls for More Tracking of Short Lets
Labour MP Rachel Blake has forced a Commons debate using the Ten Minute Rule to demand tighter tracking of short‑term lets in London. She argues that the existing 90‑night annual cap is ineffective because councils cannot verify rental frequency, and...
By The Negotiator – Technology (UK)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Federal Circuit Clarifies Patent-Risk Boundaries in Government-Sponsored R&D
The Federal Circuit affirmed that AeroVironment’s UAV development under SBIR and STTR contracts is protected by 28 U.S.C. § 1498, barring patent‑infringement suits against the contractor. The court held the work was performed for the United States with government authorization, shifting any remedy...
By JD Supra – Legal Tech
News•Feb 18, 2026
Michigan Bills Would Regulate Automatic License Plate Readers
Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan two‑bill package to regulate automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) used by law‑enforcement and private firms. The proposals would restrict data collection, storage, and sharing, limit retention to 14 days, and require quarterly public reports...
By Government Technology – Public Safety/Justice
News•Feb 18, 2026
Cassidy, GOP Colleagues File Brief In LA Case On Comstock Act
Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy and 59 Republican lawmakers filed an amicus brief supporting Louisiana’s lawsuit that the FDA violated the 1870 Comstock Act by permitting telehealth prescribing of mifepristone. The brief argues the agency overstepped its authority, seeking...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 18, 2026
Managing Legal Risk in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Key Stakeholders Need to Know Today
In 2026 enterprises are scaling AI from pilots to company‑wide deployments, prompting a surge in legal exposure across governance, compliance, privacy, contracting and IP. Boards face heightened fiduciary duties under the Caremark standard, yet only 36% have formal AI oversight...
By JD Supra (Labor & Employment)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Confidential Information Cannot Be ‘Un-Learned’
The U.S. District Court for New Jersey affirmed a special master’s ruling that barred Nasdaq’s Vice President of Engineering from reviewing opposing confidential material in a patent dispute. The court emphasized that once sensitive information is learned it cannot be...
By JD Supra – Legal Tech
![[Webinar] AI Trade Secrets: Litigation Trends and Risk Management - March 4th, 9:00 Am - 10:00 Am PST](/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/9559f520a80a7acc08a2e1fc4247ee63.webp)
News•Feb 18, 2026
[Webinar] AI Trade Secrets: Litigation Trends and Risk Management - March 4th, 9:00 Am - 10:00 Am PST
Fenwick & West’s March 4 webinar will examine the surge in trade‑secret litigation targeting AI companies’ core assets, such as algorithms, training data, and deployment strategies. The session will dissect recent high‑profile cases and the sizable damages awarded, highlighting how employee...
By JD Supra – Legal Tech
News•Feb 18, 2026
Retired CISA Contracting Chief Juan Arratia Launches Arratia & Associates
Juan Arratia, former Chief of the Contracting Office at CISA, has announced the launch of Arratia & Associates LLC, a consulting firm that will advise on acquisition, procurement, and audit readiness. The new venture follows more than three decades of senior...
By Homeland Security Today (HSToday)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Last Payment for Production Employees in the Motion Picture Industry
California’s Labor Code section 201.5 creates a tailored final‑pay regime for workers engaged in motion‑picture production and broadcasting. The statute requires that terminated employees receive all earned wages by the next regular payday, with payment permissible by mail or at a...
By National Law Review – Employment Law
News•Feb 18, 2026
Cross-Government Report Shows Quadrupling of Detected Fraud and Error in Two Years
The Public Sector Fraud Authority reported a record £1.7 bn in detected fraud and error for 2023‑24, more than four times the £438 m reported in 2021‑22. The surge is driven largely by error, especially £327 m linked to closed energy‑affordability schemes, while...
By Civil Service World (UK)
News•Feb 18, 2026
UK Caps Launch Liability in Timely Boost for Nascent Domestic Market
On February 18, the UK enacted a €60 million liability cap for launch operators under the Space Industry (Indemnities) Act 2025, replacing the previous unlimited exposure. The cap, which must be included in launch licences, is intended to make the nascent UK...
By SpaceNews
News•Feb 18, 2026
FinScan Expands Real-Time AML Across Global Rails
FinScan, Innovative Systems' AML platform, has added real‑time screening for modern payment rails such as IACH and Fedwire ISO 20022, boosting its capacity to process over 100 million transactions daily. The upgrade introduces advanced conditional logic, API‑first data quality tools, and enhanced...
By Fintech Global
News•Feb 18, 2026
EBA Issues Opinion to the European Commission on the Draft Amended European Sustainability Reporting Standards
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has issued an Opinion to the European Commission on the draft amended European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) prepared by EFRAG. While the EBA welcomes the simplifications that reduce reporting costs, it warns that permanent reliefs...
By EBA – News
News•Feb 18, 2026
UK Legaltech Adeus Launches True Wills Ahead of Electronic Will Reforms
London‑based legaltech firm adeus has launched True Wills™, a service that records a cryptographic fingerprint of a will on blockchain while keeping the document off‑chain. Backed by an Innovate UK Smart Grant, the product complements traditional wet‑signed wills and is...
By Tech.eu
News•Feb 18, 2026
OSHA Inspector Ranks Fell Sharply Before Projected 2026 Increase, Agency Says
OSHA’s federal safety‑inspection workforce dropped sharply, falling from 812 officers at the end of fiscal 2024 to 629 by September 2025. The agency projects a rebound to roughly 1,720 inspectors in 2026, a figure that includes staff from state‑plan programs....
By Business Insurance
News•Feb 18, 2026
SEC Moves to Toughen Standards for Philippine Corporate Directors
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a draft memorandum circular proposing stricter training requirements for corporate directors and senior executives. The new framework mandates a comprehensive curriculum that incorporates OECD corporate governance principles, the ASEAN Governance Scorecard,...
By Manila Bulletin – Business
News•Feb 18, 2026
Ongoing Regulatory Uncertainty Means Innovation Is Now Higher Risk
Regulatory uncertainty is rising as the FDA shifts leadership, adopts a single‑trial approval pathway, and tightens its benefit‑risk framework. While the one‑trial standard promises faster, cheaper market entry, recent surprise complete response letters (CRLs) show that even successful Phase 3 results...
By BioSpace
News•Feb 18, 2026
Proliferating Patents, Lawsuits Stave Off Pharmas’ Generic Competitors
A new analysis in Health Affairs Scholar reveals that brand‑name drugmakers are exploiting the Hatch‑Waxman framework through serial patent litigation and continuation patents to extend market exclusivity. By filing multiple overlapping patents, companies can repeatedly sue generic challengers, triggering 30‑month...
By BioSpace
News•Feb 17, 2026
Former Students Blast Grand Canyon University over ‘Worthless Degrees’
Grand Canyon University is facing a class‑action lawsuit alleging it misled students about the accreditation and licensure eligibility of its Master of Science in Psychology program. Plaintiff Katie Ogdon says she spent over $20,000 and was told the degree qualified...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Judge Clears Navy Contractor’s $1.5 Million Settlement with Hunters Point Residents
A federal judge approved a $1.5 million settlement between Tetra Tech, the Navy contractor cleaning the former Hunters Point Naval Yard, and 6,500 local residents, deeming the agreement made in good faith. The settlement follows an earlier, far larger $27 billion...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Houston Is Becoming A Biglaw Stomping Ground
Houston is emerging as a premier destination for large law firms, with two Am Law top‑30 firms announcing new Houston offices in 2026. The move leaves only five firms in the top‑30 still without a Houston presence, underscoring the city’s growing...
By Above the Law
News•Feb 17, 2026
Texas AG Sues Wi-Fi Company over Links to China
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP‑Link Systems Inc., alleging the Wi‑Fi maker deceived consumers by marketing its routers as "Made in Vietnam" while sourcing most components in China. The complaint cites longstanding firmware vulnerabilities that Chinese state‑backed hackers have...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Victims Recall Horror of School Shooting in Trial Against Suspect’s Father
Multiple survivors of the September 4, 2024 Apalachee High School shooting testified about severe physical injuries and lasting anxiety as the murder trial of their shooter’s father, Colin Gray, proceeds. The father faces 29 charges, including second‑degree murder and child cruelty, after...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Federal Judge Tells The Trump Administration To Quit Acting Like Big Brother
Federal Judge Cynthia M. Rufe granted a preliminary injunction forcing the Department of Justice to restore signage, displays, and videos at Philadelphia’s President’s House that detail the slaves owned by George Washington. The Trump administration had sought to remove the...
By Above the Law
News•Feb 17, 2026
‘No Careless Mistake’: Trump Sued for Removing Pride Flag at Stonewall Monument
LGBTQ advocates sued the Trump administration after the National Park Service removed the rainbow flag from the Stonewall National Monument, citing a Department of the Interior memo that limits flags at federal parks. The plaintiffs argue the action reflects targeted...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Massachusetts Judge Pauses ICE Policy Allowing Enforcement in Churches
A Massachusetts federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the Department of Homeland Security’s new guidance that permits ICE agents to conduct immigration enforcement inside and near houses of worship. The memo, introduced by acting DHS secretary Benjamine Huffman, replaced...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
Got In To Your Dream Law School? Federal Loan Caps Could Change The Math
The U.S. Department of Education will enforce a new federal loan cap on July 1, 2026, limiting professional‑school borrowing to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. At top‑tier law schools, where tuition and living costs often exceed $100,000 annually, the cap forces...
By Above the Law
News•Feb 17, 2026
Virginia Democrats Weigh Increasing Parole Opportunities to Decrease Rising Prison Medical Costs
Virginia Democrats approved a bill to double the state parole board to at least ten members, slated to take effect in 2028, as part of a strategy to curb soaring prison medical expenses. A recent Department of Corrections report showed...
By Courthouse News Service
News•Feb 17, 2026
The Votes Are In! Here Are The 15 Legal Tech Startups Selected For The 2026 Startup Alley At ABA TECHSHOW
The ABA TECHSHOW’s 2026 Startup Alley has selected 15 legal‑tech startups to pitch on opening night, after a public voting process narrowed a panel‑chosen shortlist of 25. Winners will showcase their AI‑driven solutions—from immigration case management to email automation and settlement...
By Above the Law
News•Feb 17, 2026
Utah Considers Adding a Third Law School
Utah lawmakers are evaluating a bill to create a third law school, tasking Utah Valley University with a feasibility study for a campus at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. The study, due Nov. 30, will examine accreditation routes, including ABA approval, and...
By Law.com (ALM)
News•Feb 17, 2026
3 Questions For A Litigation Funding Startup Founder (Part II)
The interview with Signal Peak founder Lauren Harrison highlights a critical shortage of trial‑ready talent in IP law firms, noting that fewer than 10% of litigators have ever tried a case. She explains that funders favor firms that can confidently...
By Above the Law
News•Feb 17, 2026
Divided FTC Finalizes Rule to Ban Noncompete Agreements
The Federal Trade Commission finalized a rule banning most non‑compete agreements, approved by a 3‑2 vote and set to take effect 120 days after publication. The regulation spares only senior executives earning over $151,164, preserving existing clauses for that group....
By Law.com (ALM)
News•Feb 17, 2026
France Releases Oil Tanker GRINCH After ‘Several Million Euro’ Penalty for Sanctions Evasion
French authorities released the oil tanker GRINCH after its owner paid a multi‑million‑euro penalty for sanctions evasion. The vessel, seized in the Alboran Sea in January, was suspected of operating under a false Comoros flag as part of Russia’s shadow...
By gCaptain
News•Feb 17, 2026
Houston Companies to Pay $200K to Workers Fired for Asbestos Concern
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered two Houston construction firms, Rise Construction LLC and Niko Group LLC, to reinstate two workers they fired for raising asbestos safety concerns during a hotel repair after Hurricane Beryl....
By Insurance Journal
News•Feb 17, 2026
Bayer to Make $10.5 Billion Push to Settle Roundup Cases
Bayer AG is set to announce a $10.5 billion settlement initiative to resolve Roundup litigation, combining a $7.5 billion class‑action proposal in Missouri with $3 billion for existing U.S. cases. The German conglomerate has already spent more than $10 billion on verdicts and settlements...
By Insurance Journal
News•Feb 17, 2026
Upcoming Webinar | Confidently Navigate the EU Pay Transparency Directive
The EU Pay Transparency Directive, one of the most comprehensive pay‑equity laws, will take effect in 2026 across all member states. It requires employers to publish gender‑pay gap data and detailed compensation breakdowns. To help organizations prepare, HRtechBot is hosting...
By HRTechFeed
News•Feb 17, 2026
Guidance: Defence Maritime Regulations: Regulatory Notices
The Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR) has refreshed its regulatory notice suite, adding a 2026 Regulation Source Record, ATAMS and ISM Code guidance, and updated IMO registration requirements. Recent 2025 amendments address diving safety verification and wreck management, while a 2025...
By UK Ministry of Defence (GOV.UK)
News•Feb 17, 2026
UAE Clarifies Annual Leave Rules; Sets Limits on Carrying Forward Unused Days
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation issued new guidance clarifying annual leave entitlements and carry‑forward limits. Employees earn a minimum of 30 days paid leave after one year, with accrual at two days per month before that. Unused leave...
By HR Katha (India)
News•Feb 17, 2026
UK Crypto Rules Too Slow to Support Global Hub Ambitions, Says Agant CEO
Andrew MacKenzie, CEO of stablecoin developer Agant, warned that the United Kingdom’s crypto regulatory timetable is too slow to support its ambition of becoming a global digital‑asset hub. While the government plans to pass comprehensive stablecoin legislation later this year,...
By CoinDesk
News•Feb 17, 2026
New London Tribunal Centre to Open as Backlog Exceeds 66,000 Cases
The UK’s largest dedicated tribunal centre in London will begin hearing cases in March, adding 30 hearing rooms and capacity for up to 60 judges. The move responds to a growing backlog of more than 66,000 tribunal cases across employment,...
By HRreview (UK)
News•Feb 17, 2026
DSS Files Charges Against El-Rufai Over Alleged NSA Phone Interception
The Department of State Services has filed a three‑count criminal charge against former Kaduna governor Nasir El‑Rufai for allegedly intercepting the telephone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Prosecutors say El‑Rufai admitted the illegal interception during a televised interview on 13 February 2026,...
By The Cyber Express
News•Feb 17, 2026
Sources: US Healthcare Manufacturer Danaher Is Nearing a Deal to Buy Medtech Company Masimo for ~$10B; Masimo Is in an...
Danaher, a US healthcare conglomerate, is close to finalizing a roughly $10 billion acquisition of Masimo, the maker of pulse‑oximetry and other medical monitoring devices. The deal, still subject to antitrust clearance, would add Masimo’s sensor technology to Danaher’s Life Sciences...
By Techmeme
News•Feb 17, 2026
EFCC Quizzes El-Rufai, Defends Use of Tear Gas on Protesters
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) summoned former Kaduna governor Nasiru El‑Rufai for questioning over alleged mismanagement of public funds during his 2015‑2023 tenure. While El‑Rufai complied, supporters stormed the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, prompting operatives to deploy tear gas...
By BusinessDay (Nigeria)
News•Feb 16, 2026
Big Financial Impacts From Off-Campus HOPD Rule Change
Effective Jan. 1 2028, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 requires hospitals to assign separate NPIs and submit two provider‑based attestations for each off‑campus hospital outpatient department (HOPD) or lose Medicare OPPS reimbursement. Compliance documentation can be extensive—up to 200 pages per...
By HFMA – Healthcare Financial Management Association