Legal News and Headlines
Legal News and Headlines
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two Air Force cases challenging the Department of Defense’s COVID‑19 vaccine mandate, deeming them moot after the Pentagon began reinstating service members who had refused the shot. Plaintiffs, citing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment, sought back pay and retirement points but were turned away at lower courts and ultimately by the high court. Roughly 17,000 troops declined vaccination, leading to over 8,400 discharges, while a 2025 Trump executive order now restores back pay for those reinstated. The decision underscores the judiciary’s view that the mandate controversy has effectively been resolved by policy changes.
Three Wisconsin taxpayers have sued the state Legislature, alleging it misused about $26 million of public funds to hire private attorneys to challenge Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. The lawsuit targets a 2018 lame‑duck package that gave the Legislature authority to...
A Santa Cruz County judge ruled that Watsonville violated the State Aeronautics Act and CEQA by approving a 21‑unit housing project inside the safety zone of Watsonville Municipal Airport. The court ordered the city to adopt state‑mandated airport compatibility standards...
Pharmaceutical giant Bayer has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, accusing the latter of false advertising around its prostate‑cancer drug Erleada. Bayer claims J&J’s February 2 press release and website slides used flawed data to portray Erleada as more effective...
Crypto.com has secured conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to charter Foris Dax National Trust Bank, operating as Crypto.com National Trust Bank. The bank will deliver custody, staking and trade‑settlement services under OCC supervision,...
Morgan Lewis announced the addition of Joseph Gatti as a partner in its structured transactions practice, based in Washington, D.C. Gatti brings deep experience in structuring and executing asset‑backed securities, particularly single‑family residential assets and mortgage deals. He arrives from Amherst Residential, where...
Penn Entertainment announced the appointment of three independent directors—Heather Ace, Jeffrey Fox and Fabio Schiavolin—expanding its board from eight to eleven members and ending a two‑year dispute with activist investor HG Vora Capital Management. In exchange, Vora withdrew the lawsuit it...
An appellate court in the Southern District of Texas ruled that a creditor’s prima facie showing of a security interest entitles it to adequate protection under Chapter 11, remanding the First Brands‑Evolution dispute back to the bankruptcy court for further...
The SEC will host a Private Markets Roundtable on March 4, 2026 to discuss the retailization of private securities. Currently, non‑accredited investors are limited to Reg A and Reg CF, while most private offerings remain inaccessible. Pending legislation could relax accredited‑investor thresholds, adding a...
Palantir Technologies, the US data‑fusion and AI firm, has secured contracts with the UK National Health Service and the Ministry of Defence. Critics argue the deals give a surveillance‑focused company access to sensitive citizen data. The firm’s platforms, already employed...
Grammy‑winning rap duo Salt‑N‑Pepa have filed a notice of appeal after a district judge dismissed their lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking to terminate UMG’s ownership of their master recordings. The lower‑court ruling held that the duo never owned the...
Shell plc announced on 23 February 2026 that it repurchased 1,028,319 of its own shares for cancellation, executing trades on six European venues. The GBP‑denominated purchases (LSE, Chi‑X, BATS) were made at volume‑weighted average prices around £29.54 per share, while...
CMS has released draft regulations that will reshape Medicare Advantage (MA) and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace operations beginning in the 2027 compliance year. The proposals tighten enrollment verification, mandate greater cost and benefit transparency, and introduce stricter documentation standards...
A French court rejected ProtonVPN’s arguments against mandatory blocking of sports piracy sites, compelling the Swiss VPN provider to enforce the order in France. ProtonVPN claimed the block violated the EU’s Open Internet Regulation and would cause technical overreach, but...
On 28 May 2024 the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) re‑issued General Licence INT/2024/4761108 under Regulation 64 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The licence authorises individuals to use retail banking services of a designated credit or financial institution, provided any payments...
The European Commission’s digital‑omnibus package proposes to reshape the GDPR by redefining personal data, allowing pseudonymized information to fall outside strict privacy rules. National governments, led by the Cypriot Council presidency, have pushed back, warning the change could erode core...
Recent Stanford and Yale studies show that leading large language models—including OpenAI's, Google’s Gemini 2.5, Anthropic’s Claude 3.7, and xAI’s Grok 3—can generate near‑verbatim excerpts from copyrighted novels, reproducing up to 77% of the original text when prompted. The findings reveal that LLMs...
London‑based airline parts firm director Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala forged documents to sell tens of thousands of CFM56 engine components, injecting roughly 60,000 suspect parts into the global supply chain. The scheme, spanning January 2019 to December 2023, generated £6.9 million in revenue for...
Sebi chair Tuhin Kanta Pandey announced a sweeping review of portfolio‑management‑services (PMS) regulations, citing the sector’s Rs 10.5 lakh‑crore asset base and 17% CAGR growth. The draft overhaul will prioritize investor suitability, governance, and technology, with a public consultation slated before the...
FCA chief Nikhil Rathi told the inaugural Fairer Finance podcast that the regulator is moving away from drafting new rules, opting instead to lean on the existing Consumer Duty and supervisory tools. He framed the shift as an outcomes‑based approach,...
The federal government’s solar procurement is pivoting from a broad "Buy American" stance to a targeted "Don’t Buy Chinese" approach. The 2021 Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act still requires 55% domestic content, but agencies frequently seek waivers when U.S.-made...
An appellate court reversed a lower‑court ruling, siding with REGENXBIO in its patent dispute against Sarepta Therapeutics over an adeno‑associated virus (AAV) vector used in Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy. The judge held that the patented composition, as a whole,...
The U.S. Interior Department issued Public Land Order 7966, revoking two federal withdrawals that covered roughly 2.1 million acres along the Dalton Highway corridor. The revocation removes the long‑standing restrictions, allowing Alaska to select the lands under its remaining statehood entitlement....
The blog explains that successful ocean container index‑linked contracts require an index that mirrors the specific trade lanes and geographic scope of a shipper’s routes. Using a mismatched index, such as a Shanghai export benchmark for India‑to‑Europe shipments, can lead...
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened Phase 1 of its review into the proposed merger between LDC and Green Label, issuing an invitation to comment that runs from 23 February to 9 March 2026. An initial enforcement order was served on...
A new HR Executive report highlights that U.S. compliance programs are lagging in data‑analytics adoption, limiting their ability to build resilient, future‑proof processes. The study points to a three‑pillar solution—culture, technology, and accountability—to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Researchers...
LRN’s new report finds only 34% of U.S. organizations use data analytics to assess compliance effectiveness, despite rising AI investments. Most compliance programs still focus on basic activity metrics like training completion, offering limited insight into underlying risk or cultural...
The UK Civil Aviation Authority plans to enforce new drone rules from January 2026, requiring a UKCA conformity mark and conspicuity devices on drones as light as 100 g. Industry leaders warn that the lack of a transition period and the...
SpaceX has shifted its lunar strategy, announcing plans to build a self‑sustaining city and orbital AI data centers on the Moon within a decade. The move intensifies competition with China, which targets a crewed landing by 2030, prompting the United...
Clifford Chance announced that 38 of its 50 spring‑seat trainees have accepted newly qualified positions, delivering a 76% retention rate. The firm received 47 applications for NQ roles, extended 39 offers and saw 38 accepted. Clifford Chance recruits up to...
Chile’s Antofagasta Court of Appeals overturned a favorable ruling for Andes Iron’s $2.5 billion Dominga iron‑ore and copper project, sending the case back to the special Committee of Ministers. The appeals panel deemed the earlier enforcement vote procedurally flawed and did...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has revised its reasonable adjustments policy for SQE candidates, requiring applicants to submit adjustment requests and finalize plans before the seat reservation deadline. The change, first applied to October SQE2 bookings, aims to align the process...
A senior banker was convicted of providing false evidence under oath in a federal fraud case and subsequently had his prison term reduced on appeal. The original sentence, imposed for perjury and involvement in a $200 million loan scheme, was cut...
Morphic Financial Group, the London‑based parent of digital payments platform Ari10, has obtained a Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) licence through its Dutch subsidiary WEB3 Holding B.V. The Dutch regulator’s approval makes Morphic one of the first Central and Eastern European...
California’s SB 576, effective soon, mandates that ads in streaming content be loudness‑matched to the surrounding program, extending the CALM Act principles to digital platforms. The law places compliance responsibility on the entity delivering the ad to California viewers, exposing the...
A solicitor has been struck off the roll after being convicted of possessing indecent images. The disciplinary tribunal ordered the removal of his practising certificate, citing breach of professional standards. The case was processed swiftly by the Solicitors Regulation Authority...
The U.S. Forest Service has stopped issuing wildland firefighter pants treated with PFAS after ProPublica exposed the agency’s long‑standing use of the chemicals. Supplier TenCate had been applying PFAS‑based finishes to Kevlar‑blend fabrics to repel gasoline and water, despite internal...
From April 2026 the UK government will introduce two permanent business‑rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values under £500,000, set 5 p lower than the national multipliers. The small‑business multiplier covers properties below £51,000 RV, while...
The Legal Cheek podcast delves into the day‑to‑day reality of corporate lawyers, highlighting their role in negotiating deal terms, drafting agreements, and conducting due‑diligence. Hosts Julia Szaniszlo and Ryan Scott discuss the massive document reviews trainees face under tight deadlines....
EscalaX announced a strategic partnership with privacy‑focused consultancy BidSafe One to strengthen its data‑protection and regulatory compliance posture. The collaboration will help EscalaX optimise consent management and align its operations with GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, IAB TCF and GPP standards. By integrating...
Blackstone Infrastructure’s $11.5 billion acquisition of TXNM Energy has received FERC approval, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. The commission concluded the deal serves the public interest and will not harm rates, competition, or oversight, while noting existing ring‑fencing protections for Blackstone’s...
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has issued a reminder that all telecom licence holders must verify expiry dates and file renewal applications between 12 and six months before a licence lapses. The directive covers both Individual Electronic...
Legal Cheek’s Monday round‑up highlights a flurry of UK and international legal headlines, from Prime Minister Rishi Starmer’s push to fast‑track judge‑only trials ahead of a potential leadership challenge, to US law firms being accused of overwhelming British courts. The briefing also...
The High Court dismissed all contempt applications filed by self‑represented litigant Martina Yvonne Shand against six defendants, including five lawyers, deeming them totally without merit. Justice Cotter also struck out Shand's £500,000 claim against Mishcon de Reya and DWF, labeling...
A judge has reported a barrister to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for allegedly inflating a claimant’s loss figures in a recent case. The allegation suggests the barrister exaggerated damages to secure a higher settlement. The BSB now faces a...
LMS has introduced the National Property Transaction Network (NPTN), a data‑sharing platform that lets estate agents assemble a Fast Track Sale pack at the listing stage. The pack aggregates ID checks, title details, searches and other key information, which conveyancers...
Property agents are being warned that manual identity checks expose them to sophisticated scams. SmartSearch reports that 54% of verification checks remain manual, leaving gaps for AI‑generated IDs and deepfake documents. A recent survey of 1,000 decision‑makers shows fraud incidents...
The $100 million whistleblower lawsuit filed by former GroupM CEO Richard Foster has resurfaced as WPP filed a motion to dismiss, attaching internal documents that reveal the scale of GroupM’s proprietary media deals. Foster’s 36‑page “Project Claridges” report shows that only...
Harvey Norman has been named the second defendant in a newly filed class action alleging that its promotion of Latitude Finance Australia’s interest‑free, 60‑month payment plans misled consumers. The lawsuit seeks restitution, damages, and a declaration that the agreements are...
