The Lawyers Advising Elon Musk and Sam Altman at Trial
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are facing off in a federal courtroom in Oakland, with each CEO backed by a distinct roster of legal counsel. OpenAI and its co‑founder Altman are represented by Morrison & Foerster partner Jordan Eth, alongside attorneys from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Hueston Hennigan. Musk’s defense is anchored by boutique firms, most prominently MoloLamken, supplemented by other specialized practices. The case spotlights the high‑stakes legal battles that can arise when tech titans clash over strategic direction and intellectual property.
Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: SCOTUS Hears Key Roundup Case, 1st Bellwether Trial Opens Over Bard PowerPort
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monsanto’s claim of federal preemption in the massive Roundup pesticide litigation, a case that could set a nationwide precedent. At the same time, the first bellwether trial for more than 3,000 lawsuits over...
The Week in Data April 29: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Law.com’s weekly data roundup highlights several pivotal shifts in the legal sector. Applications to law schools surged in 2025, driving admissions rates to historic lows, while the number of J.D. degrees awarded fell by roughly 2,500 year‑over‑year. The American Bar...
Litigation Trends to Watch: FTC Unleashes Wave of Consumer and Antitrust Actions. Plus, Pacific Trial Attorneys Advocates for Consumers in...
The FTC is rolling out a new rule to clarify joint‑employer status as part of a broader wave of consumer and antitrust actions, signaling heightened scrutiny of staffing, outsourcing, and franchise arrangements. At the same time, Palantir tied its chief...
The Week in Data April 21: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Law.com’s weekly data roundup highlights three major legal‑industry movements: U.S. firms continue to chase UK revenue, exemplified by Latham & Watkins reporting a $1 billion London earnings milestone; Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader have agreed to merge, creating dual New York locations and expanding their presence...
Own Up: Proposed Rule to Help Judges Catch Conflicts Inches Forward
A federal appellate judge has advanced a proposed rule that would require judges to disclose financial interests and automatically trigger recusal when conflicts arise. The amendment, praised by U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance, seeks to standardize conflict‑of‑interest detection across the...
When the Patent Litigation System Has to Make Charging Happen: Tesla V. Charge Fusion and the Drafting Risk of &Lsquo;Result...
Tesla has sued Charge Fusion over a patent that claims a charging system capable of both scheduling and actively increasing battery charge. The dispute centers on the patent’s use of “result in” language, which blurs the line between a recommendation...
The 2026 Am Law 100: Ranked by Gross Revenue
The 2026 Am Law 100 ranking, based on gross revenue, shows a mixed landscape for big‑law firms. Winston & Strawn posted an 8% revenue increase and a 15% profit boost as it prepares for a merger with Taylor Wessing. Across the board,...
Nonequity Expansion Goes Hand-in-Hand with Lateral Additions
Law firms are accelerating non‑equity expansion by opening new regional offices and supplementing them with lateral hires. In 2026, three AmLaw 200 and midsize firms launched Wilmington, Delaware locations focused on bankruptcy work, while Simpson Thacher re‑established a Singapore office by...
The Week in Data April 8: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
Law.com’s weekly data roundup highlights several pivotal shifts in the legal sector. Simpson Thacher announced a new Singapore office, signaling renewed focus on Asian private‑equity work, while the DOJ rebuked state attorneys general for mistakenly exposing confidential HPE‑Juniper acquisition documents. Big‑law...
Trump's EEOC Applying Its Enforcement Powers in Unconventional Ways
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has intensified its enforcement of workplace religious discrimination, filing six actions since the start of FY2026. Among the cases, the agency is probing Nike for alleged systematic bias against white employees, while other high‑profile bias...
Trademarking Talent: A Novel Strategy for Protecting Voice and Likeness Against Unauthorized AI Use
Actor Matthew McConaughey has obtained eight federal trademark registrations covering his voice and iconic catchphrases, pioneering a legal tactic to curb unauthorized AI reproductions. The filings transform personal attributes into protectable assets, offering a new enforcement tool while Congress lags...
'Not Out of the Ordinary in This Circuit': Amazon Must Turn Over Source Code in Biometric Privacy Action
A Chicago federal judge ordered Amazon to produce the source code behind its biometric‑recognition systems in a lawsuit filed under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The magistrate ruled that the code is discoverable, provided Amazon’s trade‑secret protections are upheld...
Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: Two Talc Trials Take Off Against Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Faces Another Trial Over...
Law.com’s Critical Mass roundup highlights a wave of high‑profile mass‑tort actions. Two Johnson & Johnson talc mesothelioma trials launch in Washington and Florida, while Abbott confronts its fourth federal lawsuit alleging its preterm infant formula causes necrotizing enterocolitis. Paraquat producers...
The Week in Data March 11: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers
The latest Law.com data roundup highlights a sharp rise in judicial misconduct complaints, reaching 1,603 allegations—a 400‑case increase from 2024. Litigants accounted for 79% of these filings, with prison inmates contributing 16%. Simultaneously, several high‑profile judges have resigned amid ethics...