National Law Journal

Del. Supreme Court Reverses $16M Fee Award in SpaceX Investment Case

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:53:42 EST

The partial reversal benefits appellees Tomales Bay Capital Anduril III LP, Tomales Bay Capital Anduril III GP LLC and Iqbaljit Kahlon, represented by Kirkland & Ellis and Ross Aronstam & Moritz.

States Sue to Block Paramount/WBD Merger

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:32:52 EST

“Unless enjoined, Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. [Discovery] will likely substantially harm competition in each of the relevant markets, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, the California-led coalition wrote in a complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Marble Palace Blog: Requiem for a Crier

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:50:01 EST

George Hutchinson, the Supreme Court's last "crier" in 1962, died last month at 102.

Judge Jesse Furman: ‘No Judge Should Be Abdicating His or Her Judicial Decision-Making Role to AI'

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:29:59 EST

Judge Jesse Furman discusses the potential applications of artificial intelligence for judicial work in the second installment of our conversation with the judge about AI and the law.

Law Firms Are Building Their Own AI Tools. Should They Share Them?

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

The pros and cons of unleashing your firm's own AI products onto clients and peer firms.

Paul Hastings Formalizes Sports Practice, Hires Ravens GC as Latest Addition

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:21:06 EST

The firm follows other Big Law firms that are looking to cash in on the suddenly lucrative sports world. But Paul Hastings' leadership feels the firm's ancillary practices and existing clients give it an edge.

'Stealth Overrulings': Did the Supreme Court Overturn More Precedent Than It Claimed?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:27:08 EST

Across several rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority either outright overruled, or else functionally gutted, several precedents this term.

S&C, Expanding Relationship With Trump, Joins Legal Team for E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:00:31 EST

The petition to the Supreme Court is expected to rely on presidential immunity arguments not unlike those made in a separate criminal case out of New York involving Trump that Sullivan & Cromwell is handling.

Amazon Wins Dismissal of $840M Lawsuit Filed by Supplier, After Judge's Finding of 'Fraud on the Court'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:39:32 EST

The opinion by U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield found Gilimex fabricated supplier documents and a roughly $69 million purchase order tied to its raw-materials damages claim.

US Appeals Court Lifts Order Blocking Investor Lawsuits Over Infinity Q's Collapse

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:23:08 EST

A three-judge appeals panel found that a permanent injunction blocking the lawsuits didn't conform with the Anti-Injunction Act, a law preventing the federal judiciary from staying state court proceedings.

Most Legal Departments Still Can't Measure AI ROI, Axiom Survey Finds

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:20:34 EST

"Knowing what problem you are solving should be the first step. Too many organizations are adopting AI to avoid being left behind, without analyzing whether the tools advance their goals," said one general counsel.

Big Law's Trump Deals May Face More Lawmaker Pressure After Midterms

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:37:58 EST

Democratic lawmakers are expected to revive congressional investigations into nine law firms that made deals with the Trump administration, if Democrats gain a majority in one or both chambers of Congress. Law firms could be the subject of congressional subpoenas or public hearings.

Latham Lures Two Davis Polk Partners to Expand Capital Markets Practice

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:18:49 EST

Latham said Friday that Rooney will join as global vice chair of its capital markets practice.

Misconduct Probe Against 9th Circuit Judge Nelson Gets Transferred to 4th

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:47:47 EST

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's chief judge, Mary Murguia, initiated the complaint against Nelson following news reports that the Idaho-based jurist is facing misdemeanor charges for a parking lot altercation in April.

Straight to En Banc: 7th Circuit to Skip Three-Judge Panel in Trans Youth Care Case

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:35:51 EST

The 11-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit agreed Wednesday to an initial en banc hearing of James Uthmeier's appeal, an unusual move permitted under the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Paralegal Claims Baltimore Midsize Firm Sabotaged Move to New Job by Failing to Transfer Client Files

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:12:31 EST

In the underlying litigation, filed in September in Maryland federal court, Whiteford Taylor & Preston accused a pair of paralegals of aiding an unnamed former equity partner in unfairly soliciting clients. One has since filed a countersuit.

SEC Hires Citadel Alum for Artificial Intelligence Advice

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:57:34 EST

Stan Yakoff began work as the SEC's new senior adviser on AI and exams in June.

As Law Firms Make Blackbox Bonuses, Transparency Clashes Grow

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:13:21 EST

More firms are adding bonus setups, but aren't making those payments known to other partners, even in otherwise transparent comp systems.

Why 'Safe' General Counsel Hires Are Leaving So Quickly

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:04:39 EST

More chief legal officers are leaving within just a few years of being hired, prompting questions about whether companies are selecting the wrong candidates—or preparing them for the wrong job. Legal leaders say the modern GC role requires far more than an impressive résumé.

'No One Is Safe': Child Exploitation Class Action Against xAI Lists New Plaintiffs, Adds Stability AI as Co-Defendant

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:06:36 EST

The novel class action, which is the first to target the sexual exploitation of minors on an AI large language model, added two new plaintiffs and listed Stability AI as a co-defendant in an amended complaint.

DC Court Accepts SEC's Deal With Elon Musk, Despite ‘Significant Misgivings'

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:26:04 EST

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan said she had "significant misgivings" about the settlement, but that the deal didn't meet the high threshold to be rejected.

White House Internal Communications Shed Light on Trump's Law Firm Deals

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:30:15 EST

The communications released by the DOJ in late June, in the form of redacted emails, ultimately relate to three elements of Trump's 2025 war on Big Law.

Legal Departments Boost AI Spending, Press Outside Counsel for Cost Savings, Deloitte Finds

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:32:53 EST

A new survey of 121 legal leaders finds AI adoption accelerating across in-house departments, with GCs increasingly looking to technology to cut costs, insource work and reshape law firm pricing.

Despite SEC's Proposal to Ease Disclosure Rules, Shareholders May Demand More

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:31:34 EST

"I do think it will be interesting to see how much impact investors, proxy advisers and the like have with respect to influencing companies to disclose more than the bare minimum," Latham & Watkins' Bradd Williamson said.

Qualified Immunity for Law Firms? Ex-Baker Donelson Partner Petitions Supreme Court Over Firing

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:08:46 EST

A seasoned Nashville lawyer suing Baker Donelson over his firing is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law firm's successful qualified immunity defense.

'Effectively Tailored'?: FinCEN Agenda Targets AML Compliance Burdens

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:08:02 EST

FinCEN and the Treasury Department are currently preparing to overhaul anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing regulations.

DOJ Asks Full 6th Circuit to Revive Bid for Michigan's Unredacted Voter File

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:41:19 EST

In seeking en banc review, the U.S. Department of Justice argued that a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit misread a section of the 1960 Civil Rights Act that empowers the U.S. attorney general to obtain certain state voting records to enforce federal election law.

ABA Fires Back Against DOJ in Battle Over Epshteyn Subpoena

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:09:10 EST

The DOJ alleges that the ABA's requests for production raise separation of powers concerns, that it would be premature for the government to conclude that the requests implicate the presidential communications privilege, and that the ABA's requests are overbroad.

Kirkland, Sidley, Simpson, Akin, Paul Hastings and More Poach Partners From Rivals Amid 'Aggressive' Lateral Market

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 05:59:59 EST

"Across the board, firms are moving very quickly, very aggressively” to secure talented laterals in a few core practice areas," said Michael Parrillo, a New York legal recruiter.

EEOC Scraps Affirmative Action Guidance, Raising Litigation Risk for Employers, Lawyers Say

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:35:20 EST

Any employers that want to have an affirmative action plan are "going to have to be very careful," said Clark Hill member Vanessa Kelly.

9th Circuit Mulls First Amendment Challenge to California's Mandatory Meeting Law

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:50:21 EST

"It's kind of like Lord Voldemort, whose name we dare not speak," Judge Richard Tallman said. "There are some topics that you can make the subject of a mandatory meeting, and there are other topics you cannot,”

Trump Seeks Rarely Granted Reconsideration After Supreme Court Denies E. Jean Carroll Appeal

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:11:34 EST

President Donald Trump wants the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider his rejected appeal of a civil sexual assault verdict against him won by writer E. Jean Carroll.

US Appeals Court Rejects $310M Suit Against Hedge Fund Over Bed Bath & Beyond Stock Trades

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:04:54 EST

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the contractual "blockers" meant to stop a hedge fund from becoming a corporate insider in Bed Bath & Beyond were viable.

Winston Taylor Adds IP Litigation Team From DLA Piper in D.C., Silicon Valley

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:50:48 EST

Some of the experienced litigators have worked together for the better part of two decades, and they bring a wealth of knowledge with regard to intellectual property disputes.

A Lesson in History and Civics—The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Perilous Times

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 23:59:59 EST

We are a strong nation when we stand together with respect for the fundamental institutions and principles upon which this great nation was founded. We must all devote ourselves to ensuring that we do not forsake the aspirations of our founders for a just and fair society.

As Pro Bono Programs Navigate Choppy Waters, Are Hours Holding Steady?

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:59:59 EST

Law firm pro bono leaders said demand for pro bono work on immigration-related cases was particularly strong in 2025, as a result of the government's stepped-up deportation efforts.

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Plans Quick Integration in DC, Names Office Leadership

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:22:09 EST

More than 50 legacy Cadwalader attorneys and staff are moving into legacy Hogan Lovells' office space in downtown D.C. this month, following the firms' merger.

Lucrative Book Deals, Concert Tickets, Classes in Prague: What We Learned from Justices' Financial Disclosures

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:15:35 EST

U.S. Supreme Court justices traveled far, received noteworthy gifts and made substantial sums from book publishers in 2025, according to their latest financial disclosure forms released by the judiciary.

Marc Kasowitz Faces Malpractice Suit Over Columbia Antisemitism Settlement

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:14:30 EST

A representative for the Kasowitz firm said the malpractice complaint misrepresents the facts of the situation and downplays the benefits of the Columbia deal.

Arguing Class Actions: The Myth of the 'Perfect Class'—and the Weaponization of Predominance

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:59:59 EST

Arguing Class Actions is a monthly column for the National Law Journal.

After a Year on the Road, K&L Gates Leadership Duo Are Bullish About the Firm's Future

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

Stacy Ackermann and Rick Giovannelli spent much of this past year traveling the globe to meet with partners and clients after the two were elevated to leadership positions with K&L Gates last July.

What's Driving a Wave of Partnerships Between Law Firms and AI Providers

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

“I have a prediction that some other firms will feel threatened enough that they also need to do a landmark announcement with someone, said one legal tech AI founder.

Katten Lands in Miami with DLA Piper Capital Markets Hire

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

New arrival Josh Kaufman, who will serve as office managing partner, said the Chicago-based firm has been eyeing Miami for several years and views it as a growth market.