Corporate Counsel

Pacemaker Giant Medtronic Jolted Rival's Legal Chief With $7M for Change in Heart

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:52:56 EST

Medtronic lured former Becton Dickinson legal chief Michelle Quinn with incentives including a $1.1 million cash sign-on bonus and $1.5 million in new-hire restricted stock.

California Cities' Algorithmic Pricing Laws Show Teeth as Class Actions Mount

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:30:37 EST

Real estate companies are facing class actions alleging violations of recent municipal bans on using algorithms to set rent, highlighting a new potential liability for landlords as algorithmic pricing comes under increasing scrutiny.

SEC Proposes First Rules to Regulate Crypto Assets, Create Exemptions

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:28:31 EST

The move comes as the Digital Market Clarity Act, a comprehensive market structure bill backed by the crypto industry, has stalled in the Senate.

'Hook the Users, Harvest Their Data': California AG Lawyer Tells Jury Meta Targeted Kids for Profit in Opening Statements of Social Media Trial

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:23:36 EST

In opening arguments at a closely watched Oakland trial, a coalition of 29 states accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to keep children engaged for as long as possible while concealing evidence of harm to young users. Meta defended the design of its products before an advisory jury.

Meta Sued Over Assertions That AI Designs Serve 'National Interest'

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:15:22 EST

A manager at Meta alleges that the company fired him after he refused to sign off on a statement for an immigration petition that appeared to misstate his role in the company, The plaintiff alleges that Meta used immigration support as an employment-related benefit and that its allocation was not governed by neutral, consistently applied criteria unrelated to national origin, ancestry, race or ethnic identity.

2026 GC Pay Report: Stock Awards Reshape the Ranks of the Highest-Paid Female GCs

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 07:59:59 EST

A nearly $10 million cash payday wasn't enough to make Goldman Sachs' legal chief the highest-paid woman in this year's Corporate Counsel compensation rankings, underscoring how equity awards have become the defining factor in executive pay packages.

Former SEC Acting Chair Elad Roisman Joins Crypto Giant Fireblocks in Top Regulatory Legal Role

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:29:34 EST

Roisman will guide regulatory strategy for one of the crypto industry's largest infrastructure providers.

AI Is Giving Legal Departments More Reasons to Keep Work In-House

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:08:06 EST

“The presumption that I always pressure test with them is sort of that first capacity constraint reflex is to go and get outside counsel because this is a new question or a complex question, said Rishi Varma, chief legal, compliance and corporate affairs officer and corporate secretary at Cargill.

Rogue AI Agent Attacks Open Uncharted Legal Territory

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:33:56 EST

More speculatively, according to the BakerHostetler attorneys, AI agents could someday legally be viewed more like employees, which would implicate legal theories traditionally associated with adequate employee supervision.

GCs in Tech, Entertainment Industries Bagged Biggest Bucks in 2025

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:48:59 EST

General counsel compensation rocketed to record-shattering levels in 2025, fueled by a hypergolic mix of volatile long-term stock awards and the expanding value of legal chiefs as crucial members of the C-suite.

2026 GC Pay Report: The Full List, From No. 1 to No. 551

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:27:32 EST

See who landed where in our annual rankings of the highest-paid legal chiefs, based on an analysis of Fortune 1000 companies' proxy statements for the 2025 fiscal year.

On Eve of New Meta Trial, Legal Experts Say Recent New Mexico Ruling Likely to Have Influence

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:26:28 EST

Experts who spoke with Law.com said the recent New Mexico decision, with its sweeping child-safety order against Meta, may serve as a road map for the California trial, an ongoing suit in Tennessee as well as other claims that social media companies have contributed to harm among young users.

Uber's Lawyers Face Hate Mail, Violent Graphics: ‘My Colleagues Are Getting Death Threats'

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:22:38 EST

Uber attorney Allison Brown told U.S. District Judge Charles on Friday that her colleagues had received threatening emails after The New York Times published an Aug. 4 article called, “Uber's Strategy for Fighting Sexual Assault Suits: What Were You Wearing?'

Credit Union Liquidations, Conservatorships Nearly Top 2025 Levels

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:40:38 EST

The National Credit Union Administration last week placed African Diaspora Federal Credit Union into liquidation—just 15 months after the NCUA approved its charter

SEC Stops Weighing in on Companies' Exclusion of Shareholder Proposals

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:29:49 EST

Now, if a company thinks a shareholder proposal can legally be excluded, it can make that decision itself.

What Might Trigger EEOC Action? Regulator's Suit Claims DEI Training Segregated Employees

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:25:53 EST

The EEOC sued Washington University after it fired a Black woman employee who was terminated after raising objections to the administration about a DEI training session where white and nonwhite employees were separated.

DOJ's First Decision Not to Prosecute Healthcare Company Under New Policy Carries Lessons

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:21:19 EST

“The lesson is that there is a real pathway for obtaining the declination, but that it's not a guarantee and that there are certainly strings attached and steps a company has to take ahead of time, starting when misconduct is identified, said Benjamin Conery, counsel at WilmerHale.

HPE/Juniper Settlement Tests Limits of Tunney Act Oversight

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:40:42 EST

In the first and only outright merger challenge filed by the DOJ in the second Trump Administration, the DOJ alleged that HPE's $14 billion Juniper acquisition would harm competition for wireless networking services.

Former Splunk Legal Chief Becomes an 'Oktanaut'

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:54:11 EST

Scott Morgan, who had been chief legal officer at Splunk for a dozen years, joins San Francisco-based cybersecurity company Okta.

Kimberly-Clark Promotes Deputy GC Suzana Blades to Top Legal Role Amid Pending Kenvue Acquisition

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:39:25 EST

The former ConocoPhillips lawyer will take over as general counsel as Kimberly-Clark pursues its proposed acquisition of consumer health products company Kenvue, a deal that would create a consumer health and household products company with about $31 billion in annual sales

The American Lawyer Industry Awards: Finalists for Best Legal Departments

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:08:41 EST

The winners will be announced live at The American Lawyer Industry Awards on Nov. 12. Full profiles of the winners will run on Corporate Counsel in November.

Industry Awards Finalists Announced

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:08:02 EST

Join us in congratulating these honorees, who will be honored at The American Lawyer's annual gala on Nov. 12 in New York.

Reddit Hires Former Time Warner Heavyweight as New Legal Chief

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:06:38 EST

Paul Cappuccio will replace Ben Lee, who will depart the social media and discussion platform next month after seven years.

Lawsuits Begin to Pile Up Over Foodborne Parasite Outbreak

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:45:52 EST

At least 10 such cases, filed in various courts around the country and picked up by Law.com Radar, demonstrate the potential for liability at multiple points in a food supply chain.

For Long-Term Success With AI Tools, Look Beyond Task Automation

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:28:26 EST

"The challenge will be for in-house lawyers to lead the charge in developing the systems that will replace our old ways of working," said legal technology expert Richard Susskind.

Most Legal AI Pilots Fail. The Legal Teams That Succeed Share One Thing.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:38:59 EST

While most legal AI pilots fail at rates between 80-95%, the legal teams that succeed share disciplined execution across five practices: investing in people through ongoing training, starting small with focused use cases, establishing governance rules first, measuring outcomes from day one, and seeking external expertise.

University of California GC Charles Robinson to Retire, Closing Two Decades Leading Legal Affairs

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:57:28 EST

Robinson, who has overseen legal matters for the 10-campus University of California system since 2007, plans to step down in June 2027. The university has not yet identified a successor.

Trump Administration Finalizes Rule Ending Beneficial Ownership Reporting for US Companies

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:34:17 EST

Only foreign companies will need to report beneficial ownership information under the rule, meant to combat money laundering. But their U.S. subsidiaries are also exempt.

What Separates Great Bank Regulatory Lawyers? Business Judgment, Says Former UBS Attorney

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:51:25 EST

Cristina Diaz, who recently joined Crowell & Moring after more than a decade at UBS, discusses what her years in-house taught her about turning regulatory requirements into practical business solutions, why she returned to private practice and how she approaches leadership in an evolving financial services landscape.

Holy Departure: Synopsys' Legal Chief to Pursue Theology Degree

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:28:27 EST

Janet Lee joined Synopsys last summer from Ansys, which it acquired in a $35 billion deal.

When to Use and Not Use AI Note-Taking Tools

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:13:59 EST

Organizations should use AI tools under careful supervision of corporate secretaries for noncontroversial meetings while avoiding them for executive sessions, strategic discussions and highly sensitive deliberations.

FTC Becomes Latest Federal Agency to End 'Disparate Impact' Enforcement

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:52:03 EST

The Federal Trade Commission's action falls in line with President Donald Trump's executive order, but does not affect discrimination claims by private parties and state regulators, attorneys say.

Subaru of America Elevates Insider Laura Link to Top Legal Post

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:15:20 EST

Link, a former company lawyer who later moved into human resources leadership, becomes general counsel less than a year after Subaru had filled the role with an outside legal chief from Pep Boys.

SEC Accounting Fraud Unit Puts 'Back-to-Basics' Enforcement Into Action, Lawyers Say

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:18:12 EST

As the SEC rebuilds its fraud-fighting capabilities under new leadership, it plans to use AI to sift through vast quantities of public company filings and identify emerging risks and trends, an official said.

Freight Giant XPO Appoints Jonas Svedlund as Chief Legal Officer

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:31:27 EST

Svedlund succeeds Wendy Cassity at the $8 billion freight transportation company after serving as deputy general counsel at Thermo Fisher Scientific and holding senior legal roles at General Electric.

More Securities Class Actions Are About AI. Is This Just Another Trend?

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:10:06 EST

The amount of AI-related securities litigation might wind up dwarfing other recent trends, such as cryptocurrency-related or SPAC-related cases, according to Brian Cochran, a partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd.

$2.5B Settlement: A New Blueprint for Environmental Litigation?

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:37:01 EST

New Jersey collected $2.5 billion for environmental pollution in four sites after following a litigation strategy consisting of identifying contamination, suing the responsible parties, establishing liability through litigation, and negotiating a settlement.

GCs Are in the Driver's Seat, but They Have to Use the Leverage

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:08:39 EST

"Be demanding about things that you care about, not that the provider cares about," legal services regulatory expert Crispin Passmore said.