National Law Journal

Tom Goldstein Asks 4th Circuit for Release From Prison During Tax Crime Appeal

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:35:33 EST

The appellate attorney and SCOTUSblog founder says, through counsel, that erroneous jury instructions amounted to a violation of his due process rights and that imprisonment during appeal "would effectuate a grave injustice."

DOJ Says Dismissed Sanctuary City Suit Has No Bearing on New York Case

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:07:29 EST

Federal prosecutors argue a New Jersey judge's dismissal of a challenge to Newark's immigration cooperation policies turned on state-specific restrictions that are absent in New York.

DLA Piper Adds Ex-Federal Prosecutor From Freshfields in DC as Clients Face Rising Global Compliance Challenges

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:14:59 EST

Eric Bruce—a former counselor to the U.S. attorney general—joins the firm at a critical juncture, as companies are increasingly facing compliance and risk management challenges including new Foreign Terrorist Organization designations and related sanctions and enforcement developments.

Chipping Away at Big Law's Market Share

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

Without pursuing bet-the-company work, Blackstone-backed Norm Law is targeting a significant portion of Big Law's diet.

Moore & Van Allen Expands to D.C. With Seyfarth Shaw National Security Specialist

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

"Our strategic plan ... really has called for expansion beyond the Carolinas. D.C. is the next logical step for us," said Thomas Mitchell of Moore & Van Allen.

Oregon Judge Set to Decide Future of 14 TCPA Class Actions Amid Fraud Accusations

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:35:14 EST

The 14 class actions are all filed by a plaintiff who isn't a suitable class representative, according to the defense firm Watstein Terepka, because of his use of "violent racist rhetoric" on social media, among many other reasons.

Florida Bar Sued by Morgan & Morgan

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:44:07 EST

Morgan & Morgan's lawsuit alleges that The Florida Bar's rule barring any non-client celebrity's image or voice in firm marketing is the most restrictive in the nation.

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.

Steptoe, Greenberg Traurig, O'Melveny Among Big Law Firms Making DC Hires

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:12:58 EST

Big Law firms announced a flurry of hires in their real estate, financial services, white-collar, IP and litigation practices in D.C.

Baker & Hostetler Doubles Down on Digital Assets With New Crypto Disputes Team

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:43:27 EST

The unit is led by seasoned New York-based litigator Joanna Wasick, whose work in digital assets dates to 2014, when she first began advising clients on securities law issues arising from Bitcoin transactions.

4th Circuit Blocks Policy Allowing ICE Arrests at Houses of Worship

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:56:19 EST

“The evidence showed that this increased threat of immigration enforcement at the plaintiffs' houses of worship has resulted in substantial pressure on the plaintiffs to violate numerous beliefs, the appellate court stated.

Wilkinson Stekloff and Clement & Murphy Team Up in ABC Suit Against FCC

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:01:20 EST

The two litigation boutiques filed the lawsuit on Tuesday on behalf of the broadcast network, alleging that the FCC violated its First Amendment rights.

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.

Quinn Emanuel Expects to Reach $3B Revenue Goal, as Leaders Reshape Management Strategy

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

The firm's co-managing partners shed light on AI and private equity considerations, talent strategy, and ambitious financial targets, as firm founder John Quinn steps into a non-executive role.

As White-Collar Prosecutions Fall, AG Blanche Expected to Follow Trump Status Quo

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 04:59:59 EST

"They've all but abandoned white-collar enforcement to focus on street crime and lawfare; I don't expect that to change," noted one practitioner.

9th Circuit Says Nevada's Acting US Attorney Wasn't Lawfully Appointed

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:56:28 EST

The Federal Vacancies Reform Act—which details the procedures for temporarily filling executive branch vacancies without Senate approval—allows only for the first assistant U.S. attorney at the time that a vacancy arises to succeed as acting U.S. attorney, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said.

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.

ArentFox Schiff Launches FoxAI Tech Tools for Industry-Focused Approach

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

The new framework, FoxAI, pulls together the firm's proprietary tools and licensed third-party AI platforms, including Harvey, Microsoft Copilot and DeepJudge, to speed up the rate of client work.

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?'

Am Law 200 and Midsize Law Firms See Hiring Burst in South Florida

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:36:56 EST

Bilzin Sumberg, Shutts & Bowen, Quarles & Brady, Morgan & Morgan and GrayRobinson have all added laterals, spanning across practice areas such as maritime, corporate, wealth planning, real estate and more.

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.

Eli Lilly Sues Mounjaro, Zepbound Generics as GLP-1 Disputes Multiply

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:25:06 EST

This wave of Hatch-Waxman cases comes as patent disputes involving GLP-1 receptor agonists, especially Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, continue to proliferate around the world.

Trade Court Backs End of Duty-Free Treatment for Small Imports

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:57:27 EST

The trade court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that Trump tried to use to enact a new global tariff, could support a relatively smaller item on Trump's trade agenda, the end of duty-free treatment for low-value imports.

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.

Full 5th Circuit Tosses Challenge to Trump's Use of Alien Enemies Act for Deportations

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:18:02 EST

The case had returned to the Fifth Circuit after the U.S. Supreme Court enjoined the Trump administration from using the 1798 wartime removal statute to rapidly remove immigrants accused of belonging to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty, Setting Stage for 'Risky' Litigation in State Court

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:47:32 EST

Mangione pleaded guilty to federal charges relating to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson weeks before his state trial was expected to begin. His defense is expected to use the plea in a bid to dismiss the state charges, arguing double jeopardy.

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.

'Chatrie' and the Fourth Amendment's Future: Geofence Warrants, Digital Privacy, Preservation of Constitutional Limits

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:59:59 EST

Chatrie does not hold that all geofence warrants are unconstitutional. It held only that obtaining location history through the warrant was a search, leaving open whether this particular warrant was reasonable. Future litigation will focus on how narrowly geofences must be drawn, how courts should assess probable cause when the suspect is unknown, and how much discretion officers may exercise in deciding which users to unmask.

Big Law Firms Staff Up National Security Practices as Work Picks Up

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:21:45 EST

Latham & Watkins, Sullivan & Cromwell, Nixon Peabody and Morrison & Foerster are among the firms that have made hires in their national security practices in the past two months.

Will Trump's Ballroom Case Set Stage for SCOTUS Scrutiny of ‘Aesthetic Standing?'

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:31:29 EST

Law professors said the federal circuit court's divided holding—that Hoagland suffered an “aesthetic injury —may well face scrutiny from the high court. Lawsuits brought by environmentalists against government-approved projects often allege aesthetic injuries, such as harm to a person's enjoyment of nature or scenery.

Palestinian-American Students' Lawsuit Tests Columbia's Response to Competing Bias Claims

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:26:51 EST

Five Palestinian Americans claim Columbia ignored anti-Palestinian harassment and investigated protected advocacy under its antisemitism measures, raising questions about how higher education handles competing bias complaints.

Amid Downturn in Electric Car Sales, Business Disputes Are Heading to Court

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:14:43 EST

As electric car manufacturers are coping with sluggish sales, some are facing a variety of litigation. Things have been getting ugly for the electric car industry since the elimination of federal tax credits for EVs.

Boston Fed. Judge Dismisses Trump's Suit Against Harvard Alleging Antisemitism

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:43:37 EST

"Without diminishing any concern arising from these occurrences, the court finds them, singly and collectively, to be too isolated and episodic to support a plausible inference that any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day," U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns said.

Trump Picks Arkansas Federal Judge for 8th Circuit Vacancy

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:42:57 EST

Lee Rudofsky's confirmation would make the 11-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit—which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota—the first federal appellate court with a majority of active judges appointed by President Donald Trump.

Law Firms Rate Hikes Persist—But With 'Much Stronger Anxiety' for Many

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

Billing rate increases have remained “robust so far in 2026, according to a recent survey on legal industry pricing, and most expect rates to either continue on-trend or increase heading into 2027.

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.

Kalshi Uses CFTC Order to Defy Court Losses in Bid for 2nd Circ. Relief From NY

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:58:01 EST

The order is the second time the CFTC has triggered its emergency powers for Kalshi. Kalshi is already using the instruction to ask the Second Circuit to shut down litigation from New York State.

NJ Supreme Court Strikes a Blow Against Daniel's Law

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:22:10 EST

A New Jersey Supreme Court ruling finding no mens rea requirement for ordinary liability under Daniel's Law is a shot in the arm for those challenging the law on First Amendment grounds.

Biden-Era Gas Stove Regs Not Fit for Expedited Rule Process, 5th Circuit Says

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:52:23 EST

“The previous administration's gas stove measures were among its most controversial energy proposals," the appeals court stated. "The idea that all that controversy could be elided using the [direct final rule]—a mechanism designed for consensus rulemaking—is untenable.

Davis Polk Brings Suit Against Energy Company for $3.2M in Overdue Fees

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:20:23 EST

Because of the unpaid invoices, which Davis Polk said account for more than 2,000 hours of work and “tens of thousands in out-of-pocket disbursements, the firm said it had to withdraw from the case.

Greenberg Traurig Signs 10-Year Lease With Related Ross for West Palm Beach Relocation After 4 Decades

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:11:47 EST

Office managing shareholder Tracy Gerber said the move reflects the firm's confidence in the continued evolution of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County as a leading destination for business talent and investment.

How AI Will Impact the Future of Law Firm Excellence

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:59:59 EST

The investments firms make today are likely to impact earnings, talent management, and many other areas that feed into overall firm excellence.

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.

Amid ABA Battle With Trump, DOJ Says Executive Privilege Extends to Outside Advisers

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:13:43 EST

Meanwhile, most law firms that have received the DOJ's subpoenas have objected to them and, as of Tuesday, have produced nothing or minimal responses, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Law Firms Target AI Skills, First-Gen Connections in Summer Training Programs

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:00:14 EST

Law firms are expanding pre-career training for law students, offering programs that range from early professional guidance for incoming 1Ls to courtroom-skills development for top 3Ls.

New Battle Ground? Jack Daniel's Ruling Raises Bar for Trademark Tarnishment Claims

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:20:15 EST

A federal appeals court ended Jack Daniel's decade-long fight against the "Bad Spaniels" dog toy, ruling the whiskey maker couldn't prove the parody actually harmed its brand's reputation.

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.

Super PAC Corruption Is Rooted in a Judicial Misunderstanding; A First Circuit Case Offers a Solution

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:59:59 EST

It was clear the First Circuit judges understood that SpeechNow had missed Citizens United's core point: that the right to speak was unlimited where the law “alleviat[ed] the “danger of “quid pro quo corruption, but with donors, the law had done no such thing. SpeechNow had made a mistake; the question for the First Circuit was whether it would correct that mistake.

Judge Scolds Luigi Mangione Counsel Over 'Reckless' Comments About Public Access

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:51:48 EST

A Manhattan judge sharply criticized Luigi Mangione's defense team for suggesting that court officials and prosecutors were limiting public access to his upcoming murder trial, calling the allegations a "reckless mischaracterization" of efforts to accommodate the press and public. The judge also announced that the jury will be anonymous as jury selection approaches next month.

Judge Axes Bulk of Adani Case, Blasts DOJ Official for 'Lack of Respect'

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:57:31 EST

The move to drop the case has been mired in controversy since it was reported in May that Adani's lead lawyer, Robert Giuffra of Sullivan & Cromwell, privately told Justice Department officials the businessman was ready to invest billions of dollars into the U.S. economy if prosecutors were willing to drop the charges.

Is the Recruiting Target on Wachtell Partners Growing?

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:32:01 EST

Wachtell will likely continue to face poaching attempts, as they are faced with more rival firms that have grown their profitability.

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.

'Good Blueprint': 1st Agentic AI Appellate Ruling Gives Companies Roadmap

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:06:18 EST

“For AI agents, I think it's going to be a good blueprint of what not to do," said attorney Jenna Schneider. "Don't let your AI agents touch the servers, and make sure that they are using user consent. But this is a pretty limited opinion in terms of what it actually does touch.

2nd Circuit Orders Pillsbury to Repay $3.6M Fraud-Funded Retainer

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:42:51 EST

The Second Circuit found Pillsbury violated an asset freeze by spending fraud proceeds on a convicted technology executive's legal defense.

$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.

Will Rising Expenses Dampen Big Law Profitability?

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:18:25 EST

AI and innovation investments are rising faster than any other expense category, according to Q2 Law.com survey results.