Corporate Counsel

EPA Proposes Rollback of Coal Plant Wastewater Limits

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:44:24 EST

In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency extended compliance deadlines with the 2024 rule for six years. Now, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says the rule must be rescinded entirely to boost U.S. energy production.

Shutterstock to Pay $35M to Settle FTC Charges Over Labyrinthine Cancellation Process

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:18:38 EST

The stock image platform is the latest in a string of high-profile companies to agree to a multimillion-dollar settlement after requiring customers who wished to cancel to persevere through a multi-step process.

CLOC Rolls Out New Digital Tool to Help Strained Legal Ops Teams Prove Their Value

Fri, 15 May 2026 14:49:12 EST

The nonprofit, long known for technical training, has begun helping members brand themselves, develop executive presence and compete for executive posts.

Salesforce CLO: Law Firms That Lag in AI Are Putting Themselves in Peril

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:36:17 EST

"Firms that don't embrace this moment risk becoming observers in an era they should be leading. They won't just lose efficiency; they will lose the talent that demands modern systems and lose the clients who demand modern results," said Sabastian Niles, chief legal officer of Salesforce.

The Nine-Step Playbook European Companies Can Follow to Help Their U.S. Operations Comply with U.S. Labor Laws

Fri, 15 May 2026 12:59:59 EST

A playbook for navigating U.S. labor relations from day one doesn't just reduce legal risk—it preserves the operational flexibility and speed that attracted these companies to the U.S. market in the first place.

Prompted Into Evidence: When the CEO Turns to AI for Legal Advice

Fri, 15 May 2026 09:48:30 EST

The message for in-house counsel and advisors to corporate officers and directors is clear: the use of AI tools is potentially discoverable, admissible, and, in some cases, outcome-determinative.

DOJ Making Big Push to Use AI to Suss Out Price-Fixing, Collusion

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:19:07 EST

Some companies are using the tools on themselves in the hopes of sniffing out potential problems before they become fodder for prosecutors, whistleblowers or plaintiffs' attorneys.

Authors Who Opted Out of $1.5B Anthropic Settlement File Copyright Suit, Request Jury Trial

Thu, 14 May 2026 18:08:20 EST

Twenty-eight writers say class action treatment lets AI companies extinguish high-value copyright claims on the cheap in a new lawsuit accusing Anthropic of infringing their work.

FTC Maintains Stance on Noncompetes Whether Under Trump or Biden

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:18:49 EST

The FTC, in the Trump era, is wary of noncompetes it views as extreme, or those targeting lower-wage workers. But it sees a role for noncompetes for executives and others who have access to trade secrets or specialized training.

Legal-Ops Teams Turn Invoice Data Into Outside Counsel Strategy as AI Raises the Stakes

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:15:30 EST

Legal teams are moving invoice data beyond review and approval and using it to shape decisions, rate negotiations, benchmarking and risk analysis, said panelists at CLOC Global Institute in Chicago.

Meta Legal Ops Chief to Law Firms: It's Time to Ditch the Billable Hour—for Your Own Good

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:51:04 EST

Speakers on a CLOC Global Institute panel agreed that AI will force law firms to adopt value-based pricing.

CFTC Eases Swap Reporting Rules for Prediction Markets

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:19:48 EST

The industry-friendly move comes as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission continues to jostle with states over prediction market regulation.

Nvidia General Counsel's Compensation Fell to $14.3M in 2025

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:52:29 EST

Timothy Teter's pay declined more than 25% from the prior year, when a surge in Nvidia's stock-driven compensation pushed his total package to $19.2 million.

Nexstar Names Elizabeth Ryder General Counsel in Return to In-House Role

Wed, 13 May 2026 17:21:43 EST

Ryder, who previously oversaw legal work on Nexstar's marquee acquisitions of Media General and Tribune Media, comes back as the company battles antitrust challenges to its $6.2 billion Tegna deal.

How In-House Legal Teams Are Using AI to Cut Costs and Win Budget Approval

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:29:16 EST

Legal operations leaders at CLOC's Global Institute highlighted a growing tension inside legal departments: Firms are buying AI licenses, but many lawyers still are not using the tools regularly.

The Strategic Shift That Boosted My Mediation Close Rate By 20%

Wed, 13 May 2026 11:13:35 EST

Negotiation happens across time. The moment is just where you formalize what's already been decided. When you finally make the ask, it shouldn't feel like a leap to either of you. It should feel like the natural next step.

Corporate Risk Leaders Flag Mounting Threats Across the Board—And Aren't Ready for Most of Them

Wed, 13 May 2026 09:59:59 EST

A new AlixPartners survey of 500 legal and compliance executives finds preparedness gaps in nearly every risk category, from AI compliance and cybersecurity to financial crime and sanctions.

How a New York Wine Importer Helped Take Down Trump's Tariffs

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:13:27 EST

Victor Owen Schwartz, owner of V.O.S. Selections, discusses sticking his “neck out to challenge President Trump's crippling tariffs, the mix of egos on his winning Supreme Court team and his hope for a “lifeline from refunds.

SEC to Rescind Rule Barring Defendants From Denying Resolved Allegations

Tue, 12 May 2026 17:45:48 EST

The move comes amid a Supreme Court challenge to the rule on First Amendment grounds.

'We Are at an Inflection Point': Legal Ops Pioneer Says Surging Sector Is Just Getting Started

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:59:27 EST

“Going back to the beginning of time, the hardest part of this job has been change management, said Mary O'Carroll, a fixture of the legal ops movement for more than two decades.

‘The Bigger Action Will Be on Appeal': Importers Battling Trump's Tariffs Face Tougher Fight in Federal Circuit

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:36:17 EST

Trade experts found this second set of duties to be more similar to the tariffs that came out of the first Trump administration—which have largely withstood legal scrutiny—than to the emergency duties that courts recently rejected.

Nearly All Legal Professionals Now Use AI, but Most Organizations Aren't Ready for What Comes Next, According to Survey

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:31:26 EST

A new Wolters Kluwer survey of 810 lawyers finds 92% have adopted AI tools, driving measurable gains in efficiency and revenue—even as readiness gaps on regulation, cybersecurity and training leave legal departments exposed.

Survey Finds Just 7% of GCs Say Their Company Is 'Fully Compliant' With Global Regs

Tue, 12 May 2026 15:51:51 EST

"Regulations change so quickly and cover new areas all the time," wrote Rogier Bronk of CSC. "It could be AI, crypto or other regulations that legal teams are not aware of, resulting in or meaning that they are already noncompliant."

The Unenforceable Right: Why Likeness Law Is Hitting a Wall in the AI Era—and the Infrastructure Response Beginning to Form

Tue, 12 May 2026 11:09:37 EST

The right of publicity is one of American law's most distinctive contributions to information jurisprudence. The next decade will determine whether it survives as an enforceable doctrine or becomes a paper-only protection.

Fernando Laguarda Named General Counsel of UnidosUS

Tue, 12 May 2026 09:56:49 EST

The veteran government lawyer, who previously served as general counsel of AmeriCorps and deputy general counsel of the General Services Administration, takes on a newly created role at the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization.

OSHA, States Step Up Scrutiny of Workplace Exposure to Heat Hazards

Tue, 12 May 2026 09:08:11 EST

An OSHA rule proposed under President Joe Biden has stalled, but the agency is using its existing powers to issue more fines. And a growing number of states are jumping into the fray.

Trump Administration Rule Removes Conservation as Public Land Use

Mon, 11 May 2026 18:20:48 EST

Conservation leaves land “idle while it should be used for commercial purposes, the U.S. Interior Department stated.

My AI Agent Killed My Annoying Neighbor

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:41:27 EST

AI is an eager summer intern with a puppy-dog disposition, programmed to please. It doesn't know it is not OK to kill your annoying neighbor in its quest to be helpful.

Consolidation, Cost-Cutting in Indy TV Market Offers Peek Into Pain Ahead for Broadcast Newsrooms

Mon, 11 May 2026 10:23:10 EST

The owner of WISH-TV Channel 8 makes no apologies for laying off nearly the entire 60-person news team at WRTV-TV Channel 6 after buying the station in March.

Legal Ops, Stop Calling it an ‘Inflection Point'

Mon, 11 May 2026 09:30:43 EST

Today, we have overcome that fear to focus on practical applications. We now see that AI impacts the bottom line of the entire enterprise, not just the legal department, by transforming how we handle tasks like document review and matter management.

Attorney Moms Reflect on Mother's Day and the 'Myth' of Work-Life Balance

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:50:11 EST

For Florida attorney mothers, this Mother's Day is not simply about flowers, cards or a quiet brunch squeezed between deadlines. It's about the years of choices, sacrifices, guilt, grace and joy that come with raising children while building careers in one of the most demanding professions.

FTC Forces Valvoline to Shrink Acquisition of Quick-Lube Shops From 200 to 155 Stores

Fri, 08 May 2026 16:35:21 EST

The original, $625 million deal would have eliminated a competitor to Valvoline in 25 local markets, reducing the company's incentive to keep prices affordable, the agency said.

Family-Owned Bourbon Distiller That Competes With Titans Elevates Deputy GC to Top Post

Fri, 08 May 2026 14:31:15 EST

Heaven Hill Brands co-president Allan Latts said incoming general counsel Matthew Hamm "leads in a way that builds trust and clarity."

The Labor Relations and Unionization Dangers Awaiting European Companies Contemplating Launching Texas Operations

Thu, 07 May 2026 23:59:59 EST

In this first part of a two-part series, I explain why it's important for European companies planning to do business in the U.S. to avoid inadvertently mobilizing unionization efforts among their U.S. workforces and violating the NLRA when such efforts are underway, and to understand how European works councils and U.S. labor unions differ.

EPA's New Focus on Microplastics Could Be Start of Long Regulatory Road

Fri, 08 May 2026 11:59:31 EST

Companies may want to ask themselves: “Do we have a dog in the fight? Do we make plastic? Do we have something to do with plastic?" said James Aidala, a former EPA official who's now a consultant.

Addressing Board/Management Information Alignment

Fri, 08 May 2026 10:31:36 EST

The potential gulf between management's perspective on proper information flow and that of the board of directors arises in large part from how each constituency has reacted to increasing pressures on their respective roles and responsibilities.

Outside Counsel Takes Legal Reins of Six Flags as Merger Fallout Mounts

Fri, 08 May 2026 06:29:32 EST

Christopher Bennett will serve as chief legal and compliance officer, part of a new management team trying to turn around the company after an $8 billion merger went off the rails.

SEC Moves to Reduce Company Reporting, but Experts Predict a Muted Initial Response

Thu, 07 May 2026 17:38:35 EST

Critics argue that semiannual reporting would allow companies to hide adverse information from investors for a longer amount of time and incentivize fraud. But attorneys predicted that not everyone would immediately jump to semiannual reporting, as such a move wouldn't bode well with investors and debt issuers who want more data before they open their coffers.

Think Tank's Shareholder Proposal Attacks Dick's Sporting Goods for Supporting Transgender Causes

Thu, 07 May 2026 15:36:41 EST

"The bottom line is it's one of those political issues that companies have no business being in. ... Just sell sporting goods—that's want people want," said Steve Milloy, founder of the National Center for Public Policy Research's Free Enterprise Project.

How AI Shapes the Way IBM's Legal Chief Approaches Almost Everything

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:59:32 EST

"It comes down to building trust and enabling adoption for customers. Trust leads to adoption and adoption leads to stickiness," said Anne Robinson, who became Big Blue's legal chief in July 2024.

Purdue Pharma CLO Transitions to New Company Fighting Opioid Crisis

Thu, 07 May 2026 11:43:03 EST

Marc Kesselman has taken the reins of Knoa Pharma LLC, a public benefit corporation owned by the Knoa Foundation, a newly formed nonprofit.

Apple to Pay $250M to Settle Claims It Overpromised on iPhone AI Features

Thu, 07 May 2026 07:05:44 EST

The class action alleged that Apple's marketing created a "clear and reasonable consumer expectation" that Apple Intelligence features would be available when the iPhone 16 launched in September 2024.

Toyota Motor North America's New CLO to Have Even Broader Remit

Wed, 06 May 2026 15:14:29 EST

The division's No. 2 lawyer, General Counsel Liz Gibson, also is taking on additional duties in the reshuffling.

Microsoft's AI Bet Is Getting More Expensive—and More Complicated

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:32:10 EST

“There are real doubts surrounding the appeal of its AI products, and it increasingly looks like Microsoft has squandered an early lead in enterprise AI with Anthropic now taking most of the action, veteran technology analyst Richard Windsor wrote last month.

Wolters Kluwer Launches Invoice Review AI Agent for In-House Teams

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:59:59 EST

Wolters Kluwer's LegalVIEW BillAnalyzer Invoice Review Agent can automate invoice adjustments required from in-house legal teams.

AI Transforming HR Faster Than Companies Can Set Up Processes to Contain Risks

Wed, 06 May 2026 07:56:39 EST

Between an increasingly active patchwork of state laws and unresolved liability questions in light of new federal policy proposals, employers will likely remain on the hook for how these tools are used," said Niloy Ray, co-chair of Littler Mendelson's AI and Technology Practice Group.