News
Legal and legal technology news, distilled daily.
BigLaw Partner Pay Soars as Firms Report Record Profits for 2025
BigLaw firms announce major partner compensation increases after record profits in 2025, driving trends in legal talent recruitment, retention, and partnership models.
Maine Passes First Moratorium on Large Data Centers
Maine enacts the first statewide moratorium on large data centers, halting new approvals until November 2027 as it studies power grid impacts. Governor’s signature is pending.
LAPD Officer Testifies to Warnings Before Valentina Orellana-Peralta’s Fatal Shooting
LAPD faces a $100M wrongful death suit after testimony that warnings preceded the fatal shooting of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, highlighting police liability standards.
SEC Grants Exemption to 20-Day Tender Offer Rule for Certain M&A Deals
The SEC has granted exemptive relief from the 20-business-day tender offer minimum for specific transactions. Legal and M&A professionals must note the impacted eligibility criteria.
FDA, CDC Probe E. coli Outbreak Tied to Raw Farm Cheese Recall
FDA and CDC investigate a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to RAW FARM-brand raw dairy products, prompting a voluntary cheese recall and new compliance warnings.
Texas AG Sues Houston Over Police Limits On ICE Detentions
Texas Attorney General sues Houston over new ordinance restricting police from detaining people solely on ICE civil immigration warrants, sparking a clash on state vs. local authority.
Ninth Circuit Slashes Fee in U.S. ex rel. Hartpence FCA Case to $1.5M
The Ninth Circuit cut attorneys’ fees in U.S. ex rel. Hartpence v. Kinetic Concepts from $8.5M to $1.5M, signaling closer scrutiny of False Claims Act fee requests by federal courts.
Alabama Enacts Business-Friendly Consumer Data Privacy Law
Alabama becomes the 21st state with a consumer data privacy law, focusing on business-friendly provisions and new compliance obligations for companies handling personal data.
Federal Judge Backs $56M Flo Health Privacy Settlement
A federal court has tentatively approved a $56 million settlement over privacy claims against Flo Health and Google for sharing sensitive menstrual app data without consent.
Mozilla unveils Thunderbolt: Open-source AI with a privacy focus
Mozilla launches Thunderbolt, an open-source AI platform for enterprises, aiming to deliver data privacy not offered by proprietary rivals like OpenAI and Microsoft.
Jury Finds Live Nation, Ticketmaster Held Illegal Monopoly in Concert Industry
A US federal jury ruled Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated antitrust laws by running an illegal monopoly, shifting the landscape for live event ticketing and antitrust enforcement.
California Debt Collectors File Class Action Over Licensing Fees
A class action lawsuit alleges California's debt collector licensing fees are illegal taxes under Proposition 26, impacting compliance and operational costs for industry firms.
Ninth Circuit Grills Betting Exchanges on Casino Gambling Distinctions
The Ninth Circuit scrutinized the legal line between sports betting exchanges and casino gambling, a decision with major implications for online gaming compliance and regulation.
FinCEN Proposes Overhaul of AML/CFT Rules for Financial Institutions
FinCEN issues a proposed rule to revamp AML/CFT compliance, shifting focus to program effectiveness and risk mitigation. Financial institutions must adapt to evolving standards.
Virginia Adopts Sweeping Noncompete Ban Effective July 2026
Virginia's new law bans most noncompete agreements for all employees after July 2026, requiring employers to review practices or face penalties. Key compliance points for in-house counsel.
Anthropic launches Claude Opus 4.7 as Mythos raises legal AI stakes
Anthropic releases Claude Opus 4.7 with coding and vision upgrades; upcoming Mythos model restricts access after uncovering vulnerabilities, impacting legal tech AI compliance.
Legal Tech Ad Spend Splits: Commoditized vs. Competitive Markets, Says New Report
A new FlyTech-LawSites report shows legal tech ad costs diverging, with commoditized product CPLs dropping and competitive segments like personal injury rising sharply.
Federal Judge Lets CNN Privacy Lawsuit Over Adtech Tracking Move Forward
A federal judge has denied CNN's attempt to dismiss a privacy class action alleging undisclosed user data sharing with Microsoft and adtech partners, keeping the CIPA suit alive.
Alt Legal Acquires WebTMS, Slates AI Trademark Tool for May 2026
Alt Legal acquires WebTMS and plans to launch an AI-powered trademark filing tool in May 2026, signaling major shifts for IP firms as legal tech platforms consolidate.
Free Law Project to Add Millions of Recent Case Decisions to CourtListener
Free Law Project will digitize and add millions of recent US case opinions to its CourtListener platform, expanding public access to up-to-date legal decisions for legal tech users.