A bipartisan bill, known as the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” was approved unanimously by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill proposes making it unlawful for any entity to distribute, maintain or update a foreign adversary controlled application, naming China’s ByteDance, Ltd., TikTok, and their subsidiaries as foreign adversaries….
Stress, long hours, and intense competition have given rise to a mental health crisis in the legal industry. The tragic passing of Vanessa Ford, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, brings this issue under stark spotlight. It underscores the urgency for collaborations within the profession to address this vital concern. A discussion has been…
Following a bout of intense gang violence causing myriad displacements, the Haitian government has extended the state of emergency surrounding Port-Au-Prince. The state of emergency prohibits all forms of public protest, introduces a new curfew, and affords security forces the liberty to use all legal means to enforce the curfew and reprimand violations. The emergency…
This week’s appellate roundup brings together an array of interesting legal developments that are essential reading for any legal professional. Note that many of these articles are from Howard Bashman’s How Appealing blog, the web’s first blog dedicated to appellate litigation. In a poignant essay titled “It’s Not Just Embryos. Even the Dead Have More…
Former President Donald Trump recently secured an appeal bond in relation to the $83 million defamation judgement he owes E. Jean Carroll. The details of this move may be confusing to some, with many wondering what appeal bonds and their implications are. Neil Pedersen, shareholder at Pedersen & Sons Surety Bond Agency, provides valuable insight…
Over the course of the last 155 years, women in the legal profession have realised numerous monumental firsts in the United States. From the time when the first woman was admitted to the bar in 1869, the first woman argued before the Supreme Court in 1879, and the first woman was confirmed to serve as…
In an important legal development in India, the Supreme Court have asserted that the lawful expression of dissent against the government is protected under the Indian Constitution. The judgement was delivered last Thursday. The court was hearing a case involving Javed Ahmad Hajam, a resident of Baramulla in Kashmir. Mr Hajam had been charged under…
Germany’s fight against online hate speech primarily targeted at women witnessed active action last week as raids were launched against 45 individuals suspected of spurring misogyny over the internet. Spearheaded by the General Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), and other law enforcement organizations, this operation forms part of a…
A report released last Friday suggested that “Stakeknife,” a high profile British military intelligence agency spy planted inside the Irish Republican Army (IRA), might have incurred more fatalities than he prevented during the Northern Irish Troubles. He has been associated with at least 14 murders and 15 abductions. The widely speculated true identity of Stakeknife…
The Peruvian Congress approved last Thursday the removal of two members of the National Board of Justice (JNJ), Luz Inés Tello de Ñecco and Aldo Alejandro Vásquez Ríos, effectively barring them from public service for the next decade. During the Thursday plenary session, the Congress debated and subsequently voted on a final report proposing the…
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India announced on Thursday the discovery of a suspected nationwide ‘human trafficking’ network with links to Russia. The perpetrators allegedly lured Indian nationals with promises of lucrative jobs in Russia, only to train them for combat and compellingly deploy them in the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone. A press release…
The Court of Appeal in Hong Kong has upheld the 40-month sentence of activist Tam Tak-chi on charges of sedition, rejecting his attempt to appeal the convictions. Tam was previously sentenced by the District Court of Hong Kong on April 20, 2022, marking him guilty of uttering seditious words, organizing or participating in an unauthorized…
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made a statement on Friday, condemning the recent expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The High Commissioner also verbally opposed the escalating trend of settler violence against Palestinians in the region, an issue that has worsened over the past year. The West Bank,…
In a move reflecting continued consolidation trends amongst the country’s major law firms, renowned recruiters Johnson Downie and Lippman Jungers have announced a merger. This joint decision endeavors to create a comprehensive recruiting entity for the Am Law 20, leveraging the extensive networks established in key locations such as New York, California, and Texas. The…
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has signed a bill legalizing both concealed and open carry of firearms throughout the state. This newly legalized ‘constitutional carry’ allows mainly individuals above 18 years of age and are legally capable of owning a firearm, to carry it either concealed or openly without any obligatory requirement for registration or…
The steady rise in demand for mid-market law firms, which began in 2022, shows no signs of abating this year. Once overshadowed by their Big Law counterparts, these agile firms are coming into their own, bolstered in no small part by technological advancements that are leveling the playing field. Technology has played a key role…
The StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice (SCLJ) and two Jewish students have filed a federal lawsuit against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), alleging the institution violated their rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit, filed in the Massachusetts District Court, accuses MIT of fostering an environment ripe with antisemitism. The…
Marie Oh Huber, the Chief Legal Officer of eBay Inc. for almost a decade, has announced her departure from the online retail juggernaut to explore other professional ventures. The announcement was made public in a memo by eBay’s CEO, Jamie Iannone. The memo did not provide specific reasons for Huber’s decision. During her tenure, Huber…
A complaint recently filed in the Wake County Superior Court describes a unique experience for a North Carolina man who found himself locked in a Raleigh-based Dollar General store for nearly an hour. According to the allegation, the man was left alone in the store after an employee ventured off to the bank. The lawsuit…
On Wednesday, a group of protesters voiced their concerns regarding the government’s lack of response to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students, famously known as the “Ayotzinapa Case”. The protesters made their voice heard by breaking down a door of Mexico’s National Palace while President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was conducting his usual press conference…
The legal scene in London has been buzzing this past week with a flurry of litigation activity marked by high-profile lawsuits. Barclays has kicked the week off, launching legal proceedings against JSC Alfa-Bank, one of the top private banks in Russia. This foundation stone is set to spawn complex legal threads cover a myriad of…
The past week has witnessed significant legal activities in London. Among the key developments, Barclays has moved to initiate legal proceedings against the top Russian private bank, JSC Alfa-Bank. Additionally, the founder of the now insolvent Greensill Capital, Lex Greensill, has taken legal action against the U.K.’s Department for Business and Trade. Furthermore, there have…
Former Latham & Watkins partner, Kieran Donovan, has officially launched the first suite of products for his children’s safety and compliance technology platform,k-ID. The k-ID platform is aimed at developers, publishers, parents, and end users, providing them with the necessary technology to integrate global regulatory and legal compliance into their games and tech products. Furthermore,…
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP has reached a settlement regarding claims of harassment and discrimination against a former legal assistant. According to the allegations, the discrimination began after the firm found out about her chronic illness. Jennifer Wagner, who served as a legal assistant for several decades at other firms and at the Georgia…
The move against affirmative action in Biglaw, which we have been discussing for some time, demonstrates a larger trend impacting different business sectors, with the recent case of SFFA v. Harvard pointing to a more widespread shift. An instance of this trend is evident in Texas, where affirmative action is being phased out. According to…