Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse
11th November 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Trump threatens BBC with $1bn lawsuit
Donald Trump has threatened to target the BBC with a $1bn lawsuit after the U.K. public broadcaster doctored a speech he made. A documentary, part of the broadcaster's “Panorama” series, included an edited version of Trump's Jan. 6, 2021, speech. Critics argue that the edit misleadingly combined separate passages to suggest Trump was inciting violence, omitting his call for a peaceful protest. Trump's legal team has demanded a retraction, an apology, and compensation by 5pm on Friday. His lawyer, Alejandro Brito, said that the BBC's actions caused significant financial and reputational harm to the President. The controversy over the editing of the speech precipitated the resignation of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, the chief executive of BBC News.
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Nike faces lawsuit over discrimination claims
Patricia Coleman, a former senior director at Nike with 25 years of service, has filed a federal lawsuit against the company in U.S. District Court in Oregon, alleging age, gender, and disability discrimination. Coleman claims she was terminated in February 2024 at age 61 to avoid including her in a mass layoff that would have provided severance. She asserts that she was the only woman of her age on her leadership team and faced differential treatment compared to younger male colleagues. Coleman is also alleging retaliation after reporting her boss's discriminatory behavior to human resources.
LAWSUITS
Manufacturer of Stanley cups files lawsuit against Five Below
Pacific Market International (PMI), the manufacturer of Stanley-branded insulated cups, has filed a lawsuit against discount retailer Five Below in federal court for allegedly infringing on its trademark rights by producing low-cost "dupes" of its popular tumblers. PMI claims Five Below's products violate design patents associated with its Stanley 1913 brand. The company has experienced a significant revenue boost, reaching $750m in 2023, attributed to the popularity of its tumblers on social media. PMI's tumblers range from $20 to $50, while Five Below sells similar items for about $5. PMI is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to prevent further sales of the infringing products. Additionally, PMI is involved in a separate trademark dispute with Stanley Black & Decker concerning the use of the Stanley name.
LAW
L.A. fire victims call for resignation of state's top insurance regulator
Fire victims from the January wildfires in Los Angeles are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to demand the resignation of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. They claim Lara has allowed insurers to delay, deny, and lowball claims. “Gov. Newsom, we need your help,” said Jill Spivack, a resident whose home was destroyed. Victims are particularly frustrated with State Farm, which they accuse of providing inadequate estimates and poor claims handling. Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying: “We have an unprecedented housing crisis on our hands.” Despite the backlash, Lara's office maintains that he has acted decisively to support wildfire survivors.
Visa and Mastercard reach deal with merchants
Visa and Mastercard have announced a settlement with their merchant clients over litigation related to swipe fees when people pay with cards. The deal is the card groups' latest attempt to settle a 20-year dispute with merchants over credit card interchange fees. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the card companies will cut so-called interchange fees levied to merchants by an average of 0.1 percentage points over five years, and merchants will have the right to decline some higher-cost Visa and Mastercard-branded credit cards and will gain new rights to add surcharges for accepting some cards.
FRAUD
Treasury launches SBA 8(a) fraud probe
The U.S. Treasury Department has launched a probe into $9bn worth of small-business government contracts, investigating potential fraud in federal programmes such as the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s 8(a) initiative. The 8(a) program, which supports disadvantaged businesses, is alleged to have been misused via pass-through arrangements. The move follows a similar SBA investigation, with both agencies suspending contracts with ATI Government Solutions amid suspected abuse. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler emphasized their commitment to preventing misuse of taxpayer funds.
TAX
Justice Department shakes up tax division
Joshua Wu, a tax controversy counsel at Latham & Watkins, is set to lead the Justice Department's new civil tax branch following the dissolution of the current tax division. This reorganization aims to split enforcement between civil and criminal divisions. However, Mr. Wu's appointment has been delayed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The changes were initially planned for early August but have been postponed.
FIRMS
Cozen O'Connor grows in Midwest through merger
Philadelphia-based law firm Cozen O’Connor is merging with Minneapolis firm Moss & Barnett, adding over 50 lawyers to its ranks. The merger, effective January 1, 2026, will increase Cozen's Minneapolis lawyer count to more than 70 and its total to 1,000 across 33 offices. Michael Heller, Cozen’s chairman and CEO, said: “This combination advances our commitment to deepen our presence across the Midwest.” The merger reflects a broader trend in the legal industry, with 47 mergers completed in the first nine months of 2025, according to Fairfax Associates. Cozen O’Connor has said it aims to enhance its footprint in secondary and tertiary markets through strategic partnerships.
Dechert policy treats junior associates differently than more senior attorneys
Dechert is introducing a new in-office attendance policy that differentiates between junior and senior associates. Starting February 2, first- and second-year associates, along with Dechert's business services professionals, will be required to work in the office four days a week. In contrast, third-year associates and higher, including counsel, will only need to be in the office three days a week. The firm maintains its existing four-day workweek for partners. Co-chair Dave Forti said “There is no substitute for working together in person.”
APPOINTMENTS
Paul Weiss partner to lead Freshfields AI practice
Anna Gressel has transitioned from Paul Weiss to lead the artificial intelligence practice at Freshfields. Partnering with Giles Pratt, Gressel will oversee a team of over 150 tech and data lawyers, focusing on helping clients integrate AI into their operations. The move to a leadership role at Freshfields marks a rapid rise for Gressel, who spent less than a year as a partner in the litigation department at Paul Weiss.
INTERNATIONAL
Former Glencore traders plead ‘not guilty’ to West Africa corruption charges
Four former Glencore employees have pleaded not guilty to bribery charges ahead of a landmark criminal trial that is scheduled to take place in London in 2027 and set to last six months. Paul Hopkirk, Ramon Labiaga, David Perez and Martin Wakefield pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to give corrupt payments relating to Glencore's operations in Nigeria, Cameroon or Ivory Coast. Perez and Wakefield denied a further charge of conspiracy to falsify documents between 2007 and 2011. The Serious Fraud Office's case is one of the highest-profile prosecutions of commodities trading executives ever undertaken in the U.K.
OTHER
U.S. consumer sentiment declines to a more-than three-year low
U.S. consumer sentiment has fallen to a more-than three-year low, with the government shutdown weighing on the economic outlook and high prices souring views about personal finances. The University of Michigan's preliminary November sentiment index dropped to 50.3, the lowest since June 2022, from 53.6 in October. A measure of current economic conditions slumped 6.3 points to a record low of 52.3, and fears about unemployment rose, with 71% of respondents expecting it to rise in the year ahead. “Consumers perceive pressure on their personal finances from multiple directions,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement. “Consumers also anticipate that labor markets will continue to weaken in the future and expect to be personally affected.’’

 

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