Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit will allow President Donald Trump to keep National Guard troops in Washington. Judge Patricia Millett wrote that the administration appeared likely to win its argument that Trump “possesses a unique power” to mobilize the Guard because the city is a federal district and not a “constitutionally sovereign” state. The 3-0 order pauses a federal judge’s ruling that Trump had unlawfully sent more than 2,000 troops into the nation’s capital.

 

Bloomberg

NPR

Politico

Washington Post

Managing People? These Are the Employment Laws You Can’t Afford to Miss

One compliance misstep can drain budgets and morale—so let’s get ahead of it.

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The U.S. government has admitted it was liable for damages from a collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jetliner that killed 67 people in January. In a court filing, the U.S. admitted failures of both the Army helicopter pilots and the Federal Aviation Administration to avoid the regional jet. All 64 people aboard the jet and the three aboard the Army helicopter were killed in the crash. “The United States admits that it owed a duty of care to Plaintiffs, which it breached, thereby proximately causing the tragic accident on January 29, 2025,” the Justice Department said in a court filing.

 

Bloomberg

CNBC

The Guardian

Animal Eye Consultants of Iowa (AECI), in Hiawatha, is suing Sentinel Insurance Co. for breach of contract and bad faith following an incident on November 7, 2024. The lawsuit claims that a deer crashed through the hospital's window, causing extensive damage to veterinary equipment and supplies. AECI's CEO, Dr. Sinisa Grozdanic, filed an insurance claim, but the insurer's adjuster allegedly lacked the expertise to assess the damages accurately. Sentinel later said that parts of AECI's claims were excluded under a supplemental policy, which stated: “We will not pay for loss or damage caused by or resulting from . . . insects, birds, rodents, or other animals.” AECI argues that this exclusion does not apply to large wild animals like deer. The dispute remains unresolved. Sentinel has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which was moved to federal court after being filed in Linn County.

 

The Gazette Cedar Rapids Iowa

Union-backed investor SOC Investment Group has asked Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet to report on the financial and supply chain impacts of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including a $100,000 H-1B visa fee and enforcement actions affecting trucking and agriculture. The group, which holds minority stakes in each company, warned that labor shortages could threaten long-term corporate performance and said it may pursue legal action if its proposals are excluded from proxy statements.

 

Reuters

Contract negotiations between Boeing and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) regarding 1,600 engineers at Spirit AeroSystems have been paused until January 5, following Boeing's recent acquisition of the fuselage supplier. SPEEA expressed its frustration over what it said was Boeing's lack of preparation for the talks, especially as the current contract is set to expire on January 31, 2026. "The integration of our Boeing Wichita team is a highly complex effort and we are taking the time necessary to be thoughtful with these negotiations," a Boeing spokesperson told Reuters.

 

Reuters

Medical supplies distributor Medline has raised $6.26bn in the biggest initial public offering of the year and at a valuation of more than $50bn. The company, backed by private equity giants Blackstone and Carlyle, sold 216 million shares at $29.00 each in an upsized offering. Medline manufactures and distributes medical supplies such as gloves, gowns and exam tables used by hospitals and doctors.

 

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

The IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division has reported uncovering $10.59bn in financial crimes during fiscal 2025 - up 16% from the previous year - including $4.5bn in tax fraud, a 112% year-on-year increase. The unit issued 25% more search warrants and referred 14% more cases for prosecution, while launching initiatives such as CI-FIRST and OFRR to enhance collaboration with financial institutions. Despite supporting federal operations elsewhere, IRS-CI pursued 206 abusive tax preparers, securing 83 convictions with an average 27-month sentence.

 

Accounting Today

London-headquartered law firm Shoosmiths will distribute an additional £1m ($1.34m) in bonuses to staff after achieving its annual target of 1m Microsoft Copilot prompts four months early. The firm had previously announced a bonus linked to this AI adoption goal. Chief executive David Jackson said: "Hitting this milestone ahead of schedule showcases our people's commitment and enthusiasm." Shoosmiths has already allocated £3.5m ($4.7m) in bonuses for the 2024/25 financial year, with 1,300 eligible staff receiving a 5% salary bonus in July. The firm said it aims to ensure continued use of AI tools beyond the bonus achievement.

 

City AM

David Fish has joined Skadden as a partner in the litigation group at its New York office, bringing extensive experience in managing complex disputes. Previously, he served as the head of litigation for Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, where he played a pivotal role in resolving talc-related liabilities under Section 524(g) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Skadden noted that Fish's insights into commercial and regulatory challenges faced by multinational companies will be invaluable.

 

Bloomberg Law

South Africa has accused the United States of using Kenyan nationals without work permits at a facility processing applications by white South Africans for refugee status. A statement from South Africa's department of home affairs said seven Kenyans were arrested and would be deported after intelligence reports indicated that people "had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work" at the center. The seven Kenyans will not be allowed to return to South Africa for five years, South African law enforcement officials said. Washington has accused South Africa of "interference" in its efforts to offer asylum status to Afrikaners, who it says face persecution. South Africa's government has rejected the claims.

 

New York Times

BBC News

More than 1,700 Qantas ground staff who were unlawfully dismissed during the Covid pandemic will share a A$40m payout. The Federal Court found that Qantas acted against the Fair Work Act by replacing staff with outsourced contractors. Justice Michael Lee said: "To deprive someone of work illegally is to deprive a person of an aspect of their human dignity." The airline was ordered to pay A$120m in compensation and an additional A$90m penalty, of which A$50m goes to the Transport Workers' Union. TWU national secretary Michael Kaine described the case as a "David and Goliath" battle. “Illegally outsourced Qantas workers can now finally begin to move on,” he said. “These workers loved their jobs, and this . . . A$40m from the largest-ever penalty on an employer will go a long way towards compensating them for the damage Qantas inflicted on their lives.”

 

Yahoo News Australia

Older Americans reported $2.4bn in fraud losses in 2024, a fourfold increase since 2020, but actual losses could range from $10.1bn to $81.5bn due to underreporting, according to a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report. Large losses exceeding $100,000 accounted for 68% of total reported losses, while investment, tech support, and impersonation scams were the most financially damaging. The FTC highlighted social media as the top scam entry point by total losses and phone calls as the riskiest by median loss. 

 

Fox News