Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse
14th May 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
3M to pay up to $450m for drinking-water contamination
3M has agreed to pay up $450m to resolve lawsuits over natural resource contamination stemming from PFAS, or so-called “forever chemicals.” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin’s office said 3M is expected to pay $285m this year, with additional amounts payable over the next 25 years. The total amount could reach $450m, according to Platkin’s office. “Corporate polluters must be held accountable when they contaminate our state’s water supply,” Platkin said.
TECHNOLOGY
Bryter launches legal agent suite
Berlin-based legal automation firm Bryter has launched Beamon AI, an expanded suite of AI agents designed to automate legal workflows end-to-end. The offering includes Assist, a chat-based legal assistant; Draft, a Word-integrated tool for document drafting and redlining; and Extract, a high-volume document review system. The expanded suite reflects Bryter's broader strategy of embedding generative AI into its established workflow platform, enabling what it calls "actionable AI" that combines intelligent analysis with task execution.
LAWSUITS
Citigroup faces revived fraud lawsuit
Citigroup is facing a renewed lawsuit alleging it caused over $1bn in losses by facilitating a significant fraud at the now-bankrupt Mexican oil and gas services firm Oceanografia. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that 30 vendors, creditors, and bondholders sufficiently claimed that Citigroup aided the fraud, overturning a previous dismissal. The plaintiffs assert that Citigroup advanced $3.3bn to Oceanografia from 2008 to 2014, despite being aware of the company's excessive debt and fraudulent activities. Circuit Judge Britt Grant observed: "Citigroup is one of the world's most sophisticated financial institutions," and said it could not have been unaware of Oceanografia's misconduct.
Boeing settles with family of whistleblower who took his own life
The family of a former Boeing quality control manager has settled a lawsuit against the company following his suicide. John Barnett, who raised safety concerns about alleged defects in Boeing's jumbo jets, took his life on March 9, 2024, after being questioned by attorneys. He had previously reported issues, including discarded metal shavings near flight control wiring and problems with oxygen systems on Boeing's 787 planes. Despite his efforts to communicate these concerns, Barnett faced harassment from his supervisors. The settlement details remain undisclosed, but either party can reopen the case if not finalized within 60 days.
Lawsuit over gun at Zoom meeting is settled
A Michigan county has reached a $100,000 settlement in a lawsuit involving former commissioner Ron Clous, who displayed a rifle during a Zoom meeting in 2021. Patricia MacIntosh accused Clous of infringing on her free speech rights when he brandished the weapon while she urged the board to oppose anti-government extremists. Clous, who has since apologized, said: “While not my intent, I understand that my actions . . . could reasonably have caused you to feel uncomfortable or intimidated.” MacIntosh plans to use the remaining funds after legal fees to create a scholarship fund.
CORPORATE
Hudson's Bay faces asset sale deadline
Hudson's Bay Co. is set to decide on buyers for its assets and store leases by early to mid-June, said Ashley Taylor of Stikeman Elliott during a court appearance on Tuesday. The retailer has received 17 bids for its operations, including intellectual property and customer databases. Additionally, 12 parties have submitted bids for 39 store leases, indicating a potential interest in reviving retail operations. As of now, 90% of the inventory has been sent to stores, with liquidation sales expected to conclude by June 1st. These sales have generated over C$129.5m ($93m) in receipts, exceeding previous forecasts. Jennifer Bewley, Hudson's Bay's chief financial officer, noted that the sales have “generated cash in excess of the applicants' operating needs.” The company, burdened by C$1.1bn in debt, was granted court protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on March 7th.
RISK
USDA will restore climate change webpages
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to restore climate change-related webpages following a lawsuit filed by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Environmental Working Group. The lawsuit claimed that the deletions breached citizens' rights to access government information. Earthjustice attorney Jeffrey Stein remarked that the removal of vital information “made it really difficult for farmers to fight for the funding that they're owed.” The USDA has committed to restoring most of the deleted content within two weeks, which Stein hopes will signal a positive shift in similar cases against the administration over purging information from websites.
TAX
Judge authorizes IRS to share tax data with ICE
The IRS has been authorized to share tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a federal judge's ruling. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied a preliminary injunction sought by nonprofit groups, asserting that undocumented immigrants who pay taxes do not have the same privacy protections as U.S. citizens. Alan Butler Morrison, representing the plaintiffs, expressed disappointment but noted: "The case is far from over." The agreement is part of the Trump administration's broader immigration enforcement strategy, which has faced criticism for violating privacy laws. Friedrich clarified that the IRS can only disclose information that assists in criminal investigations, emphasizing that taxpayer identities remain protected.
APPOINTMENTS
Sheppard Mullin welcomes new CIO
David Lampert has been appointed as the new chief information officer at Sheppard Mullin, transitioning from his previous role at Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft. In his new position, Lampert will lead a team of 90 professionals, managing various aspects including network infrastructure, support systems, training, and project management. He will be based in the firm's New York City office. Lampert's extensive experience includes leadership roles at Shearman & Sterling and Epstein Becker Green.

 
Law
Wilmer hires antitrust partner from K&L Gates
Prominent Brussels antitrust partner Lena Sandberg has made a transition from K&L Gates to Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr after just seven months. Previously, she spent nearly 12 years at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she became a partner in 2018.

 
Law
INTERNATIONAL
China completes legal framework for foreign-related affairs
China has established a legal framework for foreign-related matters, with over 50 laws enacted by the end of last year, according to the report from the Institute of International Law. As of December 25, China had 305 effective laws, including 54 specifically addressing foreign affairs. "China has established a comprehensive foreign-related legal system, with the Constitution as the guiding principle, the Foreign Relations Law as the foundation, the specialized laws as the mainstay, and the regulations as an important component," the report said.

 

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