Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

Microsoft is backing Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon, warning that the “drastic” and “unprecedented” moves against the AI start-up would have “broad negative ramifications” for the U.S. tech industry. The technology giant has filed an amicus brief in Anthropic’s case against the Trump administration, calling on the court to temporarily block the implementation of the Pentagon's labelling of the maker of the Claude chatbot as a supply chain risk. “The Department of War needs reliable access to the country’s best technology,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “And everyone wants to ensure AI is not used for mass domestic surveillance or to start a war without human control. The government, the entire tech sector, and the American public need a path to achieve all these goals together.”  

 

The Hill

Financial Times

Reuters

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Novo Nordisk and Hims & Hers Health are to partner to sell obesity drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, on the Hims platform. Hims, which connects users with doctors who can write prescriptions for cheap versions of popular drugs, will no longer advertise its copies of the Danish firm's medicines and will only sell compounded versions of Wegovy and Ozempic if a doctor deems them necessary for a patient. Novo will drop the lawsuit it filed against Hims as part of the agreement, which US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary called "a win for the American people." Novo Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar was personally involved in the negotiations. “When you want to make an agreement with anyone, you really need to know exactly what that agreement is,” he said. “I take my time, and then when I do it more times than not, we do it right,” he said.

 

Bloomberg

Some of the largest U.S. banks are considering legal action against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) over new rules that make it easier for crypto, fintech, and payment firms to obtain national bank trust charters. The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), which represents lenders including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, argues that the changes could allow lightly regulated companies to offer bank-like services without the same oversight as traditional banks. The OCC’s updated interpretation of federal licensing rules would allow approved firms to operate nationwide under a single charter. Banking groups warn this could blur the definition of what constitutes a bank and potentially increase risks to consumers and the financial system.

 

The Guardian

Mercedes-Benz has reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, agreeing not to make anti-union threats following the UAW's unsuccessful attempt to organize at its Vance, Alabama plant. The settlement requires Mercedes to inform employees of their union organizing rights. A notice to be distributed states: “WE WILL NOT threaten you with the closure and/or relocation of the facility to a non-union location, like Mexico, or anywhere else, if you choose to be represented by a union.” The UAW alleged that the company violated labor law by retaliating against union supporters. Additionally, Mercedes will revoke disciplinary actions against one employee and will not threaten employees with loss of benefits for unionizing. However, the UAW criticized the terms as insufficient, suggesting that management should read the notice aloud to employees, a request the agency deemed unnecessary.

 

Al.com

ChatGPT ​and two other artificial ‌intelligence chatbots have been approved for official ​use in ​the U.S. Senate. New guidelines said Senate aides could use AI tools for official work, including research, drafting and editing documents, and preparing briefings and talking points for lawmakers. They can use Google's Gemini chat, OpenAI's ​ChatGPT or Microsoft ​Copilot, all of which are ‌already ⁠integrated into Senate platforms. The New York Times says it is unclear how widespread usage of the chatbots might become in the Senate, or how widespread it already is, and "that leaves open the question of how staffers who deal with sensitive or classified information might be asked to approach use of the products."

 

New York Times

Exxon Mobil plans to ask shareholders to approve moving its legal domicile from New Jersey to Texas, where the company already has its headquarters and a large share of its workforce. Chief executive Darren Woods said the move aims to protect the company from what it sees as increasing shareholder litigation and “abuse.” The oil major, incorporated in New Jersey since 1882, would join companies such as Tesla and Coinbase that have recently reincorporated in Texas amid growing frustration with traditional corporate legal hubs like Delaware and New Jersey. Texas has introduced new business courts and laws making it harder to sue company directors or file shareholder proposals. Exxon said around 30% of its employees and all its U.S. research facilities are already based in Texas, making the shift a logical step.

 

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

A client of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett must unwind a merger after the law firm failed to file an appeal on time against the U.K. competition regulator’s decision to block the deal.

 

Financial Times

Mayer Brown has expanded its energy practice in Texas by hiring partners from McGuireWoods, including Yasser Madriz, the former managing partner in Houston. Madriz, a trial lawyer with a diverse client base in the U.S. and Latin America, will join Mayer Brown's litigation and dispute resolution practice. Alongside him, attorneys Meghaan Madriz, Miles Indest, and Jason Huebinger will also enhance the firm's Houston operations. Mayer Brown also aims to strengthen its corporate and securities practices with the addition of Gregory Krock and Wolfgang McGavran in Washington.

 

Bloomberg Law

Law

Bloomberg says London luxury department store Harrods is still facing questions related to the serial sexual abuse of women by former owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Harrods' own investigation, using law firm Linklaters and a barrister, into whether staff knew about Fayed’s behavior is concluding this month - but a separate negotiation with hundreds of women represented by a law firm has no fixed date for conclusion. Meanwhile, a soon-to-be-launched campaign group, Justice For Fayed and Harrods Survivors, will call for more accountability, including potentially a public inquiry.

 

Bloomberg

Australia-based biotech startup Cortical Labs is working on two small data centers run by human brain cells. The experiment could one day challenge the use of semiconductors from the likes of Nvidia. The company is building facilities in Melbourne and Singapore to house its biological computers, known as CL1 units, which consume a fraction of the power used by conventional AI processors. The computing capacity of Cortical Labs’ systems is modest, but the company has so far taught its brain cells to play the computer game Doom.

 

Bloomberg