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17th April 2026
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THE HOT STORY
U.S. lawyers warn on AI ruling
Reuters reports that AI is presenting new issues for attorney confidentiality rules, particularly after a federal judge in New York ruled earlier this year that Bradley Heppner, the former chair of bankrupt financial services firm GWG Holdings, could not shield his AI chats from prosecutors pursuing securities fraud charges against him. More than a dozen major U.S. law ​firms have outlined advice for people and companies to decrease the chances of AI chats ending up in court. "We are telling our clients: You should proceed with caution," said Alexandria Gutiérrez Swette of New York-based law firm Kobre & Kim.
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LAW
Supreme Court's use of emergency orders called 'potentially corrosive'
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has intensified her critique of the court's conservative majority for increasingly using the emergency docket, which she argues undermines the judicial process. Speaking at Yale Law School, Jackson said the practice has a "corrosive effect" on the judicial system, leading to "zombie proceedings" in lower courts. She emphasized the importance of allowing lower courts to handle cases, saying: "There is value in avoiding having the court continually touching the third rail of every divisive policy issue in American life." Jackson noted that the emergency docket, once used sparingly, has surged since 2025, often favoring conservative policies. She expressed concern that the court's current approach creates "lock-in effects" on legal issues, which can lead to real-world harms from litigation delays.
Trump weighs appointing Michael Murray to lead antitrust at DOJ
The White House is ​considering appointing attorney Michael Murray to lead ‌antitrust enforcement at the U.S. Justice Department. Murray served in various roles at ​the DOJ during the previous Trump administration, ⁠including as principal deputy assistant attorney general ​for the department’s antitrust division. “(Murray) understands how ‌the ⁠DOJ works . . . I expect him to be very much in favor of a predictable business climate,” Andrew Finch, who was a top ​DOJ antitrust official ⁠in the first Trump administration, told Bloomberg. The role is currently held by acting Assistant ​Attorney General Omeed Assefi.
The white-collar defense lawyers with nothing to do
The Trump administration’s approach to justice has made life quieter for those who defend alleged financial criminals, and the "consequences are likely to be felt around the world," the FT reports.
LAWSUITS
NAACP launches clean air lawsuit
The NAACP has launched legal action against Elon Musk's xAI Corp. for allegedly constructing a gas plant to power its Colossus 2 data center near Memphis without the necessary air permits. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, claims violations of the federal Clean Air Act and seeks penalties of up to $124,400 per day for each violation. The NAACP argues that the 27 gas turbines "potentially put the nearby, predominately Black community at risk." Earthjustice and the Southern Environmental Law Center are acting as legal counsel for the NAACP.
EMPLOYMENT LAW
White House study says DEI hurts productivity
A White House study argues that race-based hiring policies have reduced productivity in industries that adopted them. Using minority representation in management as a proxy for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) adoption, the authors say productivity in those industries was 2.7% lower by 2023 and estimate a 0.34% hit to U.S. output. “There is nothing inherently less productive about minority workers or minority managers,” the study says. “The issue is rapidly promoting unqualified workers in order to meet racial quotas set forth by DEI.” The report observes that the “previously virtually unknown” position of chief diversity officer became the “fastest-growing C-suite executive position.” However, some aspects of the study could raise questions about its conclusions, the Wall Street Journal notes.
TECHNOLOGY
Investors and execs urged to 'stop hiring humans'
At the recent HumanX conference in San Francisco, 6,500 investors, entrepreneurs and tech executives gathered to address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs. An advertisement at the entrance to the event set the tone for the four days: "Stop hiring humans." Florian Douetteau, the chief executive of Dataiku, a French company specializing in enterprise AI, told AFP that the real human added value is "capacity for judgment." He detailed a scenario whereby an AI agent works through the night and its human counterpart reviews the results in the morning. Nevertheless, he worries that "We are going to have a generation of people who will never have written anything from start to finish in their entire lives . . . That's pretty unsettling."
REGULATION
U.S. Treasury asks private credit firms for data
The U.S. Treasury Department ​is asking ‌private credit firms to submit information ​about their ​business models and ties ⁠to the ​regulated financial system. Firms are being asked about their recent performance and relationships ​with ​banks, ⁠insurance, and reinsurance companies. A Treasury spokesperson said the department “routinely confers” with market participants and financial regulators about private credit.
APPOINTMENTS
Wilson Sonsini hires DOJ antitrust lawyer for DC Office
Julia Tarver Wood has joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a partner in its antitrust and competition practice in Washington, DC. Previously, she served as senior litigation counsel in the Justice Department's antitrust division, where she was the lead trial counsel in a significant Section 2 conduct case, according to the firm, which said her practice focuses on antitrust litigation for clients across multiple industries.
INTERNATIONAL
Google should share search data with third-party engines, EU says
The European Commission has said Google should allow third-party search engines, including that of artificial ‌intelligence chatbots with search functionalities, to access its search data in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Clare Kelly, senior competition counsel at Google, said the company would contest the measures, which it said overreached and would jeopardise ​users' privacy. "Hundreds of millions of Europeans trust Google with their ⁠most sensitive searches - including private questions about their health, family, and finances - ​and the Commission's proposal would force us to hand this data over ​to third parties, with dangerously ineffective privacy protections," Kelly said.
Insurers seek to avoid pay out over blasts that hit pipelines
Insurers are seeking to avoid paying out nearly €580m ($684m) over September 2022 attacks on Nord Stream ​gas pipelines that were a direct result of Russia's invasion ‌of Ukraine. Nord Stream is suing Lloyd's and Arch Insurance over blasts that ruptured pipelines carrying Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany. No state has taken responsibility for the explosions. Lawyers representing Lloyd's and Arch at the High Court in London say Nord Stream's insurance policy excludes damage caused by war or under the ‌order of ⁠any government. The trial is expected to last about five weeks.
OTHER
U.S. urges nations to back 'trade over aid' plan
The U.S. wants other nations to back a “trade over aid” initiative at the United Nations as part of the Trump administration’s broader shift away from donor-focused development assistance and toward greater private investment. “The idea that trade and free market capitalism is the surest path to prosperity has been proven by the facts and by history,” said Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman. “The U.S. remains the most generous country in the history of the world, but those arguing for ‘aid not trade’ are really arguing for lining the pockets of a corrupt NGO industrial complex.” The new U.S. position has drawn criticism from the non-profit sector and others working on economic development goals.

 

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