Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

Jerome Powell has said he will remain on the Fed’s board after stepping down as chair in May, breaking with precedent, and citing concerns that legal and political pressures on the institution are undermining its independence. "I worry that these attacks ​are battering the institution and putting at ​risk the thing that really matters to the public, which is the ability to conduct ​monetary policy without taking into consideration ​political factors," Powell told a news conference after his ‌last ⁠policy meeting as chair. His successor, Kevin Warsh, will inherit a complex environment shaped by ongoing inflation around 3%, new energy-related shocks linked to geopolitical tensions, and questions over whether current policy is sufficiently restrictive.

 

The Hill

CNBC

Wall Street Journal

The City of San Francisco and the Port of Oakland have resolved their trademark dispute regarding the use of "San Francisco" in the Oakland airport's name. The Port of Oakland will now refer to its airport as "Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport," while limiting the use of "San Francisco" and "International." Port of Oakland attorney Mary Richardson said: "We're proud Oakland fought for, and preserved the right to retain our airport's full name that puts Oakland first." San Francisco city attorney David Chiu expressed satisfaction with the mutual resolution, saying it protects the San Francisco International Airport trademark. The dispute arose after the Port announced plans to change the airport's name in March 2024, leading to a lawsuit from San Francisco. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson had previously blocked the name change, citing potential consumer confusion.

 

New York Times

San Francisco Chronicle

U.S. District Judge Gregory Williams has said battery maker Duracell must face a lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade ​secrets related to German chemical company BASF's new tab lithium-ion battery ‌technology. Williams rejected Berkshire Hathaway-owned Duracell's bid to throw out the 2025 lawsuit related to BASF's effort to manufacture lower-cost ​materials for high-powered batteries.

 

Law360

Reuters

Reuters reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this year rejected all four women farmers chosen by their peers to represent them in the United Soybean Board, an industry group. Three of the women suspect the rare intervetion by the USDA was linked to gender. “It seems like a small thing," reflects Sara Stelter, a Wisconsin farmer stripped of her role on the soy board, "but in other ways, it’s really a big deal because it’s just another thing of where the current administration views women, I believe, and what their role should be." Reuters notes the Trump administration has pledged to eliminate policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, from every layer of government.

 

Reuters

The Supreme Court has heard oral arguments over a lucrative drug approval pathway that could have implications for the availability of cheaper generic medicines. The case, Hikma v. Amarin, concerns the process of so-called “skinny labeling,” whereby the Food and Drug Administration enables generic drugs to enter the market for unpatented uses and thus allows consumers to have quicker access to cheaper options. Amarin, which makes a fish-oil drug, Vascepa, for people at high risk of heart disease, is suing Hikma, a company that has gained approval for a generic version of the drug, arguing that Hikma's marketing material encourages doctors to prescribe it for Vascepa's patented use.

 

NPR

U.S. News

President Donald Trump is seeking to introduce new import taxes after the Supreme Court rejected a previous tariff measure, in an effort to preserve a core element of his trade policy agenda. The ruling effectively halted the administration’s earlier approach, forcing officials to reconsider how to apply levies on foreign goods without running afoul of legal constraints. In response, Trump and his advisers are examining alternative frameworks that could achieve similar economic and political objectives while complying with the court’s decision, including restructuring how the taxes are defined or justified under existing law. The push underscores the importance of tariffs and trade barriers within Trump’s broader economic strategy, particularly as tools to protect domestic industries and exert leverage in international trade relationships. However, any new measures are likely to face continued scrutiny, both legally and politically, as courts, lawmakers, and trade partners assess whether the revised approach addresses the issues identified in the Supreme Court’s ruling.

 

AP News

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to appeal Boston-based U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy's March ruling blocking key elements of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to reshape U.S. vaccine policy, including reducing ‌the number of routinely recommended childhood vaccinations. Murphy also found that a vaccine advisory panel whose members were handpicked by Kennedy was unlawfully constituted, concluding that 13 members had been selected through a "tainted" appointment process ​and barring them from serving. At the time of the ruling, now-Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche described Murphy's order ​as "lawless" and an "activist decision."

 

Bloomberg Law

NBC News

Reuters

Thousands of young people in the United States and Europe are hoping that postgraduate qualifications can help them ride out the jobs crisis as employers cut vacancies amid global economic turbulence and increasing employer investment in artificial intelligence. U.S. law school applications have surged by almost a third (32%) this year to date, compared with the past four-year average, according to official data.

 

Bloomberg

The U.S. State Department ​has instructed diplomatic staff to bring attention to what it claims are widespread efforts by Chinese companies to steal intellectual property from U.S. artificial intelligence labs. The cable, seen by Reuters and which was sent to diplomatic and consular posts around the world, says diplomatic staff should speak to their foreign counterparts about "concerns over adversaries' extraction and distillation of U.S. AI models." 

 

Reuters

OnlyFans has appointed David Eisman, a 20-year veteran from Skadden, as its new general counsel. Eisman, who has led Skadden's media and entertainment group, will join OnlyFans at a moment when the company is reportedly in advanced discussions to sell a minority stake, valuing the business at over $3bn. Although OnlyFans did not comment on the potential sale or Eisman's hiring, his expertise is expected to bolster the company's legal strategy during this pivotal time.

 

Bloomberg Law

French weather forecasting service Météo-France has filed a police complaint after detecting anomalies in its temperature gauges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The agency said in a statement that it has formally filed a complaint regarding the “tampering of an automated data processing system” located in the airport, which is used to measure daily temperatures for Paris. CNN reports that on two separate occasions in April, users of U.S. betting platform Polymarket placed successful bets on unexpected temperature spikes in the French capital.

 

CNN

Euronews.com

Financial Times

New York Times

Brazil's top court has been urged to suspend the $2.8bn sale of local mining company Serra Verde to USA Rare Earth on national security grounds. In a filing to the Supreme Court, left-wing Brazilian political party Rede Sustentabilidade argued that Brazilian law doesn’t provide sufficient safeguards for the national interest as required by the Constitution in the exploitation of strategic mineral resources.

 

Bloomberg