Saturday, October 31

seven things · 3 min · reviewed by Kenny Le, 12:02 p.m. CT

Law and legal tech in three minutes. Facts only, with every source linked.

UKPeople moves
Gibson Dunn set to hire Weil's roughly 40-lawyer London private funds teamGibson Dunn is set to hire Weil, Gotshal & Manges' London private funds team, led by co-heads James Bromley and James Sargent, with six more partners and about 30 counsel and associates expected to follow. The move comes as Weil's management has recommended winding down the firm, though talks with the funds team reportedly ran for more than a year. Gibson Dunn declined to comment.Announcement (Law.com International) → · Legal Business, Non-Billable, Law360
N.Y.Breaches and incidents
Weil confirms management committee recommends 'orderly wind-down'; partners to voteWeil, Gotshal & Manges confirmed on Wednesday, October 28, that its management committee has recommended the partnership pursue an orderly wind-down after a review of strategic alternatives, with a partner vote expected in the coming days. The firm, which has about 1,200 lawyers and reportedly took in more than $2 billion in revenue in 2025, said it will keep serving clients during a wind-down lasting months.Report (CNBC) → · Legal Business, Global Legal Post, LawFuel
N.Y.Breaches and incidents
Weil Gotshal tells partners it plans to wind down after 95 yearsWeil Gotshal & Manges plans to wind down its operations, its leaders told partners on Wednesday, Bloomberg Law reported, citing a source briefed on the decision. The New York firm, founded in 1931, took in nearly $2.1 billion in revenue last year and ranked among the 30 largest U.S. firms. The decision follows a wave of partner exits, failed merger talks with Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a leadership succession that fell apart.Report (Bloomberg Law) → · The Lawyer, Above the Law
THAILANDPeople moves
Stephenson Harwood takes over DLA Piper's Bangkok officeStephenson Harwood has agreed to take over DLA Piper's Bangkok office, adding a team of more than 40 people, including four partners, led by DLA Piper Thailand country…Announcement (Law.com International) → · In-House Community
UK · EWHCCourt order
High Court spares 5,000 late-served Dieselgate claims but makes claimants share costsMr Justice Constable refused to strike out claims by about 5,000 Dieselgate claimants whose solicitors, Bingham Long, served the claim form after the cut-off in the…Order (Legal Futures) →
UK · EWHCRegulation
High Court judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen reprimanded over judgment delaysMrs Justice Ellenbogen, a High Court judge and presiding judge of the Northern Circuit, has been reprimanded for serious misconduct after delays of up to 13 months in…Text (Judicial Conduct Investigations Office) → · Legal Futures
CANADABreaches and incidents
McCarthy Tétrault hit by data breach exposing client filesMcCarthy Tétrault, one of Canada's largest corporate law firms, said an unauthorized third party gained access to certain files, including client information, in a…Report (The Globe and Mail) → · McCarthy Tétrault

Everything this week

D.C.People moves

Ashurst Perkins Coie hires Freshfields congressional investigations co-chair Austin Evers

Ashurst Perkins Coie has hired Austin Evers, co-chair of Freshfields' congressional investigations practice, as a partner in its complex litigation practice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced on October 28. Evers, a former associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, advises on congressional inquiries, government investigations, political-risk counseling and crisis management. The move comes days before the U.S. midterm elections.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · CDR News, Law360 PulseOct. 30

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Anthropic adds prebuilt legal Artifacts to Claude for Legal, including tools from Harvey, Goodwin and Foley

Anthropic has launched Claude for Legal Artifacts, a gallery of prebuilt, editable legal workflows such as cite checking, jurisdiction surveys, playbook deviation boards and regulatory horizon scans. Partner-built Artifacts include Harvey Intake, Goodwin's AI Governance Benchmark and Foley & Lardner's Obligations Checker. The company also announced an access-to-justice program and a Legal Ambassadors Program for builders, extending the Claude for Legal offering it launched in May.

Announcement (Artificial Lawyer) → · Legaltech News, The Economic Times (Reuters)Oct. 28

U.S. FEDBreaches and incidents

Baker McKenzie and Troutman Pepper Locke disclose social engineering data breaches

Baker McKenzie and Troutman Pepper Locke have filed data breach notices with state attorneys general after social engineering attacks in August. Baker McKenzie said a threat actor deceived two users on August 14 and 17 and obtained a limited number of files. At Troutman, an employee targeted on August 7 sent documents to an unauthorized person. Both firms said their systems were not otherwise accessed and are offering 24 months of credit monitoring.

Report (Law360 Pulse) → · California Attorney GeneralOct. 30

TEX.Regulation

Texas county judge Shane Britton resigns and accepts lifetime ban from judicial service

Brown County Judge Alan Shane Britton has agreed to resign and accept a permanent ban from judicial service in Texas under an agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Complaints alleged he used his office to shield divorce clients he represented as a lawyer from criminal warrants. The agreement resolves the complaints without further proceedings, and the commission made no findings of fact.

Text (KTXS) → · Texas Lawyer, Texas ScorecardOct. 29

N.Y.People moves

Skadden hires Weil SEC veterans Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has hired Weil, Gotshal & Manges partners Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan, both former Securities and Exchange Commission officials. Dean, a former co-head of the SEC Enforcement Division's asset management unit, joins Skadden's white collar and investigations group in New York. Mulligan, a former senior adviser in the SEC's Division of Examinations, joins its investment management group in Washington.

Announcement (The American Lawyer) → · Bloomberg Law, Global Legal PostOct. 29

N.Y.Breaches and incidents

Weil turns to Davis Polk restructuring lawyers as private equity co-head leaves for Paul Weiss

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is being advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell lawyers, including restructuring partner Brian Resnick and chair Neil Barr, as it assesses its future, Bloomberg Law reported on October 27, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. The same day, Law.com reported that Weil's global private equity co-head Doug Warner is joining Paul, Weiss, and Skadden announced it had hired two Weil regulatory partners.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.comOct. 27

N.Y.Court order

New York's top court removes Canandaigua town justice over racial slur and biased remarks

The New York Court of Appeals on October 27, 2026, removed Canandaigua Town Justice Walter W. Jones from office, accepting the Commission on Judicial Conduct's recommended sanction. The court found Jones used a racial slur while recounting a story to a court staff member and a public defender in May 2024, then days later said from the bench that a Black defendant had played the race card.

Order (WXXI News) → · Bloomberg Law, ABA JournalOct. 28

U.S. FEDCourt order

Fourth Circuit strikes down West Virginia Daniel's Law in suits against Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a ruling that West Virginia's Daniel's Law, which restricts publishing the home addresses and phone numbers of judicial and law enforcement officials, violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. A former state law enforcement officer had sued Thomson Reuters America, LexisNexis Risk Solutions and other people-search providers under the law. The court said the statute's lack of a notice requirement, which similar laws include, was fatal.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · National Law Journal, Law360Oct. 28

UK · EWCACourt order

Court of Appeal caps Convatec costs budget at £4 million and lets inventor claim for combined patents

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales held on October 26, 2026, in Parsons v Convatec [2026] EWCA Civ 1357 that section 106 of the Patents Act 1977, on parties' financial position in costs orders, applies to costs budgeting, and that an employee may claim compensation for the combined benefit of several inventions. Lord Justice Arnold capped Convatec's budgeted recoverable costs at £4 million in former chemist David Parsons' claim, valued at up to £366 million.

Order (ICLG) → · Law Society Gazette, Court of Appeal (Civil Division)Oct. 27

INDIA · SCILitigation

India's Supreme Court seeks government reply to publishers' data protection law challenge

The Supreme Court of India on October 27, 2026, issued notice to the central government on a petition by the Digital News Publishers Association, representing 21 digital news publishers, challenging the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and its 2025 rules. The publishers argue the law lacks a journalism exemption. The court declined an interim stay without hearing the government and listed the case for November 17.

Filing (LiveLaw) → · Bar & Bench, The Times of IndiaOct. 27

Rulings this week

All court orders

U.S. FEDFunding

Anthropic files publicly for IPO with Wilson Sonsini and Freshfields as lead counsel

Anthropic publicly filed its registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26, 2026, for a Nasdaq listing under the ticker ANT. The filing shows first-half 2026 revenue of $16.3 billion. Wilson Sonsini is counsel to Anthropic and Freshfields advises the underwriters, with Cravath, Orrick and Cleary Gottlieb also advising on governance and compensation matters.

Announcement (TechCrunch) → · Law.com, Legal BusinessOct. 26

CANADAFunding

Clio acquires AI regulatory monitoring platform Page

Clio has acquired Page, a Kitchener-Waterloo startup whose AI monitors bills, regulations and government hearings, and will build its horizon-scanning technology into the Vincent legal research platform over the coming months. Clio announced the deal at the opening keynote of ClioCon 2026 in Boston on October 26, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed. It is Clio's ninth acquisition, and Page's 12-person team is joining the company.

Announcement (BetaKit) → · Legaltech News, LawSitesOct. 26

UKPeople moves

Latham hires Paul Hastings' London IP and tech litigation head Jason Raeburn

Latham & Watkins has hired Jason Raeburn, who headed Paul Hastings' London IP and technology litigation practice, as a partner in London. Raeburn handles disputes involving AI, copyright, technology and life sciences and sits part-time as a deputy master in the High Court's Chancery Division. The hire extends Latham's London technology push, which included a three-partner tech M&A team from Morrison Foerster in May.

Announcement (The Lawyer) → · Legal Business, Law.com InternationalOct. 28

PA.Regulation

Pennsylvania Act 117 requires bell-to-bell mobile device policies in schools by 2027-28

Pennsylvania enacted Senate Bill 1014 as Act No. 117 of 2026 on October 26, 2026, adding Section 1314-A to the Public School Code of 1949. The act requires each school entity to adopt a bell-to-bell phone-free policy by the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Policies prohibit student use of personal mobile devices during the whole school day on school property, with stated exceptions.

Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly) → · Philadelphia WeeklyOct. 27

N.Y.People moves

Weil leader-in-waiting Ramona Nee turns down top job amid partner exits

Ramona Nee, the Weil, Gotshal & Manges co-managing partner slated to succeed longtime leader Barry Wolf, has told the firm's leadership she will not take the top job, according to reports on October 25, 2026. Semafor reported that Nee has held talks to join Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. The decision follows a run of partner departures and the end of Weil's merger talks with Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Announcement (Semafor) → · The American Lawyer, Bloomberg LawOct. 26

N.Y.Litigation

New York archdiocese agrees to $800 million settlement with about 1,300 abuse survivors

The Archdiocese of New York and lawyers for about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by clergy and other church personnel have agreed to an $800 million settlement, the second-largest by a U.S. Catholic archdiocese. Archbishop Ronald Hicks confirmed the deal to priests on October 24, 2026, saying it is not final until signed in early November. The claims followed New York's 2019 Child Victims Act.

Filing (The Guardian) → · Gothamist, NBC NewsOct. 26

9TH CIR.Court order

Ninth Circuit keeps California's captive audience meeting ban on hold

A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed a preliminary injunction blocking California's SB 399, which bars employers from disciplining workers who skip mandatory meetings about religious or political matters. Judge Richard Tallman wrote that the law applies only when employers express opinions at those meetings, so it regulates speech based on content. The court found the business groups likely to succeed on their First Amendment claim and did not decide federal labor-law preemption.

Order (Courthouse News Service) → · Law360Oct. 30

UKResearch

Civil Justice Council urges Practice Direction on AI in court documents

The Civil Justice Council's working group published its final report on the use of AI in preparing court documents, making 15 recommendations. It asks the Civil Procedure Rule Committee to adopt a risk-based Practice Direction on AI use and sanctions for misuse, and urges guidance for litigants in person. It proposes AI declarations for witness statements and expert reports but none for lawyers' advocacy documents.

Paper (Law Society Gazette) → · Law NewsOct. 29

U.S. FEDFunding

Harvey acquires AI sales platform Aida, its fifth acquisition of 2026

Legal AI company Harvey has acquired Aida, an AI sales execution platform founded in 2024 by Glean co-founder Piyush Prahladka and former Patreon engineering leader Atish Das Sarma. Aida's search and machine-learning team joins Harvey's product and engineering organization to help law firms build their own ontologies and a context layer for AI agents. Terms were not disclosed. The deal follows Harvey's purchases of Benchmark in July and Guardails in September.

Announcement (Artificial Lawyer) → · Legaltech NewsOct. 29

N.Y.People moves

Morrison Foerster hires Paul Weiss litigators Joshua Hill and Ariane Rockoff-Kirk

Morrison Foerster has hired Joshua Hill and Ariane Rockoff-Kirk from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as partners in New York. Hill, a former federal prosecutor returning to the firm, becomes head of business litigation and disputes, and Rockoff-Kirk joins the Complex Litigation Group. The pair are the firm's 19th and 20th litigation laterals this year as it builds out its complex litigation bench, the New York Law Journal reported.

Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Law360 PulseOct. 29

UKResearch

Bar Standards Board finds 41% of UK Bar students gain pupillage within five years and plans review of training system

A Bar Standards Board report finds 41% of UK students obtain pupillage within five years of enrolling on the Bar course, ranging from 11% to 67% by provider. The overall pass rate is 78%, falling to 56% for students with a 2:2 degree. Chair Christopher Bones said the board will launch a full review in the coming year of the fitness and purpose of the current training system.

Paper (Legal Futures) → · Bar Standards BoardOct. 29

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Everlaw unveils Omni agentic AI suite and Workflows review management tool

Ediscovery platform Everlaw announced Omni, an agentic AI investigation suite, and Workflows, a review management tool, at its Everlaw Summit in San Francisco. Omni builds on Deep Dive with an agent that runs multistep tasks across a matter's evidence and a Case Memory fact library. Workflows, which lets review managers route documents through rule-based stages, arrives in November at no extra cost; Omni is due in early 2027 as a premium offering.

Announcement (Legaltech News) → · eDiscovery TodayOct. 30

CANADABreaches and incidents

Davies confirms cyberattack as Canada's Cyber Centre warns of vishing campaign against law firms

Toronto-based Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg said an October 23 cyberattack compromised information from one account, making it the second Bay Street firm to confirm a breach this month. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security warned on October 28 of an ongoing campaign in which callers pose as internal IT support to steal credentials, with October activity concentrated on the legal sector.

Report (The Globe and Mail) → · Canadian Centre for Cyber SecurityOct. 30

ILL.People moves

Simpson Thacher adds four Chicago partners from White & Case and Kirkland

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has hired four partners for its Chicago office, which opened in August. M&A partners Shiva Sandill and Trevor Currie have joined from White & Case, and Kirkland & Ellis restructuring partner David Gremling and executive compensation and benefits partner Lauren Cates will follow. The hires bring the new office to nearly a dozen partners, The American Lawyer reported.

Announcement (The Global Legal Post) → · The American LawyerOct. 28

U.S. FEDFunding

Former DOJ antitrust chiefs Kanter and Mekki launch AI litigation startup FluxCap

Jonathan Kanter and Doha Mekki, who led the Justice Department's Antitrust Division under President Biden, have launched FluxCap, an AI platform for complex litigation that starts with antitrust work. The co-CEOs say the tool reviews documents, conducts research and helps lawyers develop strategy, spot evidence gaps and anticipate opposing arguments. It has raised $6.4 million in seed funding from investors including Y Combinator and Burford Capital.

Announcement (ABC News) → · The Legal WireOct. 28

N.Y.People moves

Vinson & Elkins hires Simpson Thacher M&A partner Lisa Morales in New York

Vinson & Elkins has hired Lisa Morales as a corporate partner in New York. Morales, who joins from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, represents corporate and private equity clients on public and private M&A, divestitures, distressed deals and joint ventures across industries including healthcare, financial services, energy and technology, and advises boards on corporate governance.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Vinson & ElkinsOct. 30

UK · UKSCCourt order

UK Supreme Court backs insurer against Spain and France in Prestige oil spill arbitration case

The UK Supreme Court unanimously allowed the London Steam-Ship Owners' Mutual Insurance Association's appeal against Spain and France in the Prestige oil spill dispute. It held that a third party suing in breach of an arbitration clause under the conditional benefit principle breaches a contractual obligation, so the remedy is common law damages rather than equitable compensation. The arbitrators' monetary awards were upheld on that corrected basis.

Order (UK Supreme Court) → · Law Society GazetteOct. 29

N.Y.Regulation

Hochul signs New York law banning unsafe AI chatbot features for minors

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed S.9051-B/A.10379-C, which bars chatbot developers from offering minors features that pretend to be human, encourage self-harm or engage in sexual conversations. Providers must verify users' ages with multiple methods and delete age data afterward. The attorney general can seek civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Text (Bloomberg Government) → · IAPPOct. 28

N.D. TEX.Breaches and incidents

Racial remarks to lawyer triggered misconduct probe of Dallas federal judge Ada Brown

A misconduct complaint against U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas followed an April 2026 sanctions hearing in Dallas at which she repeatedly called attorney Ezra Young, who is Latino, white and accused him of mistreating Black lawyers, according to a hearing transcript reported by Bloomberg Law. The complaint helped launch a Fifth Circuit investigation; Brown temporarily lost her docket and a special committee ordered a psychiatric examination. Brown denies wrongdoing.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA JournalOct. 29

9TH CIR.Court order

Judge rules Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as de facto U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, bars him from two cases

Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled on Tuesday, October 27, that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor and disqualified him from overseeing two criminal cases. Seabright found the Justice Department's revised delegation made no meaningful difference after a Ninth Circuit ruling on Nevada's Sigal Chattah. He declined to dismiss the indictments and delayed the disqualifications pending an expected stay request.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · Los Angeles TimesOct. 29

UK · SDTRegulation

SRA withdraws several tribunal cases after reviewing dishonesty allegations

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has withdrawn several prosecutions before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, sometimes late, after reviewing whether dishonesty allegations could be established, chief executive Sarah Rapson told the SRA board. Board papers also show plans to recruit up to 20 supervisory staff, £24 million returned to PM Law clients, 55 live immigration firm investigations and a projected £9.9 million deficit for 2025-26.

Text (Legal Futures) →Oct. 29

N.Y.Regulation

New York S.9508 requires security features and warning labels on internet-connected baby monitors

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 9508 (Chapter 367 of 2026) on October 28, 2026, adding General Business Law section 399-iii for internet-connected baby monitors. The law bars manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale of a new monitor that broadcasts audio or video over the internet unless it includes security features preventing unauthorized hearing or viewing and a warning label. The act takes effect January 26, 2027, ninety days after signing.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Utica PhoenixOct. 29

N.Y.People moves

Phillips Lytle opens first Southeast office through combination with South Carolina boutique TaberPatrick

Phillips Lytle, the New York-based midsize firm, has combined with TaberPatrick, a corporate boutique in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, giving it its first office in the Southeast. The Hilton Head office is the firm's 10th. Managing partner Douglas Dimitroff said expansion to the Southeast is key to sustaining growth across the Northeast and Midwest under the firm's new strategic plan.

Announcement (Law360 Pulse) → · Law.comOct. 29

CAL. SUPER. CT. S.F. CNTY.Litigation

Parents sue OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT coached daughter off seizure medication before her death

The parents of Bowen Wan, a 31-year-old former Amazon software engineer with epilepsy, have sued OpenAI in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging GPT-4o coached her to taper off her anti-seizure medication and hide the plan from her doctors before she died in February. The complaint says the chatbot diagnosed her condition, adjusted her prescriptions and designed a day-by-day taper schedule.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · TechCrunchOct. 28

UK · EWHCCourt order

High Court voids assignment of £11 million claim to company part-owned by advising solicitors

The High Court of England and Wales ruled on October 27, 2026, that solicitors cannot avoid the common-law bar on acquiring clients' claims by transferring them to a company in which they hold shares. Master Sullivan held invalid the assignment of an £11 million loan claim to MSV Estates, whose directors had advised the original claimant, and said the rule applies before proceedings begin.

Order (ICLG) → · High Court (King's Bench Division)Oct. 27

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Casepoint launches AI Investigator agent for government and corporate investigations

E-discovery provider Casepoint has launched AI Investigator, a new agent in its Casepoint IQ suite aimed at government and corporate investigators. Announced October 27, 2026, the tool narrows large document sets to evidence that supports or refutes allegations, extracts facts cited to source documents and links them to investigative themes. It will be generally available in November inside Casepoint eDiscovery.

Announcement (Law.com) → · eDiscovery TodayOct. 27

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Latham partners with Harvey to build AI fund formation product

Latham & Watkins is working with Harvey to develop an AI-enabled fund formation product that will sit as a separate offering within Harvey's suite, the firm said on October 27, 2026. Targeting side letters, subscription documents and limited partnership agreements, the tool could later be marketed to other firms, though without Latham's market intelligence. There is no release date.

Announcement (Law.com) → · Legal BusinessOct. 27

N.Y.Regulation

New York courts issue AI guide telling lawyers to verify filings, without a disclosure requirement

New York's court system has issued a seven-page guide for attorneys using generative AI to prepare court papers. Lawyers may use AI without disclosing it, but must understand its limits and independently verify citations and other content, because signing a filing certifies its accuracy under existing sanction rules. A New York Law School associate dean called the lack of a disclosure requirement concerning.

Text (New York Law Journal) → · amNewYorkOct. 28

U.S. FEDProduct launches

LexisNexis expands Lexis+ with Protégé with Lex Machina data and Custom Skills Builder

LexisNexis on October 27, 2026, expanded Lexis+ with Protégé so the AI platform can draw on Lex Machina analytics, Intelligize disclosures, CourtLink dockets and Law360 reporting alongside firm documents. The update adds a no-code Custom Skills Builder, 100 new legal skills, a larger Vault and broader Shepard's Verify citation checks. It is rolling out to U.S. customers this month, with global availability to follow.

Announcement (LexisNexis via GlobeNewswire) → · Law.comOct. 27

N.Y.People moves

Cleary Gottlieb hires Simpson Thacher private equity partner Mark Pflug

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has hired Mark Pflug, a private equity partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, for its Americas M&A and private equity transactions groups in New York. Pflug advises private equity sponsors across the life cycle of their portfolio company investments, Cleary said. He is Cleary's fourth private equity partner hire this year as the firm builds out its transactional bench.

Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Bloomberg LawOct. 29

INDIACourt order

Allahabad High Court dismisses challenge to 18% GST on online legal databases

The Allahabad High Court on October 26, 2026, dismissed a public interest petition challenging the 18% goods and services tax on online legal research databases such as SCC Online and Manupatra. Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra rejected the plea at the admission stage on grounds of delay, noting the rate has applied since 2017, and did not rule on the tax classification.

Order (Bar & Bench) → · LiveLawOct. 27

UKRegulation

Legal Services Board approves SRA guidance enabling unlimited fines for economic crime

The Legal Services Board has approved the Solicitors Regulation Authority's amended fining guidance, letting it impose unlimited fines on solicitors and traditional law firms for economic crime without referring cases to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The power comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which removes the £25,000 cap for such misconduct starting on or after March 4, 2024. The LSB handled the application under its exemption procedure.

Text (Legal Futures) →Oct. 28

N.Y.Regulation

New York S.5041 extends Address Confidentiality Program to victims of intimate-image dissemination

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 5041 (A.6338) on October 27, 2026, her office said. The act amends Executive Law section 108(1)(i) to add victims of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image, Penal Law section 245.15, to the definition of a victim of a sexual offense eligible for the Address Confidentiality Program, which provides a substitute mailing address through the Secretary of State. The act took effect immediately.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Office of the Governor of New YorkOct. 28

N.Y.Regulation

New York S.9341A sets civil penalties for lodging facilities that omit trafficking-victim information

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed A.8939A, the same as S.9341A, on October 27, 2026, as Chapter 365 of the Laws of 2026. The act adds subdivision 3 to General Business Law section 206-f: a lodging facility that fails to provide the required information on services for human trafficking victims is liable for a civil penalty of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each later offense, after notice and a 30-day cure period. It takes effect November 26.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) →Oct. 28

E.D. VA.Litigation

Clio asks Virginia federal court to declare it need not renew Ross Intelligence data feed

Clio has asked a federal court in Virginia to declare that it does not have to renew a case-law data feed it once shared with Ross Intelligence, the AI legal research platform. Clio says the agreement became inactive after Ross stopped making its $50,000 annual payments in 2020, shortly before Ross shut down its platform. The case is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Filing (Law360) → · The Legal WireOct. 28

M.D.N.C.Litigation

Tyler Technologies agrees to $1.5 million settlement over North Carolina eCourts arrests

Tyler Technologies, the vendor behind North Carolina's eCourts court records system, has agreed to pay up to $1.5 million to settle a federal class action by people allegedly wrongly arrested or held too long because of software problems. Plaintiffs asked the Middle District of North Carolina on October 26, 2026, to approve the deal, which needs preliminary and final court approval.

Filing (The Assembly) → · Carolina JournalOct. 27

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Clio merges its products into one AI platform and adds agentic workflows

Clio said at ClioCon 2026 in Boston on October 26, 2026, that it is consolidating Clio Grow, Clio Manage and Clio Work into a single interface with one login, starting in November. The company also introduced a platform-wide AI assistant, agentic workflows that carry out multistep legal tasks, a built-in phone system, a document management system and an automatic timekeeping beta.

Announcement (Legaltech News) → · LawSitesOct. 26

CANADAFunding

Dunton Rainville enters Granby, Quebec, through merger with Ménard Notaires

Quebec law and notarial firm Dunton Rainville has merged with notary David F. Ménard's practice in Granby, entering the Haute-Yamaska market. Ménard, Aurélie Tessier and their team will operate under the Dunton Rainville name; terms and headcount were not disclosed. Granby gives the firm eight Quebec markets, following its acquisition of Hackett Campbell Bouchard in 2024 and its combination with Monty Sylvestre in 2025.

Announcement (Droit-inc) → · Canadian LawyerOct. 28

S.D.N.Y.Court order

Judge rules Justice Department unlawfully fired prosecutor Maurene Comey

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled on October 26, 2026, that the Justice Department illegally fired Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, because the firing violated civil service protections and her due process rights. He rejected the government's argument that presidential removal power covered the firing and said Comey is entitled to reinstatement and back pay. The department said it would appeal.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · NPROct. 26

MASS.People moves

Honigman opens Boston office with three Womble Bond Dickinson patent partners

Honigman has opened an office in Boston, its ninth in the United States and its first in the Northeast, by hiring life sciences patent partners Cristin Cowles, Danielle Herritt and Deborah Vernon from Womble Bond Dickinson. The firm announced the move on October 26, 2026. It is Honigman's first new location since it opened in Washington, D.C., in 2020.

Announcement (Global Legal Post) → · Law360 PulseOct. 27

8TH CIR.Court order

Eighth Circuit upholds vacatur of Federal Reserve's debit card swipe fee cap

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on October 26, 2026, affirmed a ruling that struck down the Federal Reserve's 21-cent cap on debit card interchange fees, finding the Fed improperly let banks count costs not tied to individual transactions, such as fraud prevention. The Fed must now write a fee structure that reflects the incremental-cost standard Congress set in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · American BankerOct. 26

N.Y.People moves

Sterlington hires nine-member patent team from Holland & Hart

Sterlington has hired a nine-member patent team led by former Holland & Hart partners J. Scott Karren and Thomas Anderson, the New York firm announced on October 26, 2026. The group includes four counsel, two patent agents and an IP specialist, and focuses on patent portfolios for technology companies in wireless communications, cellular standards, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Karren said more colleagues are expected to join.

Announcement (Sterlington) → · Law360Oct. 27

GERMANYPeople moves

Freshfields private equity partner Florian Sippel leaves Munich after nine months

Private equity partner Florian Sippel has left Freshfields' Munich office about nine months after joining from Kirkland & Ellis in February 2026, Law.com International and JUVE reported. Freshfields confirmed the departure to JUVE but declined to give reasons. Sippel's hire was part of the firm's response to the loss of four private equity partners to Latham & Watkins. He previously spent seven years at Freshfields, in Frankfurt, Munich and London, until December 2021.

Announcement (Law.com International) → · JUVEOct. 28

CAL.People moves

Latham hires California Privacy Protection Agency's first enforcement head

Latham & Watkins has hired Michael Macko, the California Privacy Protection Agency's inaugural head of enforcement, as a partner in its Bay Area privacy and cyber practice, Bloomberg Law reported on October 26, 2026. Macko, who left the agency last month, built its enforcement team, oversaw hundreds of matters and issued advisories on topics including data minimization.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360Oct. 27

U.S. FEDRegulation

Education Department final rule rewrites accrediting agency recognition and institutional eligibility rules, effective July 1, 2027

Text (Federal Register) →Oct. 30

U.S. FEDRegulation

Ontario Court of Appeal says licensed paralegals can negotiate accident benefits settlements for parties under disability

Order (Law Times) →Oct. 28

UKProduct launches

United States: Presidential Determination 2027-01 waives Defense Production Act section 303 requirements for petroleum capacity

Text (Federal Register) →Oct. 28

U.S. FEDRegulation