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UK · EWCACourt order

Court of Appeal quashes five former Barclays traders' rate-rigging convictions after Hayes ruling

The Court of Appeal of England and Wales on October 7 quashed the Libor and Euribor conspiracy-to-defraud convictions of former Barclays traders Jay Merchant, Jonathan Mathew, Alex Pabon, Philippe Moryoussef and Colin Bermingham. The appeals, referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, argued their juries received directions like those the UK Supreme Court found wrong when it quashed Tom Hayes's conviction in July 2025; the Serious Fraud Office did not oppose them.

Order (BBC News) → · The Independent, Criminal Cases Review Commission
N.Y.People moves

WilmerHale hires Latham's Hugh Murtagh to lead and grow its restructuring group

WilmerHale has recruited Latham & Watkins partner Hugh Murtagh to lead its restructuring department and grow its headcount. The New York-based lawyer, who has represented Mallinckrodt in bankruptcy and Sam Bankman-Fried's business partners in FTX-related fraudulent transfer litigation, replaces Andrew Goldman, who left to lead Goodwin's financial restructuring practice. He will manage seven lawyers, compared with Latham's restructuring practice of more than 200.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360 Pulse
SWEDENFunding

Swedish firms Walthon and Ramberg to merge into 40-lawyer Walthon Ramberg

Swedish business law firms Walthon Advokater and Ramberg Advokater plan to merge at the turn of the year into 2027, forming Walthon Ramberg with more than 40 lawyers focused on transactions, dispute resolution and insolvency. Walthon reported revenue of SEK 45 million last year with 24 employees at year-end; Ramberg reported SEK 18 million and 18 employees.

Announcement (Dagens Juridik) → · Ramberg Advokater
UKPeople moves

Burness Paull hires CMS Scottish hotels head Roland Smyth as real estate partner

Scottish firm Burness Paull has hired Roland Smyth, who led CMS's Scottish hotels and leisure team, as a partner in its real estate team to grow its hotels and student accommodation work. Smyth, qualified in Scots and English law, specializes in hotel management and franchise agreements and joins a cross-practice sector team whose clients include Marriott, Virgin Hotels and Motel One.

Announcement (Scottish Legal News) → · Insider Media
COLO.Regulation

Denver bars Caring for Denver tax spending on alcohol and staff wellness, lifts administrator cap to 7%

Denver's City Council passed Council Bill 26-1362 on Oct. 5, and the mayor signed it Oct. 7, amending the Caring for Denver tax ordinance. Administrative funds may no longer be spent on alcohol, regulated marijuana, tobacco or routine meals, and grants may not fund the nonprofit's own staff wellness programs. The nonprofit administrator's cap rises from 5% to 7%, and an extra 10% goes to a jail-alternatives facility for two years. Section 1 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Text (City and County of Denver — Council Bill 26-1362 (enrolled bill, signed)) → · The Denver Badger

Rulings this week

All court orders

U.S. FEDProduct launches

Harvey and LexisNexis launch co-developed agentic motion-to-dismiss workflow

Harvey has released a Motion to Dismiss drafting workflow co-developed with LexisNexis that plans dismissal grounds, researches U.S. primary law through LexisNexis and Shepard's Citations, and drafts a fully cited motion after lawyer approval of the strategy. Harvey says the work commonly takes associates 40 to 50 or more hours; a Motion for Summary Judgment workflow is planned next.

Announcement (Harvey) → · Artificial Lawyer
U.S. FEDRegulation

Trump signs law giving identity-theft victims a single Social Security contact

President Donald Trump signed H.R. 5345, the Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act, on Oct. 7. The law requires the Social Security Administration to provide individuals whose Social Security number is misused or card is lost with a single point of contact — trained employees — that tracks the case through resolution and coordinates with other SSA units. The bill passed Ways and Means 39-1, the House by voice vote, and the Senate unanimously.

Enrolled text (GovInfo) → · The White House, FedScoop, House Ways and Means Committee +1
IOWARegulation

Reynolds widens dyed-diesel penalty suspension to livestock and other farm products

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster emergency proclamation on October 7, 2026, suspending the dyed-fuel restrictions in Iowa Code sections 452A.74 and 452A.74A(1) for motor vehicles hauling soybeans, corn, livestock, livestock feed, soybean meal, fertilizer and other farm products, and suspending sales and fuel tax provisions on that fuel. The proclamation, which expands an earlier proclamation, took effect immediately and expires February 4, 2027.

Text (Office of Governor Kim Reynolds) →
KY.Regulation

Kentucky suspends dyed-diesel road-use ban and state penalties under Executive Order 2026-667

Under Executive Order 2026-667 (Oct. 7, 2026), approved by Attorney General Russell Coleman in AG Order 2026-07, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and suspended Kentucky's ban on using untaxed or dyed diesel on public roads (KRS 138.502(1)-(3)) and its state penalties, effective Oct. 8. The AG's approval limits the suspension to a period consistent with KRS 39A.090(2), generally 30 days; federal dyed-diesel rules still apply.

Text (Office of the Governor of Kentucky) → · Kentucky Lantern
U.S. FEDRegulation

New law requires annual report on federal projects $1 billion over budget or five years late

President Donald Trump signed S. 766, the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025, on Oct. 7. The law requires the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance within a year directing covered agencies to submit annual information on projects more than five years behind schedule or at least $1 billion over the original cost estimate. OMB must compile the submissions into an annual report to Congress and post it online.

Enrolled text (GovInfo) → · The White House, FEDweek, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks +1
AUSTRALIA · HCACourt order

Australia's High Court rules planners must weigh overseas emissions in Mount Pleasant coal mine case

The High Court of Australia on October 7, 2026, dismissed MACH Energy's appeal over its Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion in a 3-2 ruling, finding planning authorities had to consider conditions minimizing all greenhouse gas emissions, including Scope 3 emissions from coal burned overseas. The decision upholds a 2025 NSW Court of Appeal win by a Hunter Valley residents' group.

Order (ABC News) → · Al Jazeera, AAP
CAL.Litigation

ACLU asks California civil rights agency to investigate Criteria's Emotify hiring assessment

The ACLU and the ACLU of Northern California filed a complaint on October 6, 2026, asking the California Civil Rights Department to investigate Criteria Corp.'s hiring assessments. The complaint centers on Emotify, an emotional intelligence test the groups say closely mirrors clinical autism diagnostic tools and may unlawfully screen out disabled applicants under state and federal law.

Filing (ACLU of Northern California) → · Bloomberg Law, Law360
TEX.Litigation

Texas Supreme Court justices signal openness to AI-generated deposition transcripts

Several Texas Supreme Court justices indicated during October 6, 2026, oral arguments that the cost savings of AI-transcribed depositions may outweigh accuracy concerns. The case, a wrongful termination suit by Patrick Hughey against Reddico Construction Co., asks whether he can use an AI-generated transcript that lower courts excluded because a certified shorthand reporter did not prepare it.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
AUSTRALIARegulation

Australian privacy regulator opens investigation into maker of HeyCyan smart glasses app

Australia's Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said on October 7, 2026, that it has opened an investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology, maker of the HeyCyan app used in Anko smart glasses sold by Kmart. The company did not respond to the regulator's preliminary inquiries, and Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind urged retailers to consider whether to keep selling devices that use the app.

Text (OAIC) → · ABC News, Nine.com.au
UK · SDTCourt order

Disciplinary tribunal lets former Post Office general counsel Jane MacLeod attend hearing remotely

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on October 6, 2026, granted former Post Office general counsel Jane MacLeod's application to attend her disciplinary hearing remotely from Australia, over the Solicitors Regulation Authority's objection. The SRA has charged her with failing to cooperate with the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. The four-day hearing is set to start January 25, 2027.

Order (The Lawyer) → · Law Gazette
People moves

The L Suite names HubSpot CLO Erika Fisher global co-chair

The L Suite, a peer community for general counsel and chief legal officers, has appointed HubSpot Chief Legal Officer Erika Fisher as global co-chair. Fisher, formerly chief administrative and legal officer at Atlassian, will advise on strategy, programming and member experiences, including the group's Lloyd AI tool, while remaining at HubSpot.

Announcement (Law360 Pulse) → · citybiz, Bloomberg Law
INDIAPeople moves

CMS IndusLaw hires GE Vernova's Mehak Oberoi to build construction practice

CMS IndusLaw has hired Mehak Oberoi as a partner in its infrastructure, projects and construction team in Delhi and the NCR. Oberoi, a construction law specialist with nearly two decades of experience on EPC projects, FIDIC contracts and disputes across renewable energy and infrastructure in Asia-Pacific, joins from GE Vernova, where she was legal head for hydro in Asia-Pacific. She will lead development of the firm's construction practice.

Announcement (Bar & Bench) → · Law.asia