Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse
3rd July 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Trump's asylum ban at U.S.-Mexico border 'unlawful,' judge rules
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s asylum ban at the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Trump went beyond his executive power when he issued a proclamation on Jan. 20 declaring illegal immigration an emergency and setting aside existing legal processes. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said that Trump’s proclamation blocking all migrants “engaged in the invasion across the southern border” from claiming asylum or other humanitarian protections exceeded his authority. The American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant advocacy groups called the decision “hugely important.” The ruling prevents the president from denying individuals the opportunity to apply for asylum and will take effect on July 16, allowing the administration two weeks to appeal. 
LAWSUITS
SEC and SolarWinds in preliminary deal to end cyber attack lawsuit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reached a preliminary deal with software company SolarWinds and its chief information security officer to end litigation tied to a Russia-linked cyber attack. The SEC, SolarWinds and Timothy Brown successfully petitioned a federal judge on Wednesday to stay court proceedings while paperwork for a settlement was finalized.  The regulator had sued SolarWinds and Brown in connection with a two-year cyber attack known as Sunburst that targeted the Austin, Texas-based firm. A judge dismissed much of the regulator's case last year. The SEC had said that the defendants defrauded investors by concealing security weaknesses, but U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who approved the stay, opined that such claims were based on "hindsight and speculation."
Exxon's appeal of $14.25m air pollution penalty is rejected
The Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Exxon Mobil to overturn a $14.25m civil penalty imposed in a long-running lawsuit over air pollution at the energy giant's crude oil refinery in Baytown, Texas. Exxon had asked the justices to take up the case after a lower court in December upheld the largest penalty ever assessed in a citizen-initiated lawsuit enforcing protections against air pollution under the landmark Clean Air Act environmental law, Reuters reports.
CASES
American Airlines appeal against ruling barring alliance with JetBlue dismissed
The Supreme Court has declined to hear American Airlines' appeal against a ruling that deemed its partnership with JetBlue Airways a violation of federal antitrust laws, effectively ending the proposed "Northeast Alliance." American Airlines expressed disappointment, arguing that the alliance was intended to enhance competition and customer options in the Northeast, but the Justice Department maintained it would harm consumers by reducing price competition.
LAW
Supreme Court sides with IRS on Coinbase
The Supreme Court has declined to review an IRS summons requiring Coinbase to provide transaction details for over 14,000 cryptocurrency customers. The court's decision came without explanation, rejecting an appeal from Coinbase account holder James Harper, who argued that the IRS violated his Fourth Amendment rights. Harper contended that the ruling "will effectively strip millions of Americans of meaningful privacy protections over their most sensitive financial data." The IRS's investigation, which began in 2016, aims to address alleged underreporting of capital gains on cryptocurrencies. Despite President Donald Trump's administration supporting the IRS's position, Harper and Coinbase had sought to challenge the summons, emphasizing the need for privacy in financial records.
White House seeks to remove members of Consumer Product Safety Commission
President Donald Trump's administration has requested the Supreme Court to intervene in his attempt to dismiss three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The move follows a ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox, who said that Mr Trump overstepped his authority in firing Commissioners Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, and Richard Trumka Jr. The Justice Department argues that Trump acted within his powers, while the commissioners maintain they should continue serving during the Supreme Court's consideration.
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Boeing reinstates laid-off union workers
Boeing has reinstated 58 union members from the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) amid allegations of contract violations during layoffs. SPEEA claimed that Boeing retained non-union workers while laying off unionized employees in similar roles, in violation of a collective bargaining agreement. The layoffs, affecting about 2,600 employees, were part of a cost-cutting measure announced by CEO Kelly Ortberg. Rich Plunkett, SPEEA's director of strategic development, observed: “It appears finally something has shifted and there's at least an appetite to see if we can work together.”
CORPORATE
Activist investors pull back on campaigns
In the first half of 2025, the number of global activist campaigns fell to 129, a 12% decrease from 147 in the same period last year, as economic and geopolitical uncertainties made investors more cautious. Jim Rossman, global head of shareholder advisory at Barclays, said: "The environment was shaped by mixed economic signals, fears about wars and geopolitical tensions." Despite the decline in campaigns, activist investors secured 86 board seats, a 16% increase, and settlements rose by 32% to 37. Most activity remained focused in the US, with 60 campaigns, while Europe saw 24 launched - a 17% decline. Japan saw 37 campaigns compared to 51 a year ago.
CYBERSECURITY
U.S. firms and infrastructure 'could be targeted by Iran-linked hackers'
U.S. government officials have issued a warning that Iranian-affiliated hackers may target American companies and critical infrastructure, particularly those linked to Israeli defense firms. Although there is currently no evidence of a coordinated cyber campaign, agencies including the FBI and NSA are advising organizations to bolster their cybersecurity measures. The advisory highlights the potential for malicious cyber activity despite ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire, and notes that Iranian state-sponsored hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software and weak passwords.
INTERNATIONAL
Ferrari Testarossa rights won back by Italian carmaker
Ferrari has successfully regained the rights to the Testarossa brand name after the EU's General Court ruled that the company had been wrongfully stripped of the rights. The luxury sportscar maker's rights on the marque were revoked in 2023 by the European Union's Intellectual Property Office, which said the company had not put them to "genuine use" for a continuous period of five years between 2010 and 2015. But the court noted that Ferrari's approval of dealers selling second-hand Testarossas and licensing the brand for scale models constituted "genuine use" of the trademark. The Testarossa, famous for its appearance in the 1980s TV show "Miami Vice," was produced from 1984 to 1996, and only second-hand models are currently available.
OTHER
Wildfire smoke changes immune system, study says
Exposure to wildfire smoke appears to affect the immune system on a cellular level and might make some people more likely to fall ill by altering their immune systems, researchers have reported in the journal Nature Medicine. The researchers said the results demonstrated that individuals exposed to wildfire smoke showed an increase in memory immune cells that provide long-term immunity and biomarkers of increased inflammation and immune activity, and they also showed changes in dozens of genes related to allergies and asthma. “We’ve known that smoke exposure causes poor respiratory, cardiac, neurological and pregnancy outcomes, but we haven’t understood how . . . Our study fills in this knowledge gap,” senior researcher Dr. Kari Nadeau, chair of environmental health at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said.

 

Legal Slice delivers the latest, most relevant, and useful legal intelligence each weekday morning with intelligence, designed specifically for legal professionals, including attorneys, practice owners, judges, legal scholars, and influencers.

Content is selected to an exacting brief from hundreds of influential media sources and summarised by experienced journalists into an easy-to-read digest email. The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in Legal Slice, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on Twitter.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities within Legal Slice, please get in touch via email sales team

Follow us on FacebookFollow us on XFollow us on Linkedin

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe