Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

The commission overseeing the $16bn Hudson River tunnel has filed a lawsuit to force the Trump administration to restore funding just days before construction of the project - the linchpin of rail travel between New York and New Jersey - is set to halt on Friday. The Gateway Development Commission, which was created by New York and New Jersey in 2019 to oversee the project, said that, without federal funding this week, it "will be unable to pay its contractors to continue construction activities, causing work on this critical project to grind to a halt - leaving unfinished work sites with massive holes in the ground, threatening the livelihoods of the many hundreds of construction employees working on the project . . . and putting into question the future viability of the project."

 

Bloomberg

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Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in a House investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just days before the chamber was expected to vote to hold them in contempt of Congress. For months, the Clintons had been steadfast that they would not comply with subpoenas from Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the panel’s Republican chairman, that they have said are invalid and legally unenforceable. Attorneys for the Clintons have now advised that their clients would “appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates” and asked that the House not move forward with a contempt vote.

 

NBC News

New York Times

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said he would prefer the IRS to carry out a robust investigation into who leaked President Trump’s tax returns, rather than pursue a $10bn lawsuit filed by Trump against the agency and the Treasury Department. Speaking on CNN, Johnson said identifying and punishing those responsible for the leak - a federal crime - would be a better use of resources than litigation that could ultimately be paid for by taxpayers. Trump and his sons are suing the IRS, arguing it failed to protect confidential tax information, despite a former IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn, already serving a five-year prison sentence for leaking tax data. The Treasury Department has since cancelled contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, Littlejohn’s employer at the time, citing inadequate safeguards. Legal experts note the lawsuit faces hurdles, including a two-year statute of limitations, while critics warn a successful case would saddle taxpayers with a multibillion-dollar payout.

 

CNN

The Hill

Planned Parenthood has decided to withdraw its legal challenge against the Trump administration over Medicaid funding cuts that have impacted its abortion services. The organization’s attorneys had been contesting a provision in President Donald Trump's tax bill, which they argued targeted their clinics and limited healthcare options for vulnerable patients. Following a federal appeals court ruling allowing the funding cuts to proceed, Planned Parenthood said: “Based on the 1st Circuit's decision, it is clear that this lawsuit is no longer the best way to accomplish [our] goal.” The tax provision has already led to the closure of 23 clinics, with over 50 clinics shutting down in 18 states last year. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, emphasized the organization's commitment to ensuring patients receive necessary care despite ongoing challenges.

 

The Baltimore Sun

U.S. News

Starbucks has told the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) wrongly concluded it illegally fired a shift supervisor in retaliation for union organizing, arguing the dismissal was justified by misconduct. The NLRB ruled that James Schenk, a supervisor involved in unionization efforts at an Albany-area Starbucks, was fired in 2022 because of his activism, citing strong evidence of anti-union bias. Starbucks disputed this, saying Mr. Schenk’s termination stemmed from opening an official NLRB letter and from “egregious” messages he sent about colleagues, which the company argues were independently fireable offences. Judges questioned whether the board overstated anti-union motives, while the NLRB and Workers United said the key issue is whether Mr. Schenk would have been fired absent his union role, noting Starbucks had previously tolerated profanity and that he was a prominent organizer in the wider unionization push. 

 

Courthouse News Service

Skadden and Gibson Dunn have steered the merger of Devon Energy and Coterra Energy to create a $58bn shale drilling giant. The combined company will be one of the biggest oil and natural gas producers in US shale with pro-forma third quarter output of more than 1.6 million barrels per day of oil equivalent. Output from the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico will make up most of the company’s total production and their overlapping acreage will allow them to drill longer horizontal wells. Bloomberg Law says the transaction is an early indication that the strategic hiring round in Texas by Skadden has been successful.

 

Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg

In 2025, U.S. law firms made 3,009 lateral partner hires, marking a five-year high, according to the 2025 AmLaw 200 Lateral Hiring Report by Firm Prospects. This represents a 10% increase from 2024, with 9% of hires coming from government agencies. Litigation partners led the hiring at 26%, followed by corporate at 16%. Kirkland & Ellis topped the list with 116 hires. Adam Braveman, CEO of Firm Prospects, said: "The record partner hiring over the past 12 months shows firms remain committed to strategic growth through acquiring experienced talent."

 

Global Legal Post

Cody Carper has joined Baker Botts as a partner in its oil and gas practice in Houston, where he will co-chair the practice. Previously a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges for nearly three years, Carper specializes in acquisitions and divestitures of upstream and midstream assets, energy financings, equity joint ventures, and drilling partnerships. His extensive experience includes roles at Skadden, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and Kirkland & Ellis.

 

Bloomberg Law

China's Supreme People's Court has launched a significant shift towards collaborative mediation to resolve disputes, as it aims to enhance public welfare and maintain social stability. Chief judge Qian Xiaochen emphasized that industry professionals can effectively mediate disputes while adhering to legal principles. The guidelines encourage monitoring potential conflicts in key areas and resolving them through mediation before they escalate. In 2025, Chinese courts reported a 28% increase in pretrial mediation efforts, successfully resolving over 4.32m cases.

 

Chinadaily US Edition

The Panama Supreme Court has ruled that a contract held by CK Hutchison to operate ports at the Panama Canal violated the country's constitution and served private interests over the public good. The court found that the contract granted exclusive privileges and tax exemptions to Panama Ports Company while lacking requirements for environmental assessments, effectively creating a monopoly.

 

Reuters

Harvard University is addressing grade inflation by contemplating the introduction of A+ grades. Currently, 53% of grades awarded are A's. The shift aims to differentiate exceptional student performance further and provide a more nuanced grading scale. The move could influence grading standards across higher education institutions, prompting a reevaluation of how academic excellence is recognized.

 

New York Times