Legal Practice Pulse

Two veterans, retired Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Smoke and retired Lt. Col. Jennifer McIntyre, have initiated a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Army, challenging the classification of burn pit-related illnesses as non-combat-related. Filed on October 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C., the lawsuit aims to secure tax-free medical retirement benefits for veterans suffering from conditions linked…

JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $100m to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding misleading disclosures related to “conduit” products. These products pooled customer funds for investment in private equity and hedge funds. The SEC’s announcement on Thursday detailed that the settlement includes a $10m civil fine, with the remaining $90m…

Google has objected to the plaintiffs’ plans to introduce new information while consolidating an artificial intelligence (AI) copyright lawsuit involving a group of artists and a journalist. Initially resistant, the parties agreed to merge their lawsuits, alleging that Google unlawfully used their copyrighted works to train its AI models. However, Google is contesting the plaintiffs’…

Women lawyers are joining corporate boards at higher rates but still face stereotypes and biases that hinder faster progress. Male-dominated networks of CEOs and CFOs have traditionally controlled board recruitment, often overlooking female attorneys as strategic assets, says Paul Hastings partner Tara Giunta. Despite these challenges, organizations like DirectWomen are pushing boundaries; since 2007, its…

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo is once again giving its employees a paid day off for the 2024 Election Day, following its initiative from 2020. Despite this, many firms that previously offered full days off during the 2020 election have not confirmed similar plans this year. Firms like Hogan Lovells and Paul, Weiss,…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has rebuked the U.S. Justice Department over a $3bn money-laundering settlement with Toronto-based TD Bank that did not include the prosecution of bank executives. In a letter sent last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Warren criticized DOJ for not charging the bank with…