Fintech EarnIn Sues Maryland Over Tip Ban, License Delay

By Katryna Perera

EarnIn, a financial technology company that lets workers access their wages before payday, has sued the Maryland attorney general and the state's financial regulation commissioner, arguing that a new state law banning earned wage access providers from soliciting tips violates the First Amendment.

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Trump, World Liberty Sued Over 'Corrupt' $2B UAE Deal

By Aislinn Keely

A former employee of stablecoin issuer Circle sued President Donald Trump and the Trump-tied crypto firm World Liberty Financial Thursday over allegedly "corrupt" business deals with the United Arab Emirates that the software engineer says violated the Constitution and harmed his former employer.

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JPMorgan, Ex-Frank Execs Clash Over $2.1M In Legal Fees

By Jarek Rutz

JPMorgan Chase & Co. faced renewed demands in the Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday to pay about $2.1 million in withheld legal fees for convicted Frank founder Charlie Javice and former executive Olivier Amar, as their lawyers accused the bank of using repeated billing objections to delay funding for their criminal defenses.

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Brief

EU, Canada Aim To Finalize Digital Trade Deal

By Dylan Moroses

Canada and the European Union are nearing conclusion of a digital trade agreement following recent efforts by both sides to strengthen economic ties, the bloc's top trade official said Thursday.

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9F, Investors Reach $6.5M Deal To End IPO Fraud Claims

By Katryna Perera

Investors of Chinese fintech 9F Inc. have reached a $6.5 million deal with the online lending platform to resolve claims that the company hid its financial woes and failed to disclose an "illegal arrangement" that investors said it had with an insurance carrier.

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Deals Rumor Mill

PE Giants In Talks With NFL As Nscale Gets Heat Over IPO

By Al Barbarino

Blackstone and Apollo are in talks with the NFL about potential investment in teams, Nscale is working on a potential $45 billion deal to provide Anthropic with compute power as the data center developer faces questions over its lofty IPO valuation, and private equity-backed financial technology company IntraFi could be up for sale valued at more than $10 billion. 

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Opinion

The SEC Crypto Proposal Rests On A Term No One Can Define

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed Regulation Crypto Assets is its most ambitious attempt to set rules for the crypto industry, but its repeated use of the phrase "essential managerial efforts" means it perpetuates the uncertainty the regime is meant to cure, says Joseph A. Hall at Davis Polk.

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Series

Being In The Peace Corps Made Me A Better Lawyer

When I served in the Peace Corps, the people of the West African village where I was stationed helped me acclimate to my new surroundings and enabled me to develop problem-solving, teamwork and empathy skills that have bolstered my legal practice far beyond the ability to offer technical advice, says Brian Bewley at McGuireWoods.

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New Weil-Willkie Domains Add To Merger Speculation

By Marialuisa Taddia

Two domain names that combine the names of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP have been registered, fueling speculation about a potential merger between the two prominent Wall Street law firms.

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Bonus Spotlight

Hueston Hennigan Bumps Clerkship Bonus To $205K

By Lynn LaRowe

Trial boutique Hueston Hennigan is offering a $205,000 bonus to lawyers who have completed one or more federal clerkships, the firm confirmed Thursday.

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'Grave Errors': 5th Circ. Boots Judge After AI 'Botch Job'

By Jeff Overley

A Mississippi federal judge's careless use of artificial intelligence tools led to "sloppy edicts" riddled with "falsehoods and fabrications," the Fifth Circuit held in a Thursday night opinion removing the judge from litigation over an anti-DEI law in the Magnolia State because of his "extraordinarily grave errors."

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Texas Judge Probe Shows Lack Of Mental Impairment Process

By Jack Karp

Fifth Circuit officials have done a reasonable job of handling a rare situation involving a Texas federal judge who appears to be undergoing a mental health crisis, but the episode highlights that a more standardized way of dealing with federal judges experiencing mental impairment needs to be established, experts and scholars say.

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Jackson Walker Hits Back At Fee Clawback Sanction Move

By Vince Sullivan

Law firm Jackson Walker said Wednesday that it should not be sanctioned for failing to bring to a Texas federal judge's attention additional cases involving an undisclosed romantic relationship between a bankruptcy judge and one of its attorneys because the U.S. Trustee already investigated those cases and didn't take action.

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GOP Reps. Seek Probe Of Fla. Judge's Sanctions Order

By Courtney Bublé

Top Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee asked the Judicial Conference Thursday to investigate a Florida federal judge for potential misconduct with an order she issued in the case involving the leak of President Donald Trump's tax returns.

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Roundup MDL Atty Fund 'Cries Out' For Review, 9th Circ. Told

By Dorothy Atkins

Plaintiffs' firms urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a ruling Thursday requiring them to contribute 8% of their recovery fees to a common benefit fund in multidistrict litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer, arguing the judge ignored a special master's recommendation and the issue "cries out for some appellate supervision."

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