Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

Top News

Financial Crime

November 06, 2026 | Samuel Rubenfeld

North America

MEXC Global severed from US financial system over money laundering

DealRisk®, Mergers and Acquisitions

November 06, 2026 | Curtis Eichelberger

North America

Union Pacific CEO threatened merger opponents with rate hikes, video shows
A row of children on phones

Data Privacy and Security

November 05, 2026 | Maria Dinzeo

North America

Meta, Google, TikTok seek to block California child online safety law

Antitrust View More

Teva opposes Corcept's summary judgment motion in US antitrust litigation

November 07, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: Teva Pharmaceuticals urged a California federal judge to deny Corcept Therapeutics' motion for summary judgment in their antitrust dispute. Teva alleges that Corcept imposed a "one-of-a-kind exclusive-dealing...(read more)

Texas-led BlackRock, State Street case clouded by ruling, US state AG changes

November 07, 2026 | Alex Wilts and Chris May

North America

The Texas-led antitrust case against BlackRock and State Street faces uncertainty after a court ruling narrowed damages claims and Democratic election gains raised questions about whether incoming state attorneys general w...(read more)

Google denied stay of adtech antitrust suits pending appeal loss to US DOJ, states

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: Google lost its bid to stay private antitrust litigation in New York federal court over digital advertising technology markets while the company appeals its loss in a similar case brought by a US Department o...(read more)

Artificial Intelligence View More

Google faces new front in US child safety litigation over AI

November 07, 2026 | Amy Miller

North America

Google is facing a new lawsuit that could expand child safety litigation and test whether tech companies can be held liable for embedding conversational AI into school-issued devices without warning parents of the risks. N...(read more)

Independent audits promise oversight, but not certainty about AI safety

November 07, 2026 | Maria Dinzeo, Amy Miller

North America

California is building a framework for independent AI audits as lawmakers look for stronger oversight of frontier models, but researchers and evaluators say the science of testing those systems remains unsettled and can't ...(read more)

CalPrivacy expresses support for privacy legislation targeting AI training

November 06, 2026 | Xu Yuan

North America

California's privacy agency said it would be willing to back privacy legislation aimed at restricting the use of personal data for artificial intelligence training, as it explores legislative topics to sponsor or support f...(read more)

Mergers and Acquisitions View More

US DOJ approves Fox's $22bn acquisition of Roku with merger commitments

November 06, 2026 | Curtis Eichelberger

North America

The US Department of Justice approved Fox Corp.’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku Inc. after receiving a series of commitments, the Antitrust Division said Friday. 

American Water, Essential Utilities merger approved by Ill. panel

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The merger of American Water Works Co. and Essential Utilities Inc. was approved today by the Illinois Commerce Commission, adding to state regulatory approvals in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. The companies s...(read more)

Union Pacific CEO's speech shows why rail deal is 'dangerous,' US critics say

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The Stop the Rail Merger Coalition, which opposes the proposed combination of Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway, argues that a recently disclosed video of Union Pacific's CEO talking to ship...(read more)

Data Privacy and Security View More

School claims against social media giants can't progress in Calif. courts, appeals court says

November 07, 2026 | Mike Swift

North America

A California appeals court has affirmed a lower court ruling that four school systems cannot pursue negligence and public nuisance claims against Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap related to addictive design in state court.

CalPrivacy starts rulemaking to tighten opt-out requirements

November 06, 2026 | Xu Yuan

North America

California’s privacy regulator will start the process of enhancing its rules for how businesses process consumer requests to stop the sale or sharing of their personal information.

School districts lose appeal to join Calif. social media case

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: A California appeals court denied an appeal by four school systems to the dismissal by a state Superior Court judge of the schools' public nuisance and negligence claims against Meta Platforms, YouTube, Snap ...(read more)

Intellectual Property View More

US Fifth Circuit’s discovery ruling unlikely to deter SEP litigants, lawyers say

November 06, 2026 | Nick Robertson

North America

Despite a US appeals court decision last week that may place guardrails on some Section 1782 discovery proceedings, litigation remains an important tool for standard-essential patent implementers litigating before the Unif...(read more)

Muji operator loses Chinese trademark appeal over online-product branding

November 06, 2026 | MLex Staff

Asia

Japan’s Ryohin Keikaku cannot rely on its service trademark to justify using “Wuyin Liangpin,” the Chinese characters used for its Muji brand, as product branding on goods covered by another company’s registered trademarks...(read more)

Japan's mascot feud fails to undo unwritten copyright deal

November 06, 2026 | Toko Sekiguchi

Asia

Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court rejected a copyright owner’s attempt to stop the commercial use of a lookalike mascot, finding that its earlier cooperation had given permission it could not simply withdraw.

Financial Crime View More

Crypto exchange cut off from US financial system for sanctions violations

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: As part of Operation Economic Outcast, the US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an order effectively cutting off MEXC Global’s access to the US financial system. MEXC Global is...(read more)

Canadian money services businesses sanctioned by US for aiding Iran

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight money services businesses based in Canada that it said enable the Iranian government, sanctioned entities associated with ...(read more)

Former Sicpa executive to forfeit $14.8 million after plea in US bribery case

November 06, 2026 | Samuel Rubenfeld

North America

A former executive vice president of Sicpa will forfeit more than $14.8 million after pleading guilty in the US to his role in a bribery scheme in Brazil, according to newly unsealed US court records. Charles Finkel pleade...(read more)

Financial Services View More

Modern US bank failures typically follow government examiners' decisions, study says

November 06, 2026 | Neil Roland

North America

Modern bank failures typically follow a decision by government supervisors rather than market forces, a US Federal Reserve Bank of New York study said. The staff study, released this week, compared bank collapses between 1...(read more)

Candidates to follow Lagarde as ECB president named as Hernández de Cos, Knot

November 06, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Spain's Pablo Hernández de Cos and the Netherlands' Klaas Knot are the two candidates to succeed Christine Lagarde as European Central Bank president, the Eurogroup president said on Friday. Lagarde plans to ...(read more)

US Fed, FinCEN withdraw proposed rule lowering recordkeeping thresholds

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Federal Reserve Board withdrew a 2020 proposed rule that would have amended the recordkeeping and travel rule regulations under the Bank Secrecy Act. ...(read more)

Trade View More

US trade commission rejects injury finding for Norwegian, Brazilian pulp

November 06, 2026

Europe, Latin America

MLex Summary: The US International Trade Commission voted that Brazilian and Norwegian imports of dissolving pulp don't materially injure US industry. As a result, Commerce won't levy antidumping duty orders on imports fro...(read more)

US extends suspension of export controls ‘affiliates rule’

November 06, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security extended a suspension of a regulation known as the “affiliates rule” through Jan. 10, 2027. The rule, which was suspended by the agency through Nov...(read more)

US Commerce imposes duties for Indonesian, Laotian and Indian solar cells

November 06, 2026

Asia, North America

MLex Summary: The US Department of Commerce has issued countervailing duties for crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells imported from Indonesia, Laos and India. The duties follow an affirmative finding of material injury b...(read more)

State Aid View More

Fiscal autonomy is no shield from state aid scrutiny, EU court adviser Biondi says

November 06, 2026 | Anna Ferrari

Europe

National tax choices remain subject to EU state aid scrutiny, a senior adviser to the EU courts has said. Advocate General Andrea Biondi pointed to incoming court referrals concerning taxes targeting particular businesses....(read more)

EU energy aid plans put supply-chain tender criteria under scrutiny, official says

November 05, 2026 | Anna Ferrari

Europe

EU countries are revising renewable-support programs with tender criteria intended to strengthen European supply chains, which the European Commission must assess for openness, transparency and nondiscrimination, official ...(read more)

EU state aid exemption review weighs flexibility for startups, official says

November 05, 2026 | Anna Ferrari

Europe

European governments want simpler EU state aid rules and greater legal certainty, requiring a “delicate balance” in the planned revision of rules that allow them to grant certain subsidies without prior EU approval, a seni...(read more)

Energy View More

EU to push for faster fossil-fuel phaseout and electrification at COP31

November 06, 2026

Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America, Oceania

MLex Summary: The EU will push for faster global action to move away from fossil fuels, expand electrification and promote carbon pricing at COP31, the UN's annual climate negotiations, according to a European Commission s...(read more)

EU governments back one-year delay to methane rules for energy imports

November 06, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: EU governments have backed a one-year delay to methane monitoring, reporting and verification requirements for oil, gas and coal importers, citing energy security concerns linked to disruptions in the Middle ...(read more)

Free allowances face looser conditions under EU carbon-market reform draft

November 05, 2026 | Louis de Briant

Europe

Companies would retain most of their free allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System even if they failed to carry out required decarbonization investments, under a draft compromise from Ireland, which is steering neg...(read more)

Technology View More

TikTok case signals EU challenge to social media’s engagement-driven systems

November 06, 2026 | Sara Brandstätter

Europe

TikTok’s latest EU case on "rabbit holes" could have implications for other social media platforms using engagement-driven recommender systems. The European Commission’s preliminary findings — published on Friday — indicat...(read more)

TikTok disputes EU findings on harmful recommendation ‘rabbit holes’

November 06, 2026 | Sara Brandstätter

Europe

TikTok disputed the European Commission’s preliminary findings on harmful recommendation “rabbit holes,” saying they inaccurately portrayed its platform’s design and safety measures. The company pointed to systems intended...(read more)

Snapchat move on user recommendations for kids long overdue, UK regulator says (update*)

November 06, 2026 | Imogen Howse

Europe

Snapchat's decision to switch off account recommendations by default for UK children following concerns over grooming risks is "long overdue," a senior official at the country's communications regulator Ofcom said. The soc...(read more)