How antitrust law led to the telephone

Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray developed their technology for “harmonic tones” after a federal law fueled an R&D boom by lowering entry barriers for telegraph companies, an economist says. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 10, 2024

Legal AI adoption needs specific use cases, trials and patience, expert panel says

Lawyers have realized that integrating AI into their work will be challenging, but a strategic approach to how the software is used can help.

By Justin Bachman • Sept. 5, 2024

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Legal Dive

Legal leaders look at practical generative AI use cases and get tough on outside counsel spend, among other priorities this year.

By Legal Dive staff

Molson Coors latest company to revise DEI policy

The beer giant will no longer participate in a scoring system by the Human Rights Campaign and will tie executive incentives to business performance, not “aspirational representation goals.”

By Christopher Doering • Sept. 5, 2024

Court ruling limits EU regulators’ merger review power

The European Commission lacked oversight authority to examine the proposed sale of a cancer-detection company to biotech company Illumina, the court found.

By Justin Bachman • Sept. 4, 2024

Vanguard supported zero E+S proposals in 2024: report

The lack of support for environmental and social proposals comes after the nation's second-largest asset manager supported just 2% in 2023.

By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 3, 2024

OSHA sets late December comment deadline for extreme heat standard

The agency’s proposed rule would require employers to develop heat injury and illness prevention plans, among other actions.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 30, 2024

Clearbrief’s CEO on why legal tech buyers are suffering ‘a bit of fatigue’

The former litigator says most GenAI tools come without an industry focus and clear proof that they can meet the legal world’s functional needs.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 30, 2024

RealPage lawsuit opens a new antitrust front for pricing algorithms

The rise of Big Data across the economy raises antitrust concerns, especially where companies are sharing sensitive proprietary data, legal experts say.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 28, 2024

‘New dynamics at play’: Jack Daniel’s maker ends DEI initiatives

Brown-Forman Corp. cited a shifting legal and external landscape for its decision, as one prominent anti-DEI activist claimed credit for putting pressure on the company.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 28, 2024

Chipotle ruling exposes murky future of mandatory arbitration

The 8th Circuit’s ruling that a sexual assault claim must go to court sheds light on how the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act has shaken up arbitration law. 

By David Weisenfeld • Aug. 26, 2024

DOJ sues RealPage for rental-price fixing, but the company has arguments in its favor

The company’s software effectively makes landlords participants in collusion, the agency alleges. That’s too low of an antitrust bar, critics say.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 23, 2024

Liability reduced for companies facing biometric data privacy violations

Changes to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act create a more reasonable risk environment for companies that might otherwise face huge penalties.

By Lisa Burden • Aug. 22, 2024

Trade groups seek extension on FDIC’s ‘hot money’ rule

Organizations need 60 more days “to furnish responses and data that fulsomely address the questions and issues raised” by proposed changes on brokered deposits, 11 trade groups wrote.

By Rajashree Chakravarty • Aug. 22, 2024

FTC exceeded its authority with noncompete ban, judge says

The agency’s rulemaking under Sec 6(g) of the FTC Act is procedural, not substantive, Judge Ada Brown of Texas federal court says, blocking a nationwide rule that would have taken effect shortly.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 21, 2024

DOJ allows Alaska Air-Hawaiian merger deal to proceed

Tacit approval of Alaska Air acquiring the smaller carrier comes after the department sued to successfully block two previous airline combinations.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 20, 2024

Friend or foe: Unpacking what the amicus briefs say about the SEC’s climate rule

Amicus briefs in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s ongoing lawsuit concerning its climate disclosure rule find institutional investors and businesses largely on opposite sides.

By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 20, 2024

How to build social activism into your governance structure

Companies don’t have to retreat from activism to avoid backlash if they align their values with their business in a way that makes sense, a law professor says.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 20, 2024

FTC noncompete ban suffers another blow

The ruling — which applies only to one Florida-based real estate broker — comes just weeks before the ban is slated to take effect.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 19, 2024

Nvidia, OpenAI face YouTube creator lawsuits for using online videos

A video creator alleges that the companies scraped his videos, and millions of others, without permission to help train their generative AI learning models.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 16, 2024

Fake-ad rule will help FTC on enforcement, agency says

The Federal Trade Commission says it can take enforcement action, but having the rule is expected to make it easier.

By Robert Freedman • Aug. 15, 2024

AI for Legal: 5 tips to help integrate these new tools

In-house legal departments adopting GenAI software must consider several issues around its value, senior leaders’ positions, data integrity and cultural changes.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 15, 2024

JPMorgan, Zelle may have upper hand if litigation ensues

If the banks that own Zelle’s parent battle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in court, they may find some federal judges open to their arguments, lawyers specializing in the area said.

By Patrick Cooley • Aug. 15, 2024

Texas sues GM for selling customer driving data

The automaker failed to tell buyers it was selling their driving data to help insurers analyze driving behavior, according to a Texas AG lawsuit.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 14, 2024

Gen AI is reporting for work duty but who’s in charge of it?

Executives recognize the potential for generative AI in their business operations, but chief legal officers say organizational roles and responsibilities aren’t clear.

By Justin Bachman • Aug. 13, 2024

Anti-ESG proposals drove the increase in ESG proxy submissions: Morningstar

“For the first time, the growth in new resolutions was dominated by proposals from ‘anti-ESG’ filers,” per Morningstar Sustainalytics’ director of stewardship research and policy.

By Lamar Johnson • Aug. 13, 2024