Dentons welcomes National Head of Pro Bono Partner

* Judge accused of using position to advance family cheesesteak business. Good story to share if you’re wit’ an ethics Whiz. [Legal Intelligencer] * Robbing Paul to pay Paul?: Paul Weiss partner moves to Paul Hastings because, again, everything is fine at Paul Weiss! [Bloomberg Law News] * Justice Kagan’s concurrence in D.V.D. makes the most sense when you understand the divide between those who think cold legal formalism can sway these people and those who think we’ve entered a fight for the soul of law. [One First] * Judge Posner said it all years ago — all the textualism and originalism is just a smokescreen. Too bad Justice Breyer hasn’t learned that lesson yet. [Dorf on Law] * Street preacher case heading to the Supreme Court, just in time for its new “strict scrutiny, why the hell not?” stance on religion. [Law360] * Jay Willis really wants to know how much they pay Noah Feldman to keep writing this stuff.…

Not since before the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment has an American child’s citizenship depended on the state in which they were born or reside. Until now. In Trump v. CASA, the Supreme Court held that federal district courts generally lack the authority to issue “universal” injunctions. The majority cast the decision as a narrow procedural ruling, sidestepping the merits of the underlying dispute concerning the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to restrict the right to birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. However, the decision destabilizes foundational principles of our constitutional order and upends how we define who belongs to the American political community. Tucked into Justice Sotomayor’s dissent is the decision’s most alarming consequence: that, for the first time in modern history, children born on American soil may be rendered stateless. As she warns, the threat of statelessness “hangs like…

Syeda Aamna Hasan is a recent Pakistani law graduate currently working as a legal researcher.  Torrential monsoon rains have triggered devastating floods across Pakistan in recent days, leaving at least 18 people dead and dozens missing, as the country scrambles to contain the humanitarian fallout of yet another climate-induced disaster. The worst-hit regions include the picturesque Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), parts of Punjab, and Sindh regions still recovering from the catastrophic floods of 2022. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), flash floods in the Swat Valley swept away vehicles and tourists last weekend, killing eight people and leaving more than 13 missing from the same family. Rescue teams saved 58 individuals, but operations remain ongoing. Monsoon rains, which began intensifying in late June, are forecast to continue through September, raising fears of further destruction in flood-prone districts. The floods have…

An American college under attack, including for alleged religious intolerance. A government that seeks to take control of the college’s governance, claiming that the college is hostile to the spirit of a free society. Students unsure whether the college will survive, or whether they should transfer. College trustees, facing a financial crisis, who at first seek to compromise with the government, but then decide that they must resist, notwithstanding the possibility that they might be personally punished for doing so. That is the saga of Harvard today – but also that of Dartmouth College more than 200 years ago, in 1816. (The latter is captured in an 1969 essay titled “Will to Resist,” by Dartmouth’s Librarian of the College, Richard W. Morin.) One of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions arose from the courageous resolve of the Dartmouth College trustees to resist the unlawful encroachments of the New Hampshire governor and legislature.…

On May 13, 2025, a New York court (Prager Metis CPAs LLC v. Koenig, Index No. 652000/2023) held that the non-compete/client non-solicitation clauses (often referred to as ‘restrictive covenants’) in a CPA firm’s employment contract with its CPA employee were too broad (thus, unreasonable) and, therefore, granted summary judgment (without trial) in favor of the CPA employee. This case demonstrates that CPA firms should re-evaluate their non-competition (and non-solicitation clauses) in their contracts with CPA employees. For additional context regarding this case, keep reading. The standard for determining whether restrictive covenant clauses in CPA firms’ employment contracts with its CPA employees are enforceable is based on the seminal court case in New York, BDO Seidman v Hirshberg, 93 NY2d 382, 388-389 (1999), which held that New York courts will enforce a restrictive covenant in an employment contract if is it reasonable, meaning…

Editor’s Note: As cyberspace becomes an increasingly contested domain for both cooperation and confrontation, the articulation of legal norms governing state behavior has never been more vital. The recently published Handbook on Developing a National Position on International Law and Cyber Activities: A Practical Guide for States—co-authored by Professor Kubo Mačák, Dr. Talita Dias, and Dr. Ágnes Kasper, and jointly published by the University of Exeter and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE)—offers a timely and pragmatic resource for Nation States seeking to clarify their legal stances in a digitally interconnected world. More than a reference for conflict scenarios, the Handbook addresses the full spectrum of international legal considerations in cyberspace, spanning peacetime operations, emerging technologies, and strategic legal positioning in multilateral forums. Grounded in extensive consultations with 46…

Richard Wright has posted to SSRN Legal Proof: Warranted Degrees of Belief (Not Statistical/Mathematical Probability). The abstract provides: Considerable confusion exists, especially in common law jurisdictions, regarding the required standards of legal proof. In Evidence Matters, Susan Haack, focusing on...

Mr. Dong-joo SHIN, the former Vice Chairman of Lotte Holdings and current Chairman of SDJ Corporation, filed a derivative action targeting his younger brother, Mr. Dong-bin SHIN, the incumbent Chairman of Lotte Holdings, along with several senior executives of Lotte. The lawsuit, a shareholder derivative action, was filed in a Tokyo District Court on July 4. According to reports in The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mr. Shin is seeking c. 14.4 billion yen (equivalent to around 136 billion Korean won) in damages on behalf of the company. The complaint names six individuals, including Chairman Shin, and alleges that their management decisions resulted in reputational and financial harm to the corporation. Mr. Shin contends that the company’s leadership failed in their fiduciary duties by inadequately responding to the criminal conviction of Chairman Shin, who was found guilty in a bribery case involving former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Mr. Shin, in short, argues that…

I asked the AI tool Perplexity about AI in legal education.  It cited an ABA survey finding that “55% of law schools reported having classes dedicated to AI, 32% offered interdisciplinary opportunities to use AI, and 83% provided opportunities such as clinics involving AI.” It added: “Recent developments show law schools are broadening and deepening … Continue reading Emerging Trends in Law School AI Initiatives →

We are proud to share that our Partner Shravan Yammanur has been appointed as a Young ITA Co-Chair for India for the 2025–2027 term. Arbitration, Asia Pacific, India, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, GIFT City, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida

Dentons Link Legal represents AU Naturel Beauty in a trademark dispute and secures relief from the Delhi High Court allowing sale of products under the brand “NEUDE”. Intellectual Property and Technology, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Asia Pacific, India, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, GIFT City, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida

Global law firm Dentons has advised the Latvian national airline airBaltic in securing merger control clearance from the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) for Lufthansa AG’s proposed acquisition of a minority stake. Competition and Antitrust, Competition and Antitrust in Germany, Corporate, Europe, Germany, Berlin

We’re proud to share that shareholder Tyler Coe was recently appointed to the Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC) Board of Directors in Des Moines. United States, Ames, Des Moines, West Des Moines

Dentons HPRP provided comprehensive legal support throughout the process. This included conducting legal due diligence on SSD, reviewing and negotiating transaction documentation, and revising the prospectus to reflect up-to-date regulatory requirements. Capital Markets, Capital Markets, Jakarta

The Dentons cross-border debt capital markets team has advised State Enterprise NavoiyUran (NavoiyUran) on its debut Rule 144A/Regulation S US$300 million 6.7% notes due 2030. The bonds are listed on the International Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange. The transaction was priced on 26 June 2025 and completed on 2 July 2025. Banking and Finance, Debt Capital Markets, English law Debt Capital Markets, Energy, United Kingdom

Array Family Law, United States, Ames, Des Moines, West Des Moines

AI Makes Up Cases, Court Says ‘Sure, Why Not’: Judge signed off on party’s proposed order. Apparently didn’t bother to check the made up cases. Textualism/Originalism May Be Bankrupt, But Like Donald Trump Always Is… Ignoring Costs, Harming People Who Trust Them In Good Faith, And Barreling Forward To The Next Crisis Of Their Own Making: Justice Breyer delivers well-crafted critiques that misunderstand that proponents aren’t trying to win the argument, they’re trying to have smart people treat them like they have ideas worth engaging. John Roberts Replies On Cue: The Chief Justice took time out of his busy schedule to clarify that people like Breyer may have detailed, powerful, constitutionally valid criticisms, but they’re losers because SCOREBOARD! SIX VOTES, SUCKAS! Diddy Covers ‘RICO’ Sauve: Prosecutors reached for racketeering. Missed. The Definition Of Psychosis…: Speaking of doing the same…

In 2023, the State of Washington enacted one of the strongest consumer data privacy laws in recent years: the “my health my data” act (HB 1155). EFF commends the civil rights, data privacy, and reproductive justice advocates who worked to pass this law. This post suggests ways for legislators and advocates in other states to build on the Washington law and draft one with even stronger protections. This post will separately address the law’s scope (such as who is protected); its safeguards (such as consent and minimization); and its enforcement (such as a private right of action). While the law only applies to one category of personal data – our health information – its structure could be used to protect all manner of data. Scope of Protection Authors of every consumer data privacy law must make three decisions about scope: What kind of data is protected? Whose data is protected? And who is regulated? The Washington law protects “consumer…