News
Law firms are moving quickly to adopt AI, but new Thomson Reuters research points to a growing gap between strategy and execution. The next test will be whether firms can connect AI use to pricing, staffing, client service and measurable business value.
TikTok’s $400 million children’s privacy settlement shows how quickly compliance failures can become major corporate exposure. It also offers a lesson for boards and legal teams on how governance changes and remediation during litigation can influence a regulatory resolution without replacing the need for legal compliance.
The FTC’s proposed policy on personalized pricing could widen the role of in-house legal teams. Counsel may need greater oversight of customer data, pricing algorithms, disclosures and the systems that connect them.
US law school applications have reached their highest level since 2010. But a larger talent pipeline is forming as entry-level legal work changes, forcing firms and legal departments to reconsider recruitment, training and the skills future lawyers will need.
The University of Chicago Law School’s laptop ban is not an attack on artificial intelligence. It is an attempt to separate foundational legal reasoning from AI-assisted work. As generative AI reshapes professional services, the policy offers lessons for universities and employers seeking to develop critical thinking alongside technological fluency.
AI is becoming part of how legal work gets done rather than another innovation initiative.
The proposed Paramount acquisition of Warner Bros. has become more than a headline-grabbing media transaction. It illustrates how today’s corporate legal departments are expected to manage regulatory uncertainty, commercial risk, stakeholder alignment and strategic decision-making long after regulatory approvals have been secured.
Anthropic’s record-setting copyright settlement is more than a milestone for generative AI. It signals a shift in how courts may assess copyright risk across the AI development lifecycle, highlighting why corporate legal departments should scrutinize not only model outputs but also the provenance of the data used to build them.
Cybersecurity is no longer solely an IT concern. As enterprise risk becomes a boardroom priority, legal leaders are playing a greater role in governance, resilience and strategic decision-making. Recent ISG research reflects a broader shift toward integrating cyber risk into business strategy, positioning resilience as a source of long-term competitive advantage.
Alibaba’s temporary victory over a US lobbying restriction extends beyond one company’s legal dispute. The case highlights how national security measures are evolving into broader governance, compliance and strategic risks for multinational businesses. For in-house lawyers and business leaders, the ruling offers an early look at how constitutional challenges and geopolitical regulation may shape corporate decision-making in the years ahead.
Global merger and acquisition activity reached record values during the first half of 2026 despite fewer overall transactions. Mega-deals in AI, healthcare and energy are reshaping corporate strategy, signalling that companies are prioritizing transformational acquisitions over higher deal volumes.
The NextGen Bar Exam shifts attorney licensing toward practical legal skills that align more closely with the needs of today’s corporate legal departments. Here’s why general counsel should pay attention.
