Art: What's Buzzing In California

On July 22, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (covered separately here) in which the Commission advances its ongoing efforts to secure the U.S.

On September 10, 2026, Governor Newsom signed SB 1119, known as Adam’s Law, substantially expanding California’s requirements for companion chatbots when used by children.

On October 5, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its revised Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Generative AI is transforming litigation defense by enabling in-house legal teams to manage costs and complexity more effectively across the entire case lifecycle. From early research and drafting through expert witness strategy and trial preparation, AI tools are helping defense teams work faster and more consistently. How are these technologies reshaping the way sophisticated counsel approaches multidistrict litigation, mass torts, and large-scale document management?

On September 4, 2026 – the first day of the lowest unit charge (LUC) window for the November general election – the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the Fourth Circuit’s order in Brown v. FCC, thereby reinstating the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) Media Bureau’s March 2026 Public Notice on LUC for political party ads.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction against Perplexity AI, determining that when an AI agent acts at a user's direction, it is the user—not the AI company—who "accesses" computer systems under federal and California computer fraud statutes. This landmark appellate decision addresses how existing computer-access laws apply to agentic artificial intelligence and has significant implications...

FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 17, 2026, requiring participation from all radio and television stations, cable systems, and satellite services. EAS Participants must file three separate forms through the EAS Test Reporting System, with specific deadlines ranging from October 30, 2026, through January 2027. Certain translator and repeater stations are exempt from the registration and filing requirements.

Texas Senate Bill 140 (SB 140) took effect 1 September 2025, and applies to conduct occurring on or after that date. The bill amended Section 302 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code to extend registration and disclosure requirements to text messages by expanding the definition of “Telephone solicitation,” which previously applied only to a “telephone call,” to include certain transmissions of text or graphic messages and images. In addition, SB 140 added a definition of “Telephone call” that incorporates the definition found in Section 304, which includes certain text or graphic messages and images, but excludes certain agreed-to transmissions.

2025 appears to have signalled a return to growth for the games industry with headline figures painting an appealing picture which obscures a more challenging reality. Many in the sector continue to struggle, while a number of outperformers have been the real winners. The industry is undergoing change and may look quite different in the next five years.  

This month’s headline FTC action was the announcement that the FTC and 22 states sued Amazon over deceptive advertising practices. But the FTC has also kept its sights trained on protecting cash-strapped consumers. The FTC announced settlements involving empty credit-repair promises, bill payment platforms masquerading as official payment channels, and tacked-on fees at used car dealerships.

This "regrettably growing catalogue of family disputes," as the court noted, provides a multi-million dollar case study in how ambiguity and the "borrowing" of names can catastrophically backfire...

At a time when trusts are coming increasingly under attack, it is quite common for the validity of a trust to be questioned on the basis that the instrument creating it is a sham document or fails to fulfil the requirements for the creation of a valid trust.

As the UK anticipates its first Budget under Andy Burnham's premiership on 28 October 2026, questions arise about whether 'Manchesterism' will introduce an exit tax regime. This analysis examines how different jurisdictions—from Canada's deemed disposal system to France's targeted charges on substantial holdings—tax individuals leaving their borders, and explores what form a UK exit tax might take if implemented.

Florida has enacted significant statutory changes affecting trust administration, probate procedures, and business entity formation. These reforms introduce streamlined nonjudicial processes for trustee discharge, expand access to simplified probate administration, and establish a new framework for protected series LLCs that offers enhanced asset protection and operational flexibility for estate planners and business owners.

Between November and December 2014, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou courts specialising in intellectual property law initiated their activities.

The UK government has published its response to consultation on flexible working reforms, introducing a new reasonableness test for employers refusing requests from 2027. The reforms will require employers to meet with employees before rejecting applications and explain why refusal is reasonable, while consultation data reveals significant gaps between employer and employee perceptions of the current system.

One of the more unusual quirks of English land law is that land can, in effect, end up with no owner at all. It sounds like an anachronism but in a land transaction context it is a real and current issue - and one that has been tested in the courts again this year. Here is what to look out for.

Effective for the 2016 reporting year, the filing deadline for the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) will be 15 April rather than 30 June. US citizens and residents abroad will receive an automatic two month filing extension to 15 June.

"The first family that I helped to move to Singapore already had a family office in Switzerland but decided that Asia was where the next cycle of investment was going to come from," says Daniel Yong...

All land in Hong Kong (with the exception of St. John's Cathedral, the only freehold property in Hong Kong) is leasehold property.