Attorney Wire Briefing: September 11, 2026
Includes the DOJ’s Nvidia antitrust probe, Huawei’s racketeering trial, the D.C. Circuit’s IRS-ICE taxpayer-data ruling, and Harvey’s $550 million funding round.
Good morning – it’s Friday, September 11, 2026.
Here are six key legal developments we’re following.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Lead Story
DOJ Probes Nvidia’s $17 Billion Licensing Deal with Groq
What happened: The Justice Department is investigating whether Nvidia structured its $17 billion deal with AI chip startup Groq to avoid antitrust scrutiny. The deal included a non-exclusive technology license and the hiring of several Groq executives, including founder Jonathan Ross.
Why it matters: The inquiry could clarify how antitrust authorities treat deals combining major intellectual property licenses with targeted hiring without acquiring the company itself.
Implication: Companies should consider antitrust risk when pairing significant licensing deals with targeted hiring, even when transactions fall outside conventional acquisitions.
Read more: New York Times | Oversight Letter
The Docket
California Enacts New Social Media and AI Child-Safety Laws
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws imposing new child-safety requirements on social media platforms and AI chatbots. The measures restrict addictive features for users under 16, authorize damages of up to $1 million per child in certain cases, and require chatbot operators to implement safety protocols and parental controls.
Why it matters: The laws expand California regulation of platform design and AI chatbots, creating new age-assurance and child-safety obligations while increasing liability exposure and raising potential First Amendment challenges.
Read more: New York Times
…..
Huawei Racketeering Trial Opens in Brooklyn Federal Court
Opening statements began in the Justice Department’s criminal case against Huawei. Prosecutors allege the Chinese telecom company operated as a criminal enterprise, using bank fraud, sanctions violations and trade secret theft to advance its business for two decades. Huawei denies the allegations.
Why it matters: The trial tests whether prosecutors can use RICO to treat different forms of alleged corporate misconduct across countries and business activities as a single pattern of racketeering.
Read more: Wall Street Journal | Memorandum Decision and Order
…..
D.C. Circuit Upholds Block on IRS-ICE Taxpayer Data Sharing
The D.C. Circuit upheld an injunction blocking an IRS procedure that allowed ICE to obtain taxpayer addresses for immigration enforcement. The unanimous panel found the procedure violated federal tax-privacy law because it failed to ensure ICE requests met Section 6103’s requirements for criminal investigations. The IRS disclosed more than 47,000 records before the policy was blocked.
Why it matters: The ruling reinforces strict limits on interagency sharing of confidential taxpayer information and confirms that agency procedures invoking statutory disclosure exceptions remain subject to judicial review.
Read more: Reuters | Opinion
…..
SEC Seeks to Enforce Subpoena Against Proxy Adviser ISS
The SEC sued to enforce a subpoena requiring proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services to provide information about its voting recommendations and clients’ proxy votes. ISS has resisted disclosure, citing First Amendment and client-confidentiality concerns. The SEC says it has not determined that ISS violated securities laws.
Why it matters: The case could clarify how far the SEC’s investigative authority extends into client-specific voting information held by proxy advisers and whether free-speech or confidentiality protections limit that access.
Read more: CNBC | Memorandum in Support
…..
Election Officials Urge Supreme Court to Keep Mail Ballot Rule Blocked
State and local election officials urged the Supreme Court to keep a new Postal Service mail-ballot rule blocked for November. The rule requires USPS-approved ballot envelopes, voter-specific barcodes and submission of voter data through a new federal portal. Officials argue there is insufficient time to implement the requirements as states begin mailing ballots.
Why it matters: The case tests USPS authority to impose requirements on state mail-ballot procedures. The officials also argue under Purcell v. Gonzalez that changing election rules this close to November risks disruption regardless of the rule’s ultimate legality.
Read more: New York Times | Amicus Brief
Partner Signal
Top Associate Billing Rates Approach $2,500 an Hour
Top associate billing rates now approach $2,500 per hour. At the largest firms, associate rates rose about 14%, with senior associates billing at 88% of typical partner rates before promotion.
LexisNexis
What We’re Watching
Anthropic Settlement Arbitration to Test Author-Publisher Rights Claims
Arbitrators will resolve competing author and publisher claims to Anthropic’s $1.5 billion copyright settlement, including disputes over reverted rights, potentially shaping future contracts governing AI infringement claims, settlement proceeds and uses not contemplated by older agreements.
New York Times
Brought to You by Attorney Credits Teams
Automated compliance management and unlimited CLE for law firms for just $9.99 per attorney per month.