Attorney Wire Briefing: September 18, 2026
Includes the Supreme Court’s USPS mail-ballot ruling, Google’s ad-tech remedies, Abbott’s $385 million False Claims Act settlement, and Monsanto’s proposed $7.25 billion Roundup deal.
Good morning – it’s Friday, September 18, 2026.
Here are six key legal developments we’re following.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Lead Story
Supreme Court Leaves Postal Service Mail-Ballot Rule Blocked
What happened: The U.S. Supreme Court denied the government’s emergency request to lift a nationwide injunction blocking a Postal Service rule requiring states to use USPS-compliant ballot envelopes with voter-specific barcodes and upload recipient information to a USPS portal. The Court said the government was unlikely to succeed and the equities did not favor emergency relief.
Why it matters: The case tests USPS authority to regulate ballot mail and impose requirements affecting state election administration. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the rule may fall within USPS’s statutory authority but applying it in 2026 would be arbitrary and capricious because election officials lacked sufficient implementation time.
Implication: The rule remains blocked for the 2026 midterms while litigation continues, leaving unresolved whether USPS could impose similar requirements with sufficient implementation time.
Read more: New York Times | Order
The Docket
Legal Industry Vets Launch AI-Native Employment Firm Backed by MSO
Former Pangea3 founders David Perla and Sanjay Kamlani launched FairPlay Law, an AI-native employment firm affiliated with FairPlay Global, an investor-backed technology company and management services organization. The firm uses AI-enabled workflows and flat fees for employment agreements, severance negotiations and workplace disputes.
Why it matters: The model pairs an AI-native law firm with an MSO that lets outside investors invest in and own the technology and services business without owning the law firm. The structure brings outside capital and AI into legal services while remaining subject to rules on nonlawyer ownership, fee sharing and professional independence.
Read more: Reuters
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SEC Proposes Rescinding Federal Shareholder Proposal Rule
The SEC proposed rescinding Rule 14a-8, which requires companies to include qualifying shareholder proposals in proxy materials. Chairman Paul Atkins said the rule exceeds SEC authority and intrudes on state corporate law. Public comments are due 60 days after Federal Register publication.
Why it matters: Rescission would shift shareholder proposal rights largely to state corporate law and company charters and bylaws, potentially moving more disputes into state courts.
Read more: Securities and Exchange Commission
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Federal Court Rejects Google Ad-Tech Breakup, Imposes Behavioral Remedies
A federal court ordered Google to make parts of its ad-tech system interoperable with rival products and provide publishers greater access to their ad data, after previously finding that Google unlawfully monopolized parts of the open-web ad-tech market. The court rejected DOJ’s request for divestiture and imposed six years of compliance oversight.
Why it matters: The ruling favors interoperability, data-sharing and anti-discrimination requirements over breaking up Google’s ad-tech business. The court found divestiture unnecessary and impractical, citing narrower available remedies and rapid technological change, including AI.
Read more: U.S. Department of Justice | Memorandum Opinion
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Abbott Agrees to Pay $385 Million in Infant Formula False Claims Settlement
Abbott Laboratories agreed to pay nearly $385 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving infant formula and nutritional products manufactured under conditions that increased contamination risks and were later reimbursed by government programs.
Why it matters: The case shows how manufacturing violations can lead to FCA liability when allegedly noncompliant products are paid for with government funds. It highlights the risk that failures in manufacturing, testing or regulatory compliance can affect the validity of claims submitted for government reimbursement.
Read more: Wall Street Journal | Settlement Agreement
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EPA Repeals Most Power Plant Carbon Limits, Proposes Ending Remaining Rules
EPA finalized a partial repeal of greenhouse-gas standards for fossil-fuel power plants and proposed eliminating the remaining federal standards, arguing Clean Air Act Section 111 does not authorize such regulation. EPA estimates rescinding the remaining standards would save $370 million in direct compliance costs.
Why it matters: The actions intensify the legal dispute over EPA’s Section 111 authority to regulate power-plant greenhouse gases, while utilities remain subject to applicable state emissions requirements.
Read more: Reuters | Final Rule
Partner Signal
Managing Partners Say Just 20% of Laterals Meet First-Year Financial Projections
Managing partners estimate just 20% of lateral partners meet first-year projections, rising to 30% by year two. Separate data found 64% miss projected business and 51% leave within five years. Yet lateral hiring remains strong, with more than 2,000 partner moves in the first half of 2026, up 55% from 2021.
Reuters
What We’re Watching
Missouri Judge Weighs $7.25 Billion Roundup Settlement Covering Future Claims
Monsanto urged a Missouri judge to approve a $7.25 billion nationwide settlement covering pending and future Roundup cancer claims. Approval could test whether class settlements can resolve future mass-tort claims after the Supreme Court narrowed related litigation.
Reuters
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