Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Appellate
-
January 28, 2025
Sig Sauer's Strategy To DQ Experts Gets Knocked Out At 6th Circ.
Gunmaker Sig Sauer Inc.'s legal strategy to disqualify experts who testified its P320 pistol was defectively designed suffered a blow when the Sixth Circuit ruled, in a split decision, that the witnesses could opine on if the arms manufacture should have utilized a safer build, forecasting potential outcomes in similar appeals before the Third and Tenth circuits.
-
January 28, 2025
New City Near Atlanta Survives Ga. Justices' Review
Georgia's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a legal challenge to a newly created city outside Atlanta, turning back an argument from disgruntled residents that a referendum's simultaneous creation of a special tax district alongside the city violated the state's constitution.
-
January 28, 2025
4th Circ. Raises Questions Over Health Data Access Order
A Fourth Circuit panel focused Tuesday on whether an exception to federal law barring electronic health record companies from blocking the exchange of patient data applies to a request from Real Time Medical Systems to access nursing home data from PointClickCare.
-
January 28, 2025
Texas Judge OKs $40M Settlement In Six Flags Expansion Suit
A Texas federal judge indicated Tuesday that he would approve a $40 million class settlement between Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and investors accusing the amusement park operator of bungling expansion plans in China — after having previously dismissed the case twice.
-
January 28, 2025
4th Circ. Wary Of Discrimination Claims In Pot License Row
The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday expressed skepticism about claims that Maryland's cannabis regulator discriminated against out-of-state entrepreneurs when it implemented a social equity program that gave consideration to applicants who attended one of six in-state colleges.
-
January 28, 2025
Pharma Co. Gets Final Shot To Ax NC Contract Breach Suit
A pharmaceutical company can make another attempt to escape a software developer's suit alleging he was duped into selling his technology to the company, the North Carolina Business Court has said, months after the state's top court revived the software maker's breach of contract claims.
-
January 28, 2025
Wash. Judge Asks If Dr.'s Ivermectin Discipline Was Political
A Washington appellate judge asked Tuesday if a doctor who was disciplined by a medical board for prescribing the controversial drug ivermectin to COVID-19 patients was targeted for his political views, while another judge asked if "all lies" about medical information are protected speech.
-
January 28, 2025
7th Circ. Considers Faith Of 2-Step Collective Certification
A Seventh Circuit panel considered Tuesday whether to keep or ditch the two-step certification process for collectives, with one judge calling Eli Lilly & Co.'s decertification argument in an age discrimination suit "spectacularly wrong" and another asking how tolling could change.
-
January 28, 2025
5th Circ. Revives Arb. Bid In Saudi Arabia Oil Project Row
A Louisiana federal judge wrongly nixed a bid to send a dispute stemming from a Saudi Arabian oil and gas project to arbitration after the administering institution named in an underlying subcontract was dissolved, the Fifth Circuit ruled in a published opinion.
-
January 28, 2025
Amid Big Bets, Tom Goldstein Argued 'Poker Is Not Gambling'
A federal indictment's jarring portrayal of pioneering U.S. Supreme Court advocate Tom Goldstein as an "ultrahigh-stakes" gambler who dodged taxes has left the legal community virtually speechless. But Goldstein's status as a serious poker player was not a secret, and in past court cases, he proclaimed the card game "fundamentally dissimilar" from conventional gambling, even while preparing to wager millions on matches.
-
January 28, 2025
Prison Phone Providers Urge 1st Circ. To Back FCC Rate Suit
Prison telephone companies are asking the First Circuit to either move their challenge to new Federal Communications Commission prison payphone rate caps to the conservative Fifth Circuit or toss the limits themselves, saying the caps violate a congressional provision that the companies be "fairly compensated" for service in detention facilities.
-
January 28, 2025
Nestle Plant Can Switch Power Providers, Ga. Justices Rule
The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled Tuesday that Nestle should have been allowed to switch electricity providers from Georgia Power to Walton EMC after renovating a former warehouse facility in Hartwell, Georgia.
-
January 28, 2025
'Right To Hug' Case In Michigan Draws ACLU Support
The American Civil Liberties Union and 15 other organizations urged a Michigan appeals court to hold that children have a right to in-person visits with their incarcerated parents, describing in a friend-of-the-court brief the long-lasting psychological effects of isolating child from parent.
-
January 28, 2025
Calif. Panel Says Workers Can Be Added To $935K Wage Deal
A California state appeals court declined to upend an order allowing the reopening of a $935,000 settlement that resolved workers' wage and hour lawsuit against an aerospace company, saying the employer failed to show that unionized employees were correctly exempted from the deal.
-
January 28, 2025
'Godfather' Of AG Defense Retiring From Cozen O'Connor
Bernard "Bernie" Nash, an attorney who pioneered the practice of defending companies against investigations by state attorneys general, is retiring from Cozen O'Connor and handing over the reins to his handpicked successors after nearly 50 years in private practice.
-
January 28, 2025
Connecticut High Court Chief Justice Pick Gets Confirmed
State lawmakers on Tuesday confirmed Connecticut Supreme Court interim Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins to sit in the top seat for a full eight-year term, defeating concerns from some Republicans about his stance on gunmaker liability.
-
January 28, 2025
Guns Owners Urge Justices To Throw Out NY Carry Law
Members of the Gun Owners of America Inc. have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a New York carry law that the Second Circuit largely upheld last year, arguing that the lower appellate court's ruling "doubled down" on erroneous conclusions already vacated the last time the justices heard the case.
-
January 28, 2025
Texas Panel Wipes Baylor's $12M COVID Insurance Verdict
An appellate panel wiped a $12 million jury verdict in favor of Baylor College of Medicine on Tuesday, writing that it was joining "the vast majority of courts" in ruling that the university's insurance policy didn't cover COVID-19 losses.
-
January 28, 2025
Pa. Bank Regulator Claims Co. Hid Affiliation, Misused Privilege
A Texas debt-settlement company should be sanctioned for failing to disclose its alleged affiliation with another debt consolidator and for invoking attorney-client privilege when pressed about how its general counsel complied with a subpoena, Pennsylvania's banking regulator told a state court Tuesday.
-
January 28, 2025
'Transformative' System Coming To Ga. Courts, Justice Says
A new statewide case management system for Georgia's superior and state courts should be functional by the end of the year, the state's chief justice told legislators during his third State of the Judiciary address in Atlanta on Tuesday, amid warnings of judicial threats and court reporter shortages.
-
January 28, 2025
Vivint 'Kicking Dead Horse' In $190M TM Suit, 4th Circ. Hints
Smart home software company Vivint faced an uphill battle Tuesday trying to convince the Fourth Circuit to dismantle a nearly $190 million verdict for allegedly tricking its rival's customers into switching providers, with one judge saying Vivint's claims that the lower court misapplied state consumer protection law are fruitless.
-
January 28, 2025
Menendez Says Any Prison Time Should Wait For Appeal
Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez told a Manhattan federal judge ahead of his sentencing hearing Wednesday that any prison term should be delayed until after his appeal of his bribery conviction plays out, saying the Second Circuit could well rule in his favor.
-
January 28, 2025
6th Circ. Seems Cold To Dairy Queen Franchisee's Sale Appeal
A Sixth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Tuesday that Dairy Queen violated the terms of a franchise agreement with the owners of a dozen restaurant locations in Michigan by blocking the proposed sale of two stores.
-
January 28, 2025
Pa. Justices Won't Hear 3rd Circ. Pot Deportation Question
In a split decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has opted not to take up a question from the Third Circuit on whether a man from the Dominican Republic can be automatically deported for a possession with intent to deliver charge without specific proof of the drug he had in his possession.
-
January 28, 2025
Wynn Fraud Trial Still On As Appeals Court Declines To Step In
A Wynn Resorts subsidiary cannot challenge a decision allowing a trial on accusations that it misled the former owner of the site of its Encore Boston Harbor casino into cutting the property's sale price by $40 million, the state's intermediate-level appeals court has ruled.
Expert Analysis
-
Opinion
It's Time To Sound The Alarm About Lost Labor Rights
In the Fifth Circuit, recent rulings from judges appointed by former President Donald Trump have dismantled workers’ core labor rights, a troubling trend that we cannot risk extending under another Trump administration, say Sharon Block and Raj Nayak at the Center for Labor and a Just Economy.
-
Anticipating Jarkesy's Effect On Bank Agency Enforcement
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, federal courts may eventually issue decisions on banking law principles and processes that could fundamentally alter the agencies' enforcement action framework, and the relationship between banks and examiners, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.
-
Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
-
Peeling Back The Layers Of SEC's Equity Trading Reforms
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently adopted amendments lowering the tick sizes for stock trading and reducing access fee caps will benefit investors and necessitate broad systems changes — if they can first survive judicial challenges, say attorneys at Sidley.
-
5th Circ. DOL Tip Decision May Trigger Final 80/20 Rule Fight
A recent Fifth Circuit decision concerning a Labor Department rule that limits how often tipped employees can be assigned non-tip-producing duties could be challenged in either historically rule-friendly circuits or the Supreme Court, but either way it could shape the future of tipped work, says Kevin Johnson at Johnson Jackson.
-
Strategies To Avoid Patent Issues In AI Drug Discovery
Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve drug discovery and design, but companies should consider a variety of factors when patenting drugs created using AI systems, including guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and methods for protecting patent eligibility, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
-
What Being An 'Insider' Means In Ch. 11, And Why It Matters
As borrowers grapple with approaching near-term maturities on corporate debt, lenders should be proactive in mitigating the risks of being classified as an insider in potential bankruptcies, including heightened scrutiny, preference risk, plan voting and more, say David Hillman and Steve Ma at Proskauer.
-
How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
-
Series
Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.
-
Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.
-
5 Considerations For Obviousness-Type Double Patenting
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent denial of certiorari for In re: Cellect highlights the current state of obviousness-type double patenting based on that case and another recent Federal Circuit decision, including that ODP is not fatal, that divisional applications are protected from ODP and more, says Fabian Koenigbauer at Ice Miller.
-
How To Avoid Risking Arbitration Award Confidentiality In NY
Though a Second Circuit decision last year seemed to create a confidentiality safe harbor for arbitration awards that had no ongoing compliance issues, a recent New York federal court ruling offers further guidance on the meaning of "ongoing compliance issues," says Matthew Iverson at Nelson Mullins.
-
How Project 2025 Could Upend Federal ESG Policies
If implemented, Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's policy playbook for a Republican presidential administration, would likely seek to deploy antitrust law to target ESG initiatives, limit pension fund managers' focus to pecuniary factors and spell doom for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate rule, say attorneys at Mintz.
-
E-Signature Best Practices For Employers After Calif. Ruling
In Garcia v. Stoneledge Furniture, a California appellate court found an arbitration agreement invalid after an employee raised doubts about the authenticity of its e-signature, underscoring the importance of employers implementing additional measures to verify the authenticity of electronically signed documents, say Ash Bhargava and Reece Bennett at Atkinson Andelson.
-
Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In August
The Federal Circuit’s seven vacated or reversed cases from August provide helpful clarity on obviousness-type double patenting, written description and indefiniteness, and suggest improved practices for petitioners and patent owners in inter partes review, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.