Appellate

  • February 03, 2025

    NC Justice Urges 4th Circ. To Keep Vote Battle In Federal Court

    An incumbent North Carolina justice urged the Fourth Circuit on Monday to keep control of her opponent's challenge to November's election results, rejecting the challenger's claim that developments in state court have rendered the federal case moot.

  • February 03, 2025

    COVID Test Row Hinges On Appeal Notice, 2nd Circ. Hints

    A Second Circuit appellate judge suggested Monday that a union benefit plan may not have been acting fully aboveboard when it did not notify a Connecticut medical practice of an appeal process after it denied reimbursements for COVID-19 testing, but he also met the practice's accusations with skepticism.

  • February 03, 2025

    Panel Backs Sanctions For Frivolous Bid In Malpractice Case

    A New Jersey appeals court said Monday that a New York attorney's motion to vacate an almost $450,000 judgment after a jury found him negligent in a divorce action could only be seen as frivolous, affirming the trial court's award of nearly $8,000 in attorney fees as a sanction.

  • February 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Affirms Lawyer's Asylum Fraud Conviction

    The Second Circuit on Monday affirmed the convictions of an immigration attorney and the former CEO of an immigration services firm for coaching asylum-seekers to lie about facing persecution in their home countries, rejecting the pair's arguments that there was insufficient evidence and that the jury was given improper instructions.

  • February 03, 2025

    Power Cos., States Ask DC Circ. To Dispose Of Coal Ash Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acted arbitrarily and well beyond its authority when it enacted a new rule to strengthen federal regulations for coal ash, a score of electric utility entities and Republican-led states told the D.C. Circuit.

  • February 03, 2025

    Calif. City On The Hook In Contractor Wage Fight, Panel Says

    The city of Long Beach, California, could be required to foot the bill for arbitration awards rendered against an oil company subcontractor in workers' wage lawsuits, a state appellate panel ruled, saying an arbitration decision holds as much weight as any other court order and can trigger liability for indemnity.

  • January 31, 2025

    Pipeline Inspector Asks Justices To Deem Him An Employee

    A former pipeline inspector for energy industry service provider Killick Group has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit decision classifying him as an independent contractor not eligible for overtime, saying Friday the high court should resolve a circuit split on the factors determining employee status.

  • January 31, 2025

    NC Justices Rule Abuse Law Is Legal, Exempts Resolved Suits

    The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday that adults can bring civil actions over sex abuse they suffered as children after determining a state law allowing the revival of such claims is constitutional, but said the statute doesn't apply to similar cases that have already been adjudicated.

  • January 31, 2025

    Pause UScellular Deal During False Claims Case, Attys Say

    Two communications attorneys have urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject the $4.4 billion transfer of UScellular spectrum licenses to T-Mobile, at least until their False Claims Act dispute with the company can be resolved in the D.C. Circuit.

  • January 31, 2025

    En Banc Pa. Court Restores $2.3M Injury Award Against Domino's

    A Pennsylvania appellate court said the Domino's pizza chain can indeed be held liable for a $2.3 million verdict in a suit accusing a franchisee's delivery driver of causing a motorcyclist's severe injuries, saying the company had sufficient control over the franchisee's operations.

  • January 31, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Mormon Church's Win In Tithing Fraud Case

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a wealthy and prominent former member who claimed the church fraudulently used members' tithes to fund commercial projects — with one judge arguing the case should have been tossed on church autonomy grounds only.

  • January 31, 2025

    Justices Implored To Consider Tipster Medical Device Row

    A nonprofit formed by Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who has advocated against forced arbitration after suing the network's chairman for harassment, has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a whistleblower's challenge to an arbitration award given to a medical device company in a trade secrets dispute.

  • January 31, 2025

    Small Biz Attys Jump Into 4th Circ. Shell Co. Law Challenge

    A business group has urged the Fourth Circuit to stop the U.S. Department of the Treasury from enforcing a law that requires companies to disclose personal identifying information about their beneficial owners and applicants to the agency, saying the law exceeds the limit of Congress' power to regulate intrastate economic activity.

  • January 31, 2025

    FCA, Chamber Tell 6th Circ. GM Defect Class Has Flaws

    Fiat Chrysler, tax-exempt legal organizations and industry trade groups are urging the Sixth Circuit to undo the class certification of drivers suing General Motors over alleged transmission defects, arguing in amicus briefs that a trial court lumping the plaintiffs together "glossed over material differences in the evidence and applicable state laws."

  • January 31, 2025

    HUD Seeks Pause On Insurers' Appeal Over Fair Housing Rule

    U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development attorneys asked a D.C. Circuit court Friday to pause consideration of an insurance industry trade group's appeal over a HUD rule addressing discrimination claims under the Fair Housing Act, saying the agency's new leadership may reconsider the rule altogether.

  • January 31, 2025

    Mich. Judge Can't Pause Discipline Case During Bias Probe

    The Michigan Supreme Court won't halt disciplinary proceedings against a judge accused of lying about another judge's conduct to wait for an ongoing audit of potential racial disparities in the state's judicial discipline process to be completed.

  • January 31, 2025

    Del. Justices Uphold $33M-Plus Award In Software Co. Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court shot down on Friday a higher education software company founder's appeal from a $33 million-and-growing Court of Chancery award favoring shareholders who claimed they were kept in the dark when millions in stock purchase warrants were allowed to expire without notice.

  • January 31, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Aerospace Co. Code Meets Fair Use Standard

    Aerospace contractor Astronics has convinced Ninth Circuit judges that the code used in its replacement parts is covered by the same fair use protections created by the U.S. Supreme Court's Google v. Oracle decision.

  • January 31, 2025

    Med Transport Broker Must Face Injury Claims, Ga. Panel Says

    The Georgia Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court's grant of summary judgment to a non-emergency medical transportation broker that was sued when the driver of one of its vehicles allegedly failed to secure a woman's wheelchair, throwing her to the floor during a sudden stop.

  • January 31, 2025

    US Chamber Backs Exxon Suit Over Seized Cuba Property

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the U.S. Supreme Court to accept Exxon Mobil Corp.'s challenge of a D.C. Circuit decision that made it harder for the energy giant to seek damages over property that Fidel Castro's government confiscated decades ago in Cuba.

  • January 31, 2025

    Texas Justices Won't Shut Down Court Reporter's AI Case

    A Texas court reporter will be permitted to continue pursuing an administrative complaint against an artificial intelligence-powered "digital reporting firm," after the administrative agency in charge of court stenography in Texas lost its bid for the state's high court to end the case on Friday.

  • January 31, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs DOL's $7M Win In Care Co. Wage Suit

    The Third Circuit refused on Friday to overturn a $7 million judgment in favor of the U.S. Department of Labor in its lawsuit against a home care company, saying the time workers spent traveling between clients' homes is fundamental to their jobs and must be compensated.

  • January 31, 2025

    6 Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In Feb.

    The en banc Eleventh Circuit will consider whether federal anti-discrimination law bars a Georgia county health plan from refusing to cover a worker's gender-confirmation surgery while the Second Circuit will hear from an NBA referee defending his win in a pension payout case.

  • January 31, 2025

    Full DC Circ. Will Not Review White House NEPA Power Ruling

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday rejected petitions for en banc review of a panel's ruling that the White House does not have the legal authority to promulgate regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.

  • January 31, 2025

    Out-Of-State Broker Must Face Texas Suit Over $25M Scheme

    A Texas appeals court found an insurance broker can't escape a lawsuit alleging it conspired with a Texas law firm to defraud a couple using a $25 million scheme, saying in a Thursday opinion that obtaining a Texas license subjects the company to Texas law.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

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    From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.

  • Fed. Circ. In December: A Patent Prosecution History Lesson

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    Despite relying on two rock-solid principles of patent law, DDR lost its Federal Circuit case against Priceline.com, highlighting how a change in the scope of the invention from the provisional to the nonprovisional application can affect the court's analysis of how a skilled artisan would understand claim terms after reading the prosecution history, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025

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    2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • What To Watch For In The 2025 Benefits Landscape

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    While planning for 2025, retirement plan sponsors and service providers should set their focus on phased implementation deadlines under both Secure 1.0 and 2.0, an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and the fate of several U.S. Department of Labor regulations, says Allie Itami at Lathrop GPM.

  • Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

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    As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Adjustments, Preclusion, Waivers

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    Ken Kanzawa at Seyfarth examines three recent decisions from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals that examine distinctions between requests for equitable adjustments and claims, forum selection and res judicata, and the waiver of penalties for expressly unallowable costs.

  • The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024

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    In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • 2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG

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    Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • Justices May Find Gov't Can Keep Fraudulent Transfer Benefit

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    Based on the justices' questions at the recently argued U.S. v. Miller, the Supreme Court appears prepared to hold that the U.S. — unlike any other creditor — is permitted to retain the benefits of a fraudulent transfer to the detriment of other bankruptcy creditors, says Kevin Morse at Clark Hill.

  • Why Letters Of Protection Are Discoverable In Texas PI Suits

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    Recent Texas Supreme Court opinions and key provisions of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure make letters of protection, in which plaintiff attorneys promise payment to healthcare providers based on jury awards, discoverable — good news for defendants fighting exorbitant damage claims in personal injury cases, says Nathan Vrazel at Munsch Hardt.

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