Washington

  • April 22, 2024

    Opioid Marketer Completes $1.5M Damages Settlement With Del.

    Delaware's chancellor signed off Monday on a $1.5 million payment to the state by a company that helped Purdue Pharmaceuticals market its opioid products, the latest step in a $358 million, 50-state damages settlement reached with Publicis Health LLC.

  • April 22, 2024

    DEA Tells 9th Circ. 'Right To Try' Doesn't Rewrite CSA

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is urging the Ninth Circuit to reject an appeal by a doctor who seeks to administer psilocybin to terminal cancer patients to treat depression, saying the Right to Try Act doesn't waive the Controlled Substances Act's prohibitions or authorize the DEA to do so.

  • April 22, 2024

    Feds Say $1M Fine Is Fair In Washington Dam Settlement

    The federal government says a $1 million fine to settle Clean Water Act violations against a hydroelectric dam operator is fair despite objections from a Washington tribe, arguing that a proposed consent decree should be approved because it meets key goals that help to restore Washington's Puyallup River.

  • April 22, 2024

    Oregon Judge Won't Delay Youth Climate Trial

    An Oregon federal judge denied the U.S. Department of Justice's 14th request to pause a suit filed by young people claiming their rights are being violated by federal policies that are worsening climate change, and also told the Ninth Circuit to reject the agency's latest attempted appeal in the long-running litigation.

  • April 22, 2024

    Hyundai, Kia Drivers Want $13M Fees In Car Theft Defect Deal

    A consumer class of Hyundai and Kia drivers who claimed that the companies knowingly sold them cars with defects that made them easy to steal asked a California federal judge for final approval of their $145 million deal, with $13.4 million in fees, after an objector said the deal wasn't enough.

  • April 19, 2024

    A Cannabis Constitutional Fight, And The Calif. Atty Behind It

    Federal appellate courts are mulling multiple challenges to state and local cannabis licensure programs, all brought by one California-based attorney and each alleging that the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution must apply to federally illegal marijuana.

  • April 19, 2024

    Colo. Won't 'Defer' To Feds In Kroger-Albertsons Merger Suit

    Colorado's attorney general has defended his decision to file a case seeking to block a $24.6 billion merger between the supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, telling a state court judge that nothing requires him to "defer to federal enforcers."

  • April 19, 2024

    Kansas City Bank Sued Over Prepaid Cards For Ex-Detainees

    A Kansas City, Missouri, bank faces a proposed class action accusing it of violating federal and state consumer protections laws in issuing prepaid debit cards to people who had their cash confiscated after being detained following an arrest, and then charging them fees to access their funds after their release. 

  • April 19, 2024

    Wash. Hospital Workers Can't Replicate Related Wage Win

    A Washington state court ruled Friday that workers of a Seattle-area hospital system still have to prove that their employer's timekeeping and meal break policies violated state law, even though an affiliated healthcare system with policies the employees alleged were "virtually the same" was found liable in a similar case.

  • April 19, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Reverse Wash. Tribe's Recognition Order

    A D.C. Circuit panel has rejected a bid by a Washington tribe to vacate an order denying it federal recognition for the fourth time while barring it from raising any further jurisdictional arguments to collaterally attack a lower court's dismissal of the case.

  • April 19, 2024

    Yardi Ordered To Provide Info On Apartment Pricing Algorithm

    Real estate management software company Yardi Systems Inc. is going to have to turn over information about who has been using its rent maximizer algorithm to renters who claim that at least 11 property management companies have been using the service to fix rental costs, a federal judge has said.

  • April 19, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Abortions & Presidential Immunity

    The U.S. Supreme Court will return Monday for the term's final week of oral arguments, during which it will consider several high-stakes disputes, including whether a federal healthcare law can preempt state abortion bans and whether former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal charges related to official acts.

  • April 19, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive J2 Investor's Suit Alleging Insider Deals

    The Ninth Circuit declined Friday to revive a proposed securities fraud class action alleging that J2 Global Inc. hid underperforming acquisitions and dubious investments that benefited company insiders, finding the plaintiff investor did not sufficiently plead scienter as to alleged nondisclosures or that purported misstatements caused his losses.

  • April 19, 2024

    Sidley, Perkins Coie Guiding Nordstrom On Strategic Review

    Sidley Austin LLP and Perkins Coie LLP are representing a special committee of Nordstrom Inc.'s board of directors that is looking into taking the Seattle-based luxury department store private after an earlier 2017 go-private plan fell apart.

  • April 18, 2024

    Amazon Ignored Labor, IP Laws In AI 'Panic,' Ex-Worker Says

    An artificial intelligence researcher suing Amazon for labor law violations says it disregarded numerous laws in a frantic attempt to catch up to its AI rivals, directing her to ignore copyright laws in developing its large language models and retaliating when her pregnancy leave coincided with a rival's product launch.

  • April 18, 2024

    Jury Awards $98M To Wash. Healthcare Workers In Wage Suit

    A Seattle jury said Thursday a Washington-based healthcare system should pay thousands of its employees almost $100 million for its illegal timeclock rounding and meal break practices, an award that's expected to be doubled because a judge has already determined that the company's violations were willful.

  • April 18, 2024

    Qdoba To Pay $3.8M To Wrap Up Wash. Pay Transparency Suit

    Mexican restaurant chain Qdoba will pay $3.8 million to resolve a class action alleging it violated Washington state's pay transparency law when it failed to disclose pay information in job postings, according to a filing in state court.

  • April 18, 2024

    No Redo For Insurers In COVID-19 Coverage Row, Tribe Says

    The Ninth Circuit should stand by its decision ordering an AIG unit and other insurers to litigate the Suquamish Tribe's COVID-19 business interruption claims in tribal court, the tribe told the appeals court, saying the insurers' request for a do-over distorts the panel's decision and controlling law.

  • April 18, 2024

    9th Circ. Affirms Rosette's Win In Tribe Representation Fight

    The Ninth Circuit has backed a federal district court ruling that found Rosette LLP is not responsible for using allegedly false advertising to induce the Quechan Tribe to drop Williams & Cochrane LLP as counsel on the verge of closing a lucrative gambling contract.

  • April 18, 2024

    Biotech Co. NanoString Lands $393M Bid At Ch. 11 Auction

    Scientific instrument maker Bruker Corp. is set to acquire insolvent biotechnology company NanoString for roughly $393 million in cash that would be used to repay creditors under the debtor's recently proposed Chapter 11 plan, a notice filed in Delaware's bankruptcy court shows.

  • April 18, 2024

    Amazon Strikes Deal, Staves Off Trial In Disability Bias Suit

    Amazon reached a deal to end a suit from an ex-employee who accused the e-commerce giant of pushing him out because of a knee injury stemming from his military service, ahead of a trial slated to begin in May, according to a filing in California federal court.

  • April 17, 2024

    Wash. Winemaker Wants Insurers To Cover $30M Spoiled Wine

    A Washington state winemaker has launched a lawsuit against certain Lloyd's of London underwriters in state court, seeking coverage under a pair of insurance policies for more than $30 million worth of cabernet sauvignon that became too acidic to sell while being stored by another wine producer prior to bottling.

  • April 17, 2024

    Lab Whistleblower Drops COVID Test Suit After Feds Pass

    An ex-lab director has dropped his False Claims Act lawsuit alleging he was ousted from a diagnostic testing firm for raising concerns about regulatory violations and improper billing of federal health care programs, closing his Washington federal court case just days after the government declined to intervene.

  • April 17, 2024

    Seattle Says Firefighters' Amended Vax Complaint Still Flawed

    The city of Seattle insisted Wednesday that fatal flaws remain in an amended complaint from firefighters who sued over the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, including a failure to link religious discrimination and due process claims to Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and other named defendants.

  • April 17, 2024

    Colo. Labor Dept. Says Amazon's Holiday Pay Must Be In OT

    The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment told the state Supreme Court that Amazon's holiday incentive pay is similar to shift differentials, backing warehouse workers' arguments that the pay should have been included in their overtime compensation.

Expert Analysis

  • 9th Circ. Kellogg Ruling Offers Protein Claim Defense Tips

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion dismissing consolidated false advertising class actions against Kellogg and Kashi should be required reading for manufacturers that include protein-related claims on their product labels because it significantly clarifies the viability of state law challenges to those claims, say Olivia Dworkin and Cortlin Lannin at Covington.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • Calif., Wash. Rest Break Waivers: What Carriers Must Know

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    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's recent invitation for petitions to waive its rules on meal and rest breaks for commercial drivers in California and Washington is an unusual move, and the agency's own guidance seems to acknowledge that its plan may face legal challenges, says Jessica Scott at Wheeler Trigg.

  • How Taxpayers Can Prep As Justices Weigh Repatriation Tax

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    The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the 2017 federal tax overhaul's corporate repatriation tax in Moore v. U.S., so taxpayers should file protective tax refund claims before the case is decided and repatriate previously taxed earnings that could become entangled in dubious potential Section 965 refunds, say Jenny Austin and Gary Wilcox at Mayer Brown.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Retailers Face Compliance Issues As PFAS Regulations Grow

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    As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance legislation, and the potential for litigation, continues to evolve and spread nationally, retailers should focus on supply chain management, inventory audits and maintaining strong internal standard operating procedures as a way to manage compliance and minimize risk, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Shows Int'l Arbitration Jurisdictional Snags

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    While the Ninth Circuit sidestepped the thorny and undecided constitutional question of whether a foreign state is a person for the purposes of a due process analysis, its Devas v. Antrix opinion provides important guidance to parties seeking to enforce an arbitration award against a foreign sovereign in the U.S., say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'

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    Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.

  • Upcoming High Court ADA Cases May Signal Return To Basics

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    Recent cases, including Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in October, raise a fundamental question of whether Americans with Disabilities Act litigation has spiraled out of control without any real corresponding benefits to the intended beneficiaries: individuals with true disabilities, says Norman Dupont at Ring Bender.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Prepping For OSHA Standard On Violence Risk In Health Care

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    Though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has yet to create a new standard to address violence against health care workers, employers can prepare for coming federal regulatory changes by studying existing state rules and past OSHA citations, then taking steps to improve their safety programs, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • FTC 'Dark Patterns' Enforcement Signals Consent Theory Shift

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Amazon for using dark patterns to trick consumers signals a general trend in American jurisprudence of importing a European theory of consent, which could result in a more turgid digital experience, says Christian Auty at BCLP.

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