Aerospace & Defense

  • February 03, 2025

    Army Corps Can't Prove $4M Contractor Negligence Claim

    The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals has sustained an engineering contractor's appeal over a $4.2 million claim by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saying the Corps hadn't shown negligence in an allegedly faulty dam drain design.

  • February 03, 2025

    DC Circ. Rejects Newman's Bid To Unseal Suspension Docs

    The D.C. Circuit on Monday denied U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's request to unseal documents about her suspension for refusing to participate in an investigation into her fitness, saying such documents are confidential unless both the judge under investigation and the chief judge agree to release them.

  • February 03, 2025

    Fired SpaceX Workers Want To Know Where Musk Was

    An attorney representing fired SpaceX workers urged a California federal judge Monday to reconsider a previous judge's ruling that the retaliation case does not belong in state court and to allow her clients access to records about CEO Elon Musk's past movements to prove the location from which he directed the company.

  • February 03, 2025

    Amazon Military Leave Class Should Be Certified, Judge Says

    A New York federal judge recommended on Monday greenlighting class treatment for more than 9,000 military reservists who accused Amazon of failing to fully provide paid leave for employees on active duty, saying the workers have shown the employment policies at issue apply to all of them.

  • February 03, 2025

    Exec Cops To Crashing Drone Into Plane Fighting LA Fires

    The former president of Skydance Media's video game division has admitted to crashing his drone into a water-scooping airplane that was fighting Los Angeles' deadly and destructive Palisades Fire last month, according to a plea agreement in California federal court.

  • February 03, 2025

    US Steel, Nippon Say Election Politics Blocked $14.9B Deal

    Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. and U.S. Steel Corp. on Monday filed their opening brief in a suit against former President Joe Biden and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States over a blocked $14.9 billion mega-merger, alleging the deal was blocked purely due to election-year politics and not national security as claimed.

  • February 03, 2025

    DC Judge Joins RI In Blocking Trump Funding Freeze

    A D.C. federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing a freeze on federal spending while a group of nonprofits sue over the move, ruling the pause appears to "suffer from infirmities of a constitutional magnitude."

  • February 03, 2025

    3 Firms Advise On $3B Triumph Group Go-Private Agreement

    Pennsylvania-based Triumph Group said Monday it has agreed to be taken private by affiliates of Berkshire Partners and Warburg Pincus, exciting investors as the aircraft component maker's stock jumped more than 34% in morning trading.  

  • January 31, 2025

    Funding Freezes 'Commonplace,' Feds Tell DC Judge

    The Trump administration is asking a D.C. federal judge to throw out a lawsuit challenging a freeze on federal spending outlined in a since-rescinded memo from the White House budget office, telling the court that the withdrawal moots the litigation.

  • January 31, 2025

    SpaceX Likely To Beat Sanctions Bid In Pay Equity Case

    A California state judge said Friday that he probably won't sanction SpaceX for supposedly missing a deadline to pay an arbitration retainer tied to a proposed class action accusing Elon Musk's aerospace company of underpaying women and minorities.

  • January 31, 2025

    January's IPO Market Was Active Despite Tepid Debuts

    Capital markets lawyers kept busy in January thanks to a sizable increase in initial public offerings, but the largest IPOs performed weaker than expected, likely sobering market participants' expectations going forward.

  • 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

    India Gets Reprieve In $112M Telecom Award Suit

    An Australian appeals court ruled Friday that India can't be held liable for a $112 million arbitral award in a dispute over a terminated deal to deliver communications services, citing a carveout that grants it sovereign immunity in the dispute.

  • January 31, 2025

    Texas Demands Jury Trial In 'Forever Chemical' Suit

    The state of Texas called on a federal judge to grant it a jury trial in litigation against 3M, DuPont and others for alleged "misrepresentations and key omissions" they made about so-called forever chemicals.

  • 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

    Bezos Satellite Co. Gets Reprieve In Docs Fight With His Paper

    A Washington state court official has temporarily blocked the state labor department from releasing records linked to investigations at an internet satellite facility launched by Jeff Bezos' Amazon, in a public records battle with The Washington Post, a newspaper also owned by the billionaire.

  • January 31, 2025

    Supreme Court Eyes Its 'Next Frontier' In FCC Delegation Case

    A case about broadband subsidies will give the U.S. Supreme Court the chance to revive a long-dormant separation of powers principle that attorneys say could upend regulations in numerous industries and trigger a power shift that would make last term's shake-up of federal agency authority pale in comparison. And a majority of the court already appears to support its resurrection.

  • January 31, 2025

    Former Fed Adviser Charged With Spying For China

    A former senior adviser to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors was arrested Friday on charges of stealing confidential data for the government of China, which prosecutors said could be used to conduct market manipulation.

  • January 31, 2025

    Honeywell Handed Win In Aircraft-Brake Parts Duty Dispute

    Honeywell International Inc. has won its dispute with U.S. Customs and Border Protection over imported parts used to make aircraft brake discs, with the U.S. Court of International Trade agreeing the parts were incorrectly classified and should be duty-free.

  • January 31, 2025

    Tribes Back Bid At 4th Circ. To Undo Army Burial Order

    Two South Dakota tribes that successfully repatriated the remains of their children from a U.S. Army Indian boarding school cemetery in Pennsylvania told the Fourth Circuit that it's problematic that a lower court ruled that a law designed to protect Native American graves doesn't apply to the site.

  • January 31, 2025

    Explosives Biz Plugs €200M Into Finland TNT Facility

    Comprehensive explosives service company Forcit unveiled plans Friday to invest over €200 million ($207.4 million) into the construction of a new TNT facility in Finland, with state-owned private equity shop Tesi helping to negotiate investments in the production plant project.

  • February 14, 2025

    Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2025 editorial advisory boards.

  • January 31, 2025

    Trump Funding Freeze Blocked As Court Doubts Reversal

    A Rhode Island federal judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from freezing spending on federal grant and aid programs, calling the move illegal and saying the issue was not mooted by a White House memo claiming the directive had been rescinded.

  • January 30, 2025

    AA Jet And Army Helicopter Crash: What We Know So Far

    The midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River will spark multiple inquiries and regulatory actions on air traffic control procedures and flight paths that may raise sticky questions about the scope of the federal government's liability in future litigation, experts say.

  • January 30, 2025

    Advocates Warn Of Abuses In Detaining Migrants At Guantánamo

    Civil and immigrant rights advocates said Thursday that the Trump administration's proposed use of Naval Station Guantánamo Bay to detain unauthorized immigrants raises a host of legal concerns, including the potential for due process and human rights violations.

Expert Analysis

  • New Export Control Guidance Raises The Stakes For Banks

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    Recent guidance from the Bureau of Industry and Security alerts banks that they could be liable for facilitating export control violations, the latest example of regulators articulating the expectation that both financial institutions and corporations serve as gatekeepers to mitigate crime and aid enforcement efforts, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Why Diversity Jurisdiction Poses Investment Fund Hurdles

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    Federal courts' continued application of the exacting rules of diversity jurisdiction presents particular challenges for investment funds, and in the absence of any near-term reform, those who manage such funds should take action to avoid diversity jurisdiction pitfalls, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • GAO Decision Offers Insights On Verifying TAA Compliance

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    The U.S. Government Accountability Office's August decision in Matter of: HPI Federal LLC serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying Trade Agreements Act compliance — and of understanding the parameters of an agency's acceptance of an offeror's TAA representation, say Amy Hoang and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth.

  • 3 Takeaways From Navy Shipbuilder's Fraud Guilty Plea

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    Austal USA’s recent plea agreement over accounting fraud charges highlights for other companies the benefits of cooperating with government investigations, the challenges posed by senior executives’ involvement in misconduct, and the high stakes for defense contractors, say Michael DeBernardis and Shayda Vance at Hughes Hubbard.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    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.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    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

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    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.

  • An Update On Legal Issues In The Drone Market

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    Marialuisa Gallozzi and Alex Slawson at Covington examine recent developments in the legal issues surrounding the growing drone market, including possible First Amendment protections, Fourth Amendment surveillance, and litigation involving criminal and civil penalties, evidentiary pursuits, and insurance.

  • How To Avoid Risking Arbitration Award Confidentiality In NY

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    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.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan

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    Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.

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