Appellate

  • August 01, 2024

    Monsanto Wants Wash. Justices To Deny PCB Tort Petition

    Monsanto Co. has urged Washington state's highest court to deny three schoolteachers' request for review of a recent appellate court decision overturning their $185 million win in a chemical poisoning trial, saying the plaintiffs haven't met their burden to show the case warrants the justices' attention.

  • August 01, 2024

    Mich. Ruling Ushers In Sweeping Paid Leave, Wage Changes

    The Michigan Supreme Court raised the minimum wage and dramatically expanded the number of employers who must soon provide workers with paid sick leave in a blockbuster end-of-term ruling Wednesday that adds new compliance burdens and potential liability for employers, attorneys told Law360.

  • August 01, 2024

    Mich. Justices Uphold Tighter Manure Discharge Regs

    A split Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld state regulators' increased protective permit conditions for animal feeding operations and said challengers to those conditions must fully exhaust administrative appeals before they can bring the issue to court.

  • August 01, 2024

    Ohio Judge Must Add Overhead-Door Patent Owner To IP Suit

    An Ohio federal judge must attach Cold Chain LLC to patent infringement litigation its licensee has filed against companies tied to commercial trucking, the Federal Circuit held Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Ohio Justices Reject Rival Utility Co.'s Rate Plan Challenge

    The Supreme Court of Ohio unanimously rejected a rival electricity generator's argument that AEP Ohio was illegally subsidizing its competitive electric generation services with money paid by non-generation customers in its service territory, upholding a state utility regulator's approval of its rate plan.

  • August 01, 2024

    NJ Transit On Hook For $11.6M Injury Verdict, 2nd Circ. Says

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a jury's $11.6 million verdict accusing New Jersey Transit of negligently ordering a train engineer to continue operating in an overheated cab that caused him to suffer career-ending injuries, saying the state-owned company had a duty to maintain the cab's air conditioning system.

  • August 01, 2024

    Georgia Judge Can't Order Woman To Pay For Jury Costs

    A Georgia appeals court on Thursday said a trial court erred when it ordered a woman who voluntarily dismissed a personal injury suit during jury selection to pay more than $2,000 for jury and bailiff costs, saying there is no statute authorizing such an order.

  • August 01, 2024

    11th Circ. Denies Coverage, Despite Insurer's Missing Comma

    In a unanimous published opinion bound to frustrate grammarians, an Eleventh Circuit panel affirmed Thursday that though an insurer's policy might be missing a comma, the lack of punctuation didn't change its clear and unambiguous meaning, thus preventing payment to a food company.

  • August 01, 2024

    Employers Urge Justices Take Up Withdrawal Liability Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court must resolve a circuit split over how to calculate the bills sent to companies that leave union pension plans, a group of employers has argued, fighting an argument by the trustees of an International Association of Machinists pension fund that the split is "tolerable."

  • August 01, 2024

    House Workforce Chair Wants Mental Health Parity Regs Axed

    The Republican chairwoman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee told the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday it should not finalize regulations that aim to encourage employer compliance with a law requiring equitable mental health and substance use disorder treatments coverage, stating the rule burdens businesses.

  • August 01, 2024

    Conn. High Court Adopts Narrow 'Supervisor' Definition

    The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Thursday that only employees who can hire, fire or promote other workers count as supervisors whose harassment can place vicarious liability on their employer under state civil rights law, adopting the federal high court's narrow definition of the term.

  • August 02, 2024

    Meet The 4 Washington Supreme Court Hopefuls

    A career civil litigator, Seattle-area municipal judge, Naval officer-turned-tax attorney and solo family law practitioner are all vying this month for an open seat on Washington state's high court.

  • August 01, 2024

    AliveCor Asks 9th Circ. To Revive Apple Watch Antitrust Case

    Medical monitoring startup AliveCor Inc. told the Ninth Circuit that Apple Inc. should not be immunized from antitrust claims over the removal of access to heart rate data on the Apple Watch because the change was intended to block competition and not improve the device.

  • August 01, 2024

    Justices Uphold Chancery Toss Of Church COVID Suit

    Two religious leaders in Delaware who sued over restrictions the state imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic waited too long to file the case and have no standing to proceed with their claims, Delaware's Supreme Court ruled Thursday, upholding dismissals by both the Superior and Chancery courts.

  • August 01, 2024

    6th Circ. Puts Net Neutrality Rule On Ice During Appeals

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday granted industry groups' bid to put a hold on the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules while appellate court challenges play out, saying there is a strong chance that internet service providers will eventually prevail.

  • August 01, 2024

    NJ Justices Say Bridge Commission Can Mandate Union Deals

    The compact that created the bistate Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission gave the commission the authority to require contractors to use project labor agreements in a publicly bid construction project, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Groups Say DC Circ.'s Toss Of FERC OK Boosts Their Case

    Conservation groups and the city of Port Isabel, Texas, told the D.C. Circuit that its recent decision to vacate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a Northeast pipeline expansion supports their challenge of the commission's decision to approve two Texas liquefied natural gas facilities.

  • August 01, 2024

    Utah High Court Upholds Pause On State Abortion Ban

    The Utah Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a pause on the state's near-total abortion ban while a constitutional challenge to the law proceeds, agreeing with a lower court's conclusion that the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah had standing to bring its challenge.

  • August 01, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Denies PTAB Overreach In Voice Tech IP Invalidation

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board properly invalidated a Voice Tech Corp. patent directed to the use of voice commands and did not make up a new theory in favor of challenger Unified Patents LLC, the Federal Circuit said Thursday.

  • August 01, 2024

    Colo. Judges Can't Tell Magistrates To Redo Rulings

    Colorado state courts that reject a magistrate's order can't send it back to the magistrate for reconsideration, a state appellate panel ruled Thursday, stating in a published opinion that district judges must issue a new ruling themselves.

  • August 01, 2024

    Colo. Panel Finds Campaign Disclosure Rule Unconstitutional

    A Colorado Court of Appeals panel on Thursday found that a requirement for ballot issue committees to list their registered agent on election communications is unconstitutionally compelled speech, reasoning that the public doesn't learn much from knowing a committee's legal representative.

  • August 01, 2024

    6th Circ. Says Teacher's Failure To Engage Sinks ADA Suit

    A former teacher can't revive his disability bias lawsuit claiming a school board unlawfully refused to let him continue working from home following a mid-pandemic return to in-person instruction, the Sixth Circuit ruled Thursday, faulting the educator for refusing to discuss alternative accommodations.

  • August 01, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Vegas Casino Pilots Are Exempt From OT

    Five corporate pilots for a Las Vegas casino performed non-manual labor and are therefore exempt from overtime requirements under federal law, the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday, upholding a Nevada federal court's decision.

  • August 01, 2024

    White House Defends 6th Circ. Nom Against Tenn. Senator

    The Senate Judiciary Committee approved seven judicial nominees on Thursday, including one for the Sixth Circuit under fire from her home-state senators.

  • August 01, 2024

    5th Circ. Backs Louisiana's Block Of EPA Chemical Rule

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday refused to overturn a Louisiana agency's move to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing a chemical rule that a neoprene maker says would force it to shut down.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Policyholder Tips After Calif. Ruling Denying D&O Coverage

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    A California decision from June, Practice Fusion v. Freedom Specialty Insurance, denying a company's claim seeking reimbursement under a directors and officers insurance policy for its settlement with the Justice Department, highlights the importance of coordinating coverage for all operational risks and the danger of broad exclusionary policy language, says Geoffrey Fehling at Hunton.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    High Court Made Profound Mistake In Tossing Purdue Deal

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to throw out Purdue Pharma's Chapter 11 plan jeopardizes a multistate agreement that would provide approximately $7 billion in much-needed relief to help fight the opioid epidemic, with states now likely doomed to spend years chasing individual defendants across the globe, says Swain Wood at Morningstar.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Piercing FEMA Authority Is Not Insurmountable

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    While the Federal Emergency Management Agency's discretionary authority continues to provide significant protection from claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, Loper Bright is a blow to the argument that Congress gave FEMA unfettered discretion to administer its own programs, says Wendy Huff Ellard at Baker Donelson.

  • What Happens After Hawaii Kids' Historic Climate Deal

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    Implications of the Hawaii Department of Transportation's first-of-its-kind settlement with youth plaintiffs over constitutional climate claims may be limited, but it could incite similar claims, says J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State

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    Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.

  • Differences In Enforcing Oral Settlements In NJ And Pa.

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    New Jersey mediations should incorporate new best practices for settlement agreements after a recent state appellate court ruling eliminated the enforceability of oral-only settlements, setting New Jersey at odds with Pennsylvania’s established willingness to enforce unwritten agreements that were clearly intended to be binding, say Thomas Wilkinson and Thomas DePaola at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.

  • Series

    After Chevron: A Sea Change For Maritime Sector

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    The shipping industry has often looked to the courts for key agency decisions affecting maritime interests, but after the U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright ruling, stakeholders may revisit important industry questions and coordinate to bring appropriate challenges and shape rulemaking, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Opinion

    Post-Chevron, Good Riddance To The Sentencing Guidelines

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of the Chevron doctrine may signal the end of the U.S. sentencing guidelines, which is good news given that they have accomplished the opposite of Congress’ original intent to bring certainty, proportionality and uniformity to sentencing, say attorneys Mark Allenbaugh, Doug Passon and Alan Ellis.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Impact On CFPB May Be Limited

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo is likely to have a limited impact on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory activities, and for those who value due process, consistency and predictability in consumer financial services regulation, this may be a good thing, says John Coleman at Orrick.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Series

    After Chevron: 7 FERC Takeaways From Loper Bright

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine, it's likely that the majority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's orders will not be affected, but the commission has nonetheless lost an important fallback argument and will have to approach rulemaking more cautiously, says Norman Bay at Willkie Farr.

  • Series

    After Chevron: USDA Rules May Be Up In The Air

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    The Supreme Court's end of Chevron deference may cause more lawsuits against U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, like the one redefining "unfair trade practices" under the Packers and Stockyards Act, or a new policy classifying salmonella as an adulterant in certain poultry products, says Bob Hibbert at Wiley.

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