Appellate

  • April 21, 2025

    Supreme Court Won't Hear Neb. Tribe's Tobacco Sales Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't hear two Nebraska tribal companies' bid to undo an Eighth Circuit ruling that held the state can regulate a tribally owned manufacturer's sales of cigarettes to Indigenous-owned distributors after officials attempted to apply a settlement with major tobacco companies on the Winnebago reservation.

  • April 21, 2025

    High Court Wants SG's Input On Home Depot ERISA Case

    The nation's highest court asked the U.S. solicitor general Monday to opine on whether it should hear a retirement plan mismanagement case from Home Depot workers who say the Eleventh Circuit wrongly required them to link financial losses to alleged breaches of fiduciary duty.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Mall Of America's Sears Lease Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case filed by the owner of Minnesota's Mall of America against Sears Holding Corp. over a transfer of a 100-year lease for an anchor store location, leaving in place a lower court's finding that the mall's lease was not a "true" contract.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Kick Flavored-Vape Dispute Back To 5th Circ.

    After the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authority to reject an e-cigarette company's application to market flavored vapes, the high court on Monday granted summary disposition on one other pending case on the same subject, while denying certiorari to three others.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear CSX-Norfolk Southern Antitrust Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to review whether CSX waited too long to bring its antitrust case against Norfolk Southern over fees charged by a Virginia switching line they jointly own.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Patent Eligibility Ruling Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday decided to skip a case brought by a company that had lost a patent case against Amazon, declining the challenge asserting that courts routinely issue summary judgment rulings on patent eligibility, even if there are disputes of fact.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Pass On Damages Fight In Trading Patent Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday skipped a case brought by the winner of a $6.6 million patent infringement verdict who has argued that the Federal Circuit wrongly denied its bid to increase those damages after it said it discovered fraud in the proceedings.

  • April 21, 2025

    Justices Won't Review Welding Inspector's Contractor Status

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a Fifth Circuit decision finding a welding inspector was an independent contractor, not an employee, and therefore not entitled to Fair Labor Standards Act coverage.

  • April 20, 2025

    High Court's Pause Of Removals Was 'Premature,' Alito Says

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision early Saturday morning to prohibit the Trump administration from using a 1798 wartime law to remove alleged Venezuelan gang members detained in northern Texas to an El Salvadoran prison was hasty and premature, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a dissent joined by Justice Clarence Thomas.

  • April 19, 2025

    Up Next At High Court: Preventive Healthcare, LGBTQ Books

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in five cases this week, including disputes over the constitutionality of a task force that sets preventive healthcare coverage requirements, a school district's introduction of LGBTQ-themed storybooks and whether parties can establish standing based on harms affecting third parties. 

  • April 19, 2025

    Justices Temporarily Block Removals Under Wartime Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday ordered the Trump administration to halt removals of alleged Venezuelan gang members detained in Texas under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, pending further input from the court.

  • April 18, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Revive ADA Suit Over Remote Work Firing

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday refused to revive a former call center director's Americans with Disabilities Act suit against a financial services company, holding that the company had legitimate reasons to fire her and reasonably accommodated her request to work from home due to her Crohn's disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • April 18, 2025

    Split 6th Circ. Clarifies Scope Of Sexual Harassment Arb. Ban

    A split Sixth Circuit panel clarified on Friday that a new federal law banning the mandatory arbitration of sexual-harassment claims may apply to alleged misconduct that occurred before the law was enacted, while a dissenting judge slammed the majority's opinion as a "formula for disaster."

  • April 18, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs SEC In Fraud Case Receivership Fight

    The Fifth Circuit has knocked down a Texas-based real estate investor's fight against a receivership imposed upon his entities by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the lower court did not exceed its authority in allowing the receivership in the $26 million fraud case.

  • April 18, 2025

    Venezuelans Ask High Court And 5th Circ. To Pause Removals

    A group of Venezuelans detained in northern Texas launched a multipronged effort Friday to prevent the Trump administration from removing them to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act before they can have their day in court, asking the U.S. Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit and two district courts for emergency relief.

  • April 18, 2025

    Qualcomm Judge Bemoans 'Inefficiency' In Patent Fights

    A Florida federal judge has scheduled a third hearing on claim construction in a ParkerVision Inc. lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc. over wireless communications patents, while commenting about "the inefficiency of patent litigation."

  • April 18, 2025

    1st Circ. Upholds Massachusetts' Assault Weapons Ban

    The First Circuit on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that a challenge to Massachusetts' 20-year-old ban on assault weapons is unlikely to succeed on the grounds that the ban comports with historical tradition.

  • April 18, 2025

    NIU Doesn't Have To Donate Undeveloped Land, Ill. Panel Says

    A Chicago suburb was correctly rejected in its bid to enforce a contract provision requiring Northern Illinois University Foundation to donate a parcel of land it decided not to develop into a branch campus, a state appellate panel said.

  • April 18, 2025

    Enviro Groups Tell 10th Circ. Denver's Dam Appeal Ill-Timed

    Environmental groups have asked the Tenth Circuit to preserve a lower court's order halting construction on a Denver dam, saying a stay requested by the city was filed prematurely.

  • April 18, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Nixed Zillow, NAR Antitrust Case

    The Ninth Circuit won't be rethinking a panel decision refusing to revive a defunct brokerage platform's case accusing Zillow and the National Association of Realtors of anticompetitively relegating its listings from Zillow's main page.

  • April 18, 2025

    Murdaugh's Banker Pleads Guilty To Fraud Ahead Of Retrial

    A former bank CEO accused of helping ex-lawyer and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh steal client money pled guilty Friday to fraud ahead of a retrial, months after his initial conviction was overturned based on jury irregularities.

  • April 18, 2025

    Apache Ask High Court For Quick Ruling In Oak Flat Land Row

    An Apache nonprofit behind the effort to save an ancient worship site from destruction in Arizona is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly rule on its petition after the federal government announced it is moving forward with plans to transfer the site to Resolution Copper for mining.

  • April 18, 2025

    5th Circ. Says FCC Can't Fine AT&T $57M Without Trial

    The Fifth Circuit has wiped out the $57 million fine that the Federal Communications Commission slapped AT&T with after it and the other major mobile carriers were found to have been selling off people's location data, saying such a penalty without a jury trial was unconstitutional.

  • April 18, 2025

    High Court's Cornell Ruling Eases Path For ERISA Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court's revival of Cornell University workers' class action alleging excessive retirement plan fees will likely spur a rise in lawsuits zeroing in on employers' arrangements with recordkeepers and other service providers, and could make those cases tougher to knock out of court, attorneys say.

  • April 18, 2025

    IP Notebook: AI Prompts, DMCA Battle, Squishmallows Scuffle

    Welcome to IP Notebook, a recurring series that highlights disputes and legal developments that raise novel or crucial questions in the trademark and copyright space.

Expert Analysis

  • What's At Stake In High Court's Class Member Standing Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Labcorp v. Davis could significantly alter how parties prosecute and defend class actions in federal court, particularly if the court determines some proof of member standing is required before a class may be certified, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • What Remedies Under New Admin's SEC Could Look Like

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to substantially narrow the remedies it pursues over the next few years, driven by the mounting challenges it faces in court, as well as the views of its incoming chair and fellow Republican commissioners on injunctions, penalties and disgorgement, say attorneys at Milbank.

  • Patent Eligibility Insights From Fed. Circ.'s Drill Bit Ruling

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in US Synthetic Corp. v. ITC addresses critical issues in patent eligibility jurisprudence, especially regarding composition-of-matter claims and Section 101 challenges, says Daniel Yannuzzi at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Drug Kickback Ruling Will Make FCA Liability Harder To Prove

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    The First Circuit's ruling in U.S. v. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, requiring the government to prove but-for causation to establish False Claims Act liability based on violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, raises the bar for FCA enforcement and deepens a circuit split that the U.S. Supreme Court may need to resolve, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Expropriation Claims After Justices' Holocaust Asset Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Hungary v. Simon, rejecting Holocaust survivors' claims against the Hungarian government under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's expropriation exception, continues the trend of narrowly interpreting that exception and offers important guidance for future plaintiffs considering such claims, say attorneys at MoloLamken.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Questions Remain After Justices' Narrow E-Rate FCA Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Wisconsin Bell, holding that requests for reimbursement from the Federal Communications Commission's E-Rate program are subject to False Claims Act liability, resolves one important question but leaves several others open, says Jason Neal at HWG.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Colo. Anti-SLAPP Cases Highlight Dismiss Standard Disparity

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    A pair of recent decisions from the Colorado Court of Appeals highlights two disparate standards for courts evaluating anti-SLAPP motions: one that requires a court to accept the plaintiff's evidence as true and another that allows the court to assess its merits, says Jacob Hollars at Spencer Fane.

  • Appealing An Interlocutory Order On Insurer Duty To Defend

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    A recent First Circuit decision on a motion regarding an insurer's duty to defend underlying litigation highlights how policyholders may be able to pursue immediate appeals of interlocutory orders, especially in light of other circuit courts' stances on this issue, say attorneys at Anderson Kill.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Del. Supreme Court TripAdvisor Ruling May Limit 'MFW Creep'

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's recent Maffei v. Palkon ruling regarding TripAdvisor's proposed reincorporation to Nevada potentially signals a turning point in the trend of expanding the protections from Kahn v. M&F Worldwide to other types of transactions, says Andrew J. Haile at Elon University.

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