Appellate

  • December 13, 2024

    Construction Co. Fights Stay In Small Biz Qui Tam Suit

    The owners of a construction firm accused in a whistleblower suit of defrauding a program for disadvantaged small businesses objected to a request to delay the suit while the Eleventh Circuit considers the appeal of another suit that resulted in a controversial decision deeming the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act unconstitutional.

  • December 13, 2024

    Justices To Decide If Industry Can Test Calif. Auto Waiver

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday granted fossil fuel industry groups' request to review a decision backing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver that allows California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and run a zero-emission vehicles program, but the justices won't consider the legality of the waiver itself.

  • December 13, 2024

    Trump Rips DA's 'Dark Dream' To Legally Treat Him As Dead

    Donald Trump's attorneys Friday slammed a proposal by the Manhattan district attorney to preserve the president-elect's hush money conviction by treating him like a defendant who dies after a verdict, pushing the judge to dismiss the case altogether.

  • December 13, 2024

    After 36 Years, Texas Chief Justice Reflects On 'End Of An Era'

    Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht is unsure what his life will look like in a month, but he knows that hanging up his robe after 36 years on the Texas Supreme Court isn't goodbye.

  • December 13, 2024

    11th Circ. Won't Revive Cop's Bias Case Over COVID Policies

    The Eleventh Circuit backed a win for Birmingham, Alabama, in a lawsuit claiming it assigned a police officer to the city jail as punishment for requesting an exemption from pandemic face mask policies because of his anxiety, finding he hadn't shown the city was motivated by bias.

  • December 13, 2024

    Lawmakers Press Tech Giants As TikTok D-Day Looms

    A pair of lawmakers on Friday leaned on TikTok to ensure it meets a Jan. 19 deadline to sell its operations or face a U.S. ban, while also pressing tech giants Apple and Google to be prepared to deplatform the video-sharing app if it refuses to sell.

  • December 13, 2024

    5 Rulings That Brought The EFAA Into Sharper Focus In 2024

    Nearly two years after its enactment, courts' interpretations of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act are taking shape, though plenty of questions remain. Here's a look back at five rulings this year that helped clarify how judges see the 2022 law.

  • December 12, 2024

    Full 9th Circ. To Rehear Late BNSF Worker's Retaliation Claims

    The full Ninth Circuit on Thursday agreed to reconsider retaliation allegations against BNSF Railway Co. brought by the estate of a former BNSF conductor claiming the railroad terminated him, in part, because he conducted a safety test.

  • December 12, 2024

    T-Mobile Says Split On TM Use Must Be Resolved By Justices

    T-Mobile is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fourth Circuit panel's revival of a prepaid cellphone company's trademark infringement suit, telling the justices in a new petition this week that trademarks should have to be in continuous use for their holders to be able to protect them.

  • December 12, 2024

    Coke Zero Sweetener Co. Asks Justices To Hear Patent Feud

    The company that developed the artificial sweetener used in Coke Zero wants to keep patents that were filed at the patent office after the drinks went on sale, telling the U.S. Supreme Court that Federal Circuit judges who thought otherwise were prioritizing their "own decisions over Congress's judgment."

  • December 12, 2024

    Sierra Club-EPA Row Has 6th Circ. Debating Smog Data

    A Sixth Circuit judge questioned Thursday whether a Sierra Club challenge over Detroit's air quality was "a debate over the science" as opposed to the law, as the group fights federal regulators' determination that air pollution in the area is under control.

  • December 12, 2024

    11th Circ. Won't Rehear Guatemala Power Plant Fight

    The Eleventh Circuit will not reconsider its decision refusing to vacate an arbitral award issued following an ill-fated Guatemalan power plant construction project, rejecting arguments that the tribunal improperly turned a blind eye to alleged corruption underlying the project.

  • December 12, 2024

    Wash. Judge Weighs Stay Of Gas Reg Suit Amid New Cases

    A Seattle federal judge hinted on Thursday she might pause a building industry coalition's lawsuit challenging Washington regulations discouraging the use of natural gas appliances in new construction, pointing to fresh litigation in state court that could force regulators to revise the rules in the wake of an initiative voters passed in November.

  • December 12, 2024

    DC Circ. Leans Toward BofA In Pandemic Market Loss Bout

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether Bank of America had a duty to try harder to stop one of its clients from dumping his investments when the market tanked at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but at arguments Thursday morning, the panel did not seem to think so.

  • December 12, 2024

    Feds Weigh In On High Court North Dakota Voting Dispute

    Two local North Dakota Republican Party officials lack standing to claim racial gerrymandering in a dispute over the state's newly created voting subdistricts, the federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing there's undisputed evidence to conclude that federal law requires the state to establish the boundaries.

  • December 12, 2024

    Ryan Park Withdraws Nomination For 4th Circ. Bench

    Ryan Young Park, solicitor general of North Carolina, has dropped his bid for a seat on the Fourth Circuit after it was clear he would not be getting a vote on the Senate floor.

  • December 12, 2024

    6th Circ. Appears Divided On Telecom Breach Reporting Rule

    A Sixth Circuit panel seemed split over the Federal Communications Commission's tightened telecommunications data breach rules, with one judge defending the commission as taking necessary steps to safeguard consumers from a "true" danger and another claiming that the rule seemed to run afoul of lawmakers' wishes.

  • December 12, 2024

    Newman Gets Amicus Support At DC Circ. In Suspension Row

    Two amici threw their support behind U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman at the D.C. Circuit on Thursday, with one free-market think tank criticizing what it said was the secrecy surrounding the disciplinary proceedings against Judge Newman over her refusal to participate in an investigation into her fitness to serve as a Federal Circuit judge.

  • December 12, 2024

    Wash. Justices OK Tax Break For Pharmacy Benefits Manager

    A Washington pharmacy benefits manager is exempt from a state business tax on its services for Medicaid patients because its corporate sibling paid premium taxes in connection with the same services, the state's high court affirmed Thursday.

  • December 12, 2024

    2nd Circ. Won't Rethink Dual Citizen's FBAR Penalties

    The Second Circuit will not review its September decision finding that a dual U.S.-French citizen is liable for tax penalties for failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, the court said Thursday.

  • December 12, 2024

    High Court Launches Lottery Program For Public Seats

    The U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will begin testing an online lottery system for members of the public who want to reserve courtroom seats for oral arguments ahead of time.

  • December 12, 2024

    Hartford Needn't Defend Contractor In Workplace Injury Suit

    A Hartford unit has no duty to defend an electrical contractor against an employee's workplace injury suit, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday, saying the underlying negligence- and intent-based claims don't fall within the scope of a workers' compensation and employers' liability policy.

  • December 12, 2024

    Fla. Justices Call For 50 More Judgeships

    The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday certified a need for 48 new trial judges in the state and two appellate judges in the Sixth District Court of Appeal after a statewide judicial workload assessment found judges straining to keep up with increasingly complex litigation.

  • December 12, 2024

    2nd Circ. Upends Arbitration Order In Bakery Drivers' Suit

    The Second Circuit voided its prior ruling that a bakery's delivery drivers must arbitrate claims alleging they were misclassified as independent contractors, saying Thursday the question of whether they are exempt from arbitration is up in the air after the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the suit.

  • December 12, 2024

    Energy Co. Gets Redo Of $150M Power Plant Explosion Trial

    A California appeals court has ordered a new trial and vacated a $150 million verdict against Diamond Generating Corp. in a suit by the family of a worker killed in a power plant explosion, saying the jury should have been instructed to determine whether DGC retained enough control over the plant's operations to be held liable.

Expert Analysis

  • Patent Marking Steps After Fed. Circ. Opens Lanham Act Door

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    Following the Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Crocs v. Effervescent, which seemingly revives private actors’ ability to bring false patent marking claims under the Lanham Act, marketing and legal teams should be careful to avoid advertisement language that implies nonexistent patent rights, says Jeffrey Ratinoff at Spencer Fane.

  • Litigation Strategies In View Of New Double Patenting Rulings

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    Recent Federal Circuit decisions, including in Allergan v. MSN, raise several issues that patent owners should understand and consider addressing proactively regarding obviousness-type double patenting, at least in their prosecution strategies, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • High Court 'Violent Crimes' Case Tangled Up In Hypotheticals

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    In Delligatti v. U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on whether attempted murder constitutes a crime of violence, and because the court’s interpretive approach thus far has relied on hairsplitting legal hypotheticals with absurd results, Congress should repeal the underlying statute, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

  • Tracking The Slow Movement Of AI Copyright Cases

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    The tech community may be expecting a prompt resolution on whether products generated by artificial intelligence are a fair use of copyrighted works, but legal history shows that a response to this question — at the heart of over 30 pending cases — will take years, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • How Property Insurance Coverage Shrank After The Pandemic

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    Insurers litigating property claims are leveraging rulings that provided relief in the COVID-19 context to reverse the former majority rule on physical loss or damage in all contexts, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens

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    States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal

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    Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • When 'Patented' Goes Beyond Inventorship In False Ad Cases

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    The Federal Circuit's recent false advertising holding in Crocs v. Effervescent is significant because it offers a nuanced yet realistic understanding of what false claims about a product's status as "patented" can mean, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • 2nd Circ. Hostile Workplace Ruling Widens Arbitration Pitfalls

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision, affirming the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act applies to a worker whose workplace hostility claims arose before the law’s 2022 enactment, widens the scope of the law — and the risks of unenforceable arbitration agreements for employers, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • 2nd Circ. Maxwell Ruling Adds To Confusion Over NPA Reach

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision upholding Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction made an analytical leap in applying plea agreement precedent to a nonprosecution agreement, compounding a circuit split and providing lessons for defense counsel, say attorneys at Kropf Moseley.

  • The Fed. Circ. In October: Aetna And License-Term Review

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision that Aetna's credit card licensing agreement with AlexSam did not give the insurer immunity from patent infringement claims serves to warn licensees to read their contracts carefully, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

  • Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.

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