Appellate

  • August 15, 2024

    Mich. Top Court Won't Undo Judicial Candidate's DQ

    The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to review the disqualification of a candidate for an open judgeship on the state's intermediate court of appeals.

  • August 14, 2024

    3rd Circ. May Nix $10M Venezuela Award Transfer Suit

    The Third Circuit appeared poised to decline jurisdiction over appeals challenging a Delaware judge's decision to send litigation enforcing some $10 million in arbitral awards against a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company to federal court in Washington, D.C.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Rehear Utah Tribe's Water Dispute

    A Federal Circuit panel refused to rehear a Utah tribe's challenge to the U.S. government that looked to overturn a Federal Claims Court ruling that held it didn't violate a 19th century law by not securing new water and infrastructure rights for the Indigenous community.

  • August 14, 2024

    Gilstrap Can't Keep IP Case Top Secret, Federal Circuit Told

    Law professors and media groups are backing a nonprofit's legal quest at the Federal Circuit to unseal documents in a since-concluded patent lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas, arguing that keeping patent cases secret harms the public interest.

  • August 14, 2024

    4th Circ. Says Credit Card 'Offset' Ban Applies To HELOCs

    Creditors are prohibited from withdrawing funds from a cardholder's deposit account to cover outstanding payments on a home equity line of credit without the borrower's consent, a divided Fourth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday.

  • August 14, 2024

    Biz Says Mich. Cities Ignore Taxpayers In Fee-Or-Tax Fight

    A pipe fitting business has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reject municipal organizations' "histrionic" arguments that cities' financial stability will be in jeopardy if the top court finds Detroit's fire inspection fee is a disguised tax, saying the groups are disregarding citizens' rights to be free from illegal taxes.

  • August 14, 2024

    Recreational Pot Contract Unenforceable, Texas Court Says

    A Texas state appeals court has torched a cannabis farmer's $100,000 jury win, ruling that he can not collect against his former business partner because the marijuana crop he grew was federally illegal and specifically intended for recreational use.

  • August 14, 2024

    Del. Justices Affirm $266M Atty Fee Award In Dell Class Suit

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday backed a Chancery Court decision awarding an almost record-breaking $266.7 million fee for stockholder attorneys who settled a class action against Dell Technologies Inc. for $1 billion, saying the Chancery "did not exceed its discretion in setting the fee percentage."

  • August 14, 2024

    Florida AG Can't Nix Hospitals', School Boards' Opioid Claims

    A Florida state appeals court on Wednesday reversed a trial court's order allowing the state's attorney general to wipe out a group of suits by hospitals and school boards in opioid litigation, holding that she doesn't have the authority to release their claims without their consent.

  • August 14, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs Ohio Dept. In Ex-Auditor's Disability Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit upheld an Ohio state health department's win over a former auditor's lawsuit alleging she was fired for requesting a schedule adjustment because of her depression and anxiety, saying Wednesday that the worker refused to engage in conversations that could've identified a suitable accommodation.

  • August 14, 2024

    Hospital Groups Tell High Court HHS 'Stingy' In SSI Pay Row

    Six of the nation's leading hospital associations told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is being "stingy" when miscalculating a formula that could cost hospitals treating low-income patients more than a billion dollars in special payments each year. 

  • August 14, 2024

    Insurer Fights $29M Judgment Over Fatal Crash Coverage

    An insurer urged a North Carolina state appeals court Wednesday to undo a nearly $29 million judgment in a lawsuit stemming from a claim for a fatal vehicle crash, citing a policy exclusion that barred coverage for injuries to fellow employees.

  • August 14, 2024

    Wyoming Hemp Cos. Bring Challenge To 10th Circ.

    After a Wyoming federal judge declined to block enforcement of a newly enacted law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products in the state, the businesses that brought the challenge said on Wednesday they would appeal the matter to the Tenth Circuit.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Fla. Judge 'Misread' Precedent In Elfbar Row

    The maker of the popular Elfbar vape will get another shot at upending a court-imposed order banning it from selling under the "Elf" mark, the Federal Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying the district judge who ordered the injunction "misread" precedent and relied on a "deficient" legal analysis.

  • August 14, 2024

    10th Circ. Wipes Out Fight Over Obama-Era Methane Rule

    The Tenth Circuit has thrown out a lower court ruling partially invalidating an Obama-era rule limiting venting and flaring from oil and gas wells on federal land, saying a new rule crafted by the Biden administration moots the entire case.

  • August 14, 2024

    Ohio Panel Says Union Wage Dispute Filed In Wrong Court

    An Ohio state appeals court declined to rule on a union's appeal in its suit over whether the state's prevailing wage law pertains to the construction of a college dormitory by a public university because the union sued in the wrong county, avoiding deciding a matter of first impression.

  • August 14, 2024

    CPSC Foes Widen Assault On New Deal-Era Precedent

    A maker of child care products is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of protections barring the president from firing U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission members without good cause, telling the justices that the powerful agency doesn't fit the narrow exceptions to the White House's otherwise unrestricted removal authority.

  • August 14, 2024

    DoorDash Contract Can't Shield ID Service From BIPA Claims

    Identity verification service Persona Identities Inc. shouldn't have been allowed to rely on DoorDash's contract with two drivers to redirect their biometric privacy claims from court to arbitration, an Illinois appellate panel has ruled.

  • August 14, 2024

    1st Circ. Revives Vax Refusal Suit Against Beth Israel

    The First Circuit on Tuesday revived a suit against health facility system Beth Israel Lahey Health Inc. from an office manager who was fired over her refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, disagreeing with a lower court that said she hadn't shown a genuine religious belief meriting a vaccine exemption.

  • August 14, 2024

    4th Circ. Says T-Mobile Must Face 'Simply Prepaid' TM Fight

    The Fourth Circuit revived a Virginia-based telecommunications company's infringement suit against T-Mobile, ruling that Simply Wireless had done enough to show it was planning to revamp its "Simply Prepaid" branding and hadn't abandoned the trademark when T-Mobile began using it.

  • August 14, 2024

    11th Circ. 'Flunks' Ga. School District's Redistricting Appeal

    Georgia's second-largest school district "flunks" the standing tests to challenge a federal court's injunction blocking the use of an allegedly racially gerrymandered redistricting map it created, having purposefully withdrawn itself from litigation over the map, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled.

  • August 14, 2024

    Insurer Off Hook For Jury Award In Construction Dispute

    A commercial insurer does not have to indemnify a contractor found liable for multiple structural and other problems in a home he built, a Massachusetts intermediate appellate court concluded Wednesday in a case of first impression involving what is considered "property damage" in a construction dispute.

  • August 14, 2024

    Surgeon Keeps Win In 'Hyperkinetic' Gallbladder Surgery Suit

    A Virginia appeals panel won't revive a man's medical malpractice claims against his surgeon over complications from surgery to remove his "hyperkinetic" gallbladder, rejecting his argument that the surgeon was wrongly allowed to present evidence about the condition.

  • August 14, 2024

    1st Circ. Says Brazilian's Asylum Testimony Not Credible

    The First Circuit denied a petition for review from a Brazilian man and his son of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision denying their bid for removal protection, finding that the decision was supported by evidence that the father lacked credibility.

  • August 14, 2024

    Ga. High Court Passes On Reviving Public Defender Bias Suit

    The Georgia Supreme Court has declined to take up the wrongful termination case of a former public defender employee with breast cancer, leaving in place an appellate court decision that overturned a 22-year-old ruling by saying the state did not waive its sovereign immunity when it enacted the Fair Employment Practices Act.

Expert Analysis

  • Analyzing Advance Notice Bylaws On 'Clear' Or 'Cloudy' Days

    Author Photo

    In Kellner v. AIM ImmunoTech, the Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified the framework for judicial review of advance notice bylaws adopted, amended or enforced on "clear" or "cloudy" days, underscoring the responsibility of boards to ensure that their scope does not overreach or prevent the possibility of a contested election, say attorneys at Venable.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling May Limit Discovery In Int'l Arbitration

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit's recent Webuild v. WSP decision, affirming a discovery order's nullification in arbitration between Webuild and the government of Panama, demonstrates courts' unwillingness to find that arbitral tribunals in investor-state cases fall within the scope of the discovery statute, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

    Author Photo

    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • High Court's Expert Ruling May Help Health Fraud Defendants

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Diaz v. U.S. appears to give the government a powerful new tool in calling its own agents as expert witnesses, but it could also benefit defense counsel in criminal healthcare fraud and other white collar criminal cases that arise in complex legal or regulatory environments, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Patent Lessons From 5 Federal Circuit Reversals In June

    Author Photo

    A look at June cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court highlights a potential path for branded drugmakers to sue generic-drug makers for off-label uses, potential downsides of violating a pretrial order offering testimony, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • NY Ruling Offers A Foreclosure Road Map For Lenders

    Author Photo

    A New York appellate court recently upheld a summary judgment ruling in favor of a commercial lender's foreclosure in U.S. Bank v. 1226 Evergreen Bapaz, illustrating the proofs lenders will need to prosecute a foreclosure action, especially where the plaintiff is an assignee of the originating lender, say attorneys at Sherman Atlas.

  • What Chevron's End Means For How Congress Does Business

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, overturning the Chevron doctrine, will have a far-reaching impact across the entire public policy life cycle, beginning with how Congress writes its laws and extending through agency implantation and judicial review, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Preserving Payment Rights

    Author Photo

    Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions that together illustrate the importance of keeping accurate records and adhering to contractual procedures to avoid inadvertently waiving contractual rights to cost reimbursements or nonroutine payments.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

    Author Photo

    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Alice Step 2 Trends Show Courts' Extrinsic Evidence Reliance

    Author Photo

    A look at recent trends in how district courts are applying Step 2 of the Alice framework shows that courts have increasingly relied on extrinsic evidence to help determine whether a claimed invention is "well-understood, routine, and conventional," says Jonathan Tuminaro at Sterne Kessler.

  • Opinion

    OFAC Sanctions Deserve To Be Challenged Post-Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision opens the door to challenges against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's sanctions regime, the unintended consequences of which raise serious questions about the wisdom of what appears to be a scorched-earth approach, says Solomon Shinerock at Lewis Baach.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Appellate archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!