Ex-Conn. School Buildings Official Convicted Of Corruption

By Aaron Keller

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted Connecticut's former school construction director on corruption charges, agreeing with prosecutors that Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis accepted bribes, committed extortion and lied to both the FBI and the IRS about payments he admitted accepting from two construction firms.

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$18M Yale New Haven Health Data Breach Deal Gets First OK

By Brian Steele

A Connecticut federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a settlement that would see Yale New Haven Health Services Corp. create an $18 million global fund to wrap up what were once multiple lawsuits surrounding a ransomware attack that allegedly affected more than 5 million people.

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Amazon Gets Military Leave Suit Thrown Out, For Now

By Kellie Mejdrich

A New York federal judge walked back an August ruling that certified a thousands-strong class of Amazon workers who alleged they were shorted on pay for stints of military leave, agreeing with the retail giant that the suit should be dismissed.  

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State AGs Push Back In First Amendment Subpoena Fight

By Hannah Albarazi

A coalition of state attorneys general is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard their fundamental investigative authority, warning in an amicus brief filed Tuesday that a New Jersey anti-abortion center's challenge could allow subpoenaed entities to routinely bypass state courts and tie up enforcement actions in federal litigation.

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UBS Urges Justices Not To Revive Retaliation Case Again

By Katryna Perera

UBS Securities is urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to revive, for a second time, a fired worker's whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, arguing that lower courts should be allowed to consider questions about jury instructions regarding the meaning of "contributing factor" in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act before the high court weighs in.

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States Back Boston Hospital In Fight Over Trans Care Records

By Chris Villani

A group of states backed a Boston hospital in its bid to block the Trump administration from accessing transgender care records, warning a federal judge that allowing the government's request could expose a wide variety of doctors to criminal charges.

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Purdue Fights Baltimore Objection Ahead Of Ch. 11 Plan Trial

By Alex Wittenberg

Purdue Pharma LP told a New York bankruptcy judge on Wednesday it is concerned a recent objection to its Chapter 11 plan brought by the city of Baltimore could disrupt its case just weeks before the drugmaker is set to begin trial on a deal that creditors overwhelmingly support.

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Brief

Ex-Mars Candy Exec Must Forfeit Accounts After $28M Fraud

By Aaron Keller

A former Mars Inc. risk executive who pled guilty to a $28.4 million wire fraud and tax evasion scheme must forfeit eight personal financial accounts subject to third-party objections within 30 days, according to a preliminary order signed by a Connecticut federal judge.

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SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

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The Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders: A Look At The Top Firms

By Rachel Reimer and Xiumei Dong

Clients flock to firms with prestigious reputations, and so does top talent. Here's a peek at the top 10 firms in this year's Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders — a ranking of law firms the industry recognizes for their prominence, power and distinction.

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Racial, Class Gaps Persist In Strong Year For Law Grad Hiring

By Xiumei Dong

Employment for the class of 2024 reached near-record levels, but graduates from underrepresented backgrounds were less likely to secure attorney positions or judicial clerkships, according to newly released data from the National Association for Law Placement.

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Analysis

Ex-NY AGs Say James Case Will Rally Office: 'Fuel To The Fire'

By Phillip Bantz

New York Attorney General Letitia James' criminal prosecution is unlikely to have any significant effect on the day-to-day operations of her office, including its suits against the federal government and an appeal in President Donald Trump's nearly $500 million civil fraud case, but former leaders of the office say it could strengthen the resolve of her staff.

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5th Circ. Judge Oldham Repudiates 'Holy Rule' For Precedents

By Jeff Overley

The Fifth Circuit's bedrock principle of strictly following even the most "extreme outlier judgments" of circuit panels is "deeply inconsistent with the federal judicial function," U.S. Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham said Wednesday night at a high-profile Heritage Foundation event.

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Tax Court Judge Warns Against Unchecked AI Use In Filings

By Kat Lucero

A U.S. Tax Court judge cautioned attorneys Wednesday against relying on artificial intelligence to write filings without verifying the information it generates, saying recent "unfortunate incidents" have prompted the court to double down on accuracy in using such tools.

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Former Jack Smith DOJ Leaders Launch DC Boutique

By Daniel Connolly

Two attorneys who supported former special counsel Jack Smith in his criminal prosecutions of Donald Trump have now launched a boutique law firm that will specialize in services such as criminal defense and helping state and local governments handle public corruption investigations.

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Gilstrap, Albright Flouting Venue Law, Fed. Circ. Told

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Circuit is being asked to step in and decide if two well-known Texas federal judges, U.S. District Judges Rodney Gilstrap and Alan Albright, have been flouting patent venue law by refusing to transfer out infringement cases if any step of the patented method was performed in their section of the Lone Star State.

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Presidential Firing Limits Fight Builds At High Court

By Katie Buehler

The ousted U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board chair has encouraged the U.S. Supreme Court to include a caveat for "legislative courts" if it overturns precedent that empowers Congress to limit the president's authority to fire certain agency officials, but opponents of independent agencies want a clean break from the status quo. 

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Baker McKenzie Partner Hired Security In Dispute With Ex-Atty

By Alison Knezevich

The managing partner of Baker McKenzie's Washington, D.C., office told a Maryland state judge Wednesday that he has had to employ a protective detail because of harassment and threats from a former firm associate who he says falsely accused him of sexual assault.

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Analysis

Farmers' Ohio Deal Is Latest Amid Banking M&A Surge

By Al Barbarino

Farmers National Banc Corp. said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase Middlefield Banc Corp. for $299 million, amid a record-breaking run for banking deals that experts tell Law360 is being fueled by more favorable regulatory dynamics and years of pent-up demand. 

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Holland & Hart Partner Confirmed To Montana Seat

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Senate voted 52-45, along party lines, Wednesday evening on the confirmation of William Mercer, a Holland & Hart LLP partner and veteran government attorney, to the District of Montana.

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La. Justice Faces Questions On Campaigns At Nom Hearing

By Courtney Bublé

Two nominees for Louisiana federal court positions appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, including a state Supreme Court justice who faced Democratic questions about the election process for his current role.

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Kirkland Partner, Ex-Sen. Cornyn Counsel Tapped For US Atty

By Lynn LaRowe

A Dallas-based Kirkland & Ellis LLP litigation partner who previously served as U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's chief counsel has been nominated as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

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Brief

Squires Confirms USPTO Has Funds To Last The Year

By Theresa Schliep

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has enough funds to last through the year in the event that the government shutdown continues, Director John Squires told agency personnel on Wednesday.

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