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Texas
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August 29, 2024
5th Circ. Says Pot Use Doesn't Bar Gun Ownership
The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a federal law barring firearm possession by marijuana users is unconstitutional specifically as it pertains to a nonviolent user who was not actively intoxicated at the time of her encounter with law enforcement.
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August 29, 2024
Ex-Littler Atty Drops Suit Alleging Firm Violated $1M Deal
A former Littler Mendelson PC lawyer has dropped her California state court lawsuit against the firm that alleged it had violated a settlement inked in a suit the firm filed in Texas state court accusing the attorney of stealing confidential information, wrapping up the dispute between the former associate and the firm.
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August 29, 2024
Foley & Lardner Must Face Ex-Clients' Breach-Of-Duty Action
A Texas appellate court has reversed a decision that let Foley & Lardner LLP escape a suit filed by two partners in an oil and gas venture who allege that the firm failed to disclose conflicts of interest and misused their confidential information after representing them in several matters.
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August 29, 2024
Cisco Wants Mistrial Over Judge Albright's Claim Construction
Cisco Systems Inc. has asked prolific patent jurist U.S. District Judge Alan Albright to declare a mistrial in a suit accusing it of infringing a server patent, arguing Judge Albright has been using a different claim construction at trial than his prior guidance suggested.
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August 29, 2024
Churches Attack Nonprofit Politics Ban As Unconstitutional
Churches and Christian advocacy groups asked a Texas federal court to declare unconstitutional a provision in the Internal Revenue Code that prevents tax-exempt nonprofits from endorsing political candidates, saying the IRS discriminates against conservative religious groups and churches in applying the law.
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August 28, 2024
Ex-Exec's $1M Suit Accuses Houston McNair Family Of 'Coup'
A longtime employee of the Houston McNair family has accused the children of late businessman Bob McNair of staging a "coup" to oust him from the family's companies, denying him more than $1 million in post-termination benefits in the process.
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August 28, 2024
'Holy Cow!': MLB Legend's Co. Sues Eatery Over Catchphrase
A company that manages the intellectual property rights of the late Major League Baseball sportscaster Harry Caray filed a trademark infringement suit in Texas federal court Tuesday accusing a Dallas restaurateur of trying to piggyback off the goodwill associated with Caray's famed catchphrase "holy cow!"
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August 28, 2024
5th Circ. Says Aviation Treaty Can't Apply To Airline Injury Suit
The Fifth Circuit has ruled in a matter of first impression that an international treaty governing in-flight injuries does not create personal jurisdiction over an airline in the U.S. because the treaty lacks the necessary language to establish such a case's correct venue.
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August 28, 2024
Red States Raise Alarm Over Methane Rule Retroactivity
Republican led-states and industry groups have called on a Tenth Circuit panel to reconsider its decision to vacate a district court ruling that partially invalidated an Obama-era rule limiting venting and flaring from oil and gas wells on federal land, arguing it could lead to retroactive enforcement of the rule.
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August 28, 2024
Attempted Child Abuse Is Grounds For Removal, BIA Says
The Board of Immigration Appeals said a noncitizen convicted in Texas of attempting to injure a child is removable, rejecting the man's argument that attempted child injury doesn't constitute actual child abuse under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
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August 28, 2024
The NFL-Approved PE Firms That Can Now Invest In Teams
The NFL made a landmark decision Tuesday to approve private equity ownership of teams, making it the last major North American sports league to bring PE dollars into the mix. It’s not a free-for-all, however; to start, the league selected specific funds that are now allowed to take non-controlling interests in teams. Here, Law360 looks at the approved investment players.
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August 28, 2024
DC Circ. Rejects Challenges To Nuke Waste Storage Site
A D.C. Circuit panel rejected a slew of challenges to federal regulators' approval of a temporary nuclear waste storage site in New Mexico, ruling that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was right to include forward-looking terms about federally owned spent nuclear fuel in the license.
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August 28, 2024
Justices Won't Revive Student Debt Relief Plan Right Now
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to reinstate President Joe Biden's latest student loan debt relief program, leaving the $475 billion plan on ice until the Eighth Circuit decides whether the administration has the authority to continue its new push to reduce student loan bills for millions of people.
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August 28, 2024
Real Estate Atty Leaves Seyfarth For Womble Bond In Houston
A seasoned real estate attorney with more than 10 years of experience representing stakeholders in leasing and sale transactions has moved his practice this week to Womble Bond Dickinson's Houston office after more than six years with Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
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August 28, 2024
Judge Adds $2.4M To $2M IP Verdict Against Mining Co.
A Texas federal judge ordered a Norwegian mining company to pay $2.4 million, on top of a $2 million jury verdict, covering oil drilling device sales made after they were found to infringe a rival's intellectual property.
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August 28, 2024
Judge Dorfman On A 'Customer-Oriented' Texas Biz Court
While his time in the Texas attorney general's office made Business Court Judge Grant Dorfman familiar with complex commercial disputes, he says his experience as in-house counsel for energy technology company Nabors Industries primarily persuaded him of the need for the new venue in Texas.
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August 27, 2024
CFPB Late Fee Rule Has Slim Ties To Fort Worth, Judge Says
A Texas federal judge had stern words for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during a Tuesday hearing over a lawsuit challenging the CFPB's new credit card late fee rule in Fort Worth, saying that if judges' impartiality is in question "we need to just turn it in" as a country.
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August 27, 2024
Take Another Look At Video Game Patent, Vidal Tells PTAB
The director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says a split administrative patent board got a phrase wrong when it ruled in April not to institute a review of a video game patent, ordering it to rethink its decision.
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August 27, 2024
5th Circ. Holds Mandate In Subsidy Suit During FCC Appeal
The Fifth Circuit has agreed to let the current subsidy for telecom services remain in place while the Federal Communications Commission seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of a ruling that upended the subsidy system.
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August 27, 2024
Split 5th Circ. Revives Tesla's Case Over La. Sales Ban
A split Fifth Circuit panel revived Tesla's case accusing Louisiana car dealers and regulators of illegally excluding the direct-sale automaker from the state, finding Tesla had done enough to survive dismissal by alleging a regulatory board that included competitors is biased against it.
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August 27, 2024
Samsung Must Face Exploding Vape Battery Suit
Samsung can't escape a suit over injuries sustained by a man after a lithium-ion battery exploded in his pocket, a Houston appellate court ruled Tuesday, rejecting the South Korean company's argument that a Texas court doesn't have jurisdiction because it doesn't do business directly in Texas.
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August 27, 2024
CPSC Suit 'Makes A Mockery' Of Standing, SG Tells Justices
The federal government is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pass on a "highly artificial suit" that seeks to unravel removal protections for commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the groups behind the suit have no standing to pursue the legal challenge.
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August 27, 2024
Trump-Linked Group Says OPM Delaying Union Comms Bid
The Office of Personnel Management has delayed its response to information bids about agency communications with public sector unions, an organization led by former Trump administration officials alleged in Texas federal court, calling for an order to require the disclosure of requested details.
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August 27, 2024
For Judge Andrews, Texas Biz Court Is Dream Come True
Newly appointed Business Court Judge Melissa Andrews has dreamed of Texas having a statewide business court since she graduated from the University of Texas School of Law.
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August 27, 2024
Jackson Walker Is Trying To 'Revise History,' US Trustee Says
Jackson Walker LLP told a Houston judge Tuesday that the U.S. Trustee's Office "wants everyone to play by the rules except for [itself]" in a discovery dispute connected to a former Texas bankruptcy judge's secret relationship, as the bankruptcy watchdog simultaneously accused the firm of chasing down rumors to "revise history" through overbroad discovery requests.
Expert Analysis
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Series
Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
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What 11th Circ. Fearless Fund Ruling Means For DEI In Courts
The Eleventh Circuit's recent backing of a freeze on the Fearless Fund's grants to women of color building new companies marks the latest major development in litigation related to diversity, equity and inclusion and may be used to question other DEI programs targeted at providing opportunities to certain classes of individuals, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Justices' Bump Stock Ruling Skirted Deference, Lenity Issues
Despite presenting a seemingly classic case on agency deference, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week in Garland v. Cargill did not mention the Chevron doctrine, and the opinion also overlooked whether agency interpretations of federal gun laws should ever receive deference given that they carry criminal penalties, say Tess Saperstein and John Elwood at Arnold & Porter.
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Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation
Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules
The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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What To Know As CFPB Late Fee Rule Hangs In Limbo
Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final credit card late fee rule faces an uncertain future due to litigation involving injunctions, emergency petitions and now a venue dispute, card issuers must understand how to navigate the interim period and what to do if the rule takes effect, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.