Trials

July 08, 2024
Archegos Jury To Mull If $100B Flop A Crime Or Just Failure

Archegos founder Bill Hwang's disastrous hedge fund trading was legal, his lawyer argued in closing to a Manhattan federal jury Monday, after prosecutors claimed "undeniable proof" that Hwang and a co-defendant criminally distorted Wall Street to the tune of $100 billion.
July 08, 2024
Anesthesia Death Trial Ends In $15.4M Award For Estate

A Connecticut anesthesiology group must pay $15.4 million to the estate of a 57-year-old woman who suffered cardiorespiratory collapse and severe brain damage during a routine 20-minute outpatient gastroenterology imaging procedure and died a month later in an intensive care unit, a state superior court jury has decided.
July 08, 2024
Baldwin's Role As 'Rust' Producer Off Limits At Trial

A New Mexico state judge ruled Monday that Alec Baldwin's role as a producer of "Rust" is irrelevant to the involuntary manslaughter charges he faces in the shooting death of the movie's cinematographer, cutting off a key theory of the prosecution's case against the actor on the eve of his trial.
July 08, 2024
The Biggest Patent Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report

The Federal Circuit issued its first en banc patent decision since 2018, a circuit judge's suspension was solidified and courts shed further light on foreign damages and skinny labels. Here's a look back at these rulings and other top patent decisions from the first half of 2024.
July 05, 2024
Feds Slam Girardi's 'Last Ditch Effort' To Block Evidence

Prosecutors urged a California federal judge Friday to reject Tom Girardi's bid to suppress evidence collected without a search warrant from his law firm's bankruptcy trustee, arguing that the trustee had control of the firm's books and records and had the power to voluntarily produce the documents for the disgraced attorney's wire fraud case.
July 05, 2024
NFL Moves To Undo 'Runaway' $4.7B Sunday Ticket Verdict

The NFL urged a California judge Wednesday to cancel a jury's blockbuster $4.7 billion verdict that found it violated antitrust laws with its DirecTV Sunday Ticket package, saying the "irrational" award didn't match any of the damages models jurors were presented and confirms that the plaintiffs failed to prove their case.
July 05, 2024
FTC Gears Up For Busy 2024 Merger Summer & Fall

U.S. antitrust enforcers at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are gearing up for busy months ahead against multibillion-dollar mergers in the grocery and luxury handbags spaces, while also adjusting to a hospital loss turnaround and bracing for an important airlines deal appellate ruling.
July 05, 2024
How Reshaped Circuit Courts Are Faring At The High Court

Seminal rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term will reshape many facets of American society in the coming years. Already, however, the rulings offer glimpses of how the justices view specific circuit courts, which have themselves been reshaped by an abundance of new judges.
July 05, 2024
Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

The U.S. Supreme Court's lethargic pace of decision-making this term left the justices to issue a slew of highly anticipated and controversial rulings during the term's final week — rulings that put the court's ideological divisions on vivid display. Here, Law360 takes a data dive into the numbers behind this court term.
July 05, 2024
High Court Flexes Muscle To Limit Administrative State

The U.S. Supreme Court's dismantling of a 40-year-old judicial deference doctrine, coupled with rulings stripping federal agencies of certain enforcement powers and exposing them to additional litigation, has established the October 2023 term as likely the most consequential in administrative law history.
July 05, 2024
The Sharpest Dissents From The Supreme Court Term

The U.S. Supreme Court's session ended with a series of blockbuster cases that granted the president broad immunity, changed federal gun policy and kneecapped administrative agencies. And many of the biggest decisions fell along partisan lines.
July 05, 2024
5 Moments That Shaped The Supreme Court's Jan. 6 Decision

When the high court limited the scope of a federal obstruction statute used to charge hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol, the justices did not vote along ideological lines. In a year marked by 6-3 splits, what accounts for the departure? Here are some moments from oral arguments that may have swayed the justices.
July 05, 2024
The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

In a U.S. Supreme Court term teeming with serious showdowns, the august air at oral arguments filled with laughter after an attorney mentioned her plastic surgeon and a justice seemed to diss his colleagues, to cite just two of the term's mirthful moments. Here, we look at the funniest moments of the term.
July 05, 2024
Fla. Law Firm Settles Student Debtors' Suit After Mistrial

Weeks after a mistrial upended proceedings in a contentious case in which seven student debtors accused a Boca Raton, Florida, law firm of fraudulently claiming it could eliminate their private loan debt for a fee, the debtors have voluntarily and permanently dropped the claims following a settlement negotiation.
July 05, 2024
Tech Co. Wants To Undo $535K Retaliation Verdict

A technology company on Wednesday asked a Georgia federal judge to overturn a jury's decision to award a Black worker $535,000 in damages after finding he was fired in retaliation for complaining that his supervisor discriminated against him and that he was denied a raise because of his race.
July 05, 2024
DOJ Asks High Court To Review Nixed Bid-Rigging Conviction

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the overturning of a former Contech executive's bid-rigging conviction, saying the appeals court was wrong to focus on a supplier relationship between companies that also compete for contracts.
July 05, 2024
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including gerrymandering, abortion and federal agency authority, and a hot bench ever more willing to engage in a lengthy back-and-forth with advocates. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.
July 05, 2024
Top Federal Tax Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024

In the coming months, the U.S. Treasury and the IRS will defend rules designed to go after what they consider as abusive tax practices, including the economic substance doctrine, the Corporate Transparency Act and the moratorium on employee retention tax credits. Here, Law360 looks at key federal tax cases to watch in the rest of 2024.
July 03, 2024
Menendez's Focus On Ally's Case Was Legitimate, Jury Told

Sen. Robert Menendez rested his bribery defense Wednesday after a prominent criminal defense attorney testified that Menendez was not alone in finding a certain prosecution "abusive," rebutting the notion that the lawmaker's interest was part of a quid pro quo.
July 03, 2024
7th Circ. Backs Bulk Of Motorola's $540M Award In IP Fight

The Seventh Circuit has become one of the first courts to apply trade secrets laws extraterritorially, affirming a $407 million award Motorola won from a Chinese rival for Defend Trade Secrets Act damages in a suit over mobile radios, while finding that a $136 million award for copyright damages will have to be "reduced substantially" in order to cut out international sales.
July 03, 2024
Fla. Court Nixes $5.5M Award In Patient Stroke Suit

A Florida state appellate panel on Wednesday vacated a $5.5 million award in a suit accusing a cardiologist of causing a woman's incapacitating stroke due to alleged medical malpractice, saying the doctor was unfairly denied the opportunity to blame a nonparty surgeon.
July 03, 2024
Guo Witnesses Point To Chinese Harassment Of Dissidents

Defense witnesses in the $1 billion fraud trial of Miles Guo told a Manhattan federal jury Wednesday that the Chinese dissident is a prime target of "Operation Fox Hunt," an alleged program within China's government that aims to silence and repatriate critics of the regime.
July 03, 2024
Rochester Says Chevron Ruling May Impact Telecom Fee Deal

The city of Rochester is clashing with Verizon Wireless, Crown Castle and Extenet in New York federal court over the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning the Chevron deference amid litigation over how much the city can charge telecoms to do business.
July 03, 2024
Panel Says Settlement Evidence Was 'Harmless' In Injury Case

The Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday said a trial court was right to let a hospital tell jurors about a surgeon's settlement with a man who sued over postsurgery complications, saying it is "highly probable" that the evidence didn't contribute to a jury verdict in the hospital's favor.
July 03, 2024
Publix Owes Woman $4.2M In Slip-And-Fall Suit, Jury Finds

A Florida jury has awarded a woman more than $4.2 million in damages for injuries she sustained while shopping at a Publix supermarket, finding after a trial in state court that the company was negligent for causing her health problems after she slipped and fell on water in the store's produce department.

Expert Analysis

Lessons From DOJ's Handling Of Rare Medicare Fraud Case

The U.S. Department of Justice's recent indictment against HealthSun sheds light on the relatively rare circumstances in which the agency may pursue criminal charges for fraud involving Medicare Advantage, but its subsequent decision not to prosecute shows that compliance efforts can mitigate penalties, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
What One Litigator Learned Serving On A Jury

Kilpatrick attorney April Isaacson shares insights for trial lawyers from her recent experience serving on a jury for the first time, including lessons about the impact of frequent sidebars, considerations for using demonstratives, the importance of clear jury instructions, and the unconscious habits that can drive jurors mad.
4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Trials Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

Law360 guest columnists provided a number of tips and insights for trial attorneys this year, including pitfalls to avoid in witness preparation, color psychology pointers that can enhance trial graphics, and strategies for excluding expert testimony.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
NY Wrongful Death Law Revamp Retains Original's Drawbacks

If approved by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Grieving Families Act will transform the landscape of wrongful death law in New York by increasing the potential for damages, raising insurance premiums, burdening hospitals and courts, stifling the economy and subjecting parties to the unsettling effects of retroactive legislation, say attorneys at Shaub Ahmuty.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
5 Trends To Watch In Property And Casualty Class Actions

In 2023, class action decisions have altered the landscape for five major types of claims affecting property and casualty insurers — total loss vehicle valuation, labor depreciation, other structural loss estimating theories, total loss vehicle tax and regulatory fees, and New Mexico's uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage sale requirements, say Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.
3 Defense Takeaways From The Bankman-Fried Trial

FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction offers several key lessons for future white collar defendants, from the changing nature of cross-examination to the continued risks of taking the stand, say Jonathan Porter and Gregg Sofer at Husch Blackwell.
Series

Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.