Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Washington
-
June 18, 2024
9th Circ. Asked For En Banc Review In Youths' Climate Case
Youth plaintiffs have asked the Ninth Circuit for en banc review of a panel's decision to toss their lawsuit against the federal government over the effects of climate change.
-
June 18, 2024
Blue States And Enviro Groups Back DOE Furnace Rule
Several blue states and environmental and consumer groups have thrown their support behind the U.S. Department of Energy's tighter energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters, telling the D.C. Circuit that challenges to the new rules are meritless.
-
June 18, 2024
Ariz. County Says New Kari Lake Vote Claims Merit Sanctions
Maricopa County officials are slamming former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake's bid to unravel a Ninth Circuit decision affirming the toss of her lawsuit over Arizona's voting machines, contending that the "fatally flawed" effort warrants sanctions.
-
June 18, 2024
Milliman Wins 401(k) Mismanagement Suit After Trial
Consulting company Milliman Inc. prevailed over a class action suit alleging the company violated federal benefits law by keeping poorly performing investments tied to a financial subsidiary in its employee 401(k) plan, according to a California federal judge's order entered after a 10-day bench trial.
-
June 18, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Revive Vax Mandate Case Amid Judge DQ Bid
In a nonprecedential opinion, the Ninth Circuit has refused to restore a COVID vaccine mandate suit brought by federal workers and contractors who also sought to disqualify a judge they believed was conflicted, finding the workers lacked standing because they named officials who cannot reinstate them rather than their employers.
-
June 17, 2024
Startup Wants To Add More Than $200M To Boeing IP Verdict
Zunum Aero Inc. is urging a Washington federal judge to significantly boost a $72 million jury verdict against the Boeing Co. for misappropriating the electric jet startup's trade secrets, including adding $162.5 million in exemplary damages and nearly $52 million in legal costs and interest.
-
June 17, 2024
Bitcoin Mining Hosting Vendor Can't Dodge $6.4M Suit
A Washington federal judge told a crypto computer host that it must face a suit from a bitcoin mining company accusing it of failing to return equipment worth $6.4 million, finding the hosting agreement allowed the mining company to demand access to all the equipment if the host failed to meet its obligations.
-
June 17, 2024
9th Circ. Says Facebook 'Face Signatures' Not Subject To BIPA
The Ninth Circuit sided with Meta Platforms on Monday by declining to revive an Illinois resident's proposed class action accusing Facebook of breaking the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act, ruling that the "face signature" at issue isn't protected by the law because it cannot be used to identify someone.
-
June 17, 2024
Wash. Property Manager Hit With Suit Over Extra Fee
A proposed class of former tenants accused a Bellevue, Washington, property management company of violating state law by charging a $100 security deposit disposition fee when tenants move out.
-
June 17, 2024
Accused NBA Fraud Leader May Testify At Doctor's Trial
A former NBA player who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly spearheading a scheme to defraud the league's healthcare plan is likely to be called to testify at the upcoming trial of a co-defendant, a Manhattan federal judge said Monday.
-
June 17, 2024
Farm Cos. To Pay $475K To End Wash. AG's Sex Assault Suit
A pair of agricultural companies agreed to pay $470,000 to resolve Washington state's lawsuit accusing them of standing by as a supervisor sexually harassed and assaulted female employees and firing those who complained, the state attorney general announced Monday.
-
June 17, 2024
Bookstores Appeal Denied Bid To Join FTC's Amazon Case
A trade association for bookstores is appealing to the Ninth Circuit after a lower court refused its request to intervene in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust suit against Amazon that raises concerns about the e-commerce giant's sale of books and contracts with publishers.
-
June 17, 2024
BNSF Owes Wash. Tribe $400M For Oil Shipping Trespass
BNSF Railway Co. must pay a Washington tribe nearly $400 million for years of illegally running oil cars across tribal territory, a federal judge in Seattle ruled Monday.
-
June 14, 2024
Judges Seem Split On Workers' Comp In Airline COVID Case
Washington appellate judges appeared to disagree Friday on whether to overturn a jury verdict granting an Alaska Airlines flight attendant workers' compensation for catching COVID-19, with one judge suggesting the verdict was reasonable and another questioning whether employers are liable for diseases traveling employees catch.
-
June 14, 2024
Amazon Sued For Locking Up Audiobooks, Charging Up To 75%
A romance novelist challenged Amazon.com Inc.'s control of up to 80% of the U.S. audiobook market Thursday in a Washington federal court proposed class action accusing the retail giant of using exclusivity restrictions to lock in independent authors, extracting up to 75% of the sales price on Audible.
-
June 14, 2024
'Cockamamie' Live Nation Arbitration Rules Perplex 9th Circ.
An attorney for Live Nation Entertainment Inc. argued to skeptical Ninth Circuit judges on Friday that a California district judge was wrong to remove ticket buyers' antitrust class claims from arbitration by finding the arbitration agreements unconscionable, with one judge calling the language in the agreements "drafting malpractice," "cockamamie" and "just nuts."
-
June 14, 2024
Due Process At Stake As Justices Back 2-Step Removal Notice
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision that immigration hearing notices need not include the time and place of removal hearings for in absentia removal orders to be upheld could lead to further erosion of due process in removal proceedings, experts said.
-
June 14, 2024
Amazon Slams Co.'s Bid For $180M Interest On $525M IP Win
Amazon urged an Illinois federal judge Thursday to reject software company Kove IO Inc.'s demand for $180 million in interest and fees on top of a $525 million infringement verdict relating to cloud data storage patents, arguing Kove delayed bringing its case for years since it sought to start a business venture with Amazon.
-
June 14, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Union Pacific Workers' Disability Bias Suits
The Ninth Circuit on Friday reversed Union Pacific Railroad's wins in three worker disability discrimination lawsuits involving plaintiffs with color-vision concerns, saying the lower court incorrectly determined that their individual claims were time-barred after an Eighth Circuit decision decertifying a thousands-strong class in similar litigation against the company.
-
June 14, 2024
Janssen Hit With $150M Verdict In HIV Drug False Claims Suit
A New Jersey federal jury hit Janssen with a $150 million False Claims Act verdict in a 12-year-old whistleblower suit, finding that the drugmaker violated the federal law as well as 27 related state FCA statutes by illegally profiting from the off-label marketing of two popular Janssen HIV medications.
-
June 14, 2024
Monsanto Says Wash. Ruling Axes $275M PCB Verdict
Monsanto has asked a Washington state appeals court to reverse a $275 million verdict against it in a suit over polychlorinated biphenyls exposure at a school site, saying a recent reversal of a $185 million verdict by the court in another case greatly bolsters its argument for another reversal.
-
June 14, 2024
Makah Tribe Can Resume Hunting Gray Whales
The Makah Tribe can go back to its long-standing cultural practice of hunting gray whales off the coast of Washington now that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has authorized it to resume ceremonial and subsistence hunting in line with its treaty rights.
-
June 14, 2024
Feds, Tribes Say Mill Owners Liable For 150 Years Of Pollution
The federal government, the state of Washington and a slew of tribes are suing the owners of a shuttered sawmill and a property group that now oversee the sawmill area's development, alleging that for more than a century, hazardous substances from the operation released into Port Gamble Bay and have harmed its natural resources.
-
June 14, 2024
9th Circ. Balks At Gas Buyers' Price-Fix Fight Over Trump Pact
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Friday of efforts to revive a proposed antitrust class action alleging that Chevron, Exxon Mobil and others fixed gasoline prices following the Trump administration's 2020 oil production deal with Russia and Saudi Arabia, with each judge doubting that federal courts have jurisdiction over the dispute.
-
June 14, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Recharge Energizer Battery False Ad Suit
Energizer defeated a proposed class action accusing it of fraudulently touting its AA Max batteries are "up to 50% longer lasting," after the Ninth Circuit said Friday reasonable consumers wouldn't be misled by the statement since it doesn't promise they'll always last 50% longer than competing products in all applications.
Expert Analysis
-
ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
-
Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
-
Opinion
9th Circ.'s Latest UBH Ruling Ignores Case's Core Issue
The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision to vacate its earlier opinion in Wit v. United Behavioral Health frustratingly disregards the case’s key issue of benefits coverage for mental health treatment, and illogically elevates an insurer's discretionary authority over the medically necessary needs of patients, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
-
9th Circ. Kellogg Ruling Offers Protein Claim Defense Tips
The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion dismissing consolidated false advertising class actions against Kellogg and Kashi should be required reading for manufacturers that include protein-related claims on their product labels because it significantly clarifies the viability of state law challenges to those claims, say Olivia Dworkin and Cortlin Lannin at Covington.
-
The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
-
Calif., Wash. Rest Break Waivers: What Carriers Must Know
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's recent invitation for petitions to waive its rules on meal and rest breaks for commercial drivers in California and Washington is an unusual move, and the agency's own guidance seems to acknowledge that its plan may face legal challenges, says Jessica Scott at Wheeler Trigg.
-
How Taxpayers Can Prep As Justices Weigh Repatriation Tax
The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the 2017 federal tax overhaul's corporate repatriation tax in Moore v. U.S., so taxpayers should file protective tax refund claims before the case is decided and repatriate previously taxed earnings that could become entangled in dubious potential Section 965 refunds, say Jenny Austin and Gary Wilcox at Mayer Brown.
-
To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.
-
Retailers Face Compliance Issues As PFAS Regulations Grow
As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance legislation, and the potential for litigation, continues to evolve and spread nationally, retailers should focus on supply chain management, inventory audits and maintaining strong internal standard operating procedures as a way to manage compliance and minimize risk, say attorneys at Dentons.
-
Perspectives
More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap
Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.
-
Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure
Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.
-
9th Circ. Ruling Shows Int'l Arbitration Jurisdictional Snags
While the Ninth Circuit sidestepped the thorny and undecided constitutional question of whether a foreign state is a person for the purposes of a due process analysis, its Devas v. Antrix opinion provides important guidance to parties seeking to enforce an arbitration award against a foreign sovereign in the U.S., say attorneys at Wiley.
-
Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'
Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.
-
Upcoming High Court ADA Cases May Signal Return To Basics
Recent cases, including Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in October, raise a fundamental question of whether Americans with Disabilities Act litigation has spiraled out of control without any real corresponding benefits to the intended beneficiaries: individuals with true disabilities, says Norman Dupont at Ring Bender.
-
4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.