Washington

  • March 23, 2026

    Atty, New Firm Face DQ Bid In Fight Over Arbitration Fees

    A woman being sued by a Chinese law firm in Washington federal court as it looks to get paid for its arbitration services seeks to disqualify the firm's U.S.-based counsel, saying her lawyer went to work for the American firm but didn't disclose that she had been involved in the case.

  • March 23, 2026

    New Wash. Laws Create NLRB Stand-In, Ban Noncompetes

    Wash. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed employment bills on Monday establishing a fallback framework for the state to oversee certain private-sector labor disputes in the case that the National Labor Relations Board's jurisdiction is scaled back by the federal government and expanding the state's restrictions on noncompete provisions to an outright ban.

  • March 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Trafficking Enhancement In Ghost Gun Case

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Monday that an illegal ghost gun manufacturer can be given a firearm trafficking sentencing enhancement despite not knowing whether a buyer planned on using the firearms illegally.

  • March 23, 2026

    States Say USDA Added Illegal Strings To Food Assistance

    A group of 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday over what the coalition called unlawful and coercive new conditions on funding for programs like school lunches and food assistance.

  • March 23, 2026

    Wash. Firm, Ex-Client Clash Over Fee Agreement Terms

    A Spokane, Washington-headquartered intellectual property firm and a former client embroiled in a $7.2 million fee dispute in Washington federal court are sparring over whether an email exchange constitutes a formal change to a fee arrangement underlying the action, as both sides fight for an early end to claims.

  • March 23, 2026

    New Wash. Law Cuts Antispam Penalties Amid Multiple Suits

    Statutory penalties for emails sent in violation of Washington state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act, which bars messages with false or misleading subject lines, will fall from $500 per email to $100 under a measure signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday.

  • March 23, 2026

    Immigration Judges To Challenge Their Firing At Fed. Circ.

    Attorneys for a pair of fired immigration judges said Monday they will ask the Federal Circuit to review a federal panel ruling that stripped them of civil service protections, warning of a dramatic expansion of presidential authority over the civil workforce.

  • March 23, 2026

    Democratic AGs Demand IEEPA Tariff Refund Legislation

    A group of Democratic state attorneys general pushed congressional leaders to enact legislation that would require timely refunds of all duties levied under the now-invalidated International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs, including interest.

  • March 23, 2026

    High Court Denies Chinook Nation's Path To Recognition

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a Washington Indigenous nation's petition that could have led to federal recognition in a centuries-old struggle to regain the status after it was stripped by the George W. Bush administration.

  • March 23, 2026

    Labor & Employment Head Named Next Morgan Lewis Chair

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced Monday that the global leader of its labor and employment practice was unanimously elected as the firm's next chair to take over for Jami McKeon, who will retire at the end of the year.

  • March 20, 2026

    5th Circ. Wipes Out FTC's TurboTax 'Deceptive' Ad Ruling

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday vacated the Federal Trade Commission's cease-and-desist order imposed on Intuit Inc. for its TurboTax advertising that regulators say duped customers into thinking they could file their tax returns for free, saying the agency's in-house decision is unconstitutional, and the dispute must go to federal court.

  • March 20, 2026

    CytoDyn Settles Investor Suit With $500K, 49M Shares

    Biotechnology firm CytoDyn has agreed to dole out 49 million shares of common stock and pay $500,000 to end investors' proposed class action accusing the company of overstating the likelihood that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve a drug it claimed could treat HIV and COVID-19.

  • March 20, 2026

    Feds To Cover Ayahuasca Church's Legal Fees, 9th Circ. Says

    The federal government is on the hook for more than $2 million in attorney fees following a settlement with a Phoenix-based church over its right to use the psychedelic beverage ayahuasca in religious ceremonies, a divided Ninth Circuit panel said in an unpublished opinion Friday.

  • March 20, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Rate Hold, Data Center Regs, Housing EOs

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including reactions to the latest interest rates news from the Fed, states tamping down on data center development and executive orders on the affordable housing front.

  • March 20, 2026

    Eli Lilly Beats 9th Circ. Appeal Over Brain Bleed After Cialis

    A Ninth Circuit panel Friday upheld Eli Lilly and Co.'s win over a Washington man who claimed the company's erectile dysfunction drug Cialis caused bleeding in his brain, ruling David Dearinger failed to establish that doctors would have acted differently had they been warned of the medication's risks.

  • March 20, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Wash. Man's Challenge To Gun Laws

    A man with a protective order against him who is challenging state and federal gun bans for those in his situation will have his case reconsidered, a Ninth Circuit panel said Friday, finding that a lower court improperly dismissed his case.

  • March 20, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Late Ballots And 'Last-Mile' Drivers

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off its March oral arguments session by reviewing disputes over the validity of state laws allowing late-arriving mail-in ballots to be counted in federal elections and whether "last-mile" delivery drivers qualify for the transportation worker exemption to the Federal Arbitration Act. 

  • March 20, 2026

    Northwest Listing Service Can't Exit Compass Antitrust Suit

    Northwest Multiple Listing Service must face Compass Inc.'s claims that Northwest abused its market power by requiring brokerages to list all properties on its platform before marketing them internally, a Seattle federal judge has said, finding Compass has plausibly alleged anticompetitive harm from the rules at issue.  

  • March 20, 2026

    Albertsons Subpoenas Ex-Kroger CEO In Merger Fight

    Albertsons Cos. Inc. has subpoenaed former Kroger Co. CEO Rodney McMullen in Delaware Chancery Court to sit for a two-day deposition next month, intensifying discovery in its Delaware lawsuit over the collapse of the companies' proposed $24.6 billion merger.

  • March 20, 2026

    White House Pushes Congress To Override State AI Laws

    The White House directed Congress to preempt "burdensome" state laws on artificial intelligence in a legislative framework released Friday.

  • March 20, 2026

    Schools Back Delay Of Hasty Trump Admissions Data Demand

    A Trump administration demand for years of college admissions data on race and sex, with just a few months' notice, has "created a perfect storm" for schools scrambling to comply, a coalition of academic organizations has told a Massachusetts federal judge in support of a bid to delay implementation of the new survey.

  • March 19, 2026

    Amazon Unlawfully Taxes Exempt Baby Items In Fla., Suit Says

    Two Florida shoppers filed a proposed class action Thursday in Washington federal court accusing Amazon.com Inc. of overcharging customers by collecting sales tax on items that are supposed to be tax-free under Florida law, such as cribs, strollers, diapers and other products for toddlers and babies.

  • March 19, 2026

    HHS Can't Block Trans Care Under Kennedy Edict, Court Says

    A coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia prevailed on Thursday in their challenge to a Trump administration move to cut access to gender-affirming care for minors when an Oregon federal judge agreed to void a policy statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

  • March 19, 2026

    Wash. Outlaws Face Coverings On ICE Agents, Other Officers

    Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a pair of bills on Thursday, one banning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement officers from hiding their faces with masks, and another prohibiting impersonators from misusing badges and insignia.

  • March 19, 2026

    States Join Push To Revive EPA Climate Danger Finding

    A coalition of state and local governments on Thursday became the latest group to ask that the D.C. Circuit overrule the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rescission last month of its long-held position on the danger greenhouse gases pose to public health.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 New Cyberinsurance Rulings Aid In Policy Interpretation

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    Although the cyberinsurance market has exploded, there is no standardized cyber language or form and only a few court decisions thus far interpreting cyberinsurance policy language, making these three recent rulings key for guiding policyholders, insurers and brokers, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • How The FTC Is Stepping Up Subscription Enforcement

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    Despite the demise of the Federal Trade Commission's click-to-cancel rule in July, the commission has not only maintained its regulatory momentum, but also set new compliance benchmarks through recent high-profile settlements with Match.com, Chegg and Amazon, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Where 4th And 9th Circ. Diverge On Trade Secret Timing

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    Recent Fourth and Ninth Circuit decisions have revealed a deepening circuit split over when plaintiffs must specifically define their alleged trade secrets, turning the early stages of trade secret litigation into a key battleground and elevating the importance of forum selection, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • 5 Evolving Marketing Risks That Finance Cos. Should Watch

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    Financial services providers should beware several areas where consumer protection regulators are broadening their scrutiny of modern marketing practices, such as the use of influencer testimonials or advertisements touting artificial intelligence-powered products, so they can better adapt to changing expectations for compliance, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • What The New Nondomiciled-Trucker Rule Means For Carriers

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    A new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration interim final rule restricting states' issuance of commercial drivers licenses to nondomiciled drivers does not alter motor carriers' obligations to verify drivers' qualifications, but may create disruptions by reducing the number of eligible drivers, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

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    In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

  • Wash. Ruling Raises Pay Transparency Litigation Risk

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    Washington Supreme Court’s recent decision in Branson v. Washington Fine Wine and Spirits, affirming applicants standing to sue regardless of their intent in applying, broadens state employers' already broad exposure — even when compared to other states with pay transparency laws, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Why Feds' Criminal Vehicle Tampering Theory Falls Short

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    In recent years, federal regulators have advanced a novel theory that reprogramming a vehicle's onboard diagnostics system is a crime under the Clean Air Act — but a case now pending in the Ninth Circuit shows that the government's position is questionable for a host of reasons, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

  • $100K H-1B Fee May Disrupt Rural Healthcare Needs

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    The Trump administration's newly imposed $100,000 supplemental fee on new H-1B petitions may disproportionately affect healthcare employers' ability to recruit international medical graduates, and the fee's national interest exceptions will not adequately solve ensuing problems for healthcare employers or medically underserved areas, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

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    Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

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