Aerospace & Defense

  • November 12, 2024

    Split DC Circ. Says White House Can't Issue NEPA Regs

    A divided D.C. Circuit determined Tuesday that the White House Council on Environmental Quality lacks the authority to issue legally binding regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, finding there is no statutory language showing Congress empowered it to do so.

  • November 12, 2024

    Huawei Urges Judge To Toss US IP Theft, Fraud Charges

    China's Huawei Technologies and its affiliates have asked a Brooklyn federal judge to dismiss the majority of a criminal indictment, slamming allegations that it tried to steal intellectual property from U.S. rivals and deceived banks and the U.S. government about its business dealings with sanctioned countries.

  • November 12, 2024

    Trump Ally Bannon Seeks Delay Of 'We Build The Wall' Trial

    Former Trump administration strategist Stephen Bannon on Tuesday sought to delay his criminal trial on New York state charges stemming from an alleged scheme to con donors seeking to fund a southern U.S. border wall, two weeks after he wrapped up his federal prison sentence for contempt of Congress.

  • November 12, 2024

    SEC, SolarWinds Walk Away From Settlement Talks

    Settlement negotiations between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and software developer SolarWinds Corp. reached an impasse Tuesday, with the parties telling a New York federal judge that they did not feel it was worthwhile to continue discussing a possible end to the novel enforcement action.

  • November 12, 2024

    Feds Want Pasadena Claims Tossed In Caltech Pollution Suit

    The U.S. government is urging a California federal court to throw out cross-claims from the city of Pasadena in a suit over groundwater contamination from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's work in the mid-20th century, saying the city is wrongly conflating claims against the California Institute of Technology and the government.

  • November 12, 2024

    Freshfields Adds Ex-DOJ Atty To Co-Lead Investigations Team

    Freshfields has added the former associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice as the firm's new co-chair of its congressional investigations team, according to an announcement Tuesday.

  • November 12, 2024

    Ex-National Guardsman Gets 15 Years For Top Secret Leaks

    A former Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who leaked top secret Pentagon documents on the social media network Discord was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for a breach that federal prosecutors have said caused "exceptionally grave and long-lasting damage" to national security.

  • November 12, 2024

    Jury Holds CACI Liable For $42M Over Abu Ghraib Torture

    A Virginia federal jury ruled Tuesday that defense contractor CACI must pay $42 million to former prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib military prison, finding it conspired in their torture by the U.S. military.

  • November 12, 2024

    Justices Won't Review Family's Suit Over Airport Searches

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to review the dismissal of a Muslim family's challenge to their possible inclusion on a terrorist watchlist.

  • November 08, 2024

    Gov't Says No Need For Continuous Contractor Registration

    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued a rule Friday clarifying that contractors don't need to be continuously registered in a federal database between bidding and contract award, a contentious issue that has cost prospective contractors billions of dollars in federal deals.

  • November 08, 2024

    Boeing Wins Discovery Spat In African Airline's 737 Max Suit

    A Washington federal judge has sided with Boeing in a discovery dispute stemming from a lawsuit over fallout from a 737 Max deal, finding the aerospace giant has cited "tangible evidence" that a now-defunct South African airline failed to retain records "obviously relevant" to its claims that it was deceived regarding the jet's safety.

  • November 08, 2024

    Pawn Shop Must Face CFPB's Military Law Claims, Judge Says

    In a matter of first impression, a Texas federal judge has ruled that national pawn shop company FirstCash Inc. cannot use a "bona fide error" defense to argue that its alleged violation of the Military Lending Act was an unintentional mishap, saying the defense only applies to private borrower claims, not federal agency suits.

  • November 08, 2024

    Judge Won't Pause Housing Order In LA Campus Suit

    A California federal judge has refused to pause his order requiring the federal government to put out contract offers for the construction of temporary housing on a Los Angeles campus that's at the heart of a class action filed by disabled, homeless military veterans who accused the federal government of misusing the property.

  • November 08, 2024

    Feds Say Iranian Agents Plotted To Kill Trump, Journalist

    Manhattan federal prosecutors announced Friday that three agents of the Iranian government are charged with surveilling and plotting to kill American citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump and a journalist who has been an outspoken critic of the regime.

  • November 08, 2024

    How Trump Could Turn The Government Against Jack Smith

    Special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors could face politically motivated retribution by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies in the form of a congressional investigation, a U.S. Department of Justice probe and even criminal prosecution, according to experts.

  • November 08, 2024

    Kirkland Aiding Navy SEAL Nonprofit's Governance Policies

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP capital markets partner Bob Hayward actively counsels pro bono the Navy SEAL Foundation, a nonprofit that provides over 30 programs for SEALs, veterans and their families. Hayward talked to Law360 Pulse ahead of Veterans Day on why he chooses to give his time to the cause.

  • November 07, 2024

    'Pure Gamesmanship': Judge Slams NSO's Sanctions Defense

    A California federal judge appeared open Thursday to sanctioning NSO Group in WhatsApp's lawsuit accusing the Israeli spyware maker of hacking into 1,400 WhatsApp users' phones, telling NSO's counsel it's insufficient for NSO to have only produced computer code in Israel, and she views its defense as "pure gamesmanship."

  • November 07, 2024

    DOD Secretary's Withdrawal From 9/11 Plea Deals Overturned

    A military judge has said U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lacked the authority to withdraw from plea agreements with the alleged main planner of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and two co-defendants that spared them the death penalty, overturning Austin's decision.

  • November 07, 2024

    Overstock.com Ex-CEO Looks To Slash Hunter Biden's Claims

    The former CEO of Overstock.com has asked a California federal court to block various damages and all opposing expert testimony in Hunter Biden's upcoming defamation trial against him over alleged false statements that Biden was working with a foreign government.

  • November 07, 2024

    Discovery Paused In Parts Co.'s Suit Against Pratt & Whitney

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has agreed to halt discovery in a parts supplier's antitrust suit against Pratt & Whitney Wednesday, as the aerospace engine manufacturer moves to get the suit tossed.

  • November 07, 2024

    Navy Federal Inks $95M Settlement Of CFPB Overdraft Claims

    Navy Federal Credit Union on Thursday agreed to refund more than $80 million to its members and pay a $15 million civil penalty to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to settle allegations that it charged illegal "surprise" overdraft fees.

  • November 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs Bombardier In Mechanic's Race Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit upheld a Bombardier unit's win Thursday in a retired Black worker's suit claiming he was forced to leave his mechanic role because of the racism he experienced on the job, finding he hadn't alleged any mistreatment serious enough to sustain his case.

  • November 07, 2024

    Sirius XM Flags Evidence Of Disruption From FCC Plan

    Sirius XM Radio is telling the Federal Communications Commission that Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta have been too dismissive of its concerns about allowing outdoor use of virtual reality headsets and other very low power devices on the low-7 gigahertz band, urging the commission to protect its service from interference.

  • November 07, 2024

    Bidder Got Inflated Rating For File Conversion Deal, GAO Says

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office partially sustained a protest from a Virginia information technology company claiming the Veterans Benefits Administration had erroneously given a rival an inflated rating for a job to convert files to digital form.

  • November 07, 2024

    UK Sanctions Mercenaries Tied To Russia's War Machine

    The U.K. government on Thursday sanctioned 56 companies and individuals operating in Africa that it said were responsible for supporting Russia's military industrial complex, in the largest wave of restrictions since 2023.

Expert Analysis

  • Biden Admin Proposals May Facilitate US, UK, Australia Trade

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    Recent proposals that create exceptions to U.S. export licensing requirements for defense trade with Australia and the U.K. would remove hurdles that have hindered trade among the three countries, and could enable smaller companies in the sector to greatly expand their trade horizons, say Keil Ritterpusch and Grace Welborn at Buchanan Ingersoll.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    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.

  • Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture

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    In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • 5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits

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    Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • National Security And The Commercial Space Sector: Part 2

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    Strategy documents recently published by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Space Force confirm the importance of the commercial space sector to the DOD, but say little about achieving the institutional changes needed to integrate commercial capabilities in support of national security in space, say Jeff Chiow and Skip Smith at Greenberg Traurig.

  • National Security And The Commercial Space Sector: Part 1

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    The recently published U.S. Department of Defense space strategy represents a recalibration in agency thinking, signaling that the integration of commercial space capabilities has become a necessity and offering guidance for removing structural, procedural and cultural barriers to commercial-sector collaboration, say Jeff Chiow and Skip Smith at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

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    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • Contractors Must Prep For FAR Council GHG Emissions Rule

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    With the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council expected to finalize its proposed rule on the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk this year, government contractors should take key steps now to get ready, say Thomas Daley at DLA Piper, Steven Rothstein at the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, and John Kostyack at Kostyack Strategies.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

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    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • The Effects Of New 10-Year Limitation On Key Sanctions Laws

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    Recently enacted emergency appropriations legislation, doubling the statute of limitations for civil and criminal economic sanctions violations, has significant implications for internal records retention, corporate transaction due diligence and government investigations, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

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