Appellate

  • May 10, 2024

    Conn. Court Upholds Diplomat's $582M Win Against Ex-Wife

    Connecticut's ban on lawsuits arising out of adultery does not invalidate a Kuwaiti diplomat's $582 million win in a case against his ex-wife, whom he accused of lying about the paternity of their children as part of a complex fraud, the state's intermediate-level appeals court ruled Friday.

  • May 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Splits PAGA Claims In Macy's Arbitration Fight

    Macy's can't compel arbitration of nonindividual claims in a worker's wage suit brought under California's Private Attorneys General Act, the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday, saying language in an arbitration pact prevents blending together different types of claims.

  • May 10, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Questions Claim Construction In Google Ad Row

    Federal Circuit judges took issue with a district court's claim construction in digital advertising company Impact Engine's infringement summary judgment loss to Google, but questioned why the ad startup didn't raise its objections earlier.

  • May 10, 2024

    Texas Justices Limit Damages In Unwanted Pregnancy Case

    The Texas Supreme Court said Friday that a woman who sued her doctor for failing to perform a sterilization procedure can't collect damages for emotional and physical pain in connection with her wrongful pregnancy claim, holding that the birth of a healthy child isn't a compensable injury but "a life with inherent dignity and profound, immeasurable value."

  • May 10, 2024

    DC Circ. Mulls Jeffrey Clark's Removal Bid In Ethics Case

    Embattled former Trump administration lawyer Jeffrey Clark brought the fight to save his law license to oral arguments before a federal appeals court on Friday, though members of the D.C. Circuit panel hearing the case said they were struggling at times to follow his attorney's arguments.

  • May 10, 2024

    Atty's Remarks On Race And Gender Sink $12M Texas Verdict

    The Supreme Court of Texas on Friday threw out a $12.45 million jury verdict awarded to a couple who were rear-ended on a highway, citing the plaintiffs' counsel's "inflammatory" and "unprovoked" accusation that the defendants wanted a lower award because one of the plaintiffs is a Black woman.

  • May 10, 2024

    Off The Bench: Ohtani Translator's Plea, NBA Star Tops Agent

    In this week's Off The Bench, Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter will plead guilty, an NBA star wins in his clash with the agent who sought to represent him, and a tennis player who was abused by her former coach is awarded $9 million.

  • May 10, 2024

    Dem Lawmakers Call For 5th Circ. Judge To Exit CFPB Case

    Six Democratic lawmakers sent a letter admonishing the Judicial Conference, saying Friday it was "undermining the integrity of the judiciary" by allowing a Fifth Circuit judge to participate in a matter in which he has a significant conflict of interest.

  • May 10, 2024

    Calif. May Allow Judges To Work Remotely In Civil Matters

    California's Judicial Council next week will consider amending court rules to allow judges to preside remotely over civil proceedings from a location other than a courtroom.

  • May 10, 2024

    Pepperidge Farm Drivers Not Employees, 3rd Circ. Affirms

    Three delivery drivers for Pepperidge Farm are independent contractors, not employees, and thus cannot sue the company for state wage and hour law violations, a Third Circuit panel ruled Friday, saying the drivers' daily responsibilities make it clear they are self-employed.

  • May 10, 2024

    Fla. Judge Rebuked For Lengthy Case Backlog

    Florida's highest court has publicly reprimanded a state court judge after an investigation revealed he allowed a backlog to develop that stretched back more than two years.

  • May 10, 2024

    Benefits Groups Urge High Court To Take Up AT&T 401(k) Suit

    Several benefits groups urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear AT&T's request to overturn a Ninth Circuit ruling that upended its win in retirement plan participants' class action accusing it of mismanaging their 401(k), saying allowing the decision to stand would redefine prohibited transactions.

  • May 10, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds SEC Proxy Rule On ESG Disclosures

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday threw out a legal challenge to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirement that will make it easier for investors to identify ESG issues on corporate ballots, saying that suing states like Texas haven't proven that they'll be financially harmed by the measure.

  • May 10, 2024

    No 'Piecemeal' Fees For Infant Data Win Amid 6th Circ. Appeal

    A federal judge said Friday that he wouldn't award attorney fees to children who challenged Michigan's handling of blood samples collected in an infant health screening program until the state's Sixth Circuit appeal is resolved.

  • May 10, 2024

    4th Circ. Tosses Driver's Allstate UIM Appeal As Untimely

    The Fourth Circuit dismissed a South Carolina woman's appeal seeking underinsured motorist coverage from Allstate for injuries she suffered in a car accident, finding Friday that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction over the issue because outstanding, competing claims in the action remained.

  • May 10, 2024

    Fuzzy Jurisdiction In Web Cases Has 1st Circ. Judge 'Worried'

    A First Circuit judge has said uncertainty over how personal jurisdiction rules apply to cases involving the borderless internet may require action from Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court, expressing concern that website operators can "manipulate" the legal requirement in order to avoid accountability.

  • May 10, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs NLRB In Union Rep. Discipline Case

    A tape manufacturer's decision to punish two Michigan employees for not adequately cleaning their work areas was motivated by animus toward their actions as a union steward and a union committee member, the Sixth Circuit found, upholding a National Labor Relations Board ruling.

  • May 10, 2024

    The Week In Trump: All Eyes On NY As Other Cases Lag

    Donald Trump's Manhattan hush money trial took center stage with dramatic testimony from adult film actress Stormy Daniels, while the former president's criminal cases in Georgia and Florida ran into delays that could last through Election Day.

  • May 10, 2024

    DC Circ. Upholds Steve Bannon's Contempt Conviction

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld former Trump aide Steve Bannon's conviction for contempt of Congress, rejecting Bannon's argument that he did not "willfully" flout a subpoena from the Jan. 6 House select committee because his lawyer advised him not to respond to it.

  • May 09, 2024

    NC Bribery Jury Hears Insurance Chief's Undercover Convo

    Defense attorneys for embattled insurance mogul Greg E. Lindberg on Thursday played recordings to back their assertion that the North Carolina insurance commissioner separated Lindberg from his "trusted advisers" and goaded a bribe, saying he never brought up money until the public official put it on the table.

  • May 09, 2024

    'Love Is Blind' Producer Can't Evade Imprisonment Suit

    A Texas appellate court found Thursday that the producers of the Netflix reality show "Love is Blind" can't fully escape an assault and negligence suit brought by a Season 5 contestant, saying the contestant could keep her claims of imprisonment and negligence in the Lone Star State.

  • May 09, 2024

    Ga. Justices Can't Reach Merits In 'Unprecedented' Map Fight

    The Georgia Supreme Court on Thursday tossed a court challenge that temporarily blocked a suburban Atlanta county's unprecedented bid to redistrict itself, while seemingly lamenting that the plaintiffs' lack of a case prevented the court from cracking the constitutional nut at the heart of the litigation.

  • May 09, 2024

    FTC Urges High Court To Reject Challenge To $5.2M Award

    The Federal Trade Commission has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a credit monitoring company's challenge to a $5.2 million refund award the federal agency won on behalf of a class of consumers, arguing the award is authorized under the Federal Trade Commission Act. 

  • May 09, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Lifts Ban On Generic Cos.' Bladder Drugs

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday rejected Astellas Pharma's latest effort to stop the launch of generic drugs that would compete with its own blockbuster overactive bladder medication and lifted a temporary ban that was put in place by the appeals court in April.

  • May 09, 2024

    Walmart Slips Out Of $1.3M Judgment In Icy Slip-And-Fall Suit

    A New Jersey state appeals court overturned a jury verdict and $1.3 million judgment awarded to a woman who slipped and fell at a Walmart parking lot, saying the trial judge was required to tell the jury about the state high court's ongoing storm rule.

Expert Analysis

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • How A Motion Before Justices May Help Trump Beyond Court

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    Even if Donald Trump loses his presidential immunity claim before the U.S. Supreme Court, the delay created by the motion may mean a trial can't be completed before the November election, says Paul Tuchmann at Wiggin and Dana.

  • Opinion

    $175M Bond Refiled By Trump Is Still Substantively Flawed

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    The corrected $175 million bond posted by former President Donald Trump on Thursday to stave off enforcement of the New York attorney general's fraud judgment against him remains substantively and procedurally flawed, as well as inadequately secured, says Adam Pollock of Pollock Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • NJ Ruling Offers Road Map To Fight Dishonored Check Claims

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    As ATM and mobile check deposits become more common, a New Jersey state appellate court’s recent ruling in Triffin v. Neptune shows that issuers can rely on copies of checks to defend against claims that checks were wrongfully dishonored after being electronically deposited, say attorneys at Sherman Atlas.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • A Look At Recent Challenges To SEC's Settlement 'Gag Rule'

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    Though they have been unsuccessful so far, opponents of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's so-called gag rule, which prevents defendants from denying allegations when settling with the SEC, are becoming increasingly vocal and filing more challenges in recent years, say Mike Blankenship and Regina Maze at Winston & Strawn.

  • How 3 Unfolding Cases Could Affect The Energy Industry

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    Three judicial decisions now in the pipeline — Texas' challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane regulations, Delaware's climate suit against big energy companies, and a case before the Supreme Court of Texas on royalty lease interpretation — could have important implications for the energy industry, say Michelle Scheffler and Rachael Cox at Skadden.

  • Conn. Bankruptcy Ruling Furthers Limitation Extension Split

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    A recent Connecticut bankruptcy court decision further solidifies a split of authority on whether Bankruptcy Rule 9006(b) may be used to extend the limitations period, meaning practitioners seeking to extend should serve the motion on all applicable parties and, where possible, rely on the doctrine of equitable tolling, says Shane Ramsey at Nelson Mullins.

  • How Purdue Pharma High Court Case May Change Bankruptcy

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Purdue Pharma may be the death of most third-party releases in Chapter 11 cases, and depending on the decision’s breadth, could have much more far-reaching effects on the entire bankruptcy system, say Brian Shaw and David Doyle at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Fears About The End Of Chevron Deference Are Overblown

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    While some are concerned about repercussions if the U.S. Supreme Court brings an end to Chevron deference in the Loper and Relentless cases this term, agencies and attorneys would survive just fine under the doctrines that have already begun to replace it, say Daniel Wolff and Henry Leung at Crowell & Moring.

  • What A Post-Chevron Landscape Could Mean For Labor Law

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    With the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Chevron deference expected by the end of June, it’s not too soon to consider how National Labor Relations Act interpretations could be affected if federal courts no longer defer to administrative agencies’ statutory interpretation and regulatory actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Perspectives

    Context Is Everything In Justices' Sentencing Relief Decision

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    In the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Pulsifer v. U.S. decision, limiting the number of drug offenders eligible for sentencing relief, the majority and dissent adopted very different contextual frames for interpreting the meaning of “and” — with the practical impact being that thousands more defendants will be subject to severe mandatory minimums, says Douglas Berman at Moritz College of Law​​​​​​​.

  • Opinion

    The SEC Is Engaging In Regulation By Destruction

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent use of regulation by enforcement against digital assets indicates it's more interested in causing harm to crypto companies than providing guidance to the markets or protecting investors, says J.W. Verret at George Mason University.

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