Appellate

  • August 16, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Quells Fears Over Double-Patenting Overreach

    A recent Federal Circuit decision finding patent claims licensed by Allergan were not invalid for obviousness-type double patenting provided relief to attorneys who were concerned the court had made it easier to invalidate patents that had extended expiration dates to make up for regulatory delays.

  • August 16, 2024

    The Biggest Texas Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    Texas has seen a bevy of major decisions, including a $1.4 billion settlement with Facebook over alleged biometric data collection, a ruling banning gender-affirming care for minors, and the conclusion of a long-running securities case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Here's some of the biggest decisions so far this year.

  • August 16, 2024

    11th Circ. Partially Reverses Rental Car Co.'s Win In Fee Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit has revived a class of consumers' breach of contract claims against a Florida rental car company over allegedly deceptive damaged vehicle costs but affirmed a lower court's finding that the lead plaintiffs did not suffer any actual damages.

  • August 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Throws Alaska Fishers A Lifeline In Orca Food Case

    Alaskan salmon fishers got the green light to continue their hunts as the Ninth Circuit on Friday said a Washington federal judge "glossed over" severe economic consequences in holding that the fishing illegally reduced a food source for endangered orcas in Washington state.

  • August 16, 2024

    Crypto Promoter Gets OK To Appeal Securities Ruling At 5th Circ.

    A Texas federal judge on Friday granted a cryptocurrency influencer's bid to immediately appeal an adverse ruling that his promotion of so-called SPRK tokens had sufficient ties to the U.S. since the question of whether his alleged activity is beyond the reach of federal securities regulators could resolve the suit.

  • August 16, 2024

    SEC Climate Rules Backed By Wave Of Amici At 8th Circ.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has received a wave of support for its recently adopted climate disclosure rules from various consumer advocacy, environmental, investor and academic groups, which told the Eighth Circuit the measures are necessary and within the agency's authority.

  • August 16, 2024

    Receiver Went Too Far In Settling Nate Paul Entity Dispute

    A Texas appeals court found this week that a receiver acted beyond the scope of his authority when he settled a dispute between a lender and an entity associated with embattled real estate developer Nate Paul.

  • August 16, 2024

    Ariz. Justices Cut Doc Loose From Negligent Prescription Suit

    The Arizona Supreme Court on Friday tossed a lawsuit alleging a urologist negligently prescribed an antibiotic that caused harmful side effects to a patient, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "black box" warning about the drug did not waive a medical expert requirement.

  • August 16, 2024

    Court Says Jury Bias Claim Can't Ax Docs' Med Mal Trial Win

    An Ohio appeals court said Friday three physicians were properly cleared by a jury in a medical malpractice suit accusing them of causing a patient's death, rejecting the plaintiff's argument that four jurors should have been excused for alleged bias.

  • August 16, 2024

    Intuit Decision Shows 401(k) Forfeiture Suits Gaining Traction

    A California federal judge's recent decision refusing to toss a federal benefits lawsuit alleging Intuit misspent 401(k) plan forfeitures shows how a novel pleading under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act has gained a foothold in some district courts, attorneys say. Here's a rundown with attorneys on the Intuit ruling and what to expect as more large employers are being targeted with proposed class action litigation challenging 401(k) forfeiture spending.

  • August 16, 2024

    Feds To Appeal Platinum Win Over Zero Loss, Count Toss

    Federal prosecutors have notified the Second Circuit that they'll appeal a judge's findings that the loss amount in the case of Platinum Partners co-founder Mark Nordlicht was zero and the wire fraud conspiracy counts against Nordlicht and another would be dismissed, despite Nordlicht's conviction.

  • August 16, 2024

    Feds Get Boost From Dem Reps In 5th Circ. PWFA Fight

    The federal government's Fifth Circuit challenge to a court order blocking it from enforcing a law to protect pregnant workers in Texas got support on Friday from four Democratic lawmakers who argued the lower court ruling, if upheld, would undercut Congress' authority to set its own rules of operation.

  • August 16, 2024

    Agency Didn't Dupe Court In Worker's Suit, Mich. Panel Says

    A Michigan state appeals court refused to upend a Detroit housing agency's defeat of a former property manager's allegation that it fired him without using a progressive discipline system established by his collective bargaining agreement, saying the worker failed to show that his former employer purposely misled the court.

  • August 16, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Rethink Sending Pipeline Fight To Mich. Court

    The Sixth Circuit stood by a decision to send a lawsuit seeking to shut down an Enbridge Energy LP crude oil and natural gas pipeline back to a Michigan state court Friday, denying Enbridge's request for a hearing in front of the full appellate court.

  • August 16, 2024

    Cisco Gets Another Shot At Sinking Network Security Patent

    The Federal Circuit on Friday told the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to take another look at a ruling upholding language in a network security technology patent at the heart of Cisco Systems Inc.'s fight with a litigation outfit.

  • August 16, 2024

    Baltimore Inks $152.5M Opioid Deal With Cardinal Health

    Baltimore announced Friday that it settled claims for $152.5 million with Cardinal Health over its alleged role in helping fuel the city's opioid crisis, reaching the deal with the pharmaceutical distributor ahead of a September trial against five remaining defendants and following separate $45 million settlements with Allergan and CVS.

  • August 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds Tribe's Win In Washington Dam Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday upheld an order requiring that a Washington hydroelectric company alter its rock pile dam on the Puyallup River, handing another win to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which says the dam is threatening several species of endangered fish.

  • August 16, 2024

    SG Tells High Court No Reason To Unblock Ariz. Voter Law

    Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to reject an argument from the Republican National Committee and two top Arizona lawmakers that federal law can't preempt the state from requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

  • August 16, 2024

    2nd Circ. Faults 'Sophisticated Plaintiff' Logic In Axing IP Case

    The Second Circuit on Friday said a Manhattan federal judge wrongly dismissed a photography studio's copyright complaint as time-barred by concluding that a "sophisticated plaintiff" such as the studio could not avail itself of the discovery rule, a judicial doctrine holding that copyright claims accrue when an alleged infringement is discovered.

  • August 16, 2024

    Voters' Bid To Revive Ga. Election Suit Slammed As Hail Mary

    Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is asking a federal judge to "make clear" a case alleging a biased system to elect Georgia Public Service Commission members "is over," as Black voters behind the suit fight to keep it alive.

  • August 16, 2024

    2nd Circ. Finds Walgreens Supplement False Ad Suit Preempted

    The Second Circuit on Friday backed Walgreen Co. and International Vitamin Corp.'s win over a proposed class action alleging that a glucosamine supplement was mislabeled, finding the lower court was right to find the plaintiff's claims were preempted by federal law.

  • August 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Keeps Part Of Block On Calif. Kids' Privacy Law

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday refused to completely scrap an injunction halting a groundbreaking new California law requiring social media platforms to bolster privacy protections for children, finding that a tech trade group was "likely to succeed" on its argument that the mandate for companies to identify and address potential risks to minors violates the First Amendment.

  • August 16, 2024

    7th Circ. Limits Collectives' Reach In H-2A Workers' OT Case

    Collective suits are similar to mass actions consolidating individual cases, a split Seventh Circuit panel found Friday, ruling in a Fair Labor Standards Act overtime suit from H-2A temporary agricultural workers that a court needs to establish jurisdiction over each member of the collective.

  • August 16, 2024

    Apple Needs To Wait Its Turn In ITC, Masimo Tells Fed. Circ.

    Apple wants to speed up its appeal over a U.S. International Trade Commission patent ruling that forced the company to disable an Apple Watch feature that measures the oxygen in blood, but both its courthouse rival and the agency itself say there's no compelling reason to cut in line.

  • August 16, 2024

    Texas Injury Firm's Ex-Associate Must Face Poaching Suit

    A Texas state appeals court refused to dismiss a suit accusing a former associate of Daspit Law Firm PLLC of improperly poaching clients following his firing in 2022, saying his conduct isn't covered by state statute protecting citizens from retaliatory lawsuits.

Expert Analysis

  • How 3rd Circ. Raised Bar For Constitutional Case Injunctions

    Author Photo

    The Third Circuit's decision in Delaware State Sportsmen's Association v. Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security, rejecting the relaxed preliminary injunction standards many courts have used when plaintiffs allege constitutional harms, could portend a shift in such cases in at least four ways, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • The Fed. Circ. In June: More Liability For Generic-Drug Makers

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit’s June ruling in Amarin v. Hikma will likely result in more allegations of induced infringement by generic drugs postapproval, with more of those cases proceeding to at least the summary judgment stage instead of being cut off at the outset, say Jeremiah Helm and Sean Murray at Knobbe Martens.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling Expands CFPB Power In Post-Chevron Era

    Author Photo

    The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial interprets the Equal Credit Opportunity Act broadly, paving the way for increased CFPB enforcement and hinting at how federal courts may approach statutory interpretation in the post-Chevron world, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Series

    After Chevron: ERISA Challenges To Watch

    Author Photo

    The end of Chevron deference makes the outcome of Employee Retirement Income Security Act regulatory challenges more uncertain as courts become final arbiters of pending lawsuits about ESG investments, the definition of a fiduciary, unallocated pension forfeitures and discrimination in healthcare plans, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.

  • Menendez Corruption Ruling Highlights Attorney Proffer Risks

    Author Photo

    The recent admission of slides used in a preindictment presentation as evidence during U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial highlights the potential pitfalls of using visual aids in attorney proffers, and the increasing importance of making disclaimers regarding information presented at the outset of proffers, say Carrie Cohen and Savanna Leak at MoFo.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

    Author Photo

    For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.

  • Analyzing Advance Notice Bylaws On 'Clear' Or 'Cloudy' Days

    Author Photo

    In Kellner v. AIM ImmunoTech, the Delaware Supreme Court recently clarified the framework for judicial review of advance notice bylaws adopted, amended or enforced on "clear" or "cloudy" days, underscoring the responsibility of boards to ensure that their scope does not overreach or prevent the possibility of a contested election, say attorneys at Venable.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling May Limit Discovery In Int'l Arbitration

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit's recent Webuild v. WSP decision, affirming a discovery order's nullification in arbitration between Webuild and the government of Panama, demonstrates courts' unwillingness to find that arbitral tribunals in investor-state cases fall within the scope of the discovery statute, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent determination that the government must reimburse two Native American tribes for administrative healthcare costs will help tribes maintain equal footing with the Indian Health Service when administering programs, and continues a pattern of how the current court aligns on tribal concerns, say attorneys at Lewis Roca.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

    Author Photo

    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

    Author Photo

    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • High Court's Expert Ruling May Help Health Fraud Defendants

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Diaz v. U.S. appears to give the government a powerful new tool in calling its own agents as expert witnesses, but it could also benefit defense counsel in criminal healthcare fraud and other white collar criminal cases that arise in complex legal or regulatory environments, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Patent Lessons From 5 Federal Circuit Reversals In June

    Author Photo

    A look at June cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court highlights a potential path for branded drugmakers to sue generic-drug makers for off-label uses, potential downsides of violating a pretrial order offering testimony, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Jarkesy's Impact On SEC Enforcement Will Be Modest

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy decision found that fraud defendants have a constitutional right to a jury trial, the ruling will have muted impact on the agency’s enforcement because it’s already bringing most of its cases in federal court, say Jeremiah Williams and Alyssa Fixsen at Ropes & Gray.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Appellate archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!