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Appellate
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September 27, 2024
11th Circ. Rejects Initial En Banc Hearing For ERISA Appeal
The Eleventh Circuit denied an initial en banc hearing request from former employees of a seafood company who are pushing to revive a lawsuit alleging their employee stock ownership plan was overcharged by tens of millions of dollars after a Georgia federal judge dismissed the case in December.
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September 27, 2024
FCC's Latest Subsidy Fees Disputed Again In 5th Circ.
A free-market litigation group has filed another challenge in the Fifth Circuit to the Federal Communications Commission's quarterly calculation of fees to support an array of telecom subsidy programs.
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September 27, 2024
Mich. Justices Take Up Another Auto Reform Coverage Case
The Michigan Supreme Court agreed Friday to review a crash coverage dispute concerning whether changes to the state no-fault act's medical care reimbursement rates apply to post-reform treatment, weighing in on a case where the injury occurred after the June 2019 statutory amendment but before the July 2021 effective date.
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September 27, 2024
Calif. Atty's Fee Bid Against LegalMatch Denied At Appeal
A California state appeals court has affirmed a trial court ruling denying a Torrance-based lawyer's bid for $940,000 in attorney fees in his suit against attorney referral service LegalMatch.
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September 27, 2024
2nd Circ. Backs Delivery Co. Win In Drivers' Classification Suit
The Second Circuit on Friday declined to reinstate two delivery drivers' lawsuit alleging that a last-mile delivery firm misclassified them as independent contractors to shift business costs onto them, rejecting the workers' request to have the Connecticut Supreme Court weigh in on the dispute.
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September 27, 2024
11th Circ. Vacates $456K Fine Against Ex-Fla. Congressman
The Eleventh Circuit has vacated a judgment and $456,000 fine against a former U.S. congressman accused by the Federal Election Commission of violating campaign finance laws after finding that the lower court improperly discounted the ex-congressman's competing testimony.
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September 27, 2024
Supreme Court Keeps RFK Jr. Off New York Ballot
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s request to have his name printed on New York state's presidential ballot Friday.
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September 27, 2024
NJ Atty Reprimanded For Keeping Client In Dark On Fee Hike
The New Jersey Supreme Court has reprimanded a criminal defense attorney for failing to provide a client with a retainer or any bills for over four years until notifying the client that, due to an unannounced rate change, the client owed over $170,000.
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September 27, 2024
FERC Can't Defend Backtrack On Grid Plan, DC Circ. Told
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can't legally justify its about-face on a Southwest Power Pool plan to regionally allocate the costs of some transmission projects within the grid operator's 14-state footprint, the D.C. Circuit heard.
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September 27, 2024
MetLife's 3rd Circ. Win Won't Stop ERISA Health Fee Suits
The Third Circuit's recent decision upholding MetLife's escape from a lawsuit accusing the company of pocketing $65 million in pharmacy rebates instead of using the funds to lower employee healthcare costs hands additional authority over to employers facing a new wave of class action litigation over excessive health fees, attorneys say.
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September 27, 2024
Ill. Justices Won't Hear Baker McKenzie's London Transfer Bid
Illinois' top court has declined to take on a petition from Chicago-based Baker McKenzie urging the justices to send to London a malpractice suit accusing the firm of botching a client's bid to reacquire a Russian coal mine.
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September 27, 2024
Mich. Justices To Mull Sanctions Question In Fatal Crash Suit
The Michigan Supreme Court said Friday it would review whether a defunct construction company should escape liability for an employee's fatal crash and whether the company deserved sanctions for dumping its records when it went out of business.
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September 26, 2024
Texas Supreme Court Leaves State Fair Gun Ban Intact
The state's high court rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to toss out the State Fair of Texas' new policy prohibiting fairgoers from carrying handguns, with three justices finding in a late Thursday opinion that, as a private entity, the State Fair has the right to determine if people carry guns at the fair.
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September 26, 2024
1st Circ. Won't Disturb Ex-DraftKings Exec's Noncompete
The First Circuit on Thursday rejected an appeal from a former DraftKings executive looking to undo his noncompete contract, ruling that Massachusetts law — not California law — applies to his agreement with his Boston-based former employer and that an injunction barring him from competing with DraftKings stands.
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September 26, 2024
EU Says DC Circ. Must Reconsider $395M Spain Award Suits
The European Commission has urged the D.C. Circuit to reconsider its decision that U.S. district courts have jurisdiction to enforce about $395 million in arbitral awards issued against European Union member state Spain by private tribunals convened under the Energy Charter Treaty.
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September 26, 2024
2nd Circ. Questions Crypto Co.'s 'Control' In Scam Token Suit
Investors attempting to revive their suit around decentralized crypto exchange Uniswap Labs told a Second Circuit panel on Thursday that their claims were prematurely dismissed, while a judge pressed them to show how any of the defendants had control of the alleged "rampant fraud" on the platform.
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September 26, 2024
11th Circ. Affirms Convictions In Fla. Shark Rescue Case
The Eleventh Circuit upheld felony theft convictions for two Florida tour boat divers who were prosecuted for freeing sharks they believed were illegally poached, but turned out to be part of a research project conducted with a permit granted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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September 26, 2024
Belgian Co. Can't Keep Using Ad Space Rent-Free, ECJ Says
The European Court of Justice on Thursday upheld a 2019 European Commission ruling that a street furniture company's owed rent for Brussels bus shelter advertising space, agreeing with the commission that allowing the company to continue using the ad displays without paying rent or taxes constituted unlawful state aid.
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September 26, 2024
8th Circ. Probes Standing In Fight Over Iowa Immigration Law
An Eighth Circuit panel on Thursday questioned an immigrant rights group's prerogative to challenge a new Iowa law criminalizing the presence of previously deported noncitizens, pushing back on the organization's alleged "irreparable harm" from the statute.
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September 26, 2024
5th Circ. Dusts Off FDIC Challenge In Jarkesy's Wake
The Fifth Circuit moved Wednesday to pick back up with a former bank CEO's challenge to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. enforcement proceedings, taking the case off pause now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a similar challenge involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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September 26, 2024
2nd Circ. Denies Jury Trial In Abbott Labs Gray Market Case
A man and his wife involved in the sale of gray market diabetes test strips on Tuesday were unable to persuade the Second Circuit to undo the $33.4 million judgment they owe to Abbott Laboratories after a federal judge stripped them of their right to a jury trial.
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September 26, 2024
Full Fed. Circ. Looks To Clarify Damages In Google Case
The full Federal Circuit has agreed to review EcoFactor's $20 million infringement award against Google, a move that attorneys say should provide much-needed guidance for both judges and parties when calculating damages.
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September 26, 2024
3rd Circ. Rules Commerce Fishery Councils Cannot Veto Regs
Government-appointed advisory councils that have the power to veto decisions of federal cabinet-level officials run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, the Third Circuit said, stripping that veto power from "regional fishery management councils" that advise the U.S. secretary of commerce.
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September 26, 2024
Feds Rip Railroads' 11th Circ. Bid To Void Train Crew Size Rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation has told the Eleventh Circuit that its new train crew size rule is intended to promote rail safety, yet railroads have misconstrued the requirement and overblown their purported cost burdens in an effort to torpedo the rule.
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September 26, 2024
Split 2nd Circ. Backs 8 Years For Conn. COVID Money Scam
In a published opinion Thursday, a split panel of the Second Circuit upheld a Connecticut man's eight-year prison sentence for stealing federal COVID-19 relief funds from the city of West Haven through a conspiracy with a state representative, finding that the punishment was not "substantively unreasonable."
Expert Analysis
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Series
After Chevron: What To Expect In Consumer Protection At FTC
Although the Federal Trade Commission's bread-and-butter consumer protection law enforcement actions are unlikely to be affected, the Loper Bright decision may curb the FTC's bolder interpretations of the statutes it enforces, says Mary Engle at BBB National Programs.
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Fed. Circ. Patent Ruling Clarifies Section 101 Procedures
The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Mobile Acuity v. Blippar affirming a dismissal at the pleading stage illustrates important considerations and potential pitfalls for both filing and opposing a Section 101 motion to dismiss, say Thomas Sprankling and Vikram Iyer at WilmerHale.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Calif. Ruling Clarifying Paystub Compliance Is Win For Cos.
In rare good news for California employers, the state Supreme Court recently clarified that workers couldn’t win extra penalties in wage and hour cases by claiming their employer intentionally violated state paystub law if the employer believed it had complied in good faith, say Drei Munar and Kirk Hornbeck at Hunton.
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Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling
The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Series
After Chevron: The Future Of AI And Copyright Law
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overrule the Chevron doctrine, leaders in the artificial intelligence industry may seek to shift the balance of power to courts to exercise more independent statutory interpretation without constraints from the U.S. Copyright Office, says Greg Derin at Signature Resolution.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers certification cases touching on classwide evidence of injury from debt collection practices, defining coupon settlements under the Class Action Fairness Act, proper approaches for evaluating attorney fee awards in class action settlements, and more.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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3 Presidential Privilege Questions After Trump Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Trump v. U.S., carving out a new evidentiary privilege for presidents, leaves unanswered several key questions concerning whether this new privilege is waivable or subject to various exceptions, says Jeremy Bates at Frankfurt Kurnit.
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Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler discuss the muted nature of the property and casualty insurance class action space in the second quarter of the year, with no large waves made in labor depreciation and total-loss vehicle class actions, but a new offensive theory emerging for insurance companies.
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What To Know About Major Fla. Civil Procedure Rule Changes
The Florida Supreme Court recently amended the state's Rules of Civil Procedure, touching on pretrial procedure, discovery, motion and trial practice, and while the amendments are intended to streamline cases, the breadth of the changes may initially present some litigation growing pains, say Brian Briz, Benjamin Tyler and Yarenis Cruz at Holland & Knight.
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Prior Art Takeaways From Fed. Circ. Public Disclosure Ruling
While the Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Sanho v. Kaijet clarified that a private sale is not a public disclosure under patent law, there remains significant room for advocacy, as the opinion lacked meaningful guidance on how to satisfy the public disclosure exception to prior art, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.
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Series
Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.
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Perspectives
2 High Court Rulings Boost Protections Against Gov't Reprisal
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Gonzalez v. Trevino and Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon significantly strengthen legal protections against retaliatory arrests and malicious prosecution, and establish clear precedents that promote accountability in law enforcement, say Corey Stoughton and Amanda Miner at Selendy Gay.