Appellate

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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."

  • September 26, 2024

    Google Happy Hour Counts As Work For Injured Employee

    A New York appeals panel held Thursday that a Google account executive was acting in the scope of his employment when he was hit by two e-bikes while traveling home from a team happy hour, granting workers' compensation benefits for his injuries. 

  • September 26, 2024

    County, Deputy Exit Calif. Cannabis Raid Case For Now

    With a ruling Friday, a California county and a sheriff's deputy have escaped — for now — claims they unlawfully searched a man's home and seized 60 pounds of marijuana, but still pending are claims of excessive force by means of a bean bag round shot at the plaintiff.

  • September 26, 2024

    Walgreens Struggles To Exit 'Non-Drowsy' Label Suit In Wash.

    The Washington State Supreme Court questioned Thursday whether Walgreens could avoid state consumer protection claims over its "non-drowsy" cough medicine label by pointing to a lack of federal labeling requirements for the drug, with one justice calling the argument a non sequitur.

  • September 26, 2024

    Offended Texas Judge Formally Vacates Buoy Injunction

    A Texas federal judge who took umbrage at a state attorney's suggestion that he may ignore the Fifth Circuit's instruction to lift his injunction on the state's buoy barrier in the Rio Grande ceded to the appellate court on Thursday.

  • September 26, 2024

    Infighting Plagues SF Leaders With High Court Args Imminent

    San Francisco has forged ahead with its effort to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that a federal Clean Water Act permit is too vague for it to comply with, even as a dispute over whether to drop the case has broken out between city leaders.

Expert Analysis

  • Strategies To Defend Against Healthcare Nuclear Verdicts

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    The healthcare industry is increasingly the target of megaclaims, particularly those alleging medical malpractice, but attorneys representing providers can use a few tools to push back on flimsy litigation and reduce the likelihood of a nuclear verdict, says LaMar Jost at Wheeler Trigg.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    After Chevron: SEC Climate And ESG Rules Likely Doomed

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    Under the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright, without agency deference, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate disclosure and environmental, social and governance rules would likely be found lacking in statutory support and vacated by the courts, says Justin Chretien at Carlton Fields.

  • Assessing Whether Jarkesy May Limit FINRA Prosecutions

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Jarkesy v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, holding that civil securities fraud defendants are entitled to jury trials, may cause unpredictable results when applied to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority prosecutions, say Barry Temkin and Kate DiGeronimo at Mound Cotton.

  • The Bank Preemption Ripple Effects After Cantero, Flagstar

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    The importance of federal preemption for financial institutions will only increase as technology-driven innovations evolve, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America and vacatur of Kivett v. Flagstar Bank have real modern-day significance for national banks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • IP Hot Topic: The Intersection Of Trademark And Antitrust Law

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    Antitrust claims – like those in the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent case against Apple – are increasingly influencing trademark disputes and enforcement practices, demonstrating how antitrust law can dilute the power of a trademark, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation

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    With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.

  • When The Supreme Court Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

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    Instead of grousing about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning long-standing precedents, attorneys should look to history for examples of how enterprising legal minds molded difficult decisions to their advantage, and figure out how to work with the cards they’ve been dealt, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Philly Project Case Renews Ongoing Fraud Theory Tug-Of-War

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    In its upcoming term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Kousisis v. U.S., a case involving wire fraud convictions related to Philadelphia bridge repair projects, and may once again further rein in prosecutorial attempts to expand theories of fraud beyond core traditional property rights, say Jonathan Halpern and Kyra Rosenzweig at Holland & Knight.

  • How Anti-DEI Bill Could Affect Employers' Diversity Efforts

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    Sen. J.D. Vance's recently introduced Dismantle DEI Act would substantially limit employers’ ability to implement and promote workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, but there are still steps employers can take to support a diverse workforce, says Peter Ennis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Fed. Circ. Resolves Post-AIA Question On Prefiling Activity

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    For more than a decade, patent attorneys have worried about what the America Invents Act means for specific prefiling activities, but two recent Federal Circuit decisions suggest the enumerated prefiling activities in Section 102(a)(1) will not affect validity if done within a year of filing the application, says Howard Skaist at Berkeley Law.

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process

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    Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.

  • Series

    After Chevron: What To Expect In Consumer Protection At FTC

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    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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