Takeaways From Alaska Justices' Pollution Exclusion Ruling

A recent Alaska Supreme Court ruling that a total pollution exclusion in a homeowners policy didn't bar coverage for carbon monoxide poisoning shows that even when policy language appears unambiguous on its face, courts can still consider the reasonable expectations of an insured to determine applicability, say attorneys at Hunton.

What's At Stake As 9th Circ. Eyes Cultural Resource Damages

In Pakootas v. Teck Cominco, the Ninth Circuit is faced with the long-unresolved question of whether cultural resource damages are recoverable as part of natural resource damages under the Superfund law — and the answer will have enormous implications for companies, natural resource trustees and Native American tribes, says Sarah Bell at Farella Braun.

Digesting A 2nd Circ. Ruling On Food Delivery App Arbitration

The Second Circuit recently rejected Grubhub's attempt to arbitrate price-fixing claims, while allowing Uber Eats to do so, reinforcing that even broad arbitration clauses must connect to the underlying dispute and suggesting that terms of service litigation may center on websites' design and content, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.

Bid Protest Spotlight: Instructions, Price Evaluation, Standing

In this month's bid protest roundup, Caitlin Crujido at MoFo looks at three recent decisions that consider a contractor's attempt to circumvent unambiguous solicitation instructions, the fairness of an agency's price evaluation and whether a protestor that would be unable to perform even if sucessful has standing.

E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.

Defense Strategies After Justices' Personal Injury RICO Ruling

In Medical Marijuana v. Horn, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act can be invoked by some plaintiffs with claims arising from personal injuries — but defense counsel can use the limitations on civil RICO claims to seek early dismissal in such cases, say attorneys at Debevoise.

Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

Opinion

The SEC Must Protect Its Best Tool For Discovering Fraud

By eliminating the consolidated audit trail's collection of most retail customer information, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deter securities market fraud and abuse, something new Chair Paul Atkins must ensure doesn't happen, says former SEC data strategist Hugh Beck.

Series

Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

The first quarter of 2025 saw the Trump administration's crypto-forward approach permeate the banking industry, including Florida banking institutions, and a Fourth District Court of Appeal decision provide a new precedent for borrower/lender standing, say attorneys at Kozyak Tropin.

Meta Case Brings Customer-Facing Statements Issue To Fore

Now that Facebook v. Amalgamated Bank has returned to California federal court after the U.S. Supreme Court in November found it improvidently granted certiorari, it will be worth watching whether customer-facing communications, such as Facebook's privacy policies, are found to be made in connection with the sale of a security, says Samuel Groner at Fried Frank.

A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

Home Depot Ruling Tolls Death Knell For 'Silent Cyber'

The Sixth Circuit's recent ruling that Home Depot's insurers did not have to cover costs from a data breach hammered one more nail in the coffin of silent cyber, where coverage is sought under standard property or commercial general liability policies that were not intended to insure cyberattack claims, say attorneys at Zelle.

Series

Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms

Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

Texas Case Shows Why Juries Are Well-Suited To COVID Suits

The original jury verdict in Baylor College of Medicine v. Lloyd's, currently on appeal to the Texas Supreme Court after being overturned by an appellate panel, illustrates why COVID-19 business interruption claims with their case-specific facts need to be decided by juries, not by judges using a one-size-fits-all approach, says Jeremy Lawrence at Farella Braun.