Appellate

  • November 14, 2024

    Wash. Justices Seem Split On Cannabis Co. Wage Suit

    The Washington State Supreme Court wrestled Thursday with whether the state labor department jumped the gun on filing an unpaid-wages suit against a marijuana company, with one justice questioning if the department exceeded its powers and another expressing concern that lax enforcement would allow companies to skip payments for years.

  • November 14, 2024

    Split 5th Circ. Affirms SEC's Kroger Proxy Decision

    A divided Fifth Circuit on Thursday rejected a "purely theoretical" challenge brought by conservative shareholders unhappy that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission greenlighted the exclusion of a shareholder proposal from Kroger Co.'s 2023 ballot, noting that the case was moot since the company authorized a vote on the proposal anyway.

  • November 14, 2024

    Webex 'Disrupters' Posing As Colo. Judges Force Tech Swap

    Colorado's chief justice said Thursday that a growth in "digital court disrupters" has prompted the state judicial department to start looking for a new software platform for hosting online court hearings, saying bad actors had started posing as justices to gain admittance to virtual courtrooms.

  • November 14, 2024

    Texas Court Tosses Devon Energy Suit Over NM Rig Injuries

    A Texas appeals panel on Thursday threw out a Louisiana worker's suit against Devon Energy Corp. over injuries he sustained while working at a New Mexico drilling rig, saying the trial court was wrong to find that the company had enough contact with Texas to be "at home" and under the court's jurisdiction.

  • November 14, 2024

    Takeda Rips Cert. Order's 'Whale Of Assumption' At 9th Circ.

    Takeda Pharmaceutical urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to reverse a ruling certifying a class of third-party payors who allege Takeda and Eli Lilly & Co. hid their anti-diabetes drug's bladder-cancer risks, arguing the lower court erroneously made a "whale of an assumption" that 56.7% of prescriptions wouldn't have been written with disclosures.

  • November 14, 2024

    Houston Back Wages Trial Was 'Circus,' Atty Tells Court

    A California attorney who lost his bid for back wages from a Houston commercial litigation firm where he was formerly an associate asked a Texas appeals court to order a new trial, writing that his former law firm's attorneys "turned the trial into a circus" about his personal life.

  • November 14, 2024

    Trump Names Solicitor General, SDNY Picks

    President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday he is tapping for solicitor general the lawyer who represented him before the U.S. Supreme Court and will name his former chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to be U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

  • November 14, 2024

    Wash. Justices Grill Lowe's Attorney In Fallen Fencing Case

    Washington State Supreme Court justices pushed back Thursday against a stance taken by Lowe's that a shopper injured by a fallen roll of wire fencing had presented inadequate evidence showing the accident could've been anticipated, with one justice remarking that the big box store seemed to "gloss over" key details in the case.

  • November 14, 2024

    Fla. High Court Upholds Utility Board's OK Of Rate Hikes

    Florida's Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed a state commission's approval of proposed electricity rate hikes intended for power grid upgrades, saying the increases are in the public interest and that portions of an expert's testimony were correctly excluded during a proceeding because they constituted opinions on legal issues.

  • November 14, 2024

    Trump Taps His Criminal Defense Lawyer For Deputy AG

    President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked his personal defense attorney Todd Blanche to serve as second-in-command at the U.S. Department of Justice as deputy attorney general.

  • November 14, 2024

    Notice Ruling For Mich. Claims Not Retroactive, Panel Says

    A Michigan Supreme Court ruling enforcing a notice requirement for lawsuits filed against the state government does not apply retroactively to cases filed in the last few years because it "reflected a 180-degree change in the law," a Michigan Court of Appeals panel said Wednesday. 

  • November 14, 2024

    Soldier Wants 4th Circ. Redo In Fluor Bombing Case

    An American soldier who was left with multiple neurological disabilities after a suicide bombing at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan called for a rehearing on the Fourth Circuit's split panel decision not to revive his tort claims against Fluor Corp., the contractor who hired the bomber to work the airfield.

  • November 14, 2024

    DC Circ. Says Zimbabwe Must Pay $440M In Land Dispute

    The D.C. Circuit has affirmed the enforcement of approximately $440 million of arbitral awards against Zimbabwe that were issued to a Swiss-German family and two forestry and sawmill companies, agreeing with a lower court that the country waived its sovereign immunity in the land dispute.

  • November 14, 2024

    Termination Agreement Sinks Pastry Shop Injury Suit

    A Pennsylvania appeals court won't revive an injury claim from a man who says he fell while delivering baked goods to Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe Inc., saying an agreement to terminate their working relationship released any claims related to that relationship.

  • November 14, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Upend Certification In Nissan Sunroof Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to undo class certification in a suit alleging Nissan North America Inc. sold vehicles with defective sunroofs prone to shattering, saying the trial court correctly found that there were common questions of law and fact among vehicle owners in the case.

  • November 14, 2024

    Gaetz's Slim Legal Resume Raises Concerns Over AG Role

    Having never served as a prosecutor and with minimal experience practicing law, Matt Gaetz would have the thinnest legal resume of any attorney general in recent history and would face a steep learning curve, including daunting leadership challenges, if he were to take up the reins of the U.S. Department of Justice, experts say.

  • November 14, 2024

    RNC, McCormick Say Pa. Counties Counting Ineligible Votes

    Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick and the Republican National Committee have filed separate lawsuits in Pennsylvania, claiming that multiple counties are improperly counting mail-in votes that state courts have previously held should have been disqualified.

  • November 14, 2024

    4th Circ. Nomination Sent To Full Senate With NC Senator's Ire

    The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced on Thursday the nomination of Ryan Young Park, solicitor general of North Carolina, to the Fourth Circuit, with one Republican senator repeating his warning that Park does not have the votes.

  • November 14, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Immigration Board Flubbed Priest's Asylum Bid

    The Ninth Circuit revived a Salvadoran priest's asylum bid, ruling that the Board of Immigration Appeals overlooked the connection between his alleged persecution and his refusal to use his influence as a church leader to support a major political party's agenda.

  • November 14, 2024

    Mass. Justices Open Show-Cause Hearings In Brothel Case

    Massachusetts' highest court said Thursday that the public may access hearings that will determine whether criminal charges will be brought against as-yet unidentified customers of a high-end brothel, a group that potentially includes public officials, corporate executives and individuals with security clearances.

  • November 14, 2024

    MVP: Hogan Lovells' Jessica Ellsworth

    Jessica Ellsworth of Hogan Lovells' appellate practice argued in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Danco Laboratories, leading to the overturning of a decision that threatened to block access to the company's abortion medication, and on behalf of Coinbase, resulting in a holding that it is up to judges, not arbitrators, to figure out if contracts between businesses and consumers have subtly superseded earlier agreements to proceed in arbitration rather than litigation. The back-to-back arguments helped earn her a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Appellate MVPs.

  • November 14, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Rethink Denial Of Church Tax Exemption

    The D.C. Circuit rejected a request to reconsider the tax status of an Iowa church that used a psychedelic drug in its rites, letting stand its decision that because the church uses a federally illegal drug, it isn't entitled to tax-exempt status.

  • November 13, 2024

    Docks Co. Urges 11th Circ. To Rehear Split Cuba Port Ruling

    Havana Docks Corp. has urged the Eleventh Circuit to grant a full panel rehearing over the court's split ruling to reverse a $440 million win against several luxury cruise companies for using a Cuba port terminal that was confiscated by the country's government, saying the ruling by a three-judge panel contradicted the law.

  • November 13, 2024

    Texas Court OKs Med Mal Death Suit, Expert Report

    A Texas appellate court has declined to dismiss a medical malpractice suit accusing an emergency medical clinic of failing to diagnose a man's heart disease which caused his fatal cardiac arrest, saying the plaintiffs' medical expert's mandatory report satisfies state guidelines.

  • November 13, 2024

    Nigeria Asks Justices To Take Up Circuit Split On Sovereigns

    Nigeria has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards mandates judicial enforcement of arbitration awards against sovereign nations for cases that arise solely from their roles as sovereigns.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

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    The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

  • A Class Action Trend Tests Limit Of Courts' Equity Powers

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    A troubling trend has developed in federal class action litigation as some counsel and judges attempt to push injunctive relief classes under Rule 23(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure beyond the traditional limits of federal courts' equitable powers, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • What's In The Cards For CFTC's Election Betting Case

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    A D.C. federal judge's Sept. 12 ruling, allowing KalshiEx to offer derivative contracts trading on the outcome of the U.S. congressional elections over objections from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, could mark a watershed moment in the permissibility of election betting if upheld on appeal, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: September Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy identifies practice tips from four recent class certification rulings involving denial of Medicare reimbursements, automobile insurance disputes, veterans' rights and automobile defects.

  • IP Concerns For Manufacturing Semiconductors In Low Orbit

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    With space habitation companies working to launch private space stations in the near future, semiconductor manufacturers aiming to execute research and development in low or microgravity must consider the unique claim drafting and patent protection issues that will emerge, says Greg Miraglia at Quinn Emanuel.

  • How NLRB Memo Balances Schools' Labor, Privacy Concerns

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    Natale DiNatale at Robinson & Cole highlights the recent National Labor Relations Board advice memorandum that aims to help colleges reconcile competing obligations under the National Labor Relations Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act as university students flock toward unionization.

  • 3 Coverage Tips As 2nd Circ. 'Swipes Left' On Tinder Claim

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    The Second Circuit's recent opinion in Match Group v. Beazley Underwriting, overturning Tinder's victory on its insurer's motion to dismiss a coverage action, reinforces three best practices policyholders purchasing claims-made coverage should adhere to in order to avoid late-notice defenses, say Lynda Bennett and Alexander Corson at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How Loper Bright Is Affecting Pending FCC Litigation

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    Pending challenges against Federal Communications Commission orders at the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright highlight that counsel must be familiar with the statutes, regulations and precedent relevant to the FCC to best navigate the rapidly changing compliance landscape, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • 7 Takeaways For Companies After Justices' Bribery Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Snyder v. U.S. decision this summer, holding that a federal law does not criminalize after-the-fact gratuities made to public officials, raises some key considerations for companies that engage with state, local and tribal governments, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Courts Will Still Defer To Feds On Nat'l Security

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    Agencies with trade responsibilities may be less affected by Chevron’s demise because of the special deference courts have shown when hearing international trade cases involving national security, foreign policy or the president’s constitutional authority to direct such matters, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What 7th Circ. Collective Actions Ruling Means For Employers

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    With the Seventh Circuit’s recent Fair Labor Standards Act ruling in Vanegas v. Signet Builders, a majority of federal appellate courts that have addressed the jurisdictional scope of employee collective actions now follow the U.S. Supreme Court's limiting precedent, bolstering an employer defense in circuits that have yet to weigh in, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • Perspectives

    DC Circ. Seizure Ruling Deepens 4th Amendment Circuit Split

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    The D.C. Circuit’s recent Asinor v. District of Columbia decision, holding that the government’s continued possession of seized property must be reasonable, furthers a split among circuit courts and portends how the text, history and tradition method might influence Fourth Amendment cases, say Ty Howard and Wayne Beckermann at Bradley Arant.

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