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Appellate
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September 04, 2024
Ill. Panel Backs Atty's Bid To Litigate Medical Record Fee Suit
An Illinois attorney looking to hold document delivery service Ciox Health LLC liable for charging allegedly illegal fees can pursue those claims in court since there is no evidence he ever agreed to arbitrate disputes with the company, a state appellate panel said Tuesday.
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September 04, 2024
Fed. Circ. Told To Skip Dish's Review Bid Of $3M Fee Ruling
A patent litigation company and its former counsel have shot back at an attempt to get the full Federal Circuit to weigh in on whether Dish Network LLC can collect more than $3 million in legal fees directly from the lawyers who filed the failed patent case.
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September 04, 2024
10th Circ. Partially Nixes Insurer Win In Liposuction Death Suit
The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday revived a health provider's bad faith claim against its insurer over coverage for a $60 million judgment stemming from a woman's fatal liposuction surgery, finding the claim fell within a four-year period of limitations for insurance bad faith claims.
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September 04, 2024
2nd Circ. Tosses Sudan's Appeal Over 9/11 Immunity Denial
The Second Circuit has tossed the Republic of the Sudan's challenge to a ruling that the country wasn't immune to liability for allegedly supporting al-Qaida in the lead-up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, saying the appeal was barred by law.
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September 04, 2024
Nonsolicits Don't Need Geographic Terms, Ga. Justices Say
The Supreme Court of Georgia said on Wednesday that restrictive covenants don't need to contain an explicit territorial component for them to be deemed reasonable under state law, reviving a marketing organization's attempt to enforce a nonsolicitation provision in its contracts with independent agents.
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September 04, 2024
Universal Service Fund's End Called Crushing For Broadband
A rural telecom trade association is warning of skyrocketing rates and provider loan defaults if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a Fifth Circuit decision to end the Universal Service Fund as it's currently constructed, citing internal survey findings that 68% of responding telecoms would cancel broadband deployment projects next year.
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September 04, 2024
Fed. Circ. Leans Toward Gov't In Conduit Classification Fight
The Federal Circuit dug deep Wednesday into the definition of insulated material as part of an inquiry into whether the government's tariff classification of steel electrical conduit tubing made more sense than the importer's interpretation, with one judge stealing the show.
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September 04, 2024
Bid To Nix Expert Fails As Fed. Circ. OKs $2.3M Patent Verdict
The Federal Circuit on Wednesday upheld a $2.3 million patent verdict against dental imaging device maker Planmeca USA Inc., rejecting the company's argument that plaintiff Osseo Imaging LLC's technical expert was not qualified because his experience came after the invention.
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September 04, 2024
4th Circ. Sets Legal Hemp Standard In THC Firing Case
A split Fourth Circuit panel on Wednesday set a standard for the legality of hemp products, although it still found that a real estate company worker claiming she was illegally fired for testing positive for a THC substance didn't back her disability bias claims.
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September 04, 2024
DC Circ. Says Feds Can Withhold Asylum Assessments
The D.C. Circuit ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services need not honor Freedom of Information Act requests seeking officers' confidential assessments of asylum seekers, saying the agency had sufficiently explained how that disclosure would harm government interests.
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September 04, 2024
Atty Tied To Ponzi Scheme Can't Discharge CFTC Debt
A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday denied an attorney's request to have his debt to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission discharged after he and others were found liable for $10 million for their roles in a Ponzi scheme.
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September 04, 2024
2011 Case Bars Houston Strip Club's Fee Row, 5th Circ. Told
The Texas Comptroller told a Fifth Circuit panel Wednesday that a Houston strip club's challenge to a new state law that would increase a fee imposed on customers of sexually oriented businesses is barred by a decade-old court decision upholding the legislature's initial enactment of the fee.
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September 04, 2024
3rd Circ. Revives Machinery Worker's Disability Bias Suit
The Third Circuit reopened a former machinery worker's lawsuit alleging he was fired because he requested light-duty assignments following an on-the-job back injury, saying Wednesday a trial court used an outdated standard to conclude that federal law didn't consider his temporary pain a disability.
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September 04, 2024
Mich. Voters Can't Advance Pot Initiatives, Panel Rules
A Michigan state appeals court sided with four cities Tuesday to block ballot initiatives that would have created regulatory schemes for the licensing and zoning of cannabis businesses, finding state law limits citizens' say and gives the power to write marijuana regulations only to cities.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Won't Disturb Distributors' Opioid Trial Win
The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a ruling that family members of drug abusers are not entitled to a new trial after a Glynn County jury cleared opioid distributors of wrongdoing, in response to claims regarding an allegedly dishonest juror and flawed jury instructions.
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September 04, 2024
Groups Urge DC Circ. To Reject Pharma Terrorism Liability Claims
Business and nongovernmental organization advocacy groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to rule that terrorism victims can't hold pharmaceutical companies liable for their injuries, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting similar liability claims against technology companies.
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September 04, 2024
Towns Say Settlement Doesn't Limit Rail Merger Appeal
A coalition of Illinois towns challenging the approval of Canadian Pacific's $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern told the D.C. Circuit the federal government is trying to use a settlement struck by Chicago's commuter rail system to limit the issues in the case.
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September 04, 2024
FCC Sued In 5th Circ. Over Wi-Fi Plan For Schools, Libraries
A couple who run an anti-cyberbullying nonprofit are suing the Federal Communications Commission in the Fifth Circuit over its new rules to subsidize Wi-Fi service for school and library users off campus, saying the subsidy violates limits built into the law that created the E-Rate program.
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September 04, 2024
Tort Report: 'Landmark' $16M Crash Verdict Against Amazon
A "landmark" verdict out of Georgia that put Amazon on the hook for an independent contractor delivery driver's negligence and a hearing-impaired Florida physician's disciplinary matter lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.
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September 04, 2024
9th Circ. Blocks Calif.'s Social Media Content Disclosure Law
The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that a trial judge wrongly denied X Corp.'s bid to block parts of a new California law that requires social media giants to disclose their content-moderation policies, finding that provisions requiring the companies to disclose how and whether they define extreme content are likely unconstitutional.
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September 04, 2024
Chamber Backs Gilead's Immunity In COVID Appeal
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade association representing drug companies have urged a Michigan state appeals court to rule that Gilead Sciences is immune from a claim that a recalled batch of COVID-19 medication caused a man to suffer two strokes.
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September 04, 2024
LinkedIn Speech Not Covered By Labor Law, 5th Circ. Told
A logistics company told a Fifth Circuit panel during oral arguments Wednesday that an employee who was fired for allegedly disparaging comments made over LinkedIn wasn't protected under labor law, although the panel pointed out that an employee can take protected wage complaints to outside parties.
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September 04, 2024
Fintech Investor Tries To Undo 'Formulistic' Nix Of NCino Suit
A pension fund invested in financial technology company nCino Inc. urged Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday to revive its suit against company directors and investment firm Insight Venture Partners over a $1.2 billion acquisition, arguing the Chancery Court "missed the mosaic for the tiles" by dismissing the case.
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September 04, 2024
2nd Circ. Hears Unvaxxed NY Judge's 'Exile' Challenge
A Second Circuit panel on Wednesday voiced some skepticism of a bid to revive a New York state judge's lawsuit over his "exile" after he failed to get a religious exemption from the court system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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September 04, 2024
4th Circ. Says Trade Secrets Verdict Wrongly Based On Va. Law
The Fourth Circuit wants a Virginia federal court to take another crack at a trade secrets dispute brought by an industrial equipment supplier against a former employee who founded and operated two competitors while working for it, concluding a jury's verdict was based on the wrong laws.
Expert Analysis
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High Court's Abortion Pill Ruling Shuts Out Future Challenges
The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine maintains the status quo for mifepristone access and rejects the plaintiffs' standing theories so thoroughly that future challenges from states or other plaintiffs are unlikely to be viable, say Jaime Santos and Annaka Nava at Goodwin.
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Insurers Have A Ch. 11 Voice Following High Court Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum — which reaffirmed a broad definition of "party in interest" — will give insurers, particularly in mass tort Chapter 11 bankruptcies, more opportunity to protect their interests and identify problems with reorganization plans, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.
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Justices' Bump Stock Ruling Skirted Deference, Lenity Issues
Despite presenting a seemingly classic case on agency deference, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week in Garland v. Cargill did not mention the Chevron doctrine, and the opinion also overlooked whether agency interpretations of federal gun laws should ever receive deference given that they carry criminal penalties, say Tess Saperstein and John Elwood at Arnold & Porter.
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Emerging Trends In ESG-Focused Securities Litigation
Based on a combination of shareholder pressure, increasing regulatory scrutiny and proposed rulemaking, there has been a proliferation of litigation over public company disclosures and actions regarding environmental, social, and governance factors — and the overall volume of such class actions will likely increase in the coming years, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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High Court's BofA Ruling Leaves State Preemption Questions
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Cantero v. Bank of America sheds light on whether certain state banking regulations apply to federally chartered banks, but a circuit split could still force the Supreme Court to take a more direct position, says Brett Garver at Moritt Hock.
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Next Steps After 5th Circ. Nixes Private Fund Adviser Rules
The Fifth Circuit's recent toss of key U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules regarding private fund advisers represents a setback for the regulator, but open questions, including the possibility of an SEC petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, mean it's still too early to consider the matter closed, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Foreign Discovery Insights 2 Years After ZF Automotive
Although an Arizona federal court decision last month demonstrates that Section 1782 discovery may still be available to foreign arbitral parties, the scope of such discovery has narrowed greatly since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision in ZF Automotive, and there are a few potential trends for practitioners to follow, say attorneys at Venable.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock
On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.
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8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses
The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry
The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May
A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.