Appellate

  • July 02, 2024

    Data Breach Suits Drive Consumer Protection Docket Growth

    Federal consumer protection lawsuits are back on the rise after nearly a decade of steady decline, with disputes over increasingly prevalent data breaches fueling the uptick, according to a Wednesday report by Lex Machina.

  • July 02, 2024

    11th Circ. Reverses $500K Insurer Benefit In Climber's Death

    The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday reversed a lower court decision saying Reliance Standard Life Insurance had to pay $500,000 in benefits to the sons of a mountaineer who died ascending a peak in Pakistan, ruling that the life insurer wasn't unreasonable in determining that the climber didn't die by accident.

  • July 02, 2024

    Immigration Attys Cautiously Optimistic After Chevron Ruling

    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that courts no longer have to defer to federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes could help some immigrants fight removal orders while serving as a buffer against partisan challenges to executive immigration actions.

  • July 02, 2024

    IT Workers Say Chevron's End Dooms Spouse Work Permits

    Ex-information technology workers told the D.C. Circuit that the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning decades-old precedent instructing judges about when they can defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law buoys their challenge to an Obama-era program allowing work permits for some spouses of highly skilled foreign workers.

  • July 02, 2024

    4th Circ. Nixes Black Lung Benefits For American Energy Miner

    The Fourth Circuit on Monday upended an award of black lung benefits to the widow of a miner who worked for American Energy LLC, saying it was the widow's responsibility to prove that coal dust exposure, more than smoking, is what caused his respiratory disease.

  • July 02, 2024

    Wash. Court OKs Anti-Masker's School Recall Sanctions

    Washington appellate judges said Tuesday an Evergreen State man waited too long to appeal $30,000 in sanctions and ruled the trial court was justified in pinning most of the blame on him — instead of his attorneys — for filing baseless recall petitions to dissuade school board members from complying with a state COVID-19 mask mandate. 

  • July 02, 2024

    Ga. Justices Say COVID Order Tolls Med Mal Repose Statute

    The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday said that a judicial emergency order handed down during the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to toll the state's five-year medical malpractice statute of repose.

  • July 02, 2024

    Contractor Says Chevron Reversal 'Upends' Navy Deal Suit

    A military contractor seeking to undo the U.S. Navy's contract with a competitor for support services at European bases has told the Federal Circuit that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent overturning of the so-called Chevron doctrine "upends" the underlying decision in its suit.

  • July 02, 2024

    Charter Justified Firing Of Lactating Worker, 10th Circ. Says

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Tuesday sided with Charter Communications over an employee who alleged she was fired for seeking reasonable accommodations to pump breast milk at work, with the panel finding Charter supplied a legitimate reason for her termination.

  • July 02, 2024

    4th Circ. Won't Rethink Google Ad Subpoena Decision

    The Fourth Circuit denied a request on Tuesday to reconsider its ruling finding that a South Carolina agency must respond to Google's document request for a case accusing the tech giant of monopolizing key digital advertising technology.

  • July 02, 2024

    Conn. Justices Send Trade Secrets Row Back To Trial Court

    The Connecticut Supreme Court ordered a "limited" new trial Tuesday in a trade secrets case that pit Dur-A-Flex Inc. against numerous companies tied to research chemist Samet Dy, its former employee, finding error in the lower court's rulings on issues including damages and the enforceability of Dy's noncompete agreement.

  • July 02, 2024

    Georgia Wants 11th Circ. To Undo Blocks On Election Law

    The state of Georgia has urged the Eleventh Circuit to undo the enjoining of two provisions of the state's controversial 2021 election law, including a ban on handing out food and drinks to voters waiting in line that the state called a "prophylactic" against electoral interference.

  • July 02, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Hospitality Co.'s Virus Coverage Suit

    The Ninth Circuit said Tuesday it would not rehear an international restaurant and nightclub operator's COVID-19 property insurance coverage appeal against a Liberty Mutual unit.

  • July 02, 2024

    Even If There's A Better Reading, Follow Arbitrator, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit has affirmed an arbitration award requiring two venture capital funds to dissolve in a suit alleging the funds' general partners breached their fiduciary duty, saying "even if there is a better interpretation, the arbitrator's interpretation controls, 'however good, bad, or ugly.'"

  • July 02, 2024

    6th Circ. Takes Up Fuel Pump Appeal GM Pledged To Drop

    The Sixth Circuit has agreed to hear General Motors' bid to undo certification of seven state classes of drivers who say GM sold diesel-powered trucks with faulty fuel pumps, although the automaker recently agreed to a $50 million settlement that includes a promise to abandon the appeal.

  • July 02, 2024

    Justices Told Fed. Circ. Nullified Limits On PTAB Evidence

    Manufacturer Provisur Technologies Inc. has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Federal Circuit decision reviving rival Weber Inc.'s challenge to Provisur's food slicer patents, saying the appellate court flouted precedent that limits the evidence available in Patent Trial and Appeal Board cases.

  • July 02, 2024

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive Broadway Producer's Blacklisting Suit

    The Second Circuit declined Tuesday to undo the tossing of an antitrust lawsuit brought by a Broadway producer who accused a stage workers union of illegally putting him on a "do not work" list, ruling that the union is shielded from liability since it acted in legitimate self-interest.

  • July 02, 2024

    Samsung Doesn't Owe $4M In Arbitration Fees, 7th Circ. Says

    The Seventh Circuit has ruled that Samsung need not pay $4 million in individual arbitration fees for 35,000 consumers claiming the electronics giant illegally collected their biometric data, saying Monday that under their purchase agreement terms the consumers could have advanced the fees if they wanted their claims arbitrated.

  • July 02, 2024

    Enbridge, Tribes Spar Over Payout In Pipeline Trespass Row

    Enbridge Energy told the Seventh Circuit a recent ruling that resulted in a tribe receiving a nearly $400 million payout for trespassing does not apply to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe's current trespass challenge, arguing the district court recognized that this case presents a different set of facts.

  • July 02, 2024

    Ind. High Court Say Firefighter's Fall Suit Can Go Forward

    The Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the green light to a firefighter's injury suit over him falling through a gap in a wall while responding to a fire, saying the state's "First Responder Rule" doesn't preempt his claim because the alleged negligence that caused the fire is not the cause of his injury.

  • July 02, 2024

    Justices Revive FERC Solar Fight, Citing Chevron Ruling

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the D.C. Circuit to rethink its approval of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision granting market benefits for a small-scale solar energy project in Montana following the justices' blockbuster decision upending judicial deference to regulatory agencies.

  • July 02, 2024

    Butterball Must Face NC Worker's Assault Suit In State Court

    The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit accusing turkey processor Butterball of failing to stop a worker's assault can't be resolved administratively because the injuries didn't occur in the course of the employee's work.

  • July 02, 2024

    Bond-Rigging Suit Revived Over Judge's Wife's Stock Conflict

    The Second Circuit on Tuesday revived a proposed class action accusing big banks of rigging corporate bonds, ruling that the New York federal judge who previously dismissed the suit should have recused himself due to his wife's ownership of Bank of America stock.

  • July 02, 2024

    Fla. Bar Drops Kennedys Ethics Case Over Unlawful Practice

    The Florida Bar has dropped an ethics complaint against Kennedys CMK and three of its attorneys over allegations the firm improperly presented the lawyers as permitted to practice law in the Sunshine State.

  • July 02, 2024

    Mich. Justices Pass Up 'Most Famous' Atty's Malpractice Case

    The Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place an appellate ruling that said comments by self-proclaimed "America's most famous trial lawyer" during a press conference can be used in a malpractice suit brought against him by a former client.

Expert Analysis

  • Strategies For Defense Attys To Subpoena A Nonparty Witness

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    Federal criminal defendants seeking to subpoena potentially exculpatory information from nonparty witnesses must satisfy a stringent standard and should consider several often overlooked arguments to assure courts they’re not engaging in a fishing expedition, says James Roberts at Schlam Stone.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • ESG Challenges In Focus After Sierra Club Opposes SEC Rule

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    The Sierra Club's recent objection to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosures for investors presents an unusual — pro-disclosure — legal challenge and an opportunity to take a close look at the varying critiques of ESG regulations, say Colin Pohlman, and Jane Luxton and Paul Kisslinger at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Opinion

    High Court Should Settle Circuit Split On Risk Disclosures

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    The U.S. Supreme Court should grant the petition for writ of certiorari in the Facebook case to resolve a growing circuit split concerning when risk disclosures can be misleading under federal securities laws, and its decision should align with the intent of Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, says Richard Zelichov at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand

    If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • High Court's Jan. 6 Rioter Case May Have Wide Ripple Effects

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    The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in Fischer v. United States, a case that will determine whether a law enacted after the Enron scandal can be used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters, and could affect the government’s ability to charge those who impede a range of official proceedings, say Brook Dooley and Sara Fitzpatrick at Keker Van Nest.

  • 5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS

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    The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.

  • CORRECTED: Endoscope Patent Case Offers Guidance On Right To Repair

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    An Alabama federal court's decision in Karl Storz v. IMS reaffirmed that product owners have broad rights to repair or modify their property as they see fit, highlighting the parameters of the right to repair in the context of patent infringement, say Dustin Weeks and Dabney Carr at Troutman Pepper. Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this article and headline attributed the Karl Storz ruling to the wrong court. The error has been corrected.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • How A Motion Before Justices May Help Trump Beyond Court

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    Even if Donald Trump loses his presidential immunity claim before the U.S. Supreme Court, the delay created by the motion may mean a trial can't be completed before the November election, says Paul Tuchmann at Wiggin and Dana.

  • Opinion

    $175M Bond Refiled By Trump Is Still Substantively Flawed

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    The corrected $175 million bond posted by former President Donald Trump on Thursday to stave off enforcement of the New York attorney general's fraud judgment against him remains substantively and procedurally flawed, as well as inadequately secured, says Adam Pollock of Pollock Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • NJ Ruling Offers Road Map To Fight Dishonored Check Claims

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    As ATM and mobile check deposits become more common, a New Jersey state appellate court’s recent ruling in Triffin v. Neptune shows that issuers can rely on copies of checks to defend against claims that checks were wrongfully dishonored after being electronically deposited, say attorneys at Sherman Atlas.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

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