Appellate

  • April 03, 2025

    NC Panel Scraps Subrogation Suit Over Misidentified Plaintiff

    An insurer for a Hardee's restaurant can't revive its subrogation suit over a 2019 fire after it accidentally misnamed itself in the complaint, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled, finding the incorrectly identified plaintiff lacked standing to sue, and the complaint was a "nullity."

  • April 03, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Sides With USPTO In 'Atypical' Patent Appeal

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday tossed an "atypical" appeal from an inventor challenging the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's rejection of claims in a patent he applied for that would have expired before it could have even been issued.

  • April 03, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs $10M Gas Royalty Judgment Against Antero

    A Sixth Circuit panel affirmed an Ohio district court ruling holding that Antero Resources Corp. underpaid a class of Buckeye State landowners $10 million by improperly deducting costs from their natural gas royalties.

  • April 03, 2025

    Fla. Atty Cites Law School Debt In Bid To Skip Conn. Oral Args

    A Florida employment attorney embroiled in state and federal proceedings over a judgment requiring him to repay his ex's $30,000 contribution toward his law school loans says he can't afford to travel to Connecticut to argue an appeal because his debts and lack of income while traveling make in-person attendance difficult.

  • April 03, 2025

    11th Circ. Urged To End For-Cause Firing Of Tax Court Judges

    A widow and former licensed practical nurse urged the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday to eliminate a code provision that only allows for-cause removal of U.S. Tax Court judges — saying it restricts presidential power — or else declare the provision unconstitutional because the Tax Court isn't a part of the executive branch.

  • April 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says NLRB Severance Doesn't Stop Enforcement

    The Second Circuit has joined a handful of other circuits in finding that it can rule on a National Labor Relations Board enforcement request when the agency has severed part of the underlying case, rejecting a broadcaster's bid to escape an order to bargain.

  • April 03, 2025

    'No Serious Question' Federal Firings Broke Law, Justices Told

    Federal employee unions and advocacy groups urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to reject the Trump administration's bid to pause a California court order reinstating tens of thousands of probationary workers fired from six agencies, arguing the government can't escape self-inflicted harms brought on by its allegedly unlawful actions.

  • April 03, 2025

    Pa. Transit Agency Beats Appeal In Platform Collapse Case

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority did not have "constructive notice" that a train platform was defective or dangerous before it crumbled beneath a commuter, so it was protected from her lawsuit by sovereign immunity, a state appellate panel ruled Wednesday.

  • April 03, 2025

    7th Circ. Agrees Insurer Must Cover Chicago's $3.75M Atty Fees

    The Seventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court's finding that StarStone Insurance must foot the bill for $3.75 million in attorney fees to the city of Chicago from a civil rights lawsuit that settled for nearly $19 million, rejecting the insurer's argument that its policy with the city only covers damages.

  • April 03, 2025

    Atty Suspended Over Billing Lapses In State Street Case

    The former managing partner of Thornton Law Firm LLP has received a 30-day license suspension for his decision to sign an inaccurate billing declaration to a federal judge in an investor action against State Street Bank.

  • April 03, 2025

    Mich. High Court Kicks Stalled-Bill Dispute To Appeals Court

    The Michigan Senate won't get an immediate hearing at the state's highest court on the Michigan House's refusal to send passed legislation to the governor for signature, the court said late Wednesday.

  • April 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Revives IBM Retirees' Mortality Data Fight

    The Second Circuit on Thursday reopened a proposed class action accusing IBM of shorting retirees on pension payments by using outdated mortality data, saying the trial court should've sought clarity about certain documents before tossing the case.

  • April 02, 2025

    5 Fed. Circ. Clashes To Watch This Month

    The Federal Circuit will hear arguments this month in patent cases involving Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and a blockbuster Johnson & Johnson schizophrenia drug, and the court will itself be the subject of a case at another appeals court as Judge Pauline Newman seeks to end her suspension.

  • April 02, 2025

    'Zero Support In The Bar': Judiciary Downsizes Amicus Project

    Faced with wide-ranging opposition and potential constitutional challenges, federal judiciary advisers Wednesday sharply scaled back plans to strengthen scrutiny of amicus briefs, a retreat that won praise from disparate corners of the legal industry.

  • April 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Presses Jackson, Miss., About Lead Levels In Water

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the city of Jackson, Mississippi, about its allegedly slipshod handling of lead contamination in city drinking water during oral arguments Wednesday, with one judge saying city officials seemingly "very artfully avoided" questions about poisoned drinking water to skirt culpability.

  • April 02, 2025

    Justices' Ghost Gun Decision Worrisome Win For Gun Control

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision upholding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule restricting so-called ghost gun kits is a clear-cut win for gun control proponents, but experts said it also signals a problematic shift to a supervisory role for the courts.

  • April 02, 2025

    DC Circ. To Hear Trump Admin's Bid To Stay CFPB Injunction

    A D.C. Circuit panel said Wednesday that it will hold a hearing next week on whether to stay a federal judge's order barring the Trump administration from shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, taking up what has also become a jurisdictional dispute.

  • April 02, 2025

    Calif. Panel Questions Hacking Case Against Ex-Prosecutor

    A California appeals panel probed Wednesday whether criminal charges were properly brought against a former top prosecutor at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for improperly using confidential sheriff's deputy files, with one judge observing that the case applies an "awfully broad understanding" of a hacking statute.

  • April 02, 2025

    Fla. Panel Finds Rehab Center Owed Duty To Released Patient

    A Florida state appellate court on Wednesday ruled that a Miami substance abuse treatment facility owed a duty of care to an involuntarily committed patient who was discharged for rule violations and later died of an overdose, finding the manner in which he was released went against regulations.

  • April 02, 2025

    Yom Kippur Claim Can't Ax $4M Med Mal Award, Panel Says

    The Pennsylvania Superior Court refused Wednesday to overturn a $4 million trial judgment against an osteopathic physician over a patient's heart attack, saying the doctor waited "until the eleventh hour" to request a Yom Kippur trial continuance that was denied.

  • April 02, 2025

    Sotomayor Seems Wary Of 'Magic Words' For Medicaid Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court's liberal bloc on Wednesday bristled at the notion that "magic words" were necessary to cement a public insurance program recipient's right to sue, suggesting that a private right of action is inherent in the Medicaid Act's provider choice provision.

  • April 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Asks If Miss. Discount Drug Law Is Constitutional

    A Fifth Circuit panel struggled to untangle a Mississippi state law requiring drugmakers to distribute products to pharmacies at a discount, asking Wednesday whether the law unconstitutionally deprives drugmakers of their right to decide what they do with their property.

  • April 02, 2025

    Retired Calif. Judges Unlikely To Revive Age Bias Suit

    A California appellate court tentatively ruled against seven retired California state court judges accusing California's Judicial Council of age discrimination due to rules limiting the time retired judges can spend on temporary assignments, saying plaintiffs haven't shown a statistically significant impact to judges over 70, among other concerns.

  • April 02, 2025

    'You Sound Like Tobacco Cos.,' 9th Circ. Judge Tells Tech Atty

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed doubts Wednesday about a tech trade group's effort to preliminarily block California from enforcing a new law barring platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children, telling the group's counsel that social media might be worse than a carcinogen and "you sound like the tobacco companies."

  • April 02, 2025

    Mich. Justices Say Pot Smell Not Enough For Police Search

    The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the odor of marijuana alone cannot justify a warrantless vehicle search, overturning case law that dated from a time when using the drug was a crime in the Great Lakes State.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

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    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • What To Expect From Federal Cybersecurity Policy In 2025

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    There are 12 cyber policy questions to keep an eye on as the new administration and Republican control of Congress present an opportunity to advance less regulatory approaches and revisit some choices from the prior administration, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Certification, Lateness, SBA Eligibility

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Cody Fisher at MoFo examines three recent decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Government Accountability Office that address the treatment of a proposal that was timely submitted but received late, and highlight nuances of certification and small business eligibility requirements.

  • How Decline Of Deference Will Affect Trump Policymaking

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    An administrative law regime without Chevron deference may limit the Trump administration’s ability to implement new policies in the short term, but ultimately help it in the long term, and all parties with an interest in regulatory changes will have to take a fresh approach to litigation, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

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    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.

  • 6 Predictions For Cyber Risk And Insurance In 2025

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    This year is likely to bring with it some thorny and expensive cyber challenges, including increased ransomware activity, more data breach class actions and continued efforts to define business interruption loss calculations, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • Opinion

    Courts Must Curb The Drug Price Negotiation Program

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    The Inflation Reduction Act's drug price negotiation program upends incentive structures that drive medical innovation, and courts must act appropriately to avoid devastating consequences for American healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, says Jeff Stier at the Consumer Choice Center.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 230 Debates Will Continue, With Or Without TikTok

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    Regardless of whether TikTok is forced to shut down in the U.S. in the coming weeks, legal disputes will continue over social media platforms' responsibility under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for harms allegedly caused by content shared on their apps, says Carla Varriale-Barker at Segal McCambridge.

  • Surprise NC COVID Ruling Revises Reasonable Expectations

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of policyholders in a suit for business interruption coverage due to COVID-19 shutdown orders runs contrary to most other state and federal courts' holdings on the issue, and may revitalize the reasonable expectations doctrine in the state, say attorneys at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Impact Of Successful Challenges To SEC's Rulemaking Ability

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    In 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission faced significant legal challenges to its aggressive rulemaking agenda as several of its rules were vacated by the Fifth Circuit, which could hinder the SEC's ability to enact rules extending beyond express statutory authority in the future, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 5 Transition Tools Trump Could Use To Implement His Agenda

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    President-elect Donald Trump will have several tools available to him to halt or otherwise claw back federal regulations promulgated during the Biden administration, including reconciliation, executive orders and memoranda, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • When Judging Product Label Claims, Follow The Asterisk

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    A recurring question in false advertising class actions is whether misleading or ambiguous statements on a product's front label can be cured by information on the back label — but recent decisions from the Ninth Circuit suggest that a front-label asterisk can help alert consumers to seek further clarification, say attorneys at Hunton.

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