Appellate

  • July 19, 2024

    NJ Towns Not Liable For Water Contaminants, Panel Rules

    A panel of New Jersey state appeals court judges ruled Friday that municipalities charging for water service aren't in an implied contractual relationship with residents and thus can't be found in breach of contract for elevated contaminant levels in the water.

  • July 19, 2024

    Calif. Alice Invalidations Block Koss' PTAB Appeal At Fed. Circ.

    The Federal Circuit on Friday said it won't review whether the Patent Trial and Appeal Board rightfully invalidated some claims of Koss Corp.'s wireless earphone patents, as the patents were definitively invalidated in California.

  • July 19, 2024

    Knitting Co. Tells NC Justices Ex-CEO Can't Shirk $3M Verdict

    A high-speed knitting machine manufacturer is looking to defend a $3 million trial victory against its onetime CEO who was fired for self-dealing, telling the North Carolina Supreme Court that he failed to preserve many of the arguments he now makes on appeal before the lower court.

  • July 19, 2024

    DC Circ. Won't Block EPA Power Plant Emissions Rule

    The D.C. Circuit refused Friday to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, saying challengers haven't shown they're likely to succeed in overturning the regulations.

  • July 19, 2024

    A Guide To The USPTO's Long List Of Requests For Comment

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has kept attorneys busy this year by seeking input on numerous patent issues and proposed rules. Here's a cheat sheet to the topics where feedback has been collected, from fee hikes to director reviews, and those with upcoming comment deadlines, including artificial intelligence.

  • July 19, 2024

    Zimbabwe Can't Dodge $50M Mining Award, DC Circ. Told

    Zimbabwe can't leverage sovereign immunity to get out of paying a $50 million arbitration award over a soured joint mining venture, two Mauritian mining companies told the D.C. Circuit, saying that a trial court judge was right to permit their enforcement suit to move forward.

  • July 19, 2024

    NLRB Drops Challenge To Joint Employer Rule Vacatur

    The National Labor Relations Board dropped its appeal of a Texas federal judge's decision vacating its rule expanding its definition of joint employer under federal labor law, saying it wants to consider its approach to the policy in light of the court's decision.

  • July 19, 2024

    Tweeting Holdout Ga. Juror's Removal Demands New Trial

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday ordered a new trial for a man convicted of child molestation, ruling that the trial judge wrongly replaced a holdout juror even though he'd described himself on social media as "walking grounds for a mistrial."

  • July 19, 2024

    FTC Says Microsoft Price Hike Shows Activision Deal Harm

    The Federal Trade Commission told the Ninth Circuit that Microsoft's recently announced Game Pass price increase is an example of the harm caused by the company's $68.7 billion acquisition of game developer Activision Blizzard Inc.

  • July 19, 2024

    NJ Justices To Review Ban On Out-Of-State Atty Referral Fees

    The New Jersey Supreme Court will review an ethics advisory opinion that would ban Garden State-certified attorneys from paying referral fees to out-of-state attorneys, according to court orders filed Thursday.

  • July 19, 2024

    2nd Circ. Upholds Ax Of Ex-Ropes & Gray Clerk's Bar Exam Suit

    A former Ropes & Gray LLP attorney who was fired after twice failing the New York bar exam can't sue the state agency that administers the test for failing to accommodate her disabilities, the Second Circuit ruled Friday, finding the agency is protected by sovereign immunity.

  • July 19, 2024

    Several State Courts Impacted By Global Tech Outage

    Several state courts have been impacted by a global Microsoft Windows outage Friday morning causing operational challenges and courthouse closures.

  • July 19, 2024

    1st Circ. Says Refugee's Evidence Of Persecution Was Ignored

    A refugee facing removal for firearm offenses has another chance at staying in the U.S., as the First Circuit found an immigration judge failed to consider whether his family was persecuted while escaping Liberia during a genocide.

  • July 19, 2024

    Jury Finds Gibson The Rightful Owner Of Liberace Piano

    A Boston federal jury on Friday affirmed Gibson Guitars' right to have Liberace's bedazzled 9-foot-long grand piano returned to it from a Massachusetts piano store to which it loaned the entertainer's iconic instrument more than a decade ago.

  • July 19, 2024

    Rising Star: BCLP's Barbara A. Smith Tyson

    Barbara A. Smith Tyson of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP claimed wins in two First Amendment cases involving Courthouse News Service and successfully convinced the Kansas Court of Appeals to dismiss personal injury claims accusing Walmart of administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a 15-year-old girl without parental consent, earning her a spot among the appellate attorneys under the age of 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 19, 2024

    Draft Constitutional Amendment Would Ax Trump Immunity

    Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Friday released a draft of a constitutional amendment that would ensure no one is above the law, following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that former President Donald Trump has immunity from official acts as president.

  • July 19, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Atty's Fee Appeal Too Early In Benefits Dispute

    The Federal Circuit declined to reinstate an attorney's lawsuit seeking more than $38,000 in fees for his work representing a veteran in a benefits dispute with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying it can't yet rule on whether the attorney was wrongly denied the money.

  • July 18, 2024

    5th Circ. Remands ESG Rule Row Citing Chevron's End

    The Fifth Circuit on Thursday instructed a Texas federal court to reconsider a Biden administration rule allowing retirement plan advisers to consider environmental, social and governance factors when choosing investments, pointing to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have "upended" the legal landscape.

  • July 18, 2024

    Fed. Circ. OKs Navy Deal Despite Contractor's Labor Unrest

    The Federal Circuit denied Thursday a contractor's protest bids for U.S. Navy aircraft services contracts at two European bases, rejecting arguments that the lower court didn't properly consider the winning contractor's past labor violations and that the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the so-called Chevron doctrine "upends" the underlying decision.

  • July 18, 2024

    Crypto Law Firm's SEC Challenge Met With Doubt At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Thursday of a law firm's quest for a judgment that its use of the crypto asset ether doesn't offend securities laws, questioning whether the firm has shown it faces enough of a threat from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to keep its case against the regulator alive.

  • July 18, 2024

    8th Circ. Blocks Another Biden Student Debt Relief Plan

    The Eighth Circuit has blocked the Biden administration from implementing another plan for student loan forgiveness while the appellate court considers a Missouri-led state alliance's injunction request, according to an order entered Thursday.

  • July 18, 2024

    6th Circ. Sees 'Fundamental' Shift Post-Chevron In Title X Row

    The toppling of Chevron deference set the tone for a Sixth Circuit hearing on Thursday as the court contemplated Tennessee's arguments that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services went beyond its statutory power when it introduced new requirements for family planning funding.

  • July 18, 2024

    Florida Urges 11th Circ. To Allow Gender Law Despite Appeal

    Florida officials have urged the Eleventh Circuit to immediately allow enforcement of a law restricting gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors and adults despite an appeal, saying that a lower court wrongly determined the law was discriminatory and that patients will be harmed if "life-altering" medical procedures are not outlawed.

  • July 18, 2024

    Conn. Justices Order Redo Of Apartment Tenant's Fee Award

    The Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday gave a landlord another shot at reducing a $3,500 attorney fee award scored by a tenant in an eviction dispute, holding that the lower court failed to consider whether the total was reasonable under the relevant fee shifting statute.

  • July 18, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds Tossing Of Ship Captain's Toxic Injury Suit

    A former offshore supply vessel captain, who claims chemicals aboard caused his cancer and kidney failure, must sue his U.S. employer in England, the Fifth Circuit has ruled, saying the employment contract's forum selection clause is enforceable even after considering Louisiana's law which largely prohibits such clauses.

Expert Analysis

  • High Court Paves Middle Ground For Proceedings Obstruction

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Fischer sensibly leaves the door open for prosecutors to make more nuanced assessments as to whether defendants' actions directly or tangentially impair the availability or integrity of anything used in an official proceeding, without criminalizing acts such as peaceful demonstrations, say attorneys at Perry Law.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Fed. Circ. Skinny Label Ruling Guides On Infringement Claims

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Amarin v. Hikma shows generic drug manufacturers must pay close attention to the statements in their abbreviated new drug application labels to put themselves in the best position in defending against an induced infringement claim, say Luke Shannon and Roshan Shrestha at Taft Stettinius.

  • Revisiting Scalia's 'What's It To You?' After Kaiser Ruling

    Author Photo

    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser allows insurers to be considered "parties in interest" in Chapter 11 cases, they still need to show they would face an injury in fact, answering the late Justice Antonin Scalia's "what's it to you?" question, say Brent Weisenberg and Jeff Prol at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FTC's 'Unfair Competition' Actions In Jeopardy

    Author Photo

    While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision ending Chevron deference will have limited effect on the Federal Trade Commission's merger guidelines, administrative enforcement actions and commission decisions on appeal, it could restrict the agency's expansive take on its rulemaking authority and threaten the noncompete ban, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

    Author Photo

    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Calif. Ruling Heightens Medical Product Maker Liability

    Author Photo

    The California Supreme Court's decision in Himes v. Somatics last month articulates a new causation standard for medical product manufacturer liability that may lead to stronger product disclosures nationwide and greater friction between manufacturers and physicians, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Opportunities For Change In FHFA Practices

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine should lead to better cooperation between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Congress, and may give the FHFA a chance to embrace transparency and innovation and promote sustainable housing practices, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Constitutional Protections For Cannabis Companies Are Hazy

    Author Photo

    Cannabis businesses are subject to federal enforcement and tax, but often without the benefit of constitutional protections — and the entanglement of state and federal law and conflicting judicial opinions are creating confusion in the space, says Amber Lengacher at Purple Circle.

  • Supreme Court's ALJ Ruling Carries Implications Beyond SEC

    Author Photo

    In its recent Jarkesy opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the types of cases that can be tried before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house administrative law judges, setting the stage for challenges to the constitutionality of ALJs across other agencies, say Robert Robertson and Kimberley Church at Dechert.

  • Opinion

    A Tale Of 2 Trump Cases: The Rule Of Law Is A Live Issue

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week in Trump v. U.S., holding that former President Donald Trump has broad immunity from prosecution, undercuts the rule of law, while the former president’s New York hush money conviction vindicates it in eight key ways, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • 2nd Circ. ERISA Ruling May Help Fight Unfair Arb. Clauses

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit recently held that a plaintiff seeking planwide relief under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act cannot be compelled to individual arbitration, a decision that opens the door to new applications of the effective vindication doctrine to defeat onerous and one-sided arbitration clauses, say Raphael Janove and Liana Vitale at Janove.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

    Author Photo

    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Purdue Ch. 11 Ruling Reinforces Importance Of D&O Coverage

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, holding that a Chapter 11 reorganization cannot discharge claims against a nondebtor without affected claimants' consent, will open new litigation pathways surrounding corporate insolvency and increase the importance of robust directors and officers insurance, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Appellate archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!