Trump Tells Admin To Yank Perkins Coie Security Clearance

By Lauren Berg

Perkins Coie LLP is the latest law firm to face the ire of President Donald Trump, with Trump ordering on Thursday the immediate suspension of the firm's security clearances over its diverse hiring efforts and its representation of certain political figures, including former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

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9th Circ. Shreds 'Muddled' Argument In Amazon Antitrust Case

By Greg Lamm

A panel of the Ninth Circuit on Thursday picked apart arguments from consumers in their lawsuit alleging Amazon violated antitrust law through the e-commerce giant's fulfillment services, with the judges saying an amended complaint was "extraordinarily light on any actual evidence" and the arguments appeared "muddled."

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Trump Administration Ordered To Release Funds To States

By Julie Manganis

A Rhode Island judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to stop withholding funds from states, saying an executive order freezing federal grants, loans and other payments approved by Congress "fundamentally undermines" the separation of powers and is causing irreparable harm.

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Refugee Orgs. Move To Revive Axed Resettlement Contracts

By Madeline Lyskawa

Two refugee resettlement agencies called on a Washington federal judge to issue another injunction after the Trump administration terminated all cooperative agreements with resettlement agencies just days after being barred from freezing funds for refugee services.

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9th Circ. Nixes Challenge To Wash. Abortion Coverage Law

By Grace Elletson

A split Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday rejected a Christian church's challenge to a Washington state law requiring employer health plans to cover abortion services, saying the church could invoke its religious beliefs to skirt the challenged obligations.

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Pfizer Failed To Warn Of Depo-Provera's Tumor Risk, Suit Says

By Jonathan Capriel

A woman who claims she developed a brain tumor after years of taking the contraceptive Depo-Provera is suing Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies who manufacture the drug, claiming in Washington federal court they failed to tell patients of the danger even though it is standard on warning labels in Europe and Canada.

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Wash. Biz Groups Say Water Regs Rule Likely To Be Repealed

By Crystal Owens

A group of business associations is fighting a bid by Washington state and a slew of Native American tribes to dismiss the associations' challenge to a decision that established water quality standards for the Evergreen State, saying the rule is set to be repealed under the new federal administration.

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Brief

Dems Intro Their Own Version Of The JUDGES Act

By Courtney Bublé

Top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee reintroduced a version of the JUDGES Act on Thursday that would not take effect until after the next president is elected, unlike a version from their Republican counterparts that would take effect this year.

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State AGs Want Fees In Kroger Wash., Ore. Merger Cases

By Bryan Koenig

A total of 10 attorneys general kicked off two separate bids Wednesday for attorney fees in the state and federal court cases in Washington and Oregon that blocked Kroger's $24.6 billion bid to buy Albertsons, arguing in the federal lawsuit that their substantial participation alongside the Federal Trade Commission means they "substantially prevailed."

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Q&A

Insurer's 9th Circ. Procedural Win Highlights Appraisal Rules

By Abraham Gross

A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed that a property owner could not litigate its insurer's failure to pay for losses before a required appraisal to resolve disagreements, highlighting the importance of appraisal provisions and how they could limit potential policyholder challenges. Here, Law360 speaks to Colin Kemp, an insurance recovery attorney for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, about Mount Vernon Specialty Insurance Co.'s procedural victory and its implications for coverage challenges.

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Kirkland-Led Medical Device Firm Prices Upsized $202M IPO

By Tom Zanki

Shares of Kestra Medical Technologies Ltd. soared in debut trading Thursday after the maker of wearable defibrillators priced an upsized $202 million initial public offering above its range, represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and underwriters' counsel Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP.

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Vail Corp. Reaches Midtrial Deal In Wash. Ski Resort Fall Suit

By Rachel Riley

Vail Corp. has reached a settlement to end a woman's lawsuit over a 20-foot fall from a chairlift platform at a Washington ski resort, the parties told a Washington federal judge on Thursday, a few days into a trial that was expected to last more than a week.

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What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

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Series

Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

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7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

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Amid Court Setbacks, Trump Wants Foes To Foot Legal Bills

By Jeff Overley

With judges hitting the brakes on the White House's aggressive agenda, President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to up the ante with his legal adversaries by seeking legal costs and damages if his administration ultimately prevails after initial setbacks in litigation.

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Ex-GMU Prof Ends Defamation Suit Against Former Students

By Aebra Coe

Former George Mason University Law professor Joshua Wright has ended his $108 million defamation lawsuit against two former students who accused him of sexual misconduct, dropping the suit late Thursday just four days before a jury trial in the case was set to begin.

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Diverse Judiciary Is Crucial, Justice Jackson Tells Attys

By Carolina Bolado

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told attorneys in Miami on Thursday at the American Bar Association's annual White Collar Crime Institute that her judicial philosophy is "still under development" and said diversity in the judiciary is necessary to help instill confidence in the judicial branch of government.

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Bove May Sidestep Discipline In Adams Scandal, Experts Say

By Phillip Bantz

Ethics complaints piling up against acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove over his efforts to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams could result in disciplinary action at the state level, but it's highly unlikely that he'll face any consequences from the U.S. Department of Justice and its office charged with investigating attorney misconduct, experts say.

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Contempt Of Atty's 'Own Making,' Judge Says In Allowing Trial

By Hayley Fowler

A Dutch software company can't push back a copyright trial after one of its attorneys from Womble Bond Dickinson was held in contempt and was temporarily kicked off the case, a North Carolina federal judge ruled, finding the predicament "entirely of counsel's own making."

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Holland & Knight Adds Partner Who Was FBI General Counsel

By Daniel Connolly

The FBI has lost its general counsel, who has joined Holland & Knight LLP as a partner in its national security and defense industry group, the firm announced Thursday.

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Bankruptcy Court's Input Sought In Judge Romance Row

By Catherine Marfin

A federal judge asked a Texas bankruptcy court to determine if the CEO of a now-bankrupt barge company has standing to sue over a former judge's secret romance with a Jackson Walker partner.

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Meltzer Lippe, Fired Partner Agree To End Sex Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

Meltzer Lippe Goldstein & Breitstone LLP and a former partner have agreed to end her New York federal court suit claiming she was fired from the firm after she complained about its sexist work environment, according to a Thursday court filing.

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State Attacks Atty's Self-Defense Claim In Law Firm Shooting

By Aaron Keller

A prosecutor says Connecticut law allows jurors to mull whether a Cramer & Anderson LLP partner reopened a fight with a man who allegedly followed him into his law firm's parking lot and attacked him, teeing up a Friday ruling that could threaten the lawyer's self-defense claims against a manslaughter charge.

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Analysis

Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

By Jeff Overley

Believe it or not, there's still important litigation happening that doesn't involve President Donald Trump, and the proof exists in this month's circuit court calendars. During the remaining weeks of March, arguments will explore numerous high-profile topics, including a law firm's severe punishment for alleged misconduct in 9/11 litigation and a judicial rebuke of Trader Joe's for "an attempt to weaponize the legal system."

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Judges Urge Attys To Help Restore Confidence In Judiciary

By Carolina Bolado

Federal district judges at the American Bar Association's white collar conference Thursday decried threats and attacks on judges and urged attorneys to help them restore public confidence in the judiciary.

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Fake NY Lawyer Charged With Stealing $200K From Clients

By Emily Sawicki

A New York man has been indicted on charges he impersonated a lawyer and stole $200,000 from clients over the course of nearly three years, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

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