Victims Say Crypto Isn't Money, Safeco Must Cover Hack

By Greg Lamm

A Washington couple is accusing Safeco Insurance Co. of illegally refusing coverage for $600,000 in cryptocurrency stolen by hackers, saying in a complaint removed to Seattle federal court on Thursday that the tokens should be classified as personal property, not money, which has a $250 loss limit on the pair's homeowners' policy.

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CashCall Still On Hook For $134M To CFPB, 9th Circ. Rules

By Rae Ann Varona

The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed a $134.1 million restitution payment CashCall Inc. owes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying in a published opinion that the loan company's voluntary participation in a bench trial meant that it had waived a right to a jury trial.

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Wash. City Fights Order To Keep ER Tribal Shelter Open

By Crystal Owens

The city of Toppenish, Washington, is asking a federal district court to withdraw an order allowing the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation to operate a 24-hour emergency shelter, arguing that the criminal nature of regulations governing the facility preclude the tribe's arguments on the present situation.

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Boeing, DOJ Say No Agreement Yet For Revised 737 Max Plea

By Lauren Berg

The Boeing Co. and the U.S. Department of Justice told a Texas federal judge Friday they have not yet reached an agreement on how to revise the aircraft manufacturer's plea agreement in the 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, after the judge last month rejected the initial deal.

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Fund Manager Says Broker-Dealer's Retaliation Led To Losses

By Sydney Price

Financial services company Leader Capital Corp. has sued a broker-dealer and a marketing services company for allegedly making false and misleading representations to investors about Leader Capital's compliance with securities laws, causing at least $3.5 million in damage after the investors withdrew funds.

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Brief

Alaska Air Passengers Refile New Suit Over Boeing Blowout

By Rachel Riley

A group of passengers suing Boeing, Alaska Airlines and Spirit AeroSystems over a door plug blowout on a 737 Max flight last January have relaunched their claims in Washington state court after a Seattle federal judge tossed an earlier version of the complaint at their request last month.

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Roundup

Real Estate Recap: All Eyes On '25

By Real Estate Authority Staff

Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including what the experts think is in store for 2025.

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9th Circ. Judge Says Asylum Seekers Can Use Appeals To Stall

By Tom Lotshaw

A Ninth Circuit judge has called to overturn a 20-year precedent that he said allows people to game their immigration appeals for more time in the country, after a divided panel affirmed the denial of a Ukrainian man's asylum bid.

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Longtime Cravath Presiding Partner Sam Butler Dies At 94

By Anna Sanders

Sam Butler, former presiding partner of Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP during the 1980s and 1990s, died on Saturday at 94. 

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Analysis

Breyer's 1st Circ. Visit A 'Very Cool' Opportunity For Attys

By Chris Villani

As some lawyers practicing before the First Circuit may learn this week, having a former Supreme Court justice parachute into arguments adds an extra layer of gravitas to the proceedings and another challenge for advocates to navigate as they make their case.

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On Capitol Riot Anniversary, DOJ Update Says 1,500 Charged

By Courtney Bublé

On the fourth anniversary of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol and the day President-elect Donald Trump's victory was to be made official, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that over 1,500 defendants have been charged with federal crimes related to the insurrection.

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Ex-GMU Prof. Tells Judge To Ignore Accusers' 'False Reality'

By Aebra Coe

Former FTC Commissioner and law professor Joshua Wright on Friday slammed two former students' request to exclude evidence of damages at an upcoming trial in a $108 million lawsuit in which he accused them of defamation, saying the request is "self-servingly twisted to present a false reality."

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Judge Denies Trump's Request To Delay Jan. 10 Sentencing

By Frank G. Runyeon

A New York state judge on Monday denied Donald Trump's request to suspend his Jan. 10 sentencing in his hush money case as the president-elect simultaneously appealed the court's refusal to throw out the charges based on presidential immunity.

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Edelson Must Share Info In Tort Case, Colo. Judge Says

By Tom Lotshaw

A Colorado state judge has ordered Edelson PC to provide information about advertising in a toxic tort case over ethylene oxide emissions from a medical sterilization facility in Lakewood, with a bellwether trial set for this month.

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Withers Brings On 8-Atty Trusts And Estates Boutique In LA

By Emily Johnson

International law firm Withers has expanded its Los Angeles office by absorbing the eight-attorney boutique Hoffman Sabban & Watenmaker, Withers announced Monday.

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Girard Sharp Launches Into New Year With New Leadership

By Bonnie Eslinger

San Francisco-based Girard Sharp has kicked off the new year with a major leadership change, announcing Monday that Daniel C. Girard had stepped down as managing partner of the prominent plaintiffs complex litigation boutique he founded in 1995 and that longtime partner Dena C. Sharp was taking the reins.

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McDermott Adds Former DHS Deputy General Counsel In DC

By Jack Rodgers

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has hired a former deputy general counsel from the Biden administration's Homeland Security Department, who joined as a partner after working as an associate with Covington & Burling LLP, the firm announced Monday.

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Sheppard Mullin Hires University Of Calif. Health Counsel

By Rose Krebs

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP announced Monday that it has hired two attorneys who previously served in-house at the University of California to bolster its healthcare industry practice group.

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Trump Selects Long Island Judge For EDNY's Top Prosecutor

By Hailey Konnath

President-elect Donald Trump, who was born in Queens, has picked a Long Island state court judge to serve as the next U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, according to an announcement made Monday on Truth Social.

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CUNY Law Dean To Run Law School Admission Council

By Anna Sanders

Sudha Setty, a longtime educator and dean of the law school at City University of New York, will serve as the next president and chief executive officer of the Law School Admission Council.

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Talk Show Host Says OpenAI Can't Duck Ga. Defamation Suit

By Madison Arnold

A conservative talk radio show host pushed back Monday against OpenAI's quest to secure summary judgment in his defamation lawsuit, calling the company "the high-tech equivalent of the neighborhood gossip."

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New Joint Bar Task Force To Tackle Indigent Defense In NYC

By Andrea Keckley

The New York City Bar Association announced Monday that it has teamed up with the city's county bar associations to form a task force assessing the NYC Assigned Counsel Plan, which assigns lawyers to indigent people in criminal and family courts who can't be served by institutional legal service providers.

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Texas Justice Jimmy Blacklock Named High Court Chief

By Lynn LaRowe

Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock is being promoted to chief justice and Gov. Greg Abbott's general counsel has been tapped to fill the seat Justice Blacklock is vacating, the governor's office announced Monday.

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National Court Reporters Association Hit With Antitrust Suit

By Jack Karp

The National Court Reporters Association exploits its monopoly in the stenographic certification market to charge its members inflated and unnecessary membership dues and keep potential competitors out of the market, according to a new antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court.

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