Washington

  • September 08, 2026

    Seattle Times, Newsday Sue OpenAI Over Content Use

    The Seattle Times and Long Island-based newspaper Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft with claims of copyright infringement, adding to the long list of news organizations claiming their articles were used improperly to train large language models.

  • September 08, 2026

    Boeing Avoids Broad Financial Discovery In IP Suit

    A Washington federal judge has ordered The Boeing Co. to provide some, but far from all, of the information Wilson Aerospace LLC sought for its suit accusing the aerospace giant of stealing patented technology for a NASA moon program.

  • September 08, 2026

    ConocoPhillips Exits Wash. Tribes' Suits Over Climate Harm

    A Washington state judge has granted ConocoPhillips' bid to exit two Native American tribes' revised lawsuits accusing the oil corporation of downplaying the risks of burning fossil fuels, concluding that the tribes haven't pointed to deception that was aimed at Washington state.

  • September 08, 2026

    Insurer Says It Owes No Coverage For Exploding Vape Suit

    An insurer has urged a Washington federal court to find that it does not owe coverage to a vape seller in a product liability suit from a user whose leg was amputated after a vape exploded in his pocket, arguing tobacco and nicotine product and premises exclusions bar coverage. 

  • September 08, 2026

    Calif. Urges Justices To Let Paramount Merger Case Play Out

    California and other state enforcers that are challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery have urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to expedite Iowa and Montana's case seeking to block the merger challenge.

  • September 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Reopens Immigration Case After Flat-Tire Delay

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit has found immigration officials erred by not reconsidering the case of a Guatemalan man facing removal after he was five minutes late to his hearing, saying documentation was not required to prove a flat tire caused the delay.

  • September 07, 2026

    USPS Asks High Court To Allow 'Modest' Mail Ballot Rules

    The Trump administration has once again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order barring the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new mail-in ballot regulations ahead of this year's midterms, arguing the "modest" changes are well within USPS' authority and don't affect election administration. 

  • September 04, 2026

    Boeing OT Suit Says Incentive Pay Was Omitted From Rates

    Boeing shorted its workers in Washington state by failing to factor in bonuses and other nondiscretionary compensation when calculating overtime and sick leave payments, according to a proposed class action that the company removed to federal court Thursday.

  • September 04, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Law Firm Office Tips, Remote Data Centers

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into law office strategies in premier markets and the pros and cons of building data centers on unincorporated land.

  • September 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Tosses Conviction Over Hand Tattoo Testimony

    The Ninth Circuit has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of robbing a store in Washington, finding that he was not testifying in his own defense when he showed jurors that he had tattoos on his hand, unlike the hand of the man seen committing the robbery in security camera footage.

  • September 04, 2026

    Wash. AG Opposes PacifiCorp $1.9B Sale Of State Assets

    The Washington Attorney General's Office has asked the state's Utilities and Transportation Commission to reject Pacific Power and Light Co.'s $1.9 billion sale of its Washington service area to Portland General Electric, saying the deal would raise costs and cut customers off from one of the state's clean energy sources.

  • September 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Restores Idaho Abortion Ban Enforcement, For Now

    The Ninth Circuit will allow Idaho to fully enforce its abortion ban while the state briefs its request for emergency relief from an order that blocked the ban's application in certain health-related circumstances and declared a fundamental right to some abortions under the U.S. Constitution.

  • September 04, 2026

    United Airlines Violates Wash. OT And Break Laws, Suit Says

    United Airlines is accused of violating Washington labor laws by shorting overtime pay and denying compliant meal and rest breaks to hourly employees who held ground job positions for the carrier, according to a notice filed by the airline Thursday removing the case to the Western District of Washington. 

  • September 04, 2026

    Wash. High Court Won't Review Dispensary License Fight

    The Washington Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from a cannabis company, ending the retailer's lawsuit claiming state regulators prevented it from opening a lucrative Seattle dispensary by failing to force a competitor's license to be forfeited due to not being fully operational.

  • September 04, 2026

    Judge Again Blocks USPS Mail Ballot Rule

    A Massachusetts federal judge late Friday again blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a new rule that would allow it to refuse delivery of mailed ballots in this November's midterm elections.

  • September 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Won't Let Roblox Arbitrate Online Safety Suit

    The Ninth Circuit denied Roblox Corp.'s bid to compel arbitration in a suit by a man alleging his daughter was targeted on the platform by adult predators, saying its delay in seeking arbitration while it litigated the suit on the merits waived any right to arbitrate.

  • September 04, 2026

    ERISA Recap: 5 Appellate Rulings To Know From August

    The Seventh Circuit kept an Arkansas pharmacy benefit manager rule in place as not preempted by federal benefits law, the Fourth Circuit revived an Altria ex-worker's dispute over benefit plan documents, and the Eleventh Circuit reversed a pretrial win for Royal Caribbean in cruise workers' suit challenging 401(k) funds. Here, Law360 looks at those and two other major appellate decisions from August involving ERISA that benefits attorneys may want to know.

  • September 04, 2026

    'Bad Faith' Subpoenas On Apple Execs Spur Fee Sanctions

    A California federal magistrate judge imposed sanctions Thursday on Joseph M. Alioto of Alioto Law Firm for repeatedly trying to depose senior Apple executives, including then-CEO Tim Cook, in an attempt to drag the iPhone-maker back into consumer antitrust litigation accusing Google of shutting out rival search engines.

  • September 04, 2026

    Court Slams 'Half-Hearted Compliance' In Crab Price-Fix Suit

    A California federal magistrate judge has given a seafood company until Sept. 11 to meet the discovery obligations it has repeatedly fallen short of in a proposed class action accusing it of fixing prices for Dungeness crabs.

  • September 04, 2026

    4th Circ. ERISA Docs Ruling Deepens Split, High Court Told

    A participant in Netflix's employee health plan asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit's dismissal of his lawsuit alleging that the company unlawfully refused his request for plan documents, arguing that a recent Fourth Circuit decision discredits the streaming giant's argument against a circuit split.

  • September 03, 2026

    Wash. Justices To Hear Gordon Rees Malpractice Transfer Suit

    Washington's Supreme Court will consider whether a Great American insurance unit can inherit an equipment manufacturer's legal malpractice claims against two law firms in what the insurance company has called an issue of first impression, according to a high court order published Wednesday.

  • September 03, 2026

    Oil Cos. Seek Quick Appeal To Nix Suit Over Heat Wave Death

    Exxon, Chevron, Shell and other oil giants say they plan to seek appellate review of a Washington judge's order refusing to dismiss a civil suit over a woman's 2021 death that alleged the defendants knew their products were intensifying extreme weather patterns but downplayed risks to maximize profit.  

  • September 03, 2026

    More Suits Filed Blaming ChatGPT In Canada School Shooting

    OpenAI Inc. on Wednesday was hit with another wave of 30 lawsuits in California federal court over the February school shooting in Canada brought by surviving teachers, staff members and students who say that ChatGPT assisted and encouraged the shooter in planning the attack.

  • September 03, 2026

    Boeing Investors Say 4th Circ. Ruling Imperils Class Actions

    Boeing investors have asked the full Fourth Circuit to rehear a panel's "extreme" decision overturning class certification in a suit against the aerospace company over its alleged concealment of safety issues with its 737 Max fleet, arguing that the panel decision will create a "vague and unworkable standard" in the circuit if left intact.

  • September 03, 2026

    Judge Suggests Mail Ballot Rule Too Late For Midterms

    A Massachusetts federal judge appeared poised Thursday to extend her block on the U.S. Postal Service implementing new requirements that would allow the agency to refuse to deliver potentially thousands of mailed ballots this November, suggesting the midterm elections are too close to make such a sweeping change.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Sectors, Antitrust Risks In Pricing Algorithm Litigation

    Author Photo

    Algorithmic pricing lawsuits have proliferated in rental housing, hotels, health insurance and equipment rental industries, and companies should consider emerging risk factors when implementing business strategies this year, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

    Author Photo

    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

    Author Photo

    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • Key False Claims Act Trends From The Last Year

    Author Photo

    The False Claims Act remains a powerful enforcement tool after some record verdicts and settlements in 2025, and while traditional fraud areas remain a priority, new initiatives are raising questions about its expanding application, says Veronica Nannis at Joseph Greenwald.

  • Series

    Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

  • How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

    Author Photo

    Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

  • Navigating Privilege Law Patchwork In Dual-Purpose Comms

    Author Photo

    Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to resolve a circuit split in In re: Grand Jury, federal courts remain split as to when attorney-client privilege applies to dual-purpose legal and business communications, and understanding the fragmented landscape is essential for managing risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • AI-Driven Harassment Poses New Risks For Employers

    Author Photo

    Two recent cases show that deepfakes and other artificial intelligence‑generated content are emerging as a powerful new mechanism for workplace harassment, and employers should take a proactive approach to reduce their liability as AI continues to reshape workplace dynamics, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What Changed For Healthcare Transaction Law In 2025

    Author Photo

    Though much of the legislation introduced last year to expand state scrutiny of healthcare transactions did not pass, investors should pay close attention to the overarching trends, which are likely to continue in this year's legislative sessions, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • 9th Circ. Copyright Ruling Highlights Doubts On Intrinsic Test

    Author Photo

    Two concurring opinions in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg may mark an inflection point in the Ninth Circuit's substantial-similarity jurisprudence, inviting copyright litigants to reassess strategy as the court potentially shifts away from the intrinsic test, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Considerations In Building Guardrails For AI Use In Arbitration

    Author Photo

    A recent California federal court case involving allegations of artificial intelligence ghostwriting an arbitration award, prior analogous practice on tribunal delegation, and emerging generative AI recommendations all support building a forward-looking framework for arbitration rules to minimize the risk of AI-based challenges, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Insights From 2025's Flood Of Data Breach Litigation

    Author Photo

    Several coherent patterns emerged from 2025's data breach litigation activity, suggesting that judges have grown skilled at distinguishing between companies that were genuinely victimized by sophisticated criminal actors despite reasonable precautions, and those whose security practices invited exploitation, says Frederick Livingston at McDonald Baas.

  • Series

    Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

  • 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

    Author Photo

    As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

  • IP Appellate Decisions Show 4 Shifts In 2025

    Author Photo

    In 2025, intellectual property decisions issued by the Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits trended toward tightening doctrinal boundaries, whether to account for technological developments in existing legal regimes, or to refine areas with some ambiguity, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

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 Washington archive.