Washington

  • April 16, 2026

    Citizens Group Says 25 States Are Eyeing AI Chatbot Laws

    Twenty-five U.S. states are looking at passing laws to make artificial intelligence companies face liability claims in civil suits if they fail to protect consumers who interact with chatbots, while another three states have already enacted protections, according to a citizens group's new legislative tracker.

  • April 16, 2026

    9th Circ. Judge Rips 'Sophistry' By Online Prediction Markets

    A Ninth Circuit judge appeared skeptical Thursday of requests by KalshiEX LLC, Crypto.com and Robinhood to block Nevada from enforcing state gambling laws against sports and election-related contracts, telling Robinhood's counsel "I don't buy" the companies' regulatory interpretation and slamming a Crypto.com argument as "sophistry to the nth degree."

  • April 16, 2026

    MoneyLion Hit With Wash. Class Action Over Referral Texts

    A program from fintech platform MoneyLion encouraging users to refer friends to the service has flooded Washington residents with unsolicited text messages in violation of the state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act, alleges a putative class action removed to Seattle federal court Wednesday.

  • April 16, 2026

    EPA-Backed River Plan Puts Wash. Salmon At Risk, Suit Says

    An Oregon environmental watchdog sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday over its approval of a Washington state report on watershed management, claiming the document was based on faulty modeling and, if allowed to stand, could threaten the survival of salmon and other fish in the region.

  • April 16, 2026

    Timeshare Exit Patrons Nab Reversal In Coverage Denial Row

    A Washington federal judge held she made a "mistake" when she rejected arguments that an insurer acted in bad faith by declining to defend a now-defunct timeshare exit company from a consumer protection class action that yielded a $630 million deal.

  • April 16, 2026

    AGs' Win Over Live Nation Leaves DOJ Watching From The Side

    Live Nation Entertainment Inc.'s across-the-board trial rout by 34 state attorneys general underscores the ascendancy of state antitrust enforcers looking to fill perceived enforcement gaps left by the U.S. Department of Justice during President Donald Trump's second term.

  • April 16, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Security Officer's Firing OK For Court Review

    The Ninth Circuit found Thursday that it was fair game for a jury to consider whether a nuclear facility manager illegally fired a security officer due to his prescription opioid use, ruling the revocation of his fitness-for-duty certification didn't amount to a security clearance decision blocked from judicial review.

  • April 16, 2026

    Brita Filter Labels Don't Dupe Consumers, 9th Circ. Affirms

    A reasonable consumer would not expect a low-cost Brita filter to remove or reduce all common tap water contaminants to below lab detectable limits, the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday, affirming the dismissal of a consumer's proposed false advertising class action against the manufacturer.

  • April 16, 2026

    Seattle's COVID-Era Tenant Protections Face Appellate Skeptic

    A Washington state appellate judge pushed back Thursday on Seattle's defense of COVID-19-era tenant rights ordinances, observing that the plaintiff landlord may have a stronger Fifth Amendment takings claim than usual because of the "unique" situation of "six regulations passed within a short time period."

  • April 16, 2026

    US Bank Shorted Wash. Workers On Meals, Breaks, Suit Says

    U.S. Bank denied hourly employees meal and rest breaks, and shorted them on overtime and sick leave pay, two former workers alleged in a proposed class action filed in Washington state court.

  • April 16, 2026

    Seattle Art Museum Denied Breaks, Full Pay, Suit Says

    The Seattle Art Museum failed to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked and denied them legally required meal and rest breaks, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in Washington state court.

  • April 16, 2026

    International Paper To Pay $360M For Wash. Paper Mill Co.

    International Paper said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire North Pacific Paper Co., a paper manufacturer and portfolio company of One Rock Capital Partners, for $360 million. 

  • April 15, 2026

    'A Bunch Of Games': MDL Judge Irked By Meta, AGs Sparring

    A California federal judge appeared skeptical Wednesday of Meta Platforms Inc.'s request for a summary judgment win over claims by state attorneys general in multidistrict social media addiction litigation, saying repeatedly that many disputes should be resolved at trial and panning some arguments by both sides as "a bunch of games."

  • April 15, 2026

    Hims & Hers Providers Can't Duck Suit Over Student's Suicide

    Medical providers for telehealth company Hims & Hers can't escape a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a Washington State University freshman who died by suicide in 2023, according to a Washington state judge's order denying summary judgment motions from five individual defendants.

  • April 15, 2026

    Amneal Trims But Can't Nix AGs' Drug Price-Fixing Suit

    There is enough evidence from which a jury could conclude that Amneal Pharmaceuticals participated in a conspiracy to fix the price of an epilepsy medication, but not enough to show it participated in the overarching antitrust conspiracy alleged by dozens of state attorneys general, a Connecticut federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • April 15, 2026

    Amazon Can't Nix MIT Economist Input On Antitrust Case

    A Seattle federal judge has shot down Amazon's bid to rule out a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor's opinions backing proposed class antitrust claims, finding the expert used a "peer reviewed economic model based on real-world transactional data" to conclude that Amazon's "anti-discounting policies" heightened prices in other online marketplaces.

  • April 15, 2026

    'Law, Not Liturgy'?: 9th Circ. Split Over Faith Bias COVID Suit

    Eight judges dissented Wednesday from the denial of an en banc Ninth Circuit rehearing of a panel's decision not to revive a Christian hospital worker's religious bias lawsuit alleging she was fired for refusing COVID-19 nasal testing, with one dissenting judge saying "courts are unwelcome guests" when deciding the veracity of an individual's belief.

  • April 15, 2026

    737 Max Families Ask Full 5th Circ. To Weigh DOJ-Boeing Deal

    Families of 737 Max 8 crash victims have asked the full Fifth Circuit to review a panel's recent decision accepting the U.S. Department of Justice's refusal to criminally prosecute Boeing for allegedly conspiring to defraud safety regulators, saying it allows corporate defendants to game the courts through a "mootness" loophole.

  • April 15, 2026

    Insurer Says No Coverage For Fatal Wash. Quarry Shooting

    An insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify a trucking company owner from civil claims following his conviction over the fatal shooting death of another man, the insurer told a Washington federal court.

  • April 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Skeptical About Erasing Rail Workers' $7.8M Vax Win

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday appeared likely to uphold a $7.8 million verdict for former San Francisco public rail employees who were ousted after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on faith-based grounds, with one judge saying the transit system's argument would mean public health guidance effectively cancels out religious rights.  

  • April 15, 2026

    Chamber Backs 9th Circ. Rehearing Of Funko Investor Suit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is backing Funko Inc.'s call for Ninth Circuit to rehear an investor dispute over the toy-maker's write-down of excessive inventory, arguing that the court's decision to revive the lawsuit "degrades a critical firewall against abusive litigation."

  • April 15, 2026

    Aluminum Co. Settles Trans Worker's Suit Over Health Plan

    A subsidiary of Kaiser Aluminum has agreed to resolve a lawsuit claiming it discriminated against transgender employees by excluding coverage for medical treatments related to gender-affirming care from its health plan, according to a filing in Washington federal court.

  • April 15, 2026

    Amazon Alexa Users Seek To Revive Class Deception Claims

    A group of Amazon Alexa users has urged a Washington federal judge to reinstate their class consumer protection claims based on allegations the devices secretly recorded their personal conversations, contending the court ignored competing evidence when determining Amazon clearly disclosed the possibility of accidental activations.

  • April 15, 2026

    Insurer Needn't Defend Coach Sued For Sex Harassment

    American Strategic Insurance Corp. has no duty to defend a former high school basketball coach from civil claims that he sexually harassed a player and employee of his athletic business, a Washington federal judge said Tuesday, ruling that the coach's insurance policies "unambiguously exclude coverage."

  • April 15, 2026

    Jury Finds Live Nation Monopolized Concert Ticketing

    Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary harmed competition in the live entertainment sector by willfully monopolizing ticketing services to major concert venues and unlawfully tying artists' use of large amphitheaters to Live Nation's promotional services, a Manhattan federal jury found on Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • What 9th Circ.'s Rosenwald Ruling Means For Class Actions

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Rosenwald v. Kimberly-Clark has important implications around the Class Action Fairness Act and traditional diversity jurisdiction — both for plaintiff-side and defense-side class action litigators — and deepens the circuit split concerning the use of judicial notice to establish diversity, says Grace Schmidt at DTO Law.

  • State Paid Leave Laws Are Changing Employer Obligations

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    A wave of new and expanded state laws covering paid family, medical and sick leave will test multistate compliance systems, marking a fundamental operational shift for employers that requires proactive planning, system modernization and policy alignment to manage simultaneous state and federal obligations, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at PrestigePEO.

  • Opinion

    Expert Reports Can't Replace Facts In Securities Fraud Cases

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    The Ninth Circuit's 2023 decision in Nvidia v. Ohman Fonder — and the U.S. Supreme Court's punt on the case in 2024 — could invite the meritless securities litigation the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act was designed to prevent by substituting expert opinions for facts to substantiate complaint assertions, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Amazon Ruling Marks New Era Of Personal Liability For Execs

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    A Washington federal court's recent decision in FTC v. Amazon extended personal liability to senior executives for design-driven violations of broad consumer protection statutes, signaling a fundamental shift in how consumer protection laws may be enforced against large public companies, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • 3 New Cyberinsurance Rulings Aid In Policy Interpretation

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    Although the cyberinsurance market has exploded, there is no standardized cyber language or form and only a few court decisions thus far interpreting cyberinsurance policy language, making these three recent rulings key for guiding policyholders, insurers and brokers, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • How The FTC Is Stepping Up Subscription Enforcement

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    Despite the demise of the Federal Trade Commission's click-to-cancel rule in July, the commission has not only maintained its regulatory momentum, but also set new compliance benchmarks through recent high-profile settlements with Match.com, Chegg and Amazon, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Where 4th And 9th Circ. Diverge On Trade Secret Timing

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    Recent Fourth and Ninth Circuit decisions have revealed a deepening circuit split over when plaintiffs must specifically define their alleged trade secrets, turning the early stages of trade secret litigation into a key battleground and elevating the importance of forum selection, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • 5 Evolving Marketing Risks That Finance Cos. Should Watch

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    Financial services providers should beware several areas where consumer protection regulators are broadening their scrutiny of modern marketing practices, such as the use of influencer testimonials or advertisements touting artificial intelligence-powered products, so they can better adapt to changing expectations for compliance, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • What The New Nondomiciled-Trucker Rule Means For Carriers

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    A new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration interim final rule restricting states' issuance of commercial drivers licenses to nondomiciled drivers does not alter motor carriers' obligations to verify drivers' qualifications, but may create disruptions by reducing the number of eligible drivers, say attorneys at Benesch.

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