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Washington
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August 30, 2024
Expert Doesn't Back Certain Tribal Fishing Rights, Judge Says
A Washington federal judge has granted the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe's bid to amend his earlier order questioning whether the Stillaguamish Tribe had ever fished in certain saltwater near Puget Sound, ruling after examining expert testimony in the tribes' fishing rights battle that historical evidence fails to show that Stillaguamish ever caught sea life there.
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August 30, 2024
$100M Deal Finally Ends MoneyGram Unclaimed Property Fight
Delaware will be giving back more than $100 million from uncashed MoneyGram checks to the states where they were bought after finally reaching a settlement with 29 other states that took the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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August 30, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Double Software Co.'s $13.5M Trade Secret Win
The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed a lower court's denial of a request by software company Proofpoint Inc. for exemplary damages that could have doubled its $13.5 million trade secret theft verdict, ruling that any error the district court made in denying the damages is harmless.
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August 30, 2024
Real Estate Recap: RealPage, Vacancies, New Construction
Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including interpretation of the RealPage antitrust suit, the latest on U.S. office vacancies and plans for a new Miami tower.
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August 30, 2024
Ex-Detainee Can't Be Forced To Arbitrate Card Fee Suit
A Washington federal judge will not force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing a bank of charging former jail detainees debit card fees to regain access to their own money postrelease, saying the plaintiff never consented to an arbitration clause because the card was issued to him already activated.
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August 30, 2024
Uber Owes Drivers Duty Of Care In Rider Match, 9th Circ. Says
A Ninth Circuit panel said Friday that Uber Technologies Inc. can't dodge liability after one of its drivers was murdered in a carjacking, finding rideshare companies have a duty to their drivers to use reasonable care to match them with riders.
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August 30, 2024
AGs Ask 11th Circ. To Back Fla. Under-21 Gun Sale Law
A group of 21 attorneys general Friday filed an amicus brief with the Eleventh Circuit urging the appeals court to reaffirm a panel decision upholding a Florida law that banned the sale of firearms by people under 21.
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August 29, 2024
Starbucks Overpromised On 'Reinvention' Plan, Investor Says
Coffee chain Starbucks faces a proposed investor class action alleging it misled the markets about prospects for its so-called Triple Shot Reinvention strategy, hurting investors after trading prices for its shares slid when it announced disappointing quarterly results in April 2024.
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August 29, 2024
Amazon Sheds Whole Foods 'Bait-And-Switch' Case For Good
A Washington federal court on Thursday dismissed a proposed class action accusing Amazon.com of misleading Prime members by advertising free Whole Foods grocery deliveries and later canceling the perk, in an order that said the lead plaintiff failed to fix deficiencies in the complaint that a judge previously flagged.
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August 29, 2024
Wash. AG Hit Again With Atty's Bias Firing Suit
A Washington attorney who says he was wrongfully fired from his job with the state's Office of the Attorney General after he was diagnosed with trauma linked to being a closeted gay Mormon youth has filed a new lawsuit after a similar case was tossed by a federal judge last fall.
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August 29, 2024
Seattle Biotech Can't Immediately Force Out LA Times Owner
Billionaire and Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong will not be forced to recuse himself from a Seattle-based biotech research institute board while the nonprofit's breach-of-fiduciary duty lawsuit against him is pending, a Washington federal judge said on Thursday.
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August 29, 2024
GM Can't Shake Off Shuddering-Transmission Class
General Motors must face class allegations that it knowingly sold vehicles with defective transmissions that cause the vehicles to shake and shudder while being driven, a Sixth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday, finding no reason to undo class certification for the drivers.
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August 29, 2024
9th Circ. Says Trucking Group's Brief Is Too Late In AB 5 Row
The Ninth Circuit declined to take up a California trucking industry group's bid to upend a lower court decision that rejected their challenge to the Golden State's independent contractor classification law, known as A.B. 5, saying the group failed to file an opening brief on time.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Atty's Suit Against State Bar Officers
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed a summary judgment win for Oregon State Bar officers, ruling in a published opinion that a member attorney established that the bar violated his constitutional right to freedom of association when publishing statements he objected to that criticized former President Donald Trump.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Overturns Rule Mandating Sealing Of Health Records
A Ninth Circuit panel found Wednesday that Hawaii state court rules mandating the automatic sealing of medical and health records in civil and criminal proceedings are unconstitutionally overbroad.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Rejects Brady Violation Claim In CWA Conviction
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Seattle barrel cleaning company owner's conviction for dumping chemical-laden wastewater into public sewers, rejecting his argument that federal prosecutors kept information from the jury about the immigration status of a key witness who worked for him.
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August 28, 2024
Contractor Drops Fed. Circ. Challenge To Registration Rule
The federal government and a joint venture on Wednesday agreed to end a Federal Circuit appeal that questioned whether the U.S. State Department unfairly disqualified the company from a security contract over its failure to register on the contracting database.
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August 28, 2024
Wash. AG Fears Kroger Will Move Goalposts For Merger Trial
The Washington Attorney General's Office told a state court Wednesday that Kroger refuses to commit to sticking with the current terms of its divestiture package in its merger with Albertsons, which the state fears would unfairly "move the goalposts" less than three weeks before a trial on the state's merger challenge kicks off.
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August 28, 2024
Ex-Assistant DA Can't Revive Retaliation Suit At 9th Circ.
The Ninth Circuit declined Wednesday to reinstate a former assistant district attorney's suit claiming he was fired by the city of San Francisco for whistleblowing about what he alleged was misconduct, ruling there's not enough proof he was canned for going to the media with his concerns.
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August 27, 2024
9th Circ. Says Pakistani Man Didn't Show 'Good Faith' Marriage
The Ninth Circuit has ruled a Pakistani citizen looking to overcome a removal order couldn't show he married a U.S. citizen in good faith, saying in a published opinion that his contention was foiled by an immigration judge's "fatal" adverse credibility finding.
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August 27, 2024
Insurer Off The Hook For $1.8M Praying Coach Settlement
A Washington state school district's insurer doesn't have to cover a nearly $1.8 million legal fee settlement the district reached with a high school football coach whom the U.S. Supreme Court found was wrongly suspended for praying on the 50-yard line after games, a state appeals court ruled.
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August 27, 2024
Judges Upend Alaska Airlines Loss, Blame Jury Instruction
A Washington state appeals court on Tuesday threw out a jury verdict granting an Alaska Airlines flight attendant workers' compensation for catching COVID-19 while away from home for her job, in an opinion that said a jury instruction misstated a legal doctrine covering traveling workers.
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August 27, 2024
No 'Novella' Briefs In Alexa Privacy Suit, Judge Tells Amazon
Amazon will not be allowed to file a "novella"-length summary judgment motion in a proposed class action by unregistered Alexa users alleging that they were illegally recorded, a Seattle federal judge has ruled, saying his experience has shown that more pages do not always mean a more comprehensive argument.
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August 27, 2024
9th Circ. Says Inference Foils Mexican Man's Removal Fight
The Ninth Circuit refused to revive a Mexican-born man's removal order challenge, saying in a published opinion that an Arizona federal court was allowed to choose an unfavorable inference that his mother couldn't transmit U.S. citizenship to him.
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August 27, 2024
Taco Bell Franchisee Will Pay $2M To End Job-Posting Suits
A Taco Bell franchisee, Sharp Electronics and DoorDash are among the latest employers to reach class deals in Washington state court to end job seekers' allegations they failed to include salary or wage ranges in job postings, in violation of Evergreen State pay transparency laws.
Expert Analysis
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NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws
With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.
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Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
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Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation
With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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What To Expect From Evolving Wash. Development Plans
The current round of periodic updates to Washington counties' growth and development plans will need to address new requirements from recent legislation, and will also likely bring changes that should please property owners and developers, says Jami Balint at Seyfarth.
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Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler discuss the muted nature of the property and casualty insurance class action space in the second quarter of the year, with no large waves made in labor depreciation and total-loss vehicle class actions, but a new offensive theory emerging for insurance companies.
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Series
Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.
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Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Opinion
The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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Opinion
It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.