Washington

  • October 23, 2024

    Feds, Huawei Ask To Delay 'Complex' Trade Secret Theft Trial

    Washington federal prosecutors and Huawei have both asked to delay until 2026 a trial in a case accusing the company of stealing T-Mobile's trade secrets, noting the complexity of the case and difficulties the attorneys for the Chinese chipmaker have had communicating with witnesses.

  • October 23, 2024

    Full 9th Circ. Passes On SF Nurses' Salary Basis Case

    The full Ninth Circuit said Wednesday it won't reconsider a panel's ruling that it wasn't clear whether a group of San Francisco city nurses in two consolidated cases were paid on a salary basis and could therefore be considered overtime-exempt.

  • October 23, 2024

    Wash. Health System Says HHS Let J&J 'Abuse' 340B Program

    A Washington safety net provider claims in a new suit that the federal government let Johnson & Johnson abuse the 340B drug discount program by allowing the manufacturer to pursue an "overbroad" and "intrusive" audit of the provider's drug purchases.

  • October 23, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Suggests Equity Pact Counts As Wash. Loan

    A Ninth Circuit judge said Wednesday he was "struggling with" a company's stance that its equity-sharing agreement with two homeowners in Washington state doesn't amount to a loan covered by state laws regulating reverse mortgages, saying the arrangement appears to check the boxes of the statutory definition.

  • October 23, 2024

    Amazon Must Face Drivers' Tip Suit Despite FTC Settlement

    A Washington federal judge largely refused Wednesday to toss a proposed class action accusing Amazon of violating Evergreen State laws by withholding portions of drivers' tips, saying the claims are still valid despite the Federal Trade Commission reaching a nearly $62 million deal with the company over the same alleged conduct.

  • October 23, 2024

    9th Circ. Orders Michael Avenatti To Be Resentenced

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday ordered the resentencing of Michael Avenatti over his California conviction for tax violations and stealing from clients, saying the lower court made multiple mistakes when it handed down a 14-year prison term to the onetime celebrity attorney.

  • October 23, 2024

    9th Circ. Backs Injury Firm's Win In Fight Over Google Ads

    The Ninth Circuit has upheld an Arizona federal court's ruling in favor of a Tempe-based personal injury firm that was sued by another personal injury firm, Lerner & Rowe, over its purchases of Google advertising search terms, with the judges finding little "actual confusion" was caused by the advertising strategy.

  • October 22, 2024

    Hagens Berman Says Vorys 'Opportunistically' Seeking Lead

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is fighting a bid by Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP to take the lead in a proposed consolidated class action against gaming giant Valve Corp., saying that after they defeated Valve's arbitration provision Vorys sought to "opportunistically" seize the leadership role.

  • October 22, 2024

    Suit Over Wash. Ban On 'DIY' Rape Evidence Kits Nixed

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a challenge to a state ban on the sale of "DIY" DNA collection kits to sexual assault survivors, rejecting a kit developer's arguments that the ban infringes on its First Amendment rights.

  • October 22, 2024

    11th Circ. Signals Fla. Gun Ban Turns On 'Age Of Majority'

    Whether the full Eleventh Circuit will strike down or uphold Florida's firearms sales ban to anyone under 21 appeared to hinge Tuesday on whether the court adopts modern notions of when adulthood begins or prior beliefs understood as "18-year-old Johnny on his way to the militia," circa 1789.

  • October 22, 2024

    Organic Food Group Asks 9th Circ. To Upend GMO Label Rule

    An organic food industry advocacy group urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reverse a district judge decision that largely left a Trump-era organic food labeling rule intact, saying the U.S. Department of Agriculture's implementation of a nationwide labeling law for genetically modified foods has been "arbitrary and capricious."

  • October 22, 2024

    Dormant Commerce Blocks Wash. Licenses, 9th Circ. Told

    Would-be cannabis dispensary Peridot Tree WA Inc. has urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse orders denying an injunction and dismissing its suit challenging Washington's social equity licensing program, saying it violates the dormant commerce clause by favoring in-state operators.

  • October 22, 2024

    Starbucks Shareholder Sues Execs Over $890M Buyback

    A Starbucks Corp. shareholder on Monday accused the coffee giant's former CEO and current and former company directors — including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — of misleading investors about future growth and revenues, resulting in a stock buyback program that was allegedly inflated by more than $227 million.

  • October 22, 2024

    Hagens Berman Tells Amazon, Apple: Sure, Sanction Client

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is fine with a Washington federal court sanctioning the firm's client — formerly the lead plaintiff — in a putative antitrust class action against Apple and Amazon, saying it shares their goal of compelling document production after the plaintiff ghosted his attorneys.

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    AutoNation Can't Ax $2.5 Million Age Bias Arbitration Award

    A Washington federal judge said AutoNation Inc. can't scrap a $2.5 million arbitration award for a former sales manager who said he was fired due to his age, rejecting the company's concerns that the order was not properly calculated.

  • October 21, 2024

    Eli Lilly Slams 'Dangerous' Knock-Off Weight Loss Drugs

    Eli Lilly & Co. on Monday launched a trio of lawsuits in Indiana, Texas and Washington federal courts accusing three telehealth companies of peddling illicit knockoffs of its weight-loss medications that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and that pose a danger to patients.

  • October 21, 2024

    Video Game Co. Looks To Halt Mass Antitrust Arbitration

    The company behind PC game marketplace Steam is suing over 600 game buyers in a bid to block them from contintuing in arbitration with antitrust claims against the company, calling the litigants "pawns" in attorney William Bucher IV's mass arbitration scheme.

  • October 21, 2024

    Nissan Fights Uphill To Undo Cert. In Sunroof Defect Fight

    Ninth Circuit judges on Monday doubted Nissan's bid to undo an order certification of a class of drivers who allege the Japanese carmaker sold vehicles with panoramic sunroofs that are prone to shattering, telling Nissan's counsel the appeal appears to challenge the claims' merits, and not whether they could be resolved classwide.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Slams 'Reprehensible' Policy In Jail Death

    A Ninth Circuit judge on Monday blasted a healthcare contractor's policy that denied hospital treatment for a woman in a Washington jail who died from a ruptured intestine, but nevertheless questioned if a $24 million punitive damage jury award was excessive.

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Doubts Calif. City Can Sue Over Housing Mandates

    A Ninth Circuit panel expressed skepticism Monday that Huntington Beach, California, has standing to sue the state in federal court over California's housing mandates because it's an autonomous charter city, with one judge saying the city "is not some free floating entity that gets to do whatever it wants."

  • October 21, 2024

    9th Circ. Probes Bargaining Order Limits In 1st Cemex Review

    In the first court challenge to the National Labor Relations Board's landmark Cemex ruling, the Ninth Circuit grappled Monday with whether the labor board's new standard for issuing bargaining orders complies with a framework the U.S. Supreme Court set out more than 50 years ago.

  • October 21, 2024

    Boeing Machinists To Vote On New Tentative Wage Deal

    Approximately 33,000 Boeing employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers will vote Wednesday on a tentative new labor contract that includes a 35% wage increase over four years, potentially ending a more than monthlong strike that hampered Boeing's production and cash flow.

  • October 21, 2024

    Feds Say Doctor Used Pandemic Funds For Cars, Real Estate

    A Washington state dermatologist used $1.5 million from a loan intended for small business COVID-19 relief on two luxury Porsches, a second home and a storage unit, prosecutors said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Constitutional Protections For Cannabis Companies Are Hazy

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    Cannabis businesses are subject to federal enforcement and tax, but often without the benefit of constitutional protections — and the entanglement of state and federal law and conflicting judicial opinions are creating confusion in the space, says Amber Lengacher at Purple Circle.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

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    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Justices' Removal Ruling Presents Hurdles, But Offers Clarity

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Campos-Chaves v. Garland and two other consolidated cases endorses a multistep notice practice that could impair noncitizens' access to adequate judicial notice, but its resolution of a longstanding circuit split also provides much-needed clarity, says Devin Connolly at Reeves Immigration Law Group.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • Arbitration Implications Of High Court Coinbase Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Coinbase v. Suski ruling not only reaffirmed the long-standing principle that arbitration is a matter of contract, but also established new and more general principles concerning the courts' jurisdiction to decide challenges to delegation clauses and the severability rule, say Tamar Meshel at the University of Alberta.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

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