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Washington
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June 12, 2024
32 AGs Urge Justices Take Up Okla. PBM Law Fight
Thirty-two attorneys general urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Oklahoma's petition for review of a Tenth Circuit decision holding that federal law preempted portions of a state law regulating pharmacy benefit managers, arguing the justices needed to intervene to resolve a circuit split.
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June 12, 2024
Ex-Supreme Court Clerk, Federal Atty Joins McGuireWoods
McGuireWoods LLP announced the addition of another former federal prosecutor to its ranks on Wednesday, this time a product liability expert from Perkins Coie LLP who advises companies on various disputes and government investigations.
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June 11, 2024
Seattle Port's Ex-Police Takes Wrongful Firing Case To Trial
A former Port of Seattle police chief told a Washington state jury on Tuesday that he was wrongfully fired from his job over false claims that he retaliated against an officer, accusing the port of hiring an independent investigator to assemble a damning report in anticipation of a lawsuit over the termination.
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June 11, 2024
9th Circ. Judge On Theranos Appeal: 'Good Story' For Holmes
Two Ninth Circuit judges on a three-judge panel expressed concerns Tuesday that the district judge presiding over convicted former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' criminal trial erred by allowing a layperson witness to offer expert testimony at trial, with one judge saying, "There's a pretty good story here for Ms. Holmes."
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June 11, 2024
4 More States Join DOJ's Antitrust Suit Against Apple
The attorneys general of Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada and Indiana on Tuesday became the latest to join the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court claiming Apple is monopolizing the smartphone market.
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June 11, 2024
Justices Urged To Review Fee Denial In DOL Stock Plan Case
A construction design firm is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up its fight for attorney fees after beating an enforcement case brought by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging the company and its founders mismanaged an employee stock ownership plan, with the firm arguing the Ninth Circuit erred in siding with the DOL.
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June 11, 2024
J&J Inks $700M Deal To End AGs' Talc Marketing Suits
Forty-three state attorneys general on Tuesday said there has been a $700 million nationwide settlement and a consent judgment has been reached with Johnson & Johnson that ends claims it misled consumers about the safety of its talc products.
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June 11, 2024
Immigration Firm Says Rival Poached Workers And Stole TM
A Washington immigration law firm specializing in visas for domestic violence and sex trafficking victims is accusing a competing Texas firm of poaching its employees and stealing a Spanish phrase covered by its trademark — "Arreglar sin salir!" — which translates to "fix without leaving."
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June 10, 2024
Navy Liable In 'Take-Home' Asbestos Death, Trial Judge Told
The U.S. Navy can't avoid a $12 million wrongful death suit by arguing asbestos safeguards were only advisory at a Washington state shipyard in the 1970s, counsel to the family of a service member's deceased spouse said Monday at the start of a bench trial.
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June 10, 2024
9th Circ. Partially Revives Puget Sound Pollution Row
The Ninth Circuit sided with an environmental group Monday in a regulation enforcement case against the Port of Tacoma, Washington, partially overturning a lower court to find previous iterations of state stormwater permitting rules do extend across marine cargo terminals and other transportation facilities.
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June 10, 2024
9th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-City Worker's Accommodation Suit
The Ninth Circuit declined Monday to revive an employee's suit alleging the city he worked for used an argument he had with police officers as a cover-up to fire him because he requested leave to treat a knee injury, ruling that the worker lacked proof of prejudice.
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June 10, 2024
9th Circ. Doubts Suit Challenging US Military Aid To Israel
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Monday of reviving a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's support for Israel's military efforts in Gaza, with two judges saying the injunctive relief requests are "extraordinary" and broad, and a third judge saying reviving the case would essentially have courts running the U.S. military.
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June 10, 2024
Full 9th Circ. Rules AB5 And Its Exemptions Are Lawful
The California Legislature had a plausible reason for creating certain carveouts from a state law governing whether workers are employees or independent contractors, the full Ninth Circuit ruled Monday, departing from a panel's decision that Assembly Bill 5 disfavors companies such as Uber.
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June 10, 2024
9th Circ. To Hear Args In Psilocybin Right-To-Try Case
A Ninth Circuit panel will hear oral arguments in August in an appeal brought by a Seattle doctor seeking to administer psilocybin to terminal cancer patients under state and federal right-to-try laws.
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June 10, 2024
Justices To Hear Meta Investor Suit Over Risk Disclosures
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Meta Platforms' petition regarding the Ninth Circuit's decision to partially revive investors' claims over the Cambridge Analytica data abuse scandal, after the tech giant argued the appellate panel adopted "extreme outlier positions."
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June 07, 2024
Public Schools Tossed From Calif. Social Media Injury Case
Four public school districts cannot pursue their claims against Meta Platforms, Snap, Google, YouTube and TikTok that their allegedly addictive social media platforms fueling a mental health crisis among children have had a ripple effect on schools, a California state judge ruled Friday.
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June 07, 2024
Split 9th Circ. Revives LA Schools Vaccine Policy Row
A split Ninth Circuit panel on Friday reversed a California federal court's dismissal of a proposed class action challenging a recently rescinded Los Angeles Unified School District policy requiring employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine to keep their jobs, ruling that the district still has the potential to reinstate it.
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June 07, 2024
'Why Are You Even Here?' Judge Prods Big Tobacco
A Washington state appellate panel on Friday criticized Philip Morris USA Inc. and other tobacco companies for attempting to pay the state less under a 1998 master settlement agreement, with one judge asking a Big Tobacco attorney why they were in court in the first place.
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June 07, 2024
Judge Doubts Ethnicity Questions Deserve Jury Bias Probe
A Washington appellate judge pushed back Friday against a Filipino family who claimed a hospital's questions about their ethnicity at trial required a bias inquiry, noting race is "something that can't be ignored" in any courtroom filled with people who look different from one another.
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June 07, 2024
FCA, Cummins' $6M Engine Defect Deal Gets OK'd
A Michigan federal judge gave the go-ahead Friday to a $6 million settlement to resolve claims that Cummins Inc. made defective engines that went into FCA US LLC's Dodge Ram vehicles. FCA, now part of Stellantis NV, was once better known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
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June 07, 2024
State Farm Denies Defense Of Daycare In Nap Drugging Suits
State Farm told a Washington federal court it had no duty to defend a childcare center accused of deploying corporal punishment and nonconsensually drugging children with Benadryl to induce nap time.
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June 07, 2024
9th Circ. Says University Can Sue Over Wash. AG Hiring Probe
A Ninth Circuit panel breathed new life Friday into a private Christian university's lawsuit accusing Washington state's attorney general of improperly investigating its anti-LGBTQ+ hiring practices, finding the possibility of potential future enforcement gives the school standing to sue.
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June 06, 2024
FTC Says Kroger Hasn't Turned Over Promised Documents
The Federal Trade Commission urged an administrative law judge on Tuesday to require Kroger to fork over documents related to negotiations for its divestiture plan amid the commission's in-house challenge to the grocer's merger with Albertsons, saying Kroger's prior representations that it would produce the materials "have proven false."
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June 06, 2024
Wash. High Court Will Review Gun Magazine Law
The Washington state Supreme Court said Thursday it will review a trial court ruling that the state's ban on sales of large-capacity magazines for firearms is unconstitutional.
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June 06, 2024
Wash. Judge Suggests Insurer Dragged Out IP Dispute
A Washington federal judge appeared unconvinced Thursday by a dental health insurer's argument that it acted honestly in pushing forward with trade secret claims even after the accused ex-employee returned her company-issued laptop that purportedly held sensitive information.
Expert Analysis
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Series
In Focus At The EEOC: Advancing Equal Pay
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recently finalized strategic enforcement plan expresses a renewed commitment to advancing equal pay at a time when employees have unprecedented access to compensation information, highlighting for employers the importance of open communication and ongoing pay equity analyses, say Paul Evans at Baker McKenzie and Christine Hendrickson at Syndio.
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Return Days Key In Hyatt COVID-19 Layoffs Ruling
The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Hartstein v. Hyatt, which clarified when the hotel giant had to pay out accrued vacation time after pandemic-prompted temporary layoffs, highlights the importance of whether an employer specifies a return date within the normal pay period, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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9th Circ. Ruling Expands The Horizons Of Debt Discharge
The Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel’s recent ruling in RS Air v. NetJets demonstrates that creditors should not be quick to conclude that their recoveries are limited if a debtor commences bankruptcy and receives a discharge, and should instead consider other potential paths for recovery, like alter ego claims, say Dania Slim and Claire Wu at Pillsbury.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Life Sciences Cos. Can Prevent Securities Class Actions
Though the overall volume of securities fraud class actions has dipped in the last couple of years, life sciences companies remain a particularly popular target for these filings and should employ best practices to minimize risk, say Joni Jacobsen and Angela Liu at Dechert.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Ruling Shows Barriers Remain For Kids' Privacy Regulation
A California federal court’s recent decision halting state officials from enforcing the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act demonstrates that major roadblocks continue to obstruct regulation intended to make browsing more appropriate for children, say attorneys at Goodwin.
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To Responsibly Rock Out At Work, Draft A Music Policy
Employers may be tempted to turn down the tunes after a Ninth Circuit decision that blasting misogynist music could count as workplace harassment, but companies can safely provide a soundtrack to the workday if they first take practical steps to ensure their playlists don’t demean or disrespect workers or patrons, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.
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Autonomous Vehicles Must Navigate Patchwork Of State Regs
With only modest action by the federal government on the autonomous vehicle regulatory front in 2023, states and localities remain the predominant source of new regulations affecting AVs — but the result is a mix of rules that both help and hinder AV development and adoption, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Federal Policies Keeping Autonomous Vehicles In Slow Lane
In the first installment of this two-part article, attorneys at Faegre Drinker examine recent federal regulations and programs related to autonomous vehicles — and how the federal government's failure to implement a more comprehensive AV regulatory scheme may be slowing the progress of the industry.
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What UCC Article 12 Adoption Means For Digital Assets
Until it is widely adopted, both owners of digital assets and their secured lenders will need to exercise caution in jurisdictions that have adopted Uniform Commercial Code Article 12, and care will need to be taken when creating, transferring and managing digital assets to comply with its requirements, say Margo Tank and David Whitaker at DLA Piper.