Washington

  • April 08, 2024

    Starbucks Drops TM Suit After Fake Websites Go Dark

    Starbucks has agreed to drop a trademark lawsuit claiming a pair of websites ripped off its "twin-tailed siren" logo and other brand material to sell fake franchise deals, saying in a recent Washington federal court filing that the allegedly unauthorized activity has stopped.

  • April 08, 2024

    AT&T Seeks Justices' Review Of 9th Circ. 401(k) Suit Revival

    AT&T has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision reviving retirement plan mismanagement claims against the telecom giant, arguing that a panel defied court precedent and deepened a circuit split with its ruling knocking out AT&T's summary judgment win.

  • April 08, 2024

    Key Congressional Leaders Float Sweeping Data Privacy Bill

    The heads of the U.S. Senate and House commerce committees have taken a major step toward enacting a comprehensive federal consumer data privacy framework, reaching a long-awaited deal on proposed legislation that would minimize the personal data companies can gather, allow consumers to bring lawsuits and eliminate a growing patchwork of state laws.

  • April 05, 2024

    COVID App Takes Another Shot At Apple With Justices

    App developers are again seeking U.S. Supreme Court intervention against the Ninth Circuit's refusal to revive antitrust allegations over Apple's rejection of COVID-19-tracking and bitcoin apps, decrying "fundamental error" lower courts made misreading pleading requirements, proffered market definition and more.

  • April 05, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Pump-And-Dump Action Against Cartoon Co.

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday revived a securities class action accusing children's entertainment company Genius Brands International Inc. of running a pump-and-dump scheme in its stock, and in doing so likened the court's mission to that of the heroes of the company's cartoon production "Rainbow Rangers."

  • April 05, 2024

    Justices Urged To 'Shut The Door' On Meta Disclosure Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court should "shut the door" on private securities lawsuits that could create a bloated disclosure regime and hurt businesses and investors alike, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Friday in a brief backing Meta Platforms Inc.'s call for the justices to hear a shareholder proposed class action over the Cambridge Analytica data abuse scandal.

  • April 05, 2024

    Starbucks Tells Judge Union Dealings Aren't 'Mission Critical'

    Starbucks denied Friday that complying with federal labor law was "mission critical" to its business as it urged a Washington state judge to dismiss a shareholder suit accusing company leaders of union busting, which they say tanked Starbucks' reputation.

  • April 05, 2024

    FCC Says Carrier Must Kill Tax Relief Scam Robocalls

    The Federal Communications Commission says it's doing some spring-cleaning and will be clearing out entities supporting clients that make illegal robocalls, starting with a company that has been allowing a client to send out some 15 million calls about a fake tax relief program.

  • April 05, 2024

    Boeing Pays Alaska Airlines $160M For 737 Midair Blowout

    The Boeing Co. has paid $160 million to Alaska Airlines for losses from the midair door plug blowout on a 737 MAX jet that horrified passengers, grounded planes and disrupted flights, according to a regulatory filing from the airline.

  • April 04, 2024

    Homeowner Asks 9th Circ. To Rethink Fire Coverage Ruling

    A woman who was prevented from coverage of a 2021 house fire by the Ninth Circuit asked the court to rehear her case, arguing among other things that she did not lie to her insurer about renting her home, because she didn't fill out the insurance application.

  • April 04, 2024

    9th Circ. Unconvinced Judge's Past Job Hurt Tesla Investor

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to revive claims brought by a short-seller accusing Tesla Inc. and CEO Elon Musk of using social media to artificially inflate the company's stock, ruling that the plaintiff wasn't prejudiced by a district judge's former employment with the predecessor of a firm that represented Tesla for a portion of the litigation.

  • April 04, 2024

    Parents Deny Need For Defect In Amazon Suicide Suit

    Families accusing Amazon of negligently selling chemicals teens used in their suicides told the Ninth Circuit Wednesday that their suit should get another chance, arguing they did not have to show the lethal chemical was defective in order to prove Amazon's liability.

  • April 04, 2024

    Nurses Want To Merge DaVita Wage Suits Over Unpaid Breaks

    Workers suing kidney care giant DaVita Inc. have asked a Colorado federal judge to consolidate two similar collective actions alleging they were denied wages for work performed during meal and rest breaks, saying overlap between the cases is "inevitable."

  • April 04, 2024

    Wash. AG Defends Authority To Block Kroger-Albertsons Deal

    The Washington Attorney General's Office has told a state court that a local consumer protection law allows it to bring actions challenging anti-competitive mergers and urged the court to reject contentions from Kroger and Albertsons that the state lacks authority to block a nationwide deal.

  • April 04, 2024

    Ex-IRS Agent Caused $42.5M In Tax Loss As Preparer, US Says

    A tax preparer who once worked for the Internal Revenue Service should be permanently barred from preparing federal returns because he caused an estimated $42.5 million in tax losses by scheming to underestimate his clients' liabilities, the government told a Washington federal court.

  • April 04, 2024

    Full 9th Circ. Won't Review PAGA Ruling In Lowe's Suit

    The full Ninth Circuit won't review a panel's decision ruling that a Lowe's worker's nonindividual claims under California's Private Attorneys General Act could stay in court while her individual claims go into arbitration, denying the company's bid to step in.

  • April 03, 2024

    9th Circ. Skeptical Of ADA Suit Against Buddhist Temple

    The Ninth Circuit appeared hesitant Wednesday to revive a former live-in apprentice's disability bias suit against a Buddhist temple, with a panel suggesting that his maintenance duties didn't place him outside the scope of a ministerial exception to anti-discrimination law.

  • April 03, 2024

    Microsoft Notches Fed. Circ. Win In 3D Imaging Patent Fight

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday backed a ruling from an administrative tribunal that wiped out most of a patent issued to a Florida radiologist and his ex-Lockheed Martin business partner, whose company is suing Microsoft over its line of HoloLens AR headsets.

  • April 03, 2024

    Colo. Judge Unpersuaded By Insurer's 3rd Dismissal Bid

    A Colorado federal judge recommended keeping alive an insurer's lawsuit seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe $4 million in coverage to a climbing equipment manufacturer and its primary insurer over a recalled product, calling a third dismissal bid a "wasted effort."

  • April 03, 2024

    Nationstar Adds 'Junk Fee' For Loan Payoff Quote, Suit Says

    A proposed class hit Nationstar Mortgage LLC with a suit alleging the mortgage servicing firm illegally charges homeowners a "junk fee" for written payoff quotes in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

  • April 03, 2024

    9th Circ. Doubts Kosher Tester's Religious Carveout Challenge

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday seemed skeptical of a worker's argument that the ministerial exception does not apply to his suit accusing an Orthodox Jewish organization of failing to pay him overtime for his work making sure grapes used for wines were kept kosher.

  • April 03, 2024

    Models Get $95K Default Win In Strip Club Piracy Suit

    A Washington federal judge ordered a Seattle strip club to pay a group of professional models $95,000 in damages on Wednesday, after finding it had engaged in "amateur piracy" by using their photos without permission and failed to defend itself.

  • April 03, 2024

    Tort Report: Cert Bid For NY Gun Law; Insult Atty Update

    A high court challenge of New York's gun sales law and an update on disciplinary proceedings against an attorney who hurled insults at judges, calling them "scumbags," lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • April 03, 2024

    Insurer, DC Teams' Owner End Virus Coverage Dispute

    The owner of Washington, D.C., professional basketball and hockey teams and its insurer agreed to end their COVID-19 coverage dispute after the owner appealed the dismissal of its coverage claims to the D.C. Circuit.

  • April 03, 2024

    Beekeeper Groups Seek Fees From EPA After 9th Circ. Appeal

    Attorneys for beekeeper groups in an appeal over a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision on insecticides have asked the Ninth Circuit to award nearly $750,000 in legal fees after a ruling that hammered the EPA but left the agency's decision intact.

Expert Analysis

  • 9th Circ. Kellogg Ruling Offers Protein Claim Defense Tips

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion dismissing consolidated false advertising class actions against Kellogg and Kashi should be required reading for manufacturers that include protein-related claims on their product labels because it significantly clarifies the viability of state law challenges to those claims, say Olivia Dworkin and Cortlin Lannin at Covington.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • Calif., Wash. Rest Break Waivers: What Carriers Must Know

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    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's recent invitation for petitions to waive its rules on meal and rest breaks for commercial drivers in California and Washington is an unusual move, and the agency's own guidance seems to acknowledge that its plan may face legal challenges, says Jessica Scott at Wheeler Trigg.

  • How Taxpayers Can Prep As Justices Weigh Repatriation Tax

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    The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the 2017 federal tax overhaul's corporate repatriation tax in Moore v. U.S., so taxpayers should file protective tax refund claims before the case is decided and repatriate previously taxed earnings that could become entangled in dubious potential Section 965 refunds, say Jenny Austin and Gary Wilcox at Mayer Brown.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Retailers Face Compliance Issues As PFAS Regulations Grow

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    As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance legislation, and the potential for litigation, continues to evolve and spread nationally, retailers should focus on supply chain management, inventory audits and maintaining strong internal standard operating procedures as a way to manage compliance and minimize risk, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Shows Int'l Arbitration Jurisdictional Snags

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    While the Ninth Circuit sidestepped the thorny and undecided constitutional question of whether a foreign state is a person for the purposes of a due process analysis, its Devas v. Antrix opinion provides important guidance to parties seeking to enforce an arbitration award against a foreign sovereign in the U.S., say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'

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    Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.

  • Upcoming High Court ADA Cases May Signal Return To Basics

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    Recent cases, including Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in October, raise a fundamental question of whether Americans with Disabilities Act litigation has spiraled out of control without any real corresponding benefits to the intended beneficiaries: individuals with true disabilities, says Norman Dupont at Ring Bender.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Prepping For OSHA Standard On Violence Risk In Health Care

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    Though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has yet to create a new standard to address violence against health care workers, employers can prepare for coming federal regulatory changes by studying existing state rules and past OSHA citations, then taking steps to improve their safety programs, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • FTC 'Dark Patterns' Enforcement Signals Consent Theory Shift

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Amazon for using dark patterns to trick consumers signals a general trend in American jurisprudence of importing a European theory of consent, which could result in a more turgid digital experience, says Christian Auty at BCLP.

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