Aerospace & Defense

  • April 29, 2025

    Apple Settles Harvard Profs' IPhone Night Vision Patent Suit

    Apple has agreed in principle to settle a suit brought by a startup company owned by two Harvard professors who claimed the tech giant infringed patents related to cameras that can render night vision images.

  • April 29, 2025

    Meta Seeks Punitives For NSO WhatsApp Hack As Trial Opens

    Meta's counsel told a California federal jury during trial openings Tuesday that Israeli spyware-maker NSO Group owes nearly $445,000 plus punitive damages for its "despicable" conduct hacking 1,400 WhatsApp users' devices, while NSO's counsel denied owing Meta anything and criticized Meta's case as a PR attempt to "own the narrative."

  • April 29, 2025

    Examining The EPA's Forever Chemical Plans

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to clarify who is liable for forever chemical contamination and hold polluters accountable, though questions remain as to whether current standards could be loosened and how much help could be needed from Congress.

  • April 29, 2025

    Trump Can't Reorganize Gov't Without Congress, Groups Say

    President Donald Trump lacks the power to reorganize the executive branch and push for mass terminations of workers when Congress hasn't given its blessing, unions and other groups told a California federal court.

  • April 29, 2025

    Sullivan M&A Chief Sees Opportunities Amid Tariff Turmoil

    After a rocky start to 2025, the mergers and acquisitions landscape is grappling with economic volatility, shifting trade policies and a complex regulatory environment. But even in a "choppy" market, there are always deals to be made, says Melissa Sawyer, global head of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP's M&A group and co-head of its corporate governance practice.

  • April 29, 2025

    Former National Security Council Adviser Joins Venable

    A White House National Security Council adviser, who also previously served as acting general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, has joined Venable LLP, the latest NSC official to depart the White House for the private sector in recent months.

  • April 29, 2025

    Child Born After Father's Death Can Sue Iran, DC Circ. Rules

    A child in utero when her Navy special forces father was killed in an Iranian-sponsored Taliban attack can seek so-called solatium damages from Iran under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's terrorism exception, just like her mother and older siblings, a D.C. Circuit panel ruled Tuesday.

  • April 29, 2025

    Retirees Fight Lockheed's Quick Appeal Push In Annuity Suit

    Lockheed Martin retirees urged a Maryland federal judge not to allow the company to immediately challenge a ruling that kept alive their suit claiming Lockheed illegally pushed workers' pensions into risky annuities, arguing an appeal would be premature even though a similar case was recently tossed out.

  • April 29, 2025

    Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Joins Pillsbury As Consultant

    Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will work as a strategic consultant at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where she'll be a senior policy adviser supporting a range of defense, national security and government practice groups, the firm recently announced.

  • April 28, 2025

    Meta Gets Jury In Damages Trial Over NSO's WhatsApp Hack

    A California federal judge empaneled eight jurors Monday to decide how much Israeli spyware-maker NSO Group owes Meta Platforms for hacking into 1,400 WhatsApp users' devices, selecting from a pool of dozens of San Francisco Bay Area residents, many of whom criticized Meta, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the Israeli government.

  • April 28, 2025

    Feds' Bid To Spring False Biden Accuser Shot Down By Judge

    A California federal judge rejected a request Monday by prosecutors to release a former FBI informant imprisoned for lying to federal agents that former President Joe Biden accepted bribes, saying he does not agree the court made a mistake at sentencing that should result in his release pending appeal.

  • April 28, 2025

    Pulled Decision Dooms Chicago Disposal Site Suit, Feds Say

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urged an Illinois federal judge to toss a suit challenging its decision to expand a disposal facility that stores sediments dredged from Chicago waterways now that it has withdrawn that decision.

  • April 28, 2025

    SAIC, Feds, Microsoft Settle Night-Vision Goggle Patent Suit

    The federal government has reached a deal to end a suit from Science Applications International Corp. accusing the government of contracting with Microsoft and L3 Technologies Inc. for night-vision goggle weapon systems with infringing displays.

  • April 28, 2025

    Viasat, Feds Settle Protest Of $424M Satellite Contracts

    The federal government and Viasat Inc. said they have settled the communications company's bid protest claims after the Space Development Agency revealed in February that its director shared bidding information with Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems before awarding it a $254 million contract.

  • April 28, 2025

    Justices Open To New Combat Compensation Filing Window

    A group of U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed open to letting late-filing veterans get retroactive combat-related special compensation, with some justices saying that the statute might be explicit enough to not fall under the Barring Act's statute of limitations.

  • April 28, 2025

    FCC Eyes New Power Limits For NGSO Satellites

    The Federal Communications Commission on Monday floated new power limits for nongeostationary orbit satellites in a move the feds say could boost the availability of broadband service beamed from space, and that was requested by SpaceX.

  • April 28, 2025

    SolarWinds Seeks Final Win Over SEC's 'Face-Saving' Case

    SolarWinds Corp. has asked a New York federal judge to grant it an early win in a suit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accusing the software developer of hiding cybersecurity vulnerabilities that led to the 2020 Sunburst attack, saying the SEC's suit has "devolved into a face-saving exercise."

  • April 28, 2025

    Boeing Rips Investors' Class Cert. Bid In 737 Max Fraud Suit

    Boeing has told an Illinois federal judge that pension funds and private investors cannot certify a sweeping class action seeking a "jaw-dropping" $15 billion in damages by alleging Boeing repeatedly misrepresented the overall safety and certification process for the 737 Max 8 jets after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019.

  • April 28, 2025

    Defense-Focused SPAC Kochav Files $220M IPO

    Defense- and aerospace-focused special purpose acquisition company Kochav Defense Acquisition has revealed plans to raise up to $220 million in an initial public offering, looking to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol KCHVU.

  • April 28, 2025

    Comair Seeks Boeing Sanctions Over 737 Max Refund Letter

    Defunct airline Comair Ltd. is asking a Washington federal judge to sanction The Boeing Co. for deleting evidence of a "side letter" assuring it that its deposits to buy seven 737 Max aircraft would be fully refundable and arguing the letter never existed.

  • April 28, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Seeks Acquittal And Sentencing Delay

    Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Sen. Robert Menendez who was convicted on corruption charges, will ask to have her guilty verdict thrown out and is seeking to delay her sentencing, according to a filing from her attorney in Manhattan federal court on Monday.

  • April 28, 2025

    Justices Seek US Stance In $120M Iraq Immunity Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the federal government to weigh in on a Pennsylvania defense contractor's petition seeking clarity on parts of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial activity exception, as the contractor looks to enforce a $120 million judgment against Iraq.

  • April 28, 2025

    Airbus To Acquire Assets Of Aircraft Parts Maker For $439M

    Airbus SE said Monday that it has finalized a deal for the global components operations of Spirit AeroSystems as part of a $4.7 billion takeover of the parts maker by aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing.

  • April 25, 2025

    Up Next At High Court: Class Cert., Religious Charter Schools

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in five cases this coming week, including in disputes over whether courts can certify classes of plaintiffs when some members haven't suffered an injury and whether students alleging disability discrimination in public schools must meet a higher standard of proof to bring claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • April 25, 2025

    Organ Donor Network Wants Veteran's Waitlist Bias Suit Axed

    The United Network for Organ Sharing asked a Georgia federal court to toss a lawsuit filed against it and several university medical schools over allegations that they delayed a Black military veteran's ability to receive a kidney transplant by artificially inflating his kidney function scores.

Expert Analysis

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • In Terror Case, DC Circ. Must Weigh Justices' Twitter Ruling

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    When the D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in AstraZeneca UK v. Atchley, how the court interprets the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Twitter v. Taamneh will have a significant impact on future claims brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • DOD Cybersecurity Rule Will Burden And Benefit Contractors

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    The U.S. Department of Defense’s cybersecurity certification program, finalized in October, will pose tricky and expensive challenges for contractors, given its many requirements and the scarcity of third-party assessors who can provide certification, but companies may ultimately benefit from a narrower pool of competitors, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • 5 Areas Congress May Investigate After GOP Election Wins

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    With Republicans poised to take control of Congress in addition to the executive branch next year, private companies can expect an unprecedented uptick in congressional investigations focused on five key areas, including cryptocurrency and healthcare, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • US Intellectual Property-Based Sanctions Could Be Imminent

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    A recent presidential delegation suggests that regulators may be ready to wield the sanctions authority found in the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, which has been unutilized for the first 22 months of its life, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Loper Bright Offers New Materiality Defense To FCA Liability

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bight Enterprises v. Raimondo, ending Chevron deference, may have created a new defense to False Claims Act liability by providing the opportunity to argue that a given regulation is not material to the government's payment decision, says Tanner Cook at Husch Blackwell.

  • 2nd Circ. Halkbank Ruling Shifts Foreign Immunity Landscape

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    Following the Second Circuit’s recent common law immunity ruling in U.S. v. Halkbank, foreign state-owned banks, wealth funds and other entities now must seriously consider the risk of criminal liability for commercial activity that violates U.S. laws, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • 9 Considerations Around Proposed Connected Vehicle Ban

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    Stakeholders should consider several aspects of the U.S. Department of Commerce's recent proposal to ban U.S. imports and sales of vehicles incorporating certain connectivity components made in China or Russia, including exempted transactions and vehicle hardware imports, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Opinion

    Preserving The FCA Is Crucial In Trump's 2nd Term

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    While the Trump administration may pursue weaker False Claims Act enforcement, it remains an essential tool in safeguarding public funds and maintaining corporate accountability, so now is not the time to undermine ethical behavior, or reduce protections and incentives for whistleblowers, says Adam Pollock at Pollock Cohen.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

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