Appellate

  • November 12, 2025

    10th Circ. Reverses Halt Of Colo.'s Opt-Out Interest Rate Law

    A Tenth Circuit majority has restored a Colorado law barring out-of-state banks from issuing loans that violate the state's interest rate caps on consumer lending, ruling in a matter of first impression that the opt-out provision of a federal interest rate law refers to loans in which either the lender or the borrower is located in the opt-out state.

  • November 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Upholds Airbnb Win In NYC Landlord's Suit

    The Second Circuit affirmed a lower court's dismissal of a New York City landlord's lawsuit accusing Airbnb Inc. of enabling illegal short-term rentals and costing it more than $100,000 in city fines, finding the property owner failed to meet a deadline to respond to a magistrate judge's report and recommendation. 

  • November 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Restore Payment Processing Patent Claims

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's invalidation of claims from three CloudofChange LLC patents, two of which are involved in a separate multimillion-dollar lawsuit.

  • November 12, 2025

    Del. Justices Mull Paramount Merger Doc Suit Revival

    An attorney for Paramount Global urged Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday to adopt a "very bright-line rule" barring post-document-demand use of unverified reports and confidential news sources to support stockholder suits seeking access to corporate deal books and records.

  • November 12, 2025

    Ohio Justices Say Prosecutors Can Appeal Venue Rulings

    The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that prosecutors can now appeal when trial courts end criminal cases for being in the improper venue, overriding existing precedent.

  • November 12, 2025

    Wage Rule Inapplicable To 'Plug And Play' Work, Panel Told

    A New Jersey utility systems installer told a state appellate panel Wednesday that its subcontracted cell tower work — limited to plugging in pre-terminated fiber optic cables — was wrongly categorized under the state's prevailing wage for electricians instead of the lower rate under the electrician teledata classification.

  • November 12, 2025

    Google Tells 9th Circ. Not To Revive Rumble Antitrust Case

    Google urged the Ninth Circuit not to revive Rumble's antitrust suit accusing the tech giant of rigging search results to favor its YouTube unit over the rival video-sharing site, arguing a district court rightly found the claims time-barred.

  • November 12, 2025

    Fla. Lacked Evidence For Psychiatric Hold, Court Says

    A Florida appeals court on Wednesday reversed an involuntary commitment order after the state conceded its evidence was insufficient for a finding of mental illness under state law.

  • November 12, 2025

    1st Circ. Weighs Federal Halt To Planned Parenthood Funding

    First Circuit judges skeptically questioned a Planned Parenthood attorney Wednesday as they wrestled with whether Congress illegally singled out the organization in budget legislation that blocks its federal Medicaid funding for a year.

  • November 12, 2025

    8th Circ. Will Rehear Travelers' $27M Fire Award Challenge

    The Eighth Circuit agreed Wednesday to revisit its previous split decision affirming a Missouri-based apartment complex owner's $27 million jury award against a Travelers unit in a fire coverage dispute.

  • November 12, 2025

    11th Circ. Rules TSA Must Face Woman's Strip Search Claims

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday revived a lawsuit claiming a pregnant woman was unlawfully subjected to an invasive strip search at a Florida airport, agreeing with five other circuits in ruling the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is not protected against "certain intentional torts" committed by its airport security screening officers.

  • November 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Reverses Ax Of Oil Tool Patent And Fixes Error

    The Federal Circuit ruled Wednesday that a Texas federal judge wrongly invalidated an oil well tool patent as indefinite, saying the patent contains a rare example of an error that is so clear it can be corrected by a court.

  • November 12, 2025

    Justices Hint Early Release Factors 'Countermand' Congress

    Justices in the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative faction questioned Wednesday whether the U.S. Sentencing Commission overstepped when it said reductions in mandatory minimum sentences could be part of a court's consideration when weighing "compassionate release" for federal prisoners.

  • November 12, 2025

    Pork Buyers Fight Bid To Pause Price-Fixing Case For Appeal

    Pork buyers told a Minnesota federal judge not to hit pause on their price-fixing case while Agri Stats Inc. and major producers push the Eighth Circuit to force the judge's recusal over a law clerk's previous work on a related case.

  • November 12, 2025

    Illinois Court Says Tax Board Overstepped In Appeal Dismissal

    The Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board exceeded its statutory authority when it decided to sanction a commercial property owner by dismissing two tax appeals over the property, a state appellate panel said Wednesday.

  • November 12, 2025

    FERC Can't Order Refund Of Extra Tax Costs, DC Circ. Told

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requiring an Energy Transfer LP unit to refund customers extra costs tacked onto its rates for deferred federal income tax reasons was unlawful retroactive ratemaking, the subsidiary told the D.C. Circuit, urging a reversal of the commission's order.

  • November 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Doubts NLRB Dress Code Test In Starbucks Appeal

    A Second Circuit panel appeared skeptical Wednesday of the revised test underlying the National Labor Relations Board's ruling that Starbucks illegally forbade roastery workers to wear union T-shirts but appeared to buy that the agency's reviews of employers' dress codes generally deserve deference.

  • November 12, 2025

    Ill. Justices Probe 'Catch-22' In $7B Grain Belt Line Fight

    Illinois Supreme Court justices considering whether to uphold an Illinois agency's authorization of part of the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission line on Wednesday pressed counsel for landowners insisting they shouldn't to address whether their argument creates a "catch-22" for the developer if it can't get funding without regulatory signoff but needs regulatory approval to secure financing.

  • November 12, 2025

    DOT Immigrant Trucker Rule Frozen Pending DC Circ. Review

    The D.C. Circuit has stayed a new U.S. Department of Transportation rule that blocks certain immigrants from driving commercial trucks or buses while it considers whether the rule is arbitrary, as workers and unions have claimed.

  • November 12, 2025

    4th Circ. Sides With Father-Son Duo In Equity Fight

    A company that makes elevated stairs on Wednesday lost its appeal at the Fourth Circuit following various rulings against it in a suit it lodged against its co-founder and his son over a soured business venture involving the design of the business's sole product.

  • November 12, 2025

    Boulder Fights Exxon's High Court Bid To Sink Climate Suit

    The city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc.'s request that it review the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to allow the city's climate change tort against the companies to proceed in state court.

  • November 12, 2025

    Historic Seneca Leader Ely Parker Honored With NY Bar Entry

    A New York appellate court has granted posthumous state bar admission to a 19th century Seneca Nation leader and Indigenous rights activist who was denied the ability to practice law because he was a Native American.

  • November 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Finance Guru Ramsey Can't Arbitrate Fraud Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel rejected celebrity financial planner Dave Ramsey's bid to force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing him of roping radio show listeners into a timeshare exit scheme, concluding Wednesday the suit isn't tied to the consumers' contract with Reed Hein & Associates.

  • November 12, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Officer's Gun Draw, But Slams His Philosophy

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday scolded a Virginia police officer who testified that he draws his gun when "there's any type of crime committed," saying unwarranted threats of deadly force are dangerous and can violate constitutional rights.

  • November 12, 2025

    Justices Fret Over Giving Judges More First Step Act Power

    The U.S. Supreme Court raised concerns Wednesday about spurring a flood of compassionate release motions from prisoners if it allows judges to have wide discretion to find "extraordinary and compelling reasons" to pare down sentences for criminal defendants under the First Step Act.

Expert Analysis

  • The Rise Of Trade Secret Specificity As A Jury Question

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    Recent federal appellate court decisions have clarified that determining sufficient particularity under the Defend Trade Secrets Act is a question of fact and will likely become a standard jury question, highlighting the need for appropriate jury instructions that explicitly address the issue, says Amy Candido at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

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    Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

  • Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

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    State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Takeaways As Justices Let 5th Circ. Pollution Ruling Stand

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent certiorari denial leaves intact a Fifth Circuit ruling that environmental justice organizations have standing to pursue a civil rights challenge to a parish's land-use practice, underscoring the importance of local governments proactively engaging with communities to address cumulative impacts of development, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Employer Considerations After 11th Circ. Gender Care Ruling

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    The Eleventh Circuit's en banc decision in Lange v. Houston County, Georgia, finding that a health plan did not violate Title VII by excluding coverage for gender-affirming care, shows that plans must be increasingly cognizant of federal and state liability as states pass varying mandates, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Trade Secret Rulings Reveal The Cost Of Poor Preparation

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    Two recent federal appellate decisions show that companies must be prepared to prove their trade secrets with specificity, highlighting how an asset management program that identifies key confidential information before litigation arises can provide the clarity and documentation that courts increasingly require, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • AI's Role In Google Antitrust Suit May Reshape Tech Markets

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    The evolution of AI in retail has reshaped the U.S.' antitrust case against Google, which could both benefit small business innovators and consumers, and fundamentally alter future antitrust cases, including the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Amazon, says Graham Dufault at ACT.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: How It Works In Massachusetts

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    Since its founding in 2000, the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session's expertise, procedural flexibility and litigant-friendly case management practices have contributed to the development of a robust body of commercial jurisprudence, say James Donnelly at Mirick O’Connell, Felicia Ellsworth at WilmerHale and Lisa Wood at Foley Hoag.

  • Why Appellees Should Write Their Answering Brief First

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    Though counterintuitive, appellees should consider writing their answering briefs before they’ve ever seen their opponent’s opening brief, as this practice confers numerous benefits related to argument structure, time pressures and workflow, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    The third quarter of 2025 was another eventful quarter for total loss valuation class actions, with a new circuit split developing courtesy of the Sixth Circuit, while insurers continued to see negative results in cost-of-insurance class actions, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • Strategic Use Of Motions In Limine In Employment Cases

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Because motions in limine can shape the course of employment litigation and ensure that juries decide cases on admissible, relevant evidence, understanding their strategic use is essential to effective advocacy and case management at trial, says Sara Lewenstein at Nilan Johnson.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Compassionate Release Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Fernandez v. U.S. next week about the overlap between motions to vacate and compassionate release, and its ultimate decision could ultimately limit or expand judicial discretion in sentencing, says Zachary Newland at Evergreen Attorneys.

  • 2nd Circ. Peloton Ruling Emphasizes Disclosure Context

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision to revive shareholders’ suit alleging that Peloton made materially misleading statements makes clear that public companies must continually review risk disclosures to determine if previous hypotheticals have materialized, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

  • Lessons From 7th Circ. Decision Affirming $183M FCA Verdict

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    The Seventh Circuit's decision to uphold a $183 million False Claims Act award against Eli Lilly engages substantively with recurring materiality and scienter questions and provides insights into appellate review of complex trial court judgments, say Ellen London at London & Naor, Li Yu at Bernstein Litowitz and Kimberly Friday at Osborn Maledon.

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