Appellate

  • September 22, 2026

    Womble Bond Can't Quit Dutch Client With TM Trial Looming

    Womble Bond Dickinson can't withdraw from a trademark feud that's dragged on for more than five years between U.S. and Dutch software companies, a North Carolina federal judge ruled, saying the firm's exit at this late stage "would be completely disruptive."

  • September 22, 2026

    Dispensary's Tax Deduction Properly Nixed, IRS Tells 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Tax Court correctly ruled that a San Francisco marijuana dispensary's expenses found to be tied to trafficking in controlled substances aren't deductible, the IRS told the Ninth Circuit, saying such a deduction shouldn't be allowed in determining an amount to settle the business's $3 million tax debt.

  • September 22, 2026

    NJ Justices Take On Atty DQ In Injury Cases After J&J Ruling

    New Jersey's Supreme Court has agreed to review the disqualification of an attorney from representing plaintiffs in several cases over injuries at Sky Zone trampoline parks after a trial court ruled the attorney's retention of a former company safety official as an expert could prejudice proceedings.

  • September 22, 2026

    Judge Sinks Patent Judgments Against Chilisin In Cyntec Suit

    A California federal judge has nullified judgments against Chilisin Electronics Corp. in a patent case from Cyntec Co. over Cyntec's failure to disclose an agreement to license a pair of its patents to Apple, while also agreeing to sanction Cyntec's counsel.

  • September 22, 2026

    Ga. Justices Say UM Claims Can Settle Before Liability Claims

    The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday held that the state's intermediate appellate court wrongly found that a man injured in a car crash was required to exhaust the at-fault driver's liability coverage before settling a claim for uninsured motorist coverage with his own insurer.

  • September 22, 2026

    8th Circ. Questions Iowa's Bid To Unblock Parts Of PBM Law

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday appeared skeptical of the state of Iowa's bid to have the appellate court unblock parts of its law limiting pharmacy benefit managers' power to set drug prices, with multiple judges questioning different aspects of the state's standing and federal preemption analysis.

  • September 21, 2026

    Due Process Not Limited In Bond Hearing Suit, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit held in a published opinion Monday that a certified class of asylum-seekers apprehended well within the U.S. border can challenge their detentions, rejecting the government's contention that the U.S. Supreme Court limited their due process rights.

  • September 21, 2026

    Rude Comments Fall Short Of Stalking, Fla. Panel Says

    A Florida appeals court has ruled there was insufficient evidence to sustain a stalking injunction against a woman who was described as "bullying" her neighbor by making mean comments about the neighbor's weight and a disability.

  • September 21, 2026

    Colo. Justices Say Insolvency Can't Trigger Excess Coverage

    The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that an umbrella or excess policy issuer isn't liable to drop down and provide first-dollar coverage when a scheduled underlying insurer becomes insolvent, according to the justices' opinion, issued Monday.

  • September 21, 2026

    2nd Circ. Skeptical Of Fired United Worker's Grievance Claim

    The Second Circuit gave a cool reception Monday to a former United Airlines employee's attempt to force arbitration of a grievance over his firing after a Teamsters local declined to pursue it, with judges suggesting it was the union's right to advance the claim as it saw appropriate.

  • September 21, 2026

    3rd Circ. Upholds 'Pattern' Penalty For Child Rapist

    The Third Circuit ruled Monday that a Pennsylvania man who kidnapped and sexually abused a child multiple times qualifies for a pattern crimes enhancement, ruling that although the crimes occurred over a matter of hours, they qualified as separate events.

  • September 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Won't Rethink Cutting $22M Wells Fargo Judgment

    The Fourth Circuit declined Monday to reconsider its decision cutting nearly $2.9 million from a former Wells Fargo employee's $22 million jury award and overturning portions of the verdict in his disability discrimination suit against the financial giant.

  • September 21, 2026

    FERC Wrongly Segmented Pipeline's Water Eval, DC Circ. Told

    Environmental groups have told the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission botched its analysis of the effects of a Williams Cos. unit's pipeline expansion project on streams and other aquatic resources in Virginia and North Carolina.

  • September 21, 2026

    Ill. Panel Says News Report Bars Law Firm's FCA Suit

    An Illinois appellate court on Friday upheld the dismissal of a whistleblower lawsuit brought by Forde & O'Meara LLP accusing a company of secretly assigning its interests in unpaid state bills to unapproved entities to duck taxes, agreeing that a prior public disclosure of the alleged scheme in a news report bars the firm's claims.

  • September 21, 2026

    Colo. Justices Uphold Ski Waiver Ruling Against Snowboarder

    A snowboarder released his claims against a ski resort and employee when he signed an online liability waiver to buy a season pass while his injury suit was still active, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday, handing down a decision in a closely watched case for the state's ski industry.

  • September 21, 2026

    Mass. Court Affirms Toss Of Gun Evidence In 22-Judge Ruling

    An evenly split Massachusetts Appeals Court on Monday let stand a judge's suppression of a gun found by Boston police officers during an inventory search prior to a vehicle being towed, in a rare ruling involving all but three of the intermediate appellate court's 25 judges.

  • September 21, 2026

    Ill. Court Won't Undo $41M Stroke Malpractice Verdict

    An Illinois appeals panel won't upend a $41 million verdict against OSF Healthcare System in a suit over a man's debilitating stroke, saying Illinois law tolls the statute of limitations based on the plaintiff's disability, regardless of if his wife or attorneys could have filed suit.

  • September 21, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Says Profit Measurement Patents Ineligible

    The Federal Circuit on Monday said claims in a trio of patents relating to management profit measures were not patent-eligible, handing a win to software company Teradata Operations Inc. and industrial supply business W. W. Grainger Inc. in a suit accusing them of infringement.

  • September 21, 2026

    Ohio Justices Nix Data Center Voter Poll Over Citizen Suits

    The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected a proposed ballot question that would change the zoning code in Wilmington, Ohio, and expand residents' lawsuit powers to enforce standards for data center developments, in a decision following a proposed $4 billion Amazon Web Services project in the area.

  • September 21, 2026

    Varian, Gov't Appeal Foreign Dividend Decision To 9th Circ.

    Varian Medical Systems Inc. is appealing a U.S. Tax Court decision that it owes more than $7.2 million to the Internal Revenue Service as a result of the court limiting its deemed dividends deduction, while the government is also appealing, according to filings in the Ninth Circuit.

  • September 21, 2026

    FedEx Seeks High Court Review Of 6th Circ. Pension Ruling

    FedEx has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Sixth Circuit's decision to revive two proposed class actions alleging Kellogg's and FedEx's outdated actuarial assumptions shortchanged joint-and-survivor benefits for retirees, claiming the circuit court's "erroneous" interpretation of federal benefits law warrants high court review.

  • September 21, 2026

    2nd Circ. Seems Hesitant To Kick PwC Bias Suit To Arbitration

    The Second Circuit appeared skeptical Monday of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's push to compel arbitration of a former worker's suit alleging discriminatory harassment, with one judge saying the company is advocating for an "extraordinary understanding" of a 2022 law barring mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment claims.

  • September 21, 2026

    Minn. Tax Court Correct On Childcare Break, Justices Told

    A Minnesota childcare center was entitled to judicial review of the denial of a property tax exemption despite failing to meet an initial deadline, it told the state Supreme Court, urging the court to uphold a state tax court decision that allowed the break.

  • September 21, 2026

    IRS Asks 5th Circ. To Pause Microcaptive Rules Case

    The IRS asked the Fifth Circuit to stay briefing in a global tax services provider's bid to revive its challenge to the agency's reporting rules for microcaptive insurance companies pending the resolution of a related case before the appeals court.

  • September 21, 2026

    2nd Circ. Gives Ex-LVMH Atty A New Shot At Retaliation Case

    The Second Circuit on Monday reinstated retaliation claims brought by a former LVMH attorney who alleged that the French luxury brand fired her for reporting sexual misconduct, concluding that her refusal to engage in settlement discussions could constitute legally protected activity.

Expert Analysis

  • 3rd Circ. Hotel Ruling Flags Key Issues In Dynamic Pricing

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    The Third Circuit's recent decision in Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment relies on allegations that competitors used nonpublic data to set real-time rates considered exorbitant, highlighting both the potential risks and substantial benefits of utilizing emerging technologies, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • 4th Circ. Class Cert. Ruling Offers Tips For Damages Experts

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    The Fourth Circuit's recent decision reversing class certification in litigation against Boeing raises the cost of a bare-bones damages model proposal for plaintiffs, but it also clarifies what a defensible proposal should contain, say Alok Khare and Erica Rose at FTI Consulting.

  • Opinion

    'Plain Meaning' Requires Plainer Meaning In IP Litigation

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Socket Solutions v. Import Global highlights the frequent ambiguity surrounding courts' references to "plain meaning" in patent claim construction — an ambiguity that should be resolved by courts, not litigants, say attorneys at Klarquist Sparkman.

  • What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

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    While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

  • Patent Ruling Shows Concrete Tech Solution Key To Eligibility

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent Ceiva Opco v. Amazon.com decision offers an important reminder that software-related inventions can remain patent eligible when they claim a concrete technological solution to a specific problem, says Irah Donner at Manatt.

  • Appellate Vape Rulings May Expand State Regulation Powers

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    Two recent federal appeals courts decisions rejecting Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act preemption challenges to state electronic nicotine delivery systems directory laws signal an emerging appellate consensus that could significantly expand states' power to regulate vaping product sales where federal enforcement falls short, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • How Solar Fraud Case Affects Lender Oversight Of Dealers

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review the Third Circuit's ruling in Migliore v. Sunlight Financial means that residential solar finance companies are protected from vicarious liability for deceptive acts by independent solar dealers — but lenders must still take steps to guard against dealer misconduct, says Rand Manasse at Green Lane Partners.

  • Fed. Circ. Rulings Emphasize Adjudicative Access And Review

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    Decisions from the Federal Circuit's 2026 docket indicate that the court is increasingly paying attention to whether tribunals possess authority to act, meaning practitioners will need to properly address procedural hurdles before they can argue the merits of a case, say attorneys at Reichman Jorgensen.

  • Amazon v. Perplexity Ruling Limits CFAA Reach Over AI Tools

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Amazon v. Perplexity provides important early guidance on how the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to agentic artificial intelligence, and is the latest in a line of rulings in which courts have declined to stretch existing statutes to broadly regulate AI, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Managing OSHA Mental Illness Logs After 5th Circ. Vacatur

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    Employers with facilities in multiple states need to carefully weigh their recordkeeping procedures following the Fifth Circuit’s recent decision that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cannot require employers to log work-related mental illness, as inconsistent logs across facilities may raise other issues, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Expect More Probes After 3rd Circ. Algorithmic Pricing Ruling

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    The Third Circuit's recent decision in Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment, allowing algorithmic price-fixing claims to proceed past motions to dismiss, may serve as a road map for how to contend with increased litigation risk in this developing area of antitrust law, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    After 2026's second quarter, there is more authority rejecting class certification on total loss valuation theories from courts at the federal circuit, federal district and state appellate level — along with a resolution of a novel issue of depreciation on a wildfire claim, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • 10th Circ. Ruling Undermines False Ad 'Two Clicks' Rule

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    The Tenth Circuit’s recent ruling in KetoNatural Pet Foods v. Hill's Pet Nutrition substantially challenges a long-standing assumption that a company can avoid responsibility for promotional claims simply because the consumer encountered them by clicking a hyperlink to a third-party website, say attorneys at Venable.

  • How Drug Trial Prediction Markets Pose Insider Trading Risks

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    Multiple prediction market platforms have recently announced plans to offer event contracts related to clinical trial outcomes and regulatory decisions, creating new insider trading risks by expanding the group of people possessing related material nonpublic information far beyond traditional corporate insiders, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

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