Appellate

April 18, 2025
4th Circ. Pauses Software TM Trial After Atty Held In Contempt

The Fourth Circuit has pressed pause on an upcoming trademark trial between rival software companies while the defendant and its counsel at Womble Bond Dickinson appeal a contempt order over misrepresentations they allegedly made in a foreign tribunal.
April 18, 2025
CFPB Mass Layoffs Blocked Again In DC Court

A D.C. federal judge once again halted the layoffs of more than 1,000 employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying at an emergency hearing Friday morning that she needed a full record to determine whether the firings complied with a D.C. Circuit order from last week.
April 17, 2025
6th Circ. Says No Naturalization When Removal Pending

The Sixth Circuit in a split decision has held that a lower court rightfully dismissed a lawful permanent resident's request for naturalization while he was concurrently in removal proceedings, ruling that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services correctly delayed his application to become a citizen.
April 17, 2025
DC Circ. Has No Sympathy For Novartis Over Generic Entresto

A D.C. Circuit panel went in circles Thursday with attorneys from Novartis, MSN Pharmaceuticals and the federal government, trying to work out how a study over dosing levels in the blockbuster drug Entresto should impact whether a generic version can be approved.
April 17, 2025
Solicitor General's Office Now Features Two Top Lieutenants

Mere days after the U.S. Solicitor General's Office got a new leader, it also got a new leadership structure featuring two BigLaw alums in the traditional second-in-command post, according to a hearing list the U.S. Supreme Court released Thursday.
April 17, 2025
Another Xerox Patent Bites The Dust At Fed. Circ.

Federal Circuit judges on Thursday affirmed yet another patent board ruling that scratched out claims in a patent issued to a Xerox unit that was asserted against a trio of major social media companies.
April 17, 2025
9th Circ. Signals Support For Tribes' Cultural Loss Claims

A Ninth Circuit panel was skeptical Thursday that a Teck Resources unit could dodge the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's claims for tribal service losses stemming from a smelter's Columbia River pollution, with one judge saying Teck's argument was "splitting hairs."
April 17, 2025
NC Justice Unsure Contractor Can Avoid Workers' Comp Payout

A North Carolina Supreme Court justice seemed skeptical of a construction company's argument that a sheriff's department should cover the entire cost of a workers' compensation payout to a deputy injured while directing traffic on a bridge repair job, citing the court's precedent on the topic during an oral argument Thursday.
April 17, 2025
DC Circ. Says Lateness Doomed Starbucks' NLRB Challenge

The National Labor Relations Board was not obligated to accommodate Starbucks after its attorney filed a challenge to a board judge's ruling 23 minutes late, the D.C. Circuit ruled Thursday, holding that the board did not abuse its discretion by refusing to process the challenge.
April 17, 2025
Army Corps Says Miss. Dolphin Harm Suit Rightfully Tossed

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has urged the Fifth Circuit to affirm its decision to divert trillions of gallons of polluted floodwater into the Mississippi Sound, which Mississippi local governments and industry groups allege unlawfully harms bottlenose dolphins.
April 17, 2025
4th Circ. Refuses To Halt Abrego Garcia Probe In Sharp Order

A Fourth Circuit panel on Thursday rejected the Trump administration's "extraordinary" emergency motion to stay a discovery order in litigation over Kilmar Abrego Garcia's deportation to El Salvador, while cautioning the administration against ignoring federal courts, saying it could degrade both executive and judicial branch powers and that "law in time will sign its epitaph."
April 17, 2025
Wash. Justices Back Consumers In Old Navy Spam Email Suit

Washington's highest court said in a 5-4 ruling Thursday that the state's spam law bars commercial emails that include any false information in their subject lines, endorsing two consumers' broader interpretation of the statute in a proposed class action against Old Navy.
April 17, 2025
6th Circ. Says Michigan AG Can Pursue 'False Elector' Case

The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a federal district court's refusal to interfere with a state court case in which Michigan's attorney general accused a former Republican presidential elector candidate of plotting to submit false electoral votes in the wake of the 2020 election.
April 17, 2025
Mich. Defenders Seek $2.3M After Life Sentence Ruling

Michigan's appellate defender office told lawmakers Thursday that it would need to hire additional staff to represent more than 300 people whose sentences will need to be reviewed after the state's top court declared that automatic life-without-parole sentences for 19- and 20-year-olds are unconstitutional.
April 17, 2025
Navajo Man Owed Relocation Benefits, 9th Circ. Rules

The Ninth Circuit has ruled in a published opinion that a Navajo Nation member was wrongly denied relocation benefits after the U.S. government awarded his ancestral land to the Hopi Tribe, saying the federal relocation office relied on flawed findings and arbitrary reasoning when denying his claim.
April 17, 2025
6th Circ. Revives Fight For Docs In Prison Co. Investors' Suit

The Sixth Circuit ordered a do-over of a judge's decision to shield court records in a securities lawsuit against private prison operator CoreCivic on Thursday, saying it isn't enough to invoke unspecified "confidentiality" interests.
April 17, 2025
DC Circ. Refreezes EPA Climate Grant Funds

The D.C. Circuit has paused a federal court's order directing Citibank to start disbursing funds to nonprofits undertaking climate change projects that were appropriated by Congress to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Biden administration.
April 17, 2025
9th Circ. Tosses Objections To $10.4M CVS Wage Settlement

A pharmacist's objections to a $10.4 million settlement of a wage and hour class action affecting 24,000 CVS employees hold no weight, a Ninth Circuit panel found, ruling Thursday that a California federal judge adequately considered the merits of each objection before tossing them.
April 17, 2025
Copyright Office Opines On Harper Lee 7th Circ. Appeal

The U.S. Copyright Office is lending its opinion in a dispute over who has the rights to authorize stage adaptions of Harper Lee's iconic book "To Kill A Mockingbird," saying in an amicus brief to the Seventh Circuit that the company that once had the rights for the play cannot prevent others from creating new adaptions after the late author terminated those rights.
April 17, 2025
Wash. Justices Strike Down Spokane's Homeless Camp Law

The Washington Supreme Court said a voter-approved initiative restricting encampments for homeless people in Spokane is unconstitutional, in an opinion Thursday that said the measure exceeds the scope of local initiative power because it impermissibly "tinkers" with a policy the city had previously adopted.
April 17, 2025
Ga. Judicial Watchdog To Weigh Cases Against Pair Of Judges

Separate hearings have been set for a Georgia Superior Court judge accused of intervening in a legal matter on behalf of her uncle and locking a woman in a cell during her parents' divorce hearing, as well as a state probate judge accused of causing extensive case delays.
April 17, 2025
Fed. Circ. Won't Revive Network Tech Patent Suit

The Federal Circuit on Thursday upheld a lower court's finding that Seattle-based technology company F5 did not infringe a patent owned by WSOU Investments LLC covering a network traffic distribution technology.
April 17, 2025
Sacramento Says Dormant Commerce Doesn't Apply To Pot

The city of Sacramento told the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday that a federal district judge was correct to toss a constitutional challenge to the city's cannabis licensure program, saying the dormant commerce clause does not apply to a federally illegal industry.
April 17, 2025
High Court Sets Arguments Over Birthright Pause

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ordered special oral arguments over President Donald Trump's bid to pause or limit three nationwide court orders prohibiting implementation of his executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship, keeping the president's mandate on hold until at least mid-May.
April 17, 2025
Calif. Court Says Co.'s Heart Monitors Are Not Tax-Exempt

A California company is not eligible for a $3.3 million refund of sales and use tax paid on heart monitoring devices because the devices aren't considered tax-exempt medicine, a state appeals court ruled.

Expert Analysis

Fed. Circ. Patent Decisions In 2024: An Empirical Review

Despite an ever-increasing backlog of argument-ready cases, the Federal Circuit issued fewer decisions in 2024 than in previous years, and the decisions' overall friendliness toward patent owners and applicants was low, says Dan Bagatell at Perkins Coie.
Series

Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.
5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
Lessons From United's Axed Win In Firing Over Online Pics

In Wawrzenski v. United Airlines, a California state appeals court revived a flight attendant’s suit over her termination for linking photos of herself in uniform to her OnlyFans account, providing a cautionary tale for employers navigating the complexities of workplace policy enforcement in the digital age, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
Reviewing The High Court's Approach To Free Speech Online

As the U.S. Supreme Court began addressing the interplay between the First Amendment and online social media platforms, its three opinions from last term show the justices adopting a nuanced approach that recognizes that private citizens, public employees and online platforms all have First Amendment rights, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
Series

In The CFPB Playbook: A Sprint To The Finish Line

The fourth quarter of 2024 was an impressive demonstration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's ability to regulate, enforce and supervise, even on borrowed time following the election results, and we should expect the current bureau to run nonstop until Jan. 20, say attorneys at Covington.
Mich. Ruling Offers View On 'Occurrence' Coverage Definition

As demonstrated by a Michigan state court in its recent decision finding per-wound insurance coverage for a school shooting, the amount of coverage available under occurrence-based policies often depends on how courts interpret "occurrence," say attorneys at Hunton.
Rejoinder Strategy After Allergan Double-Patenting Case

A closer look at last year's Allergan v. MSN case at the Federal Circuit highlights the importance of rejoinder during patent prosecution in view of the risks associated with obviousness-type double patenting based on later-filed applications in the same patent family, say attorneys at BCLP.
What FARA Enforcement In 2024 Reveals For The Year Ahead

A number of developments, from indictments to legislation, shaped the Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement landscape last year, and following the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released long-awaited proposed amendments to the law, 2025 shows no signs of slowing down, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley.
Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.
5th Circ.'s Nasdaq Ruling Another Piece In DEI Policy Puzzle

The Fifth Circuit's recent en banc opinion vacating Nasdaq's board diversity listing rule wades into the hotly debated topic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at a time when many public companies are navigating the attention that DEI commitments are drawing from activists and shareholders, say attorneys at Debevoise.
Lessons Learned From 2024's Top ADA Decisions

Last year's major litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act highlights that when dealing with accommodation requests, employers must communicate clearly, appreciate context and remain flexible in addressing needs, say attorneys at Dechert.
Series

Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.
The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.