Appellate

  • August 28, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Gives Google Another Go At Database IP Challenge

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday revived Google's challenge to the validity of claims in a pair of patents covering database systems, faulting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for excluding portions of Google's arguments and ordering the board to apply some of the company's claim construction on remand.

  • August 28, 2025

    Trump Admin Backs Harvard Foreign Student Ban At 1st Circ.

    The Trump administration defended its attempt to bar foreign students from enrolling at Harvard University, telling the First Circuit in a brief filed Thursday that a federal judge who blocked the move has no business second-guessing immigration decisions made by the executive branch. 

  • August 28, 2025

    Baltimore Med Mal Atty Appeals $25M Extortion Conviction

    A medical malpractice attorney in Baltimore who was convicted in federal court in April of attempting to extort $25 million from the University of Maryland Medical System has asked the Fourth Circuit to review his conviction, saying he was unfit to represent himself at trial.

  • August 28, 2025

    Justices Asked To Limit Private Investment Fund Suits

    A group of investment funds seeking to fend off a challenge from an activist investor are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling in the case that would end the ability of private parties to file contractual disputes under the Investment Company Act.

  • August 28, 2025

    Judge Rejects Reed Smith's Sanctions Bid In Doc Feud

    A New York federal judge has ordered the new owner of international shipping company Eletson to turn over documents requested by competitor Levona as the latter company looks to vacate an allegedly fraudulent $102 million arbitral award, while also ruling that Reed Smith LLP's threat of sanctions is unfounded.

  • August 28, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Calculation Redo On $11M Fund Exit Liability

    The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday backed a Michigan federal judge's determination that a pension fund's actuary must recalculate a paving company's withdrawal liability, citing recently clarified precedent and agreeing that an $11 million sum was erroneously calculated.

  • August 28, 2025

    Flawed Jury Verdict Negates Rape Conviction In Mass.

    A man sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape during a home invasion robbery must be retried for the attack or sentenced for the lesser crime of rape because the jury didn't specify which theory it adopted in convicting him, Massachusetts' highest court said Thursday.

  • August 28, 2025

    Appeals Court Reverses $2.1M Injunction Against Oil Broker

    A Texas state appeals court reversed a temporary injunction barring a crude oil broker from transferring $2.1 million in assets it was paid for oil supplied by its partner, saying the trial court incorrectly determined that the company faced insolvency.

  • August 28, 2025

    Court Blocks Bid To Keep Everglades Detention Center Open

    A Florida federal judge denied a bid to halt a preliminary injunction requiring the government to cease operations at an Everglades immigration detention center, ruling no new evidence was shown that its detainees are dangerous or why a facility must be placed in that particular location. 

  • August 28, 2025

    Sonos Gets Fed. Circ. To Revive IP From $33M Google Verdict

    A California federal judge wrongly invalidated claims of Sonos Inc. speaker patents after its $32.5 million jury trial win over Google LLC, the Federal Circuit said Thursday as it largely reversed the judge's holding.

  • August 28, 2025

    Tribal Members Seek 5th Circ. Redo In San Antonio Park Row

    Two members of a Native American church are asking the Fifth Circuit to rehear its appeal, which looks to block the restoration of a San Antonio park, saying that if left uncorrected, the opinion will leave religious believers vulnerable and sow confusion among district courts.

  • August 28, 2025

    Drug Use, Crimes Not Reasons To Escape $760K Bite Judgment

    An Indiana appeals court on Thursday refused to vacate a $760,000 default judgment against a woman who was sued for failing to supervise her dog when it mauled a neighbor, saying that the drug use and criminal proceedings she blames for missing notice of the suit are not excusable neglect.

  • August 28, 2025

    9th Circ. Reinstates Copyright Suit Over Liturgical Song

    The Ninth Circuit has revived a copyright suit by a songwriter who claimed that elements of his liturgical song were copied by a Christian songwriter, ruling that even though some evidence was rightly excluded, there were still triable elements to the case.

  • August 28, 2025

    Ill. High Court Says Murder Case Can't Be Given To New Judge

    A divided Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that appeals courts in the state are not allowed under the high court's rules to send cases back to trial with instructions to reassign the case to a new judge without proving either bias or prejudice from the prior judge.

  • August 28, 2025

    Ga.'s Chief Justice Warns Of AI's Risks To Trial Evidence

    As generative artificial intelligence tools have become widely accessible, Georgia's chief justice said Thursday he's worried about how the technology can be used to manipulate and distort evidence presented in court and what the judiciary can do to prevent that. 

  • August 28, 2025

    1st Circ. OKs Terminating Ex-Pharma VP's Disability Benefits

    The First Circuit said Synta Pharmaceuticals' benefits administrator may terminate the benefits of a former executive after deeming that his significant weight loss, six-day-a-week pickleball hobby, and travels to far-flung places like Africa showed he was no longer disabled.

  • August 28, 2025

    PBGC Must Reconsider Bakery Union's $132M Bailout Bid

    The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. must formally reexamine whether union bakery drivers can collect $132 million from a federal pension rescue program, a New York federal judge said Thursday after lifting a stay on the order following the Second Circuit's decision to reject the agency's rehearing bid.

  • August 28, 2025

    Fla. Justices Reject Carole Baskin's Defamation Appeal

    The Florida Supreme Court declined Thursday to take up the appeal of a decision reviving defamation claims against "Tiger King" star Carole Baskin over statements on YouTube claiming her missing husband's former assistant embezzled $600,000.

  • August 28, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Upend Toss Of Flu Vaccine Injury Claim

    The Federal Circuit won't revive a man's vaccine injury claim after it was rejected by a special master at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, finding the decision that his injuries were caused by a separate infection was not arbitrary or capricious.

  • August 27, 2025

    DOJ Throws Lifeline To J&J At 3rd Circ. After $1.6B FCA Loss

    A district judge made multiple errors in an opinion and jury instructions underpinning a staggering False Claims Act verdict tied to Johnson & Johnson's drug marketing practices, and a fresh look is needed "under a correct view of the law," the U.S. Department of Justice told the Third Circuit on Wednesday.

  • August 27, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Afghan Central Bank Immune From Attachment

    A divided Second Circuit panel upheld a lower court's decision rejecting plaintiffs' attempt to confirm a prejudgment attachment order concerning "blocked" funds held by the Afghan central bank, holding that the funds are immune from seizure under federal law.

  • August 27, 2025

    DC Circ. Told Quick Removals For Parolees Rightly Blocked

    The D.C. Circuit should not allow the Trump administration to "destroy" the promise that the federal government made to immigrant parolees during the Biden administration by subjecting them to expedited removal, an advocacy group told the appellate court.

  • August 27, 2025

    Quinn Emanuel Fights Uphill To Collect On LA's $280K Bill

    A Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP attorney on criticized a California appellate panel's tentative ruling affirming a court's order that the firm cannot collect roughly $280,000 in legal bills from Los Angeles County, saying Wednesday it gives "short shift" to the firm's arguments and "myopically" misses "the forest for the trees, frankly."

  • August 27, 2025

    Pipe Importer Wants $26M Fraud Ruling Paused For Appeal

    A New Jersey-based pipe importer asked the Ninth Circuit to pause a decision affirming a $26 million fraud judgment entered against it for making false statements on customs forms to avoid paying tariffs while it appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • August 27, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs Special Master In NFL Concussion Fee Fight

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision that rejected awarding a law firm $3,000 in fees for representing a retired NFL player in his concussion injury litigation against the league, finding a special master properly applied Pennsylvania's lien law.

Expert Analysis

  • Justices Could Clarify Post-Badgerow Arbitration Jurisdiction

    Author Photo

    If the U.S. Supreme Court grants a certiorari petition in Jules v. Andre Balazs Properties, it could provide some welcome clarity on post-arbitration award jurisdiction, an issue lingering since the court's 2022 decision in Badgerow v. Walters, says David Pegno at Dewey Pegno.

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

    Author Photo

    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Strategies For ICE Agent Misconduct Suits In The 11th Circ.

    Author Photo

    Attorneys have numerous pathways to pursue misconduct claims against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Eleventh Circuit, and they need not wait for the court to correct its misinterpretation of a Federal Tort Claims Act exception, says Lauren Bonds at the National Police Accountability Project.

  • Opinion

    SEC Should Restore Its 2020 Proxy Adviser Rule

    Author Photo

    Due to concerns over proxy advisers' accuracy, reliability and transparency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should reinstate its 2020 rule designed to suppress the influence that they wield in shareholder voting, says Kyle Isakower at the American Council for Capital Formation.

  • Surveying The Changing Overdraft Fee Landscape

    Author Photo

    Despite recent federal moves that undermine consumer overdraft fee protections, last year’s increase in fee charges suggests banks will face continued scrutiny via litigation and state regulation, says Amanda Kurzendoerfer at Bates White.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Review Of Funds' Right To Sue

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming review of FS Credit Opportunities v. Saba Capital Master Fund, a case testing the limits of using Investment Company Act Section 47(b) to give funds a private right of action to enforce other sections of the law, could either encourage or curb similar activist investor lawsuits, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

    Author Photo

    A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

  • How Securities Defendants Might Use New Wire Fraud Ruling

    Author Photo

    Though the Second Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Chastain decision — vacating the conviction of an ex-OpenSea staffer — involved the wire fraud statute, insider trading defendants might attempt to import the ruling’s reasoning into the securities realm, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

    Author Photo

    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Unpacking The Supreme Court's Views On Judgment Finality

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's June opinion in BLOM Bank SAL v. Honickman reaffirmed that the bar for reopening a final judgment remains exceptionally high — even when the movant seeks to amend their complaint based on a new legal development, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Asbestos Ruling Cements All Sums Coverage Precedent In SC

    Author Photo

    With its recent decision in Protopapas v. Travelers, the South Carolina Court of Appeals becomes the highest court in South Carolina to adopt the all sums allocation approach for long-tail claims, providing key appellate precedent to support policyholders' efforts to maximize their coverage, say attorneys at Anderson Kill.

  • M&A Ruling Reinforces High Bar For Aiding, Abetting Claims

    Author Photo

    The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in In re: Columbia Pipeline may slow the filing of aiding and abetting claims against third-party buyers in situations where buyers negotiate aggressively, putting buy-side dealmakers' minds at ease that they likely won't be liable for seeking the best possible deal, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • What To Expect As Calif. Justices Weigh Arbitration Fee Law

    Author Photo

    If the California Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court holds that the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt the California Arbitration Act's strict fee deadlines, employers and businesses could lose the right to arbitrate over minor procedural delays, say attorneys at Bird Marella.

  • 2 Circuit Court Rulings Offer A Class Certification Primer

    Author Photo

    Two recent decisions from the Third and Sixth Circuits provide guidance on the rigorous analysis of predominance that courts might require for class certification, and insights into how defendants might oppose or narrow potential class actions, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Appellate archive.