Appellate

  • July 31, 2026

    Corporate Settlors Can Owe Inheritance Tax, UK Tribunal Says

    The U.K.'s inheritance tax can apply to a corporate settlor of a trust when the trustees aren't domestic residents, the Upper Tribunal said Friday in a decision involving a company challenging its liability for the tax in relation to a Jersey trust.

  • July 31, 2026

    Split 3rd Circ. Says Pa. Town Wrongly Limited Jewish Worship

    A Northeast Pennsylvania town's zoning code placed unacceptable burdens on the religious exercises of an Orthodox Jewish congregation using two properties for worship, instruction and communal living, a split Third Circuit panel said in an opinion ordering the properties to be reopened.

  • July 31, 2026

    Pa. Panel Again Says 'Clickwrap' Arbitration Unenforceable

    The Pennsylvania Superior Court has reiterated that "clickwrap" arbitration agreements are unenforceable, holding in the case of an amusement park patron dissatisfied over a roller coaster closure that the inconspicuous digital disclaimers weren't enough to deny a litigant's right to a jury trial.

  • July 31, 2026

    Dad's Role In Smuggling Son Blocks Bid To Cancel Removal

    The Board of Immigration Appeals on Friday denied a Guatemalan man's efforts to stop his deportation, saying his alleged use of a smuggler to bring his child to the United States showed he was not a person of "good moral character."

  • July 31, 2026

    Fla. Tells 11th Circ. Migrant Transport Law Isn't Preempted

    Florida urged the Eleventh Circuit on Friday to reverse an injunction blocking a state law that criminalizes the transportation of immigrants living in the country illegally, arguing that the law's challengers are reading the state law too broadly.

  • July 31, 2026

    UK Estate Loses Inheritance Tax Break For London Offices

    The executors of a deceased man's estate are not eligible for a 100% inheritance tax break on his London-based serviced offices because they were an investment rather than a trade, the Upper Tribunal said in a judgment.

  • July 31, 2026

    Justices Asked To Clarify Arbitrator Bias Vacatur Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to clarify the standards under which an arbitral award can be vacated, in a petition that seeks to nix an award favoring a nursing home issued by an arbitrator who failed to disclose a previous censure over improper campaign contributions.

  • July 31, 2026

    Insulet Urges Full Fed. Circ. To Revive $59M Trade Secret Win

    Insulin product developer Insulet Corp. has asked the full Federal Circuit to hear its arguments for reinstating a jury's $59.4 million trade secret theft verdict against EOFlow Co. Ltd., saying a split panel decision overturning the award reached a timeliness issue that was not mentioned by either party.

  • July 31, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Says Sapphire-Backed Watches Must Face Duties

    Imported Richard Mille luxury watches with synthetic sapphire crystal case-backs cannot qualify for duty-free treatment, the Federal Circuit affirmed.

  • July 31, 2026

    1st Circ. Says Boston Outdoor Dining Rules Not Biased

    The First Circuit rejected claims by a group of restaurant owners in Boston's Little Italy that Mayor Michelle Wu singled them out for stricter enforcement and impact fees related to outdoor dining because they are predominantly white and of Italian descent.

  • July 31, 2026

    NJ Detention Center Access, Gun Liability: A Midyear Report

    As the second half of 2026 unfolds, New Jersey courts will grapple with disputes testing the limits of state authority and examining gun-industry accountability.

  • July 30, 2026

    Minneapolis' Former Top Public Defender Gets Disbarred

    The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday disbarred Hennepin County's former chief public defender after he was convicted of felony tax evasion and found to have misappropriated client funds, calling his actions "the most serious types of attorney misconduct."

  • July 30, 2026

    9th Circ. Reverses Hologenix CEO's Tortious Interference Loss

    A Ninth Circuit panel reversed a $2.5 million judgment Thursday against Hologenix CEO Seth Casden by finding a district court erred in ruling the executive is not immune from a tortious interference claim while also reversing a Lanham Act disgorgement award totaling nearly $3 million.

  • July 30, 2026

    Split 4th Circ. Says NC Vape Sale Limits Pass Preemption Test

    A divided Fourth Circuit on Thursday refused to block a new North Carolina law that regulates and prohibits the sale of certain e-cigarette or "vape" products, saying a coalition of vape retailers and manufacturers are not likely to prevail on their theory that the statute is preempted by federal law.

  • July 30, 2026

    Enbridge Loses 7th Circ. Wis. Trespass Row, Gets $5.2M Redo

    The Seventh Circuit upheld a decision holding that Enbridge Energy is trespassing on Wisconsin tribal lands, but vacated and remanded a $5.2 million restitution order and timeline for a portion of the Line 5 pipeline's removal, saying the company needs a "reasonable opportunity" to complete the proposed reroute.

  • July 30, 2026

    Valve Scores Quick Appeal In Gamer Arbitration Clause Fight

    A Seattle federal judge on Thursday granted Valve Corp.'s bid for a quick appeal of an order declining to halt antitrust arbitrations brought by hundreds of individual gamers, pausing the litigation for the video game developer to seek the Ninth Circuit's input on whether the arbitrations can proceed under its subscriber terms.  

  • July 30, 2026

    Disney, Cameron Get 'Avatar' Sequels IP Suit Nixed, For Now

    A California federal judge Thursday tossed an author's suit accusing the Walt Disney Co., film director James Cameron and Cameron's production company of ripping off the author's work to create "Avatar" movie sequels, saying any substantial similarities between the works should be better fleshed out should the writer amend his complaint again.

  • July 30, 2026

    Tesla Tells Justices USPTO Is 'Gutting' Patent Reviews

    Tesla Inc. has become the latest company to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review limits that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has put on patent challenges, arguing that the office is "gutting" the review system created by the America Invents Act.

  • July 30, 2026

    Health Plans Ask 2nd Circ. To Revive Celgene Cancer Drug Row

    Health plans and pharmacies backed by Cigna are asking the Second Circuit to revive a proposed class action alleging Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and its Celgene subsidiary fraudulently obtained patents, filed sham lawsuits and paid off generic-drug makers to maintain a monopoly on the blockbuster blood cancer drug Pomalyst.

  • July 30, 2026

    Wells Fargo Can't Collect $4M 'Stranger' Policy, 8th Circ. Says

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday upheld a ruling that an insurer does not have to pay out a $4 million life insurance policy to Wells Fargo Bank NA, finding the policy taken out on the now-deceased man was void because it was obtained through a scheme meant to benefit investors.

  • July 30, 2026

    2 More Circuits Reject No-Bond Rule For Interior ICE Arrests

    Split Seventh Circuit and Ninth Circuit panels ruled Thursday that noncitizens arrested in the interior U.S. cannot be detained without bond, joining four other circuits that have rejected the Trump administration's policy of subjecting these noncitizens to mandatory detention.

  • July 30, 2026

    PLO Asks Justice Sotomayor To Halt $655M Terror Judgment

    The Palestine Liberation Organization has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay enforcement of a $655.5 million terrorism judgment, saying the Second Circuit had no power to revive a decade-old award that had already become legally void.

  • July 30, 2026

    11th Circ. Revives Nonprofit's Bias Suit Over COVID Grants

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday revived part of a Florida nonprofit's suit challenging the denial of two COVID-19 relief grants, finding that the group had sufficiently alleged it was discriminated against because of racial bias and its association with a pan-African movement.

  • July 30, 2026

    Wash. Justices Say University Owed Duty In Hazing Death Suit

    The Washington State Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling Thursday that Washington State University had a duty to protect a student who died of alcohol poisoning following a hazing ritual at an off-campus party, including by taking steps to ensure fraternities were following rules against alcohol misuse and hazing.

  • July 30, 2026

    4th Circ. Urged To Keep Trump Trans Health Orders Blocked

    A group of transgender individuals and advocacy groups urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold a nationwide injunction they won against Trump administration executive orders banning federal funding of gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19.

Expert Analysis

  • How 2nd Circ. Raised The Bar For Pleading Securities Fraud

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    In Huey v. Anavex, the Second Circuit recently appeared to increase the burden on securities fraud plaintiffs in pleading loss causation where no immediate share price decline follows the corrective disclosure, generating new questions that district courts must grapple with, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Trade Secret Practice Tips From The 1st Half Of 2026

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    Intellectual property attorneys should consider what several significant developments in 2026 thus far mean for how they protect, litigate and value trade secrets, focusing on new state noncompete bans, cases scrutinizing how plaintiffs identify trade secrets and federal rulings on damages doctrines, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Yellow Corp. WARN Act Appeal Refines Layoff Guidance

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    A Delaware federal court's recent upholding of a bankruptcy court's disallowance of unions' federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act claims against Yellow underscores that fact-specific notices and thoughtful timing are essential for distressed companies implementing layoffs, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • High Court Rulings Could Alter Agency Strategy For Cos.

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook mark major turning points in the law of independent agencies and in how regulated companies should think about federal enforcement, rulemaking and agency-facing strategy, say attorneys at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Opinion

    Justices' Parole Ruling Degrades Green Card Holders' Rights

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Blanche v. Lau, holding that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can parole a returning lawful permanent resident without clear and convincing evidence of a crime, weakens the statutory and practical protections Congress intended, say attorneys at Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners.

  • 3rd Circ. ERISA Ruling Stresses Process Over Perfect Returns

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    The Third Circuit's recent decision in Quest Diagnostics affirms that a sound fiduciary process — not perfect investment returns — defeats Employee Retirement Income Security Act claims, signaling that courts will keep scrutinizing how fiduciaries decide, and sponsors who can show their work should remain protected, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

  • Fed. Circ. Licensing Rulings Shed Light On Patentee Standing

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    Two recent decisions from the Federal Circuit provide a useful framework for evaluating whether a patent license agreement preserves a sufficient exclusionary interest to support future patent infringement claims, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Asylum Ruling Signals Larger Separation Of Powers Battle

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that border officials may turn away asylum-seekers without inspection is part of a broader conversation about the reach of institutional safeguards that subject governmental authority to legal constraint, says Dree Collopy at American University's Washington College of Law.

  • Solar's Momentum At Mid-2026 Will Help It Overcome Snags

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    The rapid expansion of U.S. solar development in the first half of 2026 is likely to continue its pace, even amid ongoing shifts in federal trade policy and supply chain regulations, obstacles to permitting reform, and an increasing divide between states enacting policies to encourage or stymie project development, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • How Justices Stayed Off The Geofence In Location Data Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Chatrie v. United States decision reaffirms Fourth Amendment protections for location data but avoids more complicated questions about geofence warrants, say attorneys at Adams Duerk.

  • Remote Work Rulings Show ADA Fights Hinge On Process

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    Two opposite outcomes in recent Fifth Circuit and D.C. federal court cases underscore that the legality of denying employees' disability accommodation requests for remote work depends less on broad policy and more on how it's applied, says Paul Sweeney at Ice Miller.

  • Fed Autonomy Rests On Narrow Exception After Justices Rule

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Cook and Trump v. Slaughter expand presidential removal power while temporarily preserving the Federal Reserve’s independence, but there is uncertainty about which of the Fed’s authorities fall within the court’s narrow monetary-policy exception, says Keith Bradley at Squire Patton.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • How Litigants Are Testing Conversion Therapy Ruling's Scope

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    Litigants are already using the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Chiles v. Salazar ruling, which applied strict scrutiny to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, to challenge laws limiting algorithmic rental pricing, artificial intelligence-based discrimination and anti-union employer speech, and courts must soon decide Chiles’ First Amendment limits, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • How Justices' TPS Ruling Affects Workforce Planning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding in Mullin v. Doe that courts lack jurisdiction to review temporary protected status determinations greenlights the end of TPS for thousands of Syrian and Haitian nationals, and means employers must reevaluate TPS-designees' employability while avoiding discriminatory document practices, says attorney Richard Herman.

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