New Jersey

August 20, 2025
Former J&J Atty Slams Sanctions Bid Over Bias Suit

A former Johnson & Johnson data privacy attorney suing the pharmaceutical giant over alleged racial discrimination told a New Jersey federal court that the company's sanctions motion is an unfair move to "weaponize" the rules of civil procedure.
August 20, 2025
Judge Accused Of Berating Teens Blames Training Shortfall

A New Jersey municipal judge accused of berating children during truancy hearings, threatening their families with deportation and questioning their immigration status in open court has cited a lack of training in his formal response to the ethics complaint by the state supreme court's judicial conduct committee.
August 19, 2025
NJ Judge Files Corrected Version Of Error-Filled Opinion

A New Jersey federal judge Tuesday filed a new, corrected version of an opinion he withdrew last month in securities litigation against CorMedix Inc. after an attorney for the biopharmaceutical firm pointed out the opinion contained "a series of errors."
August 19, 2025
Robinhood Sues NJ, Nevada Over Blocked Sports Contracts

A Robinhood subsidiary sued the states of New Jersey and Nevada on Tuesday in an effort to ward off a potential enforcement action as it has begun allowing users to trade on the outcome of sports games despite the states' warnings not to do so.
August 19, 2025
Novo Nordisk Gets Forfeiture Claims Cut From 401(k) Suit

A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday dismissed workers' allegations that Novo Nordisk unlawfully used forfeited funds in its $2.3 billion 401(k) plan for its own benefit and kept a shoddy fund on its investment roster, leaving an excessive fee claim in play.
August 19, 2025
BofA Knocks Out State Law Claims In Zelle Fraud Class Action

A North Carolina federal judge partially sustained Bank of America's objections to a magistrate judge's recommendation allowing a proposed class action over alleged fraud on the peer-to-peer payment service Zelle to proceed, finding that the suit fails to plausibly plead claims under any of the asserted state consumer protection statutes.
August 19, 2025
Nonprofits, Union Fight Withholding Of AmeriCorps Funds

A group of nonprofits and a union added claims to their suit in Maryland federal court aiming to stop the Trump administration from dismantling AmeriCorps, accusing the Office of Management and Budget of unlawfully withholding millions of dollars appropriated by Congress for grant programs.
August 19, 2025
3rd Circ. Upholds Conviction After Traffic Stop 'Small Talk'

A man sentenced to 10 years in prison after police found guns and drugs in his car during a traffic stop can't have the evidence suppressed even though the police engaged him in small talk unrelated to the stop, the Third Circuit affirmed Tuesday, finding that the rapport-building conversation was warranted.
August 19, 2025
2nd Circ.: Judge Erred In Remanding Vermont-3M PFAS Row

The Second Circuit on Tuesday agreed with 3M Co. that a federal judge wrongly sent Vermont's lawsuit against the company over "forever chemicals" contamination back to state court, finding 3M moved the case to federal court in time.
August 19, 2025
NJ Panel Upholds Use Of Phone Passcode Seen By Police

A man sentenced to 60 years in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting another man can be resentenced due to recent precedent concerning persistent offenders, but can't suppress evidence gained after police saw his cellphone passcode and used it to read his texts, a New Jersey appellate panel ruled Tuesday.
August 19, 2025
Carella Byrne Wants $4M Fee For Volkswagen Seat Defect Deal

Carella Byrne Cecchi Brody & Agnello PC asked a New Jersey federal judge Tuesday to approve $4 million in attorney fees, litigation costs and service awards for class representatives in a consumer class action involving Volkswagen vehicles with a seat defect.
August 18, 2025
NJ Feds Say Habba's US Atty Role Unusual, But Not Unlawful

Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba on Monday doubled down on her argument that President Donald Trump legally appointed her New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, telling a federal judge that this is simply "an unusual situation" created when the district court last month refused to extend her interim tenure.
August 18, 2025
HHS Says Layoffs, Reorganization Are Within Its Authority

The Trump administration urged a Rhode Island federal judge to toss claims that massive cuts to the Health and Human Services Department violate the U.S. Constitution and usurp congressional authority, arguing the state plaintiffs don't have the authority to dictate how the executive branch manages its personnel.
August 18, 2025
SDNY Judges OK Trump's Selection Of Jay Clayton As US Atty

The Southern District of New York on Monday permitted Jay Clayton to continue overseeing the district's prosecutorial office, appointing Clayton as U.S. attorney just a day before his tenure as interim U.S. attorney was set to expire.
August 18, 2025
Mich. Judge Keeps Eagles Player In NCAA Fight On Field

A Michigan state court judge has granted a preliminary injunction allowing an Eastern Michigan University offensive lineman to remain on the football team while he challenges a five-year eligibility cap for college athletes, saying the player has shown a likelihood of success at trial on his claims.
August 18, 2025
Honeywell Defeats Ex-Worker's 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

A New Jersey federal judge tossed a proposed class action Monday alleging Honeywell violated federal benefits law by putting 401(k) forfeitures toward employer-side contribution obligations instead of defraying administrative expenses, finding an ex-worker hadn't backed up claims the spending breached fiduciary duties or caused prohibited transactions.
August 18, 2025
NFI Agrees To $5.75M Deal To End Misclassification Suit

National Freight has agreed to pay $5.75 million to end an almost 10-year-long suit in which a class of truckers claimed they were misclassified as independent contractors, the workers said, urging a New Jersey federal court to greenlight the deal.
August 18, 2025
NJ Law Firm Not Covered In Malpractice Suit, Court Says

An insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify a Princeton law firm against a malpractice suit alleging that one of its attorneys assisted a client in misappropriating her husband's assets, a New Jersey federal court ruled Monday, finding that a prior knowledge exclusion bars coverage.
August 18, 2025
Life Sciences Data Rivals Settle Trade Secrets Battle

Life sciences data company IQVIA Inc. has settled a suit that alleged data rival Veeva Systems Inc. used "crowdsourcing" to misappropriate trade secrets, the two companies said Monday.
August 18, 2025
AGs Sue DOJ For Tying Victim Aid To ICE Enforcement

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general, led by Matthew Platkin of New Jersey, filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday, accusing it of unlawfully tying $1 billion in crime victim funding to immigration enforcement, a move they say defies congressional intent and jeopardizes critical support for survivors.
August 18, 2025
Lawmaker Pans 'Selective' Charges Over ICE Facility Clash

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver has moved to dismiss criminal charges against her from a May confrontation with federal agents at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey, arguing she is immune from prosecution under the U.S. Constitution's speech or debate clause and is being selectively targeted by the government.
August 18, 2025
3rd Circ. Says IRS Can Pursue Taxes In Decades-Old Fraud

The IRS can go after a woman's unpaid taxes more than 20 years later because her return preparer committed fraud on her filings, even though the woman did not mean to evade taxes, the Third Circuit ruled Monday.
August 18, 2025
AmeriCorps Restores $400M In Slashed Grants, Judge Told

AmeriCorps told a Maryland federal judge Monday that the agency restored around $400 million in funding to nonprofits canceled under the Trump administration in April, saying the government doesn't plan to ax grants before they end.
August 18, 2025
NJ Firms End Battle Over $25M Fee In Verizon Pole Injury Case

Several New Jersey firms have ended a long dispute over a $25 million fee from a personal injury case against Verizon in a suit that already went to trial in 2021 and recently had another trial ordered.
August 18, 2025
NJ Seeks To Toss Ex-Judge's 'Second Bite' In Firing Suit

New Jersey on Friday asked a state court to award it a victory over some claims by a former workers' compensation judge that she was unconstitutionally removed from her job after similar claims in a separate suit of hers were rejected in December.

Expert Analysis

Series

Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.
5 Ways To Create Effective Mock Assignments For Associates

In order to effectively develop associates’ critical thinking skills, firms should design mock assignments that contain a few key ingredients, from messy fact patterns to actionable feedback, says Abdi Shayesteh at AltaClaro.
And Now A Word From The Panel: How MDLs Fared In 2024

A significant highlight of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's practice during 2024 was the increase in the percentage of new MDL petitions granted by the panel, with 25 granted and only eight denied — one of the highest grant rates in years, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.
Recent Suits Show Antitrust Agencies' Focus On HSR Review

The U.S. Department of Justice's suit this month against KKR for inaccurate and incomplete premerger filings, along with other recent cases, highlights the agency's increasing scrutiny of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance for private equity firms, say attorneys at Willkie.
Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.
Trump's Energy Plans For Generation, Transmission And More

The executive orders and presidential memoranda issued by President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration, unwinding the Biden administration's energy policies and encouraging development of fossil fuels, may have significant impacts on the generation mix, electric transmission construction and the state regulatory environment, say attorneys at Polsinelli.
Algorithm Price-Fixing Ruling May Lower Antitrust Claims Bar

A Washington federal court's refusal to dismiss Duffy v. Yardi Systems, an antitrust case over rent prices allegedly inflated by revenue management software, creates an apparent split in the lower courts over how to assess such claims, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
Predicting Where State AGs Will Direct Their Attention In 2025

In 2025, we expect state attorneys general will navigate a new presidential administration while continuing to further regulate and police financial services, artificial intelligence, junk fees and antitrust, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
Public Corruption Enforcement In 2024 Has Clues For 2025

If 2024 activity is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely continue to rein in expansive prosecutorial theories of fraud in the year to come, but it’s harder to predict what the new administration will mean for public corruption prosecutions in 2025, says Cathy Fleming at Offit Kurman.
Issues To Watch In 2025's ERISA Litigation Landscape

Whether 2024’s uptick in new Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases will continue this year will likely depend on federal courts’ resolution of several issues, including those related to excessive fees, defined contribution plan forfeitures, and pleading standards for ERISA-prohibited transaction claims, say attorneys at Groom Law.
Roundup

Banking Brief: State Law Recaps From Each Quarter Of 2024

In this Expert Analysis series, throughout 2024 attorneys provided quarterly recaps discussing the biggest developments in banking regulation, litigation and policymaking in various states, including New York, California and Illinois.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.