Fed. Circ. Says Navy Properly Canceled Deal Over Staffing

By Madeline Lyskawa

The Federal Circuit on Monday affirmed a Court of Federal Claims' ruling that the Navy properly canceled an agreement with ASG Solutions Corp. after the contractor failed to maintain a 20-member professional team. 

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9th Circ. Backs Honeywell Over Engineer's Retaliation Claims

By Ganesh Setty

The Ninth Circuit rejected an ex-Honeywell engineer's challenge to her firing after voicing concerns about avionic software that was part of a Boeing defense contract, finding any potential fraud to the government was too far removed to support a retaliation claim.

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Airplane Hangar Owner Seeks $1.4M From AIG In Hail Dispute

By Eli Flesch

The owner of several Dallas-area airplane hangars is suing an AIG unit for at least $1.4 million in coverage for hail damage, saying the insurer wrongfully determined the hail caused only cosmetic damage based on a biased engineering report.

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Brief

Ex-BAE Engineer Loses Retaliation Claim In Md. Jury Trial

By Irene Spezzamonte

A former engineer for BAE Systems did not prove that he engaged in protected activity in his suit claiming that the company fired him after raising concerns about his overtime pay, a Maryland federal jury found Friday.

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Blank Rome Hires Baker McKenzie Litigator In DC

By Jack Rodgers

Blank Rome LLP has hired a Baker McKenzie litigator who focuses his practice on technology, life sciences, aerospace, government contracts and energy industry-related matters to join the team in Washington, D.C., as a partner, the firm announced Monday.

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Bid Protest Spotlight: Vendor Selection, Standing, Impropriety

In this month's bid protest roundup, James Tucker at MoFo offers takeaways from recent decisions that examine an agency's selection of vendors for a federal supply schedule procurement, whether agency noncompliance with procurement regulations provides standing and whether a contractor's impropriety is grounds for exclusion from competition.

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Series

The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

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Former DLA Piper Associate Alleges Ex-Partner Raped Her

By Lynn LaRowe

A former Boston-based DLA Piper associate on Monday launched a state lawsuit alleging she was raped at the firm's Delaware office by a former partner purportedly known for heavy drinking and inappropriate workplace conduct toward female subordinates.

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Bonus Spotlight

Elsberg Baker Exceeds, Cohen Ziffer Matches Atty Bonuses

By Tracey Read

Trial boutique Elsberg Baker & Maruri PLLC announced Monday that its associates will earn up to $226,250 in extra cash this year.

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'Hardworking' 9th Circ. Senior Judge Sandra Ikuta Dies At 71

By Hailey Konnath

Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta of the Ninth Circuit, who has been semi-retired since early November, died on Dec. 7 at the age of 71, exactly one month after assuming senior status, according to the Federal Judicial Center.

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ABA Flags AI Fears: Making Attys 'Worse At Their Jobs'

By Steven Lerner

The erosion of skills for junior associates, deepfakes as evidence in court and the lack of technical knowledge in law firms were among the top fears and challenges listed by the American Bar Association in a new report about artificial intelligence in the legal profession.

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Ex-US Attys Say Pardons, Loyalty Demands Hurt Rule Of Law

By Adrian Cruz

A bipartisan group of former U.S. attorneys spoke publicly Monday on their concerns regarding the direction the U.S. justice system has taken since the start of the second Trump administration and the potential risks that may pose to the rule of law.

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Arbitration Ruling Stands In Morgan & Morgan Class Action

By Chart Riggall

A Georgia federal judge said Monday she won't backtrack on her decision to send a malpractice lawsuit from a former client of Morgan & Morgan PA to arbitration, once again rejecting his arguments that his proposed class claims were exempt from an agreement to arbitrate disputes.

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Atty Seeks To Block Law Banning Fee-Sharing With ABS Firms

By Emily Sawicki

The attorney challenging a California law that blocks fee-sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonlawyers has petitioned for enforcement of the law to be suspended before it is set to go into effect on Jan. 1.

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Judge Won't Boot Bondi-Appointed Prosecutor In LA

By Emily Sawicki

A federal judge has refused to reconsider his ruling disqualifying Bill Essayli from holding the role of U.S. attorney but allowing him to serve as the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, finding that Essayli's appointment by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi is valid.

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Judge Willing To Take 'Heat' For Blocking ICE Arrest, Jury Told

By Nate Beck

A Wisconsin judge was willing to "take the heat" for using a staff hallway to usher an unauthorized immigrant out of her courtroom, a federal jury heard Monday, as a defense attorney argued she can't be found guilty by association just because someone in her courtroom tried to flee immigration agents.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jeff Montgomery

Litigation in Delaware's Court of Chancery sprawled from a dispute over control of banana plantations along Africa's Congo River to a fight over the late musician Prince's estate last week. Along the way, a court ruling rejected a motion for a quick decision favoring Blue Bell Creameries director and officer calls for liability releases in a tainted ice cream saga that dates to 2015.

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