Fed. Circ. Vacates $12.7M Copyright Award Against Gov't

By Ivan Moreno

The Federal Circuit on Thursday vacated a $12.7 million copyright award against the federal government over unauthorized copies of software for a project on military health records, holding that the trial judge improperly relied on the project's later cancellation and awarded enhanced damages for willful infringement against the government.

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Northrop's $75M LA Contamination Deal Gets Preliminary OK

By Rae Ann Varona

A California federal judge Thursday preliminarily approved a $75 million class deal struck mid-trial by Northrop Grumman and residents of a Los Angeles suburb who accused the aerospace company of contaminating their properties, a day after hundreds of the neighborhood's residents filed a similar lawsuit in state court.

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Board Says Army Didn't Show Contract Ax Was Justified

By Madeline Lyskawa

The U.S. Army failed to show that its termination of a roof-repair contract for default was justified, despite proving serious deficiencies in Jaxon Construction Inc.'s administration of the contract, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals said.

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Wyden Urges Admin To Protect US From Canadian Spy Law

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Trump administration Thursday to protect national security and American citizens from a proposed backdoor surveillance bill from Canada.

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Come Back Down To Earth, Tower Builders Tell D2D Fans

By Christopher Cole

While it's clear that direct-to-device satellite service can fill some gaps in wireless coverage, the growing technology cannot fully replace Earth-based systems that ensure connectivity on the ground, a pair of new industry reports say.

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More Than 200 MHz Could Open For Unlicensed Satellite Use

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission's chief wants to make more than 200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum available for satellites by opening frequencies across three spectrum bands, according to a proposal released Thursday.

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USTR Broadens Exemptions Ahead Of 25% Brazil Tariff

By Dylan Moroses

A 25% tariff on Brazilian goods will begin next week with an expanded exemption list following public comments on the action, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced.

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Navy Airman Seeks Honorable Discharge After Marijuana Use

By Jonathan Capriel

A U.S. Navy sailor removed from the military for marijuana use has urged a Connecticut federal court to review his petition seeking to upgrade his discharge to honorable, arguing that a prior secretary of defense order requires "liberal consideration" for veterans with PTSD-related misconduct.

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Air Force Lt. Col. Says Housing Sickened Him, Family

By Mike Curley

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Travis Allen and his wife are suing companies that provide privatized housing to military service members in Texas federal court, saying that despite being assured the housing was safe and properly maintained, their home had a host of problems that harmed Allen and his daughter's health.

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Fed. Circ. Asked Not To Shift Moderna Vax Patent Case To Gov't

By Ryan Davis

Drugmakers like Novartis, former federal judges, a startup group and others have urged the Federal Circuit to reject calls to shift liability in a COVID-19 vaccine patent suit against Moderna to the federal government, saying that doing so would undermine patent rights.

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SAE Says Standards Fight Must Be Arbitrated In Belgium

By Caroline Simson

A standards-development association for the automotive and aerospace industries urged a D.C. federal court Wednesday to send a copyright feud over publishing rights for certain critical aerospace quality-management standards to arbitration in Belgium, accusing a global aerospace quality consortium of "gamesmanship."

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Chancery Lets Discovery Proceed In Bikini Atoll Trust Suit

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court has ruled that Fifth Third Bank must participate in discovery in litigation accusing Arden Trust Co. of mismanaging two congressionally created trust funds for displaced Bikini Atoll residents, while putting on hold Arden's separate claim seeking indemnification from the bank until the underlying case is resolved.

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Brief

Lockheed Wins $10B Special Ops Contract, $1.6B Navy Order

By Madeline Lyskawa

Lockheed Martin secured a $10.5 billion contract to provide global logistics support services for U.S. Special Operations Command for the next 12 years, in addition to a $1.6 billion Navy order to procure spare parts for F-35 aircraft. 

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DOD's Cyber Certification Pause May Heighten FCA Risks

The July 14 pause in implementation of the U.S. Department of Defense Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program places more weight on the accuracy of contractors' own compliance representations and thereby increases their False Claims Act exposure by leaving stringent self-assessment requirements intact, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

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Protecting Quantum Innovation As The Sector Commercializes

As quantum technologies continue to attract growing commercial investment and government interest, intellectual property protection is becoming an increasingly important consideration, says Michael Schallop at Van Pelt Yi.

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Series

Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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.

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How Does Your Compensation Stack Up? Take Our Survey

Is your compensation keeping pace with the rate of inflation? Do you know what your colleagues made last year? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's Law Firm Compensation Survey.

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Feature

As Law Firms Race To Adopt AI, Cost Concerns Grow

By Phillip Bantz

Pressure is mounting on law firm leaders to dive into the AI waters or watch competitors swim away, but figuring out responsible, cost-effective methods to use high-priced legal tech remains tricky, experts say.

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Richards Layton Apologizes For AI Errors In Chancery Case

By Rose Krebs

Richards Layton & Finger PA and one of its attorneys have apologized to the Delaware Chancery Court for submitting a filing with errors generated by artificial intelligence, asking that sanctions not be imposed.

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McDermott Atty Denies Pressuring Friend To Alter Testimony

By Rose Krebs

A McDermott Will & Schulte LLP attorney has told a Delaware vice chancellor that he is in "complete shock" and "hurt" by a longtime friend's contention that he pressured him to change his testimony in a Chancery Court case, saying the accusation "is false and without any merit."

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Simpson Thacher 'Never' Explained Ill-Fated Deal, Exec Says

By Cara Salvatore

A founder seeking over $100 million from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett over a transaction he says destroyed his insurance services company testified Thursday the law firm provided him no education on various words he wasn't familiar with in the deal.

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Blue-Slip-Backed Trump Judge Selections Advance

By Courtney Bublé

The first two judicial nominations of the second Trump administration to receive supportive blue slips from Democratic senators advanced to the Senate floor Thursday.

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Goulston Docked Ex-Partners' Pay For Joining Rival, Suit Says

By Julie Manganis

Two Goulston & Storrs PC directors who jumped to Troutman Pepper Locke LLP were stiffed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation in retaliation for leaving, according to a suit filed Thursday in New York federal court.

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Feature

In Uber Assault Trial, A Courtroom Tests Truth Face-To-Face

By Hayley Fowler

This is the first in a two-part series about the Virginia Revival Model courtroom in the Charles R. Jonas federal courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here, judges and attorneys recall how a sexual assault trial against Uber unfolded in a space designed to place focus on the witnesses.

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Tillis Might Back Blanche, As AG Pick Met Epstein Survivors

By Courtney Bublé

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday afternoon met with a group of survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said his condition for supporting Blanche's appointment to the permanent position was for the nominee to speak to them face-to-face.

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