DOD, Lockheed Reach New 10-Year F-35 Deal

By Ganesh Setty

The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday it's reached a 10-year deal framework with Lockheed Martin under the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, which would guarantee the production of at least 850 aircraft for the U.S. military.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Investors Say AST Hid Failures, Made $277M In Insider Sales

By Nadia Dreid

AST SpaceMobile has been hit with a lawsuit accusing the satellite designer and manufacturer of misleading shareholders about the company's prospects amid mounting competition from Starlink, resulting in a drop in the stock's value.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Approves Starlink's Bid To Take Over Tristar Licenses

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX's Starlink satellite group's bid to take over three licenses held by a subsidiary of Tristar License Group to expand Starlink's direct-to-device service.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

FCC Exempts Specific Routers, Robots From Covered List

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Communications Commission has granted conditional approval for specific routers and advanced robotic devices that will exempt them from the Covered List, which restricts foreign-made devices for national security reasons.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Wash. Judge Sends Boeing Cancer Suit Back To State Court

By Tom Lotshaw

A Washington federal judge on Thursday sent a Boeing mechanic's suit blaming on-the-job exposures for a cancer diagnosis back to a Washington state court in King County, ruling that the aerospace giant waited too long to remove the case to federal court.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

EU, Canada Aim To Finalize Digital Trade Deal

By Dylan Moroses

Canada and the European Union are nearing conclusion of a digital trade agreement following recent efforts by both sides to strengthen economic ties, the bloc's top trade official said Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

How DC Circ. Ruling Permits Playacting Bribery Defense

The D.C. Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Burke decision appears to create a circuit split on whether prosecutors must prove public officials’ intent in bribery cases, and opens a gap between what appears to be corrupt conduct and what the law can reach, says Liz Aloi at MoFo.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Being In The Peace Corps Made Me A Better Lawyer

When I served in the Peace Corps, the people of the West African village where I was stationed helped me acclimate to my new surroundings and enabled me to develop problem-solving, teamwork and empathy skills that have bolstered my legal practice far beyond the ability to offer technical advice, says Brian Bewley at McGuireWoods.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

New Weil-Willkie Domains Add To Merger Speculation

By Marialuisa Taddia

Two domain names that combine the names of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP have been registered, fueling speculation about a potential merger between the two prominent Wall Street law firms.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bonus Spotlight

Hueston Hennigan Bumps Clerkship Bonus To $205K

By Lynn LaRowe

Trial boutique Hueston Hennigan is offering a $205,000 bonus to lawyers who have completed one or more federal clerkships, the firm confirmed Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Grave Errors': 5th Circ. Boots Judge After AI 'Botch Job'

By Jeff Overley

A Mississippi federal judge's careless use of artificial intelligence tools led to "sloppy edicts" riddled with "falsehoods and fabrications," the Fifth Circuit held in a Thursday night opinion removing the judge from litigation over an anti-DEI law in the Magnolia State because of his "extraordinarily grave errors."

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Judge Probe Shows Lack Of Mental Impairment Process

By Jack Karp

Fifth Circuit officials have done a reasonable job of handling a rare situation involving a Texas federal judge who appears to be undergoing a mental health crisis, but the episode highlights that a more standardized way of dealing with federal judges experiencing mental impairment needs to be established, experts and scholars say.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Jackson Walker Hits Back At Fee Clawback Sanction Move

By Vince Sullivan

Law firm Jackson Walker said Wednesday that it should not be sanctioned for failing to bring to a Texas federal judge's attention additional cases involving an undisclosed romantic relationship between a bankruptcy judge and one of its attorneys because the U.S. Trustee already investigated those cases and didn't take action.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

GOP Reps. Seek Probe Of Fla. Judge's Sanctions Order

By Courtney Bublé

Top Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee asked the Judicial Conference Thursday to investigate a Florida federal judge for potential misconduct with an order she issued in the case involving the leak of President Donald Trump's tax returns.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

JPMorgan, Ex-Frank Execs Clash Over $2.1M In Legal Fees

By Jarek Rutz

JPMorgan Chase & Co. faced renewed demands in the Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday to pay about $2.1 million in withheld legal fees for convicted Frank founder Charlie Javice and former executive Olivier Amar, as their lawyers accused the bank of using repeated billing objections to delay funding for their criminal defenses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup MDL Atty Fund 'Cries Out' For Review, 9th Circ. Told

By Dorothy Atkins

Plaintiffs' firms urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a ruling Thursday requiring them to contribute 8% of their recovery fees to a common benefit fund in multidistrict litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer, arguing the judge ignored a special master's recommendation and the issue "cries out for some appellate supervision."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »