9th Circ. Rejects Challenge To Wash. Abortion Coverage Law

By Rachel Riley

Revisiting a church's First Amendment challenge to a Washington law mandating that certain health insurance plans include abortion coverage, a divided Ninth Circuit panel Monday concluded that the Cedar Park Assembly of God failed to point to evidence that Washington's Reproductive Parity Act targets religious conduct.

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Leidos Settles Ex-Worker's Tobacco Fee Suit

By Kellie Mejdrich

Information technology company Leidos has struck a deal to settle an ex-worker's proposed class action alleging violations of federal benefits law over a roughly $600-a-year health plan surcharge on employees who used tobacco, parties told a Virginia federal court.

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Aetna Tells 5th Circ. DOL Can't Block Aramark Suit Arbitration

By Kellie Mejdrich

Aetna Life Insurance Co. urged the Fifth Circuit on Monday against the U.S. Department of Labor's argument that uniform company Aramark Services Inc.'s health claims dispute with the insurer should remain in court, arguing a Texas judge erred in declining to enforce the parties' binding arbitration agreement.

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National Instruments Reaches $28M Deal Over Hidden Bids

By Katryna Perera

National Instruments Corp., two former executives and a class of investors have reached a $28 million deal to resolve claims that the company repurchased stock while concealing from investors that it was considering being acquired.

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ERISA Smoking Suit Must Be Arbitrated, Dollar General Says

By Emily Brill

The Sixth Circuit should scuttle a proposed Employee Retirement Income Security Act class action against Dollar General by reviving and granting the company's motion to compel individual arbitration, Dollar General argued, saying a Tennessee federal judge didn't follow the right procedure when dispensing with the motion.

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Detroit, Firefighters Union Win Seniority Appeal

By Melanie Dorsey

The city of Detroit and its firefighters union have defeated the remaining claims of two firefighters who challenged their treatment after returning from disability retirement, with a Michigan state appeals court finding their claims either conflicted with seniority rules adopted during the city's bankruptcy or lacked sufficient support.

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Atty Says NFL Parkinson's Claims Ban Lacked Due Process

By Elaine Briseño

An attorney barred from representing claimants seeking NFL concussion settlement funds was denied basic due process during an audit of his work, he has argued in asking the Pennsylvania federal court to vacate his sanctions.

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Big Biz Coalition Backs Litigation Funding Disclosure Rule

By Ryan Boysen

Big U.S. businesses and insurers like Amazon, Anthropic, Chubb and Walmart asked the federal judiciary on Monday to tighten disclosure requirements for litigation finance, claiming the lack of guardrails allows funders to operate "in the shadows."

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Indiana Atty Hit With $10K Sanction Over False Citations

By Andrea Keckley

An Indiana federal judge on Friday adopted a magistrate judge's recommendation to sanction a local attorney $10,000 after finding that five briefs in a consumer credit case included citations to nonexistent cases.

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Jackson Lewis Removes Ex-Atty's Bias Suit To Federal Court

By Patrick Hoff

Jackson Lewis PC has moved a former associate's suit accusing the firm of refusing to accommodate her temporary work restrictions following her medical leave to California federal court, saying state court wasn't the right venue for dispute.

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Bove Rejects Recusal Bid Tied To DOJ Whistleblower Claims

By Courtney Bublé

U.S. Circuit Judge Emil Bove declined Monday to recuse himself in a Third Circuit immigration case, saying the attorneys for the petitioner are "recycling a failed pre-confirmation political smear" on him.

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State Farm Attorney Sanctioned $999.99 For AI Hallucinations

By Jonathan Capriel

An attorney for State Farm who filed several motions citing nonexistent cases and fabricated quotes generated by AI software must pay a $999.99 sanction, a Los Angeles judge ruled, an amount one cent below the threshold that would have triggered a mandatory notice to the State Bar of California under state law.

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Brief

Ex-Moses & Singer Partner Gets 10 Months For Tax Crimes

By Craig Clough

A Connecticut federal judge Monday sentenced a former Moses & Singer LLP partner to 10 months of imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $3.1 million for failing to file personal income tax returns, the U.S. attorney's office announced.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court this past week saw disputes over allegedly fabricated board approvals at a telecom infrastructure startup, insider trading and child safety at Roblox Corp. and ownership of artificial intelligence technology used in legal proceedings.

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