Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson escalated his campaign against alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints with a "warning letter" sent directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook citing reports that Apple News favors "left-wing news outlets" and suppresses conservative ones.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

FTC Chairman Targets Apple News' 'Left-Wing' Favoritism

By Bryan Koenig

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson escalated his campaign against alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints with a "warning letter" sent directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook citing reports that Apple News favors "left-wing news outlets" and suppresses conservative ones.

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

Uber $8.5M Bellwether Verdict Boosts Plaintiffs' MDL Leverage

By Y. Peter Kang

Uber was recently hit with an $8.5 million verdict in the first bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation over driver sex assaults, and one particular finding by the jury bodes well for the thousands of cases remaining in the MDL, experts tell Law360, and could prove pivotal for any future global settlement.

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9th Circ. Judges Doubt AG-Picked Nevada US Atty Can Serve

By Dorothy Atkins

Two judges on a Ninth Circuit panel doubted Thursday the government's argument that a lower court erred by finding the U.S. Attorney General wrongly appointed Nevada's top federal prosecutor, with both judges repeatedly noting that the government's legal theory suggests that U.S. attorneys could circumvent the nomination process indefinitely.

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Bipartisan Bill Targets Scam Ads On Social Media Platforms

By Jon Hill

Federal lawmakers are pushing to require social media companies to crack down on fraudulent advertising on their platforms under new bipartisan legislation that is drawing praise from banking and consumer groups.

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Restaurant Group Alleges Ex-GC Embezzled, Shared Secrets

By Craig Clough

The former general counsel of a restaurant group behind Casa Madera in West Hollywood charged luxury items and anti-aging treatments to his company credit card in a $250,000 embezzlement scheme and released privileged company information when he was fired, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Nevada federal court.

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Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

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PUBLIC POLICY

GOP Lawmakers Probe CalPERS's 'Radical' ESG Investments

By Kelcey Caulder

The chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee and two other Republican lawmakers sent a letter Thursday to California's largest public pension fund, demanding information on whether it prioritized "radical left-wing causes" over protecting retirement savers.

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

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL

Washoe Tribe Reclaims 10,274 Acres In Sierra Nevada

By Crystal Owens

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California said it has purchased more than 10,000 acres of its ancestral lands in the Sierra Nevada, made possible by a $5.5 million grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board and marking the third-largest land return in the state's history.

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Brief

Trump Admin EV Funding Cuts Suits Merged In Wash. Court

By Jonathan Capriel

A Washington federal judge has consolidated two lawsuits seeking to stop the Trump administration from preventing nearly $2.5 billion in congressionally appropriated funds from going to electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs.

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INSURANCE

Calif. Insurance Chief Backs Smoke Standards Bill

By Hope Patti

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced his support Wednesday for a bill that would establish the nation's first public health and insurance claims standard for homes damaged by smoke contamination.

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

PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTION

Roblox Wins Effort To Arbitrate Kids' Data Privacy Suit

By Gina Kim

Roblox can arbitrate a proposed class action alleging that it secretly harvests users' personal data, a California federal judge ruled Wednesday, finding that the users received conspicuous notice of the fact that clicking "Sign Up" or "Continue" on its platform binds them to the arbitration clause contained in Roblox's terms of use.

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Zappos Says Customer Must Arbitrate Meta Privacy Suit

By Gina Kim

A Zappos customer must arbitrate her proposed class action alleging it allowed Meta to eavesdrop on customer activity on its website, the retailer told a California federal judge Wednesday, arguing the customer received conspicuous notice of its conditions of use and privacy notice containing an arbitration agreement.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Tesla Says Case Transfer Boosts Mandamus Bid In PTAB Fight

By Dani Kass

A Texas federal judge's decision to send patent infringement litigation against Tesla Inc. to California strengthens the automaker's mandamus petition claiming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly turned away its challenges, Tesla told the Federal Circuit.

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Analysis

IP Firms Are Navigating AI Era With Range Of Guardrails

By Elliot Weld

Intellectual property law firms are taking various approaches to implementing artificial intelligence into their professional routines, with some developing their own tools, others limiting what external AI platforms that lawyers can access and one firm saying it has banned attorneys from using AI to draft legal briefs.

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SPORTS & BETTING

Investor Claims $250K Fraud In Project Tied To Magic Johnson

By Elaine Briseño

A business owner accused an associate of Earvin "Magic" Johnson of fraudulently taking $250,000 to invest in an online education platform about cryptocurrency that was endorsed by the legendary basketball player but never launched or paid any royalties.

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EMPLOYMENT & BENEFITS

Telehealth Co. Misclassified Employees, Ex-Physician Says

By Benjamin Morse

A telehealth platform for weight management misclassified healthcare providers as independent contractors, denying them full wages and expense reimbursements, a former physician alleged in a proposed class and collective action filed in California federal court.

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

SECURITIES & BANKING

Maxeon Dodges Investor Suit Over Financial Disclosures

By Sydney Price

Maxeon Solar Technologies has escaped a shareholder class action accusing it of misleading investors about its liquidity issues, with a California federal judge ruling that none of the challenged statements in the suit were shown to be false or misleading.

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Super Micro Investor Fights Uphill At 9th Circ. To Lead Suit

By Dorothy Atkins

A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Thursday of a Super Micro Computer Inc. investor's writ of mandamus petition challenging a lower court's decision to reject it as lead plaintiff in a proposed securities class action, with each judge expressing doubts that the investor has shown its "extraordinary" request for relief is warranted.

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Chancery Mulls Contempt For Co. Refusing Legal Fee Demand

By Jeff Montgomery

A request for a Court of Chancery contempt sanctioning of "smart" glass-maker View Inc. for failure to pay millions in legal fee advancements sought by its former chief financial officer went to a Delaware Magistrate in Chancery for a ruling Thursday, with decisions affecting the cost pending in multiple courts.

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COMPETITION

HPE Has 'No Grounds' To Hide DOJ Deal Bidders, AGs Say

By Bryan Koenig

Democratic attorneys general challenging the controversial Justice Department settlement permitting Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks have urged a California federal judge to let them see who's bidding for assets up for divestiture, arguing the would-be buyers are an integral part of the agreement's viability.

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

Ex-Pharma Exec Fights AGs' Quick Win Bid In Antitrust Case

By George Woolston

A former pharmaceutical marketing executive urged a Connecticut federal court to reject summary judgment sought against him by state attorneys general pursuing wider price-fixing litigation against most of the generic drug industry, arguing key cooperating witnesses' questionable credibility makes a trial necessary.

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

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telecom Execs Lose Bid To Overturn $5.8M Arbitration Award

By Joyce Hanson

A California federal judge has confirmed a $5.8 million arbitration cost award stemming from a dispute over a failed project to bring satellite broadband internet to sub-Saharan Africa, ruling that the award debtors erred by asking the court to second-guess the arbitral tribunal's findings.

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IMMIGRATION

DC Judge Skeptical Funding Lapse Settles ICE Visit Policy Row

By Britain Eakin

A D.C. federal judge considered Thursday whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security permissibly used a funding gap to freshen up a policy requiring a week's notice for congressional oversight visits, or if a longstanding spending rider prohibits the move.

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DC Judge Won't Bow To DOJ, Public Criticism On TPS Ruling

By Tom Lotshaw

A D.C. federal judge who said she has been receiving threats and personal insults after she temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status for Haitians refused to pause her ruling, saying judges will not be intimidated by public threats.

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HEALTHCARE

Trump Admin. Blocked From Cutting $600M In Health Funding

By Rae Ann Varona

An Illinois federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating more than $600 million in public health funding to four Democratic-led states, saying the states will likely succeed in showing they are unconstitutionally being targeted due to political or policy objectives.

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PEOPLE

Norton Rose Taps Trial Atty As New Head Of LA Office

By James Mills

Norton Rose Fulbright has tapped a veteran trial attorney to be the new head of its Los Angeles office.

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Ballard Spahr Enters San Francisco With Benesch Litigators

By Lynn LaRowe

Ballard Spahr LLP announced Thursday that it has launched a San Francisco office with a four-member litigation team who came aboard from Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

California's New Privacy Laws Demand Preparation From Cos.

An increase in breach disclosures is coinciding with California's most comprehensive privacy and artificial intelligence legislation taking effect, illustrating the range of vulnerabilities organizations in the state face and highlighting that the key to successfully managing these requirements is investing in capabilities before they became urgent, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

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A Closer Look At California Financial Regulator's 2026 Agenda

California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Commissioner KC Mohseni in recent remarks demonstrated the regulator's growing importance amid the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's retreat by debuting expansive goals for 2026, including finalizing rulemaking for the state's digital asset law and expanding enforcement authority around consumer complaints, says John Kimble at Hinshaw.

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Series

Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen a former U.S. defense contractor convicted of tax evasion face legal action, French football club Olympique Lyonnais sued following a $97 million ruling against its owner John Textor, consulting giant Kroll targeted by a South African airline, and H&M hit with a claim alleging it copied protected sunglasses designs. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

WilmerHale and Gillam & Smith LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Texas federal jury cleared Apple of infringement claims over patents covering 4G wireless technology, in a case that previously led to jury verdicts of $506 million and $300 million.

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Brief

Indiana AG Declines Intervention In Posner Wage Suit

By Emily Sawicki

Indiana's attorney general has declined to intervene in a pro se plaintiff's suit seeking to revive $170,000 in wage claims against retired Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner, finding the case did not pose a "substantial" constitutional challenge to a state statute mandating that delayed contracts must be written and signed to be enforced.

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Louisiana Atty Takes Responsibility For AI Usage Snafu

By Christine DeRosa

After facing the threat of sanctions alongside three of his co-counsel, a Louisiana attorney told a federal judge that he was solely responsible for an error-riddled brief written with the assistance of artificial intelligence. 

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

Taking heat from Republican senators over not notifying members of Congress about subpoenas for their phone records, Verizon's general counsel has pledged that in the future, the company will fight gag orders requiring it to keep silent. And taking heat from shareholders and colleagues over her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Goldman Sachs' chief legal officer has agreed to leave the firm in June.

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Colorado Atty Delayed Filing, Gave Faulty Advice, Suit Says

By Rachel Konieczny

A Colorado attorney waited nearly five years to file a lawsuit on behalf of two clients and provided faulty advice, the former clients alleged Thursday in a malpractice lawsuit in state court.

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'Acqui-Hires' In AI Drawing Antitrust Scrutiny, Tech Attys Say

By Bonnie Eslinger

Attorneys with Nvidia, Google and Uber took the stage at a conference hosted Thursday by Baker McKenzie to discuss emerging trends in antitrust enforcement, including how booming AI investment has produced new regulatory scrutiny of "acqui-hires," in which large companies acquire startups primarily to hire their teams.

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In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

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6th Circ. Says Ch. 13 Motion Came 84 Minutes Too Late

By Vince Sullivan

A 2-1 split panel of the Sixth Circuit affirmed two lower court rulings from Michigan federal judges denying a Chapter 13 debtor's motion to dismiss his bankruptcy case because the request came 84 minutes after a bankruptcy court converted the case to a Chapter 7.

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

Promo that reads 2025 Practice Groups of the Year

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Addleshaw Goddard

ArentFox Schiff

Baker Donelson

Baker McKenzie

Ballard Spahr

Barclay Damon

Beasley Allen

Ben Crump Law

Benesch

Bernstein Litowitz

Brockstedt Mandalas

Bryan Cave

Buether Joe

Bursor & Fisher

CMS Cameron McKenna

Clyde & Co

Conyers Dill

Covington & Burling

DAC Beachcroft

DLA Piper

Davis Goldman PLLC

Davis Wright Tremaine

Dean Omar

Dentons

DiCello Levitt

Eichhorn & Eichhorn

Faegre Drinker

Faruqi & Faruqi

Fenchurch Law

Finnegan

Freshfields

Gage Spencer & Fleming

Gibbs Mura

Gibson Dunn

Gillam Smith

Giskan Solotaroff

Gowling WLG

Greenberg Traurig

Greenspoon Marder

Gupta Wessler

HJV Car Accident Personal Injury Lawyers

Hacker Stephens

Hagens Berman

Harrison Goddard Foote

Haynes Boone

Heim Payne

Hinshaw & Culbertson

Hogan Lovells

Homburger AG

Howes Percival

Hughes Hubbard

Ivie McNeill

Jones Fussell

Keoghs LLP

Kessler Topaz

Kilpatrick Townsend

Kirkland & Ellis

Knobbe Martens

Kurzban Kurzban

LK Law Pty Ltd

Lando & Anastasi

Latham & Watkins

Lenz & Staehelin

Levin Sedran

Lewis Brisbois

Lieff Cabraser

Liskow & Lewis

Mayer Brown

MoloLamken

Morgan Lewis

Morris James

Morris Nichols

Motley Rice

Nabarro LLP

Nemecek & Cole

Norton Rose

Osborne Clarke

Penningtons Manches

Perkins Coie

Pillsbury Winthrop

Procopio Cory

Quinn Emanuel

Reynolds Porter

Riess LeMieux

Rogers Joseph O'Donnell

Ropes & Gray

Seeger Weiss

Shapiro Arato

Sharp Law LLP

Sheppard Mullin

Sherin & Lodgen

Skadden Arps

Steptoe LLP

Sterne Kessler

Stoel Rives

Sullivan & Cromwell

Taylor Rose

The Cochran Firm

Thompsons Solicitors

Trethowans LLP

Trowers & Hamlins

Tycko & Zavareei

Vincents Solicitors

Wagstaff & Cartmell

Walker Morris LLP

Ward Hadaway

White & Case

WilmerHale

Yetter Coleman

Zimmer Citron

Zuber Lawler

gunnercooke LLP

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

7-Eleven Inc.

AARP Inc.

American Airlines Group Inc.

American Bankers Association

American Bar Association

American International Group Inc.

Amicus

Apple Inc.

Associated Press

Association of Corporate Counsel

Aux

Bank Policy Institute

Barclays PLC

Binance Holdings Ltd.

Blue Shield of California

British Broadcasting Corp.

ByteDance Ltd.

Cantor Fitzgerald LP

Coinme

Common Sense Media Inc.

Consumer Bankers Association

Consumer Federation of America

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc.

Democracy Forward Foundation

Earthjustice

Google LLC

H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB

HTC Corporation

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Home Box Office Inc.

Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Instagram Inc.

International Business Machines Corp.

Investments Ltd.

J Sainsbury PLC

Johnson & Johnson

Juniper Networks Inc.

Kiteworks USA LLC

Kyndryl Holdings Inc.

Laing O'Rourke

Leidos Holdings Inc.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

LinkedIn Corp.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

Lloyd's America Inc.

Media Research Center

Meta Platforms Inc.

Microsoft Corp.

Monsanto Co.

NBCUniversal Media LLC

NVIDIA Corp.

Nasdaq Inc.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Natural Resources Defense Council

Navy Federal Credit Union

Netflix Inc.

Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice

New York Post

OpenAI OpCo LLC

PPG Industries Inc.

PowerSchool Group LLC

Roblox Corp.

S&P Global Inc.

Sandoz International GmbH

Sharp HealthCare

Sierra Club

Sling TV LLC

Snap Inc.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

State Bar of California

SunPower Corporation

Super Micro Computer Inc.

Tesla Inc.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The Hershey Co.

The Home Depot Inc.

TikTok Inc.

Transocean Ltd.

Uber Technologies Inc.

University of the Pacific

Valaris

Verizon Communications Inc.

View Inc.

Vodafone Group PLC

W.R. Berkley Corp.

W.R. Grace & Co.

Walmart Inc.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Wells Fargo & Co.

YouTube Inc.

Zappos.com Inc.

Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Bureau of Land Management

California Attorney General's Office

California Department of Insurance

California Department of Justice

California Privacy Protection Agency

California Public Employees' Retirement System

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Colorado Attorney General's Office

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Delaware Court of Chancery

Executive Office of the President

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Trade Commission

Financial Conduct Authority

Indiana Attorney General's Office

Los Angeles Superior Court

National Labor Relations Board

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Texas Attorney General's Office

U.S. Attorney's Office

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of State

U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

UK High Court

US Office of Management and Budget

United States District Court for the District of Nevada

Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California