Maryland Judge Keeps Kids' Privacy Law Challenge

By Jared Foretek

NetChoice's challenge to Maryland's "Kids Code" law regulating online privacy protections for children survived the state's motion to dismiss, after a Maryland federal judge Monday said the trade association had made sufficient claims that the law burdens protected speech.

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

11th Circ. Lets Fla. Enforce Social Media Law Amid Appeal

By Hailey Konnath

A split Eleventh Circuit panel on Tuesday allowed Florida to enforce its law banning children 13 and under from social media while the Sunshine State appeals a lower court's injunction, ruling that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is likely to succeed in his argument that the law is constitutional.

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

John Deere Rival Can't Appeal Info Safeguards In FTC Case

By Lauraann Wood

A Deere & Co. competitor looking to shield confidential information it produced for a U.S. Federal Trade Commission right-to-repair investigation from related multidistrict litigation targeting Deere cannot tap the Seventh Circuit to resolve legal questions surrounding its failed protective order request, an Illinois federal judge said.

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

Unions Say More Info Is Needed In DOGE Data Access Dispute

By Emily Brill

A union coalition urged a New York federal judge Monday to order the federal government to disclose how much access to federal workers' personal information it gave the Department of Government Efficiency and what the White House unit formerly headed by Elon Musk did with that information.

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

MVP: Dechert's Brenda R. Sharton

By Joyce Hanson

Brenda R. Sharton of Dechert LLP successfully defended popular menstrual tracking app Flo Health at trial in one of the largest consumer class actions ever in terms of damages claimed — in excess of $38 billion — earning her a spot among one of the 2025 Law360 Cybersecurity & Privacy MVPs.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

IT Contractor Fights $6.8M Verdict In FAA Contract Dispute

By Carolyn Muyskens

An information technology company has asked a Michigan judge to erase or reduce a $6.8 million verdict finding the company caused a competitor to lose a Federal Aviation Administration contract, saying there was no basis for the jury's award.

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

Circus, Bank Of America Agree To Wrap Up Online Theft Suit

By Kelcey Caulder

An Atlanta-based circus company and Bank of America have struck a tentative deal to end a lawsuit claiming the financial services giant let online thieves siphon off more than $4.8 million of the circus' funds, according to a filing in Georgia federal court. 

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

Medical AI Co. Accused Of 'Smear Campaign' Against Rivals

By Julie Manganis

Two rivals of medical artificial intelligence platform OpenEvidence have told a Massachusetts federal judge the startup has used the courts in a campaign of "deceit, harassment and defamation" against competitors.

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

LendingTree's QuoteWizard Unit Hit With Telemarketing Suit

By Gina Kim

Lending Tree's insurance comparison subsidiary QuoteWizard.com LLC violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by placing unsolicited prerecorded telemarketing calls to people's phones without first getting their express consent, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in North Carolina federal court.

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

Mass. Justices Clarify Access To Sealed Records For Appeals

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts law intended to give defendants acquitted of criminal charges a fresh start by automatically sealing a court's record does not prevent them or their attorneys from accessing the files, the state's high court ruled on Tuesday.

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

Considerations When Invoking The Common-Interest Privilege

To successfully leverage the common-interest doctrine in a multiparty transaction or complex litigation, practitioners should be able to demonstrate that the parties intended for it to apply, that an underlying privilege like attorney-client has attached, and guard against disclosures that could waive privilege and defeat its purpose, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bonus Spotlight

Magic Circle Firms Enchant Associates With Top-Tier Bonuses

By Tracey Read

U.S. associates at Linklaters LLP and Clifford Chance LLP have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season, as the Magic Circle firms Wednesday became the latest to match the BigLaw standard for this year's associate bonuses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

After Big Win For 2 Trump Foes, A Third Faces 'Tougher Job'

By Phillip Bantz

The recent dismissal of federal criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey does little to help President Donald Trump's ex-national security adviser John Bolton, whose defense in a classified-materials case presents a thornier set of legal and factual issues, experts say.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

Up Next At High Court: ISP Liability & State Subpoena Suits

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court will return Monday for the first week of its December oral argument session, during which the justices will consider whether internet service providers can be held liable for contributing to their customers' infringing activity online and whether the subjects of state subpoenas are required to first challenge them in state court. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Interview

For Covington's Adrian Perry, Music Is A Family Affair

By Theresa Schliep

Despite having a famous rock star dad, Covington & Burling LLP partner Adrian J. Perry wasn't all that interested in being a musician as a young child, but he knew as early as 6 years old that he wanted to be a lawyer.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Calif. Privacy Agency Gaining Steam Ahead Of 5th Anniversary

By Allison Grande

California's data privacy regulator has taken several notable steps in recent months, including handing down its first penalty upward of $1 million dollars and finalizing long-awaited rules on topics such as cybersecurity audits and technologies that use artificial intelligence, and the groundbreaking agency shows no signs of slowing down as its fifth anniversary approaches. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Split 6th Circ. Shields Baker Donelson, Not City Councilman

By Matt Perez

In a published opinion, the Sixth Circuit has found that Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC is shielded by qualified immunity as outside counsel for the city of Nashville in litigation over the law firm's firing of a city election commission chair and member of the firm.

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

Foley & Lardner Hit With Malpractice Suit Over Chancery Loss

By Rose Krebs

Foley & Lardner LLP has been sued in Delaware Superior Court by three officers of a now-defunct food recycling company who say the firm was negligent when representing them in a Chancery Court case that led to a $1.6 million judgment against them and another officer.

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

DOJ Asks Court If It Can Release Epstein Files Under New Law

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a New York federal court's permission to publicly release the files related to the investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, clarifying Wednesday that it wants to release search warrant results, travel and financial records, police reports, and other materials.

4 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Keesal Young Poaching Suit Against Stradley Ronon Trimmed

By Madison Arnold

A California state judge cleared Keesal Young & Logan to pursue most of its lawsuit alleging Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young crossed the line when it recruited 10 former Keesal Young attorneys, finding that claims such as inducing breach of contract could move forward, in part, because of conversations among the attorneys.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Says Ex-Employees Can't Challenge Firings In Fed. Court

By Rose Krebs

The government says a D.C. federal court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate a lawsuit filed by a former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and two other ex-Department of Justice employees, alleging they were unlawfully fired.

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

Hub Hires: Todd & Weld, Freshfields, Shipman

By Julie Manganis

It was a busy November in Boston's legal community as another firm expanded into the market, and a longtime judge traded his gavel for the ability to address his growing concerns about the Trump administration.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »