DOGE Data-Privacy Suit Survives Reconsideration Bid

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge declined Friday to reconsider his March decision allowing a proposed class action accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully sharing federal employees' sensitive personal information with Department of Government Efficiency staffers to proceed, ruling that an "oversight" in his prior opinion wouldn't alter the result.

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ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox ID'd For Extra EU Digital Safeguards

By Bryan Koenig

The European Commission labeled ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox on Monday as large enough to warrant extra rules for policing illegal content and other mandates, bringing the number of companies hit with Digital Services Act labels up to 28.

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6th Circ. Splits On Tenn. Social Media Age-Verification Law

By Emily Field

A split Sixth Circuit panel said a lower court should have blocked Tennessee's age-verification law for social media platforms while an internet industry group challenged the statute, finding the group had shown it would be harmed by compliance costs and the loss of free speech liberties.

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Parler Backers Hijacked Social Media Co. From CEO, Jury Told

By Cara Salvatore

Stakeholders of defunct microblogging app Parler, including hedge fund scion Rebekah Mercer and former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino, allegedly schemed to strip the social app's cofounder of his CEO role and his 40% stake, a Nevada jury heard in opening arguments in a $100 million contract trial Monday.

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Calif. Passes Bills To Limit Tracking Suits, Boost Privacy

By Allison Grande

California lawmakers have sent to the governor's desk legislation that would block private litigants from bringing website tracking lawsuits under a key provision of the state's wiretap law, as well as a separate pair of bills to expand protections under the state's data privacy law. 

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Brief

FCC Names New Enforcement Bureau Chief

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission has named Hunter Deeley as its new Enforcement Bureau chief.

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Brief

FCC Fines Undersea Cable Cos. For Expired Landing Licenses

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission inked a deal with a submarine cable company and its three co-licensees to end an investigation into their failure to renew their licenses on time, with the quartet agreeing to split a $45,000 fine.

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Contractor Sues Gov't For $20M In Unpaid Work, Lost Profits

By Madeline Lyskawa

A cybersecurity company is seeking $20 million at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims after the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency allegedly refused to pay for work completed outside the scope of the parties' agreement and declined to extend the contract.

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Circle Says N. Korea Hack USDC Was Never In Its Possession

By Sydney Price

Blockchain company Circle Internet Financial LLC said that the family of a man who was kidnapped and murdered by North Korean agents cannot collect $232 million from the company following the April Fools' Day exploit of crypto project Drift Protocol, arguing it was not in possession of the contents of the wallets at issue.

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Ex-Clifford Chance Attys Fight Bid To Toss Clawback Suit

By Ryan Boysen

The two partners facing a $6 million clawback demand by Clifford Chance LLP have again asked a federal judge to decide whether English or New York law should govern the arbitration, claiming the firm's partnership agreement is unclear.

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How Did Litigants Fare In Judge Albright's 55 Patent Trials?

By Dani Kass

U.S. District Judge Alan Albright oversaw more than 50 patent trials between his 2018 arrival on the bench and planned Monday departure, and in a surprise for many attorneys, there was a near-even split between victories for patent owners and accused infringers.

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New Report Rings Alarm On Threats To Judicial Independence

By Jack Karp

Verbal attacks on judges, disinformation about the courts and the defiance of court orders are undermining the independence of the federal judiciary and significantly affecting individual judges' ability to do their jobs, a report out Monday says.

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Roundup

Defamation Litigation Roundup: NYT, J&J, Azerbaijan

By Theresa Schliep

In this month's review of defamation fights, Law360 details a jury verdict against The New York Times in a suit involving its reporting on a shooting in Alabama, and highlights a judge's decision to spare researchers from a suit by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary over their talc research.

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House Passes Bill To Curb Secret Prosecutor Orders

By Courtney Bublé

The House passed a bipartisan bill via voice vote Monday afternoon to add transparency to prosecutors' use of nondisclosure orders for telephone service providers.

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Brief

House Passes Bill Adding Texas, California Court Sites

By Courtney Bublé

The House voted 378-10 on Monday evening to expand access to federal courts in Texas and California, the two most populous states in the nation.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court this past week saw disputes over a $200 million federal grant, a $1.7 billion software take-private deal, the ouster of Better.com founder Vishal Garg and a proposed $4 million settlement stemming from an electric vehicle company's SPAC merger.

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Roundup

Hub Hires: MassBar, Kirkland, Troutman

By Chris Villani

Massachusetts' legal landscape saw a sizzling summer finish, with several major firms making hires. Kirkland added a veteran white collar defense attorney, Troutman bolstered its real estate team and Day Pitney nabbed an experienced corporate attorney.

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