9th Circ. Says Security Officer's Firing OK For Court Review

By Grace Elletson

The Ninth Circuit found Thursday that it was fair game for a jury to consider whether a nuclear facility manager illegally fired a security officer due to his prescription opioid use, ruling the revocation of his fitness-for-duty certification didn't amount to a security clearance decision blocked from judicial review.

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DOL Benefits Chief Pressed On Labor Secretary's Conduct

By Kellie Mejdrich

The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm faced tough questions from House Democrats at an oversight hearing Thursday, fielding questions about the labor secretary's on-the-job conduct as well as the DOL's take on mental health parity enforcement. 

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2nd Circ. Weighs Fox News' Liability In Sex Assault Suit

By Anne Cullen

A Second Circuit panel on Thursday closely examined a former Fox News associate producer's claim that the network can be held liable for alleged sexual harassment and rape by a former show anchor, questioning if one novel legal theory being raised was forfeited at the trial level. 

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Feds Can't Stay Trans Healthcare Orders During Appeal

By Mark Payne

The Trump administration won't be able to enforce two executive orders that ban federal funding for gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 19 while the federal government appeals a nationwide injunction blocking the orders, the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday. 

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Ex-ByteDance Exec Fights Perjury Sanction At 9th Circ.

By Bonnie Eslinger

A former ByteDance executive urged the Ninth Circuit Thursday to revive a suit he filed against the TikTok owner after he was fired, saying the case should've been heard in state court and a federal judge had no jurisdiction to order terminating sanctions after finding he perjured himself.

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Ind. Judge Tells Parties AI Can't Replace Attorney Oversight

By Andrea Keckley

A federal magistrate judge in Indiana told parties in an employment suit against Walmart that artificial intelligence "can be a useful discovery tool" but "is not a substitute for attorneys and litigants exercising independent judgment and oversight in the discovery process."

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Cummins Can't Slip Male Worker's Sex Bias Suit

By Patrick Hoff

Engine manufacturer Cummins can't escape a former office technician's lawsuit claiming he was denied training and stuck with entry-level tasks for years while female colleagues were given opportunities to advance, with a North Carolina federal judge saying his complaint was detailed enough to stay in court.

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Fla. Panel Upholds Ex-Worker's Postclaim Arbitration Deal

By David Minsky

A Florida state appellate panel on Wednesday barred a woman from pursuing sexual discrimination allegations against her former employer in court, saying she agreed to arbitrate her claims in a settlement that followed her initial U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge. 

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Colo. Judge Upholds $11.5M Award In HR Group Bias Suit

By Rachel Konieczny

A Colorado federal judge upheld a jury's verdict and $11.5 million award to a former employee of a global human resources association in her discrimination lawsuit against her past employer, rejecting the association's bid for a new trial.

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Ex-Housing Worker Drops Punitive Damages Bid Against Boss

By P.J. D'Annunzio

A former Charlotte public housing authority coordinator awarded $2.34 million for her hostile work environment claims, has opted not to pursue punitive damages against her ex-supervisor, who was found liable for only $1 in compensatory damages.

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Security Co. Fails To Pay For Pre-, Postshift Walks, Suit Says

By MJ Koo

A security and facility services company has been shortchanging workers by failing to pay them for mandatory preshift and postshift walks to their workstations, according to a proposed class action in Pennsylvania state court.

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Agricultural Workers Seek Atty Fees After Co.'s No-Show

By Benjamin Morse

Farmworkers who accused agricultural companies of wage violations asked a Colorado federal judge to award nearly $24,000 in attorney fees and costs after one defendant and its lawyer stopped participating in discovery and ignored court orders.

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Workers Say Folded Boston Pot Shops Owe Them Pay

By Jonathan Capriel

Former employees of two defunct Boston marijuana dispensaries, both called Pure Oasis, are suing the companies behind the shops and their owners in Massachusetts state court, accusing them of failing to pay out final wages and earned vacation time after the leaders decided to close the shops without warning.

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US Bank Shorted Wash. Workers On Meals, Breaks, Suit Says

By MJ Koo

U.S. Bank denied hourly employees meal and rest breaks, and shorted them on overtime and sick leave pay, two former workers alleged in a proposed class action filed in Washington state court.

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Seattle Art Museum Denied Breaks, Full Pay, Suit Says

By Benjamin Morse

The Seattle Art Museum failed to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked and denied them legally required meal and rest breaks, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in Washington state court.

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2 Sentenced In North Korean Remote IT Worker Scheme

By Julie Manganis

Two New Jersey men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme to aid North Korea in getting around U.S. and United Nations sanctions by using stolen identities to place workers in information technology jobs.

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Feds Can't Hide Records Of FEMA Cuts, Labor Coalition Says

By Braden Campbell

The government has upended discovery rules by blanketly shielding records of cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency from public view, a labor-led coalition challenging the cuts told a California federal judge.

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Judge Says Ga. Workers' Comp Precedent Is 'Ridiculous'

By Chart Riggall

The Georgia Court of Appeals appeared open Thursday to revising the intersections of tort law and the state's workers' compensation claims process, and in the process potentially reviving a wrongful death suit from the spouse of a Six Flags worker who was killed on the job.

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Brief

6th Circ. Asks Retirees To Answer Mortality Data Suit Redo Bid

By Patrick Hoff

The Sixth Circuit on Thursday asked participants in Kellogg and FedEx pension plans to respond to the companies' bids for reconsideration of the court's decision to revive their lawsuits alleging benefits were miscalculated because the plans used outdated mortality data.

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Mich. Insurance Co. Says Ex-Brokers Violated Noncompetes

By Melanie Dorsey

A Grand Rapids-based insurance and financial services company has sued two of its former California employees, accusing them of jumping to a direct competitor in violation of noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements tied to multimillion-dollar deals in which they sold their insurance businesses to the company. 

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Michigan City, Police Brass Hit With Retaliation Claims

By Melanie Dorsey

Two decorated former Wyandotte police officers who say they were punished for speaking out about abusive policing practices that include excessive force and falsified reports, are suing the city and its current and prior police chiefs in Michigan federal court, alleging their rights to free speech were violated.

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Ga. Appeals Court Weighs Safety Duty In Lineman's Burn Suit

By Kelcey Caulder

A power lineman told a Georgia appeals court Thursday that an engineering company he says caused him injury by failing to ensure a worksite feeder line was de-energized should face his lawsuit alleging the company had an obligation to keep him safe.

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Wis. Supreme Court Upholds Pabst Asbestos Verdict

By Emily Field

The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld a verdict in favor of the estate of a steamfitter exposed to asbestos through his work at a Pabst Brewing Co. brewery, saying Wednesday that the company still owed a duty of care to employees of independent contractors, but capped punitive damages to about $4.65 million.

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Employer Tips As Calif. Law Rewrites Retention Pay Rules

California's recent enactment of A.B. 692 disrupts how employers structure sign-on bonuses, retention payments and other incentives tied to continued employment, but employers that adjust their compensation strategies can attract and retain talent while managing their compliance risks, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

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Series

Isshin-Ryu Karate Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My involvement in martial arts, specifically Isshin-ryu, which has principles rooted in the eight codes of karate, has been one of the most foundational in the development of my personality, and particularly my approach to challenges — including in my practice of law, says Kaitlyn Stone at Barnes & Thornburg.

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Another Record-Breaking Year For NY Lobbying: Watchdog

By Andrea Keckley

The amount of money spent on lobbying in New York state reached a new high — again — in 2025 despite lower dollar amounts from that year's top spenders, a state ethics and lobbying watchdog said Thursday.

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Roundup

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

By Laura Stewart Liberty

The past week in London has seen Aston Martin file an appeal in a row with Chinese carmaker Geely over its winged logo for London black cabs, Ineos sue Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team for a £180 million ($244 million) boat, White & Case face a claim from two energy storage companies, and a golf tour company bring a claim against Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after the fund invested in its rival.

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Alaska-Hawaiian Merger Judge Mulls DQ Over O'Melveny Ties

By Craig Clough

The parties in a consumer lawsuit challenging Alaska Airlines' 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines have been notified that the federal judge recently assigned to the case intends to disqualify himself unless they sign a waiver over one of his retirement accounts being tied to O'Melveny & Myers LLP, which is representing Alaska Airlines.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

New data found that some companies are being wary during the 2026 proxy season by negotiating deals behind closed doors rather than allowing shareholders to vote on issues. In the meantime, a report showed that the higher annual rate growth for outside counsel fees that began in 2022 has become the new normal. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Winston & Strawn LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a New York federal jury found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary harmed competition in the live entertainment sector by willfully monopolizing ticketing services.

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Roundup

Balancing The Scales: Juror Bias, First For Revenge Porn Law

By Orlando Lorenzo

The California Supreme Court tossed the conviction and death sentence in a double slaying over the trial court's failures to investigate claims of juror bias, and an Ohio man is believed to be the first person in the nation convicted under a federal law intended to battle revenge porn.

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