NC Panel Nixes Nurse Noncompetes For Being 'Too Broad'

By Abigail Harrison

A medical clinic provider couldn't convince a North Carolina state appeals court to overturn a ruling that noncompete agreements for two former nurses were unenforceable, after a split panel ruled Wednesday that the terms were overly broad and voidable under public policy.

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Basketball Hall Of Fame Denies Bias Claim In Hiring Decision

By Patrick Hoff

The Basketball Hall of Fame denied Wednesday that it had unlawfully passed over a female applicant for a marketing executive position in favor of less qualified male candidates, telling a Massachusetts federal court it had lawful reasons for making the decision.

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Atlantic City Gets Win In Lifeguard Retaliation Suit

By Ganesh Setty

Two lifeguards failed to support their claims that the Atlantic City Beach Patrol retaliated against them for complaining about their work conditions, which allegedly involved dirty stations, a lack of proper equipment and "rampant" sexual exploitation, a New Jersey judge ruled.

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Golden Nugget Casino Seeks To Tap Out Of Wage Suit

By MJ Koo

Atlantic City's Golden Nugget casino moved Wednesday to cash out of a table game dealer's proposed class action alleging its tip pool practices and mandatory rest period policy violated federal and state wage laws, arguing the claims fail on multiple grounds including that a key federal regulation underpinning the lawsuit was vacated.

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Analysis

Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

By Jeff Overley

Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

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Sports Bar Calls Ex-Manager's $431K Atty Fee Bid Gratuitous

By Patrick Hoff

A North Carolina sports bar urged a federal court to slash a former manager's bid for nearly $431,000 in attorney fees following her jury win on a claim that the restaurant's owner sexually harassed her, arguing the worker inflated the total with unnecessary costs and lofty rates.

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Brief

Colo. Judge Finalizes Closed Captioner $500K Wage Deal

By MJ Koo

A Colorado federal judge gave final approval Wednesday to a $500,000 settlement resolving claims that a transcription and closed captioning company failed to pay workers for preparation tasks they performed before their official shift start times.

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Northrop Grumman Denied Calif. Workers Full Pay, Suit Says

By Benjamin Morse

Northrop Grumman shorted California workers by rounding recorded time, automatically deducting 30-minute meal periods and requiring off-the-clock work, according to a proposed class action and California's Private Attorneys General Act suit lodged against the aerospace and defense contractor in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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Brief

United Airlines Unit, Cleaning Workers Reach OT Settlement

By MJ Koo

A United Airlines Inc. subsidiary and a class of airport cleaning workers have reached an agreement in principle to settle a lawsuit alleging the company failed to properly pay overtime for voluntary shift trades, a Colorado federal court filing shows.

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Pa. Panel Backs Benefits For Giant Eagle Worker Hit By Car

By Matthew Santoni

A Pittsburgh pharmacy technician can get workers' compensation after she was hit by a car during her 15-minute lunch break, since the break was limited enough to fall under the "personal comfort doctrine" in state law, a divided appellate court ruled Wednesday.

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Biz, Benefits Groups Tell 4th Circ. To Nix 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

By Grace Elletson

A trio of business and benefits groups asked the Fourth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a suit claiming Northrop Grumman improperly used forfeited 401(k) cash to fund its plan contributions, stating it would be "exceedingly odd" for the case to proceed against federal regulations allowing the practice.

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How Litigants Are Testing Conversion Therapy Ruling's Scope

Litigants are already using the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Chiles v. Salazar ruling, which applied strict scrutiny to Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, to challenge laws limiting algorithmic rental pricing, artificial intelligence-based discrimination and anti-union employer speech, and courts must soon decide Chiles’ First Amendment limits, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

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Reel Justice: 'Obsession' And The Importance Of Precision

In “Obsession,” the main character’s failure to define the limits of his wish results in an unexpectedly horrifying outcome, highlighting for attorneys why careful word choice is essential not only in briefs, but also in charging decisions, statutory interpretation and all stages of criminal litigation, says Veronica Finkelstein at Widener-Delaware Law.

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How Does Your Compensation Stack Up? Take Our Survey

Is your compensation keeping pace with the rate of inflation? Do you know what your colleagues made last year? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's Law Firm Compensation Survey.

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Simpson Thacher Put Co. Out Of Business, Fla. Jury Told

By Cara Salvatore

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP put an insurance services company out of business with a poorly constructed private securities offering, the company's founder told a Florida state jury Wednesday in opening arguments for trial in his suit alleging the law firm owes him more than $100 million.

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New Conn. High Court Rules Put Filers On Hook For AI Errors

By Aaron Keller

The Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts have published new generative artificial intelligence rules which took immediate effect this week, outlining additional paths for sanctions as the justices weigh the fate of a landlord's attorney who admitted his filings contained ChatGPT-induced errors.

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Cornyn, Tillis Still Waver On Blanche AG Bid After Hearing

By Courtney Bublé

Todd Blanche had his nomination hearing to be attorney general on Wednesday and two key Republican senators still have yet to say if they will support him.

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Senate Confirms Fla. Judge Pick Tied To Trump Pulitzer Case

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 51-46, along party lines, Wednesday to confirm state Chief Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz for the Southern District of Florida.

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Apple Allowed To Question Withdrawing Hagens ICloud Client

By Bryan Koenig

A California federal judge has allowed Apple to impose conditions on the withdrawal of a Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP client as a named plaintiff from an iCloud antitrust case, concluding that the consumer's information could be "relevant to spoliation sanctions" or Hagens Berman's adequacy as class counsel.

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Polsinelli, Doctor Seek Toss Of 'Bad Faith' Patent Claims

By Elliot Weld

Polsinelli PC and a doctor who has been a client of the law firm have asked Mississippi and Tennessee federal courts to throw out Zavation Medical Products LLC and Choice Spine LLC's allegations that the firm and its client violated respective state laws by bringing "bad faith" patent infringement claims, saying the statutes the medical device makers rely on can't be brought by distributors or manufacturers.

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Trump Swiftly Fires Court-Appointed Seattle US Atty

By Lauren Berg

Almost immediately after being sworn in as Seattle's new U.S. attorney Wednesday morning, former King County Superior Court judge and federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff was fired by President Donald Trump.

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Dems Probe Clayton's Independence, 2020 Election Views

By Tom Lotshaw

During a Wednesday confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick for national intelligence director, Democratic lawmakers pressed Jay Clayton to explain whether predecessor Tulsi Gabbard should have traveled to Georgia to oversee a search warrant executed at a Fulton County election facility, which she testified the president asked for.

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