ITC Hires 2 IP Specialists As New Judges, Bringing Total To 7

By Ryan Davis

The U.S. International Trade Commission has hired a Patent Trial and Appeal Board judge and a Winston Taylor intellectual property attorney as administrative law judges, bringing its roster of judges to seven in a move the commission said will bolster its ability to handle IP cases.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

7th Circ. Probes Milwaukee Tool's Forced-Labor Liability

By Celeste Bott

Seventh Circuit judges grappled Wednesday with whether a federal anti-trafficking law allows a former Chinese prisoner to sue Milwaukee Tool over allegations it sold gloves made with forced prison labor in China, questioning the international consequences of allowing private lawsuits over foreign conduct and probing whether the company's alleged profits from that labor in the United States are sufficient to keep the case alive.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chinese Bank Wants Out Of 'Far-Fetched' Boat Sinking Suit

By Jack McLoone

The New York arm of a Chinese bank told a D.C. federal court it should be removed from a "far-fetched" suit that claimed it was involved in an Iran-China conspiracy that resulted in Houthi rebels sinking a ship in the Red Sea.

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

Brief

EU Committees OK Tighter Controls On Drug Inputs

By Jack McLoone

Two European Parliament committees voted Wednesday to advance draft measures they said would strengthen controls on chemicals used to manufacture illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine.

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

Altria Tells 4th Circ. ITC Patent Cases Are Unconstitutional

By Elliot Weld

Altria has asked the Fourth Circuit to undo a district court decision allowing a patent case in the U.S. International Trade Commission brought against it by Juul to proceed, saying the Constitution dictates that private patent disputes belong in the courts.

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

'Clearly Sanctionable' Conduct Not Punished In Vape MDL

By Jonathan Capriel

Buyers of CCell-branded vape hardware escaped sanctions Friday after they repeatedly mischaracterized emails to suggest a distributor had an enforcement role in a price-fixing scheme, when the California federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation called the conduct "clearly sanctionable" but giving counsel "one last chance."

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

Gene Firm Sues Pentagon Over 'Chinese Military' Label

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

A Chinese genetic sequencing company has sued the Pentagon, saying it was wrongly labeled a "Chinese military company" without a warning or a chance to respond.

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

StayTouch Uses New Patent To Sue Apple Over NameDrop

By Bonnie Eslinger

Apple Inc. is facing a Texas federal lawsuit from GG Technologies alleging that the tech giant's NameDrop feature, which allows iPhone and Apple Watch users to share contact information by bringing their devices close together, infringes on patented technology owned by the Southern California startup.

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

Opinion

The Invisible AI Danger That May Undermine Legal Profession

A public database tracking cases involving hallucinations generated by artificial intelligence recently surpassed 2,200 entries, but the bigger risk underlying attorneys’ use of such tools is that they will slowly surrender their judgment to AI and lose analytical skills, says Massachusetts District Court Associate Justice Brian Palmucci.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Faegre Drinker Hires Morgan Lewis Tax Specialist In Philly

By Jack Rodgers

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired a Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP tax associate to join its Philadelphia office as a partner working on federal income tax and other tax matters, according to a Wednesday announcement.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Controversial DOJ Civil Rights Division Leader Steps Down

By Alison Knezevich

Harmeet K. Dhillon, a U.S. Department of Justice official who instituted dramatic changes as leader of the Civil Rights Division, has stepped down from her role.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Racing Against Whistleblowers Could Cost Companies

By Phillip Bantz

The U.S. Department of Justice's new cash rewards program for tips on criminal fraud threatens to ramp up the pressure on companies to hurry internal investigations and quickly report suspected misconduct to the government before whistleblowers do, which could backfire in some cases, according to experts.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Which GCs Sold Stock In Oct.? Chevron, Micron & More

By Sue Reisinger

If Halloween threw a scare into legal chiefs, it didn't keep them from selling company stock in October. Chevron's R. Hewitt Pate and United Therapeutics' Paul Mahon each sold nearly $10 million worth, while Michael Ray of Micron was a distant third with $5.88 million in sales last month.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Maynard Nexsen Adds 9 Constangy Attys Across 3 States

By Christine DeRosa

Maynard Nexsen PC said Thursday the firm has added nine labor and employment attorneys from Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP, expanding its presence in New York, New Jersey and Missouri.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sullivan & Cromwell Brings On Weil Capital Markets Leader

By Isaac Monterose

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has hired the co-leader of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP's capital markets team for a capital markets partner role in its New York City office, the firm announced Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Toshiba, DTE Are Worlds Apart On Bond For $394M Judgment

By Melanie Dorsey

Toshiba Corp. urged a Michigan federal judge Thursday to limit its appeal bond to $37 million rather than the $549 million sought by two Michigan utilities, arguing that a state law capping appeal bonds should apply as the company challenges a $394 million judgment over a botched power plant overhaul.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump's Hush Money Conviction Examined By Wary NY Panel

By Frank G. Runyeon

A New York State appellate court Thursday quizzed attorneys for President Donald Trump and state prosecutors over his hush-money conviction, exploring defense counsel's claims that the district attorney trespassed into federal jurisdiction by charging election violations and trampled on presidential immunity in a case "infected with multiple fatal errors."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »