Sinema Says Tryst With Ex-Guard Not In NC Court's Reach

By Abigail Harrison

Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, now a Hogan Lovells attorney, told a North Carolina federal court Thursday that a lawsuit alleging her cross-country affair with a former member of her security detail ended a 14-year marriage must be dismissed because the trysts occurred outside state borders.

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FDIC Owns SVB Insurance Claims, Court Told

By Abigail Harrison

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as receiver for Silicon Valley Bank after its historic collapse in early 2023, is entitled to recover on what could be tens of millions of dollars in financial institution bond proceeds, the FDIC's counsel told a North Carolina federal court Thursday.

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Amazon Beats Race Bias Suit Over Poor Performance Rating

By Grace Elletson

A North Carolina federal judge tossed a suit from a Black former Amazon manager who alleged the retail giant discriminated against her when it gave her a bad performance review, saying she didn't actually face any significant consequences as a result of the negative feedback.

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Tanger Asks NC Justices Not To Review COVID Coverage Suit

By Gianna Ferrarin

Two insurers failed to establish an error justifying review from the North Carolina Supreme Court of a decision allowing Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. to seek $50 million in pandemic-related coverage, the retail outlet chain told the justices.

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Insurer Asks NC Justices To Free It From Captive Carrier Row

By Hope Patti

A Georgia insurance company told North Carolina's highest court that the state's Business Court doesn't have jurisdiction over it in a shareholder dispute over the demise of a defunct captive insurer, arguing it had nothing to do with the supposed bad acts of its individual members.

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Ex-Consultants Sue Gallagher Over Nonsolicitation Clauses

By Mark Payne

Insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher Co. shouldn't be able to enforce nonsolicitation clauses that "stifle valid competition and hinder employee mobility," a pair of former group welfare benefits consultants told a federal court this week, telling the court both clauses run afoul of North Carolina law. 

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4th Circ. Backs $42M Abu Ghraib Verdict, Likens CACI To Pirates

By Jared Foretek

A $42 million judgment against defense contractor CACI Premier Technology Inc. for conspiring with the U.S. military to torture Abu Ghraib prison detainees was upheld by a split Fourth Circuit panel Thursday, with the majority holding that the military prison was effectively within U.S. territorial jurisdiction during the war in Iraq.

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Ex-Dealer's Retaliation Suit Against Harrah's NC Revived

By Gina Kim

The Fourth Circuit on Thursday revived employment retaliation claims against Harrah's and Caesars Entertainment by a former table games dealer, finding the lower court abused its discretion by making "speculative assertions" about the need to add as a defendant a related tribal gaming enterprise.

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4th Circ. Scolds Atty Suspected Of Using AI In Race Bias Suit

By Patrick Hoff

The Fourth Circuit has reprimanded an attorney suspected of using generative artificial intelligence to draft briefs in a race discrimination lawsuit against Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., warning that courts need to grapple with the technology as it "may soon become the norm."

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Haynes Boone Names New Charlotte Office Managing Partner

By Tracey Read

Haynes Boone has elevated a North Carolina finance partner to office managing partner in Charlotte as the city continues its ascent as a financial and legal hub.

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Series

Podcasting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Podcasting has changed how I ask questions and connect with people, sharpening my ability to listen without interrupting or prejudging, and bringing me closer to what law is meant to be: a human profession grounded in understanding, judgment and trust, says Donna DiMaggio Berger at Becker.

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Democrats Seek Review Of Bondi's Role In Brother's Cases

By Alison Knezevich

Two Democratic lawmakers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice's inspector general to review whether Attorney General Pam Bondi "adequately recused herself" from cases involving clients represented by her brother Brad Bondi, who is a partner at Paul Hastings LLP.

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Ex-Judge Testifies About Alleged Forgeries In Amazon Case

By Kelcey Caulder

The former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia testified Thursday about the alleged forging of court documents, signatures and court stamps in a criminal case against a woman accused of defrauding Amazon out of $9.4 million through fraudulent invoices. 

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Judge Newman Takes Suspension Battle To Supreme Court

By Ryan Davis

Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman brought her fight against a suspension imposed on her by her colleagues to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, arguing that a lower court wrongly held that her challenges to the order are not subject to judicial review.

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Calif. Bar Says Internal Docs Bolster Claims Against Exam Co.

By Emily Sawicki

The State Bar of California has bulked up its breach of contract and fraud suit against the administrator of its "disastrous" February 2025 bar exam, filing an amended complaint in light of information it says it learned from internal communications unearthed amid discovery.

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Holyoak's US Attorney Nomination Advances

By Courtney Bublé

The nomination of Melissa Holyoak, former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, to be U.S. attorney for the District of Utah was sent to the full Senate on Thursday.

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CFTC Takes 1st Steps Toward Prediction Market Regulations

By Jessica Corso

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission opened the door Thursday to promised prediction market regulation, calling for public feedback on what such rules might look like while laying out the staff's view on the current rules that the platforms should follow in order to offer betting on sports and other events.

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