Truist's $4.1M Robocall Class Settlement Gets Initial OK

By Emilie Ruscoe

A $4.1 million settlement between Truist Financial Corp. and a proposed class of cellphone users who say they got unwanted robocalls from the bank has received a North Carolina federal judge's initial green light.

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Vape Makers, Sellers Aim To Block NC Law On E-Cigarettes

By Mike Curley

A vaping trade group and others are aiming to block a North Carolina law to regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes by arguing it is preempted by federal law, in a new suit filed in federal court.

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Ex-Exec's Claims Against Dechert Still No Good, 2nd Circ. Told

By Pete Brush

A North Carolina trade executive's latest trip to the Second Circuit in his quest to win damages for alleged hacking by a private investigator on Dechert LLP's behalf should end like the others, with a dismissal, defense counsel argued Thursday.

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NC Chef Says Restaurant Canned Him For Being Trans

By Ryan Harroff

The former executive sous chef at a resort restaurant in Flat Rock, North Carolina, claims in a lawsuit that he was terminated for having gender dysphoria and for requesting time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act to recover from gender reassignment surgery.

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States Urge 1st Circ. To Reinstate Federal Housing Grants

By Grace Dixon

A coalition of states urged the First Circuit to reinstate a ruling that had blocked the Trump administration from cutting $30 million in fair housing grants, saying the federal government failed to consider the impact this decision would have on the groups' operations.

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4th Circ. Affirms Ex-Crypto COO's Fraud Conviction

By Ryan Harroff

The Fourth Circuit found no error in a former cryptocurrency executive's conviction for fraud and conspiracy related to his time working at a foreign currency and cryptocurrency trading investment firm that the panel said was actually just a Ponzi scheme that never made any trades.

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4th Circ. Skips To Full Review Of DOGE's SSA Access

By Braden Campbell

The Fourth Circuit has voted to initially hear as a full court the government's challenge to an order blocking a probe of the Social Security Administration and keep the block in place, with a majority differentiating a similar case it recently left to a three-member panel sans injunction.

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Senators Reintroduce Patent Eligibility, PTAB Reform Bills

By Dani Kass

U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Chris Coons on Thursday brought back two significant patent reform bills from last term that overall aim to make invalidating patents more difficult.

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Series

Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

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Attys Join Nationwide 'Day Of Action' Rallies For Rule Of Law

By Ryan Boysen and Jack Rodgers

Thousands of attorneys gathered at rallies across the country on Thursday to oppose what they called the Trump administration's "assault" on the rule of law — a rare public demonstration for the normally buttoned-down and risk-averse professionals that they said "sounds the alarm of a looming constitutional crisis."

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Analysis

Hair, Makeup, Legal: The Lawyering Behind The Met Gala

By Theresa Schliep

While the red carpet arrivals of the biggest names in the entertainment industry are sure to win the most attention at the Met Gala on Monday, attorneys also play a significant role in advising the brands and celebrities at the center of fashion's biggest night.

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20 Former Federal Judges Launch Group To Defend Judiciary

By Jake Maher

Twenty former federal district and circuit judges on Thursday launched a coalition to speak out about and defend the federal judiciary as political impeachment attempts against judges increase and the federal courts system faces heightened scrutiny.

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Paul Hastings, GenapSys Settle Calif. Legal Malpractice Suit

By James Mills

The legal malpractice suit in which gene sequencing company GenapSys Inc. argued Paul Hastings LLP caused GenapSys' bankruptcy appears to have been settled.

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GOP Seeks To Stop 'Frivolous Lawsuits' With Reconciliation

By Courtney Bublé

The House Judiciary Committee approved along party lines a proposal they say will prevent "frivolous lawsuits" by barring courts from enforcing contempt citations for failure to comply with injunctions if the plaintiff has not posted a bond for litigation costs.

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5 Fed. Circ. Clashes To Watch This Month

By Ryan Davis

The Federal Circuit's argument calendar for May includes appeals of two nine-figure patent verdicts — one against Apple and one against Medtronic — and Roku's bid to revive its remote control patent suit at the U.S. International Trade Commission after a loss tied to the commission's domestic industry requirement.

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Senate Panel Delays A Vote On Martin Nomination For US Atty

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday held off for now a vote to call for a hearing on Ed Martin's nomination for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a move Democrats say would allow more time to review his record and, they hope, convince enough Republicans to help them block his nomination.

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New Bill Holds Judges Accountable Even After They Retire

By Hailey Konnath

A Georgia Congressman on Thursday introduced legislation that would ensure misconduct complaints against judges would still be investigated, even if the judge has resigned, retired or even died.

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Colo. Judge Resigns Amid Allegations Over Misuse Of Bench

By Thy Vo

A Colorado state judge resigned on Wednesday amid a disciplinary complaint accusing him of misusing his position to help a former client that he exchanged sexual and flirtatious texts with, telling an independent panel in a brief that it no longer needs to hear a disciplinary case against him.

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The Top In-House Hires Of April

By Michele Gorman

Legal department hires over the past month included high-profile appointments at FanDuel's parent company, American Airlines and soda business Swig. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from the first full month of spring.

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