Roundup

Product Liability's Regulatory & Legislative Recap So Far

By Emily Field

Over the summer and early fall, lawmakers proposed measures aimed at putting safeguards around the rapidly growing industry of artificial intelligence, as public concerns over its safety climb in tandem. The new nominee to head the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also faced sharp queries over her views on vaccines and birth control.

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Robinhood Agrees To Pause Sports Event Contracts In Ohio

By Tom Lotshaw

Robinhood Markets Inc. on Wednesday said it struck an agreement with Ohio's gaming commission to stop offering new sports-related event contracts in the Buckeye State in exchange for an enforcement reprieve while litigation over the contracts' legality plays out in federal courts.

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Democracy 'At Stake': Feds Can't Set Aside 20K Calif. Ballots

By Lauren Berg

A California federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to require the state to set aside mail-in ballots for some 20,000 voters the federal government contends are "likely" noncitizens, saying it would "wreak havoc" on the midterm elections that are already underway.

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LA's Top Federal Prosecutor 'Unlawfully Serving,' Judge Finds

By Christine DeRosa

A federal judge has ruled that Los Angeles' top federal prosecutor isn't legally serving in the role and that he is disqualified from participating in or supervising two criminal prosecutions.

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CFTC's Selig Vows 'Grounded' Oversight Of Agentic Finance

By Aislinn Keely

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig said Wednesday that his agency plans to take a "grounded" approach to agentic finance that's also mindful of the risks it poses and courted industry feedback on how to address the rise of artificial intelligence in derivative markets.

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4th Circ. Judge Wary Of NC Abortion Drug Law Challenge

By Dan McKay

A Fourth Circuit judge on Wednesday sharply questioned the attorney for a physician challenging North Carolina restrictions on the abortion medication mifepristone, citing case law he said treats federal rules as a "floor and not a ceiling" on what states can require.

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Patients Tell Colo. Justices Hospital Defied Gender Care Order

By Rachel Konieczny

Transgender youth patients of Children's Hospital Colorado are challenging a judge's discharge of their contempt citation against the hospital for not resuming the provision of medical gender-affirming care to them, urging Colorado's justices to decide whether the hospital complied with an injunction prohibiting it from refusing to provide the care.

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USPTO Removed 14,000 Invalid TM Filings In Fiscal 2026

By Theresa Schliep

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office took off more than 14,000 improper trademark filings from the Federal Register and removed more than 42,000 unused goods and services from registrations in the 2026 fiscal year, agency officials said at a webinar Wednesday.

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4th Circ. Judge Sees 'Big Brother' In Va. Social Media Limits

By Hayley Fowler

A Fourth Circuit judge Wednesday expressed concern with a Virginia law limiting children's access to social media, telling counsel for the commonwealth that the provision has a "Big Brother atmosphere" to it and suggesting he'd back the district court's injunction halting enforcement of the regulation.

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RNC Files New Suit Over FCC's Campaign Ad Rates

By Hailey Konnath

The Republican National Committee, Republican Party of Texas and several Republican candidates Wednesday filed a fresh suit over the Federal Communications Commission's longtime requirement that broadcasters charge the lowest political ad rates for committees tied to candidates, calling it "a drag on First Amendment freedoms."

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DC Judge Finds Trump Ads Likely Broke Propaganda Ban

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge once again blocked taxpayer-funded campaign-style television ads for President Donald Trump from hitting the air Wednesday, ruling that the Democratic National Committee, which challenged the spots earlier this month, was likely to succeed on its claim that the spending violated a congressional ban on propaganda.

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Missouri, Louisiana Sued By Prediction Market Giants

By Katryna Perera

Missouri and Louisiana are the latest states to become embroiled in litigation with event contract platforms, after Kalshi and Polymarket sued them, respectively, to prevent pending enforcement action.

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Sportsbooks Say DC Law Bars Bettor Loss Recovery

By Elaine Briseño

Sportsbook operators are urging the D.C. Circuit not to revive a lawsuit challenging the legality of their operations there, arguing the city expressly excluded licensed sports wagering from the statute being invoked to recover losses for bettors.

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Interior Says Records Order Not Needed For Golf Course Suit

By Tom Lotshaw

The U.S. Interior Department told a D.C. federal judge Wednesday there's no need to order it to retain records on East Potomac Golf Course tree removals or makeover plans in a case where its assertions have often conflicted with President Donald Trump's online posts.

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Landlord's Suit Over Seattle Tenant Laws Revived On Appeal

By Rachel Riley

A Washington Court of Appeals panel has reinstated a real estate company's challenge to a string of Seattle landlord-tenant laws, finding the firm has adequately detailed how the contested ordinances stunted its property rights as the owner of a downtown affordable housing development.

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FEMA Contractors Say No-Poach, Wage-Fixing Suit Still Faulty

By Bryan Koenig

Fluor Federal Services and some of its federal disaster response subcontractors urged a Florida federal judge Tuesday to definitively end a proposed class action accusing them of agreeing to fix wages and avoid hiring each other's workers, arguing the amended complaint still doesn't fix shortcomings identified by the court.

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MSU Trustee Says Ethics Code Violates First Amendment

By Susan Smiley

A Michigan State University trustee filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the board chair and secretary Wednesday, alleging that recent revisions to the board of trustees code of ethics are unconstitutional and intended to silence trustees who criticize the university or dissent from majority decisions.

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RealPage Says NY Can't Get Redo For Blocked Software Law

By Isaac Monterose

Property management software company RealPage Inc. has urged a New York federal court to stand by a prior ruling that temporarily blocked New York's attorney general from enforcing part of a state law that aims to stop landlords from using revenue management software that allows them to engage in rent price-fixing.

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CFPB Audit Flags Cybersecurity Gaps Amid Staff Departures

By Jon Hill

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has failed to promptly fix serious cyber weaknesses and consistently track data in its possession as staffing losses have hampered the agency's ability to safeguard its systems, according to a federal watchdog audit released Wednesday.

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7th Circ. Takes Up Ill. Ban On Firearm Silencers

By Celeste Bott

A Seventh Circuit panel questioned Wednesday whether firearm silencers should be considered part of a constitutionally protected weapon or are merely optional accessories, as gun owners seeking to overturn Illinois' ban argued the devices improve firearms' functionality and protect users from hearing damage.

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FTC Probes Delta, Uber, Others Over Data-Driven Pricing

By Allison Grande

The Federal Trade Commission is pressing Delta, Uber, Target and a half-dozen other companies to detail how they're using personal data to set individualized pricing for consumers and compensation for workers, marking the latest escalation of the agency's growing scrutiny of the increasingly prominent business practice.

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PayPal's Financial Offerings Are Under Fresh FTC Scrutiny

By Sarah Jarvis

PayPal has disclosed that it is facing a Federal Trade Commission investigation into its financial products and services, including marketing, fees and purchase protections.

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TB Outbreak In Wash. Prisons Yields $52M Damages Verdict

By Ben Adlin

Washington jurors returned a $52 million verdict in favor of 23 plaintiffs who accused the state's Department of Corrections of allowing an active tuberculosis outbreak to fester and spread to hundreds of people at its prison facilities over nearly two years.

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State Dept. Owes $461M For Work During COVID, Builder Says

By Lauren Berg

Trump administration officials reneged on the U.S. Department of State's agreement to pay an Alabama-based construction giant for cost overruns while it continued working on a dozen embassy projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the company's Wednesday lawsuit that seeks at least $461 million in damages.

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CBP Clears Nearly 16M Imports In 3rd Tariff Refund Phase

By Dylan Moroses

In just over two weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has cleared nearly 16 million more imports as part of the third phase of its tariff refund system, according to a declaration filed by a CBP official at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

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India, Mexico Take Step Toward Preferential Trade Deal

By Jack McLoone

Trade representatives from India and Mexico kicked off negotiations for a preferential trade agreement, the Indian government announced Wednesday, saying the hope is to increase trade between the countries.

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ICE Sued After Detainees Removed From Online Locator

By Carolyn Muyskens

Legal aid organizations said Wednesday a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement database no longer shows where detainees with final removal orders are being held, claiming in a lawsuit the move has made it difficult to reach their clients.

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NY Judges Question Court Agency's Withholding Of Records

By Andrea Keckley

Two judges on a New York state appeals court panel pushed back on arguments by the state's Office of Court Administration that no reports related to investigations of court personnel can be considered final under the state Freedom of Information Law until all proceedings have concluded.

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DOJ Drops Bid To Block Peltola Campaign Intervention

By Courtney Bublé

In light of reporting that Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee allegedly were involved in recruiting a second Dan Sullivan to run for Senate, the U.S. Department of Justice is dropping its opposition to having the campaign intervene in the case.

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Wash. Gov. Creates Fraud Post, Backs Broader Medicaid FCA

By Ben Adlin

As part of a push to expand fraud prevention efforts in Washington, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order Tuesday to create a new chief fraud prevention officer position and a statewide fraud prevention work group, also announcing forthcoming legislation that would broaden the state's Medicaid False Claims Act.

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Eagle Hunt Blocked Over NM Tribes' Religious Harm Fears

By Joyce Hanson

A New Mexico federal judge has for now blocked the U.S. government from issuing special permits that would allow the Pueblo of Jemez tribe to kill one bald or golden eagle within the Valles Caldera National Preserve, ruling Wednesday that such a "taking" would burden other pueblos.

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FCC Wants To Loosen Rules For Jamming Cell Phones

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission plans to legalize cellphone signal jamming, at least when it comes to phones that have been snuck into prisons, the head of the agency revealed at a Wednesday press conference in Arkansas.

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Investors, Mich. Pot Co. Settle $1.5M Contract Breach Suit

By Mike Curley

A Michigan federal judge has dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit from an investment firm alleging that the owners of a dispensary stole its $1.5 million investment, after the parties reached a settlement to end the case.

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City Says Waiver And Federal Pot Ban Beat Licensing Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

A cannabis company that spent $1.7 million to open a dispensary in a town on the shores of the Great Lakes cannot sue the city or its officials for failing to issue allegedly promised retail licenses, the municipality told a federal court, saying the business signed a waiver that bars litigation.

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SC Gov.'s Counsel Still In The Running For Federal Judgeship

By Courtney Bublé

The chief legal counsel for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is "being actively considered" for a federal judgeship, according to the White House, but it's not a done deal yet.

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Midterm Elections Outlook For Financial Services

A change in congressional control after the upcoming midterm elections could bring about slower regulatory approvals, intensified oversight and shifting enforcement priorities for the financial services industry, say attorneys at Covington.

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Where Species And Wetlands Reg Rollbacks Leave Cos.

The current administration's rollbacks of regulations covering waters of the U.S. and endangered species may ease permitting burdens and shorten approval timelines, but those potential benefits are tempered by state-level protections, likely legal challenges and possible reversals by a future administration, say attorneys at White & Case.

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New Manhattan DA Task Force Puts Antitrust In Its Crosshairs

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office's new corporate crime and antitrust task force is adding local criminal enforcement to a field long led by federal authorities, meaning companies need to account for potential parallel federal and state antitrust investigations when responding to misconduct, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

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Online Presence Complicates Defamation's Public Figure Test

Recent defamation cases demonstrate that online presence can affect how courts distinguish between public and private figures, so litigants should consider several questions when evaluating potential claims and defenses where public figure status may affect the litigation, such as whether there is a connection between the plaintiff's public activities and the alleged defamation, say attorneys at Brown Rudnick.

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Navigating Criminal Liability Under Calif. Worker Safety Law

A new California law mandates agency investigation across several types of workplace safety incidents, eliminates prior discretion and imposes unprecedented parallel criminal investigations, but employers can take steps to manage the heightened enforcement risk, say Stacey Geis at Crowell & Moring and Karen Tynan at Ogletree.

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Tort Liability When AI Goes Rogue: Product Liability

The recent Hugging Face cyberattack led by artificial intelligence agents, as well as reports from AI companies themselves, suggest that sometimes there may be no reasonable way to predict or prevent harm by rogue agentic AI — but product liability law could provide a remedy in some cases, says Donald Hawthorne at Carter Ledyard.

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3 Strategies To Reduce AI Sycophancy In Legal Work

The tendency of generative artificial intelligence models to tell users what they want to hear can reinforce attorneys’ confirmation bias when testing the strength of arguments, and it can’t simply be prompted away — but a few practices can help mitigate it, says Michael Ott at Ice Miller.

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Weil To Wind Down As Top Attorneys Abandon Firm

By Daniel Moritz-Rabson, Alex Wittenberg and Aebra Coe

Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, the restructuring powerhouse that led Lehman Brothers, Enron and General Motors through bankruptcy, told Law360 Pulse Wednesday that the firm is preparing to wind down operations.

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BigLaw Tip Middleman To Admit Role In $3.5M Trading Scheme

By Chris Villani

An alleged middleman in a sweeping scheme to trade off of deal information stolen from major law firms has agreed to plead guilty and potentially faces a prison term of nearly a decade, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday in Massachusetts federal court.

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Judge Hellerstein, Gruff Moderator Of Major Cases, Dies At 92

By Pete Brush

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, a former litigator and sometimes impatient Manhattan federal jurist who presided over decades of high-profile cases that often came under close appellate scrutiny, died Wednesday at the age of 92.

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Proskauer, Reddit Attys Called To Testify In Data-Scraping Suit

By Bryan Koenig

A New York federal judge on Wednesday called for live testimony from two Proskauer Rose LLP attorneys and Reddit's deputy general counsel as he weighs the law firm's bid to represent Perplexity AI in a lawsuit from Reddit, the firm's former client, over alleged data scraping.

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BakerHostetler Malpractice Case To Expand With RICO Claim

By Emily Johnson

A Georgia federal judge has allowed a trustee who has accused BakerHostetler and an Atlanta-based attorney of legal malpractice to file an amended complaint after the trustee asked to add claims of Georgia RICO Act violations.

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Mich. Judge Weighs Toshiba Legal Bills Discovery Fight

By Melanie Dorsey

A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday questioned whether she needs to review specific objections to DTE Electric Co. and Consumers Energy Co.'s multimillion-dollar attorney fee request before deciding whether Toshiba Corp. must disclose its own legal bills and litigation expenses following a nearly $394.4 million jury verdict over a botched power plant overhaul.

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Analysis

Albright Left Key Issue In Billion-Dollar IP Fight Unanswered

By Dani Kass

In May 2025, then-U.S. District Judge Alan Albright watched a jury hold that VLSI Technology is controlled by Fortress Investment Group, but by the time he left the bench in August 2026, the judge had yet to decide whether that ownership would let Intel avoid billions of dollars in patent infringement verdicts.

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