DOJ Deal With Live Nation Throws Antitrust Trial Into Disarray

By Pete Brush

U.S. Department of Justice lawyers told a Manhattan federal judge Monday that the government is settling its claims that Live Nation engaged in unlawful monopolization by tying ticket sales to the use of its venues, throwing an ongoing trial involving dozens of states into an uncertain posture.

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DOJ Official Calls Live Nation Deal Win-Win As AGs Press On

By Bryan Koenig

The Justice Department's midtrial settlement with Live Nation on Monday created an instant rift with more than two dozen state attorneys general who vowed to press forward instead of accepting a deal that requires online ticketing technology to be open-sourced and forces the company to divest control over at least 13 amphitheaters.

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Justices To Review Guam Munitions Disposal Suit

By Madeline Lyskawa

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a Guam community group's challenge to the U.S. Air Force's bid to explode expired munitions on the island, after a divided Ninth Circuit found the agency should have conducted an environmental review.

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NJ US Atty Trio Booted In 2nd Leadership Ouster

By George Woolston

A federal judge on Monday disqualified the three assistant attorneys overseeing the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, finding the "byzantine" leadership structure is unconstitutional.

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DC Judge Voids Voice Of America Layoffs

By Katherine Smith

The deputy CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media's decision to fire over 500 Voice of America employees is void, a D.C. federal court has ruled, finding that she lacked the authority to serve in the agency's acting CEO role when she instituted the layoffs.

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Gorsuch Urges Jury Right Consideration In Release Violations

By Elizabeth Daley

The U.S. Supreme Court should have reviewed the case of a man whose sentence for sex trafficking was eventually extended beyond the congressional maximum for violating the terms of his release, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote Monday.

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Wash. State Bill Would Expand AG Power To Demand Docs

By Emily Sawicki

A bill making its way through the Washington Legislature would enhance the power of the state attorney general to demand document production and testimony in civil matters, including suspected violations of the U.S. and Washington constitutions, allowing prosecutors to seek documents from elected officials and law enforcement agencies.

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Analysis

FIFA May Be No Match For Town In World Cup Permit Spat

By Chris Villani

A small Massachusetts town may have a reliable 12th man in the courts if it ends up being sued by FIFA for failing to grant a license to host several World Cup matches, experts say, as the town holds all the power despite its potential foe's deep pockets.

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Mich. AG Won't Appeal Dismissal Of 2020 False Electors Case

By Melanie Dorsey

The Michigan attorney general said Monday that her office will not appeal a state district court ruling that dismissed criminal charges against 15 people accused of serving as a false slate of electors for President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

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Ga. County DA Sidelined In Election Case Legal Fee Fight

By Kelcey Caulder

The Fulton County district attorney's office cannot fight President Donald Trump and his co-defendants' bid for millions of dollars in legal fees incurred defending a now-dropped election interference case, a Georgia judge ruled Monday, saying District Attorney Fani Willis and her office had been "'wholly disqualified'" by an appeals court.

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Treasury Digital Asset Report Pushes Innovative Compliance

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has published a report on stablecoin use and compliance to Congress as prescribed by the Genius Act, laying out plans to harmonize anti-money laundering standards for cryptocurrency activities.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court's docket last week featured disputes spanning alleged forged board approvals at a telecom startup, evidence-destruction claims tied to WWE's blockbuster merger with UFC and investor scrutiny of a multibillion-dollar deal between Intel and the U.S. government.

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Banking Orgs. Urge 7th Circ. To Block Ill. Swipe-Fee Law

By Jon Hill

Banking industry trade groups have asked the Seventh Circuit to rule that Illinois may not enforce its tax and tip swipe-fee ban against national banks and other payment system participants, escalating their fight against the state's landmark Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, or IFPA.

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White House Says Fight Over Energy Emergency Order Is DOA

By Keith Goldberg

The Trump administration has urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's declaration of a national energy emergency, saying blue states haven't alleged anything that a court can review.

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Interior Dept. Moves To Revert Alaska Hunting Regulations

By Crystal Owens

The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed a rule that would lift an Obama administration directive that bars bear-baiting, trapping and other controversial hunting practices on Alaskan national preserves and realigns the regulations with state wildlife management laws.

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Suit Blames DC Water For Massive Sewage Spill Into Potomac

By Jared Foretek

A Virginia resident is suing Washington, D.C.'s water authority for a sanitary sewer line collapse that released hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River, claiming the authority knew of risks for over a decade but failed to implement adequate safeguards.

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Texas AG Gets Temporary Ban On Chest Binder Sales

By Emily Field

A Texas state judge has issued a temporary restraining order against a New York-based online retailer of undergarments and chest binders for young women and teens from selling its clothing in the Lone Star State.

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Supreme Court Lets 'Zioness' TM Co‑Ownership Stand

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined an appeal that asked the justices to answer whether separate entities can own the same trademark, after the Second Circuit upheld a New York jury verdict that said two nonprofits both owned the mark for "Zioness."

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Senate Bill Eyes Letting Colleges Pool Sports Media Rights

By Courtney Bublé

A bipartisan bill in the works would allow colleges to pool their media rights in hopes of boosting their revenue, which could then trickle down to women's and Olympic sports programs.

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FTC Won't Quash NewsGuard Subpoena

By Matthew Perlman

The Federal Trade Commission has denied a request from news rating organization NewsGuard Technologies Inc. to quash a subpoena issued as part of an investigation into an alleged advertising boycott of conservative publishers, as the group fights the document demand in court.

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Ousted NTSB Member Says Abrupt Firing A 'Political Hit Job'

By Linda Chiem

Ousted National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said Monday that his abrupt firing was a "political hit job," slamming the White House's assertion that he was terminated for "concerning" and "inappropriate" on-the-job conduct.

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Ind. Requires Taxpayers' OK For Property Assessors' Entry

By Jaqueline McCool

Indiana property assessors will need taxpayer permission to enter properties for inspection under a bill signed by the governor.

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NM Extends Property Tax Exemption Time For Redevelopment

By Zak Kostro

New Mexico extended a property tax exemption period for eligible redevelopment projects under a bill signed by the governor.

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Wash. Property Transferred In Divorce Exempt From Tax

By Michael Nunes

A Washington state woman qualifies for a real estate transfer tax exemption because she was ordered by the court to transfer a property to her former husband, according to the state Department of Revenue in a determination released Monday.

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Kate Hudson's Activewear Co. Sued For Tariff Refunds

By Lauren Berg

Fabletics, the activewear company cofounded by actress Kate Hudson, faces a proposed class action from customers who say the company passed the cost of President Donald Trump's illegal 2025 tariffs onto customers and should be forced to refund those overages.

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6th Circ. Denies Immunity In Ohio New Year's Shooting

By Melanie Dorsey

The Sixth Circuit has denied qualified immunity to an Ohio police officer accused of fatally shooting a man through a privacy fence as the man fired celebratory gunshots into the air on New Year's Day 2022, ruling the jury must decide whether the man posed an immediate threat.

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Supreme Court Won't Disturb 'Sensitive Places' Gun Bans

By Jeff Overley

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to consider permissible limits on firearms in "sensitive places" despite claims the Fourth Circuit disregarded landmark Second Amendment precedents, leaving intact a blanket ban on guns in parks within Virginia's most populous county.

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Anthropic Sues Over Trump Admin's 'Campaign Of Retaliation'

By Madeline Lyskawa

Anthropic sued the Trump administration on Monday, challenging the Pentagon's designation of the artificial intelligence company as a supply chain risk to national security after Anthropic refused to allow its technology to be used for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. 

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FCC Set to Hear Challenge To Nat'l Security Listing For Drones

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission has asked the public what it thinks about drone maker DJI's request that the agency reconsider whether its products belong on a list of national security risks, giving anyone opposed to the petition a month to make themselves heard.

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Minn. Bill Seeks Proof Burden On Gov't In Property Tax Cases

By Jaqueline McCool

Minnesota Tax Court cases would require the government in property tax cases to meet a burden of proof, shifting the burden from the taxpayer to the government under a bill introduced in the state Senate. 

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Assisted Living Resident Asks Minn. Justices To OK Tax Break

By Sanjay Talwani

The Minnesota Tax Court was wrong to deny a property tax exemption as a charitable organization for a unit in an assisted living facility owned by a nonprofit corporation, the unit's resident told the state Supreme Court.

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Judge Halts Rule Limiting Immigration Appeals

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge on Sunday blocked the core of a new Trump administration rule reshaping how the Board of Immigration Appeals handles cases from being implemented Monday, arguing that the changes aren't exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act's notice-and-comment requirements.

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DC Circ. Skeptical That Review Of $100K H-1B Fee Is Foreclosed

By Britain Eakin

Two members of a D.C. Circuit panel appeared uneasy Monday with the Trump administration's argument that the president's proclamation imposing a $100,000 payment for new H-1B petitions and accompanying agency actions implementing it are beyond judicial review.

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Minn. Judge Pans Feds' Assurances As 'Utterly Meaningless'

By Tom Lotshaw

A Minnesota federal judge agreed to reconsider an El Salvador man's habeas petition on Monday, saying it was denied after "utterly meaningless and false" assurances from government officials.

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Feds Tell Justices Ending Syria TPS Is 'Entirely Unreviewable'

By Ganesh Setty

The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow its termination of temporary protected status for Syrians to move forward amid appellate litigation, arguing TPS designations or terminations fall within a "quintessentially national-security-laden area" and are "entirely unreviewable."

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Feds Must Respond To Immigrant Detention Suit, Court Told

By Ganesh Setty

A Salvadoran national who won release after being detained without a bond hearing told a Colorado federal court that the Trump administration shouldn't delay responding to his latest lawsuit, noting it has elsewhere sought expedited review of the same legal issues.

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Advocates Press Conn. Lawmakers For ICE Limits, Lawsuits

By Brian Steele

During a marathon public hearing Monday, a parade of activists urged the Connecticut Legislature's judiciary committee to pass changes to state law that would restrict immigration enforcement activities in places like schools and hospitals and expand legal remedies when federal agents violate citizens' constitutional rights.

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Convicted Ex-Lobbyist Can't Get Early End To Supervision

By Elaine Briseño

A Michigan federal judge said maintaining a job and sobriety are not enough to warrant the end of early supervised release for a former marijuana industry lobbyist convicted of bribing a politician with cash and a sex worker.

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Kansas Tribe, Sheriff Seek Wins In Jurisdictional Dispute

By Crystal Owens

A Kansas Indigenous nation is seeking a win in a dispute over tribal jurisdiction, arguing it has satisfied the burden to show that a Jackson County sheriff unlawfully infringed on its inherent sovereignty when he allegedly threatened to arrest tribal officials for reviewing an on-reservation business's tax records.

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Table Mountain Tribe Opposes Dismissal In Casino Land Case

By Joyce Hanson

The Table Mountain Rancheria has asked a California federal judge to deny another tribe's motion to dismiss its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior over a 40-acre land transfer for a casino project, saying the DOI will protect any interest the tribe might have.

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LG Looks To Lock Down FCC Waivers For Door Access

By Christopher Cole

LG Electronics has asked the Federal Communications Commission to waive its ultra-wideband rules to allow an access device to communicate with smart door locks.

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Fed. Circ. Punts On Ligado's $40B Spectrum Takings Claim

By Christopher Cole

Federal Circuit judges declined to rule for now on whether to dismiss network company Ligado's nearly $40 billion claim alleging the government has trampled its property rights by using airwaves Ligado bought for exclusive use.

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Brief

Industry Aims To Win Over Policymakers In Copper Phaseout

By Christopher Cole

A major telecom group has launched a publicity campaign to convince consumers and policymakers it's time to make the switch from copper to all-internet-based networks.

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California Defends Cannabis Labor Law Before 9th Circ.

By Sam Reisman

California officials asserted the legitimacy of a state law requiring cannabis companies to enter into labor peace agreements and told the Ninth Circuit that a lower court was correct to toss a retailer's case challenging the policy, even if the state disagreed with the reasoning.

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Barnes & Thornburg Adds 4 More Ballard Spahr Attys

By Andrea Keckley

Barnes & Thornburg LLP announced Monday that it has welcomed four more former Ballard Spahr LLP lawyers in a move that comes on the heels of Barnes & Thornburg hiring 35 public finance attorneys from Ballard Spahr last month.

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How The New Tariff Landscape May Unfold

To replace tariffs formerly imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the administration will rely on a patchwork of statutes, potentially leading to procedural challenges and a complex tariff landscape with varying levels, durations and applicability, says Joseph Grossman-Trawick at King & Spalding.

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Key Takeaways As HRSA Aims To Revive 340B Rebate Pilot

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recent request for feedback on the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program demonstrates that it intends to correct the model's procedural defects, which is positive news for participating manufacturers, but a setback for covered entities, say attorneys at Manatt.

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Resilience Planning As Nat'l Security Shifts Tech Import Policy

In response to a sustained reorientation of U.S. trade policy around national security considerations, businesses reliant on processed critical minerals must closely monitor diplomatic negotiations and the potential expansion of trade measures, incorporating contingency planning into procurement and long-term investment strategies, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

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Proposed DOL Rule Could Simplify Contractor Classification

If the U.S. Department of Labor's recently proposed rule governing employee versus independent contractor classification is finalized, it would permit energy sector employers to evaluate the nature of the working relationship with a more straightforward and predictable analysis than the 2024 rule's unweighted test, say attorneys at Bracewell.

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5 Key Issues Affecting Deal Structurings In Ship Finance

Several trends are shaping the ship finance landscape, including the impact of Basel IV in Europe and the Nordic bond market, making it essential for both lenders and shipowners to utilize creative deal structuring and maintain an awareness of competitive dynamics across traditional bank and private lending, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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Military Attys In DOJ 'Erodes Democratic Norms,' Ex-JAGs Say

By Lauren Berg

Nearly a dozen former military lawyers raised the alarm about the Trump administration appointing judge advocate officers to U.S. attorneys' offices, urging a Minnesota federal judge Tuesday to bar an Army lawyer from prosecuting a case that accuses a civilian of assaulting federal immigration enforcement agents.

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DOJ Official Faces Ethics Case Over Georgetown DEI Letters

By Alison Knezevich

U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin has been hit with disciplinary charges in the nation's capital over threatening letters he sent to Georgetown University Law Center last year while he was interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

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Dems Confront Roberts At Wide-Ranging Judiciary Gathering

By Jeff Overley

The federal judiciary's top administrator voiced "serious and urgent concerns" Tuesday regarding threats of retribution against judges, a warning that coincided with a judicial gathering where Democrats discussed security fears and controversial U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

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Prosecutor Resigns, Judge Shows Slide Deck On AI Errors

By Abigail Harrison

A federal prosecutor told a North Carolina federal court Tuesday that he was separating from the office after admitting in open court to using artificial intelligence to help draft a response brief, what he called "the worst decision I've ever made in my 30-year career."

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Calif. Atty Gets Over 11 Years For Solar $1B Ponzi Scheme

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge has sentenced a corporate attorney to 11 years and five months behind bars after he pled guilty to nearly two dozen charges for his role in DC Solar's $912 million Ponzi scheme, which duped major investors including Berkshire Hathaway, Progressive and SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing.

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Ex-Moses & Singer Partner Admits Tax Crimes, Will Pay $2.8M

By Aaron Keller

A former Moses & Singer LLP partner admitted to practice in New York and North Carolina courts has pled guilty to three counts of failing to file personal income tax returns and will pay $2.8 million in restitution, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced Monday.

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Judiciary Approves Supreme Court Public Defender Office

By Katie Buehler

The federal judiciary approved a new office Tuesday aimed at improving the quality of representation for indigent defendants with cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

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Judge Fumes As Live Nation Antitrust Trial Remains In Limbo

By Stewart Bishop

The status of Live Nation Entertainment's antitrust trial and proposed settlement over federal and state government claims of anticompetitive conduct remained up in the air Tuesday amid pushback by several states, while the Manhattan federal judge overseeing the case upbraided the parties for keeping him out of the loop about negotiations.

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DOJ Unveils Superseding Policy For Corporate Criminal Cases

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday released its first-ever, department-wide, corporate enforcement policy for criminal matters, outlining how it will decline to prosecute companies that voluntarily disclose misconduct, cooperate with investigators and remediate wrongdoing.

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DLA Piper Can't Rep Itself At Bias Trial, Fired Atty Says

By Pete Brush

DLA Piper should not be permitted to represent itself at trial in a pregnancy discrimination case brought by a senior associate who was fired in 2022, lawyers for the plaintiff told a Manhattan federal judge.

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Judge Nixed Over MAGA Op-Ed Seeks Reinstatement

By Emily Sawicki

A retired Illinois state trial court judge pursuing First Amendment claims against the state Supreme Court after his right-wing opinion column resulted in his removal from a temporary judgeship has moved for immediate reinstatement to the Cook County Circuit Court.

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Wisconsin Judges Decline To Extend Interim US Atty's Term

By Courtney Bublé

A majority of judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin have declined to extend the tenure of interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel, according to an announcement Tuesday.

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J&J Opposes Beasley Allen Reinstatement Bid In NJ Talc Fight

By Emily Sawicki

Johnson & Johnson is urging the New Jersey Supreme Court to not take the "extraordinary step" of intervening in an appellate panel ruling that disqualified Beasley Allen from representing hundreds of women in product liability litigation against the pharmaceutical giant after the Georgia-based firm "knowingly collaborated" with a former Johnson & Johnson outside counsel.

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