Finalized Trump Order Seeks Early Cyber Tests Of AI Models

By Allison Grande

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to push the developers of advanced artificial intelligence models to voluntarily share their systems with the federal government for pre-release cybersecurity testing, following changes to a previous draft that the president abruptly shelved last month due to concerns about its effect on innovation. 

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Fed. Circ. Won't Save Farm Patents, But Reopens Fee Issue

By Theresa Schliep

The Federal Circuit on Tuesday revived a company's bid for attorney fees after defeating an infringement case by AGI Suretrack over agricultural data patents, saying a lower court correctly deemed those patents invalid, but failed to explain why it didn't find the case exceptional for fee purposes.

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Why License? 5th Circ. Weighs 'Server Test' In News App Fight

By Ivan Moreno

A Fifth Circuit judge on Tuesday asked counsel for a news aggregation app why publishers would ever license their articles if the app can lawfully show readers the same content without paying as long as it's hosted on the publishers' own servers.

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7th Circ. Fines Deported Migrant's Atty For ChatGPT Misuse

By Emily Sawicki

The Seventh Circuit has rejected a Mexican citizen's petition challenging an immigration court's removal order on the merits, while sanctioning his attorney $5,000 for filing two legal briefs "riddled with" fabricated quotes and case citations hallucinated by ChatGPT.

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Worker Can't Force Ogletree Off ADT Pregnancy Bias Suit

By Grace Elletson

A Georgia federal judge rejected a worker's attorney's push to disqualify Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC from defending a security company in a pregnancy bias suit, saying Tuesday that the request lacks merit and "borders on frivolous."

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Bipartisan Bill Would Modernize Court Records Systems

By Matt Perez

U.S. Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Tuesday jointly introduced the Open Courts Act, which they said would modernize the court records systems PACER and CM/ECF.

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Feature

AI Software Contracts Need Careful Review, Attys Are Warned

By Aaron Keller

Attorneys considering adopting artificial intelligence tools must ensure software contracts comply with data privacy laws, and firms should not be afraid to quiz software sales representatives, including by asking how long the software retains data, representatives from two law firms told Connecticut lawyers Tuesday.

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Congress Invites NFL's Goodell To Discuss Broadcast Deals

By David Steele

Congress has invited NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify about whether the broadcast packages for his league's games sufficiently serve consumers and comply with federal antitrust laws, an issue the U.S. Department of Justice also is investigating.

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Trump Lowers Metals Tariff For Farm Equipment, HVAC

By Jack McLoone

President Donald Trump announced that he is cutting the tariffs on certain metal derivatives, such as agricultural equipment and some heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, to 15% from 25% following recommendations from the commerce secretary.

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Brazil Facing 25% US Tariff Over IP, Other 'Unfair Practices'

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Trade Representative proposed hitting Brazil with a broad 25% tariff following a trade investigation that it says uncovered a slew of "unfair practices that imposed burdens on American businesses," including poorly enforced intellectual property rights and preferential tariffs.

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FCC Starts New Auction Of Advanced Wireless Licenses

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday began a congressionally mandated auction of Advanced Wireless Services spectrum across 48 states and multiple territories, reviving airwaves that have gone unlicensed for years.

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FCC Overstepping Authority In Device Denials, Hikvision Says

By Nadia Dreid

Congress didn't give the Federal Communications Commission the power to pull already authorized equipment off the market by placing it on the so-called covered list of equipment deemed to be a national security risk, Hikvision has told the D.C. Circuit.

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Marketing Data Exec Can't Appeal Sanctions, 8th Circ. Says

By Elliot Weld

The Eighth Circuit has held that the owner of a marketing data firm cannot appeal a civil contempt order and sanctions against him for failing to answer a copyright lawsuit since the order was not an appealable final decision.

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4th Circ. Says Worker Can't Revive Wage Classes After Deal

By Benjamin Morse

The Fourth Circuit dismissed a former auto parts worker's appeal of an order decertifying wage and hour classes and a collective action, finding Tuesday he lost standing when he voluntarily settled his individual claims.

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Google Can't Ditch Software Co.'s Patent Infringement Suit

By Lauren Berg

Google must face a software company's claim that the tech giant directly infringed one of its patents with its Google Cloud Platform and other products, a California federal judge has ruled, trimming the suit while allowing the patent owner to rework its indirect infringement claims.

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Computer Cooling Products Don't Match Patent, Judge Says

By Adam Lidgett

Green Revolution Cooling Inc. was allowed to escape a suit claiming it infringed a patent on products used to cool down electronics at data centers because its products do not dispense fluid the same way the patent calls for, according to a Texas federal judge.

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Patent Owner Looks To Undo Verdict Clearing Cisco

By Adam Lidgett

EireOg Innovations Ltd. wants a Texas federal judge to erase a jury's finding that Cisco Systems Inc. didn't infringe its patent covering a way of managing parts of computer chips or to give the company another shot at proving its case before a different jury.

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Lyft Can't Ditch Riders' Suit Over 'Priority Pickup' Promise

By Hailey Konnath

A California federal judge refused Tuesday to throw out a trio of Lyft passengers' proposed class action claiming the ride-hailing company's Priority Pickup option costs extra but often fails to pick up passengers faster, finding that the passengers had standing to bring their claims.

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Costco Wants Sanctions Over Missing Devices In Pixel Suit

By Joyce Hanson

Costco has asked a federal judge in Seattle to sanction a group of customers leading a proposed class action that accuses it of disclosing their personal health information by installing Meta Pixel and other Facebook web analytics tools on its pharmacy website.

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X Defends Antitrust Claims Against Music Publishers

By Matthew Perlman

X. Corp. is defending its antitrust case accusing music publishers and their trade group of banding together to demand an industrywide license, telling a Texas federal court the publishers agreed not to negotiate with the social media platform individually.

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Telecom Co. Defends Long-Distance Fees Levied On Lumen

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

A telecommunications company has told a Colorado federal judge that federal law allows it to charge for certain long-distance phone calls in its bid to dismiss a lawsuit from Lumen Technologies over the practice.

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Samsung, Micron Face Fresh Patent Threats From Netlist

By Hailey Konnath

Netlist Inc. has accused Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Micron Technology Inc. of infringing more of its patents covering memory and storage technology, the latest chapter in wide-ranging, long-running intellectual property disputes between the companies, according to a pair of complaints filed in Texas and Delaware.

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Ga. Law Firm Says Wells Fargo Has Info On $1.3M Wire Fraud

By Emily Johnson

A Georgia-based personal injury law firm said it was defrauded into wiring more than $1.3 million to a Wells Fargo Bank NA account and has asked a Texas state court to require the bank to divulge details about the transfer as the firm investigates possible civil claims.

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Amazon Hit With Privacy Suit Over Ring's Face-Scan Feature

By Allison Grande

Amazon is invading the privacy of millions of Americans who come into contact with its Ring security cameras by unknowingly capturing their biometric data in order to fuel a new artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition feature, according to a proposed class action filed in Washington federal court Monday.

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Reddit's Reply To Bylaw Protest Likely AI-Made, Investor Says

By Lauren Berg

A Reddit investor sued in Delaware's Chancery Court on Monday alleging that when he challenged a charter provision that he says unlawfully restricts investors from removing board members designated by Reddit's biggest shareholder, the social media company responded with an "absurd" argument that appears to have been generated by artificial intelligence.

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Brief

Nev. Law Firm Says Cox Gave Away Longtime Phone Number

By Nadia Dreid

A Nevada personal injury firm claims that Cox took its well-known, single-digit phone number away and gave it to Comcast without saying anything, which has cost it business and harmed its reputation.

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PE-Backed Arxis Buys Omnetics, MagCanica For $890M

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Aerospace and defense company Arxis on Tuesday announced that it has agreed to acquire aerospace and defense manufacturer Omnetics Connector Corp. and torque sensor-maker MagCanica Inc. for a combined purchase price of $890 million.

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Voyager's $300M Astrobotic Deal Fuels Lunar Build-Out Plans

By Al Barbarino

Denver-based defense and space solutions company Voyager Technologies said Tuesday that it has agreed to purchase Astrobotic Technology Inc. for about $300 million as it ramps up plans to create the infrastructure needed to sustain moon-based space exploration.

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Kirkland-Led Wingman Clinches $215M Debut Fund

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Software-focused investment firm Wingman Growth Partners, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, on Tuesday announced it closed its inaugural fund after securing $215 million in investor commitments.

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Digital Lender Forbright Launches Plans For $150M IPO

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Middle-market commercial lending digital bank Forbright on Tuesday launched plans to go public through an estimated $150 million initial public offering steered by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

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FCC Probes Changes In License Control At TV Network

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission has begun examining whether the licenses for 83 stations owned by Bridge News should be pulled as it pursues an investigation into possible violations of FCC rules requiring disclosure of changes in control.

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Windstream Looks To Transfer Miss. Rural Broadband Aid

By Nadia Dreid

Windstream is trying to shift its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund obligations in Mississippi to Uplink Internet, a telecom that is already based in the Magnolia State, and has asked for the Federal Communications Commission's blessing.

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Samsung Follows Exxon From NJ To Texas

By Nate Beck

After less than a year in a new building in New Jersey, Samsung said it plans to move its headquarters to Texas by the end of 2026, wrapping up a more than 40-year run of corporate residency in the Garden State.

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DLA Piper Brings On A&O Shearman M&A Partner In SF

By Bonnie Eslinger

DLA Piper has announced it is pushing forward with its "strategic expansion" in Northern California with the addition of "a market-leading dealmaker" from Allen Overy Shearman Sterling.

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Columbia Software IP Ruling Tests Royalty Damages Model

The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Columbia University v. Gen Digital, vacating a damages verdict involving foreign software sales, provides guidance on ambiguities surrounding the worldwide royalty damages model established by the court's decision in Brumfield v. IBG two years ago, say attorneys at Munger Tolles.

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Retailer Risk Reduction Tips As Email Marketing Suits Surge

Amid a flood of email marketing lawsuits following last year's Washington Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Old Navy, retailers seeking to avoid high litigation costs can take several steps to reduce risks by focusing on their email subject lines advertising sales, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

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Operational AI Washing: Dismantling Claims Before Discovery

Operational AI washing claims can be rebuffed before discovery extracts their true costs by turning the documentary record established in earnings calls and public disclosures into a layered defense, which can exploit the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act’s heightened pleading standards, say attorneys at Akerman.

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2 'Rocket Dockets' And The Rules That Propel Them

The fastest civil trial courts in the country are currently in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, and their chief judges provide insights into the court rules that keep them ahead, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

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BigLaw Insider Trading Defendants Have Big-Name Legal Help

By Chris Villani

An insider trading case involving nonpublic information prosecutors say was stolen from some of the largest law firms in the U.S. has ensnared more than two dozen defendants, many of whom have turned to lawyers with notable clients including Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein and Luigi Mangione.

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Hueston Hennigan Follows Milbank's Lead In Associate Pay

By Tracey Read

The race to match Milbank LLP's attorney pay hikes is officially on, with trial firm Hueston Hennigan the latest to announce it will increase associate pay by $10,000 to $20,000 annually.

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Analysis

The Plaintiffs Atty Now 5-0 At Supreme Court With No Dissents

By Jeff Overley

It's true that Jennifer Bennett is undefeated at the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's also an understatement. Bennett's five wins, including two recent ones, were all unanimous decisions. They showed that the plaintiffs bar can still persuade a conservative supermajority. And they turned the tide after a spree of decisions keeping workers and consumers out of court.

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Goldstein Cites Addiction To Avoid Time, DOJ Seeks 8 Years

By Jared Foretek

Federal prosecutors recommended a 97-month prison sentence for convicted SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein, telling a Maryland federal court he has bilked the government out of more than $9.5 million in unpaid taxes. Goldstein, meanwhile, asked for a suspended sentence and supervised release, citing a "severe and longstanding gambling addiction."

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Rocade Capital Buys LFG To Create Combined $2B Lit Funder

By Ryan Boysen

Rocade Capital LLC has acquired fellow litigation funder Law Finance Group LLC, creating a combined platform that has deployed more than $2.3 billion and specializes in $10 million to $50 million deals, including post-judgment financing, portfolio deals and lending to plaintiff's firms.

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Court Reporter Shortage A 'Crisis,' Calif. Supreme Court Told

By Bonnie Eslinger

Two legal nonprofits urged the California Supreme Court to issue an order entitling low-income civil litigants to electronic recording if a live court reporter is not available, saying at a hearing Wednesday that a court reporter shortage in the Golden State has created a "crisis."

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9th Circ. Suspends 2 Attys For 6 Months Over AI Hallucinations

By Rae Ann Varona

The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday temporarily suspended two California immigration attorneys from practicing before the appellate court for filing briefs in a deportation relief case containing artificial intelligence-generated hallucinations, finding no excuse for their "extraordinary confession" of not vetting citations used by unlicensed brief writers.

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Tenn. Firm Sanctioned For AI Misuse In Baker Donelson Suit

By Emily Sawicki

A Tennessee federal judge has sanctioned a Memphis, Tennessee, law firm over its misuse of artificial intelligence amid a malpractice suit against Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, ordering the regional firm to reimburse costs associated with the matter and report the misconduct to the state's disciplinary counsel.

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Feature

'Read The Cases': Conn. Judge Offers AI Advice To Attys

By Brian Steele

A Connecticut federal judge told a gathering of attorneys Tuesday that his law clerks are not allowed to use generative artificial intelligence for any purpose involving legal research, his interns are barred from using it at all, and lawyers must be careful when relying on the material that the tools produce.

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Atty Can't Shake $120M Verdict In RICO, Defamation Dispute

By Carolina Bolado

An Alabama federal judge refused to disturb a $120 million verdict against a former Conrad & Scherer LLP managing partner, ruling there was enough evidence at trial for a jury to find the attorney liable on Drummond Co.'s racketeering and defamation claims.

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Graham Pushes Federal Tort Path After DOJ Drops $1.8B Fund

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Department of Justice seemed, at least briefly, to support a Republican senator's alternative solution to the "anti-weaponization" $1.8 billion fund that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday the department is abandoning.

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DOJ Sets New Healthcare Fraud Convictions Record

By Phillip Bantz

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced that its Health Care Fraud Unit secured six jury trial convictions across the country in less than three weeks, with the cases involving more than $1.1 billion in fraud losses.

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Titan Of The Plaintiffs Bar: Dardarian Ho's Linda Dardarian

By Lynn LaRowe

Despite being on the other side of a disability rights case that will cost his municipality at least $150 million, Kevin McLaughlin, city attorney for Oakland, California, believes that if more lawyers were like Linda Dardarian, there would be far less lamenting about civility in the legal profession.

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