Feds' NY RICO Case Against Huawei Packs A Punch, Jury Told

By Stewart Bishop

The Brooklyn federal jury in the landmark corporate criminal trial of Huawei on Wednesday heard a prosecutor say they'll have an insider's view of the company's vast criminal operations that relied on stolen trade secrets to grow and kept banks in the dark about its sanctions compliance, while a top executive's deal with the government will seal the fate of the Chinese telecommunications giant.

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NM Again Hauls Meta To Trial, This Time Over Privacy

By Cara Salvatore

The state of New Mexico told a jury Wednesday that Facebook flagrantly misrepresented its privacy practices, including the one that let Cambridge Analytica harvest the data of 87 million mostly nonconsenting users, as the state goes to trial against the company for the third time in seven months.

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Justice Roberts Won't Pause Dutch Software Co.'s IP Trial

By Hayley Fowler

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday rejected a Dutch software company's bid to postpone an upcoming trademark trial with its former U.S. partner while it petitions for review of the lower court's injunction and contempt orders.

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Fed. Circ. Eyes PTAB Cases That May Sink $445M Netlist Win

By Ryan Davis

A $445 million verdict against Micron Technology Inc. for infringing two Netlist Inc. computer memory patents hung in the balance Wednesday, as a Federal Circuit panel questioned Netlist's arguments that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly found claims in both patents invalid.

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Meta's 'Fanciful' AI Training Disclosures Leave Judge Doubtful

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge appeared skeptical Wednesday that Meta Platforms Inc. had identified all magazines used to train its artificial intelligence tool after copyright plaintiffs pointed out Meta disclosed only nine issues spanning a 17-year period, telling Meta's counsel during a hearing that the likelihood Meta used only nine issues "seems rather fanciful to me."

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NC Justices Probe TikTok's State Contacts In Addiction Case

By Hayley Fowler

The North Carolina Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with whether TikTok and its parent company should have to face the attorney general's suit alleging the app is addictive to young users, with TikTok arguing its general national business practices do not create ties to the Tar Heel State sufficient to be dragged into court there.

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FTC Chucks Biden-Era Health App Breach Notification Policy

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Trade Commission, as part of its regulatory streamlining, has rescinded a Biden-era policy requiring health applications and smart devices that collect information to warn users when their medical data has been breached.

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FCC To Consider 911 Reliability, Robocall Consent Regs

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission this month will consider studying 911 reliability to ensure the service is always available even as legacy copper-based networks go by the wayside.

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'Weird Space Stuff' To Get Boost Under FCC Spectrum Plan

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote Sept. 30 on a "spectrum abundance" plan meant to fuel a variety of space-based industries by opening up the airwaves across two spectrum bands.

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Software Group Says FCC Should Narrow Covered List Focus

By Nadia Dreid

The software industry thinks the Federal Communications Commission might want to take a more "narrow" view when it comes to its continued expansion of the covered list of telecommunications equipment that the agency deems to be a national security risk.

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Ford Says DOT Concern Over China Tech 'Wrongheaded'

By Jack McLoone

Ford Motor Co. pushed back on U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's "profound concern" over what he said was too close of a relationship between it and a Chinese battery manufacturer, saying the claims are unfounded and don't mesh with other administration stances.

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DC Circ. Denies Bid To Force FCC Action On News Policy

By Craig Clough

A D.C. Circuit panel declined Wednesday to compel the Federal Communications Commission to respond to a petition seeking a repeal of its news distortion policy, saying the petitioners failed to establish that they have no other adequate means to seek relief.

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2 House Democrats Say Trump Can't Fire Copyright Chief

By Adam Lidgett

Two senior House Democrats have urged the D.C. Circuit to reject the Trump administration's claimed authority to remove Shira Perlmutter as the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, arguing that only the librarian of Congress can fire the agency's leader.

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Ex-Nikola CEO's Pardon Doesn't Let Him Beat Investor Suit

By Katryna Perera

The presidential pardon Nikola founder Trevor Milton received for his criminal conviction on securities fraud charges does not bar him from facing similar civil claims alleging he and the electric-vehicle startup exaggerated the viability of the company's prospects, an Arizona federal judge ruled.

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Genius Settles With Panda Ahead Of Sports Tech Patent Trial

By Hailey Konnath

Sports technology company Genius Sports Ltd. and Panda Interactive have agreed to settle a patent dispute over technology that allows viewers to see real-time odds and place a bet while watching a sporting event, according to a notice filed in Texas federal court Wednesday.

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Mass. Justices Wary Of Easing Restrictions On Noncompetes

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts top court justices hearing a case over a state law restricting noncompete provisions appeared reluctant Wednesday to carve out high-level employees who might sign such agreements as part of a separate deal for equity or other incentives.

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Candor Wins AI Tech Ownership Fight In Del. Chancery

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court has ruled that Italian artificial intelligence company iDentiVisuals must transfer ownership of its emotion-recognition technology to legal tech firm Candor, saying the startup breached a binding agreement by failing to deliver and safeguard the technology it had licensed.

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Altice Can't Skip Out On Conn. AG's $39M 'Junk Fee' Lawsuit

By Nadia Dreid

Altice USA can't slip a retooled complaint brought by the state of Connecticut accusing the internet service provider of improperly charging customers a $6 "network enhancement fee" after a state court judge said the new lawsuit adequately pled its claim.

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Klarna Wants Out Of Investor Action Over Loan Risks

By Sydney Price

Payments company Klarna Group PLC has asked a New York federal court to dismiss it from an investor suit accusing it of damaging shareholders by failing to disclose losses associated with its "buy now, pay later" loans ahead of its 2025 initial public offering, saying its projections were neither inaccurate nor misleading.

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AI Travel Firm Brass Accused Of Misleading Investors

By Sydney Price

Executives and directors of business travel technology firm Navan have been hit with a shareholder's derivative suit accusing them of misleading investors about the company's profitability and AI-driven business model in the registration statement for its initial public offering. 

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Aviation Co. Challenges Colo. County's $33M Tax Valuation

By Sanjay Talwani

An aviation services company is being illegally taxed on improvements to property at a Denver airport it possesses as a leaseholder, the company told a state court, challenging the property's $33.1 million valuation and alleging an ongoing nonconformity with Colorado law.

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Analog, Alif Ink $1.4B Deal Steered By Wachtell And DLA Piper

By Al Barbarino

Analog Devices said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire Alif Semiconductor for $1.35 billion in cash, with Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and DLA Piper advising on the transaction. 

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Nuclear Energy Firm HGP Going Public Via $1.2B SPAC Deal

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Energy infrastructure developer HGP Intelligent Energy LLC has unveiled plans to go public by merging with special purpose acquisition company Meshflow Acquisition Corp. in a deal that boasts a pro forma equity value of roughly $1.2 billion and was built by three law firms.

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DOJ Deepens Probe Into Fox's $22B Roku Deal

By Bryan Koenig

Fox Corp. and Roku disclosed Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice has launched an in-depth probe into Fox's purchase of Roku, stalling their ability to close the deal until the investigation wraps.

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Ringleader Pleads Guilty In $245M Crypto RICO Enterprise

By Joyce Hanson

The 22-year-old ringleader of an international conspiracy that used social engineering to steal more than $245 million in cryptocurrency has pled guilty in D.C. federal court for his role in building "a cybercrime empire," the U.S. Department of Justice said.

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Ex-Judge, Law Profs Urge 4th Circ. To Limit Digital Warrants

By Parker Quinlan

A former federal magistrate judge and a group of law school professors from around the country have urged the Fourth Circuit to find that a geofence warrant at the heart of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision is too broad in light of the high court's ruling.

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NJ Tech Chief Seeks To Avoid TikTok Depo In AG's Fraud Suit

By Carla Baranauckas

New Jersey Chief Technology Officer Kevin Dehmer has asked a state court judge to block TikTok from deposing him in the attorney general's consumer fraud lawsuit, arguing that he has no firsthand knowledge of the allegations and that forcing a high-ranking state official to testify is unwarranted.

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Fla. AG Sues Netflix Over 'Bait-And-Switch' Data Harvesting

By Allison Grande

Florida has become the second state to sue Netflix over its purported harvesting of personal data from children and families, alleging that the streaming provider engaged in a "bait-and-switch" when it leveraged subscribers' personal information to fuel its advertising despite promising to be a "safe respite" from these practices. 

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Agencies Warn Of Chinese AI Cos. Targeting US Models

By Elliot Weld

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Administration and FBI have released a report claiming Chinese artificial intelligence companies were extracting proprietary capabilities from U.S. AI models through a process known as "distillation."

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Katten Adds Kasowitz Data Strategy Team Leader In LA

By Christine DeRosa

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has bolstered its offerings in Los Angeles with the addition of the chair of Kasowitz LLP's data strategy, privacy and security team and co-chair of its artificial intelligence industry group.

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AI Note-Taking Suits May Fill Gap In Privacy Law Structure

A recent class action against Granola joins other pending lawsuits against AI note-taking providers, highlighting the legal uncertainty surrounding these tools, but there are practical steps companies using "invisible" AI services can take to mitigate risk, including conducting inventories and reviewing access permissions, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

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How Quantum Risk Could Reshape Legal Obligations

As federal policy, National Institute of Standards and Technology standards, and major market practice converge around postquantum cryptography, companies may need to safeguard their data now to prove they took reasonable measures to protect trade secrets from quantum computers that do not exist yet, say attorneys at MoFo.

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How 'Swap' Fight Underpins Prediction Market Enforcement

As courts around the country grapple with whether, and under what circumstances, event contracts qualify as swaps, federal enforcement authority hangs in the balance, with implications for companies that need to manage compliance risks during this period of legal uncertainty, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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ABA Study Shows 20% Of Attys Under Severe Mental Distress

By Tracey Read

About one-fifth of attorneys across the country meet moderate-to-extremely severe symptom thresholds for depression, anxiety and stress, according to the largest-ever study of mental health and well-being in the legal profession.

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Mass. Judge Sanctioned Over Handling Of ICE At Courthouse

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court on Thursday sanctioned a judge over her handling of a case involving a defendant wanted by immigration agents in 2018, an incident that led to federal charges that were dismissed after the judge agreed to a disciplinary process.

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Akerman Brings On Troutman Debt Finance Pro In LA

By Christine DeRosa

Akerman LLP announced Thursday it has added an experienced debt finance attorney from Troutman Pepper Locke LLP to its corporate practice group in Los Angeles.

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Legal Network TerraLex Names Norton Rose Exec As CEO

By James Boyle

Florida-based legal network TerraLex has tapped a former executive at Norton Rose Fulbright to serve as the company's CEO.

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AI-Native Approach Offers Chance To Rethink In-House Depts.

By Jake Maher

Artificial intelligence is giving corporate legal departments the opportunity to rethink how work is divided between outside counsel and in-house attorneys, but the pace of change in technology and demands to adapt from corporate heads remain challenges, in-house leaders said this week at an industry event.

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Analysis

Executive Privilege Questions Cloud Congressional Probe Prep

By Phillip Bantz

As corporate leaders brace for the possibility of Democrats retaking control of Congress and launching aggressive investigations into the Trump administration's dealings with a vast array of companies, attorneys say a U.S. Justice Department opinion on executive privilege could complicate the probes.

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2 At DOJ Sued Over Conn. Immigration Court Record Access

By Christine DeRosa

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut has filed suit in Connecticut federal court challenging the Hartford Immigration Court's refusal to provide access to immigration court records.

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DOJ Urges High Court To Revisit 9th Circ. Bar Of Nevada US Atty

By Madison Arnold

The Justice Department has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit a recent Ninth Circuit ruling disqualifying the Trump administration's top federal prosecutor in Nevada, calling it a decision that imposes "ongoing confusion" in the executive branch.

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Ed Martin Reprimanded Over Unauthorized FBI Contacts

By Courtney Bublé

Last summer, when Ed Martin was still head of the weaponization working group at the U.S. Department of Justice, he was reprimanded after his team communicated with the FBI without authorization, according to recently released emails.

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