Anthropic Judge Rips Opt-Out Law Firm As 'Quick Buck' Ploy

By Bonnie Eslinger

A California federal judge on Thursday blasted Arizona law firm ClaimsHero Holdings LLC for encouraging authors to opt out of Anthropic PBC's $1.5 billion deal to end copyright infringement claims, saying it looks like the firm is "trying to trick people" for a "quick buck."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Apple, OpenAI Can't Yet Nix XAI Antitrust Suit, Judge Says

By Rae Ann Varona

A Texas federal judge on Thursday denied Apple and OpenAI's requests to toss an antitrust lawsuit that Elon Musk's xAI lodged to target a deal that integrated ChatGPT into the iPhone operating system, but suggested that resolving the suit without a jury trial may be the way to go.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Rumble Cites Judge's Longtime Friendship With Google VP

By Bryan Koenig

Rumble asked a California federal judge to consider recusal should the Ninth Circuit revive its antitrust lawsuit against Google, citing a yearslong friendship with Google's top in-house litigation chief that involved the judge officiating at her wedding and their ongoing participation in a fantasy football league.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Google Sues Cybercriminals Over Global Phishing Scams

By Joyce Hanson

Google has sued foreign cybercriminals behind phishing scams that claim to represent the U.S. Postal Service and the New York City government's website, among others, accusing them of texting millions of Americans phony messages that lure them into providing their payment information and other personal data.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Feds Launch Interagency Crypto Scam Task Force

By Nadia Dreid

The FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and D.C. federal prosecutors have teamed up to launch a task force that will focus on cryptocurrency scams the government says originate from criminal networks in Southeast Asia and bilk millions out of their digital currency each year.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Google Says Latest EU Probe Attacks Anti-Spam Efforts

By Matthew Perlman

Google said on Thursday that a new investigation launched by European enforcers into the tech giant's compliance with recently enacted rules for digital markets targets a practice designed to keep spam from infiltrating search results.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NY Judge Declines Sanctions For Citation Errors — Again

By Emily Sawicki

For the second time in as many months, a Manhattan federal judge has stopped short of sanctioning an attorney for including false case citations in a filing, warning the lawyer in an order that he had better not allow errors again.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-FCC Members Say Carr's Abusing News Distortion Policy

By Nadia Dreid

Nearly a dozen former Federal Communications Commission officials — including seven once-commissioners — told the agency that it ought to repeal its news distortion policy "in full," accusing the head of the FCC of using the policy to police speech.

Petition attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Latin American Trade Deals With US Include Zero Tariff Rates

By Dylan Moroses

Latin American countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador and Argentina committed to nontariff reductions for U.S. producers in exchange for a zero tariff rate on many imports not readily available in the U.S., under details of framework trade agreements the White House unveiled Thursday.

4 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Looks To Avoid 'Red Flag' Reg Hurdles In Space

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission says it envisions a framework for the fast-growing space industry that rejects heavy-handed regulations, which a top official on Thursday likened to British 19th-century "red flag laws" putting the brakes on the early auto industry.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Broadcasters Ramp Up Pressure To Limit C-Band Rework

By Christopher Cole

Broadcasters have long been concerned about relocating their satellites from the upper C-band airwaves, but they're even less pleased to see the scope of the Federal Communications Commission plan now that it's been released, according to a new filing.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mobile Biz Asks Congress To Nix Military's Spectrum Right

By Christopher Cole

Congress needs to toss a provision wrapped into the Senate's version of the defense authorization bill that allows the military to reject certain spectrum allocations to the private sector, a top wireless industry advocate said Thursday.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

3rd Circ. Says Quest Didn't Eavesdrop In Data Privacy Suit

By P.J. D'Annunzio

The Third Circuit on Thursday upheld a win for Quest Diagnostics, which beat a class action alleging it inappropriately shared patient data with Meta Platforms through ad tracking software on its website, with the court reasoning that information was not unlawfully collected because it wasn't obtained through eavesdropping.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DocGo Investors Seek OK Of $12.5M Deal Over Ex-CEO Claims

By Sydney Price

Investors of mobile medical provider DocGo have asked a New York federal court to grant preliminary approval of their $12.5 million settlement of claims that the company deceived stockholders before a $432 million contract with New York City to provide emergency migrant housing came under public scrutiny.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Dish Scores $42M Default Win Over Ukraine-Based Pirate Host

By Ben Adlin

Dish Network LLC has secured a nearly $42 million default judgment against a Ukraine-based internet hosting provider in a lawsuit that accused the host of enabling "pirate streaming services" that transmitted content owned by the network to U.S. viewers.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Contract 'Mystifies' Judge Weighing Ammo Tech Secrets Suit

By Abigail Harrison

A North Carolina Business Court judge appeared mildly vexed at the terms of an employment contract underpinning an ammunition technology trade secrets suit, acknowledging in a Thursday hearing that "it's not the best worded contract in the history of the world."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

HGTV Owner Sheds Video Privacy Suit Over Meta Data Sharing

By Allison Grande

A New York federal judge Thursday tossed a putative class action accusing the owner of HGTV of illegally sharing information about website visitors' video-watching activities with Facebook, finding that the plaintiff had failed to adequately allege that the media company disclosed the type of data protected by federal video privacy law.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ricoh USA Inks Deals In Pair Of 401(k) Forfeiture, Fee Suits

By Grace Elletson

Ricoh USA Inc. informed Pennsylvania federal judges Thursday that it has brokered settlements to close two suits claiming the digital services company mismanaged its $2 billion retirement plan, including one case that saw its excessive fees claims revived by the Third Circuit.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EV Makers Tell 1st Circ. Fuel Economy Rule Freeze Unlawful

By Linda Chiem

A coalition of electric vehicle manufacturers and suppliers told the First Circuit that the Trump administration has created a regulatory vacuum by refusing to enforce existing vehicle fuel economy standards, jeopardizing more than $100 million in compliance credits that are essential to the EV industry.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Patent Owner Drops Digital Ticket Patent Suit Against MLB

By Elliot Weld

The owner of a patent that covers digital ticketing technology has dropped infringement claims brought against Major League Baseball's interactive division, ending the claims against the last remaining defendant in the case.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

NC Biz Court Bulletin: Rulings Spotlight Coverage Clashes

By Hayley Fowler

The North Carolina Business Court plowed into the fourth quarter with two big decisions in insurance disputes that involved $50 million in COVID-19-related losses at a chain of outlet malls, and an industrial accident at a Nucor Corp. iron plant in Louisiana.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AI Coding Biz Valued At $29.3B After $2.3B Funding Round

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Artificial intelligence development platform Cursor on Thursday revealed that its valuation had soared to $29.3 billion after it wrapped its latest funding round with $2.3 billion in investor commitments.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

C3 AI Considers Sale After CEO Departs, Plus More Rumors

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Artificial intelligence software provider C3 AI is exploring a sale after its founder and CEO stepped down earlier this year, British telecommunications provider SCG weighs a potential sale at a $1.07 billion valuation, and U.K.-based fintech company Iwoca is in talks about a sale that could value it at $1.34 billion.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chaos Industries Secures $510M To Boost Defense Tech

By Al Barbarino

Defense technology company Chaos Industries said Thursday it has raised $510 million in new funding led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from existing backers 8VC and Accel, at a valuation of $4.5 billion.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wash. Email Subject Line Ruling Puts Retailers On The Hook

The Washington state Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Old Navy, finding that a state law prohibits misleading email subject lines, has opened the door to nationwide copycat litigation, introducing potential exposure measured not in thousands, but in millions or even billions of dollars for retailers, say attorneys at Benesch.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ITC Ruling Highlights Conflicts Hurdles For Law Firms

As supply chains become more interconnected, a recent U.S. International Trade Commission order — disqualifying a complainant's law firm for concurrently representing a third-party supplier relevant to the case — underscores the reality that conflicts may increasingly lurk within the building blocks of devices, says Matt Rizzolo at Ropes & Gray.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Legal Guardrails For AI Tools In The Hiring Process

Although artificial intelligence can help close the gaps that bad actors exploit in modern recruiting, its precision also makes it subject to tighter scrutiny, meaning new regulatory regimes should be top of mind for U.S.-centric employers exploring fraud-focused AI-enabled tools, say attorneys at Ogletree.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

What Narrower FinCEN Reporting Spells For Industry

As compliance costs soar, the potential slimming down of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime is welcome news for banks, and would allow a shift in resources to ever-evolving cybercrime threats, say attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Building With Lego Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Building with Lego has taught me to follow directions and adapt to unexpected challenges, and in pairing discipline with imagination, allows me to stay grounded while finding new ways to make complex deals come together, says Paul Levin at Venable.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Coalition Rips Trump Deputy AG's Claim Of 'War' With Judges

By Rose Krebs

A group of former federal judges on Thursday condemned what they called "inflammatory remarks" last week by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche detailing the U.S. Department of Justice's "war" with "rogue activist" judges.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Interview

Ex-Judge Worries Top Court Will Be 'Timid' In Checking Trump

By Chris Villani

A Massachusetts federal judge who recently resigned to more openly speak out against the Trump administration told Law360 on Thursday he is concerned the U.S. Supreme Court will be unwilling to provide a constitutional check on presidential overreach.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fired Immigration Judges Share Concerns As Cases Pile Up

By Courtney Bublé

Fired immigration judges spoke on Thursday about their "crushing" backlog of cases, a buildup exacerbated by the Trump administration's elimination of their colleagues' positions.

Report attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Halts Jackson Walker Secret Romance Settlements

By Adrian Cruz

A Texas federal judge has paused a number of settlements between Jackson Walker LLP and former clients, criticizing the firm for trying to undermine the U.S. Trustee's investigation into alleged malpractice stemming from a secret romance between a former partner and a bankruptcy judge.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Casts Doubt On Legitimacy Of Halligan's Appointment

By Jared Foretek

A federal judge in Virginia said Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi couldn't have reviewed the full transcript of the grand jury proceedings that netted an indictment of James Comey before ratifying the charges against the former FBI director because the U.S. Department of Justice didn't have them at the time.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Jenner & Block Resolves $8M Fee Fight With Sierra Leone

By Gina Kim

Jenner & Block LLP and its former client Sierra Leone have resolved their fight over unpaid legal fees and allegedly fraudulent overbilling in the nation's underlying dispute with its iron ore mining concessionaire Gerald International Ltd., according to a minute order issued Thursday in D.C. federal court.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

As Backlogged SEC Reopens, Attys Jostle To 'Get In Line'

By Jessica Corso

Thousands of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission employees who were sent home last month finally returned to their offices Thursday, and experts say it will likely take at least a month for them to catch up with a backlog of casework and submissions for initial public offerings.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Pipe Maker Names 2nd Firm In Asbestos RICO Suit

By Emily Field

A Los Angeles pipe manufacturer has added Massachusetts-based Sokolove Law to its civil racketeering lawsuit in Illinois federal court accusing Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP and others of orchestrating a scheme to fill the law firms' coffers by bringing baseless asbestos claims, alleging the Sokolove firm acted to find the cases.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NY Gov't Ethics Watchdog Called To Testify Against AG James

By Andrea Keckley

The federal government subpoenaed the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government on Wednesday to testify in its case against New York Attorney General Letitia A. James.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Denies NJ Lawmaker's Bid To Toss ICE Facility Charges

By Parker Quinlan

A New Jersey federal judge on Thursday refused to toss the criminal indictment filed against U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., following a confrontation with federal agents at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SEC's Northeast Deputy Enforcement Head To Depart Agency

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday that the deputy director of the enforcement division for the Northeast will leave the agency, following stints as the regional director of the New York office and acting deputy director of the enforcement division.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Minn. Chief Federal Judge To Take Semi-Retired Status In July

By Courtney Bublé

Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz of the District of Minnesota will take semi-retired status next summer, according to an update on Thursday from the federal judiciary.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Del. US Atty Tapped For Acting Role After Interim Term Expires

By Jake Maher

Delaware's former interim U.S. attorney has been appointed acting U.S. attorney after the district court declined to keep her as the top federal prosecutor in the First State when her term expired.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »