Space Force Beats Lanham Act Claims In Florida Suit

By David Minsky

A Florida federal judge ruled in favor of the U.S. Space Force on Lanham Act claims in a lawsuit brought by a commercial launch provider that alleged the government was required to utilize its services to launch rockets when available, finding the agency isn't prohibited from using its own facilities. 

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Trump Admin Proposes Weakening ESA Protections

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed four rules that would significantly weaken Endangered Species Act protections for plants and animals, drawing immediate condemnation from environmental and conservation groups.

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Wash. Judge Narrows Claims In Seaplane Crash Dispute

By Tom Lotshaw

A Washington state judge largely denied a charter flight company's attempt to put blame for a seaplane crash that killed 10 people onto an aircraft company, and said there are genuine questions about whether sole cause can be attributed to either party.

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9th Circ. Urged To Void Hyundai, Kia Buyers' $145M Theft Deal

By Craig Clough

Two objectors to a $145 million class action settlement over claims that Hyundai and Kia sold theft-prone vehicles urged the Ninth Circuit Wednesday to find that the district court abused its discretion in approving the deal because it doesn't adequately compensate all class members, including those whose cars were not stolen.

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Amazon Drivers Push For Class Cert. In Mass. Law Tip Suit

By Ben Adlin

Amazon delivery drivers who claim the e-commerce giant skimmed from their tips are asking a Seattle federal judge to revive claims under Massachusetts state law, arguing that drivers from that state may be eligible for "significant relief" beyond what they received through a 2021 settlement between Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission.

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Fed. Circ. Backs No Infringement Finding In Railcar Fight

By Adam Lidgett

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to reinstate a lawsuit accusing railcar manufacturer Greenbrier of infringing a pair of patents covering railroad gondolas, backing a lower court's finding that the company's products didn't include all the elements of the patents.

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Colo. Justices Question Public Works Act Interpretation

By Zach Dupont

The Colorado Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of an appellate court's Public Works Act interpretation, which vacated a subcontractor's $12.7 million claim against the general contractor that employed it to help build a new Denver rail line.

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NJ Panel Revives Fraud Claim Against Towing Company

By Carla Baranauckas

A New Jersey appeals panel partly revived a consumer fraud claim Wednesday against a towing company, ruling that the trial court failed to make required factual findings before rejecting allegations that the business misled a Newark man about the price of his junk car.

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Union Says Longshoreman Can't Support Retaliation Claims

By Emily Brill

A Miami longshoreman lacks support for a complaint accusing his union of turning against him after he repeatedly reported a co-worker for insubordination, the union told a Florida federal judge, saying the longshoreman's claims of breach of the duty of fair representation and infliction of emotional distress are thin.

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NJ Construction Co. Sues Over Hudson Tunnel Union Limits

By Matthew Santoni

A New Jersey construction company wants to delay bidding for part of the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, claiming in a federal lawsuit that the multistate commission overseeing the project unlawfully barred employing the United Steelworkers union currently representing the company's workers.

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Eco Orgs. Ask 2nd Circ. To Undo NY, NJ Pipeline Project Nods

By Keith Goldberg

Environmental groups have sued New York and New Jersey environmental regulators over their issuance of Clean Water Act permits for a controversial Williams Cos. pipeline upgrade after previously denying the permits over pollution concerns.

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'Wrongly Decided' Case Backs Insurer Loss, Mich. Panel Says

By Hope Patti

An insurer is statutorily barred from suing an auto shop to recoup personal injury protection benefits it paid to policyholders injured in a crash, a Michigan state appeals court affirmed, though saying it is bound by a 1993 case it believes was "wrongly decided" and should be reviewed.

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Colo. High Court Considers Insurers' Noncooperation Defense

By Rachel Konieczny

Colorado Supreme Court justices on Wednesday questioned the scope and effects of a state law requiring insurers to meet certain requirements in requesting information from policyholders before bringing a failure-to-cooperate defense, in a case where a man was denied claims after not turning over medical records.

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Bonus Spotlight

Law Firms Begin Upping The Ante For Associate Bonuses

By Tracey Read

Trial boutique Wilkinson Stekloff LLP is exceeding the year-end associate bonus scale set by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, announcing bonuses late Wednesday that are 150% of market.

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CFPB Will Shift Remaining Lawsuits Over To DOJ

By Jon Hill

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be handing off its enforcement lawsuits and other litigation to the U.S. Department of Justice as the Trump administration prepares for the consumer agency to run out of money, Law360 has learned.

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Analysis

Trump's Epstein Directive Puts SDNY Prosecutor In A 'Pickle'

By Phillip Bantz

Manhattan chief federal prosecutor Jay Clayton appears to have been backed into a "horrible" corner with a "no-win" outcome as a result of a directive from President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats, experts say.

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Comey Says DOJ's Conduct 'Shocks The Conscience'

By Hailey Konnath

James Comey on Thursday reiterated his request that the U.S. Department of Justice be forced to disclose all grand jury materials related to his indictment, noting the government has conceded that the grand jury never saw the operative indictment and saying the purported misconduct "shocks the conscience."

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NJ Panel Expands Scope Of Ex-Reed Smith Atty's Bias Claims

By Rose Krebs

A New Jersey appellate panel on Thursday ruled that a former Reed Smith LLP attorney is entitled to pursue more damages and obtain expanded wage data in her gender discrimination suit against the firm, saying a trial court incorrectly applied certain statutes when it limited the damages and data she could seek.

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X Corp. Ends $90M Fee Suit Against Wachtell

By James Mills

X Corp. has ended its California state lawsuit against Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz over $90 million in legal fees tied to the fight over Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, according to a court filing.

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Analysis

Meta Loss Shows Time Not On Enforcers' Side In Tech Cases

By Bryan Koenig

Meta's triumph over a Federal Trade Commission antitrust case Tuesday hinged on a D.C. federal judge's finding that the company lacks a monopoly in the present day, highlighting some of the challenges of using slow-moving litigation to challenge fast-moving markets.

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Senate Panel OKs Miss. Judge, US Atty Nominees After Delay

By Courtney Bublé

After weeks of holdup, nominees for Mississippi federal courts and U.S. attorneys were voted out of committee on Thursday, following an impasse between Republican senators.

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Brief

Senate Passes Bill To Protect State Judges From Threats

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to beef up security for state and local judges.

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DOJ Antitrust Chief Says Agriculture A 'Top Priority'

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Department of Justice's top antitrust official said enforcers have already opened several investigations in the agriculture sector, including into meatpackers at the direction of President Donald Trump, and called the industry a "top priority" for the agency.

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