Wash. Justices Reinstate $185M Monsanto PCB Verdict

By Rachel Riley

The Washington State Supreme Court has restored a $185 million jury verdict against Monsanto in the first of a series of chemical poisoning trials tied to a Washington state school site, finding a lower appellate court misapplied choice-of-law principles when overturning the win for three school teachers.

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Wash. Justices Doubt Lawyer's Bid For Disbarment Rehearing

By Ben Adlin

An attorney for a Washington state lawyer facing disbarment for allegedly stealing more than $250,000 in client funds urged the state's highest court Thursday to reverse the disbarment recommendation and order a rehearing in the disciplinary case.

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Boeing Rips Irish Leasing Co. 'Stonewalling' In 737 Max Suit

By Linda Chiem

Boeing has told a Washington federal judge that an Irish aircraft leasing company keeps stonewalling and should be ordered to sit for depositions in a breach-of-contract suit alleging Boeing duped it into leasing defective 737 Max jets that were later grounded after two deadly crashes overseas.

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Wash. Justices Debate Judge's Future Amid Court Discord

By Ben Adlin

The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday asked about the practical effect of returning a suspended municipal judge to the bench, probing whether there's any evidence that Judge Tracy S. Flood and staff of the Bremerton Municipal Court would be able to avoid further discord and subsequent impacts on litigants if she went back to her post.

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Washington Pot Board Says Racial Bias Claims Nothing New

By Jonathan Capriel

There is nothing new about accusations that the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board disproportionately favored white applicants over minorities when issuing marijuana licenses, state regulators told a federal court, arguing that a Black entrepreneur's public advocacy renders untimely his lawsuit over a license denial. 

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Ex-Amazon Coder Again Avoids Prison For Capital One Hack

By Gina Kim

A former Amazon coder who exposed personal information belonging to nearly 100 million people amid a data breach targeting Capital One in 2019 was resentenced Wednesday in Washington federal court to time served, plus two years of supervised release and community service and ordered to pay nearly $41 million in restitution. 

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Tribal Business Owner Says Tariffs Violate 1855 Yakama Treaty

By Crystal Owens

A Yakama Indian tribe member is asking an Oregon federal court to block a series of tariffs issued by President Donald Trump, arguing that the orders violate a 19th century treaty that gives her the right to free trade.

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Analysis

Defamation Litigation Roundup: Drake, IRS, Greenpeace

By Theresa Schliep

In this month's review of defamation fights, Law360 highlights notable developments in California's anti-SLAPP law following a major Ninth Circuit opinion, as well as a decision — and appeal — in Drake's fight with his record label over Kendrick Lamar's diss track.

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Med Robot Co. Tells 9th Circ. Not To Revive 'Disfavored' Suit

By Bryan Koenig

Intuitive Surgical urged the Ninth Circuit not to revive a surgical repair company's claims alleging it blocked third parties from refurbishing components for its popular da Vinci surgery robot, defending the district court's findings that cases alleging anticompetitive harm to a single brand aftermarket are "rare and disfavored."

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Lufthansa Must Face Same-Sex 'Outing' Suit, 9th Circ. Says

By Lauren Berg

Deutsche Lufthansa AG cannot ground a same-sex couple's lawsuit accusing the German airline of outing their marriage to the Saudi Arabian government, a split Ninth Circuit panel ruled Thursday, saying there are enough strings tying the case to California to meet jurisdiction requirements.

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Lessons From Del. Chancery Court's New Activision Decision

The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in AP-Fonden v. Activision Blizzard, declining to dismiss certain fiduciary duty claims at the pleading stage, offers takeaways for boards considering a sale, including the importance of playing an active role in the merger process and documenting key board materials, say attorneys at Cleary.

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Justices' LabCorp Punt Leaves Deeper Class Cert. Circuit Split

In its ruling in LabCorp v. Davis, the U.S. Supreme Court left unresolved a standing-related class certification issue that has plagued class action jurisprudence for years — and subsequent conflicting decisions among federal circuit courts have left district courts and litigants struggling with conflicting and uncertain standards, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

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Series

Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

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Judge Blasted For Violent Sexual Comments Against Minors

By Spencer Brewer

The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct has reprimanded a municipal judge for directing sexual remarks at children and wishing sexual violence upon them, noting that the judge exhibited racial bias from the bench.

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Meet The Judge Hearing Comey's, James' US Atty Challenges

By Jack Karp

The South Carolina federal judge who will consider former FBI Director James Comey's and New York Attorney General Letitia James' challenges to the authority of the interim U.S. attorney who brought separate criminal charges against them is known for her rigorous preparation and exacting standards.

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Comey Wins Bid For Judge Oversight In Privilege Dispute

By Jared Foretek

A Virginia federal judge has appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick to preside over the privilege review of seized materials in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against former FBI Director James Comey, denying the DOJ's proposal for an outside "filter team" of government attorneys to conduct the review themselves.

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NJ Attys Punch Up Governor's Race With Campaign Funds

By Jake Maher

New Jersey's legal community has donated more than $900,000 to the gubernatorial candidates this election, with the Democrat surpassing the Republican in contributions, campaign finance records show.

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Habba Cites Essayli Ruling To Defend Role In NJ Cases

By Carla Baranauckas

The U.S. Department of Justice has urged the Third Circuit to reinstate Alina Habba's authority in two criminal prosecutions, arguing a recent California ruling backs her power to supervise cases as first assistant, even if she's barred from acting as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey under federal vacancy law.

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Sidley's 'Incomplete' Story Hid Fraud Scheme, Family Says

By Chart Riggall

A family alleging it was roped into an illegal tax sheltering scheme on the advice of a former Sidley Austin LLP attorney has urged a Georgia federal judge to keep its suit against the firm alive, arguing a jury should decide when the family knew enough about the fraud to move forward with its claims.

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Copyright Rules For AI Creations Too Strict, IP Panel Says

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Copyright Office's rule barring registration of works created entirely by artificial intelligence systems may be overly strict and unlikely to endure, according to a panel of legal experts who discussed the matter Wednesday at the American Intellectual Property Law Association's annual conference in D.C.

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Judges Say Judicial Freedom Key To Maintaining Rule Of Law

By Rachel Konieczny

Colorado state and federal judges provided a glimpse Wednesday into how courts decide cases when facing current challenges to the rule of law, agreeing that judicial independence is paramount to maintaining the heart of the United States' legal system.

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4 Things To Know About Fla. Bar Admissions Reform Ideas

By Madison Arnold

A work group has issued its final report on possible changes to bar exam admission requirements in Florida, proposing 12 potential alternatives to the current system of requiring graduates to come from law schools accredited by the American Bar Association.

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