Telecommunications

July 03, 2025
State Telecom Roundup: States Rush To Meet New BEAD Regs

States were allocated their share of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program two years ago. Some states were nearly ready to announce which companies would receive a slice of the funding and exactly how much they would get when President Donald Trump's administration shook things up in early June by rescinding all the awards.
July 03, 2025
USPTO Tells PTAB To Try Again On UNM Wireless Patent

The acting head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office found Wednesday that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly terminated network equipment maker Zyxel's challenge to a University of New Mexico wireless communications patent without considering a remand from the Federal Circuit.
July 03, 2025
Colo. Sales Tax Applies To Netflix Subscriptions, Court Rules

Netflix's streaming services in Colorado are tangible personal property subject to sales tax, a state appeals court ruled Thursday, reversing a district court's finding that the subscriptions were not taxable under state law because they were not tangible physical items.
July 03, 2025
FCC Aims To Advance Fast-Track Process For Removing Regs

The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote this month on whether to employ a fast-track procedure to remove regulations that are deemed obsolete without having to go through the typical process of first issuing a public notice and soliciting comment.
July 03, 2025
Circuit-By-Circuit Recap: Justices Send Message To Outliers

It was a tough term at the U.S. Supreme Court for two very different circuits — one solidly liberal, one solidly conservative — that had their rulings overturned in eye-popping numbers. But it was another impressive year for a relatively moderate circuit that appears increasingly simpatico with the high court.
July 03, 2025
The Moments That Shaped The Universal Injunction Case

The U.S. Supreme Court voted along ideological lines when it hindered the ability of federal district court judges to issue nationwide pauses on presidential policies, but that outcome didn't seem like a foregone conclusion during oral arguments earlier this year. What do the colloquies suggest about the justices' thinking? Here are some moments that may have swayed them.
July 03, 2025
Spectrum, Border, Injunction Changes Included In Mega Bill

The House voted 218-214, almost along party lines, on Thursday on the reconciliation budget package, which includes a range of policy provisions on nationwide injunctions, spectrum and immigration and now goes to President Donald Trump's desk ahead of the decided Fourth of July deadline.
July 03, 2025
FCC Waives Lifeline Voice, Mobile Changes For 1 Year

The Federal Communications Commission has once again postponed two changes to its Lifeline subsidy program, delaying the phase-out of support for voice-only services that were originally meant to push users toward broadband and keeping minimum broadband data standards at 4.5 gigabytes per month for at least an extra year.
July 03, 2025
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

The number of law firms juggling three or more arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this past term nearly doubled from the number of firms that could make that claim last term.
July 03, 2025
Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

The U.S. Supreme Court once again waited until the term's closing weeks — and even hours — to issue some of its most anticipated and divided decisions.
July 03, 2025
Eircom Seeks £67M From BT As Info Hoarding Trial Kicks Off

Irish telecoms operator Eircom said that British Telecommunications PLC unlawfully kept it "in the dark" about crucial information during a bid for a public sector contract, at the start of a £67 million ($92 million) damages trial Thursday.
July 03, 2025
Call Center Co. Wants Out Of Misclassification Suit

A suit by workers accusing a call center company of incorrectly classifying them as independent contractors and then firing them when they complained must be thrown out, the company told a Florida federal court, saying the complaint is a "textbook impermissible shotgun pleading."
July 02, 2025
Amazon Judge Presses FTC On Bid For 'Bad Faith' Finding

As the Federal Trade Commission insisted Wednesday that Amazon should be punished with a bad faith finding for mislabeling documents as privileged in a case over the company's Prime subscription practices, a Washington federal judge questioned why the agency wasn't "made whole" when the court granted its sanctions bid.
July 02, 2025
FCC Floats Pole Attachment Reform In 'Build' Agenda Kickoff

Changes to utility pole attachment rules to expedite broadband deployment could be among the first actions under a much wider "Build America" agenda unveiled Wednesday by the Federal Communications Commission chief.
July 02, 2025
Bankers Worry TCPA Rule Causes Fraud Alert Blocking

The financial services industry says it is gaining allies in its fight against a 2024 Federal Communications Commission rule making it easier for consumers to opt out of robotexts and calls, telling the agency that groups from a wide range of industries have concerns about the potential for negative impacts from the rule.
July 02, 2025
FCC To Vote On More 'Delete' Docket Regs This Month

The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote this month on a proposal to remove outmoded regulations from its books that would advance FCC Chair Brendan Carr's "Delete, Delete, Delete" proceeding to cut down on what he considers burdensome agency rules.
July 02, 2025
Dems Condemn Paramount's $16M Settlement With Trump

Democratic lawmakers are incensed that CBS News' parent Paramount Global agreed to a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over his "60 Minutes" lawsuit, which came as the media company is seeking approval of an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
July 02, 2025
The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

After justices and oral advocates spent much of an argument pummeling a lower court's writing talents, one attorney suggested it might be time to move on — only to be told the drubbing had barely begun. Here, Law360 showcases the standout jests and wisecracks from the 2024-25 U.S. Supreme Court term.
July 01, 2025
State AI Law Moratorium Struck From Senate Budget Bill

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to cut a proposal that would have blocked states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade from the budget reconciliation package after a deal to reduce the length and potential scope of the ban fell apart.
July 01, 2025
FCC Drops $2.6M Kid TV Ad Fine, Lets Sinclair Settle

The Federal Communications Commission is going to let Sinclair Broadcast Group LLC slide by with a "voluntary contribution" of $500,000 instead of the $2.6 million forfeiture the agency had proposed for running more commercials than it was allowed to during children's TV programs.
July 01, 2025
Google Wants Texas Ad Tech Trial To Wait On DOJ Judge

Google has asked a Texas federal judge to delay the looming August trial in a case from state enforcers targeting its advertising technology until after a Virginia federal judge issues her final judgment in a similar case by the U.S. Department of Justice.
July 01, 2025
DC Circ. OKs Trump Firing Of Privacy Board Dems, For Now

The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday halted a lower court's order that blocked the Trump administration from firing two Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, suggesting in a per curiam order that members of the oversight board lacked adjudicatory functions that could shield them from termination.
July 01, 2025
5 Federal Circuit Clashes To Watch In July

The Federal Circuit's argument calendar this month includes Apple's bid to undo a ruling that caused a blood oxygen monitor feature to be pulled from the Apple Watch, and a challenge by Sonos to a decision that torpedoed its $32.5 million speaker patent verdict against Google.
July 01, 2025
Apple Backers Raise Price, Privilege Concerns At 9th Circ.

Trade groups and advocacy organizations have raised a series of concerns with the Ninth Circuit about a federal district court mandate blocking Apple from charging commissions on iPhone app purchases made outside its systems, arguing an Epic Games Inc. injunction redux improperly compels speech, imperils price-setting autonomy and threatens legal privilege.
July 01, 2025
Cash App Parent Co. To Settle Spam Text Suit For $12.5M

Block Inc., the parent company of mobile payment service Cash App, has made a $12.5 million settlement with customers who allege that they were bombarded with "annoying and harassing spam texts" from the company.

Expert Analysis

Series

My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.
4 Consumer Class Action Trends To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

The first half of 2025 has seen a surge of consumer class action trends related to online tools, websites and marketing messages, creating a new legal risk landscape for companies of all sizes, says Scott Shaffer at Olshan Frome.
8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.
3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
Trending At The PTAB: Shifts In Parallel Proceedings Strategy

Dynamics are changing between the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and federal courts, with two recent discretionary denials and one Federal Circuit decision offering takeaways for both patent owners and challengers navigating parallel proceedings, say attorneys at Finnegan.
Series

Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.
2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
Opinion

Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.
Series

Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
Series

Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.