Telecommunications

July 14, 2025
Jury Says T-Mobile Owes $2M In 5G Equipment Case

A Texas federal jury has awarded an Irish company $2 million after finding that T-Mobile's use of Ericsson base stations infringed its patent, which T-Mobile's attorneys argued was worth far less than the $245 million the plaintiff was seeking.
July 14, 2025
Judge Sets Hearing In $70M Alaskan Broadband Grant Row

After over a year of battling it out in Alaska federal court, two Native Alaskan villages will have their chance to go before the judge and argue for summary judgment against the U.S. Department of Agriculture in their suit over $70 million in broadband funds.
July 14, 2025
Calif. Panel Keeps Charter PAGA Case Out Of Arbitration

Charter Communications can't arbitrate an employee's Private Attorneys General Act suit because parts of the arbitration agreement are "unconscionable," a California appeals panel ruled, relying on the state Supreme Court's decisions addressing the same pact.
July 14, 2025
Calif. Panel Upends Arbitration Pact In Worker's Firing Suit

A Charter Communications worker's wrongful termination suit should not have been sent to arbitration, a California appeals court said, after finding the company's alternative dispute resolution pact held one-sided provisions and made it difficult for employees to opt out.
July 11, 2025
Catching Up On Stewart's Discretionary Denial Decisions

Acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart and a top administrative patent judge issued 15 discretionary denial decisions on Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions over the past week, across nearly 40 cases. Here's what they decided.
July 11, 2025
Courts Face Early Push To Expand Justices' Injunction Ruling

In the two weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court curtailed federal judges' ability to issue universal injunctions, Trump administration attorneys have begun pushing to expand the decision's limits to other forms of relief used in regulatory challenges and class actions. So far, judges don't appear receptive to those efforts.
July 11, 2025
NPE Drops Injunction Bid In Samsung IP Suit Eyed By Feds

A nonpracticing entity has dropped its bid for a preliminary injunction in its patent infringement case against Samsung in eastern Texas federal court, shortly after the federal government made the rare move of expressing interest in the case.
July 11, 2025
Census Didn't Change Rural Carrier Definition, FCC Says

The Federal Communications Commission hasn't changed its definition of a "rural competitive local exchange carrier," the agency assured companies after the U.S. Census Bureau's shift in terminology for urban areas threw the definition into doubt.
July 11, 2025
Google Won't Have To Turn Over EU Ad Tech Settlement Docs

A Virginia federal judge refused a request from the U.S. Department of Justice Friday to force Google to hand over submissions it made to European enforcers when trying to settle their investigation as the sides ready for a remedies trial in the ad tech monopolization case.
July 11, 2025
FCC Approves T-Mobile's $4.4B UScellular Deal

Federal Communications Commission staff late Friday approved the license transfers needed for T-Mobile to complete its $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular wireless operations.
July 11, 2025
FCC Cuts 'Utility-Style' Internet Regs After Net Neutrality's Fall

The Federal Communications Commission on Friday slashed 41 "utility-style" regulations on broadband service and network interconnection, following a Sixth Circuit ruling in January that sank Biden-era net neutrality rules.
July 11, 2025
Sales Org. Hits Texas Payment Co. With Contract Suit

A Texas-based provider of prepaid mobile recharge and payment solutions was sued in Georgia federal court by Boom Commerce, an independent sales organization, over alleged violations of a merchant processing application and agreement for payment processing services.
July 11, 2025
AT&T Can't Escape Suit Over Pension Plan's Mortality Data

AT&T must face a proposed class action claiming it miscalculated married couples' pension benefits, a California federal judge ruled, saying workers leading the suit provided evidence that the telecommunications company's use of decades-old mortality data and interest rates was unreasonable.
July 11, 2025
Suppressing Rival Views Can Break Antitrust Laws, DOJ Says

The anti-vaccine group once tied to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got a boost Friday in its D.C. federal court suit alleging that the Associated Press, The Washington Post, Reuters and the BBC colluded with social media platforms to censor rivals, drawing a Justice Department brief assailing news organization assertions that viewpoint competition can't be illegally suppressed.
July 11, 2025
Conservative Groups Bash Idea Of Next-Gen TV Mandate

The growing battle over potential federal rules to move the U.S. toward next-generation TV continued this week as several right-leaning groups came out swinging against government mandates forcing the switchover.
July 11, 2025
Ramey IP Atty Sanctioned But Beats Netflix's Contempt Bid

A California federal judge sanctioned a prolific patent plaintiff's former counsel William Ramey and the Ramey LLP law firm for sharing Netflix's confidential information with a third party while pursuing patent infringement claims against Netflix, but he declined to review whether Ramey should be held in civil contempt.
July 11, 2025
Charter's Cox Acquisition Vote Should Be Blocked, Suit Says

A Charter Communications Inc. shareholder has asked a Connecticut state court judge to block a July 31 vote on the Stamford-based company's proposed $37.9 billion acquisition of Cox Communications Inc., claiming the deal will enrich executives and their financial advisers but provide few benefits to shareholders.
July 11, 2025
Phones4u Can't Revive Collusion Case Against UK Networks

The Court of Appeal dismissed Phones 4u's claims Friday that the U.K.'s biggest phone operators colluded to drive the retailer out of business, upholding findings that there was no evidence of anticompetitive behavior between the networks.
July 10, 2025
$33M Sonos Appeal Has Fed. Circ. Asking: What's Up, Alsup?

A Federal Circuit panel struggled Thursday to piece together the different interpretations of what U.S. District Judge William Alsup decided before upending Sonos Inc.'s $32.5 million jury verdict against Google LLC, with one judge claiming disbelief that there could be such a "fundamental disconnect" between the companies' understandings.
July 10, 2025
Apple Tees Up Bid To End App Store Antitrust Class Action

Apple is preparing to file a summary judgment motion in California federal court seeking to end claims from a class of more than 185 million users in a long-running case accusing it of monopolizing the distribution of apps on its devices.
July 10, 2025
'Admonition' But No More Amazon Penalty For Hidden Docs

A federal judge in Washington state took Amazon.com to task Thursday for "bad faith" material review that labeled tens of thousands of documents as covered by attorney-client privilege despite involving no legal advice, but the judge, who is presiding over the Federal Trade Commission's Prime subscriptions case against the company, opted against further punishment.
July 10, 2025
Tegna To Pay $222K To Resolve FCC Probe Into Obscene Video

Broadcast giant Tegna has agreed to pay more than $222,000 to put an end to an inquiry that began almost four years ago when an unknown party played a 13-second pornographic video clip during an evening weather report on a Spokane, Washington, news station.
July 10, 2025
AT&T's $181M Patent Loss Gets Tough Look At Fed. Circ.

A Federal Circuit panel had hard questions for an attorney looking to safeguard Finesse Wireless' $181 million verdict against AT&T and Nokia for infringing a pair of radio interference patents, with one judge in particular seemingly taking issue Thursday with the infringement findings.
July 10, 2025
House Dem Says FCC Must Follow Law On DEI Probes

A House Democrat who helps oversee the Federal Communications Commission says agency chief Brendan Carr must avoid any hint of targeting companies' diversity initiatives for political reasons rather than legal rationale against discrimination.
July 10, 2025
Mass. Man Agrees To $10K Fine For Pirate Radio Stations

The Federal Communications Commission slapped a $10,000 fine on a Massachusetts man in a consent decree for operating pirate radio stations from three locations, though it was a reduction from the nearly $598,000 fine the FCC initially proposed.

Expert Analysis

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.
How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.
Despite Rule Delay, FTC Scrutiny Looms For Subscriptions

Even though the Federal Trade Commission has delayed its click-to-cancel rule that introduces strict protocols for auto-renewing subscriptions, businesses should expect active enforcement of the new requirements after July, and look to the FTC's recent lawsuits against Uber and Cleo AI as warnings, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.