Washington

  • September 14, 2026

    Crypto Bill Faces Wide Criticism Ahead Of Initial Vote

    Senate Republicans on Monday faced obstacles to securing support for their final draft of the Clarity Act ahead of a Tuesday procedural vote to move the crypto bill forward, as Democrats, banking organizations, state law enforcers and even some crypto interests criticized the new version of the legislation as coming up short in key areas.

  • September 14, 2026

    Albertsons Owes $2.2B For Opioids, Wash. Says As Trial Ends

    Albertsons should pay $2.2 billion to address opioid-related harms in Washington, attorneys for the state argued at the close of a two-month bench trial Monday in contending that the pharmacy failed for years to appropriately identify and review suspicious prescriptions that fueled the state's overdose crisis.

  • September 14, 2026

    Wash AG Fights T-Mobile's Bid To Undo Data Breach Ruling

    The Washington State Office of the Attorney General asked a King County Superior Court judge to deny T-Mobile's bid for reconsideration of a recent ruling finding it is liable for more than 722,000 violations of a state data breach notification law.

  • September 14, 2026

    Ex-Funko Exec To Pay SEC $1M In Insider Trading Case

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached a $1 million insider trading settlement Monday with a former Funko Inc. executive who allegedly sold his shares after learning that the toymaker's CEO was planning to step down.

  • September 14, 2026

    AT&T's $1.75M Class Deal Gets Final OK In Missed Break Suit

    A Washington state judge gave the final green light on Friday to a $1.75 million class action settlement to end claims that AT&T and its affiliates shortchanged Evergreen State workers on compensation for missed breaks, while granting class counsel's request for one-third of the settlement fund in legal fees.

  • September 14, 2026

    9th Circ. Rejects Challenge To Wash. Abortion Coverage Law

    Revisiting a church's First Amendment challenge to a Washington law mandating that certain health insurance plans include abortion coverage, a divided Ninth Circuit panel Monday concluded that the Cedar Park Assembly of God failed to point to evidence that Washington's Reproductive Parity Act targets religious conduct.

  • September 14, 2026

    Paramount Says Warner Bros. Deal Is Good For Competition

    Paramount has told a California federal court its planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery will be good for competition, arguing that challenges of the deal from state enforcers and the Writers Guild of America are misguided.

  • September 14, 2026

    Supreme Court Blocks USPS Mail Ballot Rules For Midterms

    The U.S. Postal Service cannot enforce new mail-in ballot regulations ahead of this year's midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday, agreeing with an earlier First Circuit order that maintained a prohibition on the purported election integrity measures taking effect.

  • September 14, 2026

    21 States Seek To Halt Corteva's $39B PFAS Liability Spinoff

    The attorney general of California and 20 other states asked the South Carolina federal court managing multidistrict litigation over forever chemicals on Monday to stop Corteva Inc. from spinning off $39 billion in assets into a new company called Vylor Inc. to avoid liabilities from contamination over the substances.

  • September 14, 2026

    9th Circ. Orders Review Of Border Patrol Facebook Records

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday conditionally vacated a man's conviction for illegally entering the U.S., ordering a district court to determine whether the government withheld evidence about the involved Border Patrol agents' activity in a Facebook group that joked about migrant deaths and hurled racist and sexist slurs.

  • September 14, 2026

    Senators Draw Battle Lines Over Sweeping College Sports Bill

    U.S. senators on Monday made public statements on their positions either for or against a bill aimed at comprehensively regulating college sports, forecasting a bitter fight over the bill's passage in the upper chamber.

  • September 14, 2026

    Ex-Perrigo VP Escapes Some Price-Fixing Claims From AGs

    A Connecticut federal judge has tossed most of the claims against a former Perrigo executive in sprawling generic-drug price-fixing litigation brought by state enforcers, holding there is insufficient evidence he entered into antitrust conspiracies related to more than a dozen dermatological drugs, but teeing up a handful of other claims for trial.

  • September 14, 2026

    State Farm Spared Treble Damages In Policyholders' $38M Win

    A Washington federal judge on Monday said policyholders failed to show they were entitled to enhanced damages after the court determined State Farm shorted them on payouts for totaled vehicles, finding class members had already been fully compensated by the $38 million in actual damages they were already awarded.

  • September 14, 2026

    NY-Led States, Cities Sue Over Trump Public Charge Rule

    A coalition of Democratic-led states and local governments sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging that its revamped criteria for determining who is likely to become a public charge is arbitrary, will have a chilling effect and could worsen public health outcomes.

  • September 14, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Hyundai, Kia Parent Cos. Can't Slip Theft MDL

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday found that a district court wrongly dismissed insurers' claims against the Korea-based parent companies of Kia and Hyundai alleging their vehicles were susceptible to theft, saying the lower court must conduct further analysis to determine if it can exercise personal jurisdiction over them.

  • September 14, 2026

    Former Trump Assistant To Co-Lead Covington Policy Practice

    Covington & Burling LLP said Monday the firm has hired a former assistant to President Donald Trump, who served in the president's first administration as director of the Domestic Policy Council and most recently owned a federal consulting business in Washington, D.C.

  • September 11, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Due Process And Data Centers

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the latest lawsuits from developers around the country arguing for their constitutional rights to build data centers.

  • September 11, 2026

    Attys Must Arbitrate $8 Oil To Fight $625K Sanction: 9th Circ.

    Class action lawyers slapped with six-figure sanctions for suing Walmart Inc. based on erroneous purchase information can't yet challenge the discipline, the Ninth Circuit ruled, suggesting they may first need to arbitrate grievances over an $8 bottle of avocado oil.

  • September 11, 2026

    Ex-Wash. Bench Officer Censured Over Explicit Texts, Emails

    The Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct censured a former Okanogan County Superior Court commissioner Friday, finding that Robert Colbert violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by engaging in what a stipulated agreement describes as "unprofessional, inappropriate communications" with a court employee that involved "sexually explicit language."

  • September 11, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Workers' $7.8M BART Vax Exemption Verdict

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday declined to disturb a $7.8 million verdict for six former San Francisco public rail employees who were let go after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on faith-based grounds, finding that the transit system did not show that it couldn't have safely accommodated the workers.

  • September 11, 2026

    Prediction Markets Ask Justices To Settle Sports Wager Split

    Crypto.com on Friday became the third party to call on the U.S. Supreme Court to address the closely-watched circuit split on prediction market regulation, challenging a Ninth Circuit decision that allowed Nevada regulators to police certain sports event contracts since their "substance" appeared to be gambling.

  • September 11, 2026

    9th Circ. Leaves VA On Hook For Homeless Vet Housing

    The full Ninth Circuit Friday refused to revisit a ruling requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build supportive housing for homeless disabled veterans, sparking dissents that accused judges of swapping their robes for hard hats and "bulldozing" established disability law.

  • September 11, 2026

    Prediction Markets' High Court Clash Looks More Imminent

    The widespread clash over whether the regulation of prediction markets falls under federal or state jurisdiction was bound to land in the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new circuit split and urgent policy questions may force the justices' hands to take up the issue.

  • September 11, 2026

    IRS Can Withhold Docs That May Air Taxpayer ID, Court Rules

    The IRS may withhold documents sought by a tax news publisher, a Washington, D.C., federal judge said, finding the subject is prominent enough that disclosing the records could allow the taxpayer to be identified using a former IRS contractor's leak of President Donald Trump's tax returns and thousands of others.

  • September 11, 2026

    Insurer May Be On The Hook For Debt Collector's Defense

    Claims that a debt collector engaged in an illegal collection scheme aren't covered under its policy with a Nationwide unit, but the insurer may owe coverage if it is found to have acted in bad faith while defending the company, a Washington federal court ruled.

Expert Analysis

  • Money Transmission Issue Looms For Prediction Markets

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    The circuit split recently created by the Ninth Circuit's ruling in Kalshi v. Assad has implications reaching beyond gaming regulation as, depending on the ultimate characterization of prediction market event contracts, platforms may face differing obligations under federal and state money transmission laws, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • The Deep Split Over Mandatory Detention, And What's Next

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    The government’s mandatory detention policy for noncitizens who entered the U.S. without inspection has led to a spate of decisions this year, with nine circuits rejecting the government's reading of the Immigration and Nationality Act against two that have accepted it, making the issue ripe for U.S. Supreme Court review, says attorney Kemal Hepsen.

  • Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

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    The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Minn. Ruling Expands Insureds' Right To Independent Counsel

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    If upheld on appeal, a recent decision by a Minnesota appellate court — Fabyanske Westra Hart & Thomson v. Western National Mutual Insurance — will give Minnesota policyholders a stronger basis to demand independent counsel when an insurer accepts a defense under a reservation of rights, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

  • Retailers Must Navigate State Innocent-Seller Law Patchwork

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    States' innocent-seller statutes can shield nonmanufacturing retailers from product liability claims to varying degrees, and by building the evidentiary record strategically throughout discovery, companies can improve their chances of obtaining summary judgment — but it is essential to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving policy environment, say attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

  • OpenAI Deal Highlights AI Hiring Risks In PERM Process

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent settlement of allegations that OpenAI discriminated against U.S. applicants for positions connected to the permanent labor certification process underscores that employers providing or using artificial intelligence must align their recruitment practices with their overlapping compliance obligations, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • State AI Safety Laws Raise New Liabilities For Healthcare Cos.

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    Healthcare and life science companies using third-party artificial intelligence tools should pay particular attention to the changing state-level legal landscape, where the rollout of multiple AI safety laws is introducing both new compliance obligations and potential consumer protection liabilities, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Series

    Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

  • How 'Swap' Fight Underpins Prediction Market Enforcement

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    As courts around the country grapple with whether, and under what circumstances, event contracts qualify as swaps, federal enforcement authority hangs in the balance, with implications for companies that need to manage compliance risks during this period of legal uncertainty, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • The State Of Prediction Market Litigation After 9th Circ. Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalshi v. Assad gives state regulators significant appellate backing to enforce state gaming laws over prediction markets, creating a direct split with the Third Circuit that will likely lead to Supreme Court review of the question, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • 9th Circ. 'Bad Spaniels' Ruling Rewrites TM Dilution Playbook

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling that each element of the Jack Daniel's packaging parodied by the Bad Spaniels dog toy must be independently assessed for fame narrows trademark owners' ability to use a flagship mark's halo effect to protect the entire brand from tarnishment, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How Texas' Protein Powder Probe Reflects Prop 65's Influence

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    Texas' recently announced investigation into contaminants in protein powder illustrates how California's Proposition 65, with its hundreds of listed chemicals, safe harbor levels and consumer warnings, may have an influence on enforcement and regulation in other states, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • What 9th Circ. Devas Ruling Means For AI Infrastructure Deals

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent confirmation of a $2 billion arbitration award in Devas Multimedia's arbitration against a state-owned commercial arm of India’s space agency creates a cross-border enforcement road map for disputes that are bound to arise from the current generation of artificial intelligence infrastructure deals, says Fernanda Merouco at Davis Wright.

  • 9th Circ. Wage Ruling Shows Arbitration Pacts Are Still Useful

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    After years of uncertainty for California employers, the Ninth Circuit’s recent Cocom v. ABM Aviation decision signals that workplace arbitration agreements remain a powerful and enforceable tool — if thoughtfully drafted and employment-focused, says Benjamin Runge at Thompson Coburn.

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