Washington

  • June 18, 2025

    Cleo AI Wants Service Member's Predatory-Lending Suit Nixed

    Online lender Cleo AI Inc. is seeking the dismissal of claims that it targeted military members with predatory lending practices, arguing that under relevant law, its "non-recourse advances" don't count as credit — and that, anyway, its users all agreed to arbitrate any disputes when they signed up to use its services.

  • June 18, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Papa John's Win Against Wiretapping Suit

    The Ninth Circuit refused to reinstate a customer's proposed class action accusing Papa John's of recording website visitors' activities in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, ruling Wednesday the pizza chain, as a party to the communications, can't be liable for spying on its own conversation. 

  • June 18, 2025

    DC Judge Restores Some Canceled COVID Grants For Now

    A D.C. federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore at least some canceled public health grants to four local governments, ruling the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional power when it terminated the grants in March.

  • June 18, 2025

    FTC, Amazon Trade Blows Over Attempts To End Prime Case

    The Federal Trade Commission and Amazon have slammed one another in federal court filings over their competing bids to win regulators' case targeting Prime subscription enrollment practices, continuing to spar over the applicability of a consumer protection law shielding online shoppers.

  • June 18, 2025

    Wash. Panel Sides With Insurer In Café Fire Damage Suit

    A couple's commercial property insurer has no duty to cover damage from a kitchen fire at their café, a Washington state appeals court affirmed, finding the couple lacked certain protective safeguards that were required as part of their fire suppression system.

  • June 18, 2025

    Dorsey & Whitney Adds Patent Partner From Perkins Coie

    Dorsey & Whitney LLP has grown its intellectual property offerings in Washington state with the addition of an experienced patent attorney from Perkins Coie LLP.

  • June 18, 2025

    Judge Says A Ruling Unfreezing Wind Projects May Be Pyrrhic

    A Massachusetts federal judge said on Wednesday he will allow key claims to move forward in a suit challenging the Trump administration's halt of wind farm project reviews, yet he suggested even if the plaintiffs ultimately prevail, the administration could still simply deny requests for permits and leases.

  • June 17, 2025

    Protego Takes $200M Crypto Bank Suit To Wash. Court

    Protego Holdings Corp. has re-launched a lawsuit in Washington state court blaming a Texas investment firm for failing to carry out a $200 million investment pledge in its launch of a cryptocurrency bank, which never materialized because rare conditional approval from the U.S. government lapsed over financing concerns.

  • June 17, 2025

    States Say Trump Admin Can't Freeze EV Charging Funds

    An attorney for the Washington Attorney General's Office on Tuesday urged a federal judge in Seattle to issue a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to release funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects in 16 states, saying the administration cannot "go back in time" and eliminate congressionally approved funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Skeptical Of Blocking National Guard Deployment

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Tuesday to striking down a temporary restraining order — currently paused — that would block President Donald Trump from sending the National Guard into Los Angeles, with two judges repeatedly citing case law suggesting the president has broad discretion to mobilize the Guard.

  • June 17, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Wants Review Of Migrant's Mental Competency

    The Ninth Circuit has revived a Guatemalan man's bid for deportation relief, with a split panel of judges saying in a published opinion that the Board of Immigration Appeals should have had an immigration judge look into the man's competency.

  • June 17, 2025

    Nissan Asks Justices To Void Certified Sunroof Defect Classes

    Nissan North America Inc. has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to unravel certified classes of drivers alleging the automaker sold vehicles with defective panoramic sunroofs, saying the Ninth Circuit endorsed a "grossly unfair" standard that allows uninjured plaintiffs to level inflated class claims against corporate defendants.

  • June 17, 2025

    Org. Urges 9th Circ. To OK NFL Sunday Ticket Verdict Dismissal

    A legal foundation focused on promoting free enterprise principles is offering support to the NFL as the league defends a California federal judge's dismissal of a jury's $4.7 billion Sunday Ticket price-fixing award, arguing Tuesday the district court was right to correct a "gatekeeping failure" in expert testimony.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Chinook Can't Get Tribal Status From Courts

    The Chinook Indian Nation can't revive its bid seeking federally recognized tribe status that would entitle it to benefits from the U.S. government after the Ninth Circuit issued an order Tuesday finding the process for federal recognition comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior, not the federal judiciary.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Class Cert. In Suit Over Diabetes Drug Risk

    The Ninth Circuit refused to disband a class of third-party payors who claim Takeda Pharmaceutical and Eli Lilly & Co. hid their anti-diabetes drug's bladder cancer risks, finding no issue with a lower court's analysis of expert evidence showing prescriptions fell after the risks were disclosed.

  • June 16, 2025

    Davis Wright Must Face Employment Atty's Defamation Claim

    A Washington state judge refused to toss in their entirety an employment attorney's defamation claims against Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and other firm partners, finding Washington's Uniform Public Expression Protection Act shields the firm from some of the attorney's allegations, but not all.

  • June 16, 2025

    Monsanto Fights Plaintiffs' Billion-Dollar Ask In PCB Tort Trial

    Nearly two dozen people who say they were poisoned by Monsanto-made chemicals asked a Washington state jury on Monday for a damages award of $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion, as the company's counsel countered the plaintiffs lack blood testing results and other key evidence to back their "extraordinary" request.

  • June 16, 2025

    Asian Bar Groups Jump Into Fight Over Trump Birthright Ban

    The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and dozens of other affiliated legal organizations urged the First Circuit on Monday to uphold a Massachusetts federal judge's decision blocking President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, saying the White House order is unconstitutional and would "disproportionately harm" Asian American communities.

  • June 16, 2025

    Gaming Group Backs High Court Fight In Wash. Compact Row

    The California Gaming Association is backing a casino owner and operator in its U.S. Supreme Court bid to undo a Ninth Circuit ruling dismissing the company's challenge to Washington state tribal gaming compacts, arguing the nonprofit has an interest in ensuring its members can pursue their legal claims.

  • June 16, 2025

    Vet, Manager Can't Dodge $6M Horse Semen Suit, Farm Says

    A horse farm told an Oregon federal judge that a veterinarian and a boarding manager can't escape a negligence and malpractice suit stemming from the destruction of $6.4 million worth of stallion semen, arguing the complaint successfully shows the two men violated consumer protections.

  • June 16, 2025

    Wash. AG Sues Over Alleged Exploitation Of Senior Tenants

    Washington's attorney general has accused a property management company and the owners of several apartment complexes of deceiving low-income senior tenants by not telling them about the actual quality of properties or about how their rents were going to be calculated or raised.

  • June 16, 2025

    All 50 States Agree To Purdue Pharma's $7.4B Settlement

    Attorneys general from 55 U.S. states and territories on Monday backed Purdue Pharma's $7.4 billion deal to settle opioid injury claims against the company and the Sackler family, almost a year after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Purdue's previous plan to end litigation over its role in the opioid epidemic.

  • June 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Allows ConocoPhillips Project To Proceed, For Now

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday held that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management must reconsider a small part of its approval for the controversial ConocoPhillips Willow oil and gas project, though it stopped short of vacating existing approvals for the Arctic energy development and allowed the project to proceed.

  • June 13, 2025

    Wash. Judge Tosses IUD Suit Against Bayer For Good

    Bayer has beat a negligence lawsuit filed by a woman who claims its Mirena IUD perforated her uterus and migrated after the patient failed to oppose the company's motion to dismiss, a Washington federal judge ruled.

  • June 13, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Builders' Hack, Korean Mezz, Hotel Angst

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including an inside look at California's Builder's Remedy, aggressive moves by South Korean mezzanine lenders, and why one BigLaw hospitality leader says hotels are "scared to death." 

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Guitar Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Being a lawyer not only requires logic and hard work, but also belief, emotion, situational awareness and lots of natural energy — playing guitar enhances all of these qualities, increasing my capacity to do my best work, says Kosta Stojilkovic at Wilkinson Stekloff.

  • Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook

    Author Photo

    The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.

  • Wash. Justices' Moonlight Ruling Should Caution Employers

    Author Photo

    The Washington Supreme Court's recent decision in David v. Freedom Vans, which limited when employers can restrict low-wage workers from moonlighting, underscores the need for employers to narrowly tailor restrictive covenants, ensuring that they are reasonable and allow for workforce mobility, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Reviewing Trump Admin's Rapid Pro-Crypto Regulatory Pivot

    Author Photo

    The digital asset industry has received a boost from the explicitly pro-crypto Trump administration, which in its first few months reversed Biden-era rules and installed industry proponents at regulatory agencies, marking one of the biggest regulatory about-faces by a government in recent memory, says Robert Appleton at Olshan Frome.

  • Cos. Face Enviro Justice Tug-Of-War Between States, Feds

    Author Photo

    The second Trump administration's sweeping elimination of environmental justice policies, programs and funding, and targeting of state-level EJ initiatives, creates difficult questions for companies on how best to avoid friction with federal policy, navigate state compliance obligations and maintain important stakeholder relationships with communities, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

    Author Photo

    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

    Author Photo

    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • A Closer Look At Amendments To Virginia Noncompete Ban

    Author Photo

    Recently passed amendments in Virignia will prohibit noncompetes for all employees who are eligible for overtime pay under federal law, and though the changes could simplify employers’ analyses as to restrictive covenant enforceability, it may require them to reassess and potentially adjust their use of noncompetes with some workers, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

    Author Photo

    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

    Author Photo

    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals

    Author Photo

    If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.

  • Series

    Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.

  • 10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

    Author Photo

    The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Washington archive.