Washington

  • March 23, 2026

    Atty, New Firm Face DQ Bid In Fight Over Arbitration Fees

    A woman being sued by a Chinese law firm in Washington federal court as it looks to get paid for its arbitration services seeks to disqualify the firm's U.S.-based counsel, saying her lawyer went to work for the American firm but didn't disclose that she had been involved in the case.

  • March 23, 2026

    New Wash. Laws Create NLRB Stand-In, Ban Noncompetes

    Wash. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed employment bills on Monday establishing a fallback framework for the state to oversee certain private-sector labor disputes in the case that the National Labor Relations Board's jurisdiction is scaled back by the federal government and expanding the state's restrictions on noncompete provisions to an outright ban.

  • March 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Trafficking Enhancement In Ghost Gun Case

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Monday that an illegal ghost gun manufacturer can be given a firearm trafficking sentencing enhancement despite not knowing whether a buyer planned on using the firearms illegally.

  • March 23, 2026

    States Say USDA Added Illegal Strings To Food Assistance

    A group of 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday over what the coalition called unlawful and coercive new conditions on funding for programs like school lunches and food assistance.

  • March 23, 2026

    Wash. Firm, Ex-Client Clash Over Fee Agreement Terms

    A Spokane, Washington-headquartered intellectual property firm and a former client embroiled in a $7.2 million fee dispute in Washington federal court are sparring over whether an email exchange constitutes a formal change to a fee arrangement underlying the action, as both sides fight for an early end to claims.

  • March 23, 2026

    New Wash. Law Cuts Antispam Penalties Amid Multiple Suits

    Statutory penalties for emails sent in violation of Washington state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act, which bars messages with false or misleading subject lines, will fall from $500 per email to $100 under a measure signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday.

  • March 23, 2026

    Immigration Judges To Challenge Their Firing At Fed. Circ.

    Attorneys for a pair of fired immigration judges said Monday they will ask the Federal Circuit to review a federal panel ruling that stripped them of civil service protections, warning of a dramatic expansion of presidential authority over the civil workforce.

  • March 23, 2026

    Democratic AGs Demand IEEPA Tariff Refund Legislation

    A group of Democratic state attorneys general pushed congressional leaders to enact legislation that would require timely refunds of all duties levied under the now-invalidated International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs, including interest.

  • March 23, 2026

    High Court Denies Chinook Nation's Path To Recognition

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a Washington Indigenous nation's petition that could have led to federal recognition in a centuries-old struggle to regain the status after it was stripped by the George W. Bush administration.

  • March 23, 2026

    Labor & Employment Head Named Next Morgan Lewis Chair

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced Monday that the global leader of its labor and employment practice was unanimously elected as the firm's next chair to take over for Jami McKeon, who will retire at the end of the year.

  • March 20, 2026

    5th Circ. Wipes Out FTC's TurboTax 'Deceptive' Ad Ruling

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday vacated the Federal Trade Commission's cease-and-desist order imposed on Intuit Inc. for its TurboTax advertising that regulators say duped customers into thinking they could file their tax returns for free, saying the agency's in-house decision is unconstitutional, and the dispute must go to federal court.

  • March 20, 2026

    CytoDyn Settles Investor Suit With $500K, 49M Shares

    Biotechnology firm CytoDyn has agreed to dole out 49 million shares of common stock and pay $500,000 to end investors' proposed class action accusing the company of overstating the likelihood that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would approve a drug it claimed could treat HIV and COVID-19.

  • March 20, 2026

    Feds To Cover Ayahuasca Church's Legal Fees, 9th Circ. Says

    The federal government is on the hook for more than $2 million in attorney fees following a settlement with a Phoenix-based church over its right to use the psychedelic beverage ayahuasca in religious ceremonies, a divided Ninth Circuit panel said in an unpublished opinion Friday.

  • March 20, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Rate Hold, Data Center Regs, Housing EOs

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including reactions to the latest interest rates news from the Fed, states tamping down on data center development and executive orders on the affordable housing front.

  • March 20, 2026

    Eli Lilly Beats 9th Circ. Appeal Over Brain Bleed After Cialis

    A Ninth Circuit panel Friday upheld Eli Lilly and Co.'s win over a Washington man who claimed the company's erectile dysfunction drug Cialis caused bleeding in his brain, ruling David Dearinger failed to establish that doctors would have acted differently had they been warned of the medication's risks.

  • March 20, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Wash. Man's Challenge To Gun Laws

    A man with a protective order against him who is challenging state and federal gun bans for those in his situation will have his case reconsidered, a Ninth Circuit panel said Friday, finding that a lower court improperly dismissed his case.

  • March 20, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Late Ballots And 'Last-Mile' Drivers

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off its March oral arguments session by reviewing disputes over the validity of state laws allowing late-arriving mail-in ballots to be counted in federal elections and whether "last-mile" delivery drivers qualify for the transportation worker exemption to the Federal Arbitration Act. 

  • March 20, 2026

    Northwest Listing Service Can't Exit Compass Antitrust Suit

    Northwest Multiple Listing Service must face Compass Inc.'s claims that Northwest abused its market power by requiring brokerages to list all properties on its platform before marketing them internally, a Seattle federal judge has said, finding Compass has plausibly alleged anticompetitive harm from the rules at issue.  

  • March 20, 2026

    Albertsons Subpoenas Ex-Kroger CEO In Merger Fight

    Albertsons Cos. Inc. has subpoenaed former Kroger Co. CEO Rodney McMullen in Delaware Chancery Court to sit for a two-day deposition next month, intensifying discovery in its Delaware lawsuit over the collapse of the companies' proposed $24.6 billion merger.

  • March 20, 2026

    White House Pushes Congress To Override State AI Laws

    The White House directed Congress to preempt "burdensome" state laws on artificial intelligence in a legislative framework released Friday.

  • March 20, 2026

    Schools Back Delay Of Hasty Trump Admissions Data Demand

    A Trump administration demand for years of college admissions data on race and sex, with just a few months' notice, has "created a perfect storm" for schools scrambling to comply, a coalition of academic organizations has told a Massachusetts federal judge in support of a bid to delay implementation of the new survey.

  • March 19, 2026

    Amazon Unlawfully Taxes Exempt Baby Items In Fla., Suit Says

    Two Florida shoppers filed a proposed class action Thursday in Washington federal court accusing Amazon.com Inc. of overcharging customers by collecting sales tax on items that are supposed to be tax-free under Florida law, such as cribs, strollers, diapers and other products for toddlers and babies.

  • March 19, 2026

    HHS Can't Block Trans Care Under Kennedy Edict, Court Says

    A coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia prevailed on Thursday in their challenge to a Trump administration move to cut access to gender-affirming care for minors when an Oregon federal judge agreed to void a policy statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

  • March 19, 2026

    Wash. Outlaws Face Coverings On ICE Agents, Other Officers

    Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a pair of bills on Thursday, one banning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement officers from hiding their faces with masks, and another prohibiting impersonators from misusing badges and insignia.

  • March 19, 2026

    States Join Push To Revive EPA Climate Danger Finding

    A coalition of state and local governments on Thursday became the latest group to ask that the D.C. Circuit overrule the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rescission last month of its long-held position on the danger greenhouse gases pose to public health.

Expert Analysis

  • ERISA Litigation Trends To Watch With 2025 In The Rearview

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    There were significant developments in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation in 2025, including plaintiffs pushing the bounds of sponsor and fiduciary liability and defendants scoring district court wins, and although the types of claims might change, ERISA litigation will likely be just as active in 2026, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • 2025's Defining AI Securities Litigation

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    Three securities litigation decisions from 2025 — involving General Motors, GitLab and Tesla — offer a preview of how courts will assess artificial intelligence-related disclosures, as themes such as heightened regulatory scrutiny and risk surrounding technical claims are already taking shape for the coming year, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Intentional Career-Building

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    A successful legal career is built through intention: understanding expectations, assessing strengths honestly and proactively seeking opportunities to grow and cultivating relationships that support your development, say Erika Drous and Hillary Mann at Morrison Foerster.

  • 3 Securities Litigation Trends To Watch In 2026

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    Pending federal appellate cases suggest that 2026 will be a significant year for securities litigation, with long-standing debates about class certification, new questions about the risks and value of artificial intelligence features, and private plaintiffs' growing role in cryptocurrency enforcement likely to be major themes, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Top 5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel To Watch In 2026

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    With Trump administration enforcement policy having largely taken shape last year, antitrust issues that in-house counsel should have on the radar range from scrutiny of technology-assisted pricing to the return of merger remedies, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • 4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

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    The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2026

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    Heightened regulatory attention, shifting enforcement priorities and increased litigation risk mean that routine workplace decisions in 2026 will require greater discipline and foresight, including in relation to bias and inclusion training, employee resource groups, employee speech, immigration compliance, workplace accommodations, and shadow artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

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    As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.

  • The Major Securities Litigation Rulings And Trends Of 2025

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    The past 12 months saw increased regulator focus on disclosures concerning artificial intelligence, signs of growing judicial scrutiny at the class certification stage, and shifting regulatory priorities at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — all major developments that may significantly affect securities litigation strategy in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Health, Legal Employers Face Unique Online Speech Hurdles

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    Employers in the legal and healthcare industries must consider distinctive ethical obligations and professional requirements when disciplining employees for social media posts, while anticipating an area of the law in flux as courts seek to balance speech rights and the workplace function, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

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