Washington

  • January 23, 2026

    Trump Admin's EV Infrastructure Funding Pause Vacated

    A Seattle federal judge said Friday that President Donald Trump's administration overstepped its statutory powers and broke federal law by abruptly freezing approved funding for new electric vehicle charging infrastructure last year, vacating the program's suspension and siding with 20 states and environmental groups who challenged the move.

  • January 23, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: HUD, Corporate Landlords, Atty Errors

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including how the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may be shifting focus, what President Donald Trump's executive order on investment in single-family homes means for Wall Street, and a look at some of the mistakes made by real estate attorneys.

  • January 23, 2026

    Kenvue Unit Asks Justices To Clarify Class Cert. Expert Rules

    A unit of consumer health products company Kenvue has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its class certification challenge in litigation over Neutrogena's "oil-free" face wash labels, arguing circuit courts are "openly and intractably" divided over whether expert testimony must be admissible for certification and the split has "immense practical consequences."

  • January 23, 2026

    Feds Seek $35M Forfeiture After Ex-CFO's Crypto Conviction

    Government prosecutors urged a Seattle federal judge to impose a $35 million forfeiture judgment on a software startup's former executive following his wire fraud conviction, arguing that Nevin Shetty's quick loss of the money in a cryptocurrency collapse doesn't change the fact that he stole it.

  • January 23, 2026

    Calif. Urges 9th Circ. To Block Sable Pipeline Permit

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday asked the Ninth Circuit to shut down the Trump administration's emergency approvals for Sable Offshore Corp.-owned onshore pipelines, calling it another "unlawful power grab" that violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • January 23, 2026

    Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Urges Cert. Over Breaks, Pay

    A Washington state judge appeared somewhat open Friday to a Seattle-based flight attendant's bid to certify a worker class based on allegations that Alaska Airlines failed to provide adequate breaks, but suggested the plaintiff's wage claims may be beyond the court's reach because of underlying questions about a union agreement.

  • January 23, 2026

    Choice Hotels Ex-Worker Says Co. Shorted Breaks, Sick Leave

    Understaffing by Choice Hotels forced workers to skip meal and rest breaks and accrue overtime that the company never properly paid, said a former employee's proposed class and collective action filed Thursday in Washington federal court.

  • January 23, 2026

    Intel Case Sets Up Justices To Tackle 401(k) Benchmarks

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take up a suit challenging target-date fund offerings in two Intel employee 401(k) plans gives benefits attorneys hope that clarity is coming on whether meaningful benchmarks are required to plead that investment underperformance breached fiduciary duties under federal benefits law.

  • January 23, 2026

    Full 9th Circ. Won't Review Google Maps Antitrust Case

    The full Ninth Circuit won't reconsider an appellate panel's recent decision refusing to revive a proposed antitrust class action alleging Google's terms suppresses competition by locking out rival maps products and jacking up developer costs up to 1,400%, according to a brief order issued Thursday.

  • January 23, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Honduran Woman's Bid For Asylum

    The Ninth Circuit has told immigration judges to reconsider their denial of a Honduran woman's bid for asylum and withholding of removal when evidence showed the Honduran government was unable or unwilling to protect her from a gang member partner's abuse.

  • January 23, 2026

    Live Nation Antitrust Judge Wants To 'Punt' On State Claims

    A federal judge in Manhattan asked Friday whether federal and state authorities accusing Live Nation of stifling competition in live entertainment would consent to staying the state law claims and focus on federal claims in an upcoming trial so it won't end up "lasting five years."

  • January 22, 2026

    DoggyPhone Sues Again Over Furbo Pet-Comms Product

    Tech company DoggyPhone LLC again took aim at Tomofun on Thursday, claiming in Seattle federal court that the pet-toy maker's Furbo line of products infringes a DoggyPhone-held patent describing "systems and methods that enable remote human-pet communication."

  • January 22, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Says Livestream Patent In Google Suit Is Abstract

    A Federal Circuit panel on Thursday agreed with a Washington federal court's conclusion that a livestreaming patent asserted against Google covers a patent-ineligible abstract idea, finding the relevant claims were too "result-oriented."

  • January 22, 2026

    FDA Action Shouldn't Halt Amazon Labeling Suit, Plaintiffs Say

    Shoppers accusing Amazon of failing to make required disclosures on dietary supplement product pages told a Washington federal judge there's no need to pause their proposed class action amid possible rulemaking by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, arguing that the supposed rule change wouldn't negate the suit's claims under California law.

  • January 22, 2026

    Judge Expands Block On Trump's Grant Restrictions

    A Washington federal judge agreed to broaden a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration over its political restrictions for using over $12 billion worth of federal grants, expanding the block to cover additional plaintiffs who were added to the suit.

  • January 22, 2026

    Feds Given More Time To Revisit School Grant Cancellations

    A Washington federal judge agreed Thursday to extend a deadline for the Trump administration to make fresh determinations as to 138 public school mental health grants that the court has found were illegally canceled, but admonished the federal government for previously understating how long those reassessments would take.   

  • January 22, 2026

    T-Mobile Aims To Freeze Rate Action For Arbitration

    T-Mobile USA Inc. is asking a Washington federal judge to compel individual arbitration and stay a proposed class action over alleged wireless plan price hikes, arguing that customers agreed to arbitrate billing disputes and waive class claims.

  • January 22, 2026

    Amazon Says IP Lawyer Can't Dodge Trademark Suit

    Amazon is pushing back against an intellectual property lawyer's effort to escape a lawsuit accusing him of conspiring with a Chinese company to sidestep a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rule, arguing the claims were properly pled and that the Seattle federal court is the proper venue.

  • January 22, 2026

    Washington Drops $9M Climate Fund Suit Against NOAA

    Washington state dropped its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Commerce after a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding more than $9 million meant to shore up the state's resiliency to climate change.

  • January 22, 2026

    EEOC Chair Decries 'Fearmongering' Amid Guidance Repeal

    The Republican members of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted Thursday to retract comprehensive harassment guidelines issued during the Biden administration after the agency's chair panned warnings from Democrats and civil rights advocates that the move erodes key worker protections.

  • January 21, 2026

    BP Says Wash. Residents' 'Noxious Odors' Class Claims Stink

    A BP unit facing a proposed class action over oil refinery fumes urged a Washington federal judge to flush the suit, arguing that the plaintiffs' proposed class definition is flawed because individual residents would be affected differently based on wind direction, distance from the facility and other factors.

  • January 21, 2026

    Bristol-Myers' Worker Arbitration Push Scrutinized On Appeal

    A Washington Court of Appeals panel expressed reluctance to award Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s bid to send a former worker's age discrimination case to arbitration Wednesday, while also casting some doubt on the ex-employee's stance that the arbitration pact she signed was invalid.

  • January 21, 2026

    Costco Nears Settlement With Insurer Over Store Injury Claims

    A Hartford unit has reached a tentative deal with Costco to end claims that the insurer wrongfully refused defense coverage for a lawsuit by a customer allegedly hurt while trying to move a grill box at a California store, according to a Wednesday filing in Seattle federal court.

  • January 21, 2026

    Apple Workers In Wash. Sue Over Limits On Moonlighting

    Apple Inc. has broken a Washington state moonlighting law by prohibiting dozens of lower-wage workers from taking second jobs to supplement their incomes, according to a former employee's proposed class action against the company.

  • January 21, 2026

    UFC Asks 9th Circ. To Nix 'Overbroad' Discovery In Wage Suits

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship urged the Ninth Circuit to immediately stop a Nevada federal court from enforcing a "breathtakingly overbroad" discovery order in wage suppression lawsuits, saying it violates attorney-client privilege and the First Amendment.

Expert Analysis

  • Examining Privilege In Dual-Purpose Workplace Investigations

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    The Sixth Circuit's recent holding in FirstEnergy's bribery probe ruling that attorney-client privilege applied to a dual-purpose workplace investigation because its primary purpose was obtaining legal advice highlights the uncertainty companies face as federal circuit courts remain split on the appropriate test, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Opinion

    The Case For Emulating, Not Dividing, The Ninth Circuit

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    Champions for improved judicial administration should reject the unfounded criticisms driving recent Senate proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit and instead seek to replicate the court's unique strengths and successes, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

  • 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.

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