Washington

  • February 10, 2026

    Valve's Trial Against Accused Patent Troll Begins In Seattle

    Valve Corp. told a Seattle federal jury Tuesday that inventor Leigh Rothschild and his intellectual property firms spent years "harassing" the video game company over patents it was already licensed to use in pursuit of a bigger payout, pressing play on a trial that will test Washington's Patent Troll Prevention Act.

  • February 10, 2026

    Amazon Calls FTC Allegations Of Hidden Documents 'Reckless'

    Amazon.com assailed the Federal Trade Commission for accusing it of using auto-deleting Signal chats and improper privilege claims to hide evidence of rules that created an artificial pricing floor across online retail stores, asking a Washington federal judge to appoint a special master to handle the "inflammatory, close-of-discovery filings."

  • February 10, 2026

    9th Circ. Says DHS Likely To Beat TPS Termination Challenge

    The Ninth Circuit has hit pause on a district court's order that vacated the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, saying the administration will likely succeed on challenging the vacatur order.

  • February 10, 2026

    9th Circ. Panel Wary Of Reviving Wash. Gas Appliance Suit

    Ninth Circuit judges appeared skeptical Tuesday of a building industry coalition's argument that the Washington State Building Code Council and state attorney general can be sued over a regulation limiting natural gas appliances in new construction.

  • February 10, 2026

    Wash. Judge Won't Block Racial Equity Housing Program

    A nonprofit aimed at "overcoming identity politics" cannot preliminarily block a Washington state housing program designed to reduce racial disparities in homeownership, a Seattle federal judge ruled, saying the group has not shown it is likely to succeed on its claim that the program is unconstitutional.

  • February 10, 2026

    Wash. Panel Says Healthcare Cost-Share Group Is An Insurer

    A Utah-based healthcare cost-sharing nonprofit operates as and must register as an insurer under Washington state law, a state appeals panel ruled, upholding a $50,000 fine from the state's insurance commissioner that found the nonprofit ran afoul of Washington insurance law. 

  • February 09, 2026

    Frontier Airlines To Face Racial Bias Suit On 9th Circ. Remand

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday largely revived a racial bias lawsuit against Frontier Airlines, saying in an unpublished opinion that a jury could possibly find for the father-and-son passengers based on the case's facts.

  • February 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Judge Casts Doubt On Feds' Grant Condition Stance

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed skepticism Monday as the Trump administration argued it could legally impose new rules barring federal grant recipients from using the money for diversity programming, suggesting that the government had misread Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

  • February 09, 2026

    Afni Faces Class Action Over Alleged Misleading Claim Letters

    Debt collector Afni Inc. has been accused of trying to dupe people into paying "unadjudicated" damage demands by sending auto crash claim letters disguised as collection notices, according to a proposed class action that the Illinois-based company removed to Seattle federal court on Friday.

  • February 09, 2026

    Ex-Judge Says 'Post-Arrest' Details Don't Justify His DUI Stop

    A former Washington state judge who claims a wrongful DUI arrest contributed to his reelection loss is fighting to keep his lawsuit against Grays Harbor County alive, arguing that the county's justification for the arrest incorrectly relies on details from after he was taken into custody.

  • February 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Sides With Forest Service In $33M Ore. Wildfire Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel Monday threw out a lawsuit from two Oregon lumber companies that accused the U.S. Forest Service of bungling its response to a 2020 wildfire in the Willamette National Forest, ruling that the agency can't be sued because it was acting within its discretion.

  • February 09, 2026

    Judge OKs Sanctions In Valve Fight, Warns More May Come

    A Seattle federal judge on Monday granted video game maker Valve Corp.'s request to sanction a rival litigant over discovery violations just ahead of a trial on the company's allegations of bad faith patent infringement claims, and threatened to issue more over a legal brief that contained fake quotes and fabricated citations generated by artificial intelligence.

  • February 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Backs Comerica's Escape From Investor Suit

    The Ninth Circuit backed Comerica's win in an investor dispute led by a pension fund accusing the bank of misleading investors about its oversight of a U.S. Department of the Treasury contract, concluding a California federal judge was right to permanently toss the case for failure to state a claim.

  • February 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Immigration Case Due To Traffic Delays

    An en banc Ninth Circuit panel has ordered the Board of Immigration Appeals to reconsider whether a family's failure to appear at a hearing due to traffic delays doomed their asylum case, finding no concrete rule for what constitutes "exceptional circumstances."

  • February 09, 2026

    States Seek Quick Win On $100K H-1B Fee 'Power-Grab'

    A group of 20 states asked a Massachusetts federal judge for a win in their challenge to the Trump administration's policy imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa petitions, arguing the measure unlawfully rewrites Congress' carefully calibrated immigration scheme and exceeds executive authority.

  • February 09, 2026

    Guam Can't Appeal Military Leave Suit Loss At 9th Circ.

    A retirement fund for Guam government employees did not meet the standard for an immediate appeal of a ruling that its leave-sharing program violates federal military service protections, a federal judge ruled Monday, denying the territory's and fund's Ninth Circuit bid.

  • February 06, 2026

    WithU, Scratchpay Sued Over Alleged 568% Loan Interest Rate

    Online direct lender WithU and California fintech platform Scratchpay were hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court on Friday by a consumer who claims he was cornered into borrowing a loan with a nearly 568% interest rate to pay for his cat's cancer treatment.

  • February 06, 2026

    Paycheck Advances Aren't Loans, Fintech Orgs Tell 9th Circ.

    Fintech trade groups on Friday urged the Ninth Circuit to rein in class litigation over earned wage access products, arguing it should recognize the products as distinct from credit under federal lending laws or risk upending a popular, safer alternative to traditional loans.

  • February 06, 2026

    Trump Admin, States Reach Agreement In School DEI Fight

    The Trump administration has agreed not to condition federal education funding for state and legal education agencies on what a coalition of nearly 20 states alleged was an incorrect interpretation of law in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a Friday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Data Center Moratoriums, Fraud Detection

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the states that may pump the brakes on data center construction and what private real estate lenders should know about fraud risk.

  • February 06, 2026

    Boeing Suits Over S. Korean 737 Crash Merged In Wash. Court

    Seven wrongful death lawsuits against The Boeing Co. over a 737 crash in South Korea that killed 179 people have been consolidated and assigned to a Seattle federal judge under an order Thursday from the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

  • February 06, 2026

    Allstate Denies Coverage For Uber Driver's Deadly Road Rage

    Allstate called on a Seattle federal judge to find that it has no duty to defend a delivery driver from a wrongful death lawsuit alleging he fatally shot and killed another man during an apparent road rage incident while working for Uber Eats and DoorDash.

  • February 06, 2026

    MoFo Seattle Launch Was 'Right Time With The Right People'

    Morrison Foerster LLP had long considered Seattle as a potential expansion opportunity, but the firm was simply waiting for the right time to enter the hot Emerald City legal market.

  • February 06, 2026

    Abuse Claimants Can't Enter Coverage Fight, Insurer Says

    Former residents of a boys group home in Washington state cannot intervene in a dispute over coverage for underlying claims of physical and sexual abuse, the facility's insurer told a federal court, saying the claimants' contention that the facility cannot defend itself is without support.

  • February 06, 2026

    FLSA Does Not Bar Claim Waivers, Wash. Judge Says

    The Fair Labor Standards Act does not categorically bar a contract's release of an employee's claims, a Washington federal judge ruled, finding that a former pharmaceutical manufacturing company worker's severance agreement that included a general release of claims precludes his wage suit.

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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