Washington

  • July 24, 2025

    Eli Lilly's Trademark Suit Not 'Abuse Of Process'

    A Washington federal judge has tossed out counterclaims by a pair of clinics being sued for trademark infringement by Eli Lilly & Co., saying the acts of filing the suit and making a settlement demand are not in themselves abuse of process.

  • July 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Birthright Citizenship EO Injunction

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship in a legal challenge by four states, ruling in a published opinion that Trump's order contradicts the "plain language" of the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause.

  • July 23, 2025

    Apple Beats Consumer Suit Over ICloud Storage At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed Wednesday the dismissal of a proposed class action claiming Apple misled consumers about how much iCloud storage they were getting, finding that no reasonable person would expect the 200GB plan she bought would stack on top of Apple's free 5GB and that Apple's conduct wasn't deceptive.

  • July 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Clarifies Bored Ape NFTs Are Trademarkable Goods

    The Ninth Circuit issued a significant ruling for digital asset creators Wednesday finding that Yuga Labs' Bored Ape Yacht Club nonfungible tokens are protectable "goods" under federal law, while also reversing Yuga Labs' $8 million summary judgment win and ruling that a jury must decide whether rival NFTs confuse consumers.

  • July 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Barrett Business Services' Secrets Case

    The Ninth Circuit has reinstated Barrett Business Services Inc.'s claims of trade secret theft against two former employees, their wives and a competing company they started.

  • July 23, 2025

    Eye-Control Wheelchair Tech Targeted In Wash. Co.'s IP Suit

    A Washington-based firm that makes devices for individuals with disabilities has launched a lawsuit in federal court claiming a German company exploited its patented technology that allows users to control powered wheelchairs by looking at a screen.

  • July 23, 2025

    Trump Wins 9th Circ. Block On Order Providing Reorg Plans

    The Ninth Circuit greenlighted the Trump administration's request to pause a lower court ruling requiring the government to turn over its layoff and reorganization plans in the case disputing whether the president can lawfully reshape federal agencies without congressional approval.

  • July 23, 2025

    Amazon Shoppers Protest Proposed 'Mini-Trial' On Class Cert.

    Consumers are fighting Amazon's bid for an evidentiary hearing in parallel antitrust suits before a Washington federal judge decides a pending class certification motion, insisting the company has had plenty of time to vet key opinions from the plaintiffs' economics expert.

  • July 23, 2025

    Alaska Airlines Hit With False Ad Suit Over Reduced Flights

    Alaska Airlines was hit with a putative false advertising class action in California federal court Tuesday alleging its Flight Pass program promised cheap, fixed flight rates in return for monthly subscription payments, while hiding additional taxes, fees and significant premium charges for desirable flights and punishing cancellation policies. 

  • July 23, 2025

    Wash. Counties Can Sue State Over Public Defense Funding

    A Washington state appeals court has ruled that a coalition of counties has standing to sue the state to force it to provide adequate funding for indigent defense services, saying the coalition had shown that it had been harmed by the current funding system.

  • July 23, 2025

    Apple Tells 9th Circ. Birthright Ruling Scraps Epic's Injunction

    Apple Inc. told the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in litigation challenging President Donald Trump's birthright citizenship executive order means that a nationwide injunction and civil contempt order in Epic Games Inc.'s antitrust case over Apple's App Store policies cannot stand.

  • July 23, 2025

    Feds Launch Forfeiture Suit For $7M In Fraud-Linked Crypto

    The acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington said she is pushing for the forfeiture of about $7 million in cryptocurrency assets seized as part of an investigation into an oil and gas investment fraud scheme.

  • July 22, 2025

    Brandt's Fruit Trees Says Farm Misuses 'Pink Lady' Apple TM

    Brandt's Fruit Trees filed a trademark infringement suit in Washington federal court Monday accusing a Yakima Valley farm of illegally using its Pink Lady apple trademark in connection with approximately 55,000 unlicensed trees that produce Lady in Red apples, in violation of their grower licensing agreement.  

  • July 22, 2025

    9th Circ. OKs Toss Of U-Visa Holder's Status Adjustment Suit

    Federal district courts can't review discretionary denials of nonimmigrant visa holders' bids to adjust to lawful permanent resident status, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday in a published opinion refusing to revive a Mexican woman's lawsuit that challenged her green card denial.

  • July 22, 2025

    Chime Facing Class Suit In Wash. Over 'Refer-A-Friend' Texts

    Online banking company Chime has been breaking a Washington state ban on unsolicited texts by encouraging customers to send "refer a friend" messages in order to expand its reach, according to a new proposed class action.

  • July 22, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Court Affirms Biz Tax Rule For Drop Shippers

    The Washington Court of Appeals upheld the state's rule on Tuesday that out-of-state wholesalers in drop shipment transactions are subject to a business tax when the customer that ultimately receives the product is within the Evergreen State's borders, rejecting a challenge from California IT distributor Synnex.

  • July 22, 2025

    No Early Release For Former Teen Shooter, 9th Circ. Affirms

    A Ninth Circuit panel declined to grant an early release to a man serving 70 years in prison for a gang-related shooting he committed at age 16, finding that neither the length of his sentence nor his youth at the time of conviction amounted to the type of "extraordinary" circumstances allowing him compassionate relief.

  • July 22, 2025

    Feds Tell 9th Circ. That Judge Misread Trump's Sanctuary Orders

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Ninth Circuit on Monday that a district court's injunction blocking the Trump administration from withholding federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco rests on the court's misunderstanding of President Donald Trump's executive orders.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ex-Boeing Engineer's Racial Bias Appeal Divides Wash. Panel

    A Washington state appellate judge appeared doubtful on Tuesday of an ex-Boeing engineer's claims that he was targeted for his Middle Eastern background, citing an internal probe purportedly justifying his firing, while another panelist suggested that the company is missing "linchpin" evidence to preserve its trial court win in the case.

  • July 22, 2025

    Judge OK To Make Own ID Of Bank Robber, 9th Circ. Rules

    A San Diego bank robber did not have his right to a fair trial violated when the judge trying his case used her own judgment to identify him as the person shown committing the crimes in surveillance video, the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday.

  • July 22, 2025

    Amazon Pushes Back On FTC's Trial Time Extension Bid

    Amazon has urged a Washington federal court to reject the Federal Trade Commission's bid to extend the agency's trial time in a lawsuit over automatically recurring Prime subscriptions, calling the proposal both unfair and baseless.

  • July 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Gun Club's Bid For Permitting Cost Coverage

    An insurer for a Washington shooting club had no duty to cover roughly $400,000 in costs to secure proper site development permits after county officials won a public nuisance lawsuit against the club, the Ninth Circuit ruled, finding the club can't be covered for its deliberate actions.

  • July 22, 2025

    Ex-Boeing Atty's 'Toxic Leadership Style' Sinks Race Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge tossed a lawsuit from a former Boeing in-house attorney who said the company fired her because she is Asian and spoke up about compliance concerns, ruling she couldn't overcome testimony from colleagues who said she was "volatile" and had a "toxic leadership style."

  • July 22, 2025

    Boeing Says Calif. Ties Not Related To 737 Max Midair Blowout

    The Boeing Co. is asking a California federal court to throw out claims against it stemming from the midair blowout of a door plug on one of its 737 Max 9 jets, saying the plaintiffs have failed to show that the incident had anything to do with the company's ties to California.

  • July 21, 2025

    Revived Effort To Break Up 9th Circ. Makes Its Way To Senate

    Idaho Republicans have reintroduced a U.S. Senate bill that looks to split up the Ninth Circuit and create a new Twelfth Circuit, according to an announcement made Monday, roughly nearly seven months after a similar bill was introduced in the House.

Expert Analysis

  • Predicting Where State AGs Will Direct Their Attention In 2025

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    In 2025, we expect state attorneys general will navigate a new presidential administration while continuing to further regulate and police financial services, artificial intelligence, junk fees and antitrust, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • A Look At Sweepstakes Casinos' Legal Issues In Fla., Beyond

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    Scheduled for trial in Florida federal court this fall, the VGW sweepstakes case underscores the growing urgency for gambling states to clarify and enforce their laws in response to emerging online gaming models, as the expansion of sweepstakes casinos challenges traditional interpretations of gambling regulations, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Mass Arbitration Procedures After Faulty Live Nation Ruling

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    Despite the Ninth Circuit's flawed reasoning in Heckman v. Live Nation, the exceptional allegations of collusive conduct shouldn't be read to restrict arbitration providers that have adopted good faith procedures to ensure that consumer mass arbitrations can be efficiently resolved on the merits, says Collin Vierra at Eimer Stahl.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

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    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Top 10 Noncompete Developments Of 2024

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    Following an eventful year in noncompete law at both state and federal levels, employers can no longer rely on a court's willingness to blue-pencil overbroad agreements and are proceeding at their own peril if they do not thoughtfully review and carefully enforce such agreements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • 5 Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2025

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    Although advertisers are encouraged by the incoming Trump administration's focus on deregulation, this year could feel like wading through uncharted waters, and decreased federal government regulation may mean increased state regulation, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • When Judging Product Label Claims, Follow The Asterisk

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    A recurring question in false advertising class actions is whether misleading or ambiguous statements on a product's front label can be cured by information on the back label — but recent decisions from the Ninth Circuit suggest that a front-label asterisk can help alert consumers to seek further clarification, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: How Court Nixed Boeing Plea Deal Over DEI

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    A Texas federal court's rejection of the plea agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Boeing over the 737 Max aircraft gratuitously injected the court's views on diversity, equity and inclusion into a case that shouldn't have been a criminal matter in the first place, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

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