Washington

  • January 12, 2026

    States Fight USDA's Renewed Effort To Cut SNAP Benefits

    A coalition of states has asked a California federal judge to enforce an injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture from withholding funding from states refusing to share sensitive personal information on food assistance benefit recipients, saying the Trump administration has once again threatened to withhold the funding.

  • January 12, 2026

    Trump Order's Vote-By-Mail Limits Are Unlawful, Judge Rules

    A federal judge in Seattle has barred the Trump administration from enforcing key sections of a March executive order on elections, ruling that the government cannot compel Washington and Oregon to change state deadlines for mail-in ballots or use federal forms requiring proof of citizenship.

  • January 12, 2026

    Tesla Autopilot Failure Led To Motorcyclist's Death, Suit Says

    The estate of a motorcyclist who was killed after being run over by a Tesla has sued the automaker, the driver and the driver's wife in Washington state court for wrongful death, alleging the car's autopilot feature failed and resulted in the motorcyclist being struck from behind. 

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Review Calif. Law Shielding Workers' Info

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to take up an anti-union think tank’s challenge to a California law that limits the disclosure of information about new public employees.

  • January 12, 2026

    Judge Tosses Meta Rival's Mobile Streaming Patent Lawsuit

    A Washington federal judge has tossed the remainder of a lawsuit claiming Meta infringed mobile streaming application patents from a competing social media platform and refused to let the patent owner rewrite its complaint again.

  • January 12, 2026

    Supreme Court Won't Disturb 9th Circ. Severance Suit Revival

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to disturb a Ninth Circuit ruling that restarted two former microchip manufacturer employees' class action alleging their employer illegally revoked severance benefits following a merger, turning down an employer-side petition for review of the case.

  • January 12, 2026

    No High Court Review For California Opioid 'Nuisance' Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it would not weigh in on a circuit court decision that a California public nuisance lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers over their opioid-dispensing practices belongs in state court.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Decline To Hear Alaska's Fishing Regulations Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't step into a dispute between Alaska, the federal government and Indigenous groups over a Ninth Circuit order barring the state from opening part of the Kuskokwim River to all fishers and upheld decades of precedent that began with an Ahtna elder's 1984 litigation.

  • January 09, 2026

    Mylan, Aurobindo Must Face Generic Drug Price-Fixing Claims

    A Connecticut federal judge on Friday refused to hand a quick win to Mylan Pharmaceuticals and Aurobindo Pharma USA in sprawling antitrust litigation against 26 total pharmaceutical companies, ruling that a coalition of states has enough evidence to raise a genuine dispute about whether the companies conspired to fix drug prices.

  • January 09, 2026

    Wash. AG Aims To Weigh In On Constitutionality Of Email Law

    Washington state's attorney general intends to weigh in on a proposed class action accusing apparel maker Hanesbrands Inc. of flooding consumers' inboxes with misleading marketing emails, responding to Hanes' argument that the state's Commercial Electronic Mail Act is unconstitutional.

  • January 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Pollution Lawsuits & Trans Athletes

    The U.S. Supreme Court will kick off the new year by hearing disputes over the constitutionality of state laws banning transgender female athletes from female-only sports and whether state or federal courts are the proper forum for lawsuits seeking to hold major oil companies accountable for harm caused by their oil production activities along Louisiana's coast. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Calif. Climate Laws Violate Free Speech Rights, 9th Circ. Told

    A coalition of business groups urged a Ninth Circuit panel Friday to preliminarily block new California laws requiring large companies to disclose financial risks tied to climate change, arguing the laws are unprecedented and violate the First Amendment, in part by being "completely untethered" to any product or transaction.

  • January 09, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Predicting '26

    Catch up on this past week's developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including key asset classes and pending litigation to watch in the new year.

  • January 09, 2026

    High Court Grants Review Of Falun Gong Cisco Spying Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it will determine whether the Ninth Circuit was right to reinstate a suit brought under the Alien Tort Statute suit alleging that Cisco aided the Chinese government's allegedly unlawful crackdown on the Falun Gong religious movement.

  • January 09, 2026

    Wash. Gov. Pitches Bills On AI Chatbots, Vaccines, Housing

    Washington state's governor announced six bills Friday that he's asking lawmakers to pass in the legislative session that kicks off Monday, including measures to increase housing, guard Washingtonians from people posing as law enforcement, reinforce the state's vaccine decision-making authority and establish protections around AI chatbots, particularly for youth.

  • January 09, 2026

    Ready Capital, Broadmark Want Securities Suit Moved To NY

    Two real estate investment trusts and other parties urged a Washington federal court to transfer the proposed securities class action they're facing to New York federal court, arguing that the move is needed because the suit overlaps with a case in that state.

  • January 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Suit Over Milliman's 'Fuzzy Matching' Tactic

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday reversed a decision tossing one of two classes in litigation accusing consulting firm Milliman of peddling inaccurate information by using a strategy known as "fuzzy" data matching to compile its reports, saying the lower court applied a too-high standard at the summary judgment stage for showing class members were harmed.

  • January 09, 2026

    States Cite Ed. Dept. Outsourcing In Revamped Suit

    Democratic state attorneys general added fresh allegations Friday to an ongoing lawsuit over cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, saying the Trump administration has begun offloading some of the department's functions to other agencies.

  • January 09, 2026

    Justices To Resolve Split On SEC Disgorgement Powers

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case that could resolve a circuit split over whether the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has to prove investor harm in order to secure disgorgement from alleged fraudsters. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Seyfarth Names New Labor & Employment Chair In Seattle

    One of the youngest equity partners in Seyfarth Shaw LLP's 80-year history has been named chair of the firm's labor and employment practice for the Seattle office, the firm has announced.

  • January 09, 2026

    Woman Says Spouse's Terrorist Label Imperils Her Citizenship

    An Iranian-born naturalized citizen is accusing federal immigration authorities of jeopardizing her citizenship after labeling her Iranian husband who lives abroad as a terrorist, telling a Washington federal court that authorities failed to explain the label and that she's unable to contest it.

  • January 09, 2026

    Beveridge & Diamond Reelects Leader, Names Office Heads

    National environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond PC has reelected its current managing principal to a second term and chosen new office leaders for shops in Texas, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

  • January 09, 2026

    NLRB Must Face Agency Atty's Speech Suppression Suit

    The National Labor Relations Board can't exit a field attorney's suit over her advocacy work with an environmental nonprofit, a Washington federal judge has ruled, finding that she has adequately alleged that her work doesn't violate a federal conflict of interest statute.

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Vacates Seagate Loss In Hard Drive Price-Fixing Case

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday resurrected a number of Seagate Technologies' antitrust claims against Japanese manufacturer NHK Spring in a fight over hard drive components, finding that U.S. antitrust laws could indeed apply to the alleged conspiracy in this case even though foreign entities executed transactions abroad.

  • January 08, 2026

    States Fight To Block EPA From Wiping Out $7B Solar Funding

    A coalition of states urged a Washington federal district judge Thursday to preliminarily block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from cutting solar power grant programs, arguing that without an injunction the Trump administration could transfer $7 billion back to the Treasury and "we will be entirely out of luck."

Expert Analysis

  • DOJ Actions Signal Rising Enforcement Risk For Health Cos.

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement of a new False Claims Act working group, together with the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, underscore the importance of sophisticated compliance programs that align with the DOJ's data-driven approach, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Justices Rethink Minimum Contacts For Foreign Entities

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    Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Devas v. Antrix and Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, suggest that federal statutes may confer personal jurisdiction over foreign entities that have little to no contact with the U.S. — a significant departure from traditional due process principles, says Gary Shaw at Pillsbury.

  • Gauging The Risky Business Of Business Risk Disclosures

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    With the recent rise of securities fraud actions based on external events — like a data breach or environmental disaster — that drive down stock prices, risk disclosures have become more of a sword for the plaintiffs bar than a shield for public companies, now the subject of a growing circuit split, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • Birthright Opinions Reveal Views On Rule 23(b)(2) Relief

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    The justices' multiple opinions in the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 27 decision in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. CASA, shed light on whether Rule 23(b)(2) could fill the void created by the court's decision to restrict nationwide injunctions, says Benjamin Johns at Shub Johns.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Plan For Increased HSR Info Sharing With Wash. Antitrust Law

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    Washington's merger notification requirements, effective later this month, combined with the Federal Trade Commission's new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules, will result in greater information sharing among state and federal agencies, making it important for merging parties to consider their transaction's potential state antitrust implications early on, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • How High Court Ruling Can Aid Judgment Enforcement In US

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    In CC/Devas (Mauritius) v. Antrix, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that only two steps are required to keep a foreign sovereign in federal court, making it a little easier for investors to successfully bring foreign states and sovereign-owned and -controlled entities into U.S. courts, says Kristie Blase at Felicello Law.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

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