Washington

  • June 24, 2025

    Trump Admin Must Release NIH Funds Amid Appeal

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday denied the Trump administration's request to stay a recent order that it resume processing National Institutes of Health grant applications and releasing funds, warning that even one more day of delay would lead to irreparable harm.

  • June 23, 2025

    Monsanto Settles With Families After 11th Seattle PCB Trial

    Monsanto settled a tort case on Monday brought by 22 people who claim that they were poisoned by chemicals known as PCBs at a Washington school, ending jury deliberations following a nine-week trial in state court.

  • June 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Antitrust Counterclaims Against CoStar

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday revived counterclaims accusing CoStar of monopolizing commercial real estate information markets in the company's case accusing a rival of engaging in "industrial-scale" copyright infringement.

  • June 23, 2025

    Amazon Sanctioned For Hidden Discovery

    A Washington federal judge sanctioned Amazon.com Monday by limiting its use of company documents produced during discovery while giving the Federal Trade Commission more time for discovery, siding with the FTC's allegations that the online retail giant improperly claimed privilege over tens of thousands of documents in the Prime "dark patterns" lawsuit.

  • June 23, 2025

    DOJ Sues Wash. Over New Abuse Reporting Rule For Clergy

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday moved to join the Catholic Church's constitutional challenge of a Washington state law making clergy members mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse, saying the requirement violates priests' right to freely exercise religion by forcing them to disclose information shared during Confession.

  • June 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs $26M Fraud Penalty Against Importer

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday upheld a $26 million tripled fraud verdict against a pipe importer over allegations it made false statements on customs forms to avoid paying tariffs on some imports from China, rejecting the company's argument that the Tariff Act leaves no room to invoke the False Claims Act.

  • June 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Sends Minor's Rehab Claim Back To Premera

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday partially reopened a lawsuit accusing Premera Blue Cross of unlawfully refusing to cover a minor's time in a wilderness therapy program and rehabilitation facility, saying the insurer should take another look at one of the claims.

  • June 23, 2025

    DraftKings Social Media Exec Agrees To Delete Rival's IP

    A social media director at DraftKings has agreed to delete alleged trade secrets from his personal ChatGPT account, which his former employer, rival PrizePicks, alleged he stole before changing employers.

  • June 23, 2025

    States Back PBS, NPR In Fight Against Trump Broadcast Cuts

    A coalition of 20 states and the District of Columbia backed a pair of motions from the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio Inc. seeking pretrial wins in their challenges to President Donald Trump's executive order that purports to revoke their funding, arguing that only Congress can pull that money.

  • June 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revisit Opinion In Sam Smith Copyright Case

    The full Ninth Circuit will not revisit a three-judge panel's decision to revive a lawsuit over pop stars Sam Smith and Normani's 2019 hit "Dancing With a Stranger."

  • June 20, 2025

    Science Research Funding Cuts Blocked By Mass. Judge

    A Massachusetts federal judge Friday prohibited the Trump administration from cutting certain National Science Foundation research funding associated with facilities and administrative costs, ruling that the policy runs afoul of multiple laws and the government hasn't adequately explained its reasoning.

  • June 20, 2025

    High Court Urged To Rein In FDA Oversight Of Stem Cells

    The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons asked the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to review a Ninth Circuit decision the organization argued would wrongly give the government control over a patient's own stem cells.

  • June 20, 2025

    Boeing Nears Dismissal From Calif. Door Blowout Lawsuit

    A California federal judge indicated Friday that he's leaning toward dismissing Boeing from a lawsuit over the midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024, saying Boeing's ties to California are not strong enough for his court to exercise jurisdiction.

  • June 20, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Senior Living, Data Centers, CEQA

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into a senior housing surge, data center construction, and the Golden State's latest efforts to spur housing construction without upsetting the California Environmental Quality Act.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Says NY Claims Against Hyundai Raise 'Novel' Issue

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit Friday refused to toss negligence claims from cities in Ohio and Wisconsin in consolidated litigation alleging Hyundai and Kia, of which Hyundai is a major shareholder, sold vehicles with design flaws that enabled car thefts nationwide, but said negligence claims under New York law "raise a novel issue" of state law.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs 'Legitimate' Bar Membership Admission Rules

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday tossed a challenge to local rules in district courts in the circuit requiring lawyers to be bar members in the state where the court is located in order to seek general admission, saying admission rules aren't unconstitutional and there are several "legitimate reasons" for the rule.

  • June 20, 2025

    Wash. AG Says Hops Farm Favored H-2A Workers Over Locals

    Washington state's attorney general launched a lawsuit on Friday accusing a hops grower of illegally firing local employees, often women, and replacing them with foreign farmworkers, abusing the federal H-2A temporary visa program for seasonal agricultural labor.

  • June 20, 2025

    737 Max Families Push For Special Prosecutor In Boeing Case

    Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes have asked a Texas federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor in Boeing's criminal conspiracy case, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's latest nonprosecution agreement with the American aerospace giant sets a dangerous precedent for corporate defendants to evade accountability.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Finds Calif. One-Gun-A-Month Law Unconstitutional

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday struck down California's so-called one-gun-a-month law, finding that it violates the Second Amendment by categorically preventing state residents from buying more than one firearm every 30 days.

  • June 20, 2025

    Wash. Municipal Judge Fights State Board's Removal Petition

    A suspended Washington municipal court judge has urged the state Supreme Court to reject a judicial board's recommendation that she be removed from the bench for allegedly mistreating staff and attorneys, saying she has been unfairly punished for her former attorney's actions "in a racially charged environment."

  • June 20, 2025

    DOT Blocked From Conditioning Grants On Immigration Policy

    A Rhode Island federal judge on Thursday preliminarily blocked the U.S. Department of Transportation from conditioning billions of state grant dollars on enforcing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown agenda, finding that a 20-state coalition is likely to win its constitutional legal fight and will be irreparably harmed without an injunction.

  • June 20, 2025

    Alaska Airlines Arm Reaches Deal To End Wage Suit

    A subsidiary of Alaska Airlines struck a deal Friday with a former training specialist to resolve her lawsuit accusing the company of shaving hours off her pay and ignoring the work she performed outside her scheduled shift, a filing in Washington federal court said.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Allows Trump To Federalize National Guard In LA

    The Ninth Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump can federalize the California National Guard while the state's lawsuit challenging his mobilization of the troops in Los Angeles plays out, saying the president likely acted under statutory authority that Congress granted.

  • June 18, 2025

    Sens., AGs Unite To Raise Alarm On State AI Moratorium

    A sweeping proposal being considered by Congress to strip states of the ability to regulate artificial intelligence for a decade would do more harm than good, especially if there continues to be no similar protections in place at the federal level, a bipartisan quartet of U.S. senators and state attorneys general said Wednesday. 

  • June 18, 2025

    Consumers Drop Gore-Tex 'Greenwashing' Class Suit

    Consumers suing the maker of the waterproof fabric Gore-Tex are looking to end, for now, their proposed class action against the company alleging W.L. Gore & Associates used toxic forever chemicals to manufacture its material while also "greenwashing" its image.

Expert Analysis

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • A Closer Look At Amendments To Virginia Noncompete Ban

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    Recently passed amendments in Virignia will prohibit noncompetes for all employees who are eligible for overtime pay under federal law, and though the changes could simplify employers’ analyses as to restrictive covenant enforceability, it may require them to reassess and potentially adjust their use of noncompetes with some workers, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

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    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals

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    If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.

  • Series

    Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.

  • 10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

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    The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • How Trump Energy Order May Challenge State Climate Efforts

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    Even if the Trump administration's recent executive order targeting state and local environmental, climate and clean energy laws, regulations and programs doesn't result in successful legal challenges to state authority, the order could discourage state legislatures from taking further climate action, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Notable Q1 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    The first quarter of 2025 was filled with the refinement of old theories in the property and casualty space, including in vehicle valuation, time to seek appraisal and materials depreciation, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing

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    Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.

  • 10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

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    As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.

  • An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

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    Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.

  • Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance

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    Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.

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