Washington

  • April 23, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Passes Game Controller Patent Case Back To PTAB

    Video game developer Valve on Wednesday won yet another chance to convince patent board judges to look at its challenge to claims in a rival's video game controller patent asserted in litigation in Washington federal court.

  • April 23, 2025

    Wash. AG Tries To Move O'Reilly Pregnancy Bias Suit To Trial

    The Washington State Attorney General's Office is fighting O'Reilly Auto's recent bid to avoid trial in an employment discrimination case, pointing to evidence it claims shows the company "mocked and otherwise discriminated against pregnant workers, and retaliated against them for being pregnant."

  • April 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Asked To Modify Ruling In LA Port Co. Coverage Row

    A Los Angeles port operator's insurer asked a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit to rethink part of its decision ordering a jury trial on the amount of defense costs the operator incurred while litigating pollution claims brought by the city, arguing they improperly relied on a depublished decision.

  • April 23, 2025

    Non-Wash. Landlords Want Out Of Yardi Rent-Fixing Case

    A group of landlords pushed to be permanently dismissed from rent-fixing litigation against rent software company Yardi Systems Inc. and other parties, arguing that the presiding Washington federal court lacks personal jurisdiction over them since they're not connected to the state.

  • April 23, 2025

    Costco Hit With Suit Over iPhone Warranty Omissions

    Costco is the target of a proposed class action claiming the big box retailer sold iPhones without disclosures required under Washington state consumer protection laws, including omitting the terms of warranties and how much it costs for repairs.

  • April 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Deny Jan. 6 Cops' Bid To Shield Identities

    The U.S. Supreme Court should reject an appeal from Seattle cops who joined the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" demonstration in D.C. and now want to stay incognito, according to a former law school student on Tuesday who sought police records identifying the officers and who said U.S. Supreme Court rules require the officers to seek relief in Washington state court. 

  • April 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Otonomo's Escape Of Calif. Car Tracking Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday unanimously refused to revive a California man's proposed class action accusing autotech company Otonomo Inc. of surreptitiously tracking drivers' movements in violation of California privacy law, finding that a device installed in the man's BMW wasn't an "electronic tracking device" under the relevant state law.

  • April 22, 2025

    Customer Sues Amazon Over Burns From Heating Pad

    A woman who suffered second-degree burns and an infection after a heating pad bought on Amazon malfunctioned is looking to hold the online retailer responsible in Washington federal court for the product manufactured by a third party.

  • April 22, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Panel Revives State Patrol Commute Pay Suit

    Washington state troopers can sue their employer directly in superior court over alleged minimum wage violations before exhausting the grievance process under collective bargaining agreements, an Evergreen State appellate court said Tuesday, distinguishing the challenged policies from the union contracts.

  • April 22, 2025

    Panel Unsure If Suspension For Off-Campus Arrest Holds Up

    A Washington appellate court panel on Tuesday asked if Washington State University had the authority to suspend a student charged with conspiracy to riot at an off-campus Pride parade, with one judge questioning if an anonymous tip was too speculative to launch a student conduct probe.

  • April 22, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage For $668K Housing Funds Dispute

    An insurer says it owes no coverage to a low-income housing nonprofit in an underlying dispute involving a Washington county that seeks to claw back nearly $668,000 that was allegedly paid out to ineligible recipients.

  • April 22, 2025

    DOJ Wants Time During 9th Circ. Vegas Room Rate Arguments

    The U.S. Department of Justice has asked to participate in the Ninth Circuit argument for an appeal from Las Vegas casino-hotel guests accusing the operators of using software to inflate room rates, the first algorithmic price-fixing case to reach an appeals court.

  • April 22, 2025

    Death Suit Against Jet Ski Co. Meets Skeptical Wash. Panel

    A Washington state appellate panel expressed skepticism on Tuesday of a family's appeal in a wrongful death case against a jet ski rental shop, with one judge suggesting it was "total speculation" that the fatal accident was triggered by high winds the business should have warned patrons about.

  • April 21, 2025

    Binance Crypto Suit Sent To Florida To Avoid Duplication

    A Washington federal judge on Monday transferred to Florida a proposed class action over Binance's alleged role in laundering stolen cryptocurrency, finding that the case heavily overlapped with a lawsuit filed earlier in the Sunshine State that was sent to arbitration.

  • April 21, 2025

    En Banc 9th Circ. Revives Shopify Data Privacy Fight

    A split Ninth Circuit en banc panel Monday revived a proposed class action alleging Shopify violates privacy rights by embedding payment-processing code on merchant websites that surreptitiously tracks consumers' location and collects personal data, with a nearly unanimous majority finding the location-tracking allegations establish specific jurisdiction in the Golden State.

  • April 21, 2025

    DHS Voids Order Ousting Canadian Cannabis Machinery CEO

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday urged a Washington federal judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing federal agents of illegally barring the Canadian CEO of a cannabis harvesting equipment company from entering the United States, citing the government's recent decision revoking a removal order against him.

  • April 21, 2025

    Premera's Teen Trans Policy 'Textbook' Sex Bias, Judge Says

    Premera Blue Cross discriminated based on sex against transgender teens at the center of a lawsuit alleging the insurer and health plan administrator illegally denied coverage for gender-affirming chest surgery, according to a Washington federal judge who also denied class certification because the teens' claims are not typical of class members.

  • April 21, 2025

    Pot Company Once Allied With Influencer Wants Rehearing

    A cannabis, spirits and vape company formerly associated with Instagram celebrity Dan Bilzerian is asking the Ninth Circuit for an en banc rehearing of a $1.6 million judgment against it, saying a panel of circuit judges ignored key facts when it found the company liable for breach of contract.

  • April 21, 2025

    Amazon Says Sanctions Unwarranted In Drivers' Wage Suit

    Potential members of a collective action accusing Amazon of misclassifying drivers were not coerced into talking to attorneys representing the company, Amazon told a Washington federal court, urging the court to reject the drivers' bid to slap sanctions on the company.

  • April 19, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Q1 Dealmakers, Tariff Tension

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the law firms that guided the 10 largest real estate deals of the first quarter, and how dealmakers and companies have been navigating uncertainty in the market.

  • April 18, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Nixed Zillow, NAR Antitrust Case

    The Ninth Circuit won't be rethinking a panel decision refusing to revive a defunct brokerage platform's case accusing Zillow and the National Association of Realtors of anticompetitively relegating its listings from Zillow's main page.

  • April 18, 2025

    IP Notebook: AI Prompts, DMCA Battle, Squishmallows Scuffle

    Welcome to IP Notebook, a recurring series that highlights disputes and legal developments that raise novel or crucial questions in the trademark and copyright space.

  • April 18, 2025

    Boeing Bashed For 'Stonewalling' Discovery In 737 Fraud Suit

    Norwegian Air subsidiaries accusing Boeing of fraud in connection with jet purchase deals have urged a Washington federal judge to force the aerospace giant to hand over documents in the case, citing Boeing's apparent "playbook of repeated delay, resistance and obfuscation."

  • April 18, 2025

    $6.5M Deal In Amazon's PillPack TCPA Suit Gets Final OK

    A Washington federal judge on Friday approved a $6.5 million settlement to end a class action alleging Amazon.com affiliate PillPack LLC was responsible for unsolicited telemarketing calls that ran afoul of federal consumer law against robocalls and texts.

  • April 18, 2025

    Judge Sides With Wash. In NY Distillery's Sales Reg Challenge

    A federal judge has rejected a New York whiskey maker's challenge to a Washington rule that distilleries must have a physical in-state location to sell to Evergreen State consumers online, saying the regulation isn't discriminatory because it "applies evenhandedly" regardless of the producer's home state.

Expert Analysis

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Prejudice, Injunctions, New Regulations

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Markus Speidel at MoFo looks at three recent decisions that consider whether a past performance evaluation needs to show prejudice to be successfully challenged, the prerequisites for injunctive relief and the application of new regulatory requirements to indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts.

  • Unpacking First Consumer Claim Under Wash. Health Data Act

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    The first consumer class action claim filed under Washington's My Health My Data Act, Maxwell v. Amazon.com, may answer questions counsel have been contending with since the law was introduced almost a year ago, if the court takes the opportunity to interpret some of more opaque language, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • Implementation, Constitutional Issues With Birthright Order

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    President Donald Trump's executive order reinterpreting the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause presents unavoidable administrative problems and raises serious constitutional concerns about the validity of many existing federal laws and regulations, says Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington School of Law.

  • Justices Likely To Issue Narrow Ruling In $1.3B Award Dispute

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    After last week's argument in Devas v. Antrix, the Supreme Court appears likely to reverse the holding that minimum contacts are required before a federal court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a foreign state and remand the case for further litigation on other important constitutional questions, say attorneys at Cleary. 

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • What's At Stake In High Court's Class Member Standing Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Labcorp v. Davis could significantly alter how parties prosecute and defend class actions in federal court, particularly if the court determines some proof of member standing is required before a class may be certified, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

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