Washington

  • May 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Asks If Apple's Watch Updates 'Ice Out' Rivals

    Two Ninth Circuit judges appeared skeptical Wednesday of Apple Inc.'s arguments against reviving an antitrust suit brought by medical monitoring startup AliveCor Inc. after Apple blocked third-party access to medical data on the Apple Watch, with one judge asking rhetorically whether a "marginal" improvement by Apple could actually be a way to "ice out" competition.

  • May 21, 2025

    Judge Mulls National Scope Of Bid To Restore COVID Grants

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge Wednesday mulled whether it would be appropriate to issue a nationwide injunction blocking the termination of $11 billion public health grants set aside under COVID-era laws in a lawsuit brought by four local governments and a public sector union.

  • May 21, 2025

    Wash. Gov. Signs Budget With New And Higher Taxes

    Washington's governor signed a two-year $78 billion state budget that closed a $16 billion shortfall in part by raising and increasing taxes, ending weeks of speculation over whether he'd agree with his fellow Democrats in the state Legislature that a tax package was needed.

  • May 21, 2025

    Offshore Wind Farm Foes Back Trump Permitting Pause

    Opponents of a New Jersey offshore wind farm on Wednesday backed the Trump administration's freeze on wind project permitting, telling a Massachusetts federal judge the moratorium is both legal and constitutional.

  • May 21, 2025

    NRA Asks Justices To End Fla.'s Age Limit On Gun Sales

    The National Rifle Association is taking its fight against Florida's prohibition on gun sales to anyone under 21 up to the U.S. Supreme Court, telling the justices that a circuit split makes the Eleventh Circuit's March decision upholding the ban ripe for review.

  • May 21, 2025

    Court Approves $32.5M Symetra Settlement For Overcharging

    A Washington federal court has given final approval for a $32.5 million settlement resolving claims between Symetra and life insurance policyholders who claimed the company used undisclosed factors to overcharge them.

  • May 21, 2025

    Apple Lets Fortnite Back In App Store As Appeal Pends

    Apple has allowed Epic Games to put its popular Fortnite video game back in the App Store, while the sides await a ruling on Apple's bid to pause an injunction mandating additional changes to its policies issued after the court found it had violated a previous order.

  • May 20, 2025

    Judge Questions Bank's Role In Jail Debit Card Fee Dispute

    A federal magistrate judge in Washington state signaled Tuesday she might advance a debit card fee class action against a Missouri bank to trial, suggesting there's still a factual dispute as to whether the prepaid cards were forced on people trying to regain access to their money after being released from correctional facilities. 

  • May 20, 2025

    Medical Organizations Sue Feds For Removing Health Data

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and several constituent agencies are accused of violating the Administrative Procedure Act by illegally purging websites containing critical public health information related to trans and HIV care, vaccines and the prevention of outbreaks of communicable diseases, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington federal court.

  • May 20, 2025

    Wash. Judge Doubts T-Mobile Worker's Birthday Bias Stance

    A Washington federal judge expressed skepticism on Tuesday with a former T-Mobile employee's contention that her manager's failure to wish her a happy birthday bolstered her case against the company, questioning any nexus to discrimination.

  • May 20, 2025

    Wash. Panel Affirms Toss Of Vrbo Host's Rental Coverage Row

    Washington appellate judges refused to revive a Vrbo host's suit against a Liberty Mutual unit and a company that arranged a policyholder's temporary housing while her home was being repaired, saying the companies did not breach a nonexistent contract with the host by ceasing to pay the policyholder's rent.

  • May 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Dad Didn't Show Sons' Hardships If Deported

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a Mexican father's bid for deportation relief based on extreme hardships he claimed his sons would face if they accompanied him to Mexico, saying in a published opinion that substantial evidence suggested otherwise.

  • May 20, 2025

    Amazon, Apple Get Atty Fees Over Dropped Antitrust Plaintiff

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday ordered an ousted lead plaintiff's counsel in a proposed antitrust class action against Amazon and Apple to pay a combined $223,000 in attorney fees to the defendants after finding last month that the lawyers had failed to tell the court that their client had abandoned the case.

  • May 20, 2025

    Veterinarian, Manager Ask To Exit $6M Horse Semen Suit

    Two employees of a veterinary firm have asked a Washington federal court to toss a lawsuit accusing them and others of malpractice and negligence stemming from the destruction of about $6.4 million worth of purebred Arabian stallion semen during transport, arguing the complaint improperly lumps all the defendants and allegations together.

  • May 20, 2025

    Apple Can't Get Quick Pause Of App Store Order At 9th Circ.

    The Ninth Circuit agreed Monday to expedite briefing in Apple's appeal challenging a lower court's new injunction mandating certain App Store policy changes, but the panel declined to rule on Apple's emergency request to pause the injunction as Apple and Epic Games brief the hotly contested dispute.

  • May 20, 2025

    ZoomInfo Accused Of Illegally Selling Cellphone Numbers

    ZoomInfo is facing allegations that it violates Colorado law by selling individuals' cellphone numbers without their consent, in a proposed class action that was moved to Washington federal court last week.

  • May 19, 2025

    House Urged To Ax Proposed 10-Year Ban On State AI Laws

    More than 140 civil rights and consumer advocacy groups on Monday became the latest to oppose a sweeping provision in the U.S. House of Representatives' budget proposal that would place a 10-year moratorium on states enacting or enforcing laws to regulate emerging artificial intelligence systems, joining a bipartisan coalition of state enforcers that issued a similar call last week.

  • May 19, 2025

    2 Dozen States Urge Judge To Stop AmeriCorps Cuts

    Two dozen states urged a Maryland federal judge on Monday to halt $400 million in cuts to AmeriCorps programs, while the lawyers for the Trump administration insisted that the states' challenge must be brought before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

  • May 19, 2025

    SEC's 'Shadow Trading' Win Should Be Tossed, 9th Circ. Told

    An ex-Medivation Inc. executive found liable in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first-ever "shadow trading" case has asked the Ninth Circuit to overturn the verdict, arguing that his company's policies should have kept the matter from going to a jury in the first place.

  • May 19, 2025

    Wells Fargo's 9th Circ. Cert. Challenge Gains SIFMA Backing

    A top securities industry group has voiced its support of Wells Fargo's appeal of class certification in an investor dispute alleging the bank conducted "sham" interviews to meet diversity quotas, which harmed the bank's stock price when the truth came to light.

  • May 19, 2025

    Co. Topples IP Dispute By Having Crane Patent Nixed

    A Washington federal judge has dismissed an inventor's patent infringement case against a heavy lifting and transport company, finding that claims in the patent covering a crane system are invalid as indefinite.

  • May 19, 2025

    Amazon Asks 9th Circ. To Flip 'Inadvertent' Discovery Ruling

    Amazon asked the Ninth Circuit to reverse a Washington federal court's ruling that refused its bid to claw back documents inadvertently produced in proposed antitrust class actions, saying companies need to be able to fix mistakes made when designating privileged documents.

  • May 19, 2025

    21 AGs Join Fight To Keep DHS Oversight Offices Open

    A group of 21 attorneys general joined nonprofits Friday in urging a D.C. federal judge to force the Trump administration to reopen offices that oversee various U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs and investigate related civil rights claims, arguing that the DHS' abrupt closure of the offices could have devastating consequences.

  • May 19, 2025

    Liberty Mutual Unit Can't Dodge Spoiled Wine Coverage Suit

    A Liberty Mutual unit can't escape a vineyard's suit seeking indemnification for a settlement reached with another winery over 320,000 damaged cases of wine, a Washington federal court ruled Monday, saying none of the exclusions cited by the insurer clearly apply.

  • May 19, 2025

    9th Circ. Weighs 'WallStreetBets' Ownership In Reddit TM Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday wrestled with whether the founder of Reddit Inc.'s WallStreetBets forum owns the name or if it belongs to the platform, with a judge at one point wondering whether the parties could find a way to coexist.

Expert Analysis

  • Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

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    Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

  • Algorithm Price-Fixing Ruling May Lower Antitrust Claims Bar

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    A Washington federal court's refusal to dismiss Duffy v. Yardi Systems, an antitrust case over rent prices allegedly inflated by revenue management software, creates an apparent split in the lower courts over how to assess such claims, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Insurers Should Know About AI Use In Litigation

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in litigation evolves, insurers should note standing court orders, instances of judges utilizing AI to determine policy definitions and the application of evidentiary standards to expert evidence that incorporates AI, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • 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.

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