Washington

  • 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."

  • January 08, 2026

    Weyerhaeuser Says $1.5B Pension Move Didn't Harm Retirees

    Lawyers for timber producer Weyerhaeuser and State Street Global Advisors urged a Washington federal judge at a hearing Thursday to throw out a proposed class action from retired workers over Weyerhaeuser's transfer of $1.5 billion in pension obligations to a private equity-backed insurance company, arguing that the retirees have failed to establish the deal actually harmed them.

  • January 08, 2026

    Apple Beats Antitrust Suit Over Heart Rate Data At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed Apple's win Thursday against startup AliveCor Inc.'s antitrust claims alleging it illegally blocked third-party access to Apple Watch medical data to create rival software, finding that Apple has no "duty to deal" with AliveCor and therefore the startup's claims fail as a matter of law.

  • January 08, 2026

    Wash. Justices Take Up Pixel Privacy Suit Against Hospital

    The Washington Supreme Court has taken up a group of parents' bid to revive their proposed class action accusing Seattle Children's Hospital of sharing their private data with Facebook parent company Meta by installing its Pixel browser tracking tool on the hospital's public-facing website.

  • January 08, 2026

    Stoel Rives Picks Up Former K&L Gates Environmental Leader

    Environmental lawyer Ankur Tohan has joined Stoel Rives LLP as a partner in the Seattle office, where he'll focus on renewable energy, carbon capture, power infrastructure and compliance matters, the firm announced Thursday.

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Hyundai, Kia Theft Defect Settlement

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday upheld a $145 million class action settlement resolving claims that certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles were defectively designed and vulnerable to theft, rejecting the arguments of two objectors who said the deal shortchanged owners whose cars were never stolen or that it wasn't enough of a total payout.

  • January 08, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Says Crocs' Appeal Of Split ITC Loss Came Too Late

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday rebuffed Crocs Inc.'s efforts to save its request for an import ban against companies it accused of importing footwear infringing its trademarks, finding the company was too late in challenging the mixed ITC ruling that generated two appeal deadlines.

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Redo Raises New Issues On Abortion Coverage Law

    A Ninth Circuit panel that previously sided with Washington in a church's challenge to a state law mandating employer health coverage of abortion services voiced fresh concerns about both sides' positions when revisiting the case Thursday, roughly six months after rescinding the initial opinion without explanation.

  • January 08, 2026

    States Can't Block HPE Integration Amid Deal Review

    A California federal court refused Thursday to bar Hewlett Packard Enterprise from further integrating with Juniper Networks while state enforcers raise objections to a U.S. Department of Justice settlement allowing the merger to move ahead.

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Investor Suit Over Webinar Co.'s IPO

    A unanimous Ninth Circuit panel revived a proposed investor class action over webinar-software company ON24's initial public offering, finding that claims the company misled investors by warning about risks that were already occurring could proceed.

  • January 08, 2026

    Amici Back CoStar's Review Bid For Rival's Antitrust Claims

    Technology industry coalition Chamber of Progress and other parties are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant commercial real estate information company CoStar's review petition for a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived a business rival's antitrust counterclaims.

  • January 08, 2026

    Audits Get Final Word On Economic Substance, IRS Atty Says

    IRS attorneys provide legal guidance during audits on whether a transaction lacks economic substance, but examiners make the ultimate determination, an agency associate chief counsel said Thursday while explaining how the agency applies a powerful anti-abuse tool in audits.

  • January 07, 2026

    Injunction Protecting TSA Labor Contract Is Moot, Feds Says

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security should be allowed to proceed with plans to terminate a labor contract covering Transportation Security Administration workers, the Trump administration told a Seattle federal judge, claiming that a preliminary injunction issued by the court in June no longer applies.

  • January 07, 2026

    Microsoft Legal Shifts After GC Leaves To Join Meta

    A longtime Microsoft Corp. lawyer and executive is taking over the legal group previously overseen by the general counsel who left the technology giant this week to start as Meta's new chief legal officer, the company told Law360 Pulse exclusively Wednesday, in an integration meant to boost the organization's innovation efforts.

  • January 07, 2026

    Baking Mix Co. Sued Over Alleged Water Pollution In Wash.

    Baking mix manufacturer Continental Mills Inc. was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit in Washington federal court Wednesday by an environmental group that claims the company's Seattle-area plant released wastewater laden with heavy metals into nearby creeks, in excess of legal pollution limits.

  • January 07, 2026

    Sonos, Wyze Labs Sued Over Wireless Encryption Patent

    California-based patent assertion entity Encryptawave Technologies LLC targeted device-makers Sonos Inc. and Wyze Labs Inc. in separate lawsuits Wednesday in Seattle federal court, accusing the companies of infringing a patent related to wireless network security.

  • January 07, 2026

    Wash. Appeals Court Overturns Double-Voting Conviction

    A split Washington state appeals court has overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of voting in two states, ruling that because they were different elections with separate issues and candidates, he did not violate a state voting law.

  • January 07, 2026

    Expedia Wants Singapore's Help Getting Docs In Rival's Suit

    Expedia asked a Washington federal judge to help it seek assistance from Singapore's court system to get documents from Trip.com, saying the discovery is pertinent in an antitrust case brought by representatives for a defunct Swiss competitor.

  • January 07, 2026

    Amazon Seeks To Halt Supplement Suit As FDA Nixes Rule

    Amazon called on a Seattle federal judge to pause a proposed class action accusing the e-commerce platform of failing to make certain disclosures on supplement product pages, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to revoke the so-called each panel labeling rule at the center of the case.

  • January 07, 2026

    DOJ Seeks Nod For HPE Merger Deal Over State Objections

    The U.S. Department of Justice has requested court approval for its settlement that would end a challenge of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of a networking equipment rival, despite objections raised by state enforcers over allegations of improper lobbying influence.

  • January 06, 2026

    Section 230 Knocks Down Addiction MDL, Meta Tells 9th Circ.

    Meta Platforms Inc. urged a Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday to find that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields it from sprawling social-media-addiction multidistrict litigation, arguing that the claims go to "the heart of what the statute intends to protect."

  • January 06, 2026

    Amazon Nears Deal With Flex Drivers In Tip Skimming Suit

    Amazon and a group of Flex delivery drivers told a Seattle federal judge Tuesday they've reached an agreement in principle to resolve a 2021 putative class action accusing the e-commerce giant of withholding tips, prompting the court to pause the case pending a final settlement.

  • January 06, 2026

    Tyson Foods Tries To Pare Down Meat Packer's Wage Claims

    Tyson Foods Inc. is asking a Washington federal judge to throw out the bulk of a proposed wage and hour class action, arguing that the plaintiff's amended complaint is too short on details to proceed.

  • January 06, 2026

    Amazon Seeks To 'Hot Tub' MIT Prof's Opinion In Antitrust Suit

    Amazon.com Inc. has asked a Seattle federal court for a "hot tub" hearing in a proposed consumer antitrust class action that accuses the e-commerce giant of artificially raising retail prices, saying the novel litigation technique for concurrently questioning parties' experts is needed to vet one expert's change in opinion.

Expert Analysis

  • ERISA Litigation Trends To Watch With 2025 In The Rearview

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    There were significant developments in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation in 2025, including plaintiffs pushing the bounds of sponsor and fiduciary liability and defendants scoring district court wins, and although the types of claims might change, ERISA litigation will likely be just as active in 2026, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • 2025's Defining AI Securities Litigation

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    Three securities litigation decisions from 2025 — involving General Motors, GitLab and Tesla — offer a preview of how courts will assess artificial intelligence-related disclosures, as themes such as heightened regulatory scrutiny and risk surrounding technical claims are already taking shape for the coming year, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Intentional Career-Building

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    A successful legal career is built through intention: understanding expectations, assessing strengths honestly and proactively seeking opportunities to grow and cultivating relationships that support your development, say Erika Drous and Hillary Mann at Morrison Foerster.

  • 3 Securities Litigation Trends To Watch In 2026

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    Pending federal appellate cases suggest that 2026 will be a significant year for securities litigation, with long-standing debates about class certification, new questions about the risks and value of artificial intelligence features, and private plaintiffs' growing role in cryptocurrency enforcement likely to be major themes, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Top 5 Antitrust Issues For In-House Counsel To Watch In 2026

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    With Trump administration enforcement policy having largely taken shape last year, antitrust issues that in-house counsel should have on the radar range from scrutiny of technology-assisted pricing to the return of merger remedies, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • 4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

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    The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2026

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    Heightened regulatory attention, shifting enforcement priorities and increased litigation risk mean that routine workplace decisions in 2026 will require greater discipline and foresight, including in relation to bias and inclusion training, employee resource groups, employee speech, immigration compliance, workplace accommodations, and shadow artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

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    As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.

  • The Major Securities Litigation Rulings And Trends Of 2025

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    The past 12 months saw increased regulator focus on disclosures concerning artificial intelligence, signs of growing judicial scrutiny at the class certification stage, and shifting regulatory priorities at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — all major developments that may significantly affect securities litigation strategy in 2026 and beyond, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Health, Legal Employers Face Unique Online Speech Hurdles

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    Employers in the legal and healthcare industries must consider distinctive ethical obligations and professional requirements when disciplining employees for social media posts, while anticipating an area of the law in flux as courts seek to balance speech rights and the workplace function, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

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