Aerospace & Defense

  • February 07, 2024

    Engineer Charged With Stealing Missile Detection Designs

    An engineer who worked at an unnamed Malibu, California-based technology company stole trade secrets regarding nuclear missile detection after previously seeking to aid Chinese military research, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged in a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

  • February 07, 2024

    Fla. Aircraft Co.'s Claims Narrowed In Hurricane Coverage Suit

    A Florida federal judge pumped the brakes on some of a Florida aircraft company's claims against its insurer related to its relocation in 2017 after Hurricane Irma, saying the company can't introduce previously concealed damages in the nearly $250,000 dispute. 

  • February 07, 2024

    Camp Lejeune Plaintiffs Can't Get Jury Trial In Water Suit

    A group of North Carolina federal judges overseeing the Camp Lejeune contaminated-water litigation have struck the plaintiffs' bid for a jury trial, finding the Camp Lejeune Justice Act does not clearly and affirmatively grant a right to a jury trial in an action against the government.

  • February 07, 2024

    Judge Newman's Suspension Upheld By US Panel

    The national panel that reviews judicial misconduct cases on Wednesday affirmed Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's suspension for refusing to undergo medical tests as part of a probe into her mental fitness, saying she hadn't shown good cause for not complying.

  • February 06, 2024

    SpaceX Accused Of Sex Harassment, Retaliation In Calif.

    California's Civil Rights Department has received complaints that SpaceX has fired engineers who raised concerns about sexual harassment, gender discrimination and a hostile work environment created by CEO Elon Musk's public comments, according to complaints viewed by Law360 on Tuesday.

  • February 06, 2024

    3rd Circ. Frees Coast Guard From Suit Over Rescue Attempt

    The U.S. can't be held civilly liable for the drowning death of a conch fisherman, the Third Circuit ruled Tuesday, saying the seaman's estate could only maintain claims if the U.S. Coast Guard's rescue mission had actually put the man in more danger.

  • February 06, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Review $1.3B India Award Fight

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday refused to revisit its decision overturning the enforcement of a $1.3 billion arbitral award issued to an Indian satellite communications company on jurisdictional grounds, despite a scathing dissent from several judges criticizing the appellate court's outlier position on the relevant issue.

  • February 06, 2024

    Amazon Says Class Cert. Not Appropriate In Military Bias Suit

    Claims that Amazon systematically demoted and fired workers who took military leave should not move forward on a class basis, the online retail giant said, telling a Washington federal court that evidence shows thousands of military workers took time off without a hitch.

  • February 06, 2024

    GOP Chided For Turning On Border Policies They 'Demanded'

    Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday criticized Republicans for turning on a $118 billion border security package ahead of a Senate vote scheduled for Wednesday, with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., saying Republican lawmakers were renouncing border policies they themselves insisted on.

  • February 06, 2024

    Judge Accepts DHA's Course-Correct For $65B Tricare Deal

    The U.S. Court of Federal Claims explained Tuesday why it cleared an embattled deal for healthcare services for the U.S. Department of Defense, saying the department appropriately handled claims challenging the winning company's small business participation plan.

  • February 06, 2024

    737 Max In Alaska Air Blowout Had 'Missing' Bolts, NTSB Says

    A mid-cabin panel that blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet mid-flight last month appeared to have been missing four bolts meant to secure it in place, before the aircraft was ever delivered to Alaska Airlines, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report Tuesday.

  • February 06, 2024

    Toyota Sued For Fraud Over Maintenance Plan's Value

    Toyota allegedly deceived thousands of customers by falsely claiming its maintenance plan had a "superior value" to paying for each service individually, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court Monday.

  • February 06, 2024

    Express Scripts Cites Low Bar To Keep AG Suit In Fed. Court

    Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Inc. pressed the Ninth Circuit on Monday to let it force its part of a California attorney general antitrust suit over skyrocketing insulin prices into federal court, arguing the enforcer and a U.S. district judge imposed the wrong standards in sending the case back to state court.

  • February 06, 2024

    Thousands Hit Feds With Third Suit Over Fuel Spill

    More than 2,200 military family members and civilians hit the U.S. government with a third suit over the Navy's allegedly negligent role in causing and responding to a large fuel leak affecting drinking water systems serving Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawai'i

  • February 06, 2024

    Feds Fight Sen. Menendez's Bids To Nix Charges, Split Trials

    Federal prosecutors have asked a New York federal court to reject requests from U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to dismiss his corruption case and to sever his trial from his wife's, arguing that the senator made "premature" factual arguments and incorrectly claimed immunity from prosecution as a senator.

  • February 05, 2024

    SEC's SolarWinds Suit May Chill Disclosures, Ex-Officials Say

    A group of 21 former government officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations has urged a New York federal court to consider the possible chilling effects of public-private information sharing on cyber incidents in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's case against SolarWinds.

  • February 05, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, Delaware's chancellor gave us 55 billion reasons to keep an eye on the First State in a case involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk's pay package, while the court of equity also took on cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, space flight and country music.

  • February 05, 2024

    SpaceX Can't Show Harm In Constitutional Row, NLRB Says

    SpaceX hasn't proved how the company faces harm from the litigation of an unfair labor practice proceeding over its firing of eight Elon Musk critics, the National Labor Relations Board contended, defending the constitutionality of the agency's structure.

  • February 05, 2024

    Military Store Service Sued For Not Prioritizing Blind Vendors

    A military base store service run by the U.S. Department of Defense was sued in Texas federal court Friday for allegedly violating laws prioritizing blind merchants for opportunities to operate vending facilities on military bases when it opened a Fresh Market and other shops, while removing machines owned by blind merchants.

  • February 05, 2024

    Greenberg Traurig Nabs Space Pro From Sherman & Howard

    Greenberg Traurig LLP announced Monday that it has hired former U.S. Air Force director of space law and chair of Sherman & Howard LLC's aerospace practice group Milton "Skip" Smith to head its space and satellite industry group.

  • February 05, 2024

    Discrepancy In Co. Name Can't Sink $4.5M Army Deal Dispute

    The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals has allowed an Iraqi contractor to proceed with its $4.5 million dispute over alleged unpaid invoices under a construction equipment deal, rejecting the U.S. Army's arguments that the claim and contract involved two different companies.

  • February 04, 2024

    $118B Senate Bill Proposes Sweeping Border Changes

    A group of bipartisan senators unveiled a $118 billion border security package Sunday that would usher in sweeping changes to the asylum system and boost border security measures, while providing nearly $48.5 billion in aid to Ukraine.

  • February 02, 2024

    Health Net Loses Bid To Stop $65B Contract Award

    The U.S. Department of Defense prevailed over Health Net's challenge to a $65 billion contract award to TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as a U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge ruled Friday that TriWest's bid passed fair and square.

  • February 02, 2024

    US Chamber Calls SEC SolarWinds Suit An FCPA 'Power Grab'

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday urged a New York federal court to ax the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's suit against software provider SolarWinds Corp., saying the agency is using a provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as a power grab for broader corporate policing authority.

  • February 02, 2024

    Feds Charge 9 With Trafficking Sanctioned Iranian Oil

    Nine foreign nationals have been charged with running an oil trafficking network to sell sanctioned fuel that helped finance the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization, the Department of Justice said Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

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    With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

  • Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

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    In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

  • 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

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    As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

  • Series

    In The CFPB Playbook: Abuse Policy, PACE, Payment Apps

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    From defining "abusive" conduct to implementing green energy financing to policing payment apps, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was busy last quarter. Akerman's Nora Rigby discusses all this and more in the first installment of bureau activity recaps by former CFPB personnel.

  • Opinion

    Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

  • Joint Ventures Given More Edge In Set-Aside Contract Awards

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    The recent Court of Federal Claims decision in SH Synergy prompted the General Services Administration to remold proposal evaluation schemes to favor mentor-protégé joint ventures, a business structure that has taken over the world of set-aside governmentwide acquisition contracts, say Roger Abbott and Stephen Ramaley at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • Defense Counsel Sentencing Lessons From Holmes Case

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    The recent imprisonment of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes highlights fundamental but sometimes overlooked sentencing practice points for white collar defense attorneys, from instilling a sense of narrative urgency in court submissions to researching potential prison facilities, says Jack Sharman at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • EU Sustainability Initiatives Will Affect Emissions Trading

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    The measures recently adopted by the EU in its "Fit for 55" legislative package to revise its emissions trading system and establish a carbon border adjustment mechanism have far-reaching implications for companies needing to implement changes to offset the potential effects of their business operations, say Melanie Bruneau, Giovanni Campi and Annette Mutschler-Siebert at K&L Gates.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • FARA Advisory Opinions Raise Questions For Digital Media

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's latest advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act indicate that the broad geographic reach of the internet and digital media could bring a wide variety of activities within the scope of FARA, but lawyers are left to try to discern nuggets of guidance from these heavily redacted letters, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

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    At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

  • Perspectives

    Service Members Should Have Right To Unanimous Verdicts

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    As several recent cases exemplify, service members can be convicted of crimes by nonunanimous juries in military courts and cannot appeal such verdicts, despite Supreme Court precedent from recent years — a glaring constitutional error that Congress should rectify expeditiously, says Kevin Carroll at Hughes Hubbard.

  • DC Circ.'s Perchlorate Ruling Means Regulatory Restart

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent ruling in National Resources Defense Council v. Regan, requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act, reopens a decadeslong regulatory debate and creates renewed uncertainty for companies, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Opinion

    Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice

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    The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

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