Appellate

  • May 17, 2024

    Many Plans Already In Front Of 11th Circ. Trans Health Ruling

    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision that a county health plan's coverage exclusion for gender transition surgery violated federal anti-discrimination law likely won't have a big impact on plans because they have already made adjustments for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling the appeals court applied, experts say.

  • May 16, 2024

    Buckle Up: CFPB's High Court Win Will Thaw Frozen Docket

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is walking away from the U.S. Supreme Court with its funding and rulebook intact, a victory that caps off years of constitutional wrangling over how the agency was set up and will usher in a wave of activity that has financial services attorneys bracing for impact.

  • May 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Let Alexa Users Revive Voice Data Privacy Row

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to reinstate a proposed class action alleging Amazon's Alexa software illegally collects voice data to target users with advertisements, agreeing with the lower court that the e-commerce giant had clearly disclosed the practice and the plaintiffs hadn't shown they were harmed.

  • May 16, 2024

    6th Circ. Still Won't Rethink Sanctions Against Trump Attys

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday once again denied a bid from former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and other attorneys to reconsider sanctions issued against them after they challenged the 2020 presidential election results in Michigan, holding that the attorneys must seek permission for future filings given their history of "meritless motions."

  • May 16, 2024

    No Double Jeopardy In Philly Execs' Embezzlement Case

    Two former Philadelphia nonprofit executives convicted for an embezzlement scheme weren't subject to double jeopardy when a judge rescheduled trial after several jurors left, the Third Circuit ruled Thursday, reasoning that the court had no other choice.

  • May 16, 2024

    DC Circ. Mulls Rolling Back Pipeline Safety Regs Over Cost

    The industry group challenging a handful of pipeline safety standards told a D.C. Circuit panel on Thursday that there will be "no fight" between it and the government on one of the regulations if the court simply rules that two terms that the agency maintains have the same definition do mean the same thing.

  • May 16, 2024

    Convicted Insurance Mogul Says He'll Trim Empire

    Convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg told the North Carolina Supreme Court he's relinquishing control of portions of his enterprise to fulfill a deal to restructure them with independent oversight, according to court filings.

  • May 16, 2024

    Thomas, Alito: Two Originalists, Two Takes On CFPB Case

    U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — often birds of a feather — butted heads Thursday over the original meaning and purpose of the U.S. Constitution's appropriations clause in a decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's unique funding scheme, highlighting what experts describe as the pair's different approaches to originalism.

  • May 16, 2024

    Texas Court Tosses $222M Verdict In Worker Burn Death Suit

    A Texas appeals panel on Thursday tossed a $222 million jury verdict in a suit alleging a piping repair company failed to properly service a faulty relief valve that caused a Kansas power plant worker's burn death, saying the Lone Star State was not the proper forum for the suit.

  • May 16, 2024

    3rd Circ. Shuns Teva's 'Novel' Appeal On Israeli Investor Class

    The Third Circuit on Thursday turned away an appeal brought by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., saying the class certification stage was not the right time to hear arguments over the "novel" question of the applicability of U.S. securities laws to Israeli-listed shares.

  • May 16, 2024

    Metal Co., Supplier Will Pay $14M To Settle NJ Pollution Suit

    New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin unveiled a $14 million settlement Thursday between the state's Department of Environmental Protection and the once-owners of a former metal etching facility and its supplier for their alleged role in contaminating groundwater with trichloroethylene in northern Bergen County.

  • May 16, 2024

    High Court Told USPTO's Address Requirement Is Dangerous

    A North Carolina trademark law firm is taking its fight against a new rule requiring trademark applicants to provide their home addresses all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, telling the justices that this requirement publicized "the home addresses of victims of domestic violence and stalking, as well as celebrities and other public figures."

  • May 16, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Grills Sherwin-Williams, PPG On Coating Patents

    The judges of the Federal Circuit had tough questions for both sides Thursday as Sherwin-Williams Co. appealed a jury verdict that its beverage can coating patents are invalid due to earlier patents issued to PPG Industries Inc., which was accused of infringement.

  • May 16, 2024

    Trial Stream Failure Doesn't Violate Rights, Colo. Panel Finds

    A Colorado state appeals court ruled Thursday that a trial that was livestreamed with inadequate audio and video did not violate the defendant's right to a public trial because there were still seats available in an open courtroom.

  • May 16, 2024

    Houston Hospital Must Face Patient's Improper Care Claims

    A split Texas appellate court gave a patient a second shot at his lawsuit accusing Houston Methodist Hospital of botching his post-surgery care, finding Thursday that an expert report supporting the patient's allegations was adequate to survive a dismissal bid.

  • May 16, 2024

    Ex-Pistons Guard Denied Bail For Healthcare Scheme Appeal

    A former Detroit Pistons point guard was denied bail Thursday while he appeals his conviction and 18-month prison sentence in a case where prosecutors accused ex-players of defrauding the NBA's healthcare plan.

  • May 16, 2024

    3rd Circ. Revives Wesco Retirees' ERISA Fee Case

    The Third Circuit reinstated a proposed class action Thursday accusing Wesco Distribution Inc. of letting its employee retirement plan pay exorbitant administrative fees, ruling a trial court's "partly valid" criticisms of the suit weren't enough to warrant dismissal.

  • May 16, 2024

    EPA Doctor Not A Whistleblower For Slamming Lead Plan

    A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pediatrician and epidemiologist who publicly criticized the EPA's plan to reduce lead in drinking water as inadequate is not protected by federal whistleblower law, the Federal Circuit said Thursday.

  • May 16, 2024

    High Court Decision Requiring A Stay Raises More Questions

    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision Thursday finding that federal courts must honor a request to stay a case after ordering the dispute into arbitration leaves an important subsequent question unresolved: What happens if neither party requests a stay?

  • May 16, 2024

    NY High Court Blocks Doctor's Hospital Shooting Injury Suit

    New York's highest court on Thursday reversed a finding allowing a doctor to sue Bronx-Lebanon Hospital over his injuries from a 2017 shooting, finding that a lower appeals court was wrong to decide that a lack of evidence of the shooter's motivation rebuts the assumption that the injuries arose from his employment and fall under the state Workers' Compensation Board.

  • May 16, 2024

    11th Circ. Denies Ayahuasca Church's Bid For Rehearing

    The Eleventh Circuit has refused to grant an en banc rehearing to a Florida church that wanted to use ayahuasca as a sacrament, leaving in place an appellate ruling that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration properly denied a religious exemption from federal law against the psychedelic substance.

  • May 16, 2024

    Democrats Prod Justice Thomas on RV Loan, Tax Treatment

    Two Senate Democrats have asked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' attorney to respond to what they called a failure to answer their questions about the justice's $267,000 loan from a healthcare industry executive to finance a luxury recreational vehicle, saying the loan treatment could have violated federal tax laws.

  • May 16, 2024

    La. Parties Split On How Voting Law Alters Consent Decree

    A civil rights group told the Fifth Circuit on Thursday that a Louisiana state law enacted two weeks before the court reconsidered whether to dissolve a 30-year-old voting consent decree was enough to end its dispute, but disagreed with the state over the dissolution process for the consent decree determining how the state's high court justices are chosen.

  • May 16, 2024

    Gilead, Teva Want 17 HIV Drug Antitrust Appeals Consolidated

    Gilead Sciences Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals are asking the Ninth Circuit to consolidate 17 appeals contesting their win in a case alleging they delayed generic versions of HIV medications, saying the three groups of buyers are raising largely the same issues but refuse to commit to combining their briefs.

  • May 16, 2024

    Ex-Ga. Coach Says Earlier Race Suit Doesn't Bar Title VII Suit

    A former Georgia high school football coach, who alleged his contract was terminated because of his race, urged the Eleventh Circuit to revive his suit against the Valdosta City School District on Thursday, arguing the dismissal of an earlier suit against school board members does not bar this suit.

Expert Analysis

  • When Trade Secret Protection And Nat'l Security Converge

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    The Trump administration's anti-espionage program focused on China is over, but federal enforcement efforts to protect trade secrets and U.S. national security continue, and companies doing business in high-risk jurisdictions need to maintain their compliance programs to avoid the risk of being caught in the crosshairs of an investigation, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Strategies For Defense Attys To Subpoena A Nonparty Witness

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    Federal criminal defendants seeking to subpoena potentially exculpatory information from nonparty witnesses must satisfy a stringent standard and should consider several often overlooked arguments to assure courts they’re not engaging in a fishing expedition, says James Roberts at Schlam Stone.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • ESG Challenges In Focus After Sierra Club Opposes SEC Rule

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    The Sierra Club's recent objection to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate-related disclosures for investors presents an unusual — pro-disclosure — legal challenge and an opportunity to take a close look at the varying critiques of ESG regulations, say Colin Pohlman, and Jane Luxton and Paul Kisslinger at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Opinion

    High Court Should Settle Circuit Split On Risk Disclosures

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    The U.S. Supreme Court should grant the petition for writ of certiorari in the Facebook case to resolve a growing circuit split concerning when risk disclosures can be misleading under federal securities laws, and its decision should align with the intent of Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, says Richard Zelichov at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand

    If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • High Court's Jan. 6 Rioter Case May Have Wide Ripple Effects

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    The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in Fischer v. United States, a case that will determine whether a law enacted after the Enron scandal can be used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters, and could affect the government’s ability to charge those who impede a range of official proceedings, say Brook Dooley and Sara Fitzpatrick at Keker Van Nest.

  • 5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS

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    The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.

  • CORRECTED: Endoscope Patent Case Offers Guidance On Right To Repair

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    An Alabama federal court's decision in Karl Storz v. IMS reaffirmed that product owners have broad rights to repair or modify their property as they see fit, highlighting the parameters of the right to repair in the context of patent infringement, say Dustin Weeks and Dabney Carr at Troutman Pepper. Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this article and headline attributed the Karl Storz ruling to the wrong court. The error has been corrected.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • How A Motion Before Justices May Help Trump Beyond Court

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    Even if Donald Trump loses his presidential immunity claim before the U.S. Supreme Court, the delay created by the motion may mean a trial can't be completed before the November election, says Paul Tuchmann at Wiggin and Dana.

  • Opinion

    $175M Bond Refiled By Trump Is Still Substantively Flawed

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    The corrected $175 million bond posted by former President Donald Trump on Thursday to stave off enforcement of the New York attorney general's fraud judgment against him remains substantively and procedurally flawed, as well as inadequately secured, says Adam Pollock of Pollock Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

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