Appellate

  • April 22, 2024

    Calif. High Court Says Pretrial Inmates Can't Get Min. Wage

    The California Supreme Court on Monday ruled that pretrial detainees who work while in jail are not entitled to minimum wage and overtime claims under California's labor law, finding the state's penal code permitting such work covers nonconvicted individuals.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ill. Panel Relieves Insurer Of $8.3M Cracker Caper Judgment

    An insurer was relieved of covering a dispute between cracker manufacturers, an Illinois state appeals panel affirmed, finding allegations of equipment theft that led to an $8.3 million judgment against Distinctive Foods LLC constituted non-covered intentional interference with RyKrisp LLC.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Skeptical Staying Arbitration Cases Burdens Courts

    The U.S. Supreme Court tackled Monday whether courts should stay or dismiss suits headed to arbitration, with some justices appearing skeptical of the argument that tossing the suits burdens courts less than pausing litigation.

  • April 22, 2024

    High Court Probes Homeless 'Status' In Camping Ban Suit

    U.S. Supreme Court justices probed the limits of what might be considered criminalizing status amid oral arguments Monday over whether an Oregon city's law banning camping on public property violates the Eighth Amendment's bar on cruel and unusual punishment.

  • April 22, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, Delaware's Chancery Court news included a Tesla announcement about moving to Texas, a midcase appeal of Tripadvisor's move to Nevada, and United Airlines' escape from a stockholder suit. Disputes about board entrenchment, squeeze-out mergers, co-founder fallouts and deadly ice cream moved ahead.

  • April 22, 2024

    11 State AGs Urge Senate To Confirm Mangi For 3rd Circ.

    A group of 11 attorneys general is calling on the Senate to confirm Adeel Mangi, nominee for the Third Circuit, who would be the first federal Muslim appellate judge if confirmed, condemning allegations that he is antisemitic or anti-law enforcement.

  • April 22, 2024

    Trump, NY AG Reach Deal To OK $175M Fraud Appeal Bond

    Donald Trump's lawyers agreed Monday to bond conditions requiring the former president to give up control of his $175 million cash deposit pending appeal of a $465 million civil fraud judgment, staving off scrutiny from both the New York attorney general and the judge who entered the award.

  • April 22, 2024

    High Court Turns Away Ex-HP Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up a former Hewlett Packard employee's challenge to a Fourth Circuit decision finding he wasn't entitled to a jury trial over allegations that he was fired for seeking accommodations to treat an arthritic toe.

  • April 22, 2024

    Mass. Justices Say For-Profit Biz Can't Duck Billboard Tax

    A for-profit advertisement company cannot get a tax exemption for its management of billboards owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, the state's high court said Monday.

  • April 22, 2024

    High Court Denies US Soccer Petition In Antitrust Challenge

    The U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by the U.S. Soccer Federation asking it to dismiss for good a suit by a sports promoter accusing it of violating antitrust law by refusing to sanction international pro soccer games on American soil.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices To Mull Atty Fees For Preliminary Injunctions

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case that could determine whether litigants can receive attorney fees for "prevailing" in a case by winning a preliminary injunction, despite never securing a final judgment.

  • April 22, 2024

    High Court Won't Review Texas Mail-In Ballot Age Restriction

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review a Texas election law that allows voters 65 and older to use mail-in ballots without an excuse but requires younger voters to prove they won't be able to attend in-person voting, a change residents claimed unconstitutionally limited young peoples' right to vote.

  • April 22, 2024

    Supreme Court Will Hear Feds' Ghost Guns Ban Appeal

    The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from the federal government seeking to block an injunction excluding two companies from a rule classifying so-called ghost gun kits as firearms.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Skip How Mid-Litigation Changes Affect Standing

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left in place a Third Circuit ruling that plaintiffs must reestablish standing when defendants cause circumstances to change mid-litigation, ending a Pennsylvania attorney's challenge to the state's new anti-bias and harassment professional conduct rule.

  • April 22, 2024

    Supreme Court Denies Amazon Bid To Review Arbitration Scope

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied Amazon's bid to review a Ninth Circuit decision on whether last-mile delivery drivers are exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Won't Probe Athlete's Interest In NCAA Eligibility

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left in place a Fourth Circuit decision finding student athletes lack a business or property interest in their eligibility to play on the college level even though they can now be compensated for it.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Won't Hear Bakery's Arbitration Exemption Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to again examine a carveout to a federal arbitration law for interstate transportation workers, in a case involving baked goods delivery drivers, after already issuing a decision in a similar case.

  • April 22, 2024

    Justices Won't Weigh If Domino's Drivers Arbitration-Exempt

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday passed on reviewing whether Domino's Pizza truck drivers are interstate transportation workers who are exempt from federal arbitration requirements, declining to pave the way for a ruling that could have expanded or narrowed the arbitration carveout.

  • April 22, 2024

    Supreme Court Won't Review Vanda's IP Obviousness Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s request for review of how the Federal Circuit is deciding whether patents are invalid as obvious, ending the company's attempt to revive patents covering its sleep disorder drug Hetlioz.

  • April 19, 2024

    CFPB Seeks 5th Circ. Do-Over In Credit Card Late Fee Case

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pushing for the Fifth Circuit to reconsider its rejection of a transfer out of Texas for a lawsuit challenging the agency's $8 credit card late fee rule, warning the decision was wrong on key facts and could prove a "boon for forum-shopping plaintiffs" if left in place.

  • April 19, 2024

    A Cannabis Constitutional Fight, And The Calif. Atty Behind It

    Federal appellate courts are mulling multiple challenges to state and local cannabis licensure programs, all brought by one California-based attorney and each alleging that the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution must apply to federally illegal marijuana.

  • April 19, 2024

    Feds Say Texas' Reliance On Justices In SB 4 Case Is Misplaced

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Fifth Circuit on Friday that contrary to Texas' contention, two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions don't knock down a district court injunction stopping Texas officials from arresting and deporting migrants suspected of crossing the border without authorization.

  • April 19, 2024

    Uber, Lyft Ask Justices To Review Calif. Arbitration 'Loophole'

    Uber Technologies and Lyft Inc. asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a California appellate court's decision rejecting their efforts to force into arbitration coordinated litigation alleging they misclassified drivers as independent contractors, saying the Golden State is trying to "create a loophole" in the Federal Arbitration Act.

  • April 19, 2024

    Panel Voices Concern Over Prior-Convictions Evidence Rule

    A federal judicial committee overseeing evidence rules on Friday grappled with ideas to fix a rule broadly allowing defendants to be cross-examined regarding their prior convictions, with the group's research chair noting the directive is often misapplied.

  • April 19, 2024

    Ga. Judges Find No 'Magic Wand' For Voting Rights Suits

    In a series of recent trials challenging Georgia’s election laws, federal judges have shown a reluctance to dictate sweeping changes to state voting protocols, preferring to tinker around the edges while leaving broad policymaking up to legislative officials.

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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