Appellate

  • April 30, 2025

    Full 6th Circ. Won't Weigh In On Stomach Bug Disability Case

    The full Sixth Circuit declined Wednesday to take up the case of a man who claimed he was fired for taking time off to recover from a stomach illness, leaving in place a ruling that the man's ailment was not a disability under federal law.

  • April 30, 2025

    Army Fights Neb. Tribe's Bid To Repatriate Children's Remains

    The U.S. Army is fighting an appeal by a Nebraska tribe to undo an order denying the repatriation of two of its children buried at a Pennsylvania boarding school cemetery, telling the Fourth Circuit that the lawsuit fails to allege facts under a law designed to protect Indigenous burial sites.

  • April 30, 2025

    6th Circ. Skeptical Of Chili's 'Culture' Rationale For Firing

    The Sixth Circuit appeared inclined Wednesday to revive an age discrimination case by a former Chili's restaurant manager, indicating that the restaurant's definition of "culture" — the reason given for his firing — has been hard to pin down.

  • April 30, 2025

    Mich. AG Says Express Scripts, Prime Fix Pharmacy Rates

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel took aim at pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics this week in a lawsuit accusing them of a price-fixing deal the state said has crippled pharmacies.

  • April 30, 2025

    NJ Panel Orders New Trial in Home Depot Slip Case

    A New Jersey state trial court erred in allowing trial evidence of a woman's medical history, prior falls and a handicapped placard in a slip-and-fall case against Home Depot U.S.A. Inc., a state appellate panel ruled Wednesday in vacating a jury verdict in favor of the retailer.

  • April 30, 2025

    3rd Circ. Sides With Pa. Transit Agency In Race Bias Suit

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Pennsylvania public transportation authority's defeat of a Black employee's lawsuit alleging she was given lower raises than white colleagues and transferred to a different department when she complained, saying she hadn't provided enough evidence to sustain her claims.

  • April 30, 2025

    Marshals Service Pick Vows To Protect Judges Amid Tensions

    President Donald Trump's nominee for director of the U.S. Marshals Service, Gadyaces Serralta, stressed to Democrats on Wednesday that the agency's mission to protect judges and enforce court orders would not change under his leadership despite increasing criticism of the bench from the president and other policymakers.

  • April 30, 2025

    McDonald's Operator Loses Assault Suit Coverage Appeal

    Two insurers were correct to deny coverage for a former Pittsburgh-area McDonald's franchisee in a lawsuit accusing it of failing to stop a supervisor from sexually harassing and assaulting underage employees, since the litigation that sent it into bankruptcy fell under exceptions to the insurance policies, a Third Circuit panel ruled Wednesday.

  • April 30, 2025

    Texas Panel Backtracks In Nate Paul's Receiver Row

    A Texas appellate court revoked its prior ruling and backed a lower court ruling that allowed an attorney acting as a receiver in one suit to take over as counsel in another suit for a company belonging to real estate investor Nate Paul, permanently dismiss its claims and counterclaims, and reach a settlement.

  • April 30, 2025

    Disbarred Atty Can't Recoup Client Advance In Insurance Fight

    A disbarred Pennsylvania attorney, who once choked a judge, was denied the right to seek compensation from an insurer for amounts he allegedly paid a client, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed, finding there was no enforceable contract between the former litigator and the insurer.

  • April 30, 2025

    Ohio Top Court Backs Challenged Solar Farm Approval

    Justices at the Ohio Supreme Court affirmed a regulatory board's approval of a 350-megawatt solar farm that some Licking County neighbors opposed — though one justice said the company developing it should have presented information about its potential negative economic impacts.

  • April 30, 2025

    NJ Panel Declines To Revive Tobacco Co.'s Tax Refund Claim

    A tobacco company cannot revive its claim for a tax refund, a New Jersey appeals court found, agreeing with the state's tax court that 2020 amendments to a regulation limiting a royalty add-back deduction must be applied retroactively.

  • April 30, 2025

    Justices Say Reservists Get Extra Pay No Matter Wartime Role

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that federally employed military reservists called to active duty during wartime or a national emergency are entitled to a top-up differential pay, regardless of their specific role.

  • April 29, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs $1.6M Pipeline Project Arbitration Award

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday unanimously affirmed a more than $1.6 million arbitration award covering stand-by costs an underground drilling company incurred on a subcontract for a pipeline construction firm, saying in a published opinion that the construction company failed to show that an arbitration panel exceeded its authority.

  • April 29, 2025

    5th Circ. Hints Exclusivity Could End Tata's $168M Woe

    A Fifth Circuit panel asked whether Tata Consultancy Services had taken trade secrets to solely build a product for a specific customer, questioning Tuesday whether to keep intact a $168 million judgment finding Tata stole an IT company's technology concerning source code and life insurance software documentation.

  • April 29, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Copyright Fight Over Sam Smith Tune

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday resurrected a copyright lawsuit over pop stars Sam Smith and Normani's 2019 hit "Dancing With a Stranger," saying a reasonable jury could find that the song's hook shares protectable lyrics, pitches and rhythm with that of a 2015 track called "Dancing With Strangers."

  • April 29, 2025

    Duke Energy Rival Tells Justices Not To Review Monopoly Suit

    Independent power producer NTE Energy is urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to review a decision that revived its monopoly suit against Duke Energy, saying the North Carolina-based company is asking the justices to issue an advisory opinion answering a hypothetical question.

  • April 29, 2025

    2nd Circ. Not Sure FCC Fine Denied Verizon's Trial Right

    Second Circuit judges questioned Tuesday why the feds couldn't fine Verizon millions of dollars for location data misuse since the telecom carrier has the option of refusing to pay and demanding a jury trial if the U.S. Department of Justice comes to collect.

  • April 29, 2025

    Ohio Justices Reinstate Trans Care Limits During AG's Appeal

    The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated state law limits on gender-affirming care for transgender youths pending Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's appeal of what he called "radical constitutional views" of an Ohio state appeals court that last month blocked the restrictions.

  • April 29, 2025

    10th Circ. Won't Touch Colo. Deportation Stay For Now

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Tuesday declined to set aside a Colorado judge's temporary halt on the removal of Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act while the Trump administration challenges the order, because the government hasn't shown its interests would be seriously harmed otherwise.

  • April 29, 2025

    Justices Wary Of Issuing 'Advisory' Ruling In Class Cert. Row

    The U.S. Supreme Court's latest attempt to address a pressing question about class certification standards may be doomed by a procedural hiccup, with a majority of justices expressing concern Tuesday that they didn't have the authority to wade into a dispute over approval of a class that contains uninjured members.

  • April 29, 2025

    After High Court Reversal, 4th Circ. OKs Asbestos Ch. 11 Plan

    The Fourth Circuit upheld on Tuesday the Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan for Kaiser Gypsum Co. Inc. and Hanson Permanente Cement Inc., which have faced a raft of asbestos injury claims, agreeing with lower courts that the plan was reached in good faith despite one insurer's objections.

  • April 29, 2025

    Insurers Say 9th Circ. Extended Tribal Jurisdiction Too Far

    A group of insurers again urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision ordering them to litigate COVID-19 coverage claims in Suquamish Tribal Court, saying Tuesday that the lower court's conception of tribal sovereignty is so broad that even the tribe is unwilling to defend it.

  • April 29, 2025

    6th Circ. Reopens Ex-Mich. County Worker's Firing Challenge

    The Sixth Circuit partially revived a former Michigan county department head's lawsuit claiming he was fired because he was in his 50s, finding Tuesday that while his age bias claim can't proceed, a reasonable jury could find he wasn't given an adequate opportunity to challenge his termination before it was finalized.

  • April 29, 2025

    Michigan Asks Justices To Sustain Remand Of Pipeline Fight

    The Michigan attorney general on Tuesday told the U.S. Supreme Court that there's no need for it to review a Sixth Circuit decision remanding to state court a lawsuit seeking to shut down an Enbridge Energy LP crude oil and natural gas pipeline.

Expert Analysis

  • Considerations As Trump Admin Continues To Curtail CFPB

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    Recent sweeping moves from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new leadership have signaled a major shift in the agency's trajectory, and regulated entities should prepare for broader implications in both the near and long term, say attorneys at Pryor Cashman.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Paves Path Out Of Loper Bright 'Twilight Zone'

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright ruling created a twilight zone between express statutory delegations that trigger agency deference and implicit ones that do not, but the Sixth Circuit’s recent ruling in Moctezuma-Reyes v. Garland crafted a two-part test for resolving cases within this gray area, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • NCAA Rulings Signal Game Change For Athlete Classification

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    A Tennessee federal court's recent decision in Pavia v. NCAA adds to a growing call to consider classifying college athletes as employees under federal law, a change that would have unexpected, potentially prohibitive costs for schools, says J.R. Webster Cucovatz at Gilson Daub.

  • Copyright Ruling Could Extend US Terminations Worldwide

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    If upheld on appeal, Vetter v. Resnik, a recent ruling from a Louisiana federal court, could extend the geographical scope of U.S. copyright termination rights to foreign territories, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Recent Cases Clarify FCA Kickback Pleading Standards

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    Two recently resolved cases involving pharmaceutical manufacturers may make it more difficult for False Claims Act defendants facing kickback scheme allegations to get claims dismissed for lack of evidence, say Li Yu at Bernstein Litowitz, Ellen London at London & Noar, and Gregg Shapiro at Gregg Shapiro Law.

  • Bankruptcy Ruling Provides Guidance On 363 Asset Sales

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    HE v. Avadim Holdings, a recent ruling from the District of Delaware, underscores the principle that rejection of executory contracts does not unwind completed transfers of property and the importance of clear and precise language in sale orders and asset purchase agreements in bankruptcy cases, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • FLSA Ruling Shows Split Over Court Approval Of Settlements

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    A Kentucky federal court's recent ruling in Bazemore v. Papa John's highlights a growing trend of courts finding they are not required, or even authorized, to approve private settlements releasing Fair Labor Standards Act claims, underscoring a jurisdictional split and open questions that practitioners need to grapple with, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Dewberry Ruling Is A Wakeup Call For Trademark Owners

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dewberry v. Dewberry hones in on the question of how a defendant's affiliates' profits should be treated under the Lanham Act, and should remind trademark litigants and practitioners that issues involving monetary relief should be treated seriously, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • A Look At The Student Loan Case Pending At Supreme Court

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    The Trump administration is likely to drop the U.S. Supreme Court case of U.S. Department of Education v. Career Colleges and Schools of Texas after its review of the 2022 borrower defense to repayment rule, but any outcome will be significant for institutions participating in programs covered by Title IV of the Higher Education Act, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • When Reincorporation Out Of Del. Isn't A Good Idea

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    While recent high-profile corporate moves out of Delaware have prompted discussion about the benefits of incorporation elsewhere, for many, remaining in the First State may be the right decision due to its deep body of business law, tradition of nonjury trials and other factors, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Perspectives

    11th Circ. Ruling Shows How AEDPA Limits Habeas Relief

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision to uphold an Alabama man's death sentence reveals how the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act can prevent meaningful review and has eroded the power of habeas corpus petitions by forcing federal courts to pay extraordinary deference to state-level rulings, says Paul Shechtman at Yale Law School.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Future Of The Superfund PFAS Rule

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent grant of a pause in litigation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviews the Biden-era designation of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous" under the Superfund law creates new uncertainty for companies — but more lawsuits are likely as long as the rule remains in effect, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • 30 Years Later: How PSLRA Has Improved Securities Litigation

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    In the 30 years since the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's passage, the statute has achieved its purpose of shifting securities class actions to investors most capable of monitoring the litigation, selecting competent counsel at competitive rates and maximizing recoveries for the investor classes they represent, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz.

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