AI Will Transform Patent Examination For The Better

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's increasing use of artificial intelligence tools will result in patents that are more thoroughly vetted, and patent applicants and practitioners will need to adapt their drafting strategies and address stronger and more sophisticated rejections, say attorneys at Troutman.

Hybrid Claims In Antitrust Disputes Spark Coverage Battles

Antitrust litigation increasingly includes claims for breach of warranty, product liability or state consumer protection violations, complicating insurers' reliance on exclusions as courts analyze whether these are antitrust claims in disguise, says Jameson Pasek at Caldwell Law.

Drug Ad Crackdown Demonstrates Admin's Aggressive Stance

Recent actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services targeting pharmaceutical companies' allegedly deceptive advertising practices signal an active — potentially even punitive — intent to regulate direct-to-consumer advertising out of existence, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

Series

Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

Trending At The PTAB: Petitioners' Settled Expectations

Recent Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions show that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new "settled expectations" factor is no longer the exclusive domain of patent owners and can also provide petitioners with viable pathways to argue against discretionary denial, say attorneys at Finnegan.

9th Circ. Ruling May Help Pharma Cos. Avert Investor Claims

The Ninth Circuit's recent decision affirming the dismissal of a securities fraud class action alleging that Talphera deceived investors by marketing a drug with a misleading slogan should give plaintiffs pause before filing similar complaints where snappy slogans are accompanied by copious clarifying information, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

Junior Attys Must Beware Of 5 Common Legal Brief Mistakes

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Junior law firm associates must be careful to avoid five common pitfalls when drafting legal briefs — from including every possible argument to not developing a theme — to build the reputation of a sought-after litigator, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

Opinion

State AGs, Not Local Officials, Should Lead Public Litigation

Local governments’ public nuisance lawsuits can raise constitutional and jurisdictional challenges, reinforcing the principle that state attorneys general — not municipalities — are best positioned to litigate on behalf of citizens when it is warranted, says former Utah Attorney General John Swallow.

3rd Circ. Clarifies Ch. 11 3rd-Party Liability Scope Post-Purdue

A recent Third Circuit decision that tort claims against the purchaser of a debtor's business belong to the debtor's bankruptcy estate reinvigorates the use of Chapter 11 for the resolution of nondebtor liability in mass tort bankruptcies following last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Purdue Pharma, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

Texas Suit Marks Renewed Focus On Service Kickback Theory

After a dormant period at the federal level, a theory of kickback enforcement surrounding nurse educator programs and patient support services resurfaced with a recent state court complaint filed by Texas against Eli Lilly, highlighting for drugmakers the ever-changing nature of enforcement priorities and industry landscapes, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

Series

Power To The Paralegals: How And Why Training Must Evolve

Empowering paralegals through new models of education that emphasize digital fluency, interdisciplinary collaboration and human-centered lawyering could help solve workforce challenges and the justice gap — if firms, educators and policymakers get on board, say Kristine Custodio Suero and Kelli Radnothy.

Series

Playing Softball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My time on the softball field has taught me lessons that also apply to success in legal work — on effective preparation, flexibility, communication and teamwork, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

5 Years In, COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Landscape Is Shifting

As the government moves pandemic fraud enforcement from small-dollar individual prosecutions to high-value corporate cases, and billions of dollars remain unaccounted for, companies and defense attorneys must take steps now to prepare for the next five years of scrutiny, says attorney David Tarras.