11th Circ. Backs MetLife Benefits Denial To Ex-Troutman Atty

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday upheld MetLife's early win in a former commercial litigation attorney's fight for additional long-term disability benefits related to a bipolar disorder diagnosis, backing a Florida federal court's decision to uphold the insurer's determination she was no longer disabled under the terms of the plan.

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Turning Point Loses Fee Bid In Trump Campaign Music Suit

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia federal judge refused to grant Turning Point Action's request for attorney fees after it beat copyright claims tied to music played at President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign events, finding the lawsuit wasn't frivolous or filed in bad faith.

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Teva, Cooper Cos. Argue FDA Approval Barred IUD Update

By Chart Riggall

Teva Pharmaceuticals on Thursday urged a Georgia federal judge to hand it a summary judgment win ahead of a bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation over an IUD's alleged propensity for breakage, arguing a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval blocks claims over the product's design and warning labels.

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Data Breach Suit Against Circle K Franchisee Wraps Up

By Kelcey Caulder

A group of ex-workers who sued a franchisee of gas and convenience store chain Circle K over a May 2024 data breach have agreed to end their proposed class action, according to a Georgia federal court filing. 

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11th Circ. Upholds Pregnancy Center Vandalism Conviction

By David Minsky

The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday upheld a 120-day prison sentence for a Florida woman convicted of vandalizing crisis pregnancy centers across the state, disagreeing that she cannot be prosecuted under a conspiracy statute for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

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Ala. County Must Face Inmate Death Claim, 11th Circ. Rules

By Mark Payne

An Eleventh Circuit panel ruled Thursday that no Alabama state law prevents a county from facing liability for an incarcerated person's death after substandard healthcare from a third-party medical provider the county hired. 

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Rule Amendments Pave Path For A Privilege Claim 'Offensive'

Litigators should consider leveraging forthcoming amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which will require early negotiations of privilege-related discovery claims, by taking an offensive posture toward privilege logs at the outset of discovery, says David Ben-Meir at Ben-Meir Law.

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Series

My Miniature Livestock Farm Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Raising miniature livestock on my farm, where I am fully present with the animals, is an almost meditative time that allows me to return to work invigorated, ready to juggle numerous responsibilities and motivated to tackle hard issues in new ways, says Ted Kobus at BakerHostetler.

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Bonus Spotlight

Law Firms Begin Upping The Ante For Associate Bonuses

By Tracey Read

Trial boutique Wilkinson Stekloff LLP is exceeding the year-end associate bonus scale set by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, announcing bonuses late Wednesday that are 150% of market.

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CFPB Will Shift Remaining Lawsuits Over To DOJ

By Jon Hill

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be handing off its enforcement lawsuits and other litigation to the U.S. Department of Justice as the Trump administration prepares for the consumer agency to run out of money, Law360 has learned.

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Analysis

Trump's Epstein Directive Puts SDNY Prosecutor In A 'Pickle'

By Phillip Bantz

Manhattan chief federal prosecutor Jay Clayton appears to have been backed into a "horrible" corner with a "no-win" outcome as a result of a directive from President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats, experts say.

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Comey Says DOJ's Conduct 'Shocks The Conscience'

By Hailey Konnath

James Comey on Thursday reiterated his request that the U.S. Department of Justice be forced to disclose all grand jury materials related to his indictment, noting the government has conceded that the grand jury never saw the operative indictment and saying the purported misconduct "shocks the conscience."

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NJ Panel Expands Scope Of Ex-Reed Smith Atty's Bias Claims

By Rose Krebs

A New Jersey appellate panel on Thursday ruled that a former Reed Smith LLP attorney is entitled to pursue more damages and obtain expanded wage data in her gender discrimination suit against the firm, saying a trial court incorrectly applied certain statutes when it limited the damages and data she could seek.

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X Corp. Ends $90M Fee Suit Against Wachtell

By James Mills

X Corp. has ended its California state lawsuit against Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz over $90 million in legal fees tied to the fight over Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, according to a court filing.

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Analysis

Meta Loss Shows Time Not On Enforcers' Side In Tech Cases

By Bryan Koenig

Meta's triumph over a Federal Trade Commission antitrust case Tuesday hinged on a D.C. federal judge's finding that the company lacks a monopoly in the present day, highlighting some of the challenges of using slow-moving litigation to challenge fast-moving markets.

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Senate Panel OKs Miss. Judge, US Atty Nominees After Delay

By Courtney Bublé

After weeks of holdup, nominees for Mississippi federal courts and U.S. attorneys were voted out of committee on Thursday, following an impasse between Republican senators.

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Brief

Senate Passes Bill To Protect State Judges From Threats

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to beef up security for state and local judges.

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DOJ Antitrust Chief Says Agriculture A 'Top Priority'

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Department of Justice's top antitrust official said enforcers have already opened several investigations in the agriculture sector, including into meatpackers at the direction of President Donald Trump, and called the industry a "top priority" for the agency.

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