Ill. Dem Candidate, Others Indicted Over Blocking ICE Vehicle

By Dorothy Atkins

Federal prosecutors have hit a Democratic congressional candidate and five others with an indictment in Illinois federal court, alleging they violated federal laws by blocking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent's vehicle during a September protest outside an ICE facility in suburban Chicago.

Indictment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Seek More Briefing In Chicago National Guard Fight

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court requested additional briefing Wednesday in relation to the Trump administration's request to send hundreds of federalized National Guard troops into Chicago, deferring for at least one more week the court's decision on whether to lift an Illinois federal judge's order barring the deployment.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

7th Circ. Skeptical Of Bid To Toss Ex-Atty's Bribery Conviction

By Celeste Bott

Judges on a Seventh Circuit panel appeared doubtful Wednesday of a former attorney's contention that he never bribed ex-Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and was merely seeking to hire him for a legal matter.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chicago Metra Says Union Pacific's $2.3M Fees Claim Is Invalid

By Linda Chiem

Chicago's commuter rail system Metra has asked an Illinois federal judge to toss Union Pacific's lawsuit alleging Metra owes more than $2.3 million for the use of three Union Pacific-owned lines amid an ongoing contract dispute, saying a federal rail regulator still needs to determine any owed compensation.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wells Fargo Says Ex-Executive's Whistleblower Suit Fails

By Sydney Price

Wells Fargo on Wednesday asked an Illinois federal judge to dismiss a suit from a former high-ranking testing and validation executive who said she was ultimately terminated for flagging reporting inaccuracies, arguing the plaintiff did not correctly report the alleged activity and failed to state a claim.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Union Pacific Gets OK To Challenge BIPA Exemption Denial

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge gave Union Pacific the green light on Tuesday to ask the Seventh Circuit to determine mid-case whether he correctly held the Biometric Information Privacy Act's government contractor exemption applies only when a violation occurs within the scope of a government contract.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Dems Spotlight Risks Of Crypto, Private Equity In 401(k) Plans

By Grace Elletson

The Trump administration's support for cryptocurrency and other private market investments in American retirement plans is "dangerous," a group of Democratic senators told two agencies tasked with carrying out an executive order that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to feature such assets.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Greenpeace Gets Dakota Pipeline Damages Cut To $345M

By Hailey Konnath

A North Dakota state judge Wednesday reduced a jury's $666 million damages award against Greenpeace to $345 million in litigation claiming the group falsely disparaged the Dakota Access Pipeline project during environmental protests, finding that some of the damages awarded by the jury weren't backed by evidence.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Schools Point To Apple Ruling In Financial Aid-Fixing Case

By Matthew Perlman

The remaining universities being accused of fixing financial aid offerings have told an Illinois federal court that a recent decision decertifying a class of Apple consumers supports denying a class certification bid from the former students.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Says State AGs Can't 'Second-Guess' HPE Merger Deal

By Bryan Koenig

The U.S. Department of Justice and Hewlett Packard Enterprise separately urged a California federal judge Tuesday not to let a dozen state attorneys general peek behind the controversial settlement clearing HPE's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks, arguing public comment, not direct intervention, is their appropriate role.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

7th Circ. Halts Daily Court Appearances For CBP Official

By Celeste Bott

The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday paused an Illinois federal judge's order requiring a top Border Patrol official overseeing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge in Chicago to appear before her every weekday ahead of a Nov. 5 preliminary injunction hearing.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PE-Backed Medical Supplies Giant Medline Files For IPO

By Yeji Jesse Lee

Private equity-backed medical supplies giant Medline has filed for its long-awaited initial public offering, eyeing a return to public markets four years after being taken private through a large buyout. 

SEC Filing attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AG Watch: Illinois A Key Player In State-Level Enforcement

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has systematically strengthened his office to fill federal enforcement gaps, oppose Trump administration mandates and advance state policy objectives, particularly by aggressively pursuing labor-related issues, say attorneys at Troutman.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

How A 9th Circ. False Ad Ruling Could Shift Class Certification

The Ninth Circuit's July decision in Noohi v. Johnson & Johnson, holding that unexecuted damages models may suffice for purposes of class certification, has the potential to create judicial inefficiencies and crippling uncertainties for class action defendants, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Meet The Judge Hearing Comey's, James' US Atty Challenges

By Jack Karp

The South Carolina federal judge who will consider former FBI Director James Comey's and New York Attorney General Letitia James' challenges to the authority of the interim U.S. attorney who brought separate criminal charges against them is known for her rigorous preparation and exacting standards.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Comey Wins Bid For Judge Oversight In Privilege Dispute

By Jared Foretek

A Virginia federal judge has appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick to preside over the privilege review of seized materials in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against former FBI Director James Comey, denying the DOJ's proposal for an outside "filter team" of government attorneys to conduct the review themselves.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ Attys Punch Up Governor's Race With Campaign Funds

By Jake Maher

New Jersey's legal community has donated more than $900,000 to the gubernatorial candidates this election, with the Democrat surpassing the Republican in contributions, campaign finance records show.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Habba Cites Essayli Ruling To Defend Role In NJ Cases

By Carla Baranauckas

The U.S. Department of Justice has urged the Third Circuit to reinstate Alina Habba's authority in two criminal prosecutions, arguing a recent California ruling backs her power to supervise cases as first assistant, even if she's barred from acting as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey under federal vacancy law.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sidley's 'Incomplete' Story Hid Fraud Scheme, Family Says

By Chart Riggall

A family alleging they were roped into an illegal tax sheltering scheme on the advice of a former Sidley Austin LLP attorney have urged a Georgia federal judge to keep their suit against the firm alive, arguing that a jury should decide when the family knew enough about the fraud to move forward with their claims.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Copyright Rules For AI Creations Too Strict, IP Panel Says

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Copyright Office's rule barring registration of works created entirely by artificial intelligence systems may be overly strict and unlikely to endure, according to a panel of legal experts who discussed the matter Wednesday at the American Intellectual Property Law Association's annual conference in D.C.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judges Say Judicial Freedom Key To Maintaining Rule Of Law

By Rachel Konieczny

Colorado state and federal judges provided a glimpse Wednesday into how courts decide cases when facing current challenges to the rule of law, agreeing that judicial independence is paramount to maintaining the heart of the United States' legal system.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

4 Things To Know About Fla. Bar Admissions Reform Ideas

By Madison Arnold

A work group has issued its final report on possible changes to bar exam admission requirements in Florida, proposing 12 potential alternatives to the current system of requiring graduates to come from law schools accredited by the American Bar Association.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Defamation Litigation Roundup: Drake, Biden, Greenpeace

By Theresa Schliep

In this month's review of defamation fights, Law360 highlights notable developments in California's anti-SLAPP law following a major Ninth Circuit opinion, as well as a decision — and appeal — in Drake's fight with his record label over Kendrick Lamar's diss track.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »