Meta Celebrates 'Abuse' Of Atty-Client Privilege, Judge Told

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge ordered Meta on Tuesday to rereview privilege designations on 300 documents in social media addiction litigation, after plaintiffs' lawyers cited a "culture of privilege abuse" epitomized by Instagram swag hats embroidered with "a/c priv" — the shorthand used to log withheld documents.

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Womble Bond Can't Quit Dutch Client With TM Trial Looming

By Hayley Fowler

Womble Bond Dickinson can't withdraw from a trademark feud that's dragged on for more than five years between U.S. and Dutch software companies, a North Carolina federal judge ruled, saying the firm's exit at this late stage "would be completely disruptive."

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Mich. Fed. Judge On 1-Year Leave Over Drunken Driving Case

By Jack Karp

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is taking a one-year paid leave of absence from the bench following his misdemeanor conviction for drunken driving, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday.

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Split Ga. High Court Dismisses Former Judge's Ethics Cases

By Emily Johnson

A split Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday found that a former state judge committed several ethics violations, including wrongly jailing a witness in a divorce case, but tossed the charges because she resigned from the bench, although dissenting justices said the court should use its authority to discipline her.

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Fla. Justices Seek No-Pay Discipline In Judge's Ethics Case

By Madison Arnold

The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to sign off on a public reprimand and suspension for a state judge who admitted to ethics violations in connection with her election campaign, saying it would do so only if the suspension was without pay.

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Ga. Justices Say Missed Deadline Warrants Atty's Suspension

By David Aaro

Georgia's highest state court imposed a six-month suspension on an attorney because of his handling of a personal injury case, finding Tuesday he violated state rules by not filing required written expert reports and failed to pay for sanctions in a timely manner.

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Judge Sinks Patent Judgments Against Chilisin In Cyntec Suit

By Adam Lidgett

A California federal judge has nullified judgments against Chilisin Electronics Corp. in a patent case from Cyntec Co. over Cyntec's failure to disclose an agreement to license a pair of its patents to Apple, while also agreeing to sanction Cyntec's counsel.

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NJ Justices Take On Atty DQ In Injury Cases After J&J Ruling

By Rose Krebs

New Jersey's Supreme Court has agreed to review the disqualification of an attorney from representing plaintiffs in several cases over injuries at Sky Zone trampoline parks after a trial court ruled the attorney's retention of a former company safety official as an expert could prejudice proceedings.

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Panel Hints Hill Wallack May Face Revived Malpractice Suit

By Carla Baranauckas

A New Jersey state appeals court panel on Tuesday appeared troubled by a trial judge's decision to toss a malpractice suit accusing Hill Wallack LLP of mishandling the defense of a family facing labor trafficking allegations, repeatedly asking counsel whether the lower court made the factual findings required before imposing the system's harshest sanction.

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Law Firm Says Illinois Tollway Owes Limo-Crash Defense Fees

By Celeste Bott

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is being sued in Illinois state court by a Chicago law firm claiming the agency has failed to pay attorney fees for its defense in litigation over a catastrophic 2016 limousine crash.

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NJ Prosecutor's Office Claims Immunity In Video-Sharing Case

By George Woolston

A New Jersey county prosecutor's office urged a state court to toss a suspended police officer's suit alleging it improperly shared a video of her meeting with its investigators about gender discrimination and internal affairs complaints.

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Ga. Justices Mull Reviving Injury Firm Client Solicitation Suit

By Kelcey Caulder

Georgia's justices pressed a personal injury law firm Tuesday on whether an attorney's racketeering case accusing it of using confidential crash reports to land clients was rightly dismissed, hinting that the lower courts might have held the claims to too high a bar.

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Atty Urges 4th Circ. To Reverse Liability For Client's Taxes

By Asha Glover

A Baltimore attorney asked the Fourth Circuit to reverse a lower court's order that he cover unpaid federal income taxes owed by his client's holding company, saying he didn't engage in self-dealing.

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Seyfarth Says Data Breach Exposed Social Security Numbers

By Hailey Konnath

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has disclosed a recent data breach that exposed the names and Social Security numbers of at least 300 individuals, according to notices filed with the Texas and California attorneys general.

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