9/11 MDL Families Clear Immunity Hurdle To Sue Saudi Arabia

By Lauren Berg

Saudi Arabia cannot escape claims that kingdom officials helped hijackers who carried out the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a Manhattan federal judge ruled Thursday, finding that victims' families have adequately alleged their claims fall under an exception that waives the kingdom's sovereign immunity.

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IP Notebook: 'Lazy Reaction' Vids, Lafufus, Proud Boys TM

By Ivan Moreno

In this round of emerging copyright and trademark issues, Law360 delves into "lazy reaction video" lawsuits from YouTube creators who accuse others of pilfering video views, and the attempt by the creator of Labubu plush dolls to get ahead of the "Lafufu" knockoff craze.

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Ex-Katten Partner's $67M Age Bias Suit Stayed For Arbitration

By Lauren Berg

A Manhattan federal judge stayed a $67 million discrimination lawsuit brought by a former Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP partner alleging the firm pushed him out of the aircraft-finance practice group, pressured him to resign and then fired him because of his age, saying there is an arbitration agreement at play.

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Justices Asked To Limit Private Investment Fund Suits

By Jessica Corso

A group of investment funds seeking to fend off a challenge from an activist investor are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling in the case that would end the ability of private parties to file contractual disputes under the Investment Company Act.

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Lawyer Accused Of Bribing DEA Agent Cuts Deal To End Case

By Pete Brush

A Florida criminal defense attorney accused of bribing a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent for law enforcement tips entered into an agreement Thursday with Manhattan federal prosecutors that will see charges against him dropped in a year.

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Cannabis Biz Says Long Island Town Illicitly Blocked Opening

By Sam Reisman

A cannabis company alleged in a new state court lawsuit that the Long Island town of Southampton improperly invoked a local zoning law to prevent the opening of a marijuana store that had secured state approval for retail and deliveries.

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Insurer Says No Coverage For Parking Garage Death Suit

By Hope Patti

An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify a parking garage designer accused of improperly designing a facility at a New Jersey university after a man jumped from an upper level and died, telling a New York federal court that another carrier owes coverage instead.

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PBGC Must Reconsider Bakery Union's $132M Bailout Bid

By Grace Elletson

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. must formally reexamine whether union bakery drivers can collect $132 million from a federal pension rescue program, a New York federal judge said Thursday after lifting a stay on the order following the Second Circuit's decision to reject the agency's rehearing bid.

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Judge Asks If Pension Swap Without Pay Loss Triggers ERISA

By Matthew Santoni

A Pennsylvania federal magistrate judge questioned Thursday whether retirees from ATI Inc. had standing to sue over an allegedly risky switch from a defined-benefit pension plan to an insurance-backed annuity, when all of their monthly payments remained the same.

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2nd Circ. Affirms Hedge Fund Win In $87M Short-Swing Suit

By Katryna Perera

A unanimous Second Circuit panel on Thursday upheld a summary judgment win for hedge fund Armistice Capital LLC and its managing member in a derivative suit brought by a shareholder of biotechnology company Vaxart Inc., which sought disgorgement of $87 million in short-swing profits that allegedly were wrongfully obtained by the investment adviser.

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Unicoin Says SEC's $100M Fraud Suit 'Twists' Its Disclosures

By Aislinn Keely

Crypto firm Unicoin told a New York federal judge that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's claim that it ran a $100 million fraud is based on "cherry-picked" statements taken out of context and "ignores" the firm's warnings to investors within its own disclosures with the agency.

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Compliance Atty Who Duped Lender Wants New Trial

By Emily Sawicki

A compliance lawyer convicted of pilfering from a $20 million line of credit that a subsidiary of Emigrant Bank extended to his tax-lien business has asked a Manhattan federal judge to order a new trial, arguing that prosecutors' evidence is insufficient and that the charges were "multiplicitous," in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

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Ex-Fugees Rapper Ordered To Pay $6.5M In Loan Dispute

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia federal judge has ruled that former Fugees rapper Prakazrel Samuel "Pras" Michel must repay $6.5 million to a lender that accused him of fraudulently selling his music catalog while it was being held as collateral.

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Telehealth Co. Faces Investor Suit Over Revenue Reversal

By Emilie Ruscoe

Telemedicine company LifeMD Inc. and two of its executives face a proposed investor class action alleging they "recklessly" raised revenue expectations for the 2025 fiscal year in May, only to lower their forecast three months later after seeing increased costs affecting the company's men's health and weight management offerings.

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NFL, Teams Defend Stay In Licensed Merch Monopoly Case

By Elaine Briseño

The NFL, its 32 teams and Fanatics have asked a New York federal court to maintain a stay on a lawsuit that accuses them of colluding to monopolize online sales of league-licensed merchandise, arguing the outcome of a similar lawsuit is relevant to its litigation.

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World Aquatics Hit With Antitrust Claims From Pro-PED Rival

By Matthew Perlman

The organizer of sporting events that allow athletes to use performance-enhancing substances is accusing World Aquatics and others of trying to block competition by banning swimmers, coaches and supporting staff who participate in or even endorse the events.

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Real Estate Mogul Wants $51.2M Conn. Asset Freeze Reduced

By Aaron Keller

The chairman, secretary and chief financial officer of bankrupt construction management firm Gateway Development Group Inc. on Thursday asked a Connecticut judge to reconsider a $51.2 million asset freeze demanded by a Chapter 7 trustee and a minority shareholder, claiming "mathematical errors" warrant a $17 million reduction.

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Judge Rejects Reed Smith's Sanctions Bid In Doc Feud

By Joyce Hanson

A New York federal judge has ordered the new owner of international shipping company Eletson to turn over documents requested by competitor Levona as the latter company looks to vacate an allegedly fraudulent $102 million arbitral award, while also ruling that Reed Smith LLP's threat of sanctions is unfounded.

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Arnold & Porter Adds Fund Formation Expert In New York

By Tracey Read

A Lowenstein Sandler LLP fund formation and structuring co-chair has moved to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP to co-lead its investment management practice group in New York, the firm said Thursday.

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Proskauer Adds Another Structured Credit Atty From Dechert

By Andrea Keckley

Proskauer Rose LLP announced Wednesday that its structured credit team has gained another former Dechert LLP attorney in New York, touting his extensive experience with collateralized loan obligations.

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2nd Circ. Ruling Gives Banks Shield From Terrorism Liability

A recent Second Circuit dismissal strengthens the position of international banks facing claims they indirectly helped terrorist organizations and provides clearer guidance on the boundaries of secondary liability, but doesn't provide absolute immunity, say attorneys at Freshfields.

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Series

Coaching Cheerleading Makes Me A Better Lawyer

At first glance, cheerleading and litigation may seem like worlds apart, but both require precision, adaptability, leadership and the ability to stay composed under pressure — all of which have sharpened how I approach my work in the emotionally complex world of mass torts and personal injury, says Rashanda Bruce at Robins Kaplan.

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Law360 Pulse Exclusive: The Billable Hour

In this package, Law360 Pulse explores the demand for rainmakers, the continued increase of hourly rates and whether artificial intelligence will finally kill the billable hour. For all Law360 readers, click to access a sample story: Why This Small-Firm Lawyer Charges $3,000 Per Hour.

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JAG Corps Sent To DC To Fill 'Critical Vacancies'

By Courtney Bublé

Military attorneys are being sent to prosecute crimes in Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration seeks to beef up prosecutions in the nation's capital as part of the federal surge of law enforcement.

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Q&A

'Be Careful,' New Mich. Chief Judge Tells Attys When Using AI

By Danielle Ferguson

Just weeks into the job, the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is navigating challenges like an uptick in cases and the need for another magistrate judge, and has a word of warning for attorneys using artificial intelligence in their practice.

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Analysis

M&A Attys Hand Tasks To 'Machines' In Careful Embrace Of AI

By Al Barbarino

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a back-office tool in mergers and acquisitions legal work, but is increasingly embedded in core deal processes that help attorneys manage due diligence, draft agreements and assess risk.

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DOJ Targets BigLaw, Big Tech For Antitrust 'Gamesmanship'

By Bryan Koenig

The U.S. Department of Justice's top antitrust official singled out technology platforms and the BigLaw attorneys who represent them Friday for "gamesmanship" by hiding key information from merger and conduct investigators, and announced a special task force "to tackle abuses that arise in our investigations."

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit vacated a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market.

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Panel Nixes Buzbee Win Against Atty Who Aided Campaign

By Madison Arnold

A Texas state appeals court has reversed a $765,000 summary judgment awarded to personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee in a dispute with an attorney who said she was never paid for her contributions to his 2019 Houston mayoral campaign.

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

Is AI killing the billable hour — here's what general counsel need to know about how the use of artificial intelligence is affecting law firms' billing model. Anthropic has agreed to a deal to end copyright suits brought by authors who said their works were illegally used to train the company's large language model. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.​

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DOJ Swears In 3 New Board Of Immigration Appeals Members

By Britain Eakin

The Executive Office for Immigration Review announced Friday that three new Board of Immigration Appeals members — Sheila E. Gallow, Marcos Gemoets and Kathleen K. Volkert — were sworn in during a ceremony on Thursday.

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Colorado Law Firm Faces Class Action Over Data Breach

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado law firm was hit with a proposed class action in federal court after a Utah woman claimed that the firm didn't take ample measures to protect the personal information of more than 5,000 people, which was stolen in a data breach earlier this year.

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Scores On July Bar Exam Rise Amid Dip In Test Takers

By Tracey Read

The number of examinees passing the multistate bar exam in July continued to gain momentum, with near record highs seen this summer over the past 12 years, according to an announcement from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

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Exclusive

'I'm Flabbergasted': Fla. Atty's Accusers Rip Bar For Inaction

By Phillip Bantz

More than a year after it began receiving complaints that a Florida lawyer was ghosting clients, the state bar has yet to take action — highlighting what experts call a slow-moving process that can fail to keep pace with expansive alleged frauds.

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Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q2

A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the second quarter of the year.

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Hub Hires: Prince Lobel, Rubin And Rudman, Weil

By Chris Villani

The dog days of summer did little to slow the churn in the Boston legal market. Prince Lobel added a veteran cybersecurity lawyer, Rubin and Rudman made a pair of partner hires, and Weil added more attorneys from Latham.

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Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen Prosecco DOC Consortium bring an intellectual property claim against a distributor, the Serious Fraud Office bring a civil recovery claim against the ex-wife of a solicitor jailed over a £19.5 million fraud scheme, and law firm Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP sue its former client, the bankrupt Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

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Split Fed. Circ. Backs Limits On Presidential Tariff Powers

By Hailey Konnath

The Federal Circuit held Friday that President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs were improperly imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which it said makes no mention of "tariff," "duties" or "tax."

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