Trump Admin Can't Undo Block On Drug Rebate Program

By Carolyn Muyskens

A First Circuit panel has refused to lift a district judge's block on a Trump administration plan to pilot a rebate model for a federal drug discount program that benefits low-income patients, saying the federal government is unlikely to win its appeal.

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US Atty In NY Northern District Serving Unlawfully, Judge Says

By Stewart Bishop

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday held that the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York is unlawfully serving in his position, the latest in a string of rulings disqualifying prosecutors appointed by President Donald Trump.

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5th Circ. Wary Of Giving Investors Another Go At Lumen Suit

By Spencer Brewer

A Fifth Circuit panel wanted to know why a group of investors should get another shot at a class action against Lumen Technologies Inc. for allegedly covering up its lead-covered copper cables, asking Thursday if the investors told the lower court how they would amend their pleading.

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Courts Back Agencies Despite Loper Bright Ruling, DOJ Says

By Kat Lucero

Appellate courts have mostly upheld federal agencies' interpretation of ambiguous statutes, including tax disputes, even after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 landmark decision that limited agency deference, a U.S. Department of Justice attorney said Thursday.

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9th Circ. Redo Raises New Issues On Abortion Coverage Law

By Rachel Riley

A Ninth Circuit panel that previously sided with Washington in a church's challenge to a state law mandating employer health coverage of abortion services voiced fresh concerns about both sides' positions when revisiting the case Thursday, roughly six months after rescinding the initial opinion without explanation.

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La. Judge Is Senate's 1st Judicial Confirmation Of 2026

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 53-40 on Thursday to confirm former acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook to be a district judge in the Western District of Louisiana.

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New Assistant AG For Fraud Will Report To White House

By Courtney Bublé

Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday the creation of a new assistant attorney general role for fraud, which will be overseen by him and the president.

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Ill. Judge Wary Of Ending Force Suit In Light Of Minn. Shooting

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge on Thursday appeared hesitant to allow plaintiffs accusing immigration officials of using excessive force against Chicago press and peaceful protesters to voluntarily end their case, saying she had concerns in light of continued enforcement operations in Illinois as well the shooting this week of a woman by an immigration officer in Minneapolis.

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Brief

House OKs $540M For Imperiled Legal Services Corp.

By Emily Sawicki

The "minibus" appropriations bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes a lifeline $540 million allocated toward the nonprofit Legal Services Corp. — representing a reduction of $10 million, or 3.6%, compared to fiscal year 2025's budget — whose funding the White House previously suggested should be slashed.

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Trump Seeks $6.2M In Legal Fees In Ga. Election Case

By Chart Riggall

President Donald Trump asked a state judge Wednesday to award him more than $6.2 million in legal fees from his Georgia election interference case, invoking a recent state law allowing defendants to recoup their expenses from public coffers if their prosecutors are disqualified for misconduct.

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Fed Eyeing Carveouts For Confidentiality Label, Bowman Says

By Jon Hill

The Federal Reserve's top bank regulator signaled openness to easing restrictions around so-called confidential supervisory information, or CSI, saying the label has grown so broad that it can obstruct collaboration and reduce regulatory accountability.

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NY Mortgage Cos. Face New 'Equitable Access' Lending Rules

By Jon Hill

New York has finalized new rules that extend community-lending obligations to mortgage companies in the state, a move that officials said Thursday will promote regulatory parity and fairness as nonbank lenders outpace traditional banks in the mortgage market.

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Sen. Ag Committee To Hold Crypto Markup Next Week

By Aislinn Keely

The Senate Agriculture Committee intends to hold its own markup of a bill to regulate crypto markets the same day as its Banking Committee counterparts, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

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Brief

Wyoming's First-Of-Its-Kind Stablecoin Up For Purchase

By Aislinn Keely

The public can now purchase Wyoming's state-issued stablecoin through crypto exchange Kraken, a first for a public entity, the state's stablecoin project announced Thursday.

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Alito Recuses From Chevron, Exxon Coastal Pollution Case

By Keith Goldberg

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday recused himself from considering Chevron and ExxonMobil's effort to place Louisiana pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era production in federal court, just days before the justices hear oral arguments in the case.

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EPA's Water Rule Dispute Paused Amid Legal Uncertainty

By Crystal Owens

A North Dakota federal judge is holding in abeyance seven states' challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule revision that considers tribal rights in addressing water quality standards until the agency determines if it wants to defend the final law or start a new rulemaking process.

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NC Wins Appeal To Use Smithfield Funds For Enviro Grants

By Hayley Fowler

The North Carolina Attorney General's Office can continue putting money from a decades-old hog waste agreement toward environmental grants, a state appeals court panel ruled, overturning a lower court order earmarking the money exclusively for public schools.

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Trump Admin Says Climate Grant Class Suit Is Moot

By Keith Goldberg

The Trump administration has told the D.C. Circuit that a proposed class action accusing it of illegally terminating a $3 billion environmental justice block grant program is moot because Congress has rescinded the funds that green groups and local governments are seeking to recover.

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11th Circ. Told Gov't Knew Of Facility's Impact To Everglades

By David Minsky

Nonprofit groups told the Eleventh Circuit that the Trump administration withheld information on the environmental impact of an immigrant detention center located in the Everglades, saying the federal government worked closely with Florida officials before constructing the facility. 

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Wilderness Society Sues Feds Over Land Sale Records

By Joyce Hanson

A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wilderness is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior and other federal agencies, saying they have violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to share records about Trump administration efforts to sell public lands.

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Organ Procurer Says CMS Rule Will Toss Industry Into Chaos

By Mark Payne

A North Carolina-based organ procurement organization wants a federal court to toss aside a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule taking effect this year that will alter how organ procurers are certified, arguing the rule pits them against one another in a "Hunger-Games-style" competition.

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Brief

Texas AG Says P&G Is Updating Kid Fluoride Crest Label

By Emily Field

The Texas attorney general said Wednesday that Procter & Gamble has agreed to place information about the recommended amount of fluoride toothpaste for children on its packaging in order to show the accurate amount on its Crest toothpaste for children.

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Legal Services Atty Named Top NYC Human Rights Enforcer

By Grace Elletson

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tapped a lawyer from a group that provides free legal services to low-income clients to spearhead the city's human rights enforcement body.

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5th Circ. Pushes TSA On $48M Refund Fine Against Southwest

By Spencer Brewer

A Fifth Circuit judge laughed aloud at the Transportation Security Administration's statement that it lacks the capacity to refund a security service fee to millions of passengers, questioning Thursday why Southwest Airlines Co. should get dinged with a $48 million fine for failing to refund the fee to some passengers.

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Brief

Rep. Floats Bill To Require Tesla Manual Door Releases

By Jonathan Capriel

Tesla Inc. vehicles will be required to have both inside and outside manual door handles if a recently proposed U.S. House bill is made law, with the bill's sponsor calling it a "basic safety standard" that would save lives.

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6th Circ. Says Immunity Dooms Mich. Farm's Zoning Fight

By Lauren Berg

The Sixth Circuit will not revive a Michigan couple's lawsuit against their township related to a heated dispute over zoning approvals for selling cider and hosting events at their farm, saying the farm owners have not shown the local officials should be stripped of their qualified immunity.

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Miami Dade College Seeks Judge DQ In Trump Library Case

By Emily Johnson

Miami Dade College said a Florida state judge should be disqualified from presiding over a dispute concerning its transfer of land to the state for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library, arguing that the judge thanked and hugged the retired Florida International University professor challenging the transfer and discussed facts that weren't in court documents.

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Colo. City's Urban Renewal Suit Dismissal Upheld

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado Court of Appeals panel found Thursday that a lower court was correct to dismiss a complaint as moot against the city of Loveland from a group of citizens and former council members alleging the City Council at the time voted on an urban renewal plan without approval from voters.

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4 Executive Pay Trends Attorneys Will Be Watching In 2026

By Kellie Mejdrich

A potentially sweeping overhaul simplifying the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's disclosure regime for public company executive compensation will be top of mind for executive pay practitioners as they look for new developments in the coming year. Here's a look at this and three other areas they'll be keeping an eye on.

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Pa. Board Can't Review Court Firing Over 'FAFO' Freebies

By Matthew Santoni

The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board lacks jurisdiction to review an Adams County probation officer's firing over passing out stress balls with the irreverent acronym "FAFO" on them, since it did not fit a narrow union-related exemption to the courts' broad authority over their employees, a state appellate court said Thursday.

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States Can't Block HPE Integration Amid Deal Review

By Matthew Perlman

A California federal court refused Thursday to bar Hewlett Packard Enterprise from further integrating with Juniper Networks while state enforcers raise objections to a U.S. Department of Justice settlement allowing the merger to move ahead.

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FTC Battles Edwards On Eve Of Heart Valve Merger Deadline

By Bryan Koenig

The Federal Trade Commission asked a D.C. federal judge for a last-minute extension on an order blocking Edwards Lifesciences' $945 million acquisition of JenaValve Technology Inc., fearing difficulty with unscrambling the egg if the block expires Friday, the judge rejects its merger challenge and the deal closes before the agency can appeal.

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NYAG Presses Instacart On Algorithmic Pricing Compliance

By Sarah Jarvis

The New York Attorney General's Office on Thursday sent a letter to Instacart requesting information about the online grocery shopping platform's compliance with a new state law on the use of algorithmic pricing following a report indicating users were being charged different prices for the same products.

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Fed. Circ. Says Crocs' Appeal Of Split ITC Loss Came Too Late

By Theresa Schliep

The Federal Circuit on Thursday rebuffed Crocs Inc.'s efforts to save its request for an import ban against companies it accused of importing footwear infringing its trademarks, finding the company was too late in challenging the mixed ITC ruling that generated two appeal deadlines.

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Fed. Circ. Backs Trade Court's Rejection Of Cheaper Duty Bid

By Jack McLoone

A Federal Circuit panel Thursday affirmed a U.S. Court of International Trade judge's determination that a Christmas ornament seller imported its Chinese-made goods to Canada with the intention of selling them in the U.S. and therefore isn't entitled to a cheaper duty rate.

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IRS Floats Changes To Third-Party Settlement Payments

By Anna Scott Farrell

The Internal Revenue Service floated changes Thursday to withholding rules for organizations such as PayPal and Venmo that make payments to settle third-party network transactions, saying the move would align regulations with an increase to the threshold for tax reporting.

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Audits Get Final Word On Economic Substance, IRS Atty Says

By Kat Lucero

IRS attorneys provide legal guidance during audits on whether a transaction lacks economic substance, but examiners make the ultimate determination, an agency associate chief counsel said Thursday while explaining how the agency applies a powerful anti-abuse tool in audits.

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Minn. Protesters Seek Injunction To Bar Excessive Force

By Britain Eakin

A group of Minnesota residents urged a federal judge on Wednesday — the day a federal agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her vehicle — to quickly block federal immigration officers from using excessive force on protesters and observers.

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Minnesota Says White House Can't Force It To Help ICE

By Ganesh Setty

Minnesota urged a federal judge to toss a Trump administration lawsuit seeking to block the state from enforcing its sanctuary policies, arguing that compelling it to help carry out immigration enforcement would encroach on its sovereignty.

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Truckers Sue Over Calif. Immigrant Drivers License Freeze

By Linda Chiem

A group representing Chinese American truckers sued the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging the sweeping federal crackdown on immigrant truck drivers has forced California to freeze issuing or renewing all nondomiciled commercial driver's licenses, including those for qualified drivers with lawful status who are being deprived of due process.

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Ex-Budget Official's Atty Stays On Case At Judge's Urging

By Aaron Keller

Despite an order allowing him to withdraw over a $65,000 fee dispute, a lawyer for former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos Diamantis late on Thursday agreed to remain on a case after a federal judge urged him to consider seeking payments under the Criminal Justice Act.

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FCC's 6 GHz Plan Relies On Geofenced 'Exclusion Zones'

By Christopher Cole

More details emerged Thursday about how the Federal Communications Commission plans to shield existing users from interference as it raises some device power levels in the 6 gigahertz spectrum band.

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FCC Waives Call Consent Revocation Rule Until Early 2027

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission has heeded the call of companies asking it to push a deadline for complying with a rule that makes it easier for people to opt out of robotexts, saying Thursday that businesses will have until 2027 to comply.

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AT&T Asks To Keep Extension After LA-Area Copper Theft

By Nadia Dreid

AT&T needs more time before it can be required to provide telecommunications services in Los Angeles again, the telecom behemoth has told the Federal Communications Commission, because it's still struggling to combat a recent rash of copper thefts.

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Satellite Co. Pays $175K To End FCC's Team Telecom Case

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission has agreed in return for a $175,000 payment to end its probe into whether a Luxembourg satellite company violated a national security deal with the U.S. government.

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Brief

FCC Updates 'Covered List' To Remove Some Drones

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission announced that it will be pulling from its covered list certain drones and related components that the agency says no longer pose a risk to national security after consultation with the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Fla. Entrepreneur Urges Court To Halt RI Pot Licensing

By Jonathan Capriel

Rhode Island's cannabis authority should be temporarily blocked from following a rule that forbids issuing licenses to out-of-state residents, a Florida entrepreneur told a federal court, saying his lawsuit slamming the state's residency rule as unconstitutional is likely to succeed.

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What To Know About NY's Drastic 3rd-Party Practice Changes

Last month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law establishing new time limits for the commencement of third-party actions, which will have dramatic effects on insurance defense practice, particularly cases involving construction site accidents or claims of premises liability, says Shawn Schatzle at Lewis Brisbois.

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2025's Defining AI Securities Litigation

Three securities litigation decisions from 2025 — involving General Motors, GitLab and Tesla — offer a preview of how courts will assess artificial intelligence-related disclosures, as themes such as heightened regulatory scrutiny and risk surrounding technical claims are already taking shape for the coming year, say attorneys at Cooley.

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Key Trends For Life Sciences Cos. To Watch In 2026

Following a year of drastic change at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, two themes are likely to drive the coming year — a commitment to lowering the cost of drugs and an inherent tension between the priorities of the health agencies and the broader administration, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

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How Rule 16.1 Streamlines And Validates Mass Tort Litigation

The new Rule 16.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure not only serves a practical purpose by endorsing early, structured case management and dispositive motion practice in multidistrict litigation, but also explicitly affirms the importance of MDL practice in the justice system, says Rocco Strangio at Milestone.

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How 11th Circ.'s Zafirov Decision Could Upend Qui Tam Cases

Oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit last month in U.S. ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates suggests that the court may affirm a lower court's opinion that the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act are unconstitutional — which could wreak havoc on pending and future qui tam cases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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ERISA Litigation Trends To Watch With 2025 In The Rearview

There were significant developments in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation in 2025, including plaintiffs pushing the bounds of sponsor and fiduciary liability and defendants scoring district court wins, and although the types of claims might change, ERISA litigation will likely be just as active in 2026, say attorneys at Groom Law.

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3 DC Circ. Rulings Signal Shift In Search And Seizure Doctrine

A trio of decisions from courts in the District of Columbia Circuit, including a recent order compelling prosecutors to return materials seized from James Comey’s former attorney, makes clear that continued government possession of digital evidence may implicate the Fourth Amendment, says Gregory Rosen at RJO.

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Series

Mass. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

Among the most significant developments on the banking regulation front in Massachusetts last quarter, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced her bid for reelection, and the state Division of Banks continued its fintech focus by finalizing rules implementing a new money transmitter law, say attorneys at Nutter.

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Series

Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

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Calif. Judge Will Resign, Cop To Workers' Comp Fraud

By Lauren Berg

A California state judge has agreed to resign and plead guilty to a felony fraud charge after prosecutors alleged he knowingly hired a physician previously convicted of healthcare fraud to prepare medical reports to submit to the state's workers' compensation program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

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