Feds Probe Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' Over Traffic Violations

By Linda Chiem

The U.S. auto safety regulator is investigating Tesla's advanced driver-assistance system known as Full Self-Driving after reports of accidents involving vehicles operating with FSD that have run red lights or crossed into opposing lanes of traffic.

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Tort Report: Nuked 'Nuclear Verdict' Stays, Texas Justices Say

By Y. Peter Kang

The fate of a "nuclear verdict" that was used to jump-start tort reform campaigns across the country and a settlement of a suit over a Kiss guitar technician's death lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

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Nissan, Drivers Reach Deal To End Faulty Brake Claims

By Emily Field

Nissan North America Inc. and drivers on Thursday reached a settlement in principle in Tennessee federal court that would end multistate claims alleging the automatic braking systems in certain Nissan vehicles would sometimes trigger and cause the cars to stop suddenly, creating an unpredictable hazard.

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Judge Narrows Evidence Ahead Of Boeing 737 Max Trial

By Ben Adlin

A Washington federal judge on Thursday ruled on which evidence will be allowed in a Nov. 3 trial in LOT Polish Airlines' lawsuit against Boeing, in which LOT accuses the aerospace giant of tricking it into leasing defective 737 Max jets that were later grounded after two fatal crashes.

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Tire-Maker Takes 13 Revived Asbestos Suits To NC High Court

By Hayley Fowler

Continental Tire is asking North Carolina's top court to review whether more than a dozen workers' compensation cases linked to alleged asbestos exposure at one of its factories should carry on, saying the claimants cannot skirt the results of a bellwether trial.

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Mich. Justices Mull Tort Damages Bar For Nonresident Drivers

By Carolyn Muyskens

Members of Michigan's Supreme Court on Thursday expressed reservations about an intermediate appellate court's decision that nonresidents who fail to carry Michigan insurance for a vehicle they regularly drive in the state can recover tort damages after a car accident.

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7th Circ. Denies Rehearing In Harley-Davidson Warranty Case

By Matthew Perlman

The Seventh Circuit again affirmed the dismissal of customers' challenge to terms and conditions in Harley-Davidson's motorcycle warranties that limit coverage when third-party parts are used.

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First Brands Creditor Wants Examiner After $2.3B 'Vanished'

By Clara Geoghegan

First Brands creditor Raistone Capital urged a Texas bankruptcy judge to appoint an independent examiner in the car parts maker's Chapter 11 case, saying no one has been held accountable for up to $2.3 billion that "simply vanished."

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Roundup

Q3 Notches Biggest Megadeal Quarter In Three Years

By Al Barbarino

The value of global mergers and acquisitions worth $10 billion or more hit $289.5 billion in the third quarter, the highest since the second quarter of 2022, according to a report provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence on Thursday.

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BNSF Must Face Trial Over Mont. Woman's Death On Tracks

By Y. Peter Kang

A Montana federal judge on Thursday refused to toss a suit accusing BNSF of causing the death of a woman hit by a train while walking her dog, saying it should be up to a jury to decide if the railroad failed to provide adequate signage in the area.

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Brief

Ohio Judge OKs Trimmed Norfolk Southern Derailment Suit

By Isaac Monterose

An Ohio federal judge approved on Thursday a joint dismissal motion filed by two kennel owners and Norfolk Southern that will permanently toss the kennel owners' property claims from their derailment suit against the railroad company.

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Air Force Accused Of Mishandling Drone Deal

By Tom Lotshaw

A Virginia company asked the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Wednesday to block an Air Force deal to boost drone-fighting capability, saying that the military branch claimed to have never received its timely and lower-cost proposal despite email records to the contrary.

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AIG Says Dock Builder Can't Avoid $1.8M Yacht Fire Lawsuit

By Ganesh Setty

An AIG unit urged a Florida federal court Thursday to reject a contractor's claims it can't be held liable for more than $1.8 million in coverage payments over a yacht fire caused by dock wiring that lacked ground fault protection, arguing the state building code required such protection.

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FERC Nixes Ban On Pipeline Work During Project Appeals

By Keith Goldberg

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has scrapped a rule barring construction activities on gas infrastructure projects when approvals are being challenged, saying it's no longer necessary and bogs down the development of needed infrastructure.

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Judge Tosses San Juan Climate Suit Against Energy Cos.

By Keith Goldberg

A federal judge has dismissed San Juan, Puerto Rico's lawsuit linking energy giants' alleged concealment of fossil fuels' effects on climate change to a pair of hurricanes, saying it's indistinguishable from a recently dismissed suit brought by other Puerto Rico municipalities.

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USPTO Says Overturned PTAB Invalidation Can't Be Appealed

By Dani Kass

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is urging the Federal Circuit to turn away an appeal from Verizon Connect Inc., whose successful challenge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board was overridden by the acting director.

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Civil Maritime Nuclear Sector Poised For Growth, Challenges

The maritime industry now stands on the verge of a nuclear-powered renaissance, with the need for clean energy, resilient power generation and decarbonized logistics driving demand for commercial maritime nuclear technology — but these developments will raise significant new legal, regulatory and technical questions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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What 2 Recent Rulings Mean For Trafficking Liability Coverage

Two recent federal district court decisions add to a growing number of courts concluding that Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act claims may trigger coverage under commercial general liability policies, rejecting insurer arguments regarding public policy and exclusion defenses, says Joe Cole at Shumaker.

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Series

Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

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Up Next At High Court: Voting Rights & Warrantless Entries

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court will return Tuesday to hear oral arguments in four cases, including a dispute over the constitutionality of the last remaining provision of the Voting Right Act and whether federal prisoners seeking postconviction relief are subject to the same rules as state inmates.

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Atty's Due Process Claims Challenging Disbarments Trimmed

By Emily Sawicki

A former attorney has had most of a due process suit fighting his disbarment in Florida and reciprocal discipline in Massachusetts and New York thrown out, with a Manhattan federal judge finding that New York lacks personal jurisdiction over out-of-state disciplinary officials.

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CFTC Crypto Task Force Head Returns To Akin

By Aislinn Keely

The former head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Digital Asset Task Force has left the agency to return to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as senior counsel in its white collar defense and government investigations practice.

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9th Circ. Flouting 'Imperial Judiciary' Warning, Judges Assert

By Jeff Overley

A large contingent of Ninth Circuit judges accused colleagues Friday of ignoring recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions limiting legal remedies in politically charged disputes, adding fresh fuel to a heated debate over the judiciary's handling of suits against the Trump administration.

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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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Roundup

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

By Laura Stewart Liberty

This past week in London has seen Paddington Bear's creators and Studio Canal sue the company behind Spitting Image, Blackpool Football Club's former owner Owen Oyston bring a fresh claim against the club, and Mishcon de Reya sue a Saudi investment group.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the full Ninth Circuit held that denials of California anti-SLAPP motions can no longer be appealed in the midst of litigation.

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NJ Senate President Calls For Monitor Of State AG Unit

By Madison Arnold

New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari on Friday called for the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, saying it has been troubled with failed prosecutions, botched investigations and misconduct.

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Ga. Judge Charged With DUI At Florida Strip Club

By Chart Riggall

The Georgia judge who heads up the state's council of superior court jurists was arrested for driving under the influence outside a Jacksonville, Florida, strip club this week after hitting another vehicle with his Mercedes, according to arrest records.

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Brief

Bill Would Let Judges, Prosecutors Carry Concealed Guns

By Courtney Bublé

Two Republicans have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow current and retired federal judges and state, local and federal prosecutors to carry concealed firearms in response to increasing concerns about judicial security.

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Sue Reisinger

It is of little solace to general counsel that most big law firms hiked their billing rates this year just slightly less than last year's increase. And it looks like Elon Musk is settling with the former chief legal officer and the general counsel of Twitter, along with two other executives, over their suit to obtain millions in promised severance pay. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

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Retribution, Intent Claims May Defuse Bombshell James Case

By Phillip Bantz

The Trump administration's indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James is tightly crafted and offers a straightforward presentation of the government's case, but experts say James appears to have a strong argument that she did not intend to break the law and is being unfairly targeted for what amounts to a minor offense.

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