Transportation

May 13, 2025
GM Drivers Say V-8 Engine Recall Killed Fuel Economy

A group of seven drivers have taken General Motors LLC to Pennsylvania federal court, asserting on behalf of a proposed nationwide class that the company sold them defective 6.2-liter V-8 engines and left them with a choice of either risking catastrophic failure or suffering worsened fuel economy after a recall.
May 12, 2025
Fla. Panel Says Evidence In DUI Case Was Legally Obtained

A Florida federal judge wrongly applied the probable cause standard to suppress evidence from a DUI investigation of a woman initially pulled over for a traffic stop for driving in two lanes simultaneously, an appellate court said Friday, ruling the police officer's reasonable suspicion was enough to justify the traffic stop.
May 12, 2025
Judge Blocks Oak Flat Land Transfer Until High Court Review

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the federal government from transferring an ancient Arizona Apache worship site to a copper mining company until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the dispute, saying there is no question that the tribes would suffer irreparable harm should the move proceed.
May 12, 2025
GAO Denies Protest To $36M DHS Training Task Order

The U.S. Government Accountability Office rejected a Florida-based company's protest of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's $36 million task order for training support services, saying the agency didn't need to evaluate how realistic the price offers were.
May 12, 2025
Feds Ask Tesla For More Info On Texas Robotaxi Launch

Federal auto safety regulators have asked Tesla Inc. for more information about its upcoming plans to launch robotaxis in Austin, Texas, and whether the company has determined that its Full Self-Driving, or FSD, automated driving technology can achieve "acceptably safe behavioral competency."
May 12, 2025
Boeing Execs Say Cert. Appeal Warrants Stay Of 737 Max Suit

Boeing executives have argued state pension fund litigation accusing them of putting profits over safety should be paused while the Fourth Circuit reviews the certification of a class of investors who are accusing the company and its leaders of making false statements about the 737 Max.
May 12, 2025
Green Groups Fight Feds' Effort To Rescind Bird Protections

Environmental groups on Sunday asked a Texas federal court to reject the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's effort to reverse its decision to protect two populations of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act.
May 12, 2025
Wheelchair Restraint Co. Says Fla. Rival Misled Customers

An Ohio wheelchair restraint company accused a Florida competitor of false advertising, saying in a bench trial Monday in Florida federal court that it was damaged after the rival distributed a flyer telling dealers its products were the only ones that were federally approved for use in motor vehicles.
May 12, 2025
Colo. Justices Give Green Light To Exxon, Suncor Climate Suit

The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday affirmed a lower court ruling allowing the city and county of Boulder's climate change tort against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. to proceed, saying that the claims aren't preempted by federal law.
May 12, 2025
Fla. Man Says Seat Defect Injured Him On Air France Flight

A Florida man is suing Delta Air Lines Inc. and Air France KLM SA in Georgia federal court, alleging he tripped and fell because of a malfunctioning seat at the end of an international flight, causing him serious and permanent injuries.
May 12, 2025
Unions Assert WARN Claims In Yellow Bankruptcy Appeal

The Teamsters and the International Association of Machinists are challenging a bankruptcy court's finding that Yellow Corp. is not liable for failing to tell 22,000 union workers they were about to lose their jobs because the company was folding, asking a Delaware federal judge to reverse the ruling.
May 12, 2025
Will Justices Finally Rein In Universal Injunctions?

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address for the first time Thursday the propriety of universal injunctions, a tool federal judges have increasingly used to broadly halt presidential orders and policy initiatives, and whose validity has haunted the high court's merits and emergency dockets for more than a decade.
May 09, 2025
Pa. Top Court Snapshot: Cap & Trade, Prosecutor Power

The scope of powers held by the Pennsylvania governor, the attorney general, and state and local utility authorities will take center stage in Harrisburg when the state Supreme Court convenes for its May session.
May 09, 2025
Atlanta Sued Over Ex-Cop's Sexual Assault Of Teen

The city of Atlanta and a former police officer were hit with a civil rights lawsuit from a mother and her teenage daughter who said the officer sexually assaulted the girl when he stopped under the guise of helping her after a serious car crash.
May 09, 2025
Ga. Auto Dealer Accused Of Race Bias By Ex-Workers

A Georgia automobile dealership operator has been sued in Georgia federal court by six Black former employees who allege they were discriminated against because of their race, then were fired for reporting the alleged mistreatment.
May 09, 2025
Wells Fargo Execs Sued In Del. Over 'Sham' Diversity Efforts

A Wells Fargo stockholder launched a derivative suit on Friday in Delaware's Court of Chancery seeking damages from 17 of the banking giant's directors and officers for potentially billions in costs tied to alleged "sham" diversity-focused recruitment and hiring initiatives.
May 09, 2025
Motive Pushes Back At New-Trial Bid In Fleet Monitoring IP Fight

A fleet management company has hit back at arguments that it relied on making "improper religious and racial insinuations" to a jury to beat a rival's infringement claims, saying nothing that happened in the case warrants a new trial.
May 09, 2025
Kaman Aerospace Liable For $22M In Fatal Helicopter Crash

A Montana federal jury has hit aircraft manufacturer Kaman Aerospace Corp. with a $22 million verdict over claims that it defectively manufactured a helicopter that crashed and killed a veteran pilot who was fighting a wildfire.
May 09, 2025
Funds Fight GM Push For 2nd Look At Bid To Toss Cruise Suit

Investor plaintiffs have told a Michigan federal judge that General Motors shouldn't get a second chance to avoid proposed class claims alleging its self-driving car unit Cruise LLC misrepresented the technological capabilities and commercial readiness of its autonomous vehicles.
May 09, 2025
American Airlines Wins Suit Over Teen's In-Flight Death

A Texas federal judge has sided with American Airlines Inc. in a mother's suit over her teenage son's death on a flight, finding the flight crew's "imperfect" response to her son's emergency does not constitute an "accident" under international flight law.
May 09, 2025
W.Va. Justices Say UIM Coverage Needn't Always Be Offered

West Virginia does not require commercial auto insurers to offer underinsured motorist, or UIM, coverage for all vehicles they insure, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled, answering a question from the Fourth Circuit in a dispute over a policy insuring both owned and "non-owned" vehicles.
May 09, 2025
IP Partner Rejoins Venable After Morgan Lewis Stint

Venable LLP has welcomed an intellectual property litigator back to its Washington, D.C., office after a stint at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, touting her experience advising media, consumer product and software companies on a variety of IP matters, especially those involving artificial intelligence and copyright issues.
May 09, 2025
Boeing, Alaska Air Can't Dodge Outrage Claim In Blowout Suit

A Washington state court judge has rejected attempts by Boeing and Alaska Airlines to dismiss claims for outrage brought by nearly 40 passengers over a harrowing door-plug blowout during a 737 Max flight in January 2024.
May 09, 2025
Auto Parts Mogul Challenges Order To Pay Alter Domus $127M

An auto parts manufacturer accused of failing to make good on a credit agreement urged a Michigan federal judge to undo a 2021 ruling ordering him to pay $127 million to Alter Domus, saying the administrative agent admitted it did not have a financial stake in the case.
May 09, 2025
6th Circ. Ruling Shows Toughening On ERISA Fiduciary Suits

A recent Sixth Circuit decision that backed the dismissal of a proposed class action against an auto parts maker demonstrates how appellate courts are raising the bar for cases alleging breaches of fiduciary duty under federal benefits law, experts say.

Expert Analysis

What Nearshoring Growth In Americas Means For Patents

With the new U.S. administration potentially focused on implementing draconian trade restrictions, nearshoring in the Americas is expected to grow, and patent prosecution attorneys will be kept on their toes as the patent landscape from country to country continues to evolve, says Ernest Huang at Procopio.
Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2025

The critical policy milestones for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances expected in 2025 will not only shape the trajectory of PFAS regulation, but also set key precedents for environmental accountability, potentially reshaping the corporate approach to these "forever chemicals" for decades to come, say attorneys at MG+M.
UPS Penalty Demonstrates Goodwill Impairment Red Flags

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent $45 million penalty against UPS for withholding reports of goodwill impairment should warn investors to watch for the telltale signs of companies inflating their worth by delaying tests that would reveal similar declines in the value of intangible assets, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.
Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
High Court Unlikely To Expand FSIA In Holocaust Asset Fight

Not surprisingly for a court where the majority are strict textualists, the U.S. Supreme Court justices appear poised to rule in favor of Hungary in Republic of Hungary v. Simon, reaffirming the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act as a narrow exception to jurisdiction, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.
The Fed. Circ. In 2024: 5 Major Rulings To Know

In 2024, the Federal Circuit provided a number of important clarifications to distinct areas of patent law – including design patent obviousness, expert testimony admissions and patent term adjustments – all of which are poised to have an influence going forward, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
Proactively Managing Tariff Impacts On Megaprojects

President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs may compound the complexity, duration and risks associated with financing and building large-scale infrastructure projects — so owners and contractors should plan to take possible tariff-related cost and schedule overruns into account when drafting contracts, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
New York Climate Superfund Law May Face Preemption Fight

New York state's new climate superfund law highlights a growing trend of states supplementing their climate litigation efforts with legislative initiatives — but it will likely encounter the same federal preemption questions raised about state and local lawsuits seeking redress for climate harms, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Opinion

A Federal Insurance Mandate For Private Aviation Is Overdue

A recent private plane crash in California that killed two people and injured 19 others spotlights the dangers of such occurrences — and serves as a reminder that because there is no federal requirement for general aviation pilots to carry insurance, the victims of these accidents are often unable to obtain fair compensation, says Timothy Loranger at Wisner Baum.