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Trials
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August 29, 2024
Backpage Co-Founder Gets 5 Years In Prostitution Case
The co-founder of defunct classifieds service Backpage.com was sentenced in Phoenix federal court to five years behind bars after he was convicted for his role in a $500 million prostitution scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.
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August 29, 2024
Ill. Judge Overrules Dismissal For 6 Paraquat Cases
An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss several cases in multidistrict litigation over the herbicide paraquat, finding that even though counsel didn't fill out questionnaires on time, it was because he was left the sole attorney in the firm after others quit.
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August 29, 2024
Feds Say Ex-BigLaw Atty Can't Shake OneCoin Conviction
Federal prosecutors have told the Second Circuit that former Locke Lord LLP partner Mark S. Scott has "greatly exaggerate[d]" the importance of testimony from a government witness, some of which was later shown to be perjury, in a bid to have his money laundering conviction reversed.
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August 29, 2024
Cisco Wants Mistrial Over Judge Albright's Claim Construction
Cisco Systems Inc. has asked prolific patent jurist U.S. District Judge Alan Albright to declare a mistrial in a suit accusing it of infringing a server patent, arguing Judge Albright has been using a different claim construction at trial than his prior guidance suggested.
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August 29, 2024
Bannon Again Seeks Bail As DC Circ. Considers Rehearing
Imprisoned former Donald Trump adviser Stephen Bannon asked a D.C. federal judge on Thursday to reimpose his bail while he waits to hear whether an appeals court will give another look at his contempt of Congress conviction.
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August 29, 2024
T-Mobile Seeks Full 4th Circ. Look At Simply Prepaid TM Fight
T-Mobile is asking for an en banc rehearing after a Fourth Circuit panel revived a Virginia-based cellphone company's infringement suit against it, telling the court that Simply Wireless didn't meet the correct standard of "deliberate and continuous" use of its trademarked "Simply Prepaid" branding to bar use of the phrase by other entities.
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August 28, 2024
Hunter Biden's Addiction Expert Knocked Out Of Tax Trial
A California federal judge on Tuesday barred Hunter Biden's expected addiction expert from testifying in his upcoming trial on tax charges, saying the expert's opinions hadn't been clearly linked to the specifics of Biden's own struggle.
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August 28, 2024
SEC To Embattled NC Insurance Exec: Show Us The Money
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking to force a convicted insurance mogul at the center of an alleged $57 million fraud to tell it what happened to the money he's accused of stealing from the insurance companies he ran, arguing in a North Carolina federal court that his answers thus far don't add up and that he shouldn't be allowed to rely on them at his upcoming trial.
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August 28, 2024
WARF Can't Revive Apple Patent Fight After Axed $506M Verdict
The Federal Circuit ruled Wednesday that the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation cannot pursue new allegations that Apple infringes its circuit patent, after a previous $506 million verdict against the tech giant was thrown out on appeal.
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August 28, 2024
Feds' Bribery Case 'Rotten From The Start,' ComEd Four Say
Former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore and her three co-defendants have asked an Illinois federal judge to acquit them on all counts, arguing their bribery convictions cannot stand because the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling narrowing the scope of a federal corruption law confirmed the government's case "has been rotten from the start."
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August 28, 2024
Game-Maker Zynga Can't Ax IBM Patent Ahead Of Sept. 9 Trial
The video game developer behind "Farmville" and "Words with Friends" failed Wednesday to convince a Delaware federal judge that claims in an IBM patent cover ideas too routine for patent protection, allowing the tech giant to bring those claims before a jury trial scheduled for early next month.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Rejects Brady Violation Claim In CWA Conviction
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Seattle barrel cleaning company owner's conviction for dumping chemical-laden wastewater into public sewers, rejecting his argument that federal prosecutors kept information from the jury about the immigration status of a key witness who worked for him.
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August 28, 2024
2nd Circ. Affirms Ex-GE Engineer's Espionage Conviction
A General Electric Co. engineer convicted of conspiracy to commit economic espionage lost his bid Wednesday to undo his conviction, with a three-judge panel on the Second Circuit affirming the judgment of the New York district court.
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August 28, 2024
Wash. AG Fears Kroger Will Move Goalposts For Merger Trial
The Washington Attorney General's Office told a state court Wednesday that Kroger refuses to commit to sticking with the current terms of its divestiture package in its merger with Albertsons, which the state fears would unfairly "move the goalposts" less than three weeks before a trial on the state's merger challenge kicks off.
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August 28, 2024
NY Biz Group Rips FTC Suit Over $8.5B Luxury Handbags Deal
A New York City business group is urging Empire State Democratic lawmakers to oppose the Federal Trade Commission's "ideologically motivated litigation" to block an $8.5 billion deal that would bring together brands including Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Coach.
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August 28, 2024
Pa. Ex-Cop Faces Feb. Trial On Trimmed Jan. 6 Charges
A D.C. federal judge set a February date for Joseph Fischer's Jan. 6 Capitol attack trial, clearing the way for the former Pennsylvania cop to be tried by prosecutors after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the obstruction of Congress charge in his case.
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August 28, 2024
Attys Duel Over Fees After $12.8M Deal In Chiquita MDL
Attorneys for different sets of plaintiffs in long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitary groups are facing off over attorney fees after a settlement in the case.
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August 28, 2024
Ex-Defender Opposes Bid To Fix Record In Harassment Case
A former assistant public defender in North Carolina who lost her suit accusing the judiciary of botching her sexual harassment complaint has called out mistakes in the trial transcripts but opposed the government's method for correcting them, calling the proposal "fundamentally unfair."
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August 28, 2024
Judge Adds $2.4M To $2M IP Verdict Against Mining Co.
A Texas federal judge ordered a Norwegian mining company to pay $2.4 million, on top of a $2 million jury verdict, covering oil drilling device sales made after they were found to infringe a rival's intellectual property.
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August 28, 2024
Silvera Elevated To Deputy Chief Admin Judge for NYC Courts
Administrative Judge Adam Silvera of New York County Supreme Court, Civil Term, has been appointed deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City courts.
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August 28, 2024
Palin Wins New NYT Libel Trial As 2nd Circ. Chides Rakoff
The Second Circuit granted Sarah Palin a new trial Wednesday in her defamation suit against The New York Times, holding that U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff biased the verdict in favor of the newspaper and "usurped" the jury's role by erroneously tossing the case during deliberations.
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August 27, 2024
Walmart Has To Face EEOC Again After Losing Bias Trial
The Seventh Circuit gave the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission another chance Tuesday to force Walmart to boost its disability accommodation training after a jury found it intentionally discriminated against an employee with Down syndrome, and affirmed what was originally a $125 million jury verdict later reduced to $419,000.
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August 27, 2024
Boston Cop's Family Sues Girlfriend, Bars For Wrongful Death
The family of John "J.J." O'Keefe, the Boston police officer allegedly killed by his girlfriend Karen Read, filed a wrongful death suit against her and two local bars where the couple were seen before his death.
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August 27, 2024
Judges Upend Alaska Airlines Loss, Blame Jury Instruction
A Washington state appeals court on Tuesday threw out a jury verdict granting an Alaska Airlines flight attendant workers' compensation for catching COVID-19 while away from home for her job, in an opinion that said a jury instruction misstated a legal doctrine covering traveling workers.
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August 27, 2024
Fed. Circ. Won't Speed Up Apple Watch Ban Appeal
The Federal Circuit on Tuesday denied Apple Inc.'s request to expedite oral arguments in its appeal challenging the U.S. International Trade Commission's decision banning the tech giant from selling Apple Watches with a "blood oxygen" feature in the Masimo patent case.
Expert Analysis
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Lower Courts May Finally Be Getting The Memo After Ciminelli
A year after the U.S. Supreme Court again limited prosecutors' overbroad theories of fraud in Ciminelli v. U.S., early returns suggest that the message has at least partially landed with the lower courts, spotlighting lessons for defense counsel moving forward, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Series
Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
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3 Surprising Deposition Dangers Attorneys Must Heed
Attorneys often do not think of discovery as a particularly risky phase of litigation, but counsel must closely heed some surprisingly strict and frequently overlooked requirements before, during and after depositions that can lead to draconian consequences, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.
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Money, Money, Money: Limiting White Collar Wealth Evidence
As courts increasingly recognize that allowing unfettered evidence of wealth could prejudice a jury against a defendant, white collar defense counsel should consider several avenues for excluding visual evidence of a lavish lifestyle at trial, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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9th Circ. Ruling Shows Lies Must Go To Nature Of Bargain
The Ninth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Milheiser decision, vacating six mail fraud convictions, clarifies that the key question in federal fraud cases is not whether lies were told, but what they were told about — thus requiring defense counsel to rethink their strategies, say Charles Kreindler and Krista Landis at Sheppard Mullin.
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Opinion
New Guidance On Guilty Plea Withdrawals Is Long Past Due
In light of the Sentencing Reform Act's 40th anniversary, adding a new section to the accompanying guidelines on the withdrawal of guilty pleas could remedy the lack of direction in this area and improve the regulation's effectiveness in promoting sentencing uniformity, say Mark H. Allenbaugh at SentencingStats.com and Alan Ellis at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.