Washington

  • June 29, 2026

    High Court OKs Late-Arriving Ballot Counts

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld Mississippi's law allowing state election officials to count mail-in ballots that arrive up to five days after Election Day, paving the way for the Magnolia State and 14 others, along with the District of Columbia, to count late-arriving ballots in this year's midterm elections.

  • June 29, 2026

    Justices Turn Away Case Challenging SEC's 'Gag Rule'

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it would not hear a constitutional challenge to a now-rescinded U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission policy that prohibited defendants from denying allegations against them when settling an enforcement action with the agency.

  • June 26, 2026

    PACER Fees Will Rise To Fund Cyber Defense Upgrades

    The federal judiciary announced Friday it will temporarily increase the fees for electronic access to court records to pay for a potential $800 million upgrade that will modernize and strengthen court records systems PACER and CM/ECF, an upgrade it previously said is needed to respond to escalating cyberattacks.

  • June 26, 2026

    Wash. County Judge Admonished For Post-Recusal Orders

    The Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct has admonished a Spokane County district court judge for walking back orders in a probation case after recusing herself in response to defense counsel's concerns that she had previously represented the defendant as an attorney, according to a Friday stipulation.

  • June 26, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Housing Bill, NY Rent Freeze, Surfside

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney reactions to the bipartisan housing bill stalled on President Donald Trump's desk, New York's rent freeze on rent-controlled housing, and the five-year anniversary of the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida.

  • June 26, 2026

    ZoomInfo Downplayed AI Biz's Slowdown, Investor Suit Says

    Software company ZoomInfo was hit with a proposed shareholder class action in Washington federal court accusing it of hiding slowing growth and minimizing concerning trends regarding customers' adoption of its artificial intelligence tools.

  • June 26, 2026

    Wash. Healthcare Firm's Ex-CEO Admits To Embezzling $24M

    A former chief executive officer of Washington-based Community Clinic Network has pled guilty to wire fraud in Washington federal court, admitting he drained almost $24.4 million from the healthcare company's coffers, most of which he lost in a series of poor investment decisions.

  • June 26, 2026

    5 ERISA Cases To Keep An Eye On In The Second Half Of 2026

    A U.S. Supreme Court challenge to Intel Corp.'s 401(k) investment lineup tops the list of cases benefits attorneys will be watching this summer and fall, though appeals involving health plan tobacco fees, plan forfeiture spending and a potential Eleventh Circuit precedent shift are also top of mind. Here, Law360 looks at five ERISA cases that attorneys should have on their radar as 2026 rolls on.

  • June 26, 2026

    High Court To Issue Big Decisions In Term's Final Days

    As the U.S. Supreme Court enters the final days of its term, the justices still have several major decisions to issue, including some concerning birthright citizenship, the president's power to remove independent agency officials, transgender athletes and election rules. 

  • June 26, 2026

    Discovery Dispute Mounts In Boeing Moon Exploration IP Suit

    A Colorado-based aerospace company is seeking expanded discovery in its ongoing intellectual property suit accusing The Boeing Co. of stealing patented technology for a NASA moon exploration program after repeatedly complaining that the company has failed to meet its duty to provide documents and depositions.

  • June 26, 2026

    Worker Sues DHL Express Over Seattle Wage Violations

    DHL Express failed to provide legally required meal and rest breaks and denied workers compensation for missed break time in violation of state and local wage laws, a worker alleged in Washington state court.

  • June 25, 2026

    Robo-Surgery Co., FTC Urge 9th Circ. To Revive Antitrust Case

    Surgical Instrument Service and the Federal Trade Commission urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive the company's case accusing Intuitive Surgical of blocking third parties from refurbishing components for its da Vinci surgery robot, saying a lower court erred in requiring the U.S. Supreme Court's Kodak factors to be proven.

  • June 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Backs Removals For Child Endangerment

    A federal statute allowing noncitizens to be deported over convictions for a crime of child abuse, child neglect or child abandonment can encompass endangerment situations where a child was put in danger but not hurt, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled Thursday.

  • June 25, 2026

    Wash. Justices Back Climate Act Farm Fuel Exemption Regs

    The Washington Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Washington Farm Bureau's challenge to regulations surrounding a farm fuel exemption in a landmark 2021 law establishing the state's cap-and-invest program, finding Thursday the rule aligns with lawmakers' ultimate goal of curbing top greenhouse gas emitters.

  • June 25, 2026

    AGs, Cable Orgs., Newsmax Back Nexstar Block At 9th Circ.

    A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general have filed one of three amicus briefs urging the Ninth Circuit to fully preserve a preliminary injunction blocking Nexstar's purchase of Tegna, arguing the states challenging the deal have standing to sue and that only a broad block is appropriate.

  • June 25, 2026

    Wash. Resident Gets 18 Months For Russia Export Conspiracy

    The U.S. Department of Justice said a Washington state resident has received a prison sentence of 18 months on Wednesday over a scheme to flout U.S. export restrictions on Russia, after pleading guilty in New York federal court in October.

  • June 25, 2026

    Extended Stay Subsidiary Pay Suit Moves Back To State Court

    A Washington federal magistrate judge on Thursday sent a proposed wage-and-hour class action against a subsidiary of Extended Stay America back to state court, finding the hotel operator did not show that the suit exceeded the $5 million threshold for federal jurisdiction.

  • June 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Farmworkers' Attys Deserve Higher Fee

    The Ninth Circuit has ordered a Washington federal court to increase an attorney fee award for farmworkers who successfully challenged the federal government's agricultural wage survey methodology, finding the lower court's explanation for slashing the award by 75% was insufficient.

  • June 25, 2026

    Wash. Therapist Seeks Bar On 'Conversion Therapy' Ban

    A Washington therapist has urged a federal court to bar the state from enforcing its ban on what is commonly known as conversion therapy, arguing that a U.S. Supreme Court decision this year has "vindicated" his right to provide counseling targeted by the ban.

  • June 25, 2026

    Walmart Worker's $23M Retaliation Verdict Slashed To $300K

    A Washington federal judge on Thursday reduced a $23 million verdict handed to a former Walmart employee who claimed she was fired for reporting sexual harassment, saying a statutory damages cap requires the court to cut the victory to $300,000.

  • June 25, 2026

    Zillow, Redfin Tell Court Their Partnership Is Not Illegal

    Property listing companies Zillow and Redfin urged a Virginia federal court not to presume that their $100 million partnership agreement, which is being challenged by the Federal Trade Commission and multiple states, is illegal before it holds an August trial for a consolidated antitrust suit.

  • June 25, 2026

    Del. Shields Kroger Lawyers' Brainstorming In Albertsons Suit

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday denied Albertsons Cos. Inc.'s bid to force The Kroger Co. to submit additional internal law firm communications in litigation over the companies' failed $24.6 billion merger, ruling that Kroger's waiver of attorney-client privilege does not extend to lawyers' brainstorming that was never communicated to the client.

  • June 25, 2026

    Justices Say Asylum Rights Begin On US Soil

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that federal immigration officials can turn away noncitizens without valid travel documents who haven't physically crossed the southern border when U.S. ports of entry are at capacity.

  • June 24, 2026

    Delta Dental Says Wash. Antitrust Suit Echoes Faulty Claims

    Delta Dental of Washington said Tuesday an Evergreen State dentist targeting the dental insurer in a proposed antitrust class action has excluded its national affiliates from the case to "escape from a federal court's rejection of identical arguments" that the companies conspired to stifle insurer competition and suppress reimbursement rates.

  • June 24, 2026

    Costco Hid Heart Risks Of Grain-Free Dog Food, Suit Says

    Costco deceptively advertises its Nature's Domain grain-free dog food as a healthy and safe option despite a growing body of research showing that grain-free diets heighten the risk of canine heart disease, a California consumer alleged in a new proposed class action filed in Seattle federal court Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lesson: Diagnose Before Arguing

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    Law school often skips over explicitly teaching students how to determine what kind of problem a case presents before they commit to a particular doctrinal path, which risks building arguments that are internally coherent but externally misaligned, says Melanie Oxhorn at Kobre & Kim.

  • Becoming The Biz-Savvy GC That Portfolio Companies Need

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    Candidates for general counsel roles at private equity-backed portfolio companies should prioritize proving their sector-specific experience, commercial judgment and ease with uncertainty — and attorneys hoping to be candidates in five to 10 years should start working on those skills now, says Dimitri Mastrocola at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

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    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • A Framework For Habeas Relief After 5th Circ. Bond Ruling

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    Following the Fifth Circuit’s recent Buenrostro-Mendez v. Bondi decision foreclosing statutory bond for detained nonimmigrants not deemed admitted to the U.S., lawyers should adopt a framework that requests habeas relief pursuant to the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • How 'Bundling' Enforcement Is Parsing Efficiency, Access

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    Recent antitrust enforcement actions have taken a selective view of companies' bundling of products or services — challenging it when it shuts out rivals, but tolerating it when it creates efficient scale — making the real test now less about lower prices than about whether competition is being blocked, says attorney Alan Kusinitz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • Key Tronic Case Shows SEC Isn't Ignoring Controls Violations

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first nonfraud enforcement action against a public company during Chairman Paul Atkins' tenure reflects the commission’s willingness to bring enforcement actions that charge books and records and internal controls violations, despite deviating from policing technical violations, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Where The Preemption Fight Over Prediction Markets Stands

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    While the Third Circuit's recent ruling in Kalshi v. Flaherty remains a significant win for the federal government in its quest to regulate prediction markets, the Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Circuits appear more skeptical, indicating that this fight is likely headed for the Supreme Court, says Johnny ElHachem at Holland & Knight.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Notable Q1 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Notable insurance class action decisions from the first quarter of the year included reminders about the statute of limitations as a key defense for claims relating to allegedly deficient forms, the importance of focus on the specific contract at issue and further guidance on the contours of Rule 23, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • 9th Circ.'s Silence Prolongs Uncertainty On Cemex Framework

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    By affirming a bargaining order in Cemex Construction Materials v. National Labor Relations Board without opining on the NLRB’s 2023 expansion of its authority to issue such orders, the Ninth Circuit avoided direct conflict with the Sixth Circuit’s rejection of the same framework, prolonging uncertainty for employers facing union elections, say attorneys at Dinsmore & Shohl.

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