Washington

  • November 24, 2025

    Amazon Says Digital Film Sales Are Not Like Owning DVDs

    Amazon has urged a Seattle federal court judge to toss a proposed class action alleging the company lies to customers about whether they actually own movies purchased on its Prime Video platform, arguing the e-commerce giant clearly informs buyers that "content might potentially become unavailable" later on.

  • November 24, 2025

    Mass. Judge Says States Can Fight Planned Parenthood Cuts

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday chided a Trump administration lawyer for continuing to argue that a coalition of states lacks standing to seek to block what it says is the effective defunding of Planned Parenthood, even as it only just received a lengthy list of new requirements for Medicaid reimbursement.

  • November 24, 2025

    Wash. Hits Regence BlueShield With Transparency Fine

    Washington's insurance commissioner slapped Regence BlueShield with a $550,000 fine, the state announced Monday, for purportedly violating reporting requirements under a federal law that says health insurers must provide the same level of coverage for mental health care as general medical care.

  • November 24, 2025

    Washington Judge Disciplined After Children Given Jobs

    The Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct reprimanded Stevens County District Court's presiding judge for greenlighting the hiring of her two adult children to various court positions, according to a Friday stipulation and order.  

  • November 24, 2025

    Apple Fights Bid To Recertify 200 Million IPhone Buyer Class

    Apple has urged the Ninth Circuit to deny a petition from customers seeking to restore certification of a consumer class plaintiffs say reaches "upwards of 200 million" with a collective $20 billion in damages, in litigation claiming that the tech giant violated antitrust laws with its App Store policies.

  • November 24, 2025

    Google Calls Rumble's Recusal Bid Irrelevant To Its Appeal

    Google is urging the Ninth Circuit to disregard concerns Rumble has raised about the trial judge's relationship with the tech giant's litigation vice president, saying Friday that the information is irrelevant to the YouTube rival's appeal of the court's ruling that its antitrust lawsuit was filed too late.

  • November 24, 2025

    High Court Skips Ex-BNSF Conductor's Retaliation Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to wade into a former BNSF Railway conductor's suit claiming he was fired in retaliation for testing train cars' brakes, leaving in place a Ninth Circuit ruling that found the railroad had demonstrated he was let go for policy violations.

  • November 21, 2025

    Trump's DHS, FEMA Barred From Withholding Disaster Funds

    A California federal judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction barring President Donald Trump's administration from threatening to withhold $350 million in funding for disaster and emergency response, ruling that a coalition of localities are likely to prevail in their suit challenging the administration.

  • November 21, 2025

    Garmin Systems Triggered 2022 Wash. Plane Crash, Suit Says

    The families of four people who died when a 2022 Cessna test flight crashed in Washington are blaming Garmin, alleging in a lawsuit the GPS giant designed faulty aircraft systems that wrestled control from the pilot and led to the plane's right wing falling off midair.

  • November 21, 2025

    Google Calls Rumble's Judge Recusal Bid 'Cynical Maneuver'

    Google argued Friday that a California federal judge need not recuse himself from YouTube rival Rumble's antitrust suit despite his friendship with Google's top in-house litigation chief, saying Rumble's push for the recusal was a "cynical maneuver" for its Ninth Circuit appeal of a summary judgment loss.

  • November 21, 2025

    Amazon Secures 1st Deal In Suit Targeting 'Refund Abuse'

    Amazon will be off-limits for five years to an accused fraudster who allegedly took advantage of a "refund abuse" scam that manipulated the company's return process to allow him to receive refunds for products without actually returning the goods, according to a settlement agreement approved Friday by a Seattle federal judge.

  • November 21, 2025

    IP Notebook: Kahwa Mix-Up, WallStreetBets, Hotel California

    This round of Law360's look at emerging copyright and trademark issues includes a Federal Circuit case over an obscure tea drink and a nod to the Eagles' "Hotel California" in a precedential decision that is a primer on having an actual intent to use a trademark.

  • November 21, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: REIT Reporting, Defining Water

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including reactions from real estate attorneys in two areas primed for deregulation.

  • November 21, 2025

    OpenAI Tells 9th Circ. TM Injunction Is 'Based On Guesses'

    OpenAI Inc. urged the Ninth Circuit on Friday to scrap a preliminary injunction won by IYO Inc. which blocks OpenAI from using the trademark associated with acquired competitor IO Products Inc., arguing there is no evidence that IYO faces irreparable harm and the injunction is "based on guesses" about OpenAI's future products.

  • November 21, 2025

    Tesla's Runaway Acceleration Led To Fatal Crash, Suit Says

    A Tesla Model 3 accelerated on its own, crashing into a utility pole and exploding into an inferno that killed a Washington woman and left her husband with serious injuries, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court.

  • November 21, 2025

    Nike Worker Blows Whistle On Alleged Wash. Wage Violations

    A Pacific Northwest retail worker is calling foul on Nike for allegedly denying employees rest and meal breaks, sick leave, overtime pay and other wages owed, according to a new lawsuit in Washington state court.

  • November 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Shuts Down Northern Mariana Retiree's COLA Claim

    The Ninth Circuit rejected a retiree's claim that a retirement fund for Northern Mariana Islands government employees owed her cost of living adjustments in her benefits, backing a ruling that a law promising COLAs to retirees doesn't extend to her.

  • November 20, 2025

    Starbucks Can't Dump Investors' 'Triple Shot' Strategy Suit

    Starbucks and its former CEO can't shed investor class action claims that the company harmed shareholders by concealing its struggles to implement a "reinvention plan," which came to light when the company disclosed that its sales were being harmed by longer waits for customized drinks in its U.S. stores and by fierce competition in China.

  • November 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Urged To Revive Google Maps Antitrust Suit

    App makers urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive a proposed class action targeting Google's Maps product, arguing that the lower court erred in failing to accept at the pleading stage their antitrust arguments that Google's terms suppressed competition, allowing Google to increase developer costs up to 1,400%.

  • November 20, 2025

    States Back Hockey Players In Antitrust Fight Over Contracts

    More than a dozen states have thrown their support behind current and former players in an antitrust lawsuit against the National Hockey League and its pipeline junior organizations, arguing a lower court's dismissal ignores how exclusive recruiting territories reduce competition for labor.

  • November 20, 2025

    Chancery Nixes Toss Of West Coast Diner Failure Suit

    Three fiduciaries of a now-shuttered Pacific states restaurant chain and its affiliates must face a claim in Delaware that they breached or aided breaches of fiduciary duties to the venture's Oregon-based affiliate, brought by an investor that pumped $18 million into the business, a vice chancellor ruled on Wednesday.

  • November 20, 2025

    Tacoma ICE Detainees To Get Notice Of Bond Hearing Rights

    A Washington federal judge indicated at a hearing Thursday that a certified class of immigrants detained at an ICE facility deserves notice about their rights to a bond hearing and potential release, asking government lawyers and the plaintiffs' attorneys for proposals on what that notice should look like.

  • November 20, 2025

    Musk Lied About Tesla To Fund Twitter Buy, 9th Circ. Told

    Tesla shareholders urged the Ninth Circuit Thursday to revive their allegations that Elon Musk lied about the capabilities and safety record of Tesla's self-driving technology, saying the district court erred in finding no evidence of fraudulent intent since the billionaire clearly needed to boost Tesla's share price to buy Twitter.

  • November 20, 2025

    State AGs Want Further HPE-Juniper Integration Barred

    The Democratic state attorneys general challenging the controversial U.S. Department of Justice settlement clearing Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks want a California federal judge to bar the companies from "further integration" while they push the court to reject the deal outright.

  • November 19, 2025

    Wash. Judge Narrows Claims In Seaplane Crash Dispute

    A Washington state judge largely denied a charter flight company's attempt to put blame for a seaplane crash that killed 10 people onto an aircraft company, and said there are genuine questions about whether sole cause can be attributed to either party.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 New Cyberinsurance Rulings Aid In Policy Interpretation

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    Although the cyberinsurance market has exploded, there is no standardized cyber language or form and only a few court decisions thus far interpreting cyberinsurance policy language, making these three recent rulings key for guiding policyholders, insurers and brokers, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • How The FTC Is Stepping Up Subscription Enforcement

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    Despite the demise of the Federal Trade Commission's click-to-cancel rule in July, the commission has not only maintained its regulatory momentum, but also set new compliance benchmarks through recent high-profile settlements with Match.com, Chegg and Amazon, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Where 4th And 9th Circ. Diverge On Trade Secret Timing

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    Recent Fourth and Ninth Circuit decisions have revealed a deepening circuit split over when plaintiffs must specifically define their alleged trade secrets, turning the early stages of trade secret litigation into a key battleground and elevating the importance of forum selection, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • 5 Evolving Marketing Risks That Finance Cos. Should Watch

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    Financial services providers should beware several areas where consumer protection regulators are broadening their scrutiny of modern marketing practices, such as the use of influencer testimonials or advertisements touting artificial intelligence-powered products, so they can better adapt to changing expectations for compliance, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • What The New Nondomiciled-Trucker Rule Means For Carriers

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    A new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration interim final rule restricting states' issuance of commercial drivers licenses to nondomiciled drivers does not alter motor carriers' obligations to verify drivers' qualifications, but may create disruptions by reducing the number of eligible drivers, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Protecting Sensitive Court Filings After Recent Cyber Breach

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    In the wake of a recent cyberattack on federal courts' Case Management/Electronic Case Files system, civil litigants should consider seeking enhanced protections for sensitive materials filed under seal to mitigate the risk of unauthorized exposure, say attorneys at Redgrave.

  • Wash. Ruling Raises Pay Transparency Litigation Risk

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    Washington Supreme Court’s recent decision in Branson v. Washington Fine Wine and Spirits, affirming applicants standing to sue regardless of their intent in applying, broadens state employers' already broad exposure — even when compared to other states with pay transparency laws, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Why Feds' Criminal Vehicle Tampering Theory Falls Short

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    In recent years, federal regulators have advanced a novel theory that reprogramming a vehicle's onboard diagnostics system is a crime under the Clean Air Act — but a case now pending in the Ninth Circuit shows that the government's position is questionable for a host of reasons, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Judging Figure Skating Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Judging figure skating competitions helps me hone the focus, decisiveness and ability to process complex real-time information I need in court, but more importantly, it makes me reengage with a community and my identity outside of law, which, paradoxically, always brings me back to work feeling restored, says Megan Raymond at Groombridge Wu.

  • $100K H-1B Fee May Disrupt Rural Healthcare Needs

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    The Trump administration's newly imposed $100,000 supplemental fee on new H-1B petitions may disproportionately affect healthcare employers' ability to recruit international medical graduates, and the fee's national interest exceptions will not adequately solve ensuing problems for healthcare employers or medically underserved areas, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What Ethics Rules Say On Atty Discipline For Online Speech

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    Though law firms are free to discipline employees for their online commentary about Charlie Kirk or other social media activity, saying crude or insensitive things on the internet generally doesn’t subject attorneys to professional discipline under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, says Stacie H. Rosenzweig at Halling & Cayo.

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