Washington

  • May 20, 2025

    ZoomInfo Accused Of Illegally Selling Cellphone Numbers

    ZoomInfo is facing allegations that it violates Colorado law by selling individuals' cellphone numbers without their consent, in a proposed class action that was moved to Washington federal court last week.

  • May 19, 2025

    House Urged To Ax Proposed 10-Year Ban On State AI Laws

    More than 140 civil rights and consumer advocacy groups on Monday became the latest to oppose a sweeping provision in the U.S. House of Representatives' budget proposal that would place a 10-year moratorium on states enacting or enforcing laws to regulate emerging artificial intelligence systems, joining a bipartisan coalition of state enforcers that issued a similar call last week.

  • May 19, 2025

    2 Dozen States Urge Judge To Stop AmeriCorps Cuts

    Two dozen states urged a Maryland federal judge on Monday to halt $400 million in cuts to AmeriCorps programs, while the lawyers for the Trump administration insisted that the states' challenge must be brought before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

  • May 19, 2025

    SEC's 'Shadow Trading' Win Should Be Tossed, 9th Circ. Told

    An ex-Medivation Inc. executive found liable in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's first-ever "shadow trading" case has asked the Ninth Circuit to overturn the verdict, arguing that his company's policies should have kept the matter from going to a jury in the first place.

  • May 19, 2025

    Wells Fargo's 9th Circ. Cert. Challenge Gains SIFMA Backing

    A top securities industry group has voiced its support of Wells Fargo's appeal of class certification in an investor dispute alleging the bank conducted "sham" interviews to meet diversity quotas, which harmed the bank's stock price when the truth came to light.

  • May 19, 2025

    Co. Topples IP Dispute By Having Crane Patent Nixed

    A Washington federal judge has dismissed an inventor's patent infringement case against a heavy lifting and transport company, finding that claims in the patent covering a crane system are invalid as indefinite.

  • May 19, 2025

    Amazon Asks 9th Circ. To Flip 'Inadvertent' Discovery Ruling

    Amazon asked the Ninth Circuit to reverse a Washington federal court's ruling that refused its bid to claw back documents inadvertently produced in proposed antitrust class actions, saying companies need to be able to fix mistakes made when designating privileged documents.

  • May 19, 2025

    21 AGs Join Fight To Keep DHS Oversight Offices Open

    A group of 21 attorneys general joined nonprofits Friday in urging a D.C. federal judge to force the Trump administration to reopen offices that oversee various U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs and investigate related civil rights claims, arguing that the DHS' abrupt closure of the offices could have devastating consequences.

  • May 19, 2025

    Liberty Mutual Unit Can't Dodge Spoiled Wine Coverage Suit

    A Liberty Mutual unit can't escape a vineyard's suit seeking indemnification for a settlement reached with another winery over 320,000 damaged cases of wine, a Washington federal court ruled Monday, saying none of the exclusions cited by the insurer clearly apply.

  • May 19, 2025

    9th Circ. Weighs 'WallStreetBets' Ownership In Reddit TM Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday wrestled with whether the founder of Reddit Inc.'s WallStreetBets forum owns the name or if it belongs to the platform, with a judge at one point wondering whether the parties could find a way to coexist.

  • May 19, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Family's Win In Suit Over Denied Benefits

    The Ninth Circuit declined to upend a guild member's win in his lawsuit challenging his healthcare plan's decision to deny coverage for his son's mental health treatments, but said a lower court was wrong to award the family additional damages on their breach of fiduciary duty claim.

  • May 19, 2025

    Epic Beats $32.5M Infringement Claim Over Fortnite Concerts

    A Seattle federal jury said on Monday that Epic Games did not commit patent infringement by staging interactive concerts for players in the Fortnite virtual world starring pop artist Ariana Grande and rapper Travis Scott, rejecting an intellectual property firm's $32.5 million damages request following a weeklong trial.

  • May 19, 2025

    GM Issued 'Inadequate' Recall For Bad Engines, Drivers Claim

    General Motors LLC knowingly sold vehicles "that were engineered to fail" and issued an "inadequate" recall to prevent "catastrophic" internal engine failure, a group of vehicle owners alleged in a proposed class action filed in Michigan federal court.

  • May 19, 2025

    X Failed To Pay Promised Severance, Ex-Workers Say

    X, the company formerly known as Twitter, illegally reneged on its promise to keep in place its policy to provide certain severance payments to terminated employees after Elon Musk took over the social media company, a lawsuit filed in Washington federal court said.

  • May 19, 2025

    Justices Pass On Insurers' Tribal Jurisdiction Challenge

    The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a Ninth Circuit decision ordering insurers to litigate the Suquamish Tribe's COVID-19 coverage claims in tribal court in a case that addressed tribal jurisdiction over nonmember insurance companies, according to a Monday order list.

  • May 16, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Gold Card, Hospitality, Revolving Door

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into the "Gold Card" visa program, the hospitality sector's reaction to tariffs, and the path from in-house attorney to private practice. 

  • May 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Nicaraguan Family's Asylum Bid

    A split Ninth Circuit panel on Friday revived a Nicaraguan family's bid for deportation relief, saying an immigration judge improperly handled their claims of persecution stemming from a mother's participation in a 2018 march protesting the country's Ortega regime.

  • May 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Mulls DOJ Shield Of Jones Day VW Documents

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Friday questioned whether it could force the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over confidential Volkswagen documents it obtained through a grand jury subpoena that were part of Jones Day's internal investigation into the automaker's 2015 emissions-cheating scandal.

  • May 16, 2025

    Wash. Tribe Can't Ax Wildlife Refuge Protection Suit

    The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Washington state is not a necessary party to an environmental lawsuit aimed at ensuring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service complies with rules governing the tribe's proposed aquaculture operation along the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge boundary, a federal judge has ruled.

  • May 16, 2025

    Epic Tells Jury Fortnite Concerts Weren't Patent Infringement

    Epic Games urged a Seattle jury on Friday to reject allegations that it committed patent infringement when it staged interactive concerts in the Fortnite virtual world starring pop artist Ariana Grande and rapper Travis Scott, contending the accuser has mischaracterized the technology used in the events.

  • May 16, 2025

    Oakland Cops Denied Immunity In Deadly High-Speed Chase

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that two Oakland police officers violated the rights of innocent bystanders and are not entitled to qualified immunity following a high-speed pursuit that left one person dead and several others injured.

  • May 16, 2025

    Families Rip DOJ Bid To Ditch Boeing 737 Max Criminal Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice might back down from criminally prosecuting Boeing over the deadly 737 Max crashes and save the American aerospace giant from a high-profile trial in Texas next month under a tentative deal that attorneys for crash victims' families decried Friday as offensive and "morally repugnant."

  • May 16, 2025

    Parents Sue Colgate Over Alleged Dangers Of Fluoride Rinse

    A proposed class of buyers of oral rinses is suing Colgate-Palmolive Co., alleging it misleadingly advertises its Hello Kids Fluoride Rinse as safe despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considering it too dangerous for children under 6 years old.

  • May 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Lil Nas X Didn't Steal Model's Instagram Poses

    The Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a model's lawsuit accusing Lil Nas X of copying his Instagram photos, ruling Friday that the model didn't plausibly allege the musician had "access" to the pictures, as defined by court doctrine.

  • May 16, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds California's Employee Classification Test

    California's worker-friendly employee classification test doesn't violate the dormant commerce and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday, upholding the lower court denial of a preliminary injunction.

Expert Analysis

  • Expect To Feel Aftershocks Of Chopra's CFPB Shake-Up

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    Publications released by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau personnel in the last days of the Biden administration outline former Director Rohit Chopra's long-term vision for aggressive state-level enforcement of federal consumer financial laws, opening the doors for states to launch investigations and pursue actions, say attorneys at Hudson Cook.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • Disability Ruling Guides On Cases With Uncertain Causation

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    In Dime v. MetLife, a Washington federal court’s recent ruling in favor of a disability claimant instructs both claimants and insurers on the appropriate standard for establishing and making a disability determination when there is limited medical evidence explaining the disability’s cause, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • CFPB's Message To States Takes On New Weight Under Trump

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's January guidance to state enforcers has fresh significance as the Trump administration moves to freeze the bureau's work, and industry should expect states to use this series of recommendations as an enforcement road map, say attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Series

    Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

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    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

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    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

  • Perspectives

    Accountant-Owned Law Firms Could Blur Ethical Lines

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    KPMG’s recent application to open a legal practice in Arizona represents the first overture by an accounting firm to take advantage of the state’s relaxed law firm ownership rules, but enforcing and supervising the practice of law by nonattorneys could prove particularly challenging, says Seth Laver at Goldberg Segalla.

  • AI Will Soon Transform The E-Discovery Industrial Complex

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    Todd Itami at Covington discusses how generative artificial intelligence will reshape the current e-discovery paradigm, replacing the blunt instrument of data handling with a laser scalpel of fully integrated enterprise solutions — after first making e-discovery processes technically and legally harder.

  • When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law

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    In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Likely Doomed CFPB Contract Rule Still Has Industry Pointers

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    While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's January proposal on consumer financial contract provisions is unlikely to be finalized under the new administration, its provisions are important for industry to recognize, particularly if state attorneys general decide to take up the enforcement mantle, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

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    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

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    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

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