Washington

  • September 09, 2026

    Kilpatrick Atty Tapped For Yakima County Bench In Wash.

    Washington's governor appointed Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP litigator Bree R. Black Horse to the Yakima County Superior Court bench on Wednesday, filling the first new position added to that court in nearly three decades.

  • September 09, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Duress Is No Defense For Persecution

    A Ninth Circuit panel denied an El Salvador man's appeal contesting the rejection of his bid for deportation relief, ruling there is no implied duress defense to a statutory bar that withholds such relief from people who assisted in the persecution of others.

  • September 09, 2026

    States Say DOT's Driver Data Demand Is Immigration Pretext

    The Democratic-led states asking a Virginia federal judge to stop the Trump administration from accessing the Social Security numbers of commercial drivers nationwide for immigration enforcement backed up their request for an injunction Wednesday, saying the federal government is using post hoc rationalizations to defend its data demands.

  • September 09, 2026

    Real Estate Firm Says Insurers Owe $5.3M For Motel Damage

    A pair of insurers under the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Munich Re umbrellas wrongly refused to cover over $5.3 million in damage to a motel that a real estate company purchased to convert into affordable housing, according to a complaint removed to Washington federal court.

  • September 09, 2026

    Amazon Urges NY Court To Deny E-Book Antitrust Class Cert.

    Amazon on Tuesday objected to a New York federal magistrate judge's recommendation to certify a class of over 30 million customers in a suit accusing it of monopolizing the e-book market, saying the judge disregarded proof that a significant share of the consumers benefited from the challenged practices.

  • September 09, 2026

    States, Amici Ask Justices To Keep Mail Ballot Rules On Ice

    Nearly half of the states and the District of Columbia urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to leave in place a federal judge's order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new mail-in ballot regulations in this year's midterms, arguing the changes are a major political decision USPS had no authority to make. 

  • September 09, 2026

    Justices Call For Early Response Over Paramount Merger

    The U.S. Supreme Court is giving California and other state enforcers that are challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. until later this month to respond to Iowa and Montana's bid to block the merger challenge.

  • September 09, 2026

    Aramark Worker Fights To Keep Parent Company In Wage Suit

    A Seattle concessions supervisor has pushed back against a food services company's bid to exit from a wage and hour lawsuit, arguing in Washington federal court that the company's centralized control over employee handbooks, payroll, human resources and scheduling policies is enough to hold it liable as a joint employer under state wage law.

  • September 09, 2026

    Paramount Doubles Down On $1.9B Bond Bid In Merger Suit

    Paramount has insisted the Writers Guild of America and state attorneys general cannot avoid putting up a roughly $1.9 billion bond as they challenge the media company's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying their arguments against its bond bid fail under the Clayton Act.

  • September 09, 2026

    Calif. Judge Seeks Clearer Limits On ICE Use Of Medicaid Data

    A California federal judge ordered 22 states and the Trump administration to reach an agreement on the proper scope of his injunction limiting Medicaid data use for immigration enforcement, saying he's unsure how it should apply to people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.

  • September 08, 2026

    ICE Transfers Violate Bond Hearing Rights, Wash. Class Says

    A class of immigrants detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Washington state urged a federal judge Friday to require the government to give notice before transferring members to detention centers elsewhere in the country, claiming the transfers "immediately deprive class members of their right to a bond hearing."

  • September 08, 2026

    Underdog Says Federal Law Bars Wash. Betting Crackdown

    Prediction market operator Underdog sued Washington's attorney general and state gambling commission Tuesday in an attempt to block enforcement of state anti-gambling laws against the company, contending that wagers on its platform qualify as derivative contracts that fall under the "exclusive jurisdiction" of the federal government.

  • September 08, 2026

    Reusable-Rocket Maker Stoke Space Gets $1B Series E Boost

    Washington-based Stoke Space Technologies on Tuesday announced the initial closure of a $1 billion Series E financing round, saying the fresh funding will propel its plans to launch a fully reusable rocket early next year and accelerate its development of a larger, more advanced model.

  • September 08, 2026

    Seattle Times, Newsday Sue OpenAI Over Content Use

    The Seattle Times and Long Island-based newspaper Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft with claims of copyright infringement, adding to the long list of news organizations claiming their articles were used improperly to train large language models.

  • September 08, 2026

    Boeing Avoids Broad Financial Discovery In IP Suit

    A Washington federal judge has ordered The Boeing Co. to provide some, but far from all, of the information Wilson Aerospace LLC sought for its suit accusing the aerospace giant of stealing patented technology for a NASA moon program.

  • September 08, 2026

    ConocoPhillips Exits Wash. Tribes' Suits Over Climate Harm

    A Washington state judge has granted ConocoPhillips' bid to exit two Native American tribes' revised lawsuits accusing the oil corporation of downplaying the risks of burning fossil fuels, concluding that the tribes haven't pointed to deception that was aimed at Washington state.

  • September 08, 2026

    Insurer Says It Owes No Coverage For Exploding Vape Suit

    An insurer has urged a Washington federal court to find that it does not owe coverage to a vape seller in a product liability suit from a user whose leg was amputated after a vape exploded in his pocket, arguing tobacco and nicotine product and premises exclusions bar coverage. 

  • September 08, 2026

    Calif. Urges Justices To Let Paramount Merger Case Play Out

    California and other state enforcers that are challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery have urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to expedite Iowa and Montana's case seeking to block the merger challenge.

  • September 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Reopens Immigration Case After Flat-Tire Delay

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit has found immigration officials erred by not reconsidering the case of a Guatemalan man facing removal after he was five minutes late to his hearing, saying documentation was not required to prove a flat tire caused the delay.

  • September 07, 2026

    USPS Asks High Court To Allow 'Modest' Mail Ballot Rules

    The Trump administration has once again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order barring the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new mail-in ballot regulations ahead of this year's midterms, arguing the "modest" changes are well within USPS' authority and don't affect election administration. 

  • September 04, 2026

    Boeing OT Suit Says Incentive Pay Was Omitted From Rates

    Boeing shorted its workers in Washington state by failing to factor in bonuses and other nondiscretionary compensation when calculating overtime and sick leave payments, according to a proposed class action that the company removed to federal court Thursday.

  • September 04, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Law Firm Office Tips, Remote Data Centers

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into law office strategies in premier markets and the pros and cons of building data centers on unincorporated land.

  • September 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Tosses Conviction Over Hand Tattoo Testimony

    The Ninth Circuit has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of robbing a store in Washington, finding that he was not testifying in his own defense when he showed jurors that he had tattoos on his hand, unlike the hand of the man seen committing the robbery in security camera footage.

  • September 04, 2026

    Wash. AG Opposes PacifiCorp $1.9B Sale Of State Assets

    The Washington Attorney General's Office has asked the state's Utilities and Transportation Commission to reject Pacific Power and Light Co.'s $1.9 billion sale of its Washington service area to Portland General Electric, saying the deal would raise costs and cut customers off from one of the state's clean energy sources.

  • September 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Restores Idaho Abortion Ban Enforcement, For Now

    The Ninth Circuit will allow Idaho to fully enforce its abortion ban while the state briefs its request for emergency relief from an order that blocked the ban's application in certain health-related circumstances and declared a fundamental right to some abortions under the U.S. Constitution.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Sectors, Antitrust Risks In Pricing Algorithm Litigation

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    Algorithmic pricing lawsuits have proliferated in rental housing, hotels, health insurance and equipment rental industries, and companies should consider emerging risk factors when implementing business strategies this year, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

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    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

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    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • Key False Claims Act Trends From The Last Year

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    The False Claims Act remains a powerful enforcement tool after some record verdicts and settlements in 2025, and while traditional fraud areas remain a priority, new initiatives are raising questions about its expanding application, says Veronica Nannis at Joseph Greenwald.

  • Series

    Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

  • How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

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    Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

  • Navigating Privilege Law Patchwork In Dual-Purpose Comms

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    Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to resolve a circuit split in In re: Grand Jury, federal courts remain split as to when attorney-client privilege applies to dual-purpose legal and business communications, and understanding the fragmented landscape is essential for managing risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • AI-Driven Harassment Poses New Risks For Employers

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    Two recent cases show that deepfakes and other artificial intelligence‑generated content are emerging as a powerful new mechanism for workplace harassment, and employers should take a proactive approach to reduce their liability as AI continues to reshape workplace dynamics, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What Changed For Healthcare Transaction Law In 2025

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    Though much of the legislation introduced last year to expand state scrutiny of healthcare transactions did not pass, investors should pay close attention to the overarching trends, which are likely to continue in this year's legislative sessions, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • 9th Circ. Copyright Ruling Highlights Doubts On Intrinsic Test

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    Two concurring opinions in Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg may mark an inflection point in the Ninth Circuit's substantial-similarity jurisprudence, inviting copyright litigants to reassess strategy as the court potentially shifts away from the intrinsic test, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Considerations In Building Guardrails For AI Use In Arbitration

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    A recent California federal court case involving allegations of artificial intelligence ghostwriting an arbitration award, prior analogous practice on tribunal delegation, and emerging generative AI recommendations all support building a forward-looking framework for arbitration rules to minimize the risk of AI-based challenges, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Insights From 2025's Flood Of Data Breach Litigation

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    Several coherent patterns emerged from 2025's data breach litigation activity, suggesting that judges have grown skilled at distinguishing between companies that were genuinely victimized by sophisticated criminal actors despite reasonable precautions, and those whose security practices invited exploitation, says Frederick Livingston at McDonald Baas.

  • Series

    Fly-Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Much like skilled attorneys, the best anglers prize preparation, presentation and patience while respecting their adversaries — both human and trout, says Rob Braverman at Braverman Greenspun.

  • 4 Ways GCs Can Manage Growing Service Of Process Volume

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    As automation and arbitration increase the volume of legal filings, in-house counsel must build scalable service of process systems that strengthen corporate governance and manage risk in real time, says Paul Mathews at Corporation Service Co.

  • IP Appellate Decisions Show 4 Shifts In 2025

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    In 2025, intellectual property decisions issued by the Ninth, D.C., and Federal Circuits trended toward tightening doctrinal boundaries, whether to account for technological developments in existing legal regimes, or to refine areas with some ambiguity, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

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