Washington

  • April 15, 2026

    Target Says Workers' Walking Time Not Compensable

    Target urged a Washington federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action alleging workers were not paid for time spent walking inside a distribution center before and after their shifts, arguing the activity is part of a normal commute and not compensable work under state law.

  • April 14, 2026

    9th Circ. Orders ICE Agent Resentenced For Child Enticement

    A former U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement supervisor sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trying to entice a 13-year-old girl cannot challenge the evidence against him or argue he was conducting a human trafficking investigation, but he should be resentenced, the Ninth Circuit said Monday.

  • April 14, 2026

    26 State AGs Urge FTC To Ban Deceptive Rental Fee Tactics

    A bipartisan coalition of 26 state attorneys general led by New Jersey and Colorado are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to adopt a requirement that residential landlords clearly disclose all costs to tenants up front, responding to the agency's notice last month of potential rulemaking to combat hidden rental fees.

  • April 14, 2026

    States Denied Time For Talks To Settle Drug Price-Fixing Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge Tuesday denied a request by dozens of U.S. states to freeze their antitrust case against generic-drug manufacturers, a pause the states argued would allow the parties to focus on settlement talks rather than pending discovery and motion deadlines.

  • April 14, 2026

    Trade Group Latest To Sue Wash. Over 340B Drug Pricing Law

    Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America claims a new Washington state law attempts to illegally reshape the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program and singles out participating drugmakers with burdensome regulations, according to a fresh federal lawsuit that follows similar constitutional challenges mounted by Novartis and AbbVie.

  • April 14, 2026

    Amazon Suit Alleges $4M Fraud By 'Refund Abuse' Ring

    Amazon launched a lawsuit Tuesday targeting architects of what the retail giant claimed is an international fraud ring known as RBK that allegedly cheated the company out of $4 million in products through a "refund abuse" scam that allows users to obtain refunds despite keeping the goods.

  • April 14, 2026

    Wash. Appeals Court Revives Podiatrist Trade Secrets Case

    An appeals court in Washington state has reinstated a case brought by a Seattle-area podiatry practice against a former employee accused of stealing patient data for his separate practice.

  • April 14, 2026

    Judge Revives Gas Station's Contamination Coverage Suit

    A Washington federal court revived a gas station operator's suit accusing its insurer of wrongfully refusing to cover litigation over groundwater contamination, finding that a 2016 ruling on the insurer's duty to remediate environmental pollution at the operator's former gas stations does not preclude the current dispute.

  • April 14, 2026

    Feds Say USDA Can Tie State Funding To Gender Policies

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture defended its move to condition grant funding on compliance with Trump administration policies on gender, women's sports, diversity and immigration, telling a Massachusetts federal judge that states can forgo the funding if they don't want to comply.

  • April 14, 2026

    Tesla Drivers Urge 9th Circ. To Preserve False Ad Class

    California drivers have told the Ninth Circuit that they've offered sufficient evidence of Tesla's pervasive and misleading advertising to forge ahead with their certified class claims alleging Tesla deceived consumers into believing that its cars could fully drive themselves.

  • April 14, 2026

    Screening Time Deal Doesn't Bar Break Suit, Wash. Panel Says

    An eldercare company's class settlement over COVID-19 screening time doesn't bar a separate suit claiming the company failed to pay workers for missed meal breaks, a Washington state appeals court ruled, reviving the break claims.

  • April 14, 2026

    Paul Weiss, Skadden Lead Amazon's $11.6B Globalstar Deal

    Amazon.com Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to purchase Globalstar Inc. for about $11.6 billion, part of an effort to build out its nascent Leo satellite internet business, with Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP providing legal counsel on the deal.

  • April 13, 2026

    Exxon Can't Halt Heat Death Suit Ahead Of Climate Tort Ruling

    A Washington state court judge has denied an attempt by Exxon and other major oil and gas producers to pause a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over a 2021 Seattle heat wave death until the U.S. Supreme Court decides on the viability of climate torts in a Colorado case.

  • April 13, 2026

    Wash. Antispam Law Violates Due Process Clause, Co. Claims

    Clothing retailer Destination XL Group Inc. urged a Seattle federal judge to strike down a putative class action accusing it of barraging shoppers with false and misleading spam emails, arguing that a Washington state law's $500-per-email penalty is unconstitutionally excessive.

  • April 13, 2026

    Parents Must Prove They Can't Refuse Arbitration, 9th Circ. Says

    A California federal judge must take a fresh look at parts of IXL Learning Inc.'s bid to arbitrate a proposed class action alleging the education technology company unlawfully collected and sold children's personal information, the Ninth Circuit ruled Monday, saying the lower court "misallocated the burden of proof on mutual assent."

  • April 13, 2026

    9th Circ. Judge Skeptical Of Renewing Trump Energy EOs Suit

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed reluctance on Monday to revive a challenge to President Donald Trump's executive orders prioritizing fossil fuels to meet the country's energy needs, echoing a lower court's concern that the requested relief would give the judiciary the unmanageable task of scrutinizing countless federal agency actions.

  • April 13, 2026

    BofA Shielded In Iranian Bias Suit, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit refused Monday to revive a proposed class action accusing Bank of America of discriminating against Iranian citizens, affirming a California federal court's ruling that the lawsuit fails to show the bank acted with ill will when erroneously closing the plaintiff's account.

  • April 13, 2026

    Jack In The Box Wants 38 Washington Stores Kept Open

    Jack in the Box Inc. urged a Washington state judge to temporarily bar two franchisees from closing dozens of locations across the state, claiming that they owe nearly $1.4 million in unpaid marketing fees and that unilaterally shuttering the stores would violate their franchise agreements.

  • April 13, 2026

    State Telecom Roundup: X Case Widens Jurisdiction Fight

    After a federal judge tossed a Washington man's suit accusing Twitter of illegally collecting his phone number, the user argued the case shouldn't have been moved to federal court anyway, and the federal courts have wrongly extended Article III jurisdiction to the lawsuit. Here's a breakdown of the problem over standing that some officials say they see coming.

  • April 13, 2026

    Restaurants, DOL Ink $750K Deal To End Pay, Child Labor Suit

    A group of Washington state restaurants will pay $750,000 to resolve a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit alleging unpaid wages, child labor violations and retaliation, according to a consent judgment entered in federal court.

  • April 13, 2026

    Ex-Twitter Executive Ends $20M Suit Against X Corp., Musk

    Twitter's former chief marketing officer has agreed to drop her $20 million severance suit, which defendants X Corp. and Elon Musk had appealed to the Ninth Circuit seeking to force arbitration, after parties reported a settlement of their dispute late last month.

  • April 13, 2026

    Costco Says Its Food Prep Eliminates All Chicken Concerns

    Costco has told a Washington federal judge that its popular rotisserie chickens pose no health risk to customers because the product is fully cooked, in a bid to dismiss a proposed class action claiming the product is processed in a plant contaminated with salmonella.

  • April 13, 2026

    Trump Picks DOL Workers' Comp Official For NLRB Seat

    President Donald Trump tapped a U.S. Department of Labor workers' compensation official Monday to serve on the National Labor Relations Board in a move that could avert another quorum lapse and facilitate a shift away from the labor-friendly policy of the last administration.

  • April 13, 2026

    HUD Unveils $1.1B To Back Housing In Tribal Communities

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Native American Programs says it will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Block Grant funding for almost 600 tribal nations to support affordable housing projects.

  • April 13, 2026

    Atty Says Ogletree Can't Litigate Against Her In 2 Similar Cases

    A Georgia attorney said Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC should be disqualified from serving as defense counsel in a discrimination suit she's working on while simultaneously litigating against her on behalf of her ex-employer in a similar matter.

Expert Analysis

  • The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Leadership Strategy After Day 1

    Author Photo

    For law firm leaders, ensuring a newly combined law firm lives up to its promise, both in its first days of operation and well after, includes tough decisions, clear and specific communication, and cheerleading, says Peter Michaud at Ballard Spahr.

  • Calif.'s Civility Push Shows Why Professionalism Is Vital

    Author Photo

    The California Bar’s campaign against discourteous behavior by attorneys, including a newly required annual civility oath, reflects a growing concern among states that professionalism in law needs shoring up — and recognizes that maintaining composure even when stressed is key to both succeeding professionally and maintaining faith in the legal system, says Lucy Wang at Hinshaw.

  • Series

    Trivia Competition Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing trivia taught me to quickly absorb information and recognize when I've learned what I'm expected to know, training me in the crucial skills needed to be a good attorney, and reminding me to be gracious in defeat, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.

  • An Instructive Reminder On Appealing ITC Determinations

    Author Photo

    A recent Federal Circuit decision, partially dismissing Crocs' appeal of a U.S. International Trade Commission verdict as untimely, offers a powerful reminder that the ITC is a creature of statute and that practitioners would do well to interpret those statutes conservatively, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: What Cross-Selling Truly Takes

    Author Photo

    Early-career attorneys may struggle to introduce clients to practitioners in other specialties, but cross-selling becomes easier once they know why it’s vital to their first years of practice, which mistakes to avoid and how to anticipate clients' needs, say attorneys at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: Practical Use Cases In Chambers

    Author Photo

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard in the Southern District of California discusses how she uses generative artificial intelligence tools in chambers to make work more efficient and effective — from editing jury instructions for clarity to summarizing key documents.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Last quarter featured a novel class action theory about car rental reimbursement coverage, another win for insurers in total loss valuations, a potentially broad-reaching Idaho Supreme Court ruling about illusory underinsured motorist coverage, and homeowners blaming rising premiums on the fossil fuel industry, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

    Author Photo

    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Courts' Rare Quash Of DOJ Subpoenas Has Lessons For Cos.

    Author Photo

    In a rare move, three federal courts recently quashed or partially quashed expansive U.S. Department of Justice administrative subpoenas issued to providers of gender-affirming care, demonstrating that courts will scrutinize purpose, cabin statutory authority and acknowledge the profound privacy burdens of overbroad government demands for sensitive records, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Unpacking Dormant Commerce Clause Cannabis Circuit Split

    Author Photo

    Federal courts have reached differing conclusions as to whether state-legal cannabis is subject to the dormant commerce clause, with four opinions across three circuit courts in the last year demonstrating the continued salience of the dormant commerce clause debate to the nation's cannabis industry, regulators and policymakers, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

    Author Photo

    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • New State Regs On PFAS In Products Complicate Compliance

    Author Photo

    The new year brought new bans and reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in half a dozen states — in many cases, targeting specific consumer product categories — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers must not only monitor their own supply chains, but also coordinate to ensure compliance, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Specificity, Self-Dealing Are Shaping ERISA Litigation

    Author Photo

    Several recent cases, including the U.S. Supreme Court's forthcoming ruling in Anderson v. Intel, illustrate the competing forces shaping excessive fee litigation, with plaintiffs seeking flexibility, courts demanding specificity, fiduciaries facing increased scrutiny for conflicts of interest, and self-dealing amplifying exposure, says James Beall at Willig Williams.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Washington archive.