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Appellate

  • September 12, 2025

    Novartis Takes Entresto Bench Trial Loss To Fed. Circ.

    Novartis urged the Federal Circuit on Friday to save it from a Delaware federal judge's holding that generic-drug maker MSN Pharmaceuticals did not infringe a patent covering the blockbuster cardiovascular drug Entresto.

  • September 12, 2025

    Fla. Ex-Atty Banned From Pro Se Suits To Win Back House

    The Florida Supreme Court has sanctioned a disbarred Tampa tax attorney and banned her from filing any more pro se complaints related to efforts to regain her house, which was taken away by court order more than eight years ago.

  • September 12, 2025

    Feds Back Chevron And Exxon In High Court Pollution Case

    The Trump administration has backed Chevron and Exxon's U.S. Supreme Court bid to overturn a ruling that Louisiana courts should hear pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era oil production, saying their work clearly puts the litigation in federal court.

  • September 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Affirms PTAB's Slicing Of Fracking Patent Claims

    The Federal Circuit on Friday backed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision invalidating claims in a patent relating to hydraulic fracturing pump technology, finding that the tribunal had sufficient evidence supporting its conclusion that the claims were obvious.

  • September 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Rejection Of Vegas Newspaper Pact

    The Ninth Circuit refused to reconsider a panel's decision finding that a long-standing arrangement between the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal is unlawful because the rival newspapers needed approval from the U.S. attorney general.

  • September 12, 2025

    Wash. Panel Skeptical Of AG Doc Bid In Church Abuse Case

    A Washington appellate panel expressed doubt on Friday that the state attorney general could issue a sweeping subpoena to the Catholic Church in search of charitable trust funds potentially spent concealing child abuse, with one judge quipping the church's books will not have a "line item" for such expenditures.

  • September 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Kent State In Prof's Trans Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit ruled Friday that Kent State University backtracked on a promotion promised to a transgender professor because of insulting tweets and emails directed at colleagues, not because of their gender identity.

  • September 12, 2025

    Anti-Vax Dr. Asks 11th Circ. To Revive NYT Defamation Suit

    Alternative medicine proponent Dr. Joseph Mercola on Friday asked the Eleventh Circuit to revive his defamation suit against The New York Times over a 2021 report about his statements criticizing the COVID-19 vaccines, calling it a "character assassination piece to shut him down."

  • September 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs University In Ex-HR Director's Retaliation Suit

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday upheld the dismissal of a white former human resources director's lawsuit claiming the University of Toledo fired her for opposing a colleague's promotion, saying the four-month gap between her complaint and termination was too much to support a retaliation suit.

  • September 12, 2025

    When The Supreme Court Says Using Race Is OK

    The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing government agencies to expressly use race in furthering their immigration enforcement goals, while prohibiting the use of race as even one of the factors to consider in college admissions. Some legal scholars see a double standard.

  • September 12, 2025

    Woman Gets Another Shot At LA Fitness Treadmill Suit

    A California appeals court has revived a woman's suit alleging that she was injured by a faulty treadmill at an LA Fitness gym, saying there is a triable issue of fact regarding whether she electronically signed an injury waiver.

  • September 12, 2025

    Justices Urged To Skip Highland's Ch. 11 'Gatekeeper' Appeal

    An alternative investment firm pressed the U.S. Supreme Court to not review a Fifth Circuit decision narrowing releases and so-called "gatekeeper" provisions in bankrupt Texas investment group Highland Capital Management's Chapter 11 plan.

  • September 12, 2025

    Cops Not Immune In Suit Over Fabricated Proof, 3rd Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit held in a precedential ruling Friday that police officers are not shielded by qualified immunity in malicious prosecution lawsuits involving allegations of fabricated evidence and forced confessions.

  • September 12, 2025

    Broker Wants DC Circ. View Of FINRA Constitutionality Claim

    A broker-dealer representative has asked the D.C. Circuit to review a lower court's refusal to block an enforcement action against him from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority despite his claims that the pending in-house hearing is unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court's Jarkesy decision.

  • September 12, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs Philly School In Worker's COVID Leave Suit

    A former Philadelphia school employee resigned rather than being fired, the Third Circuit said Friday, affirming a federal court decision tossing his suit claiming he was discriminated against for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine because of his religious beliefs.

  • September 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. OKs Verdict In DEA Bribe Case But Nixes Forfeiture

    The Second Circuit on Friday affirmed the convictions of a pair of ex-Drug Enforcement Administration agents over a bribery scheme but overturned an order requiring both to forfeit funds, saying it would constitute a double payment for the same crime.

  • September 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs $3.5M Award In Wallet Gadget Patent Case

    The Federal Circuit held Friday that it won't undo Dynamite Marketing's $3.5 million win in a suit in which a jury found that WowLine Inc. infringed a patent covering the Wallet Ninja, upholding awards for both damages and attorney fees.

  • September 12, 2025

    DC Circ. Probes NLRB's Employee Criticism Protections

    A D.C. Circuit panel struggled Friday with the appropriate line for when an employee's public criticisms of their employer maintain protection under federal labor law as it weighed upholding a National Labor Relations Board ruling finding a Texas utility unlawfully fired a worker who testified before the state Senate.

  • September 12, 2025

    Atlanta Braves, Player Pulled Back Into Fans' Injury Suit

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday reversed a trial court order freeing the Atlanta Braves and baseball outfielder Jorge Soler from a suit filed by a married couple who allege the wife was injured after being struck in the eye with a baseball during a 2021 World Series game.

  • September 12, 2025

    Trump Admin Asks Justices To Shut Down Climate Torts

    The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to put an end to climate change lawsuits brought by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies, arguing that such suits are barred by both the U.S. Constitution and Clean Air Act.

  • September 12, 2025

    Appeals Courts Rethink Harsh Youth Sentences, Search Rules

    State appellate courts across the country have issued major criminal law opinions this year, softening some of the harshest sentences for young defendants while shifting rules for searches and evidence collection.

  • September 12, 2025

    Entertainment Center Escapes Suit Over 'Freakish' Collision

    A Florida appeals court on Friday tossed a suit accusing an entertainment center of causing a customer to get hit by a truck outside the venue after an event, saying criminal behavior by the truck's passenger, which led to a "freakish and improbable chain of events," could not have been foreseen.

  • September 12, 2025

    Va. City Attorney Tells 4th Circ. He's Immune From FMLA Suit

    A Virginia federal judge erred by allowing a Family and Medical Leave Act suit against a municipal attorney to head to trial, the attorney said Friday, asking the Fourth Circuit to hold that he is immune from suit.

  • September 12, 2025

    Conn. Supreme Court Snapshot: Amazon Wages Top Sept.

    A wage and hour dispute between Amazon and its Connecticut warehouse workers is the top corporate dispute on the Connecticut Supreme Court's September docket after the justices agreed to answer a certified question over whether state law requires the retailer to pay employees undergoing security screenings.

  • September 12, 2025

    Insurer Doubles Down On Bid To Undo $1.1M Roof Verdict

    A North Carolina federal court adopted the wrong causation standard in its instructions to a jury that awarded a church $1.1 million over its roof damage claim under what is known as an all-risk property policy, the church's insurer told the Fourth Circuit, urging the appeals court to set aside the verdict.

Expert Analysis

  • 3rd Circ. FMLA Suit Revival Offers Notice Rule Lessons

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    In Walker v. SEPTA, the Third Circuit reinstated a former Philadelphia bus driver's Family and Medical Leave Act lawsuit, finding the notice standard is not particularly onerous, which underscores employers' responsibilities to recognize and document leave requests, and to avoid penalizing workers for protected absences, say Fiona Ong and Leah Shepherd at Ogletree.

  • Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference

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    A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.

  • 2 Appellate Rulings Offer Clickwrap Enforcement Road Map

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    Two recent decisions from the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits in cases involving Experian signal that federal appellate courts are recognizing clickwrap agreements' power in spite of their simplicity, and offer practical advice on how companies can sufficiently demonstrate notice and assent when attempting to enforce contractual terms, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • Fleeing Or Just Leaving Quickly? 2nd Circ. Says It Depends

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    The Second Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Bardakova decision adopted a new approach for determining whether a defendant who commits a crime in the U.S., and then leaves and remains abroad, intends to avoid prosecution — making it more difficult to argue against the fugitive disentitlement doctrine in most cases, say attorneys at MoloLamken.

  • What 2 Profs Noticed As Transactional Law Students Used AI

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    After a semester using generative artificial intelligence tools with students in an entrepreneurship law clinic, we came away with numerous observations about the opportunities and challenges such tools present to new transactional lawyers, say professors at Cornell Law School.

  • What Patent Claim 'Invalidity' Means In Different Forums

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    A recent Federal Circuit order allowing a patent suit to proceed despite similar claims being invalidated in an inter partes review underscores how fractured the patent litigation landscape has become, leading to critical nuances in how district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission and Patent Trial and Appeal Board treat invalidity, says Jason Hoffman at BakerHostetler.

  • Reel Justice: 'Eddington' Spotlights Social Media Evidence

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    In the neo-Western black comedy “Eddington” released last month, social media is a character unto itself, highlighting how the boundaries between digital and real-world conduct can become blurred, thereby posing evidentiary challenges in criminal prosecutions, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University School of Law.

  • 8th Circ. Rulings Show Employer ADA Risks In Fitness Tests

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    Two recent Eighth Circuit decisions reviving lawsuits brought by former Union Pacific employees offer guidance for navigating compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, serving as a cautionary tale for employers that use broad fitness-for-duty screening programs and highlighting the importance of individualized assessments, says Masood Ali at Segal McCambridge.

  • Rebuttal

    BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

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    A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

  • 9th Circ. Leaves Scope Of CIPA Applicability Unclear

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    Three recent Ninth Circuit decisions declined to directly address whether all of the California Invasion of Privacy Act's provisions actually apply to internet activity, and given this uncertainty, companies should heed five recommendations when seeking to minimize CIPA litigation risk, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

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    Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

  • What Insurers Must Know About New La. Proof Of Loss Law

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    Insurers that comply with all the requirements under a Louisiana law effective this month may condition claim payments on receipt of proof of loss statements, but those that overlook even one prerequisite risk penalties and late payments, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Criminal Healthcare Fraud Takeaways From 4th Circ. Reversal

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    After the Fourth Circuit reversed a doctor’s postconviction acquittal in U.S. v. Elfenbein last month, defense attorneys should consider three strategies when handling complex criminal healthcare matters, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses key takeaways from federal appellate decisions involving topics including antitrust, immigration, consumer fraud, birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment, and product defects.

  • A Look At Justices' Rare Decision Not To Limit Agency Powers

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    The Supreme Court's recent denial of Alpine's cert petition in its long-running case against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends a strong signal that litigation strategies dependent on the elimination of government agencies merit caution, even from a court that lately hasn't been shy about paring back agency authority, say attorneys at Venable.

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