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Expert Analysis

• 9th Circ. Finding That NFTs Are Goods Will Change TM Law

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Yuga Labs v. Ripps establishes that NFTs have real, commercial value under U.S. federal trademark law, a new legal precedent that may significantly influence intellectual property enforcement and marketplace policies regarding digital assets going forward, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

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  Adapting To Private Practice: From Texas AUSA To BigLaw

  

  As I learned when I transitioned from an assistant U.S. attorney to a BigLaw partner, the move from government to private practice is not without its hurdles, but it offers immense potential for growth and the opportunity to use highly transferable skills developed in public service, says Jeffery Vaden at Bracewell.

• Union Interference Lessons From 5th Circ. Apple Ruling

  

  The Fifth Circuit's recent holding that Apple did not violate the National Labor Relations Act during a store's union organizing drive provides guidance on what constitutes coercive interrogation and clarifies how consistently enforced workplace policies may be applied to union literature, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• 3 Rulings Show Hurdles To Proving Market Manipulation Fraud

  

  Three recent conviction reversals from New York federal courts highlight the challenges that prosecutors face in establishing fraud and market manipulation allegations, suggesting that courts are increasingly reluctant to find criminal liability when novel theories are advanced, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

• Drafting M&A Docs After Delaware Corp. Law Amendments

  

  Attorneys at Greenberg Traurig discuss how the March and June amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law affect the drafting of corporate and M&A documents, including board resolutions, governing documents, and books and records demands.

• Advice For 1st-Gen Lawyers Entering The Legal Profession

  

  Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm tells her story of being a first-generation lawyer and how others who begin their professional journeys without the benefit of playbooks handed down by relatives can turn this disadvantage into their greatest strength.

• High Court E-Cig Ruling Opens Door For FDA Challenges

  

  There will likely be more challenges to marketing denial orders brought before the Fifth Circuit following the Supreme Court's recent ruling in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co., where litigants have generally had greater success, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• NY Ruling Eases Admission Of Medical Record Evidence

  

  A New York appellate court’s recent ruling in Pillco v. 160 Dikeman clarifies the standard for evaluating accident-related entries from medical records, likely making it easier to admit these statements into evidence at trial, says Shawn Schatzle at Lewis Brisbois.

• How 9th Circ. Customs Ruling Is Affecting FCA Litigation

  

  The Ninth Circuit’s recent Island Industries decision holding that the U.S. Court of International Trade doesn’t have exclusive jurisdiction over whistleblower suits involving import duties has set the stage for the False Claims Act to be a key weapon on the customs enforcement battlefield, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

• 2nd Circ. Ruling Gives Banks Shield From Terrorism Liability

  

  A recent Second Circuit dismissal strengthens the position of international banks facing claims they indirectly helped terrorist organizations and provides clearer guidance on the boundaries of secondary liability, but doesn't provide absolute immunity, say attorneys at Freshfields.

• Fed. Circ. In July: Instability In IPR Requirements

  

  The Federal Circuit's decision in Shockwave v. Cardiovascular last month provided an important, albeit short-lived, clarification to the type of evidence that can be used in an inter partes review challenge, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

• 9th Circ. Qualified Immunity Ruling May Limit Phone Searches

  

  Though the Ninth Circuit affirmed police officers’ qualified immunity claims in Olson v. County of Grant earlier this year, it also established important Fourth Amendment precedent on the use of cellphone extractions that will apply more broadly in criminal investigations and prosecutions, say attorneys at The Norton Law Firm.

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  Coaching Cheerleading Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  At first glance, cheerleading and litigation may seem like worlds apart, but both require precision, adaptability, leadership and the ability to stay composed under pressure — all of which have sharpened how I approach my work in the emotionally complex world of mass torts and personal injury, says Rashanda Bruce at Robins Kaplan.

• 9th Circ.'s Kickback Ruling Strengthens A Prosecutorial Tool

  

  The Ninth Circuit's decision last month in U.S. v. Schena, interpreting the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act to prohibit kickback conduct between the principal and individuals who do not directly interact with patients, serves as a wake-up call to the booming clinical laboratory testing industry, say attorneys at Kendall Brill.

• Ruling Puts 11th Circ. At Odds With Bankruptcy Courts

  

  While an Eleventh Circuit majority recently found in BenShot v. 2 Monkey Trading and Lucky Shot USA that corporate debtors, like individuals, face certain exceptions to discharge under a nonconsensual Subchapter V plan, the ruling not only reverses the lower court, but opposes the holdings of many other bankruptcy courts, say attorneys at McDermott.