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Appellate

  • July 25, 2025

    Texas Justices Leave Atty Fees In UDJA Cases Alone, For Now

    The Texas Supreme Court declined to take up a case dealing with attorney fees in suits where a court defines a legal relationship, but in a Friday opinion one justice wrote that the court will eventually need to address how jurisdiction plays into the issue.

  • July 25, 2025

    Drivers Ask 9th Circ. To Revive Fiat Chrysler Gear Shift Suit

    Chrysler drivers are asking the Ninth Circuit to revive their proposed class action alleging defective gear shifters in Fiat Chrysler vehicles, in a bid to overcome a California federal court's finding that the injury is hypothetical.

  • July 25, 2025

    Sports & Betting Cases To Watch In The Second Half Of 2025

    Certain court cases have become staples on both the midyear and end-of-year must-watch lists in sports and betting at Law360. One that seemed best positioned to finally fall off the list, as it turns out, is far from over: the multibillion-dollar NCAA settlement regarding name, image and likeness payments and revenue sharing with hundreds of thousands of college athletes. A handful of other suits from past years will also continue to bear watching through the end of 2025.

  • July 25, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Suit Against Wash. Youth Gender Care Laws

    A Ninth Circuit panel has unanimously declined to revive a challenge to a Washington state law allowing shelters to help runaway teens seek gender-affirming treatment without notifying their parents, ruling on Friday that the plaintiff parents and anti-trans advocacy groups haven't shown actual or imminent harm from the statute.

  • July 25, 2025

    9th Circ.: Gila River Tribe-Farmer Water Fight Not Over

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled a federal judge prematurely sided with the Gila River Indian Community in a water rights dispute, finding future fact-finding is needed before ordering Arizona farmers to shut off wells that allegedly draw water from the river.

  • July 25, 2025

    Helicopter Crash Suit Belongs In New Zealand, Calif. Court Says

    Survivors of a helicopter crash cannot sue the U.S.-based companies that manufactured the aircraft in Los Angeles County, a California appeals court said Thursday, affirming a trial court's finding that it makes more sense for New Zealand courts to handle the case because that's where the crash happened and where the passengers live.

  • July 25, 2025

    11th Circ. Overturns Funding Model For SEC Database

    The Eleventh Circuit sent the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission back to the drawing board on Friday to chart a path forward for its $500 million market surveillance tool, telling the regulator that it was unreasonable to potentially force broker-dealers to fund the entire project.

  • July 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive Unraised Claims In Immigration Appeal

    The Third Circuit has rejected a Guatemalan mother and son's bid to overturn the Board of Immigration Appeals' denial of asylum and other removal protections, ruling that the board's summary affirmance of the underlying immigration judge's decision can't revive unexhausted claims.

  • July 25, 2025

    Ohio Court Tosses Sentence In Pot Case Over Phone Search

    An Ohio state court abused its discretion when it imposed the maximum possible jail sentence on a man who pled guilty to marijuana charges, a state appellate court has ruled, saying the judge improperly penalized the defendant for refusing to allow police to search his cell phone.

  • July 25, 2025

    Fluoride Fans Tell 9th Circ. To Preserve Drinking Water Use

    A pro-fluoride group is supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fight to overturn a California federal judge's ruling that current limits on the chemical in drinking water aren't protective enough.

  • July 25, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Life Insurer's Denial Of Disability Benefits

    A life insurance company did not abuse its discretion in discontinuing long-term disability benefits to a former employee of a payroll software provider after a review of updated medical records, the Fifth Circuit said, finding that substantial evidence supported the insurer's decision.

  • July 25, 2025

    4th Circ. Sends Power Plant Labor Row Back To Arbitration

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Friday that Wheeling Power Co.'s attempt to vacate an arbitrator's finding of liability in favor of a coal plant's labor union was premature because the decision wasn't final when Wheeling Power took the issue to court.

  • July 25, 2025

    8th Circ. Lifts Online Ban For Convict With 'Abhorrent' Views

    A Minnesota man sentenced to more than six years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun should be allowed online in accordance with his First Amendment rights, though he had used the internet to research mass shootings and terrorist groups, the Eighth Circuit ruled Friday.

  • July 25, 2025

    Appeal Clock Starts After Restitution Determined, Panel Rules

    In a precedential decision Friday, the Pennsylvania Superior Court held that a sentence involving restitution isn't final until the financial penalty is actually set, making that the date when the appellate clock starts ticking.

  • July 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Review $3.2M Wawa Breach Fee Award

    The Third Circuit on Thursday won't revisit its prior decision upholding $3.2 million in fees to plaintiffs' counsel in a case that secured a $12 million deal for Wawa shoppers affected by a data breach after attorney Ted Frank argued the fees were disproportionate to the class' recovery.

  • July 25, 2025

    Texas Inmate Seeks To Stop Execution In Shaken Baby Case

    A Texas death row prisoner convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter under the controversial shaken baby syndrome theory has asked the state's top criminal appeals court to halt his upcoming execution, arguing new evidence discredits the diagnosis, his attorney said Friday.

  • July 25, 2025

    NY Court Sides With Junior Investors In RMBS Trust Dispute

    A New York state court resolved a dispute between bondholders in 34 residential mortgage-backed securities trusts about how to handle repayment of principal amounts deferred during the 2008 financial crisis, siding with junior bondholders after a 17-day bench trial.

  • July 25, 2025

    Fed. Prison Bureau Not Violating FOIA Rules, DC Circ. Says

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday published an opinion finding the Federal Bureau of Prisons is not taking unreasonably long to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests for incarcerated people's disciplinary or educational records, despite having a separate, expedited process for medical records.

  • July 25, 2025

    'Yellowstone' Creator's Ranch Dispute Heading Back To Trial

    A Texas appeals court affirmed a finding that the former owner of a $10 million ranch knew about a roof leak before selling the property to "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan, but found there was insufficient evidence to back up a jury's damages award and ordered a new trial.

  • July 25, 2025

    Texas Farmer Not Owed For Border Wall Costs, 5th Circ. Says

    A Texas farmer isn't owed compensation for a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall that the government built on her land in 2008, the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday.

  • July 25, 2025

    NJ Panel Orders Do-Over In Public Notice Mandate Decision

    A New Jersey appellate panel remanded a dispute over a borough's redevelopment process on Friday, after finding that the trial judge failed to explain why he dismissed a challenge to ordinances and public meeting procedures — including claims the town effectively told newspapers not to publish legally required notices.

  • July 25, 2025

    Caterpillar Unit Urges 11th Circ. To Revive Loan Default Suit

    Caterpillar Inc.'s lending division urged the Eleventh Circuit on Friday to undo a Florida federal judge's dismissal of a suit to recover $4.8 million in loans to a construction machinery seller, arguing its case should go forward even if it hadn't filed "the platonic ideal of a complaint."

  • July 25, 2025

    Mayo Clinic's $11.5M Tax Refund Affirmed By 8th Circ.

    The Mayo Clinic qualifies as an "educational organization" under federal tax law, making it eligible for a tax exemption for such organizations and meriting a nearly $11.5 million refund, the Eighth Circuit said Friday, affirming a federal district court.

  • July 25, 2025

    4th Circ. Denies Inmate's Habeas Despite 'Kafkaesque' Delays

    The Fourth Circuit has affirmed a West Virginia federal court's dismissal of a convicted murderer's bid to get out of prison, finding that although his rights may have been violated by "Kafkaesque," decadeslong delays and ineffective counsel, he was nevertheless able to find resolution in state court.

  • July 25, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Punts $17M Drug Arbitration Case To 2nd Circ.

    The Federal Circuit said Friday it lacked jurisdiction over a dispute over a $16.6 million arbitral award between two drugmakers, ruling that because it was being asked to consider an arbitration issue and not a patent law issue, the Second Circuit must hear the case.

Expert Analysis

  • DOJ May Rethink Banning Firearms For Marijuana Users

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    In light of various federal circuit court decisions and an executive order from President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Justice enforcement policy now may be on the verge of changing decidedly in favor of marijuana users' gun rights, and could foreshadow additional marijuana-friendly reforms, says Jacob Raver at Dentons.

  • EDNY Ruling May Limit Some FARA Conspiracy Charges

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    Though the Eastern District of New York’s recent U.S. v. Sun decision upheld Foreign Agents Registration Act charges against a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, its recognition of an affirmative legislative policy to exempt some officials may help defendants charged with related conspiracies, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

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    District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Fla. Workers' Comp Ruling Ups Bar For Emotional Injury Suits

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    A Florida appellate court’s recent opinion in Steak 'N Shake v. Spears requires that employees solely claiming emotional distress seek workers’ compensation before suing their employers, closing a potential loophole and reducing the potential proliferation of such disputes in Florida courts, says Rob Rogers at Kirwin Norris.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Spearin, Overpayments, Jurisdiction

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    Edward Arnold at Seyfarth examines three recent decisions addressing the limits of the Spearin doctrine in design-build contracts, the government's ability to recoup overpayments after a termination for convenience, and the Contract Disputes Act's strict and nonwaivable jurisdictional rules.

  • What Calif. Appeals Split Means For Litigating PAGA Claims

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    After two recent California state appeals court rulings diverged on whether a former employee with untimely individual claims under the Private Attorneys General Act can maintain a representative action, practitioners' strategic agility will be key to managing risk and achieving favorable outcomes in PAGA litigation, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Series

    Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

  • NY Case Shows How LLC Agreements Can Be Amended

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    The New York Court of Appeals in Behler v. Tao recently held that a merger clause contained in an amended limited liability company agreement superseded and extinguished an alleged oral agreement between the parties, highlighting the importance of determining early how and when an LLC agreement may be amended, says Kerrin Klein at Olshan Frome.

  • If Justices Accept, Maxwell Case May Clarify Meaning Of 'US'

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    If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to take up Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, it could clarify the meaning of “United States” in the context of plea agreements, and a plain language interpretation of the term would offer criminal defendants fairness and finality, say attorneys at Kudman Trachten.

  • The State Of Play In Copyright Protection For Floor Plans

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    With questions over copyright protections for floor plans potentially teed up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys in the real estate industry should take steps to clarify and strengthen clients' rights and reduce the risk of litigation, says Dylan I. Scher at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

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    New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Legacy Of 3 Justices Should Guide Transgender Rights Ruling

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    Three Republican-appointed U.S. Supreme Court justices — Anthony Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor and David Souter — gave rise to a jurisprudence of personal liberty that courts today invoke to protect gender-affirming care, and with the court now poised to decide U.S. v. Skrmetti, it must follow the path that they set, says Greg Fosheim at McDermott.

  • How IPR Estoppel Ruling May Clash With PTAB Landscape

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    Though the Federal Circuit's narrowing of inter partes review estoppel in Ingenico v. Ioengine might encourage more petitions, tougher standards for discretionary denial established by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office could be a counterbalancing factor, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Texas Ruling Emphasizes Limits Of Franchisors' Liability

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    The Texas Supreme Court's recent ruling in Massage Heights Franchising v. Hagman, holding that a franchisor was not liable to a customer for the actions of a franchisee's employee, helps clarify the relative roles and responsibilities of the parties in such situations — and the limits of franchisors' duty of care, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

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