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July 21, 2025
Copyright And TM Cases To Watch In The Second Half Of 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court will evaluate contributory liability in a $1 billion copyright case involving internet service providers, and the Federal Circuit will assess the latest attempted trademark registration testing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's comfort with profanity. Here are the copyright and trademark cases to watch for the rest of the year.
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July 21, 2025
Enterprise Need Only Check License, Conn. Panel Rules
Enterprise Rent-A-Car can not be held liable for renting a vehicle to a man who became intoxicated and struck a jogger and his dog later that day, a Connecticut appeals court ruled, saying the company was only required to inspect the driver's physical license and not to find out if the state had limited him to vehicles equipped with car breathalyzers.
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July 21, 2025
Mich. Justices Raise Bar For Prisoner Contraband Cases
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday that possession of contraband in prison is not a strict liability offense, meaning prosecutors must prove that a prisoner was, at minimum, reckless in obtaining drugs or alcohol while behind bars.Â
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July 21, 2025
Guinea Tells DC Circ. $22M Award Can't Be Enforced
The Republic of Guinea has urged the D.C. Circuit not to revive a consulting company's bid to enforce a $22 million arbitration award, saying a lower court correctly found that it was unclear whether the country agreed to arbitrate the dispute in the first place.
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July 21, 2025
9th Circ. Narrows 'Remain In Mexico' Block During Appeal
A split Ninth Circuit panel ruled that a California federal judge's nationwide block of the Remain in Mexico program can only apply to the clients of the nonprofit that brought the underlying challenge while the Trump administration's appeal proceeds.
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July 21, 2025
Baseball Training Co. Must Face Suit Over Mom's Injury
Indiana's court of appeals ruled that a baseball training center cannot escape a lawsuit accusing the business of negligence after an admittedly unstable training screen fell over and caused a head injury to the mother of one of the trainees.
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July 21, 2025
Split 8th Circ. OKs Fed Charges In Cop Car Burning Case
A split Eighth Circuit panel has ruled that a man convicted in Arkansas federal court of firebombing three police vehicles must face his sentence, ruling that, because the departments to which the cars belonged received federal money, the U.S. government is allowed to bring charges against the man.
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July 21, 2025
Wash. Plastic Surgeon Can't Get $13M Jury Verdict Overturned
A Washington appeals court panel refused on Monday to undo a $13 million jury verdict against a plastic surgeon in a medical malpractice case, rejecting the doctor's argument that the lower court wrongly allowed evidence of state regulators' unrelated disciplinary proceedings against her.
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July 21, 2025
Justices Asked If Frontier Law Covers 'Corner Crossing' Case
A Wyoming ranch owner is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Tenth Circuit decision that four hunters who crossed over its property to reach public lands didn't trespass, arguing that state law prohibits "corner crossing" and that no federal easement exists across private land for public access.
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July 21, 2025
Ex-Judges Call SAP Hypocritical In 'Self-Serving' Fintiv Appeal
Retired Federal Circuit Judges Randall Rader and Kathleen O'Malley are urging their former court to reject SAP America Inc.'s challenge to how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is implementing new policies, saying the agency is acting within its limits and that SAP is selfishly contradicting arguments it previously made at the U.S. Supreme Court.
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July 21, 2025
Calif. Court Orders Drug Deal Retrial Over Mistaken Admission
A California state appeals court on Monday demanded a new trial on drug dealing charges for a man who admitted to possessing cocaine while on probation, finding a trial court judge had erroneously admitted botched testimony the man gave in a probation hearing.
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July 21, 2025
How GOP Judges Teed Up 4th Circ.'s Supreme Court Shutout
No appeals court found the U.S. Supreme Court's latest term less endearing than the Fourth Circuit, where a supersize shutout accentuated a multiyear slump for the once-favored circuit and repeatedly vindicated conservative dissenters on the left-leaning bench.
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July 21, 2025
Board Says Salvadoran Women Not A Social Group Under INA
The Board of Immigration Appeals has dismissed a Salvadoran woman's attempt to revive her application for asylum and withholding of removal, ruling that a particular social group based solely on an individual's sex and nationality is "overbroad and insufficiently particular."Â
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July 21, 2025
Energy Litigation To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2025
Courtroom showdowns between the Trump administration and blue states over U.S. energy and climate change policy will dominate the energy litigation landscape for the rest of 2025. Here is what the energy industry will be watching closely in the second half of the year.
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July 21, 2025
Pa. Hospital Can Shield Some Docs In Birth Injury Suit
A Pennsylvania state appeals panel won't force a hospital to turn over all of its internal reports in a suit by parents alleging that the hospital's negligence led to their son's injuries at birth, finding that the hospital sufficiently showed that two of the three contested files are privileged.
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July 21, 2025
Mich. Panel Upholds Atty Fee For Court-Appointed Counsel
A Michigan appellate panel has upheld a sentence requiring a defendant to pay a $400 attorney fee to her court-appointed counsel, rejecting her contentions that it was an unconstitutional fine and that the court failed to determine whether she had the ability to pay.
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July 21, 2025
Calif. High Court Says Biotech Investor Suit Belongs In Del.
The California Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a lawsuit pursued by a minority investor alleging San Diego-based EpicentRx and its officers bamboozled investors belongs in Delaware Chancery Court, rejecting arguments that enforcing the biopharmaceutical company's forum selection clause violated Golden State jury trial protections.
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July 21, 2025
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Last week at the Delaware Court of Chancery, a major settlement between Meta Platforms Inc. and its investors reached on the proverbial courthouse steps during day two of a trial ended an $8 billion-plus suit accusing the company's directors and officers of breaching privacy regulations and corporate fiduciary duties tied to allegations dating to the Cambridge Analytica scandal more than a decade ago.
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July 21, 2025
Tax-Lien Biz Atty Tells Jury He Didn't Seek To Dupe Lender
Counsel for a former compliance lawyer accused of pilfering from a $20 million line of credit extended to his tax-lien investment firm told a Manhattan federal jury Monday that the defendant was "sloppy," but never intended fraud.
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July 21, 2025
DC Circ. Strikes Down Gag Order On X Corp. Subpoenas
A D.C. Circuit panel has struck down a lower court's sweeping order blocking X Corp. from informing users about government data requests, with the appeals court finding the district court failed to identify specific harm that would come from keeping users in the loop.
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July 21, 2025
11th Circ Says. Experian Not Liable For Credit Dispute Costs
The Eleventh Circuit upheld a win for Experian PLC when it held that a consumer's attempts to correct inaccurate information in a credit report can't constitute an injury without evidence that the data was published to a third party or some other actual or imminent harm.
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July 21, 2025
EPA Asks 9th Circ. To Reverse Calif. Judge In Fluoride Suit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking the Ninth Circuit to reverse a California federal judge who ruled that the EPA's current "optimal" level of fluoride in drinking water poses an unreasonable risk of lowering children's IQ.
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July 21, 2025
Dentist Can't Shake $11.4M Verdict Over Patient's Cancer
A Pennsylvania Superior Court on Monday affirmed an $11.4 million verdict against a dentist who allegedly ignored signs of skin cancer during appointments, rejecting her argument that the evidence didn't support the verdict.
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July 21, 2025
4th Circ. Reverses Portion Of Railroads' Broadband Suit
The Fourth Circuit has ruled that the Association of American Railroads has standing to challenge a Virginia state law requiring railroads to allow for broadband crossings, reversing a trial court decision and dealing another blow to a law that the Virginia Supreme Court already gutted on state constitutional grounds in May.
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July 21, 2025
Reed Smith's Doc Block Motion 'Hyperbolic,' 2nd Circ. Told
Reed Smith LLP cannot block the new owners of reorganized Greece-based international shipping company Eletson from viewing files already in its possession, the company has told the Second Circuit, arguing the law firm's emergency motion to stop the new owners from accessing the files was intentionally timed to head off anticipated district court rulings.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer
While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.
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What Del. Supreme Court LKQ Decision Means For M&A Deals
The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in LKQ v. Rutledge greatly increases the enforceability of forfeiture-for-competition provisions, representing an important affirmation of earlier precedent and making it likely that such agreements will become more common in M&A transactions, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.
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10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks
The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
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How High Court's Cornell Decision Will Affect ERISA Suits
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Cunningham v. Cornell, characterizing prohibited transaction exemptions as affirmative defenses, sets the bar very low for initiating Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation, and will likely affect many plan sponsors with similar service agreements, says Carol Buckmann at Cohen & Buckmann.
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Notable Q1 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
The first quarter of 2025 was filled with the refinement of old theories in the property and casualty space, including in vehicle valuation, time to seek appraisal and materials depreciation, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.
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2nd Circ. Ruling May Aid Consistent Interpretation Of ADA
In Tudor v. Whitehall Central School District, the Second Circuit joined the majority of circuits by holding that an employee's ability to perform their job without an accommodation does not disqualify them from receiving one, marking a notable step toward uniform application of the Americans with Disabilities Act nationwide, says Michelle Grant at Wilson Elser.
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EPA's Proposed GHG Reform Could Hinder Climate Regulation
The Trump administration will reconsider the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's landmark 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding, which could leave the U.S. federal government with no statutory authority whatsoever to regulate climate change or greenhouse gas emissions, says David Smith at Manatt.
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Series
Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing
Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.
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Fed. Circ. In March: Forfeiting Claim Construction On Appeal
The Federal Circuit's decision in Wash World v. Belanger last month confirms the importance of fair notice to the district court when determining forfeiture of an argument on appeal in the context of patent claim construction, allowing appellants to better gauge the appropriate framing of arguments that may be presented, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
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1st Circ. Ruling May Slow SEC Retail Investment Advice Cases
The First Circuit's recent ruling, finding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission did not substantiate its $93.3 million fine against a retail investment adviser, may raise the threshold on materiality findings in these cases and add a speed bump resulting in fewer such actions, say attorneys at Weil.
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10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master
As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.
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6 Criteria Can Help Assess Executive Branch Actions
With new executive policy changes announced seemingly every day, several questions can help courts, policymakers and businesses determine whether such actions are proper, effective and in keeping with our democratic norms, say Marc Levin and Khalil Cumberbatch at the Council on Criminal Justice.
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Fed Circ.'s PTAB Ruling Highlights Obsolete Rationale
The Federal Circuit's recent decision in In re: Riggs shines a new light on its 2015 decision in Dynamic Drinkware v. National Graphics, and raises questions about why the claim support requirement established by Dynamic Drinkware exists at all, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.
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Traversing The Shifting Sands Of ESG Reporting Compliance
Multinational corporations have increasingly found themselves between a rock and a hard place attempting to comply with EU and California ESG requirements while not running afoul of expanding U.S. anti-ESG regimes, but focusing on what is material to shareholder value and establishing strong governance can help, say attorneys at MoFo.
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An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future
Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.