Ƶ

Appellate

  • September 24, 2025

    Ill. Justices Won't Hear Pepsi's $2.1M Tax Penalty Case

    An Illinois appeals court decision allowing $2.1 million in penalties against PepsiCo for categorizing Frito-Lay expatriates' compensation as foreign payroll will stand, as the state's highest court declined to review the dispute Wednesday.

  • September 24, 2025

    9th Circ. Allows One More Go-Round In Kleenex Ad Fight

    The Ninth Circuit Wednesday determined it does not have jurisdictional authority to revive a proposed class action alleging Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Kleenex Germ Removal Wet Wipes mislead consumers about the product's ability to kill germs, saying the consumers were not able to establish subject matter jurisdiction.

  • September 24, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Vacates $181M Patent Verdict Against AT&T, Nokia

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday wiped out Finesse Wireless' $181 million verdict against AT&T and Nokia, finding issues in "confusing and unclear" expert testimony that had supported the case accusing the wireless carriers of infringing a pair of radio interference patents.

  • September 24, 2025

    Del. Justices Uphold $10.5B Zendesk Take-Private Deal

    Delaware's Supreme Court early Wednesday upheld the Court of Chancery's Sept. 10 dismissal of a stockholder challenge to the $10.5 billion take-private deal for software as a service business Zendesk Inc., closing the book on the case in two sentences issued two weeks after appeal arguments.

  • September 24, 2025

    Calif. Panel Won't Upend $1M Motorcycle Crash Verdict

    A California appeals panel won't order a new trial or disturb a $1 million verdict awarded to a man who fractured his pelvis and arm in a motorcycle accident, with the justices rejecting the other driver's arguments that evidence was wrongly excluded from the trial.

  • September 24, 2025

    Trans Youth Care Ban Discriminatory, Mo. High Court Hears

    The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on a law that bans gender-affirming care for minors and restricts Medicaid coverage for transgender care at any age, but the justices gave little indication of how they might rule.

  • September 24, 2025

    4th Circ. Kicks Trans Care Exclusion Suits Back To Trial Court

    A pair of suits challenging health plan coverage exclusions on gender-affirming care for minors are headed to district court after the Fourth Circuit vacated decisions finding those policies discriminatory, in line with a U.S. Supreme Court directive to revisit the cases in light of new precedent.

  • September 24, 2025

    Innoscience Claims ITC Ban Over Invalidated Patent Is 'Unjust'

    Innoscience is urging the Federal Circuit to free it from a U.S. International Trade Commission import ban, saying the Efficient Power Conversion Corp. semiconductor patent it allegedly infringes isn't valid.

  • September 24, 2025

    Ga. Panel Reverses Trial Court's Same-Sex Motherhood Ruling

    The Georgia Court of Appeals Wednesday reversed a trial court order that refused to recognize the legitimacy of a woman's parental relationship to a child conceived by artificial insemination during her marriage to another woman.

  • September 24, 2025

    Dems Probing Skadden, Kirkland, Paul Weiss' Work For Trump

    Top Democratic legislators are investigating whether pro bono work reportedly being performed by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP for the U.S. Department of Commerce is in violation of federal law, according to letters the lawmakers sent the firms Wednesday.

  • September 24, 2025

    Tribal Groups Back 9th Circ. Bid To Block Ariz. Land Transfer

    Two tribal advocacy groups are backing a Ninth Circuit bid to block a 2,400-acre federal land exchange in Arizona to make way for a billion-dollar copper mining project they say will destroy an ancient worship site, arguing that federal policies are systematically stripping Indigenous nations of their homelands.

  • September 24, 2025

    Rikers Detainees File Class Action Over Solitary Confinement

    A group of detainees are accusing the New York City Department of Correction of systematically violating the state's landmark law restricting solitary confinement, saying in a state court in a proposed class complaint they have been locked in their cells for up to 24 hours a day at Rikers Island despite the ban, a lawyer told Law360 on Wednesday.

  • September 24, 2025

    Md. County Backs Landowners In 4th Circ. Power Line Dispute

    A county board of commissioners in Maryland told the Fourth Circuit that a Public Service Energy Group unit trying to build a 67-mile transmission line has no right to conduct testing on private landowners' properties, saying a lower court erred in granting the company access.

  • September 24, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Sex Harassment Suit Against Wash. Sheriff

    The Ninth Circuit reopened a lawsuit alleging that a Washington sheriff's department failed to stop a deputy sheriff who coerced a woman he had previously arrested into a seven-year sexual relationship, ruling that each alleged instance of sexual misconduct restarted the statute-of-limitations clock.

  • September 24, 2025

    5th Circ. Tosses Takings Claim Over Texas Bridge Contract

    The Fifth Circuit has ruled local governments can act like any other party to a contract after the city of Mesquite, Texas, refused to extend a development agreement and shut down an attempt by a group of real estate owners to claim a refund on costs for building a multipurpose bridge.

  • September 24, 2025

    Mich. Hospital Must Bargain With SEIU Amid 6th Circ. Appeal

    A Michigan hospital must keep bargaining with a Service Employees International Union affiliate while it appeals an injunction that forced it to resume working with the union, a Sixth Circuit panel said, finding the hospital is unlikely to show it acted lawfully when it withdrew recognition in 2023.

  • September 24, 2025

    Sen. Ossoff Pushes Fed. Courts To Uphold Access To Counsel

    Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., has urged the Judicial Conference to take further action to ensure that all defendants, particularly low-income ones, have access to counsel for their initial appearance in federal court.

  • September 23, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Disturb EPA's Denial Of Texas Ozone Plan

    The Fifth Circuit on Monday refused to upend a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision denying Texas' Clean Air Act implementation plans, finding that the EPA's procedure complied with the law and its reasoning for denying the plans "was sound."

  • September 23, 2025

    DC Circ. Says FMC's Late-Fee Rule Makes No Sense

    The Federal Maritime Commission's "demurrage and detention" fees rule does not make sense, the D.C. Circuit has ruled, partially striking down the rule after finding that the agency had not given a good reason for allowing some entities to be fined for shipping delays while blocking others.

  • September 23, 2025

    Towing Cos. Can Bill For Special Rigs, Conn. Justices Say

    Upending three lower decisions to the contrary, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Tuesday said tow truck operators can charge extra fees on top of hourly labor rates when using specialized equipment to clear highway wrecks, saying a limited interpretation of a state motor vehicle regulation could hinder accident cleanup efforts.

  • September 23, 2025

    Sandisk Gets Support In 'Settled Expectations' Challenge

    Industry groups, professors and Unified Patents are backing Sandisk Technologies Inc.'s Federal Circuit challenge to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's policy of denying review of patents based on the owner's "settled expectations," saying it flouts the law and undermines the patent review system.

  • September 23, 2025

    Feds Tell Justices GEO Can't Rush Detainee Work Row Appeal

    The federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court that immigrant detention contractor The GEO Group Inc. is wrong when it asserts that a federal judge's rejection of its immunity defense to a detainee class action could be appealed immediately.

  • September 23, 2025

    Fla. Panel Upholds Verdict For Insurer In Bad Faith Dispute

    A Florida state appeals court affirmed the verdict in favor of an insurance company in a widow's lawsuit alleging its conduct following her husband's death led to a $13.5 million excess judgment, saying a jury was given proper instructions. 

  • September 23, 2025

    1st Circ. Calls BIA's Handling Of Late Filing 'Troubling'

    The First Circuit on Monday faulted the Board of Immigration Appeals for refusing to consider a Guatemalan asylum applicant's appeal brief that was inadvertently filed in the wrong forum, finding the decision "troubling," and saying the BIA abused its discretion by not offering an explanation.

  • September 23, 2025

    Enviro Orgs. Ask 5th Circ. To Review Delfin LNG Project License

    Environmental groups on Monday asked the Fifth Circuit to find that the U.S. Department of Transportation violated federal law when it issued a license for the construction and operation of the Delfin LNG LLC deepwater liquefied natural gas project.

Expert Analysis

  • Associates Can Earn Credibility By Investing In Relationships

    Author Photo

    As the class of 2025 prepares to join law firms this fall, new associates must adapt to office dynamics and establish credible reputations — which require quiet, consistent relationship-building skills as much as legal acumen, says Kyle Forges at Bast Amron.

  • How 6th Circ. Ruling Deepens Split On Broker Liability

    Author Photo

    A growing divide in Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act jurisprudence is ripe for U.S. Supreme Court review, after the Sixth Circuit last month found in Cox v. Total Quality Logistics that brokers can be held liable for negligent hiring, says Gregory Reed at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Trending At The PTAB: IPR Memo And Its Fed. Circ. Backdrop

    Author Photo

    There are new rules for when and how evidence other than patents or printed publications can be considered in inter partes reviews, and while this change is intended to reflect current Federal Circuit precedent, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's memo seems to acknowledge tension with last month's Shockwave decision, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Calif. Arbitration Fee Ruling Gives Employers Slight Leeway

    Author Photo

    The California Supreme Court's decision in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County offers a narrow lifeline that protects employers from losing arbitration rights over inadvertent fee payment delays, but auditing arbitration agreements and implementing payment tracking protocols can ensure that deadlines are always met, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Ruling Offers Insurers A Path To Settle Sans Insured Consent

    Author Photo

    A recent North Carolina federal court ruling, Martin Marietta Materials v. Ace, joins other states in holding that an insurer may consider its own interests in settlement negotiations, outlining a strong strategy for insurers faced with an uncooperative insured and the threat of a large verdict, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Lessons From 7th Circ.'s Deleted Chat Sanctions Ruling

    Author Photo

    The Seventh Circuit’s recent decision in Pable v. Chicago Transit Authority, affirming the dismissal of an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, highlights the importance of properly handling the preservation of ephemeral messages and clarifies key sanctions issues, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • Adapting To USPTO's Tighter Inter Partes Review Rules

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent pivot regarding how it will address general knowledge in inter partes review petitions presents immediate strategic implications for petitioners, patent owners and litigants watching the contours of Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Series

    Quilting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Turning intricate patterns of fabric and thread into quilts has taught me that craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and dedication to incremental progress are essential to creating something lasting that will help another person — just like in law, says Veronica McMillan at Kramon & Graham.

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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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 Appellate archive.