sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Appellate

  • October 15, 2025

    Monster Energy Gets Another Shot At Camping Gear IP Claims

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday found that a lower court erred in throwing out Monster Energy's trademark infringement suit against the manufacturers of 4Monster camping gear, finding that a reasonable juror could find that the marks are confusingly similar.

  • October 15, 2025

    Fla. Bar Can't Escape $1.6M Default Judgment In Injury Case

    A split Florida appellate panel Wednesday affirmed a $1.6 million default judgment against a bar that had been sued over a woman's injuries, saying the drinking establishment's arguments about the lawsuit being served on a mystery woman named "Georgia" were meritless.

  • October 15, 2025

    Justices Allow Federal Gov't To Argue In Army Vet Injury Suit

    The federal government has been allowed to weigh in on whether a U.S. Army veteran can revive his state-based injury claims against a military defense contractor in connection with a 2016 suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the U.S. Supreme Court announced.

  • October 15, 2025

    Goldstein Can't Dismiss 2016 Tax Charges As Time-Barred

    A Maryland federal judge denied SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein's motion to dismiss four of the 22 federal tax charges brought against him in January, ruling that his defense that the counts stemming from the 2016 tax year should be time-barred will have to be raised at trial.

  • October 15, 2025

    Justices Told PTAB Has No Business Reviewing Expired IP

    Gesture Technology Partners LLC urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to consider whether the Patent Trial and Appeal Board can review expired patents, pushing back on arguments from the government and several tech giants that the justices have already ruled it can't.

  • October 15, 2025

    Texas Panel Asks Why $12M Verdict Higher Than Project Cost

    A Texas appeals panel pushed a developer to justify a roughly $12 million verdict against a construction company given the developer paid around that amount to build the apartment at the center of the suit, asking Wednesday why the developer was entitled to that sum.

  • October 15, 2025

    3rd Circ. Clears Cannabis REIT In Investor Fraud Suit

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a securities fraud class action against a cannabis-focused real estate investment trust that alleged the trust violated securities laws by ignoring red flags about a tenant, with the panel finding that investors failed to show they were intentionally misled.

  • October 15, 2025

    'Lapse In Judgment' Didn't Merit Atty DQ, Ga. Panel Rules

    The Georgia Court of Appeals reversed a trial court's disqualification of an attorney from a property dispute over discussions the lawyer had that initiated property damage central to the case, ruling that while the talks showed a "lapse in judgment," they did not warrant his removal.

  • October 15, 2025

    Justices Doubt Need For Probable Cause In Emergency Entry

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday seemed reluctant to raise the standard police must meet to enter a home without a warrant during a potential emergency, with several saying they did not see a reason to disturb past rulings on the subject.

  • October 15, 2025

    Smart Thermostat Makers Keep PTAB, ITC Wins At Fed. Circ.

    Causam Enterprises owns the electrical utilities control patent it has accused ecobee and others of infringing with smart thermostats, but the patent is not valid, the Federal Circuit concluded Wednesday in a pair of precedential opinions.

  • October 15, 2025

    Texas Appeals Court Pushes Cigna On Payments To Hospitals

    A Texas appeals court seemed skeptical of Cigna Healthcare of Texas Inc.'s claim that once a patient gets hospitalized, any subsequent treatment should be classified as emergency care, asking Wednesday why Cigna should get to escape a lawsuit claiming it underpaid multiple hospitals.

  • October 15, 2025

    Professor Takes 'Rapunzel' TM Case To Supreme Court

    A law professor seeking to challenge a "Rapunzel" trademark as a consumer of fairy-tale toy characters has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her out after the Federal Circuit upheld a finding that she lacked standing because her alleged injury wasn't commercial in nature.

  • October 15, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Halt Magistrate Trial In Google Patent Case

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday denied a request from a location tracking patent owner to prevent a magistrate judge from holding a bench trial on Google's equitable defenses to his infringement claims, saying the patent owner had not shown that proceeding with the case and filing an appeal after a judgment would be inadequate.

  • October 15, 2025

    High Court Leans Toward Limiting Voting Rights Act Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative supermajority seemed ready Wednesday to further limit the use of the Voting Rights Act in challenging alleged racial discrimination in legislative redistricting, but appeared divided over how to accomplish that.

  • October 15, 2025

    Parents Urge 9th Circ. To Reject Meta's Section 230 Appeal

    Parents and school districts are urging the Ninth Circuit to reject Meta Platforms Inc.'s bid for immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, saying the company behind Facebook and Instagram can't use the measure for vaguely defined publishing-related activity.

  • October 15, 2025

    Ga. Justices Revive Suit Over L'Oréal Hair Relaxer Health Risks

    The Georgia Supreme Court reversed a decision by the state's Court of Appeals that barred a woman's suit alleging that chemicals in hair relaxers made by L'Oreal USA Inc. and Strength of Nature Global LLC caused her to develop uterine fibroids.

  • October 15, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Says Anti-SLAPP Motion Wrongly Denied In IP Case

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday said a California district court wrongly denied several semiconductor manufacturers' anti-SLAPP motion in a case where they are accused of stealing trade secrets, saying in a precedential opinion that filing a patent application is protected activity under the state's law.

  • October 15, 2025

    11th Circ. Leaves Hope For ESOP Suit Against Seafood Co.

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday backed the dismissal of a proposed class action from ex-seafood company workers who claimed their employee stock ownership plan had been mismanaged, but left open the possibility that the former workers could resuscitate their suit at the trial court.

  • October 15, 2025

    11th Circ. Sides With Insurer In Fla. Gas Station Pollution Fight

    An insurer for an owner and operator of Florida gas stations owes no coverage for pollution costs stemming from an underground fuel tank leak, the Eleventh Circuit ruled Wednesday, finding the owner failed to properly notify its insurer of a "pollution condition" that could result in an insurance claim.

  • October 15, 2025

    Meat Industry Fights To Defend Nix Of Slaughterhouse Rules

    A meat and poultry industry group has told the Ninth Circuit it opposes green groups' challenge to the federal government's decision to rescind a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities.

  • October 15, 2025

    Wash. Panel Mulls Trimming $103M Ruling Against Nationwide

    A Washington state appeals panel on Wednesday indicated it's open to cutting at least some of a $103 million judgment against insurer Nationwide over a car crash that killed three children, though the judges acknowledged they're still confused by the complicated nature of the case.

  • October 15, 2025

    10th Circ. Restores Asylum Grant In 10-Year Immigration Fight

    A Tenth Circuit panel said a Honduran woman and her two children can remain in the U.S., ruling that the Board of Immigration Appeals misstepped when it overturned their grant of asylum for a second time in 10 years.

  • October 15, 2025

    Chancery 'Rewrote' $3.4B Merger Deal, J&J Tells Del. Justices

    Johnson & Johnson told the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Chancery Court "rewrote" its $3.4 billion agreement for the acquisition of surgical robotics firm Auris Health, wrongly using the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing to impose obligations the company never accepted.

  • October 15, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Again Urged To Probe Settled Expectations Rule

    A nonprofit represented by former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal has thrown its weight behind the latest Federal Circuit petition challenging the USPTO's policy of denying review of patents based on the owner's "settled expectations," saying the rule is "economically harmful and legally unsound."

  • October 15, 2025

    Mass. Appeals Court Frees Getaway Driver From Gun Charges

    A Massachusetts man cannot be tried again for unlicensed firearm possession after driving a gunman to and from shootings, since it was never clear whether the unidentified shooter he drove was licensed to carry a weapon, the state's intermediate appeals court held unanimously on Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Opinion

    Subject Matter Eligibility Test Should Return To Preemption

    Author Photo

    Subject matter eligibility has posed challenges for patentees due to courts' arbitrary and confusing reasoning, but adopting a two-part preemption test could align the applicant, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the courts, says Manav Das at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

    Author Photo

    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

    Author Photo

    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Justices' Review Of Fluor May Alter Gov't Contractor Liability

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to review Hencely v. Fluor, a case involving a soldier’s personal injury claims against a government contractor, suggests the justices could reconsider a long-standing test for determining whether contractors are shielded from state-tort liability, says Lisa Himes at Rogers Joseph.

  • Google Damages Ruling Offers Lessons For Testifying Experts

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in EcoFactor v. Google represents a shift in how courts evaluate expert testimony in patent cases, offering a practical guide for how litigators and testifying experts can refine their work, says Adam Rhoten at Secretariat.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

    Author Photo

    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

    Author Photo

    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions

    Author Photo

    In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Rocket Mortgage Appeal May Push Justices To Curb Classes

    Author Photo

    Should the U.S. Supreme Court agree to hear Alig v. Rocket Mortgage, the resulting decision could limit class sizes based on commonality under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Evidence as opposed to standing under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, say attorneys at Carr Maloney.

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

    Author Photo

    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Trending At The PTAB: Shifts In Parallel Proceedings Strategy

    Author Photo

    Dynamics are changing between the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and federal courts, with two recent discretionary denials and one Federal Circuit decision offering takeaways for both patent owners and challengers navigating parallel proceedings, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • What Businesses Need To Know To Avoid VPPA Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Divergent rulings by the Second, Sixth and Seventh Circuits about the scope of the Video Privacy Protection Act have highlighted the difficulty of applying a statute conceived to regulate the now-obsolete brick-and-mortar video store sector in today's internet economy, say attorneys at DTO Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

    Author Photo

    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

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.