Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Washington

  • June 06, 2025

    Tobacco Cos. Sue Philip Morris Over Bid To Void Wash. Deal

    R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco producers have accused Philip Morris USA of trying to derail a deal with Washington state last spring to resolve longstanding payment disputes stemming from Big Tobacco's 1998 master settlement agreement, according to a new lawsuit in Washington state court.

  • June 06, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Hotels, Healthcare REITs, Secondaries

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Âé¶¹´«Ã½360 Real Estate Authority — including where the hotel sector stands at the midyear, which states are trying to curb healthcare investment models and what is fueling the surge in the real estate secondaries market.

  • June 06, 2025

    Wash. Panel Grills Ambulance Co. On Crash Immunity Defense

    Washington appellate judges expressed skepticism on Friday regarding an ambulance company's stance that qualified immunity shielded it from a patient estate's $2.3 million jury verdict over a mid-transport crash, while also casting doubt on the family's contention that the defendant had forfeited its appeal rights.

  • June 06, 2025

    'Low-Hanging Fruit' In Devas Resolved, But Questions Remain

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday rejecting the Ninth Circuit's outlier interpretation of a jurisdictional question in a $1.3 billion arbitral award enforcement case came as no surprise to arbitration experts, who say they will nevertheless continue closely watching the case to see how outstanding issues are resolved.

  • June 06, 2025

    Bipartisan Bill Would Let Tribes Prosecute Drug Traffickers

    Congressional lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would give tribal nations expanded authority to prosecute non-Native drug traffickers and combat the opioid crisis on their reservations.

  • June 06, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Boost Interest Rate For Worker's FMLA Win

    The Ninth Circuit declined to upend an order applying the federal rate instead of a higher Washington state rate when calculating prejudgment interest that a federal jury awarded to a worker in his lawsuit accusing a manufacturer of firing him for taking leave, saying his federal claim guided his litigation strategy.

  • June 06, 2025

    Trump Seeks High Court's OK On Education Dept. Job Cuts

    The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order halting massive job cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, arguing that the judge's finding that almost 1,400 employees must be reinstated to ensure the department's continued operation "has no basis in reality."

  • June 05, 2025

    9th Circ. Broadens Test For ERISA Claim Releases

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday reversed a finding that releases signed by two former microchip manufacturer employees bar them from leading a class action over claims the company illegally revoked its severance program, finding that the court should consider whether the company breached its fiduciary duty in obtaining the releases.

  • June 05, 2025

    Wash. Judge Rejects Spiritual Group's Revived Guru IP Claims

    A Seattle religious group has failed to prove copyright claims against an ex-member over the spiritual teachings of its late founder, a Washington federal judge has ruled following the case's revival on appeal, quipping that time and money spent on the case "vastly exceeds" any evidence of harm.

  • June 05, 2025

    Software Co. Says Insurers' About-Face Led To $21M Claim

    A software company is blaming its insurers in Washington federal court for hampering its settlement talks with a client by reneging on its coverage agreements, causing the company to now potentially face a customer's $21 million claim.

  • June 05, 2025

    States, Attys, Groups Push 8th Circ. For ND Tribes' Voting Rights

    Nineteen states, 16 former federal attorneys and a slew of civil rights groups are backing two North Dakota tribes in their efforts for an Eighth Circuit rehearing, arguing the appellate court's semantic shift regarding voting rights presents important questions that merit its full consideration.

  • June 05, 2025

    States Push To Block Feds From Slashing EV Charging Funds

    Sixteen states have pressed a Washington federal judge to block the Trump administration from cutting off congressionally approved funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure projects, saying state budgets and procurement processes are being upended by the administration's unilateral actions.

  • June 05, 2025

    Wash. County Ex-Diversity Manager Lodges Retaliation Suit

    A former equity, inclusion and belonging manager for Washington state's King County, home to Seattle, has launched a lawsuit contending she was blocked from addressing employee concerns about bias in the workplace, mistreated by white male colleagues, and ultimately pushed out amid a "challenging culture of silence and inaction."

  • June 05, 2025

    Maryland Judge Halts 'Mass Closure' Of AmeriCorps Programs

    A Maryland federal judge on Thursday temporarily enjoined the Trump administration's "mass closure" of AmeriCorps programs in two dozen states and ordered more than 750 national service members be restored, but declined to vacate the firing of AmeriCorps' paid staff.

  • June 05, 2025

    Actors Ask 9th Circ. To Revive SAG Vax Mandate Fight

    SAG-AFTRA members urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive their claims that the union betrayed them by allowing studios to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates against members with medical and religious objections, arguing that the state claims aren't preempted and "not everything that involves these guilds is a federal matter."

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Wants Details On Harm From Trump Wind Farm Pause

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday asked a coalition of states and a clean-energy advocacy group for more specifics about the harm they allegedly will be caused by the Trump administration's decision to pause wind farm permitting, and said he wanted to move forward with a trial "promptly."

  • June 05, 2025

    High Court Drops Class Cert. Clarification Bid

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Thursday to weigh in on whether federal courts can certify classes that include uninjured members, holding it improperly agreed to hear a disability discrimination case against diagnostics company Labcorp that raised the important question.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Revive Bid To Enforce $1.3B Indian Satellite Award

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a Ninth Circuit decision refusing to enforce a $1.3 billion arbitral award issued to an Indian satellite communications company, ruling that the court's outlier interpretation of a jurisdictional question was incorrect.

  • June 04, 2025

    Apple Loses Bid To Pause App Store Order Amid Appeal

    A Ninth Circuit panel Wednesday refused to lift a lower court's injunction mandating certain App Store policy changes while Apple appeals it, saying that it wasn't "persuaded that a stay is appropriate" in the high-profile litigation brought by Epic Games.

  • June 04, 2025

    1st Circ. Upholds Block On Trump's Education Dept. Job Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by President Donald Trump to greenlight massive job cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, finding that the administration had not provided enough evidence to overturn a block put in place by a Massachusetts federal judge.

  • June 04, 2025

    Starbucks' Legal Chief Exits Amid Organizational Changes

    Starbucks's top attorney Brad Lerman will be exiting the company in the coming months while helping the coffee giant search for his replacement as chief legal officer, the company announced Thursday in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork. 

  • June 04, 2025

    Scalia Invoked Against Trump's Citizenship Stance At 9th Circ.

    A panel of Ninth Circuit judges scrutinized the Trump administration's take on the citizenship clause as the government argued Wednesday to preserve the president's push to curb birthright citizenship, with one judge suggesting the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia would've rejected the attempt to read "beyond the mere words" of the 14th Amendment.

  • June 04, 2025

    Justices Won't Intervene To Let Jan. 6 Cops Stay Incognito

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an emergency stay that would have allowed current and former Seattle police officers who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, "Stop the Steal" insurrection to shield their identities from the public.

  • June 04, 2025

    CFPB Resumes $4.2M Redress After Pressure From States

    California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation said Wednesday that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now making good on a $4.2 million redress plan for former students of a shuttered sales-training firm, following agency delays and subsequent pressure from various states.

  • June 04, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Snags Labor Atty From Davis Wright In Seattle

    A former Davis Wright Tremaine LLP attorney representing employers in wage-and-hour disputes and traditional labor matters has started as a partner at Fisher Phillips LLP in Seattle, the firm announced, and will remain focused on tackling labor and employment claims for his clients.

Expert Analysis

  • Foreign Sovereign Entities Should Heed 9th Circ. IP Ruling

    Author Photo

    After the Ninth Circuit recently held that four Chinese state-controlled companies were not immune from criminal indictment for alleged economic espionage, foreign sovereign-controlled entities should assess whether their operations and affiliation with their parent states qualify for sovereign immunity under the common law, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

    Author Photo

    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Âé¶¹´«Ã½ School.

  • Opinion

    9th Circ. Shopify Decision Gets Personal Jurisdiction Wrong

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion in Briskin v. Shopify, rejecting the differential targeting requirement for personal jurisdiction, not only deviates from long-standing jurisprudence, but it also significantly expands the reach of internet-based claims under California law, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Âé¶¹´«Ã½yer

    Author Photo

    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • Series

    Âé¶¹´«Ã½ School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

    Author Photo

    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training

    Author Photo

    Despite increased attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, courts across the country have favored employers in cases opposing diversity training, challenging the idea that all workplace inclusion efforts violate the law and highlighting the importance of employers precisely recognizing the legal guardrails, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigÂé¶¹´«Ã½

    Author Photo

    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

    Author Photo

    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    The BigÂé¶¹´«Ã½ Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

    Author Photo

    The nine Am Âé¶¹´«Ã½ 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

    Author Photo

    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Âé¶¹´«Ã½yer

    Author Photo

    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Birthright Ruling Could Alter Consumer Financial Litigation

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about the validity of the nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship cases, argued on May 15, could make it much harder for trade associations to obtain nationwide relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of invalid regulations, says Alan Kaplinsky at Ballard Spahr.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

    Author Photo

    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What To Know About New Wash. Community Association Âé¶¹´«Ã½

    Author Photo

    A series of recent legislative updates that greatly expand application of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act pose significant challenges to the volunteer board members who administer and operate condos and homeowners associations, but there are ways to lessen the newly imposed administrative burden, says Tim Feth at VF Âé¶¹´«Ã½.

Want to publish in Âé¶¹´«Ã½360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Hello! I'm Âé¶¹´«Ã½360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!