Washington

  • February 19, 2025

    Democratic States Urge Judge To Restore Refugee Program

    A coalition of 19 Democratic-led states have thrown their support behind refugees and nonprofits seeking to block President Donald Trump's suspension of the U.S. refugee program, calling the move unlawfully broad in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

  • February 19, 2025

    Calif. Smoking Gear Co. Says Rival Ripped Off Cones Design

    A California-based smoking accessory maker is suing a Washington competitor in federal court, alleging that the other company's "Crush Cones" infringe a patent for prerolled smoking cones.

  • February 19, 2025

    Orrick Brings On 3-Atty A&O Shearman Energy Team

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced Wednesday that the firm has bulked up its energy platform with three former Allen Overy Shearman Sterling attorneys who have come aboard as partners in California, Washington state and Texas.

  • February 19, 2025

    Judge Won't Narrow Injunction In Birthright Citizenship Case

    A Maryland federal judge declined to narrow an injunction blocking the enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, saying a nationwide injunction is appropriate given the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project's 680,000-person membership across all 50 states.

  • February 18, 2025

    Wash. AG Targets Alleged 'Probates For Profit' Plot

    The Washington State Attorney General's Office has launched a lawsuit in state court over a yearslong "probates for profit" scheme involving a group of people who allegedly commandeered the estates of strangers, sold their homes and walked away with millions of dollars that should have gone to heirs.

  • February 18, 2025

    Home Insurer Off The Hook In $750K Policy Lapse Dispute

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a suit seeking $750,000 in coverage from two Progressive units after a fire severely damaged a home, saying the homeowners had let the coverage expire by not paying premiums, even though the insurer's renewal notice was "not a paragon of clarity."

  • February 18, 2025

    County Opposes Wash. Tribe's Bid To Weigh In On River Fight

    A county dike district has opposed a Washington state-based tribe's bid to file a friend of the court brief in the district's suit against a U.S. government biological opinion finding that a proposed tide-gate project endangers salmon, arguing that the tribe doesn't provide a unique perspective.

  • February 18, 2025

    Judge Won't Hold DOL In Contempt In Farmworker Wage Suit

    A Washington federal judge has rejected a farmworker union's claims that the U.S. Department of Labor violated a court injunction by greenlighting H-2A contracts that do not include 2020 prevailing wage rates for the upcoming cherry and apple harvests.

  • February 18, 2025

    Trump Trans Order Is Unconstitutional 'End-Run,' Judge Says

    A Washington federal judge has further explained her temporary block on President Donald Trump's executive order targeting funding for gender-affirming care for young people, saying the edict threatens a broad swath of congressionally approved research spending and "amounts to an end-run around the separation of powers."

  • February 18, 2025

    State AGs Can't Yet Block Musk From Accessing Agency Data

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Tuesday denied a motion from 14 state attorneys general for an emergency order to stop Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data systems at seven federal agencies or enacting mass firings of those agencies' employees.

  • February 18, 2025

    Firm Says Insurer Refused To Repay It For $1.5M Cyber Theft

    A law firm claimed its cyber insurer refused to reimburse it after hackers allegedly stole more than $1.5 million that was supposed to go to an attorney who had teamed up with the firm on a personal injury case.

  • February 17, 2025

    Labor Groups Denied Block On DOGE's Agency Access

    A Washington, D.C. federal judge again declined to block Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing three federal agencies' data, saying worker and consumer advocates haven't shown that the department's agents don't belong.

  • February 15, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Practice Pivot, Tariff Tax, Lennar's Lawyers

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the latest shifts in real estate law practice, a Big Law leader's predictions for a looming tariff "tax" debate, and a look at the legal talent behind homebuilder Lennar Corp.'s $5.8 billion spinoff.

  • February 14, 2025

    States Move To Block Musk From Taking Over Gov't Agencies

    Fourteen state attorneys general Friday sought an emergency order in D.C. federal court to stop Elon Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization from exercising "unprecedented" authority over federal agencies, arguing that as an unelected, unconfirmed official, Musk has "taken the helm" of the federal government in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

  • February 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Pauses At Forest Service's Project Revision

    The U.S. Forest Service pushed back on Friday against a Ninth Circuit judge's point that a restoration project being challenged by a conservation group evolved "quite a bit" after a fire ripped through the area, contending the final plan ultimately prescribed the same changes — just to fewer acres.

  • February 14, 2025

    Judge Partly Certifies Ex-Detainee Class In Debit Card Fee Suit

    A Washington federal judge has partially certified a class of former detainees suing the Central Bank of Kansas City, alleging the bank charged them debit card fees to regain access to their money after they were released.

  • February 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Judge Grills Feds In Immigrant Detention Regs Case

    A Ninth Circuit judge pressed the federal government Friday on its stance that a Washington state law goes too far in setting health and safety benchmarks for a privately run immigration detention center, drawing an "apples-to-apples" comparison with similar rules for contractor-run psychiatric hospitals.

  • February 14, 2025

    NHL, CHL Ask Court to Toss Junior Players' Antitrust Lawsuit

    The National Hockey League has asked a Washington federal court to toss an antitrust lawsuit challenging a rule that dictates where junior athletes can play, arguing that most enforcement of the rule took place in Canada.

  • February 14, 2025

    K&L Gates Continues IP Growth With New Partner In Seattle

    An intellectual property attorney specializing in protecting design rights has moved his practice to K&L Gates LLP's Seattle office after more than 13 years with boutique IP firm Lee & Hayes PC.

  • February 14, 2025

    2nd Judge Blocks Trump Trans Health Order, Chides DOJ Atty

    A Washington federal judge put a second temporary block on President Donald Trump's executive order targeting funding for gender-affirming care for people younger than 19, at a Seattle hearing where the judge said she was extremely frustrated with a federal government attorney's inability to answer questions about the order's discriminatory impact on transgender youth.

  • February 14, 2025

    DOJ Takes Military Bias Dispute With Nev. To 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Justice said it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit after a federal judge tossed its suit accusing the state of Nevada and its public employees retirement system of overcharging service members for pension credits.

  • February 14, 2025

    Judge Leaves Curbs On DOGE Treasury Access After Hearing

    A Manhattan federal judge left in place temporary curbs on sweeping powers handed by President Donald Trump to Elon Musk's government-slashing U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, after 19 states challenged the organization's access to U.S. Treasury payment systems.

  • February 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Panel Doubts SEC's 'Gag Rule' Violates Free Speech

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday appeared to doubt a First Amendment challenge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's "gag rule" that settling parties cannot deny allegations against them, as each judge noted that the agreements are voluntary.

  • February 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Undo Meta's $725M Privacy Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday affirmed Meta Platforms Inc.'s $725 million settlement resolving privacy claims over the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal, finding that the California district court conducted a full review of the deal's terms before approving it.

  • February 13, 2025

    2 Men Cop To Crypto Mining Fraud Conspiracy, Forfeit $400M

    A pair of Estonians have pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and agreed to forfeit assets worth $400 million in connection with Washington state federal prosecutors' claims that they ran a $577 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, the government said Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens

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    States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review

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    As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • A Novel Expansion Of Alien Tort Statute In 9th Circ.

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    The Ninth Circuit's Doe v. Cisco rehearing denial allows a new invocation of the Alien Tort Statute to proceed, which could capture the U.S. Supreme Court's attention, and has potentially dramatic consequences for U.S. companies doing business with foreign governments, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Where Can Privacy Plaintiffs Sue When Injury Is Online?

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    Website owners need to understand wiretapping laws to understand whether they may be sued for activity tracking in California or Pennsylvania courts, where the statutory damages for violations of half-century-old laws can be substantial — and a recent Third Circuit decision suggests establishing specific jurisdiction is not as easy as 1-2-3, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Amazon Holiday Pay Case Underscores Overtime Challenges

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    The recent Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services LLC decision in the Colorado Supreme Court underscores why employers must always consult applicable state law and regulations — in addition to federal law — when determining how to properly pay employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek, says James Looby at Vedder Price.

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