Newsletters

02.29.24

Restrictions on Employer Communication Upheld by Ninth Circuit

In an appeal presenting recurring issues facing district courts in managing whether and how prospective parties are brought into wage and hour lawsuits under the collective action procedures of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an order imposing a ...


02.29.24

New Trial for FEHA Plaintiff After Prejudicial Complaints Admitted

Reversing a jury verdict in favor of an employer, a California appellate panel found the trial court erred by allowing the introduction of complaints made by coworkers against the plaintiff.


02.29.24

PAGA Claims Can’t Be Tossed on Manageability Grounds

Do trial courts have the inherent authority to dismiss a claim under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) on the grounds of manageability?


02.29.24

Ninth Circuit Affirms California Supreme Court’s Take on Viking River

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals applied the California Supreme Court’s interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the intersection of the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims and arbitration in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana.


02.28.24

DOL’s Independent Contractor Rule Set for March

On March 11, 2024, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rule on the standard for determining who is an employee and who is an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is set to take effect.


02.27.24

Board Must Consider Separately Each Dependent Claim Incorporated Into Multiple Dependent Claim

In Nested Bean, Inc. v. Big Beings USA Pty Ltd.,1 the director of the 'U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Patent Office) (Director) granted review and modified the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (Board) final written decision (Final Written Decision) to require the Board to consider ...


02.13.24

Patent Office Director Designates Precedential Opinion on IPR Expert Evidence/Testimony

In Xerox Corp. v. Bytemark, Inc., the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made precedential a prior decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the Board) over when an expert declaration from an inter partes review (IPR) should be afforded little weight.


02.06.24

Further Guidance from FTC and DOJ “Reinforces” Parties’ Obligations to Preserve Ephemeral Messages

On January 26, 2024, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly issued new guidance making clear that common collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging applications must be preserved in the same manner as traditional forms ...


01.19.24

Using Government Incentive Funds Does Not Create a Right to Remove: Eighth Circuit

On the second to last business day of last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit addressed when a private organization can invoke the federal officer removal statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1442.


01.09.24

Proposed Claims Allowed Despite Including Amendments Not Responsive to Unpatentability Ground

In American National Manufacturing Inc. v. Sleep Number Corporation, the Federal Circuit held that so long as a proposed claim amendment does not enlarge the scope of the claims, does not add new matter and is responsive to a ground of unpatentability, the patent owner may also make additional ...