Correspondent
White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a civil complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's determination that the plaintiff's claims were barred by principles of sovereign immunity.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to compel action in a copyright infringement case. The court found the petition moot because the district court had recently dismissed the underlying action.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to compel arbitration. The court held that the defendants waived their right to arbitrate by substantially invoking the judicial process over two years of litigation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the denial of Federal Employees Retirement System disability retirement benefits to a former FBI employee. The court held that an employee's inability to commute to work is not a factor in determining whether they are disabled under the relevant statute.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of Brendan Gates for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. The court held that a district court did not abuse its discretion in denying a mistrial motion after a witness made an isolated, unprompted reference to domestic violence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed an award of attorneys' fees and costs in a Fair Labor Standards Act dispute. The court held that a Rule Sixty Eight offer did not bar the award because the plaintiff obtained a judgment more favorable than the defendant's offer.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal because the underlying district court order was not a final judgment. The court held that a stipulation dismissing fewer than all claims against a party was ineffective under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure forty-one.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the appellant failed to file specific objections to a magistrate judge's recommendation. The court held that the appellant forfeited the right to appellate review of the summary judgment order.
The Eleventh Circuit reversed the dismissal of tortious interference claims, holding that federal common law does not govern the interpretation of forum-selection clauses in contracts governed by foreign law. The court ruled that the scope of such clauses must be determined under the substantive law of the contract, which in this case was Slovenian law.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging the denial of a temporary restraining order. The panel held that the denial did not meet the jurisdictional requirements for interlocutory review.
