Correspondent
White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news
The Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's approval of a $125 million settlement resolving a nationwide class action regarding excessive PACER fees. The court held that the district court had jurisdiction under the Little Tucker Act and that the settlement terms, including attorney fees and incentive awards, were fair and reasonable.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted an unopposed motion to voluntarily dismiss an appeal filed by Busch Law Firm, LLC. The court dismissed the appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42(b) and Tenth Circuit Rule 46.3(C).
The Third Circuit denied in part and dismissed in part a pro se petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Sharisse Filus seeking to intervene in her underlying civil action against Fidelity Investments. The court determined that the District Court's procedural rulings, including the denial of Filus's motions to strike the defendant's answer and impose sanctions, were not appropriate subjects for mandamus relief.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's partial denial of a preliminary injunction in a franchise dispute, ruling that the franchisor Fetch! Pet Care came to equity with unclean hands. The court held that Fetch!'s aggressive marketing and abrupt termination of legacy franchisees barred it from obtaining equitable relief against former franchisees who launched competing businesses.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court order approving the sale of condemned condominium property to a stalking horse bidder. The court held that the appellant failed to preserve its due process and procedural objections for appellate review.
The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of a declaratory judgment action, holding that a permanent life insurance policy issued in 2024 was a distinct contract from a prior term policy issued in 2004. Because the permanent policy was a new contract and the policyholder lacked an insurable interest at the time of its issuance, the court ruled the policy void as an illegal wager.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order that rejected a motion to reopen for cancellation of removal. The court held that defects in the Notice to Appear do not strip immigration courts of jurisdiction and that the petitioner failed to prove eligibility for the requested relief.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Social Security disability benefits for Laurie Yokosh, ruling that the Administrative Law Judge properly discounted the opinion of her treating psychologist. The court held that the ALJ provided well-supported reasons for finding inconsistencies between the psychologist's conclusions and the broader medical record.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a district court order confirming an arbitration award because the arbitrator failed to conduct a mandatory post-award review of punitive damages. The court held that ignoring express contractual terms regarding this review procedure constituted an excess of authority rather than a permissible interpretation of the agreement.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Steven Deming's claim for disability insurance benefits, ruling that the Administrative Law Judge's decision was supported by substantial evidence. The court held that a 100% VA disability rating does not bind the Social Security Administration, which applies a distinct legal standard for determining disability.
