Correspondent
White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in a veterans benefits dispute. The court issued a per curiam order relying on Federal Circuit Rule 36 without providing substantive reasoning.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction against Ohio House Bill 96, ruling that the state's escheat of unclaimed funds does not cause irreparable harm. The court held that property owners retain a ten-year window to recover their funds plus interest, negating the need for injunctive relief.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's award of attorneys' fees to a relator under the False Claims Act, rejecting a defense based on the relator's unrelated prior misconduct. The court held that the unclean hands doctrine does not apply when the relator's past crimes have no immediate relation to the specific qui tam suit at issue.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's refusal to compel arbitration, holding that VyStar Credit Union failed to prove the formation of a valid arbitration agreement under Florida state law. The court ruled that unilateral amendments to membership agreements via notice attached to account statements were insufficient to establish mutual assent to the new arbitration provision.
The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Frank Nellom's complaint for failure to exhaust administrative remedies before seeking judicial review of his Social Security benefits. The court held that without a final decision from the Commissioner, the District Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case.
The D.C. Circuit dismissed Indiana's appeal of a district court order remanding a Medicaid dispute to HHS because the remand order was not a final decision under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. The court held that the order left the core dispute unresolved for further agency proceedings, and no exceptions to the finality rule applied.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board by mutual agreement of the parties. The court issued a nonprecedential order directing that each side bear its own costs.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision that certificates of correction issued after final written decisions in inter partes review proceedings do not retroactively invalidate those decisions. The court held that the patent owner forfeited the right to rely on the corrected inventorship because it failed to raise the argument in a timely manner during the initial proceedings.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a suit against a bank for seizing funds to satisfy a Texas judgment, holding that banks perform a ministerial function when complying with court enforcement writs. The court ruled that the bank acted with legal right under West Virginia law and that the judgment debtors must challenge the underlying judgment rather than sue the bank.
The Third Circuit affirmed a district court order confirming an arbitration award resolving a law firm dissolution dispute. The court rejected the appellant's claims that the arbitrators manifestly disregarded the law or committed misconduct regarding fee distributions and jurisdictional limits.
