Maria Santos

Correspondent

Maria Santos

White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news

Business & Regulatory patent

Decisions covered by Maria Santos

1,038 decisions
Apr 30 2026
1st Cir. 25-1212 Panel Decision

New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association v. Lutnick

The First Circuit held that the New England Fishery Management Council functions solely as an advisory body and does not exercise final executive authority under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Consequently, the Council's involvement in developing Framework Adjustment 65 does not violate the Appointments Clause, and the reduced catch limits for the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan remain in full effect.

Civil Tax (Civil)
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Apr 30 2026
4th Cir. 25-1190 Panel Decision

Exclusive Jets, LLC d/b/a Fly Exclusive v. United States Department of Labor, Administrative Review Board and Michael J. Jones

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the Administrative Review Board's finding that a pilot was wrongfully terminated for reporting aviation safety concerns. However, the court vacated the damages portion of the decision because the Board applied an incorrect legal standard regarding the employee's duty to mitigate damages.

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Apr 30 2026
4th Cir. 25-2317 Per Curiam

SAMUEL K. REID, SR v. PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC; SAMUEL I. WHITE, P.C

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a pro se borrower's complaint but modified the order to dismiss without prejudice. The court held that dismissals based on the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, which addresses subject matter jurisdiction defects, must be without prejudice because a court lacking jurisdiction cannot adjudicate claims on the merits.

Civil Contract Motion to Dismiss
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Apr 30 2026
4th Cir. 25-1231 Per Curiam

Caldwell v. Rankin

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order upholding a bankruptcy court's determination that a judgment debt was non-dischargeable. The appellate court denied the pro se appellant's various procedural motions and found no reversible error in the lower court's ruling.

Bankruptcy Civil
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Apr 30 2026
Fed. Cir. 24-1846 Panel Decision

WILDSEED MOBILE, LLC v. GOOGLE LLC

The Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision that Wildseed's patent claims were unpatentable as obvious. The court rejected Wildseed's narrow interpretation of claim language regarding user data, ruling that derived information from text messages satisfies the patent's requirements.

Civil Intellectual Property
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Apr 30 2026
9th Cir. 2:23-cv-00459- 2-1

SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, ET AL. V. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a visa denial challenge, holding that while the Supreme Court's Muñoz decision precludes due process claims by citizens regarding admission, it does not abrogate the Mandel exception for First Amendment rights. Applying the limited 'facially legitimate and bona fide reason' standard, the court found the government satisfied its burden by showing reasonable grounds to believe the applicant was a criminal organization member.

Administrative / Agency Review Civil
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Apr 29 2026
8th Cir. 25-6017 Panel Decision

In re: Robert Duane Wagner

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the debtor-appellant died and no personal representative was substituted within a reasonable time. The court held that without a party to prosecute the case, continuing the proceedings is improper under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 8023.1.

Bankruptcy Civil
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