Maria Santos

Correspondent

Maria Santos

White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news

Business & Regulatory patent

Decisions covered by Maria Santos

636 decisions
Feb 6 2026
1st Cir. 24-1966 Panel Decision

CHRISTOPHER ALICEA, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Luis M. Prieto v. CINCINNATI INCORPORATED NEW AUTOMATION CORPORATION, d/b/a PythonX, d/b/a Burlington Automation...

The First Circuit vacated summary judgment on design defect claims because expert testimony raised a genuine dispute over whether a reasonable alternative design could have prevented a fatal accident. The court affirmed summary judgment on manufacturing defect and maintenance claims, finding insufficient evidence to link the missing safety barrier to the victim's entry into the danger zone.

Civil Summary Judgment Tort / Personal Injury
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Feb 5 2026
1st Cir. 24-1697 Panel Decision

Stokinger v. Armslist, LLC

The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a negligence and public nuisance suit against an online firearms marketplace for lack of personal jurisdiction based on pre-2017 contacts. However, the court vacated the dismissal to allow jurisdictional discovery, ruling that evidence of thousands of New Hampshire-specific listings from 2018 onward may establish that the company purposefully availed itself of the state's laws.

Civil Intellectual Property
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Feb 5 2026
1st Cir. 24-1951 Panel Decision

KATHLEEN F. HEBERT; TREVOR PARKER HEBERT; ZACHARY R. HEBERT v. KARISSA DONAHUE, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Tiffany Donahue-Hebert, deceased METROPOLITAN LIFE IN...

The First Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a partially completed beneficiary designation form under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Act was valid. The court held that the statutory requirement of a signed and witnessed writing was met, and the appellant failed to provide medical evidence proving the insured lacked mental capacity.

Civil ERISA / Employee Benefits
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Feb 3 2026
7th Cir. 25-1419 Panel Decision

MEDLEGAL SOLUTIONS, INC., doing business as Atticus Medi- cal Billing v. PREMIUM HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, LLC APPEAL OF: VIVEK BEDI

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a federal judgment creditor's secured interest in a debtor's assets takes priority over a state judgment creditor's claim, even after the state creditor obtained a retroactive correction to fix a misnomer in his judgment. The court held that the federal district court had appellate jurisdiction over the final turnover order and that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine did not bar the federal court from adjudicating the priority dispute between the competing creditors.

Appellate Jurisdiction Bankruptcy Civil
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Feb 3 2026
7th Cir. 25-2360 Panel Decision

MARCUS L. PECK v. FIRST TECHNOLOGY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION and AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC

The Seventh Circuit vacated a district court dismissal of a consumer's federal claims against a creditor, ruling that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not bar suits alleging independent post-judgment debt collection misconduct. The appellate court held that claims regarding deceptive collection practices occurring after a state garnishment order are distinct from challenges to the state court's judgment itself.

Bankruptcy Civil
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Feb 3 2026
11th Cir. 5:23-cv-00003-MTT Published

Doe v. United States

The Eleventh Circuit vacated a district court dismissal of parents' negligence claims against the United States regarding child abuse at a government daycare. The appellate court held that the government's duty to protect the children was independent of the abusers' employment status, placing the claims outside the Federal Tort Claims Act's intentional tort exception.

Civil Securities
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Feb 2 2026
7th Cir. 24-3204 Panel Decision

FODIES MCBRIDE, SR v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY

The Seventh Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a pro se litigant who failed to argue that the district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over his claims. The appellate court deemed the appeal frivolous because the appellant did not engage with the court's dispositive determination that his complaints failed to allege violations of federal law or establish diversity jurisdiction.

Civil Insurance
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Feb 2 2026
1st Cir. 24-1942 Panel Decision

BLUERADIOS, INC. v. HAMILTON, BROOK, SMITH & REYNOLDS, P.C.

The First Circuit reversed the district court's summary judgment in a legal malpractice suit, holding that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding when the statute of limitations began to run. The court further ruled as a matter of law that an attorney-client relationship existed between the tech company and the law firm, rejecting the lower court's dismissal of the claims.

Civil Intellectual Property Statute of Limitations Summary Judgment
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Feb 2 2026
4th Cir. 24-2006 Per Curiam

DREAMWORKS MOTORSPORTS, INC v. JONATHAN KLEIN

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's remand of a contract dispute to state court because the defendant removed the case after the one-year statutory deadline had expired. The court held that the plaintiff's strategic delay in scheduling a hearing on a motion to amend the complaint did not constitute bad faith sufficient to excuse the untimely removal.

Civil Contract
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