Maria Santos

Correspondent

Maria Santos

White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news

Business & Regulatory patent

Decisions covered by Maria Santos

1,023 decisions
Mar 20 2026
6th Cir. 25-1638 Published

Fetch! Pet Care, Inc. v. Atomic Pawz Inc.

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.

Civil Intellectual Property
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Mar 20 2026
11th Cir. 0:25-cv-61909-RS Per Curiam

Stermer v. Federated Foundation Trust

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.

Civil Contract
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Mar 20 2026
9th Cir. 2:24-cv-02437-SVW-RAO Unpublished

AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP v. WILMINGTON TRUST, N.A

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.

Civil Environmental (Civil)
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Mar 19 2026
9th Cir. 3:24-cv-00812- Published

Sandler v. Modernizing Medicine, Inc.

The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's denial of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that a severability clause does not negate a clear and unmistakable delegation of validity challenges to an arbitrator. The court ruled that federal law, not state law, governs the interpretation of such delegation clauses under the Federal Arbitration Act.

Civil Contract
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Mar 19 2026
Fed. Cir. 24-1285 Panel Decision

APPLE INC v. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION MASIMO CORPORATION, CERCACOR LABORATORIES, INC 2024-1285

The Federal Circuit affirmed the International Trade Commission's finding that Apple Inc. violated Section 337 of the Tariff Act by importing Apple Watches that infringed Masimo's blood oxygen patents. The court upheld the Commission's determinations that Masimo satisfied the domestic industry requirement and that the asserted patents were valid and infringed.

Civil Intellectual Property
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Mar 19 2026
Fed. Cir. 26-123 Panel Decision

In re VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC

The Federal Circuit denied Volkswagen's petition for a writ of mandamus, rejecting the argument that the USPTO Director's discretion to deny inter partes review violates the nondelegation doctrine. The court held that the decision to institute or deny IPR is an executive function, not a legislative one, and remains unreviewable under the statute.

Civil Constitutional Intellectual Property
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Mar 19 2026
9th Cir. 20-72739 Unpublished

SERGIO ALBERTO HERNANDEZ- VALENZUELA v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a denial of cancellation of removal, upholding the Immigration Judge's finding that the petitioner failed to prove exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to his qualifying children. The court clarified that children with DACA status do not qualify as relatives for hardship purposes and that general financial or emotional hardships are insufficient to meet the statutory standard.

Administrative / Agency Review Civil Immigration (Civil)
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