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The Federal Circuit reversed a district court's finding of civil contempt against Gen Digital's counsel for refusing to disclose privileged communications. The court held that an alleged conflict of interest does not automatically terminate the attorney-client privilege, rendering the underlying disclosure order invalid.
The Federal Circuit vacated the patent infringement judgment against Gen Digital, ruling that the asserted software claims were directed to an abstract idea under the first step of the Alice analysis. The court also held that damages based on foreign sales were impermissible under U.S. patent law and ordered a reconsideration of enhanced damages and attorney fees.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a twenty-four-month prison sentence for illegal reentry, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance. The appellate court held that the lower court provided compelling reasons for the sentence based on the defendant's repeated violations and history of extreme cruelty to animals.
The Fourth Circuit reversed and vacated a district court's class certification order in an ERISA fiduciary breach case involving a defined contribution plan. The court held that individualized monetary claims in such plans cannot be joined in a mandatory class under Rule 23(b)(1) and that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate commonality.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of sovereign immunity, clarifying that the proper defendant in this tax foreclosure dispute is Wayne County, not its Treasurer. Because the plaintiffs sued the county itself, the Treasurer's Eleventh Amendment immunity was irrelevant to the outcome.
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 Federal Circuit reversed the district court's exclusion of a patent damages expert report, ruling that the lower court misapplied precedent regarding royalty bases. The court held that using unaccused virtual machines as a royalty base was permissible where a causal connection existed between the patented technology and the increased capacity of those machines.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the Village of St. Bernard's billboard ordinance, ruling that its unconstitutional exemption for public service signs is severable from the rest of the regulations. The court held that the remaining ordinance satisfies intermediate scrutiny as a valid content-neutral time, place, and manner restriction on speech.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed that school officials violated the Equal Protection Clause by enforcing a sex-segregation policy in an elementary school and retaliated against parents who complained. However, the court reversed the denial of qualified immunity for the teacher regarding substantive due process claims and dismissed procedural due process claims against supervisors for lack of personal participation.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Government in a federal tax collection suit, ruling that IRS transcripts containing minor clerical errors remain admissible to prove tax liability. The court held that the evidence was sufficient to show the taxpayer's installment agreements had terminated months before the lawsuit was filed.
