Topic
Every decision we've filed under Civil.
The Sixth Circuit denied a petition for review challenging the Board of Immigration Appeals' rejection of an asylum claim based on a family land dispute in Guatemala. The court held that verbal harassment and non-immediate threats did not constitute persecution under federal immigration law.
The Federal Circuit affirmed summary judgment against HEALTHeSTATE, LLC, ruling that the company failed to prove copyright infringement or breach of contract regarding software developed for the government. The court held that the government's use of the software was authorized by the contracts and federal regulations, and that the plaintiff's copyright registrations were invalid due to knowingly submitted inaccuracies.
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.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Bloosurf's lawsuit against T-Mobile, holding that federal law barred the plaintiff's claims. The court ruled that the Federal Communications Act's election-of-remedies provision and express preemption clauses prevented the state-law and federal claims from proceeding.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Social Security disability benefits for Laurie Yokosh, ruling that the Administrative Law Judge properly discounted the opinion of her treating psychologist. The court held that the ALJ provided well-supported reasons for finding inconsistencies between the psychologist's conclusions and the broader medical record.
The First Circuit denied petitions for review challenging the Board of Immigration Appeals' refusal to reopen removal proceedings sua sponte. The court found that the Hodzics failed to demonstrate any colorable legal or constitutional error in the agency's discretionary decision.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a systemic IDEA lawsuit, holding that plaintiffs failed to exhaust administrative remedies, had duplicative litigation pending, and lacked standing. The court rejected arguments that administrative exhaustion was futile due to alleged systemic bias in Virginia's hearing officer system.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a district court order confirming an arbitration award because the arbitrator failed to conduct a mandatory post-award review of punitive damages. The court held that ignoring express contractual terms regarding this review procedure constituted an excess of authority rather than a permissible interpretation of the agreement.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an employee's retaliation claims, holding that an employer did not violate Colorado law by terminating an employee who missed work after being cleared to return. The court found the termination was based on the employee's failure to follow notification procedures rather than his prior illness.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Steven Deming's claim for disability insurance benefits, ruling that the Administrative Law Judge's decision was supported by substantial evidence. The court held that a 100% VA disability rating does not bind the Social Security Administration, which applies a distinct legal standard for determining disability.