A Former Locke Lord LLP partner who was found guilty of laundering nearly $400 million in proceeds from a global cryptocurrency fraud operation has been granted bail pending an appeal. The Manhattan federal judge, presiding last Thursday, granted the former partner’s motion for bail, effectively delaying his 10-year prison sentence. Judge’s decision came after assessing…
An artificial intelligence (AI) researcher is currently suing Amazon over alleged labor law infractions. The researcher claims that in Amazon’s rush to catch up with competitor companies within the AI sphere, the tech giant directed her to disregard copyright laws during the development of its large language models. In the researcher’s claims, it is indicated…
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has unveiled its plan to modify the existing Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) rules. As part of the proposed changes, the USPTO aims to codify current policies regarding instances when multiple challenges to a single patent are permitted. The plan also involves the establishment of a new…
The New York City Bar Association has called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to reevaluate a recent decision to reallocate interest accrued from lawyer trust accounts. A sum of $55 million, ordinarily applied to legal aid for low-income citizens of New York, is at the center of this dispute. The Association contends that this sudden adjustment…
The US recently exercised its veto power to reject Palestine’s bid for full membership of the United Nations (UN). The UN Security Council had deliberated on a resolution presented by Algeria aiming to elevate Palestine to full member status – the resolution received the necessary backing from 12 members, significantly more than the required nine…
The Tenth Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision on Thursday that the use of the name “Erica” by Bank of America’s virtual assistant services did not infringe the trademark of an online movie database, identified by the service mark “E.R.I.C.A”. In its ruling, the court stated that the plaintiff was not able to compellingly demonstrate…
In a recently concluded patent litigation case, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright dismissed a request from tech giant, Dell, for attorney fees from the plaintiff. The judge’s refusal was based on the fact that Dell had not previously submitted any motion seeking such payments, despite characterizing the patent lawsuit as both “frivolous” and “meritless”. In…
In a recent development within the world of legal education, more than 70 deans from American law schools have formally expressed their disapproval of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) latest proposal for standardizing law school course curricula. The deans characterized a significant number of the proposed changes as “unnecessary” and voiced concerns that they could…
In a noteworthy development, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has favored Samsung’s arguments over a patent claimed by chip manufacturer Netlist. The board concluded that one of Netlist’s claims was invalid, following its earlier ruling in favor of Samsung, where it found that a prior lawsuit by Netlist against Google didn’t impede Samsung’s…
In a recent development in the legal profession, Joseph Dunn, a former California state bar executive director, faced a setback in his disciplinary trial. A California state bar judge refused to dispense the charge of fiduciary breach against him. This denial came towards the close of the trial on Thursday. Dunn attempted to dismiss the…
Big Law’s financial landscape seems to be shifting, with Am Law 100 firms experiencing their lowest realization rates in five years. In 2023, these firms reported a realization rate – the proportion of work conducted by law firms that is actually billed and collected – of 80.93%. This marks a decrease from the 82.2% reported…
The status of the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act remains upheld after the Federal Circuit’s judicial council defended its constitutionality against suspended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman. Despite her ongoing efforts, Judge Newman has been unable to present sufficient evidence to support her claim that the Act lacks constitutional uses and should be invalidated. This…
Suspended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman remains unsuccessful in establishing that the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act lacks any constitutional grounds, therefore calling for it to be invalidated, according to the Federal Circuit’s judicial council. The recent assertion was put forth to a judge at the D.C. federal court this Thursday. The Act forms a…
Mayor of Camilo Ponce Enriquez in Ecuador, Jose Sanchez, was confirmed to have been murdered on Wednesday as violence against public authorities in the country escalates. The Ecuadorian police confirmed that Sanchez was jogging with his security team around Nuevo Ponce when armed individuals arrived in a vehicle and opened fire. The prosecutor’s office has…
Over the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been under the spotlight due to an increasing number of copyright lawsuits. More specifically, in less than two years, providers of generative AI have found themselves facing at least 20 allegations relating to copyright infringements. Key commonalities in these cases, triaged by legal experts, are worth…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a vote scheduled for April 23, set to finalize a rule regarding the prohibition of noncompete provisions used by employers. The move, which “raises the question of economic liberty“, assumes that these contractual agreements restrict workers from exploring better job opportunities and damage competition. The proposed rule, introduced…
Former President Donald Trump seems to be less than favoured by the jury, as is evident from Currently rubbing them the wrong way. Despite his numerous battles in court, Trump’s no-show in the face of a lawsuit seems to take the cake in bad judicial strategy. Moving over to the corporate law industry, Troutman Pepper…
A Georgia-based cargo company has recently appealed to the Eleventh Circuit, requesting a decision reversal over a massive $15 million judgment previously awarded to a competitor for alleged trademark violations. In its plea, the cargo firm is sternly arguing that the intellectual property that it’s accused of infringing is, in essence, generic. This assertion, if…
A recent bid by Oakland, California to rename its airport as the “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” has met with resistance from the city of San Francisco. The latter has expressed concerns that such a change would not only confuse travelers but also illegally use the name of the San Francisco International Airport. This…
In a recent decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), a small cybersecurity company handling litigation in Virginia federal court against larger tech entities was not able to prevent the invalidation of two of its patents. These patents specifically pertained to methods of addressing “evolving” online security threats, along with several other areas….
In today’s tech-centric world, the need for legal professionals to adapt to changing trends is greater than ever, especially with the advancing rates of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This advancement in AI has forced our courts into unfamiliar territories, dealing with AI-altered evidences like deepfake videos. For instance, a King County Superior Court judge in…
For legal professionals working within top corporations and law firms, it’s crucial to keep an eye on legal happenings beyond our own borders. A clear example of this is how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from Europe had significant repercussions for American companies in 2018. These foreign laws forced many organizations to adhere to…
As legal professionals, we often find ourselves caught up in the intricacies of our chosen field. In that light, it is not only important but necessary to express our gratitude to those who support and enhance the nature of our work. Here, at Above the Law, we would like to extend our gratitude to our…
In a recent development unfolding in Florida federal court, a magistrate judge has suggested that aviation firm AerSale should prevail on its contention that it did not infringe upon three Jetaire patents. Furthermore, the judge put into question the validity of the patents themselves. This comes as part of an intense patent suit launched by…
Beccar Varela, one of Argentina’s most renowned law firms, is marking its 127th anniversary with a significant leadership change. Maximiliano D’Auro has been appointed as the new Managing Partner, succeeding a previous leader who has spearheaded the firm for over twenty years. Beccar Varela Appoints New Managing Partner Beccar Varela’s new appointment comes at a…