United States: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

A federal judge in Florida has ordered TCPA defendant Czar Marketing Group to appear in court with their CRM system for live examination after defense counsel failed to produce promised discovery records. The court's unprecedented decision to conduct an in-person evidentiary hearing stems from suspicious similarities between production documents and concerns about altered records, raising questions about discovery compliance and potential spoliation.

On July 25, 2026, a Reddit user reported that the search operator site:claude.ai/share returned strangers' conversations with Claude. Tech reporter Beatrice Nolan covered it for Fortune two days later, cataloguing work notes, names, addresses, and cryptocurrency wallet keys sitting in the index.

The Commercial Division Advisory Council has proposed two rule amendments for public comment: one requiring transparency in discovery cost-shifting requests with good-faith cost estimates...

A recent bankruptcy court decision highlights critical lessons for secured creditors about the difference between having access to cash collateral and actually holding it as security. The case demonstrates how inadequate documentation and commingling of funds can result in the complete loss of a substantial secured claim, even when the creditor believed it had proper protections in place.

Washington State's Deadman's Statute bars interested parties from testifying about conversations or transactions with deceased individuals in estate litigation. Understanding when this evidentiary rule applies, what testimony it excludes, and how it can be waived is critical for anyone involved in probate or trust disputes where private agreements or oral promises are at issue.

Washington State's Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA) grants courts broad discretion to shift attorneys' fees in trust and estate litigation, potentially exposing fiduciaries to personal liability when their conduct breaches fiduciary duties or unnecessarily prolongs disputes. Understanding the circumstances under which courts may order personal fee awards is essential for trustees, personal representatives, and beneficiaries navigating these complex disputes.

A popular fast-food chain known for its chicken sandwiches and Sunday closures faces allegations of sending unauthorized text messages to consumers in violation of federal telecommunications regulations. The lawsuit claims messages were sent during restricted hours without proper consent, potentially affecting a broader class of recipients.

Washington State's Deadman's Statute bars interested parties from testifying about conversations or transactions with deceased individuals in estate litigation. Understanding when this evidentiary rule applies, what testimony it excludes, and how it can be waived is critical for anyone involved in probate or trust disputes where private agreements or oral promises are at issue.

Washington State imposes strict procedural requirements for contesting a will, including a four-month filing deadline after probate admission and a 90-day personal service requirement. Courts have rigorously enforced these timing rules for over a century, making compliance essential before evaluating the merits of any will challenge.

For hundreds of years, the world’s sovereign nations refused to allow any other foreign sovereign to be sued in their courts without the sovereign’s consent. The guiding principle was “absolute sovereign immunity,” an outgrowth of the ancient legal precept rex non potest peccare, understood to mean “the king can do no wrong.” The principle also was recognized as wise foreign policy because it extended "grace and comity" to other sovereigns.

The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Corporación CIMEX, S.A. fundamentally alters the landscape for litigation under the Helms-Burton Act by removing a critical jurisdictional barrier that has protected Cuban state-owned entities from U.S. lawsuits. This 6-3 ruling holds that the Act independently abrogates foreign sovereign immunity for Cuban agencies and instrumentalities, allowing U.S. nationals to pursue billions of dollars in claims for property confiscated by Cuba's commu

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act shields foreign states from suit in the United States, but determining whether an entity qualifies as the foreign state itself, a political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality can be complex. This classification affects critical procedural and substantive protections, including service of process rules, immunity defenses, and attachment protections. Understanding these distinctions is essential from the outset of any case involving sovereign defendants.