Verdict . News

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Upholds Navy's Removal of Commander from Captain List

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Navy Commander Shelly Frank, who challenged her removal from the Captain promotion list after the Navy found she improperly handled a dispute with an enlisted officer. Frank was forced to retire after 27 years and seven months of service.

•Federal Circuit affirmed lower court ruling against Navy Commander Shelly Frank

•Frank was removed from Captain promotion list after improperly handling dispute with enlisted officer

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

9th Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in COVID Vaccine Religious Exemption Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment against pro se plaintiff Marca Ouida, who sued her former employer Harbors Home Health & Hospice over allegations the company failed to accommodate her religious objections to COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

•Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for healthcare employer in COVID-19 vaccination religious accommodation case

•Pro se plaintiff Marca Ouida sued Harbors Home Health & Hospice and five executives under Title VII and constitutional claims

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Affirms Patent Rejection in EcoFactor Smart Thermostat Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision to reject all claims of EcoFactor Inc.'s smart thermostat patent on Jan. 21, 2026. The nonprecedential ruling represents a setback for the company's intellectual property portfolio in the competitive smart home technology sector.

•Federal Circuit affirmed PTAB's rejection of all 16 claims in U.S. Patent No. 8,412,488

•Case involved ex parte reexamination proceedings challenging EcoFactor's smart thermostat technology

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Affirms Patent Non-Infringement for Cisco in Lionra Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court's non-infringement ruling in favor of Cisco Systems in a patent dispute with Lionra Technologies Ltd. The January 21, 2026 decision represents a victory for Cisco in defending against patent infringement claims originally filed in the Eastern District of Texas.

•Federal Circuit affirmed stipulated final judgment of non-infringement in favor of Cisco Systems

•Case originated from 2023 patent litigation in Eastern District of Texas

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Affirms Dismissal in Minor League Baseball Dispute

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a district court ruling dismissing claims by Sports Enterprises, Inc., owner of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, against Marvin Goldklang over the team's lost San Francisco Giants affiliation in 2020.

•Third Circuit affirmed dismissal of lawsuit by Salem-Keizer Volcanoes owner against MLB minority team owner Marvin Goldklang

•Court held that plaintiff failed to establish Goldklang owed any fiduciary duty despite alleged conflict of interest in minor league negotiations

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Affirms Felon-in-Possession Firearms Conviction

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed Terell Crump's firearms conviction and sentence in a non-precedential decision filed January 21, 2026. The court ruled that Crump's appellate waiver barred two of his sentencing challenges and found the imposed sentence reasonable.

•Third Circuit affirmed Terell Crump's federal firearms conviction and sentence

•Appellate waiver in plea agreement barred two of defendant's sentencing challenges

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

3rd Circuit Denies Guatemalan Woman's Asylum Appeal in Gang Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied a petition for review from Consuelo de Maria Mejia Romero, a Guatemalan citizen who sought asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture after claiming gang threats at her beauty salon. The court upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals' decision to deny all her applications.

•Third Circuit denied petition for review of Guatemalan citizen's asylum case

•Petitioner's testimony contradicted written statements about gang threats

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Denies Immigration Relief in Minagua-Yaucan Family Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order denying immigration relief to Felix Ivan Minagua-Yaucan and his family. The three-judge panel ruled on Jan. 21 in the case against Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

•Second Circuit denied immigration relief to Felix Ivan Minagua-Yaucan and his family in summary order with no precedential effect

•Three-judge panel ruled Jan. 21 against family of four seeking to overturn Board of Immigration Appeals decision

First Circuit Court of Appeals

1st Circuit Upholds Hotel Worker Settlement in Wheatleigh Class Action

The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court ruling that enforced a global settlement agreement between former employees and the luxury Wheatleigh Hotel. The hotel corporation had attempted to void the settlement that resolved multiple wage and hour lawsuits, including a certified class action.

•First Circuit affirmed district court ruling enforcing wage settlement against Wheatleigh Hotel

•Hotel corporation failed to void settlement by challenging dual representation of individual and class plaintiffs