Verdict . News

Jan 12, 2026•4 min read

•Three female UPS employees lost their sex discrimination appeal in the Ninth Circuit

9th Circuit Affirms UPS Win in Female Workers' Discrimination Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's summary judgment ruling in favor of United Parcel Service in a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by three female employees. The workers had alleged workplace gender discrimination under federal and state civil rights laws.

•The case involved claims under Title VII, California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, and federal and state equal pay laws

•Steven Hadley Hassan's habeas corpus petition challenging First Step Act exclusions was denied by both district and appeals courts

9th Circuit Denies Federal Prisoner's First Step Act Challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a habeas corpus petition filed by federal prisoner Steven Hadley Hassan, who challenged his exclusion from First Step Act time credit benefits. The unpublished memorandum decision represents another example of courts strictly interpreting the Act's eligibility restrictions for certain offense categories.

•The Ninth Circuit applied de novo review and affirmed the lower court's strict interpretation of the Act's eligibility restrictions

•Ninth Circuit affirmed class certification against Nestlé for allegedly deceptive sustainability labeling on chocolate products

9th Circuit Upholds Class Certification in Nestlé Chocolate Labeling Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's certification of two state-based class actions against Nestlé USA, Inc. The lawsuit alleges the company used deceptive labeling claiming chocolate products were 'sustainably' or 'responsibly' sourced when they were allegedly produced using child labor and contributing to deforestation.

•Lawsuit claims Nestlé's 'sustainably' and 'responsibly sourced' labels falsely implied products were free of child labor and deforestation

•Ninth Circuit reversed district court's partial summary judgment in favor of Milliman in FCRA class action

9th Circuit Sets New Class Action Standing Standard in FCRA Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court's partial summary judgment ruling in favor of Milliman, Inc. in a Fair Credit Reporting Act class action, establishing that both named and unnamed class members must demonstrate standing at summary judgment while applying usual summary judgment standards.

•Court established that both named and unnamed class members must demonstrate standing at summary judgment

•Ninth Circuit affirmed jury verdict favoring DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson companies in medical device lawsuit

9th Circuit Affirms Jury Verdict for DePuy in Medical Device Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court judgment favoring DePuy Orthopaedics and Johnson & Johnson companies in a medical device lawsuit filed by Michael and Deborah King. The appellate court upheld the jury verdict despite the Kings' challenge to a curative jury instruction.

•Kings challenged district court's curative jury instruction related to witness Dr. Mullen's testimony

Jan 8, 2026•4 min read

•Ninth Circuit affirmed district court approval of class action settlement over alleged vehicle theft vulnerabilities

9th Circuit Affirms Hyundai-Kia Settlement Over Vehicle Theft Defects

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's approval of a class action settlement between consumers and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation over allegations that certain vehicles were defectively designed and vulnerable to theft. The court rejected an appeal by objector Donald K. Birner in a memorandum opinion filed Jan. 8, 2026.

•Objector Donald K. Birner's appeal was rejected by three-judge panel in memorandum opinion

Jan 8, 2026•4 min read

•Ninth Circuit affirmed district court's exclusion of expert testimony in product liability case against RV manufacturers

9th Circuit Affirms Expert Testimony Exclusion in RV Fire Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to exclude expert testimony and grant summary judgment for RV manufacturers in a product liability case involving a campfire device that allegedly caused severe burns to plaintiff Erick Jensen.

•Plaintiff suffered severe burns from allegedly defective Camco Little Red Campfire device sold by Camping World

Jan 8, 2026•4 min read

•Ninth Circuit affirmed district court approval of class action settlement against Hyundai and Kia over vehicle theft vulnerability

9th Circuit Affirms Class Action Settlement Over Hyundai-Kia Vehicle Theft

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's approval of a class action settlement between consumers and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation over allegations that certain vehicles were defectively designed and vulnerable to theft. The court rejected an appeal by objector Ruth Rubin challenging the settlement's final approval.

•Appeals court rejected objector Ruth Rubin's challenge to the settlement's final approval

Jan 8, 2026•5 min read

•Ninth Circuit affirmed district court's partial denial of Kelly Services' motion to compel arbitration of UCL claims

9th Circuit Affirms Denial of Arbitration in Kelly Services UCL Case

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's partial denial of Kelly Services Global's motion to compel arbitration of claims brought under California's Unfair Competition Law. The ruling, issued January 8, 2026, represents a significant decision on the arbitrability of UCL claims.

•Court applied 'clear and unmistakable' evidence standard for delegation of arbitrability questions to arbitrators