Rule 408: Not as Broad as You May Think

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Many lawyers treat Federal Rule of Evidence 408 and its state analogues as a blanket confidentiality provision that precludes reliance upon—or even disclosure of—settlement communications.  The language of the rule itself, however, and cases applying it, make clear that Rule 408 is not so broad: not every communication with a “Rule 408 Settlement Communication” stamp is inadmissible. Federal Rule ...

Many lawyers treat Federal Rule of Evidence 408 and its state analogues as a blanket confidentiality provision that precludes reliance upon—or even disclosure of—settlement communications.  The language of the rule ...

FTC’s Proposed Ban on Non-competes Would Preempt Washington State Law

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In prior blog posts we examined Washington law on noncompete agreements: the current statutory scheme that curtails the use of noncompete agreements in certain contexts [here] and [here], and how Washington courts evaluate the reasonableness of a noncompete agreement to determine its enforceability [here]. A recently proposed rule by the Federal Trade Commission would upend this Washington law.[1] Under ...

In prior blog posts we examined Washington law on noncompete agreements: the current statutory scheme that curtails the use of noncompete agreements in certain contexts [here] and [here], and how ...

Savitt Bruce & Willey Ranked in 2023 “Best Law Firms”

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We are pleased to announce that Savitt Bruce & Willey LLP has again been recognized by U.S News & World Report as a “Best Law Firm” both nationally and regionally in multiple practice areas for 2023. The firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation practice was again ranked as a top practice in U.S News’s national rankings, and SBW was recognized once ...

We are pleased to announce that Savitt Bruce & Willey LLP has again been recognized by U.S News & World Report as a “Best Law Firm” both nationally and regionally ...

Four SBW lawyers selected to 2023 Best Lawyers®

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We congratulate four of our partners who have again been recognized for their litigation excellence and selected to the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America: David Bruce, Duncan Manville, James Savitt, and Stephen Willey. David Bruce is recognized in Commercial Litigation and Municipal Law. He was first recognized for Commercial Litigation in 2014 and for Municipal Law in 2021. Duncan Manville is ...

We congratulate four of our partners who have again been recognized for their litigation excellence and selected to the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America: David Bruce, Duncan Manville, James Savitt, and Stephen ...

New Washington Statute Impacts Settlement Agreements in Employment Disputes and Limits Scope of Nondisclosure Agreements

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A significant statutory update regarding the resolution of employment-related claims, disputes and lawsuits, RCW 49.44.211, went into effect on June 9,  2022.  The new law amends the 2018 law prohibiting employment agreements from including non-disclosure provisions related to details or allegations of sexual harassment and assault. The amended statute now applies to settlement agreements and independent contractor agreements, in ...

A significant statutory update regarding the resolution of employment-related claims, disputes and lawsuits, RCW 49.44.211, went into effect on June 9,  2022.  The new law amends the 2018 law prohibiting ...

SBW Welcomes Jacob P. Freeman

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We are pleased to announce that Jacob P. Freeman has re-joined Savitt Bruce & Willey LLP as an associate. Jacob returns to SBW following two years years of managing his own legal practice focused on commercial litigation in federal and state courts here in Seattle. He previously served as an associate at the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, and ...

We are pleased to announce that Jacob P. Freeman has re-joined Savitt Bruce & Willey LLP as an associate. Jacob returns to SBW following two years years of managing his own legal ...

Court of Appeals Clears Way to Challenge Land Use Decisions in Far-Flung Courts

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A recent decision by Division Three of the Washington Court of Appeals has cleared the way for parties to challenge local land use decisions anywhere in the state, regardless of where the underlying property is located.  In Glenrose Ass'n v. Spokane Cty., No. 38376-8-III, 2022 Wash. App. LEXIS 1171 (Ct. App. June 7, 2022), a three-judge panel reversed the ...

A recent decision by Division Three of the Washington Court of Appeals has cleared the way for parties to challenge local land use decisions anywhere in the state, regardless of ...

When is Infringement Willful: Is Pre-Lawsuit Knowledge of a Patent Required for Enhanced Damages?

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Damages for patent infringement have reached new heights in recent years, passing even the one-billion-dollar mark. A jury recently awarded VLSI Technology $2.175 billion in damages against Intel Corporation for infringement of patents related to electronic device processor chips, which the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas upheld in denying Intel’s Rule 50(b) Motion for Judgment ...

Damages for patent infringement have reached new heights in recent years, passing even the one-billion-dollar mark. A jury recently awarded VLSI Technology $2.175 billion in damages against Intel Corporation for ...