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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

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GAME ON - This is big. A federal judge in Ohio has allowed RICO and public nuisance claims to go forward against opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers over what he calls “a man-made plague.” Amanda Bronstad reports that Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, in the most substantial ruling yet to come out of opioid litigation, OK'd claims against manufacturers including Purdue Pharma and Janssen Pharmaceuticals; distributors including AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health; and retailers including CVS and Walgreen's.

DIZZYING - The revolving door whirled at a brisk clip this year as lawyers cycled between government and private practice. With the level of job-hopping expected to remain high in 2019, Ryan Lovelace highlights some of the more notable revolving-door moves in 2018.

NOT INTERESTED - One of three pending EEOC nominees says he's pulled his name from consideration, frustrated over the “political mess” of the confirmation process and ready to move on. Daniel Gade, a former West Point professor, tells reporter Erin Mulvaney he's accepted a position at American University in Washington starting in January. Two other EEOC nominees—Janet Dhillon and Chai Feldblum—are pending, and if neither is confirmed in the coming days, the five-member agency would shrink to two commissioners at the start of the year and lose its quorum—affecting litigation activity and policy decision-making.