As the legal landscape evolves in 2025, courts across the United States are set to hear landmark cases that could reshape technology regulation, environmental protection, civil rights, and corporate accountability. These cases from Silicon Valley to Wall Street reflect growing concerns about corporate power, social responsibility, and public safety.
High-Stakes Tech and Antitrust Battles
Several significant tech-related cases are heading to court in 2025. Google faces a Texas-led antitrust trial in March over alleged monopolistic practices in online advertising. The case, which comes after similar Department of Justice suits, centers on Google’s dominant position in the ad-matching space.
TikTok confronts an existential challenge as the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of a federal law requiring the platform to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban. The case raises complex questions about First Amendment rights versus national security concerns.
Environmental and Consumer Protection
A closely watched case involves the state of New Jersey seeking $943 million from DuPont for PFAS chemical contamination cleanup. The lawsuit addresses the company’s alleged attempt to limit environmental liabilities through corporate restructuring.
An environmental practice chair, Pete Nyquist, notes that PFAS damages have already reached “$20 billion nationwide and are projected to go as high as $100 billion.”
Social Media and Civil Rights
Social media companies face a major legal reckoning as “hundreds of claims by parents of minors, school districts, and dozens of state attorneys general” allege that platforms like Instagram and Facebook “design their algorithms to be addictive to young people.” The consolidated litigation challenges the core business models of these tech giants, focusing on their alleged role in harming minors’ mental health.
In a significant civil rights case, Tesla faces allegations of fostering what plaintiffs describe as a “hotbed for racist behavior” at its Fremont, California factory. Lead plaintiff Marcus Vaughn represents nearly 6,000 current or former Black Tesla workers who reportedly “experienced frequent use of racial epithets and management ignoring racially offensive graffiti.” The case, set for a three-to-five-week trial in September, could set important precedents for workplace discrimination cases.
Product Liability and Consumer Protection
The courts will address several major product liability cases, including ongoing Monsanto Roundup litigation and disputes over weight-loss drugs. A significant circuit split has emerged over federal preemption of state law requirements for cancer warnings on chemicals.
Legal Community Recognition
Law360 recently recognized several attorneys as “Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar” for securing major victories in 2023-2024. Notable achievements include the $787.5 million Dominion Voting Systems settlement with Fox News and JPMorgan’s $290 million settlement with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.
Looking Ahead
As these cases move through the courts in 2025, their outcomes will likely have far-reaching implications for corporate behavior, regulatory frameworks, and individual rights. The convergence of technology, environmental, and civil rights cases reflects our legal system’s complex challenges as it adapts to rapidly evolving social and economic realities. The decisions rendered in these cases could shape corporate practices and public policy for years, making 2025 a pivotal year for American jurisprudence.