Dimitrios Biller, the former in-house attorney for Toyota Motor Sales USA who accused the automaker of discovery violations in products liability cases, has lost a 9th Circuit appeal to overturn a $2.5 million arbitration award against him.

The 9th Circuit has granted Toyota Motor Corp.’s request to immediately review a lower court ruling that allowed millions of consumers to sue for damages even though their cars didn’t experience a defect or sell for reduced prices following the company’s recall of more than 8 million vehicles.

Lawyers in the litigation against Toyota Motor over sudden, unintended acceleration are butting heads over which case should be a bellwether trial — and when. Judges in state and federal court must identify which of the hundreds of claims should proceed to trial first.

One day after a tort reform group demanded to see a contingency fee agreement between a California district attorney and a plaintiffs firm in an unfair competition suit against Toyota Motor Sales, the DA’s office released the document Wednesday.

A federal judge has dismissed a large portion of the shareholder litigation against Toyota Motor, concluding that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction to hear claims brought under Japanese securities laws.