World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. is joining a bid by former CEO Vincent McMahon to send a suit from a woman accusing him and the organization of sex trafficking and harassment to arbitration, saying she agreed to and signed a $3 million separation agreement that includes an arbitration clause.
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THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

WWE Says $3M Deal Sends McMahon Sex Suit To Arbitration

By Mike Curley

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. is joining a bid by former CEO Vincent McMahon to send a suit from a woman accusing him and the organization of sex trafficking and harassment to arbitration, saying she agreed to and signed a $3 million separation agreement that includes an arbitration clause.

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Philly Landlord Settles Paralegal Assault Case For $6M

By Matthew Santoni

The landlord of a Philadelphia office tower will pay $6 million to settle a suit claiming that negligent security allowed a man to sneak into the building and sexually assault a paralegal at a small law firm working upstairs, according to the plaintiff's attorneys.

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Colo. Law Firm Settles Bad Faith Suit Against Insurer

By Hope Patti

A personal injury firm has notified a Colorado federal court it has reached an agreement with its insurer in a coverage dispute over litigation costs from another suit against a former attorney accused of trying to lure away the firm's class action department after her departure.

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Exec Wants No Jail In Landmark Product Safety Conviction

By Gina Kim

A former Gree USA executive convicted of failing to immediately report defective dehumidifiers known to catch fire, has asked a California federal judge to sentence him to probation and not incarceration, citing several companies that delayed reporting longer than he did and caused greater harm to customers but weren't criminally charged.

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Media Coverage Not Enough To Move Flint Water Case

By Danielle Ferguson

A water engineering company accused by the Michigan attorney general of prolonging Flint residents' lead exposure cannot move its eventual trial out of the region, a Michigan state judge ruled Wednesday, saying the company could not assume the entire jury pool was biased. 

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Auto Max Must Face Suit Over Transport Driver Injury

By Mike Curley

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday said a vehicle transporter's claims that he was injured because Auto Max Corp. failed to tell him that a truck he was moving was inoperable should go to a jury.

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House Panel Weighs Baltimore Bridge Rebuilding Costs

By Linda Chiem

Rebuilding Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge may cost up to $1.9 billion and take at least four years, as accident investigators continue to examine how a cargo ship slammed into the bridge in March and knocked it down, officials told a House panel Wednesday.

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MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

Plaintiffs Suing Over Netflix Doc Will Reveal Themselves

By Alyssa Aquino

Three plaintiffs will publicly identify themselves to continue suing Netflix Inc. for disclosing their names in its documentary about a doctor who fraudulently inseminated his patients, but they warned an Indiana federal court Wednesday that going public would increase their harms.

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Knicks Owner Must Face Sexual Assault Suit, Accuser Says

By Elaine Briseño

A massage therapist has urged a California federal court to not let New York Knicks owner James Dolan out of her lawsuit accusing him of coercing her into a sexual relationship, saying she sufficiently claimed that he forced himself on her despite her refusals.

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Sports Atty Settles Spat With Colo. Youth Hockey Org

By Daniel Ducassi

The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association and a lawyer who's also an agent for professional athletes told a state court judge in Denver on Wednesday that they've resolved their dispute over the termination of the attorney's contract, before a trial that was scheduled to begin next week.

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POLICY & REGULATION

House-Passed FAA Reauthorization Bill Now Heads To Biden

By Linda Chiem

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved multiyear legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration's safety and airport improvement programs, sending to President Joe Biden a package that would hire more air traffic controllers and enhance passenger protections amid high-profile aviation industry mishaps.

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Senators Release 'Road Map' For Crafting Federal AI Policy

By Jared Foretek

A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday laid out a "road map" for artificial intelligence policy that calls for increased AI innovation funding, testing of potential harms posed by AI and consideration of the technology's workforce implications.

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ENFORCEMENT

Michigan Can't Shake Lawsuit Over Prison's Scabies Outbreak

By Carolyn Muyskens

The director of the Michigan Department of Corrections and other high-ranking officials must face claims that they allowed an outbreak of scabies in a women's prison to go untreated for years, a federal judge has ruled.

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LITIGATION

'Law And Order' Star Sues Instacart Over Dog's Shooting

By Henrik Nilsson

"Law & Order" actor Angie Harmon has filed a lawsuit against Instacart and a delivery driver who she claims shot and killed her dog while delivering groceries to her home, according to the complaint lodged in North Carolina state court.

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Monsanto Trials Over Wash. School PCBs Could Merge

By Rachel Riley

In the wake of a Washington Court of Appeals ruling resolving key questions in a series of toxic torts against Monsanto, a state Superior Court judge is considering merging plaintiff cohorts into larger groups ahead of trial, looking to curtail years of costly litigation over alleged PCB contamination at a public school site.

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Minn. Suit Against Clinic Over Sex Abuse By Psychiatrist Fails

By Mike Curley

A Minnesota appeals court has found that a woman can't pursue vicarious liability claims against a clinic for sexual abuse by one of the psychiatrists working there, saying she released those claims when she entered a settlement with the psychiatrist.

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Anti-Trans Groups Fail To Block Wash. Youth Shelter Law

By Greg Lamm

A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit filed by two anti-transgender groups challenging a Washington state law intended to ensure shelter for teens seeking gender-affirming care or reproductive health services, ruling that speculating on possible injury was not enough to clear a standing hurdle.

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US Accused Of Ditching Refugee Families Without Explanation

By Rae Ann Varona

Three families the United Nations refugee agency referred to the U.S. for resettlement after they fled to Kenya from Congo are accusing the U.S. government of leaving them in limbo after an eleventh-hour cancellation on their move to the U.S.

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Pet Telehealth Startup Canned Vet After Bite Injury, Suit Says

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts veterinarian says she was lured to a mobile pet care startup but replaced months later by a younger vet after she claimed workers' compensation for a dog bite suffered on the job.

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INSURANCE

No Coverage For Day Care In Toddler Death Suits, Judge Says

By Hope Patti

A Progressive unit has no duty to defend or indemnify a now-defunct day care and its former owner in two suits over the death of a toddler who was left in a hot car, a Tennessee federal court has ruled, saying the vehicle involved wasn't covered under the day care's policy.

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Insurer Says Security Co. Not Covered For Nightclub Injuries

By Jennifer Mandato

A security services company is not owed coverage for three underlying personal injury lawsuits stemming from multiple shooting and stabbing incidents at a Florida gentlemen's club, an insurer told a New York federal court, stating its policies exclude coverage for injuries sustained at clubs and assault.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Series

Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

BCLP Sues St. Louis Over City Taxes On Partners' Income

By Kevin Penton

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is suing St. Louis, Missouri, after the Midwestern city accused the firm of being delinquent on nearly $275,000 in earnings taxes, contending the municipality unlawfully taxed partners who don't live in the city, according to its court filing.

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Calif. Bar Halts Plans To Develop New Bar Exam

By Ryan Boysen

The State Bar of California has shelved a plan to develop its own online bar exam, a shift that could save the cash-strapped organization up to $4 million per year, but drew opposition from law school deans concerned about its ambitious rollout timeline.

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'That Is A Lie!' Trump Atty Assails Cohen In Fraud Trial Cross

By Frank G. Runyeon and Stewart Bishop

Donald Trump's lawyer lashed out at central prosecution witness Michael Cohen on Thursday during a second day of cross-examination in New York state's criminal fraud case, attacking his credibility and key testimony linking Trump to crimes.

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Coverage Recap: Day 14 Of Trump's NY Hush Money Trial

By Stewart Bishop

Law360 reporters are providing live updates from the Manhattan criminal courthouse as Donald Trump goes on trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. Here's a recap from Thursday, day 14 of the trial.

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Analysis

Thomas, Alito: Two Originalists, Two Takes On CFPB Case

By Katie Buehler

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — often birds of a feather — butted heads Thursday over the original meaning and purpose of the U.S. Constitution's appropriations clause in a decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's unique funding scheme, highlighting what experts describe as the pair's different approaches to originalism.

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Democrats Prod Justice Thomas on RV Loan, Tax Treatment

By Anna Scott Farrell

Two Senate Democrats have asked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' attorney to respond to what they called a failure to answer their questions about the justice's $267,000 loan from a healthcare industry executive to finance a luxury recreational vehicle, saying the loan treatment could have violated federal tax laws.

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Investigate Pro-Gaza Reddit Post, GOP Pols Tell USPTO

By Andrew Karpan

An anonymous Reddit post purportedly from a patent examiner confessing "mixed feelings" about issuing a patent to an Israeli defense contractor, citing the country's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, has attracted the attention of Republicans in Congress and the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office herself.

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Senate Confirms South Dakota State Judge To Federal Bench

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 90-4 on Thursday to confirm Judge Camela C. Theeler to the District of South Dakota.

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Menendez Bribery Case Criminalizes Gifts, Jury Told

By Carla Baranauckas

Prosecutors are trying to criminalize friendship, gifts and advocacy, the counsel for one of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's co-defendants said Thursday in an opening statement in the corruption trial in Manhattan federal court.

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Judge Calls Out 'Cancel Culture' In Prof's Suit Against Penn

By P.J. D'Annunzio

A Pennsylvania federal judge said University of Pennsylvania leaders embraced "cancel culture" when they chastised an anthropology professor for handling remains from the 1985 MOVE house bombing in Philadelphia, allowing the professor's defamation case against the school to move forward.

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Roche Freedman Gets Split Ruling On Witnesses In Atty's Suit

By Andrea Keckley

A New York federal judge has issued a split decision on witness testimony in a dispute over the litigation boutique formerly called Roche Freedman.

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11th Circ. Tries To Untangle Aftermath Of Judge's Early Exit

By Ivan Moreno

An Eleventh Circuit panel on Thursday quizzed attorneys for rival breeders of disease-resistant shrimp about whether a $10 million trade-secrets jury verdict should be overturned after a federal magistrate judge presided over the trial's ending because a federal district judge had to catch a flight, with one of the panel judges saying the parties had been put "in a very difficult position."

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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

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LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Archer & Greiner

Bailey & Associates

Berke Farah

Bradshaw & Bryant

Bryan Cave

Burns White

Campbell Conroy

Clyde & Co

Corr Cronin

Davenport Evans

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Excolo Law

Faegre Drinker

Foley & Lardner

Ford Marrin

Franklin D. Azar & Associates

Freedman Normand

Friedman Rubin

Gibbons PC

Girard Bengali

Holland & Knight

Irell & Manella

Irwin Fritchie

James McElroy & Diehl

Jones Day

Kasowitz Benson

Kendall Brill & Kelly

King & Spalding

Kline & Specter

Larson King

Levy Konigsberg

Litchfield Cavo

Lynn Jackson Shultz & Lebrun

MacGill PC

Mayer Brown

McElroy Deutsch

Mitchell & Sheahan

Morgan Lewis

Morgan Theeler

Munger Tolles

NechelesLaw

Nichols Kaster

O'Melveny & Myers

Paul Hastings

Paul Weiss

Pfau Cochran

Pierson Ferdinand LLP

Pitt McGehee

Reed & Giordano

Robinson & Cole

Rosenberg Giger

Schaerr Jaffe

Schertler Onorato

Schroeter Goldmark

Shook Hardy

Spears Moore

Spector Gadon

Spence Partners

Tanoury Nauts

The Law Firm of Cesar de Castro

Wheeler Trigg

Wigdor LLP

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Atlantic Global Insurance Services

Ava Labs Inc.

Community Financial Corp.

Corizon Health Inc.

Costco Wholesale Corp.

Ernst & Young LLP

Google LLC

Instacart

International Business Machines Corp.

International Refugee Assistance Project

LG Electronics Inc.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC

Monsanto Co.

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Netflix Inc.

New York Knicks

Reddit Inc.

Ross Stores Inc.

Seattle University

Stanley Black & Decker Inc.

State Bar of California

The New York Times Co.

Trump Organization Inc.

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

VCA Inc.

Veolia Environnement SA

Williams-Sonoma Inc.

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Reserve System

Manhattan District Attorney's Office

Maryland Department of Transportation

Michigan Attorney General's Office

National Transportation Safety Board

State of Michigan

Texas Department of Transportation

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of State

U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Postal Service

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United Nations

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

United States District Court for the District of Colorado

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

Washington Attorney General's Office