Massachusetts

  • October 23, 2024

    1st Circ. Sets Oral Arguments In Boies' Cannabis Suit For Dec. 5

    The First Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in an appeal by a group of cannabis businesses, represented by litigator David Boies, challenging the federal prohibition on marijuana.

  • October 23, 2024

    Juvenile Court Judge, Atty Picked For Mass. Appeals Court

    A longtime Juvenile Court justice and a veteran criminal defense attorney are Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey's latest picks for the state's intermediate-level appellate court, her office announced Wednesday.

  • October 23, 2024

    SoClean Says Philips Can't Stand In For Damaged CPAP Users

    SoClean Inc. asked a Pennsylvania federal court to toss Philips RS North America's proposed class-action claims from a multidistrict litigation, arguing that after settling with customers who had to replace their CPAP and BiPAP breathing machines, Philips was really only coming after SoClean on its own behalf.

  • October 23, 2024

    Judge Says Ex-Steward Hospital Nurse Row Out Of His Hands

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Wednesday declined to order the new owner of former Steward Health Care hospitals in Massachusetts to take back changes to nurses' union contracts it assumed under his sale order, saying it wasn't up to him to make the call.

  • October 23, 2024

    EPA Can't Restart Crafting Smog Rule, DC Circ. Told

    A group of Democratic-led state governments is telling the D.C. Circuit that the Clean Air Act doesn't mandate reconsideration of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023 "Good Neighbor" emissions regulation as two steel manufacturers say.

  • October 23, 2024

    Roundup Suit Pared As Preemption Claim Sways Mass. Judge

    A Massachusetts judge has dismissed portions of a suit claiming a woman's use of the weedkiller Roundup caused her cancer, ruling a federal labeling law preempts her theory that Monsanto failed to warn consumers about the chemical's dangers.

  • October 23, 2024

    Roche CEO Says Novo-Catalent Deal Should Be Blocked

    The CEO of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche injected himself into the controversy surrounding Novo Holdings' planned $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent on Wednesday, stating that he thinks antitrust authorities should block the deal due to its anticompetitive implications.

  • October 23, 2024

    Harvard Enabling 'Outrageous' Antisemitism, Court Told

    Harvard University is intentionally protecting students and faculty accused of antisemitism and an assault on a Jewish student last year, "hoping this whole thing goes away," a lawyer for two student groups said during a hearing Wednesday on the Ivy League school's bid to end a second civil rights lawsuit.

  • October 22, 2024

    11th Circ. Signals Fla. Gun Ban Turns On 'Age Of Majority'

    Whether the full Eleventh Circuit will strike down or uphold Florida's firearms sales ban to anyone under 21 appeared to hinge Tuesday on whether the court adopts modern notions of when adulthood begins or prior beliefs understood as "18-year-old Johnny on his way to the militia," circa 1789.

  • October 22, 2024

    Ivy League Athletes Plan To Appeal Antitrust Suit's Dismissal

    A group of college athletes challenging the Ivy League's practice of prohibiting athletic scholarships told a Connecticut federal judge they plan to appeal the dismissal of their antitrust suit against Harvard and other top-tier universities.

  • October 22, 2024

    'Uphill Battle' To Fix Grade Docked For AI Use, Judge Says

    Parents of a Massachusetts high schooler have an "uphill battle" to win an injunction to bump up their son's grade on a history report about basketball icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that was docked because he had an artificial intelligence tool write it, a Boston federal judge said Tuesday. 

  • October 22, 2024

    Appliance Co., Customers Agree To End Stove Pollutant Row

    Luxury kitchen appliance maker Sub-Zero Group Inc. and the customers behind a proposed class action have agreed to drop the litigation, bringing to an end claims the company sold them gas stoves that emit "health-harming" pollutants.

  • October 22, 2024

    1st Circ. Says 'Discrepancies' Doom Guatemalan's Asylum Bid

    The First Circuit put to rest a bid for removal protection by a Guatemalan man who claimed he feared being sent home, pointing to "glaring discrepancies" between his written and oral testimony that the court said marked the end of his removal fight.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    Shake Shack Settles Massachusetts Child Labor Complaint

    Shake Shack has agreed to pay $244,500 to settle allegations that it violated Massachusetts child labor laws, including failing to obtain work permits and allowing minors to work more than 48 hours in a week, the state attorney general announced Tuesday.

  • October 22, 2024

    DraftKings, Former Exec Eye Settlement Over Noncompete

    DraftKings and a former vice president accused of violating a noncompete agreement by jumping to competitor Fanatics are attempting to settle their differences, according to a Tuesday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 22, 2024

    Reebok Settles Testy TM Suit With Italian Shoemaker

    Reebok has settled a suit claiming Italian shoemaker Autry USA LLC ripped off several of the sneaker giant's trademarks, ending a contentious case that saw Reebok seek to sanction its rival for what it termed "underhanded" tactics.

  • October 21, 2024

    Migrant Groups Say DeSantis Suit About Fraud, Not Politics

    Groups suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials for allegedly tricking migrants into boarding a flight to Martha's Vineyard have told a Massachusetts federal judge that their case is not about politics, but about the fraud they say was perpetrated on 49 people for a photo op.

  • October 21, 2024

    Judge Cites University Ties To Bow Out Of Aid-Fixing Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has recused herself from a proposed antitrust class action against 40 private colleges, reasoning that she has a relationship with one of the university defendants.

  • October 21, 2024

    Conn. Firm Says Attys, Restaurants Filed 'Malicious' Suit

    A restaurant chain and its attorneys abused the legal process by "frivolously and maliciously" suing a plaintiff-side firm after it ran ads alerting workers they might have wage claims against the restaurant, a lawsuit filed in Connecticut state court has alleged.

  • October 21, 2024

    Public Can Access Road Used By Thoreau, Mass. Court Says

    The public is still entitled to access portions of an 18th century road in the town of Concord once used by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, a Massachusetts intermediate appellate court determined on Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    Lawsuit By Wireless Tech Co. Too Late, Mass. Co. Says

    A Massachusetts display technology company urged a Colorado federal judge to find that trade secrets and breach of confidentiality claims lobbed against it from a former business partner were launched too late.

  • October 21, 2024

    Potbelly Investor Urges Sandwich Chain To Explore A Sale

    An investor in sandwich chain Potbelly Corp. on Monday called for the company to take immediate action to maximize shareholder value, including exploring a potential sale of the quick-service restaurant business, which it called an "underappreciated growth story."

  • October 21, 2024

    Catalent CEO Defends Novo Deal, Will Stay On After Buyout

    Catalent CEO Alessandro Maselli told the medical company's customers Monday that Catalent will continue to support them following its planned $16.5 billion sale to Novo Holdings, seeking to assure clientele after Sen. Elizabeth Warren and advocacy groups pressured the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize and potentially block the deal.

Expert Analysis

  • What 7th Circ. Collective Actions Ruling Means For Employers

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    With the Seventh Circuit’s recent Fair Labor Standards Act ruling in Vanegas v. Signet Builders, a majority of federal appellate courts that have addressed the jurisdictional scope of employee collective actions now follow the U.S. Supreme Court's limiting precedent, bolstering an employer defense in circuits that have yet to weigh in, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • 5 Lessons From Consulting Firm's Successful DOJ Disclosure

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    The Boston Consulting Group recently received a rare declination of prosecution from the U.S. Department of Justice after self-disclosing a foreign bribery scheme, and the firm’s series of savvy steps after discovering the misconduct provides useful data points for white collar defense attorneys, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Video Game Release Highlights TM Pitfalls Of App Store

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    The upcoming release of poker video game Balatro in Apple's App Store underscores the tradeoff of keyword advertising and trademark protection for indie developers who, unlike corporate counterparts, lack resources but seek to maximize the reach of their game, say Parmida Enkeshafi and Simon Pulman at Pryor Cashman.

  • Missouri Injunction A Setback For State Anti-ESG Rules

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    A Missouri federal court’s recent order enjoining the state’s anti-ESG rules comes amid actions by state legislatures to revise or invalidate similar legislation imposing disclosure and consent requirements around environmental, social and governance investing, and could be a blueprint for future challenges, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

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    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

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    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Avoiding Corporate Political Activity Pitfalls This Election Year

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    As Election Day approaches, corporate counsel should be mindful of the complicated rules around companies engaging in political activities, including super PAC contributions, pay-to-play prohibitions and foreign agent restrictions, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation

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    With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.

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