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Massachusetts
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October 11, 2024
'Bloodsport' Poaching Case To Mediate After Disputed Verdict
An exasperated Boston federal judge on Friday talked two rival medical aesthetic device companies into a round of mediation with a magistrate judge to see if they could wrap up the fiercely litigated poaching case that's already resulted in a contested eight-figure verdict.
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October 10, 2024
DOJ Defends Federal Marijuana Ban At 1st Circ.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday urged the First Circuit to reject cannabis companies' constitutional challenge to the drug's ongoing prohibition under federal law, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that Congress has the power to regulate the interstate and intrastate markets for controlled substances.
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October 10, 2024
Most Appian Claims Survive In Pegasystems Defamation Fight
A Massachusetts federal judge has allowed most counterclaims from business software company Appian Corp. to proceed against rival Pegasystems Inc., which accused its competitor in a lawsuit of making deliberately malicious statements and representations regarding a trade secret case the parties are litigating in Virginia.
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October 10, 2024
Tobacco Cos. Push To Move Dozens Of Cases Out Of Boston
Several tobacco companies asked a Massachusetts judge Thursday to send more than 30 pending liability cases to other venues in the state, arguing that the plaintiffs have no ties to Suffolk County and that the volume of cases is burdening judges in the Boston courthouse.
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October 10, 2024
SEC Urges 1st Circ. To Uphold $93M Win Over Financial Firm
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission urged the First Circuit on Thursday to affirm its $93 million win against Commonwealth Financial Network for allegedly failing to disclose that it profited from clients using higher-fee funds when similar, lower-cost versions were available.
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October 10, 2024
3M, Other Cos. Hit With PFAS Contamination Class Action
Nantucket, Massachusetts, residents seek to hold the 3M Co., The Chemours Co. and other companies liable for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that allegedly contaminated their properties, their drinking water and the residents themselves.
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October 10, 2024
NJ Judge Deems Portions Of Hemp Law Unconstitutional
A New Jersey federal judge found Thursday that portions of a soon-to-be-enacted Garden State law placing restrictions on hemp products violate the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution and are preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill.
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October 10, 2024
Teva To Pay $450M To Settle Kickback Cases
Pharmaceutical giant Teva will pay $450 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by fixing the prices of several generic drugs and by raising the price of a multiple sclerosis treatment while covering Medicare recipients' copays, civil prosecutors said Thursday.
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October 10, 2024
Sen. Warren, Novo At Odds On Merits Of $16.5B Deal
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Thursday raised the alarm on Novo Holdings' planned $16.5 billion purchase of Catalent, arguing the transaction could give Novo "unprecedented" control over the production of certain obesity drugs by Eli Lilly and other top competitors, but Novo insists the deal would give it no such edge.
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October 10, 2024
Ivy League Athletes Whiff On Scholarship Antitrust Suit
A Connecticut federal judge on Wednesday snuffed out a proposed antitrust class action from college athletes challenging the Ivy League's longstanding ban on athletic scholarships, ruling the complaint did not identify a specific market harmed by the policy.
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October 10, 2024
Ex-Mayor Can't Reduce 6-Year Term In Fraud, Graft Case
A former Massachusetts mayor serving six years in prison for fraud and corruption has failed to raise a compelling argument to cut short the "already generous sentence" imposed, according to a Boston federal judge.
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October 09, 2024
Feds Target Crypto Manipulation, Wash Trades In Novel Action
Massachusetts federal prosecutors announced charges against 18 individuals and cryptocurrency firms on Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind set of actions targeting alleged manipulation of digital asset markets through wash trading and other tactics.
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October 09, 2024
'Sophie's Choice' Theatrical Rights Deal Long Over, Court Told
The 95-year-old widow of "Sophie's Choice" author William Styron urged a judge on Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that she broke a deal for the theatrical rights to the 1979 novel, saying the agreement signed between the playwright plaintiff and her late husband in 2005 and several later agreements expired more than five years ago.
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October 09, 2024
Philips Preserves Lanham Act Counterclaim In CPAP Cleaner MDL
A Pennsylvania federal judge has trimmed some counterclaims by Koninklijke Philips NV and its American affiliates against SoClean Inc., whose cleaning products they say are responsible for damage to Philips' CPAP machines.
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October 09, 2024
Mass. Gov. Nominates Land Court Counsel To Judgeship
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has nominated a longtime Land Court staff attorney and administrator to a seat on the court, according to an announcement Wednesday.
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October 09, 2024
Ousted AI Engineer Took Trade Secrets, Auto Service Co. Says
A software engineer who was fired from auto services company Agero after just three months took hundreds of confidential files and other materials, according to a suit filed on Wednesday in Massachusetts state court.
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October 09, 2024
Marriott Inks $52M Deal With States Over Guest Data Breach
Marriott International Inc. has agreed to pay $52 million to nearly every U.S. state and bolster its data security practices to resolve parallel investigations by state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission over a massive data breach at the hotel's Starwood-branded properties.
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October 09, 2024
Lead Test Maker Vows Compliance As $42M Deal Approved
The general counsel of Magellan Diagnostics promised Wednesday that the medical device maker "will be better," as a Boston federal judge officially sentenced the company for hiding flaws in its lead-testing kits, signing off on a $42 million plea agreement.
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October 08, 2024
40 Private Schools Hit With Aid-Fixing Conspiracy Claims
Two former college students have hit Northwestern, Harvard and 38 other private universities and colleges with proposed class antitrust claims that they illegally conspired to raise net attendance prices by factoring noncustodial parents' financial information into their non-federal aid eligibility considerations.
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October 08, 2024
1st Circ. Says 'Nothing We Can Do' To Help Salvadoran Family
The First Circuit on Monday rejected a petition for asylum from a Salvadoran family fleeing MS-13 gang violence, acknowledging that the issue is "rampant" in the Central American country but saying their hands are tied from helping the petitioners.
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October 08, 2024
1st Circ. Warned Not To 'Speculate' In Union Debt Ceiling Suit
A lawyer for a governmental workers' union challenging the constitutionality of the federal debt limit told a First Circuit panel on Tuesday that a January default is a virtual certainty under existing law, and urged the judges to avoid trying to predict whether President Joe Biden and a lame-duck Congress might extend the ceiling.
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October 08, 2024
Hemp Cos. Say 'Protectionist' NJ Law Violates Farm Bill
A group of hemp makers and distributors is urging a New Jersey federal court to grant them a win in their challenge to the state's soon-to-be-enacted restrictions on hemp products, saying the restrictions violate the 2018 Farm Bill and favor Garden State companies over out-of-state ones.
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October 08, 2024
Mass. Seeks Order Forcing Steward To Maintain Coverage
Massachusetts officials are asking the Texas bankruptcy judge presiding over Steward Health Care's Chapter 11 proceedings to order the company to maintain medical malpractice and workers' compensation coverage for current and potential claims from its operation of hospitals and medical practices in the Bay State.
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October 08, 2024
Senior Renters Say Mass. Facility Charged Exorbitant Fees
A proposed class of low-income, elderly residents at an assisted living facility have told a Massachusetts federal court the facility's owner and operators charged an illegal "ancillary fee" calculated to extract all but a $100 monthly allowance from residents.
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October 08, 2024
1st Circ. Eyes Revival Of Welch's Execs' Pension Fight
The First Circuit appeared receptive Tuesday to former Welch's executives who are seeking to revive a suit claiming they were shortchanged by a supplemental retirement plan, with two judges pointing out conflict-of-interest disputes on appeal that the lower court left unaddressed.
Expert Analysis
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New State Climate Liability Laws: What Companies Must Know
New legislation in Vermont and New York creating liability and compliance obligations for businesses deemed responsible for climate change — as well as similar bills proposed in California, Massachusetts and Maryland — have far-reaching implications for companies, so it is vital to remain vigilant as these initiatives progress, say Gregory Berlin and Jeffrey Dintzer at Alston & Bird.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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A Look At State AGs Supermarket Antitrust Enforcement Push
The ongoing antitrust intervention by state attorneys general in the proposed Kroger and Albertsons merger suggests that states are straying from a Federal Trade Commission follow-on strategy in the supermarket space, which involved joining federal investigations or lawsuits and settling for the same divestment remedies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws
The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.
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Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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Series
Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.
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Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice
The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Why High Court Social Media Ruling Will Be Hotly Debated
In deciding the NetChoice cases that challenged Florida and Texas content moderation laws, what the U.S. Supreme Court justices said about social media platforms — and the First Amendment — will have implications and raise questions for nearly all online operators, say Jacob Canter and Joanna Rosen Forster at Crowell & Moring.
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Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls
Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.
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In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State
On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.
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How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts
As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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Series
After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law
Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.
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Series
Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.