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August 06, 2024
Fed. Circ. Knocks Out Scottish Search Co.'s Patent Case
A Scottish tech company failed to breathe new life into patents that cover supposed advances in reverse image searching on the internet when the Federal Circuit on Tuesday ended its suit against a different, more successful rival.
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August 06, 2024
San Diego Bar Taps Longtime Biz Leader As Exec Director
The San Diego County Bar Association has hired a new executive director, bringing in a former San Diego chamber of commerce president to serve as its new head.
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August 06, 2024
Funko Settles Derivative Litigation In Delaware, California
Pop culture lifestyle brand Funko Inc. has agreed to resolve derivative claims in multiple stockholder suits in California federal court and Delaware's Court of Chancery by implementing corporate governance reforms and paying up to $2.15 million to plaintiffs' attorneys, the company has announced.
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August 06, 2024
AI Security Biz Sets Sights On IPO After $5.1B Valuation
Artificial intelligence company Abnormal Security, advised by Cooley LLP, announced Tuesday that it has hit a $5.1 billion valuation after closing its Series D funding round with $250 million in tow.
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August 06, 2024
More Training Needed On SF Encampment Rule, Judge Says
A California federal magistrate judge has partially sided with homelessness advocates and San Francisco residents accusing the city and county of violating the U.S. and state constitutions by destroying homeless residents' self-made encampments and forcing them out of the city with citations, fines and arrests.
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August 06, 2024
Solar Tech Co. SunPower Hits Ch. 11 With $2B Of Debt
Residential solar technology company SunPower Corporation filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware with more than $2 billion of funded debt obligations and plans for an asset sale.
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August 05, 2024
Elon Musk Can't Beat Twitter Investors' Suit Over Bot Claim
A California federal judge on Monday denied Elon Musk's bid to escape a shareholder suit alleging he misled Twitter investors by claiming the company had to provide information on an alleged bot problem before he could move forward with his $44 billion acquisition, saying Musk leaned on already-rejected arguments.
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August 05, 2024
Chamber, Others Back 9th Circ. Ax Of Shopify Privacy Row
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several tech trade groups are among those pushing the full Ninth Circuit to affirm the toss of a proposed class action accusing Shopify of unlawfully collecting shoppers' sensitive information, arguing that overriding the decision would unfairly allow plaintiffs to sue online businesses in any court across the country.
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August 05, 2024
Kia Atty Reduced To 'Monty Python' Knight By Tentative Order
Kia and Hyundai's attorney told a California federal judge Monday that his tentative order denying the companies' motion to dismiss Chicago's claims in multidistrict litigation over car thefts left him feeling like the knight in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" who loses his arms and legs but keeps fighting.
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August 05, 2024
Coinbase Broke Campaign Finance Laws, Crypto Critics Say
Crypto exchange Coinbase violated campaign finance laws when it donated $25.5 million to political action committees while negotiating a federal contract, prominent crypto critics told a federal election watchdog — a claim the firm's legal chief has staunchly denied.
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August 05, 2024
EBay Resists Calif. Damages In Mass. Stalking Case
Married Massachusetts bloggers who were stalked and terrorized by eBay Inc. employees shouldn't be able to seek punitive damages available under California law while having Massachusetts law otherwise govern liability for their myriad civil claims, the e-commerce giant is arguing.
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August 05, 2024
Insurers Can't Escape Coverage For Russian-Seized Aircraft
A group of insurers can't escape covering one of the largest aircraft lessors for aircraft seized by the Russian government, a California state court ruled, agreeing with the company that even a temporary seizure of its property constitutes physical loss for coverage purposes.
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August 05, 2024
EarnIn's Fees, Tips Are Usurious, Ga. Consumers Say
Pay advance app EarnIn has been hit with a proposed class action alleging its optional fees and tips are hidden interest payments that, on average, far exceed fair rates for consumer lending.
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August 05, 2024
Star Peak Shareholders Consolidate And Amend Class Action
Mix-and-match attorney teams will lead and manage a proposed class stockholder suit alleging damages from the blank check company deal that took artificial intelligence-driven energy storage business Stem Inc. public in April 2021, Delaware's chancellor has ruled.
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August 05, 2024
Org. Claiming To Own Michael Jackson Art Works Hits Ch. 11
A self-described "creative partnership" between the King of Pop and an Australian artist that purports to own art Michael Jackson created has filed for Chapter 11 protections, saying it was lugging between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities before a California bankruptcy judge.
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August 05, 2024
SpaceX Asks 5th Circ. To Block Transfer Of NLRB Challenge
SpaceX asked the Fifth Circuit on Monday to step in after a Texas federal judge ordered its challenge to the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board transferred to California, saying the appeals court should either vacate the order or pause it until the court can rule on the company's injunction request.
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August 05, 2024
BCBS Asks 9th Circ. To Undo Trans Patients' Win In Bias Suit
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse summary judgment in favor of trans patients who argued its exclusions for gender-affirming treatments violated the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination mandate, arguing Friday it is a third-party administrator that didn't design the exclusion nor exercised any control over it.
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August 05, 2024
Google, OpenAI Accused Of Using YouTube Videos To Train AI
A California man has hit Google and OpenAI with separate proposed class actions in federal court accusing the companies of unlawfully transcribing YouTube videos and using them to train their large language model artificial intelligence products without the permission of the people who uploaded those videos.
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August 05, 2024
Patreon To Pay $7.25M To End Subscribers' Video Privacy Suit
Patreon has agreed to pay $7.25 million to settle a proposed class action on behalf of 1.2 million users who claim the content subscription-based platform violated the Video Privacy Protection Act by sharing their video-watching data with Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc. without their consent, according to court documents filed Friday.
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August 05, 2024
GM Slams Investors' Suit Alleging AV Tech Lapses
General Motors has asked a Michigan federal court to dismiss a proposed securities fraud class action alleging it downplayed safety concerns about its autonomous vehicle technology, arguing the investors have contorted definitions of safety terms to bolster the suit.
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August 05, 2024
SVB Ex-Parent's Ch. 11 Plan OK'd With $1.9B FDIC Fight Alive
Silicon Valley Bank's former owner received a New York bankruptcy court's blessing to liquidate and emerge from Chapter 11, but the judge rejected portions of the plan that federal regulators argued would hamper their defense against SVB Financial Group's efforts to recoup some $1.9 billion seized by an FDIC receiver when the bank collapsed.
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August 05, 2024
Mattel Beats $46M Contract Suit Over Reality Show Idea
A California jury has entered a verdict for Mattel Inc. in a $46 million contract suit brought against it by the company of "Lone Survivor" producer Norton Herrick alleging that the toy-maker stole its idea for a reality show in which inventors pitch toys to child judges, concluding there was no contract breach.
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August 05, 2024
Girardi's Defense May Stand On His Deteriorating Mind
Although a federal judge ruled disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi mentally competent to stand trial this month for wire fraud, the 85-year-old's defense team may use his dementia diagnosis to attack prosecutors' allegations he knowingly and intentionally stole millions of dollars from his clients, experts said.
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August 05, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Sunken treasure, rock band discord, a wrestling competition, and more news about Elon Musk — all in all, a colorful week in Delaware's Court of Chancery. The First State's famous court of equity also pushed forward on disputes involving a famous social media app, Delaware's largest hospital system, an artificial intelligence company and a budding commodity futures exchange.
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August 05, 2024
Musk Accuses OpenAI Of Fraud, RICO Over Business Model
Elon Musk on Monday accused OpenAI Inc. and its leaders of violating several laws related to fraud, conspiracy, contract violations and false advertising by claiming he was wrongly told the company would remain a nonprofit, in a suit filed in California federal court.
Expert Analysis
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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How A Bumblebee Got Under Calif. Wildlife Regulator's Bonnet
A California bumblebee's listing as an endangered species could lead to a regulatory quagmire as California Department of Fish and Wildlife permits now routinely include survey requirements for the bee, but the regulator has yet to determine what the species needs for conservation, says David Smith at Manatt.
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Rare Robinson-Patman Ruling Exhibits Key Antitrust Risk
A rare federal court decision under the Robinson-Patman Act, which prohibits certain kinds of price discrimination, highlights the antitrust risks faced by certain suppliers and is likely to be cited by future plaintiffs and enforcement officials calling for renewed scrutiny of pricing and discounting practices, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Wiretap Use In Cartel Probes Likely To Remain An Exception
Although the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division has recently signaled interest in wiretaps, the use of this technology to capture evidence of antitrust conspiracies and pursue monopolization as a criminal matter has been rare historically, and is likely to remain so, say Carsten Reichel and Will Conway at DLA Piper.
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Opinion
California Has A Duty To Curtail Frivolous CIPA Suits
As plaintiffs increasingly file class actions against companies for their use of website tracking cookies and pixels, the Legislature should consider four options to amend the California Invasion of Privacy Act and restore the balance between consumer privacy and business operational interests, say Steven Stransky and Jennifer Adler at Thompson Hine and Glenn Lammi at the Washington Legal Foundation.
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Playing The Odds: Criminal Charges Related To Sports Betting
In light of recent sports betting scandals involving MLB player Shohei Ohtani and NBA player Jontay Porter, institutions and individuals involved in athletics should be aware of and prepared to address the legal issues, including potential criminal charges, that sports gambling may bring to their door, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses
The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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9th Circ. Clarifies ERISA Preemption For Healthcare Industry
The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Bristol SL Holdings v. Cigna notably clarifies the broad scope of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's preemption of certain state law causes of action, standing to benefit payors and health plan administrators, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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State Procurement Could Be Key For Calif. Offshore Wind
A recent ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission highlights how the state's centralized electricity procurement mechanism could play a critical role in the development of long lead-time resources — in particular, offshore wind — by providing market assurance to developers and reducing utilities' procurement risks, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.
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Calif. Budget Will Likely Have Unexpected Tax Consequences
A temporary suspension of net operating loss deductions and business incentive tax credits, likely to be approved on June 15 as part of California’s next budget, may create unanticipated tax liabilities for businesses that modeled recently completed transactions on current law, says Myra Sutanto Shen at Wilson Sonsini.
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Patent Lessons From 7 Federal Circuit Reversals In May
A look at recent cases where the Federal Circuit reversed or vacated decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board or a federal district court provide guidance on how to succeed on appeal by clarifying the obviousness analysis of design patents, the finality of a judgment, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know
As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.