Commercial Contracts

  • October 07, 2024

    Seinfeld-Inspired Investors Sue Bitwise Over $2M Crypto Losses

    A group of family-owned investment companies named after a gag from "Seinfeld" sued crypto asset manager Bitwise and its executives for allegedly duping them into staying invested in one of its funds as it sought a conversion to a less-preferable structure, causing them $1.9 million in losses.

  • October 07, 2024

    Fla. Jury Told Unchecked Plane Fueling Led To Crash Injuries

    A professional angler told a Florida federal jury Monday that a Cessna pilot's failure to supervise the refueling of a plane led to the wrong tanks being filled, resulting in his injuries after the aircraft ran out of fuel midair and crashed-landed into the ocean near the Bahamas.

  • October 07, 2024

    Judge Presses AmEx On Arbitration Push For Merchants

    A Rhode Island judge on Monday expressed skepticism about American Express' claim that it could force a proposed antitrust class action targeting the company's swipe fee rules back into arbitration after the plaintiffs say it already defaulted on arbitration fees.

  • October 07, 2024

    ITC Judge Pushes For Import Ban In Liver Drug Secrets Row

    The U.S. International Trade Commission's chief judge is recommending the agency block a Hong Kong-listed drug developer from potentially marketing unapproved treatments for a type of liver disease for the next seven years, a win for another company behind a different unapproved treatment for the same type of liver disease.

  • October 07, 2024

    Chancery Holds Status Quo On Md. Data Center Pending Trial

    Delaware's Court of Chancery issued a partial status quo freeze Saturday on control of a $165 million site development project for a proposed $5 billion gigawatt data center complex near Frederick, Maryland, pending trial on claims that the original project managers had defaulted, but challenged their purported replacement.

  • October 07, 2024

    Justices Won't Hear Commerzbank RMBS Fight With US Bank

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down a bid by Commerzbank AG to revive more of its claims against U.S. Bank NA in a long-running lawsuit over pre-2008 residential mortgage-backed securities trusts, declining to review a recent Second Circuit decision in the case.

  • October 07, 2024

    Title Co. Denied Early Win In $13M Hotel Investment Fight

    A California federal judge declined to grant a title company an early win in a lawsuit brought by an investor accusing it of improperly releasing the investor's $13 million contribution to a 17-hotel deal, finding that a dispute remained over multiple factual issues.

  • October 07, 2024

    T-Mobile Contractor's $27M Phone Order Suit Gets Cancelled

    A Washington federal judge has again thrown out a mobile phone manufacturer's $27 million lawsuit accusing T-Mobile of reneging on purchase orders — this time, for good — ruling the company's revised claims are still at odds with the carrier's contractual right to cancel.   

  • October 07, 2024

    Nationstar Mortgage Fails To Dodge Proposed Fee Suit Action

    A Washington federal judge refused Monday to let Nationstar Mortgage LLC escape a putative class action accusing the mortgage loan servicer of illegally charging fees for loan payoff statements.

  • October 07, 2024

    Contractor Passed 20K Accounts To Rivals, Security Co. Says

    A Connecticut home security monitoring company has accused a sales contractor of purchasing a list of 20,000 of its accounts from a service technician and trying to lure a colleague into helping him sell the secret data to competitors, causing an alleged "substantial loss of customers."

  • October 07, 2024

    Aircraft Co. Says Insurers Owe $222M For Lost Jets In Russia

    An aircraft lessor said its insurers and underwriters are on the hook for more than $222 million in losses stemming from two aircraft that have been stranded in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, telling a Connecticut state court the total loss of the aircraft warrants coverage.

  • October 07, 2024

    Henderson Franklin Adds Tax Pro To Florida Offices

    A tax attorney who formerly practiced at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth PC has joined Henderson Franklin Starnes & Holt PA's business and tax planning department and will work from the firm's Florida offices in Fort Myers and Naples.

  • October 07, 2024

    Vendor Says Rue21 Skipped $2M In Bills For Clothing

    A Los Angeles-based clothing supplier has sued Rue21, saying the fashion retailer stiffed it on $300,000 worth of invoices and is on the hook for $1.7 million to another vendor.

  • October 07, 2024

    NJ City Sues To Halt Hudson Riverfront Development

    The Hoboken Planning Board has turned into a rubber stamp for developers including a duo that wants to build towers that will impede the view from the scenic Palisades cliffs, a neighboring city alleged in a New Jersey state court lawsuit.

  • October 07, 2024

    Calif. Landlord Sued By Tenants Over 'Hidden' Rent Fees

    A California multifamily landlord responsible for over 60,000 apartments wrongfully charged tenants "hidden and misleading" rent fees, a proposed class of tenants has claimed in California federal court.

  • October 07, 2024

    Brothers' $10B Real Estate Battle Nets Another $11.6M In Fees

    A California judge granted over $11 million in attorney fees Monday to a man who prevailed in a 20-year legal battle with his brother over a real estate empire when a jury awarded him and his other brothers a $10 billion verdict, granting the bulk of the request.

  • October 07, 2024

    Justices Won't Review 9th Circ. Case On Service Issue

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review a Ninth Circuit decision enforcing an arbitral award favoring a Los Angeles-based film production company over a 2020 Jessica Chastain movie, in a case that raised a technical question relating to service of process on foreign parties.

  • October 07, 2024

    CM Law Grows With Litigation Partners In NY, DC And Texas

    CM Law PLLC, formerly known as Culhane Meadows Haughian & Walsh PLLC, has grown with the addition of three litigation partners in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Texas.

  • October 07, 2024

    Mass. High Court Reluctant To Kill Lost Value Policy Exclusion

    Massachusetts' highest court on Monday appeared likely to reject a challenge to standard auto insurance policy language that excludes coverage for the dip in resale value of a vehicle after a crash.

  • October 07, 2024

    NC Paper Mill Says Buyer Can't Ditch Deal Over Flood Damage

    The owners of a shuttered paper mill in flood-ravaged western North Carolina are suing a development group for threatening to walk away from a contract to buy and redevelop the site, saying the group can't use Hurricane Helene as an excuse to slash the price.

  • October 04, 2024

    Top 5 Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Fall

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear several cases in its October 2024 term that could further refine the new administrative law landscape, establish constitutional rights to gender-affirming care for transgender minors and affect how the federal government regulates water, air and weapons. Here, Law360 looks at five of the most important cases on the Supreme Court's docket so far.

  • October 04, 2024

    Pa. Noncompete Ban Challenger Drops Case After Stay Denied

    A Pennsylvania tree service company Friday relinquished its lawsuit challenging the Federal Trade Commission's recent ban on noncompete agreements after a federal judge in the Keystone State denied the company's bid to pause its case despite another judge blocking the ban.

  • October 04, 2024

    Attys Tried To Coerce Client For Larger Fee, Texas Court Rules

    A Texas appeals court found that two attorneys tried to finagle a higher fee out of their client by threatening her with a lawsuit if she didn't fork over a larger amount than was specified in their contract, with the three-judge panel overruling all the attorneys' issues.

  • October 04, 2024

    Rebel Wilson Says 'The Deb' Producers Embezzled, Harassed

    Rebel Wilson has responded to defamation claims from the producers of the musical film "The Deb" with a countersuit in California state court, alleging that the producers engaged in "a troubling pattern of egregious and illicit behaviors, including theft, bullying and sexual misconduct" while involved with the film.

  • October 04, 2024

    Apple Sued For Booting Music App Amid YouTube IP Fight

    A music streaming service has sued Apple Inc. in California federal court for allegedly removing it from the app store based on an unsubstantiated complaint of intellectual property infringement sent in by YouTube.

Expert Analysis

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • A Snapshot Of The Evolving Restrictive Covenant Landscape

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    Rachael Martinez and Brooke Bahlinger at Foley highlight recent trends in the hotly contested regulation and enforcement of noncompetition and related nonsolicitation covenants, and provide guidance on drafting such provisions within the context of stand-alone employment agreements and merger or acquisition transactions.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates

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    If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • How 3 Unfolding Cases Could Affect The Energy Industry

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    Three judicial decisions now in the pipeline — Texas' challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane regulations, Delaware's climate suit against big energy companies, and a case before the Supreme Court of Texas on royalty lease interpretation — could have important implications for the energy industry, say Michelle Scheffler and Rachael Cox at Skadden.

  • Flexibility Is Key In Hybrid Capital Investment Strategies

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    Flexible or hybrid capital funds have become a solution for some owners adverse to private debt or requiring short-term capital support not otherwise available in the market, but the complexity and possible range of structures available means that principals need to consider how they may work in different scenarios and outcomes, says Daniel Mathias at Cohen Gresser.

  • Contract Negotiation Prep Checklist For In-House Ad Lawyers

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    Barriers for in-house lawyers and procurement professionals persist in media and ad tech contract negotiations — but a pre-negotiation checklist can help counsel navigate nuances and other industry issues that need to be considered before landing a deal, including supplier services, business use cases and data retrieval, says Keri Bruce at Reed Smith.

  • Calif. Ruling Shows Limits Of Exculpatory Lease Clauses

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    A California court's recent decision in Epochal Enterprises v. LF Encinitas Properties, finding a landlord liable for failing to disclose the presence of asbestos on the subject property, underscores the limits of exculpatory clauses' ability to safeguard landlords from liability where known hazards are present, say Fawaz Bham and Javier De Luna at Hunton.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

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