Commercial Contracts

  • March 19, 2025

    Ill. Justices Probe Wholesalers' Knowledge Of Tainted Cilantro

    Justices on Illinois' top court on Wednesday pressed attorneys in a case over allegedly contaminated cilantro to address when two wholesalers had actual knowledge the product may have made people sick, and what moment triggered a duty by a distributor to give notice for an implied warranty of merchantability claim.

  • March 19, 2025

    Texas Justices Skeptical Boeing Can Dodge Airline Union Suit

    Texas Supreme Court justices seemed wary of Boeing Co.'s argument that a pilot's union can't sue over lost compensation after a pair of deadly crashes involving the company's 737 Max airplanes, saying during oral arguments Wednesday it was seemingly making "policy arguments for Congress."

  • March 19, 2025

    8th Circ. Upholds No-Coverage Ruling In Floor Paint Suit

    A flooring company's insurer has no duty to cover roughly $134,000 in costs to remove and replace a vinyl floor because of a subcontractor's shoddy painting, the Eighth Circuit ruled Wednesday, rejecting the company's position that an exception in a faulty work exclusion applied to restore coverage.

  • March 19, 2025

    Judge Carves Up Arkansas Cherokee Casino License Dispute

    Cherokee Nation businesses can proceed with three of their claims against Arkansas in a dispute over the revocation of a casino license, a federal court judge said, while allowing the state to nix allegations that the tribal entities were deprived of equal protection and substantive due process.

  • March 19, 2025

    Revlon Settles Trade Secrets Case Over Britney Spears' Scent

    A federal court signed off on settlements ending Revlon's trade secrets case against an upstart Italian beauty brand, and one of its former marketing executives, who were both accused of stealing trade secrets when luring Britney Spears' perfume line abroad.

  • March 19, 2025

    NC Captive Insurer's Owner Can't Shirk Self-Dealing Claims

    North Carolina's business court has largely rejected a majority shareholder's efforts to curtail claims he seized control of a captive insurance company only to run it into the ground, finding the suit sufficiently ties him to unpaid premiums that dried up the insurer's sole source of revenue.

  • March 19, 2025

    Insurers Say $40M Retirement Row Settlement Not Covered

    Three excess insurers told a California federal court they should owe no coverage toward a $40 million settlement a third-party administrator of a church retirement's plan reached to resolve class action claims that it participated in a self-dealing scheme, arguing the claims predate the period they insured.

  • March 19, 2025

    Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • March 19, 2025

    Legal Advertising Co. Escapes Texas Hurricane Ad Suit

    An Arizona-based legal advertising company has ducked barratry claims in Texas over its efforts to attract victims of Hurricane Ida, with a state appeals panel affirming a trial court's ruling that the state court lacked jurisdiction over the company's work with Louisiana residents.

  • March 19, 2025

    Healthcare Consultant Says Tufts Medicine Owes $1M

    Hospital operator Tufts Medicine has failed to pay more than $1 million in fees and commissions to healthcare consulting group Sellers Dorsey & Associates LLC, according to a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • March 18, 2025

    TV Director Used Stolen Netflix Cash To Sue Netflix, Feds Say

    Federal prosecutors say film and television director Carl Rinsch secured millions from Netflix to make a science fiction television show only to use that money on personal expenses including trading cryptocurrency, antiques, a Ferrari, five Rolls-Royces and even lawyers to sue Netflix for more money, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.

  • March 18, 2025

    Ben & Jerry's Says Unilever Is Forcing Out CEO Over Politics

    Ben & Jerry's parent company Unilever is illegally trying to force out the ice cream company's CEO as punishment for him standing his ground and defending its "social mission" as Unilever attempts to block certain political statements, particularly those that could offend Donald Trump, according to a proposed amended complaint filed Tuesday.

  • March 18, 2025

    Amazon Asks To Claw Back Docs In Consumer Antitrust Suits

    Amazon has asked a Washington federal court to allow it to claw back three documents it has deemed as privileged from consumers in a trio of proposed antitrust class actions, saying that the plaintiffs are refusing to return or destroy them after quoting them in their motion for class certification.

  • March 18, 2025

    'Disturbed' Singer Down With Sickness From Mold Sues Landlord

    The lead singer of the rock band Disturbed has brought a lawsuit against the owner of the Miami-area digs he was renting for $18,500 a month, saying mold spawned by a leaky roof created a condition that impacted his ability to tour with his band.

  • March 18, 2025

    Netlist Slams Samsung's 'Abuse Of Power' As 3rd Trial Begins

    Samsung Electronics Co. engaged in a "raw abuse of power" when it breached the terms of a patent licensing agreement with chipmaker Netlist Inc., a jury heard Tuesday as the contract dispute went to trial for the third time in California federal court.

  • March 18, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Asks Justices To Skip CSX's Antitrust Case

    There's no reason the U.S. Supreme Court should disturb a Fourth Circuit ruling finding railway giant CSX waited too long to bring an antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over a switching line the two companies have been fighting over for years now, Norfolk has told the justices.

  • March 18, 2025

    Amazon Denied Quick Appeal For E-Book Antitrust Claims

    A New York federal court denied Amazon's request to immediately appeal a district court's refusal to toss a proposed class action accusing it of monopolizing the e-book market, saying the e-commerce giant just disagrees with the decision.

  • March 18, 2025

    Curaleaf Cos. Say Illegal Contract Nixes Farm's $32M Verdict

    Curaleaf units that lost a $31.8 million trial in January are urging a Michigan federal court to wipe out the verdict, saying the contract at issue violates federal law, warranting either a judgment as a matter of law or a new trial.

  • March 18, 2025

    DraftKings Must Face Claims In MLB Players' NIL Suit

    DraftKings has failed to convince a Pennsylvania federal judge to toss a lawsuit against it claiming the company unlawfully used images of MLB players for promotional purposes, as the court rejected the argument that using the pictures was protected speech.

  • March 18, 2025

    Maynard Nexsen Adds 5 Constangy Employment Attys In LA

    Maynard Nexsen PC has brought a 5-lawyer team from labor and employment firm Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP to its Los Angeles office, bringing on a team that is experienced in management-side employment law and can converse in six languages.

  • March 18, 2025

    Hogan Lovells Adds Ex-Apis Atty Amid Expected M&A Pickup

    The former head of legal compliance at Apis & Heritage Capital Partners is now Hogan Lovells' head of New York financial institutions mergers and acquisitions, the firm announced Monday as it prepares for what it expects will be a rise in M&A activity.

  • March 18, 2025

    NC Dance Teams' TM Feud Likened To MLB Rivalry At 4th Circ.

    An attorney for a North Carolina charter school on Tuesday used one of the biggest rivalries in Major League Baseball to illustrate for the Fourth Circuit how two former teachers stole its alleged dance team trademark and used pictures of the school's team to trick parents.

  • March 18, 2025

    Whistleblower Says Perdue Farms' DOL Battle Is Premature

    A whistleblower pursuing retaliation claims against Perdue Farms Inc. at the U.S. Department of Labor over the company allegedly sending him unhealthy chickens to raise after he raised concerns about the company's sanitation standards urged a North Carolina federal judge to throw out the poultry producer's case, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction.

  • March 17, 2025

    Ex-Opioid Co. CEO Wants Out Of Law Firm's Billing Suit

    A convicted former CEO of an opioid distributor is urging a New York federal judge to dismiss his criminal defense firm's suit against him over an alleged unpaid $150,000 expert witness tab, saying the suit fails because of "the clear and unambiguous language of the retainer agreements."

  • March 17, 2025

    BYD Affiliate Beats Megaclaim Over N95 Mask Deal

    A company with corporate ties to Chinese electric vehicle company BYD Co. Ltd. has fended off a megaclaim over a supply contract for personal protective equipment asserted by a Florida medical supply company that sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Expert Analysis

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Antitrust In Retail: Rude Awakening For FTC In Tempur Sealy

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    A Texas federal court's recent denial of a Federal Trade Commision order to stop a giant mattress merger because of lack of evidence on market segments shows that such definitions are only a viable path for regulating vertical mergers if antitrust agencies provide adequate documentation, says David Kully at Holland & Knight.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

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    This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five federal appellate court class certification decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving breach of life insurance contracts, constitutional violations of inmates and more.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • Pier Pressure: Contract Takeaways From Pa. Ocean Liner Suit

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    The settlement that resolved the fate of the landmark SS United States ocean liner illustrates important lessons on managing contract disputes, illuminating common trade-offs such as the choice between deferred legal risk and the cost of legal foresight, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • How FAR Council's Proposal May Revamp Conflicts Reporting

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    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recent proposal for updating organizational conflict of interest rules includes some welcome clarifications, but new representation and disclosure obligations would upend long-standing practices, likely increase contractors’ False Claims Act risks, and necessitate implementation of more complex OCI compliance programs, say attorneys at Wiley.

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