Commercial Contracts

  • June 20, 2024

    NLRB Attys, Calif. Tribe Settle Casino Subpoena Dispute

    A California federal court dismissed on Thursday National Labor Relations Board prosecutors' bids to enforce subpoenas requesting a list of casino employees who could be in a proposed bargaining unit from a tribe and a gambling company, with agency attorneys saying the parties settled the dispute.

  • June 20, 2024

    DLA Piper Adds 2 Entertainment Attys In NY From Reed Smith

    Two entertainment and advertising partners have left Reed Smith LLP to join DLA Piper, including the first woman to serve as the chief negotiator for the Joint Policy Committee, the bargaining representative for the advertising industry in negotiations for the multibillion-dollar commercials collective bargaining agreements with SAG-AFTRA and the American Federation of Musicians.

  • June 20, 2024

    NC Law Firm Fights Ex-Client's Bid To Ditch Malpractice Deal

    A personal injury law firm and one of its former attorneys urged a North Carolina state appeals court to enforce their settlement with a prior client in a legal malpractice suit, as the client asserts that he was sick during mediation and didn't know what he was doing when he signed the agreement.

  • June 20, 2024

    Dickinson Wright Brings On McDermott, Bell Nunnally Attys

    Dickinson Wright PLLC added a pair of new members who include a commercial finance and real estate attorney from Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP based in Austin, Texas, and a tax and incentives attorney from McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

  • June 20, 2024

    Ex-BVI Ports Director Gets 9 Years For Drug Smuggling Plot

    A Florida federal judge on Thursday sentenced the former managing director of the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority to just over 9 years in prison for participating in a scheme involving a former BVI premier to move tons of Colombian cocaine through BVI ports to the United States.

  • June 18, 2024

    Qualcomm Investors Ink $75M Deal Over Licensing Practices

    Qualcomm Inc. investors asked a California federal judge to greenlight a $75 million settlement that would resolve their claims that the chipmaker misled the market by stating it kept its licensing and chip-supply businesses separate when it regularly bundled the two in negotiations and agreements.

  • June 18, 2024

    Doubt Cast On Free Whole Foods Delivery 'Bait And Switch'

    A Washington federal judge appeared skeptical at a hearing Tuesday of claims that Amazon misled Prime members by advertising free Whole Foods grocery deliveries and then later pulling the perk in a "bait and switch," noting the retail giant has reserved the right to change Prime members' benefits.

  • June 18, 2024

    Microsoft Says Starbucks Ruling Hurts FTC's Activision Case

    Microsoft told the Ninth Circuit on Monday that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling requiring labor regulators to meet a four-factor test in order to win a preliminary injunction undercuts the Federal Trade Commission's bid to halt the company's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc.

  • June 18, 2024

    Lender Sues To Recoup $1M From Renowned Boston Chef

    A small Massachusetts bank is taking an award-winning Boston chef and restaurateur to court in an effort to recover more than $1 million in loans intended to start what turned out to be a short-lived eatery just outside the city in 2023.

  • June 18, 2024

    COVID Test Maker Can't Shake All Of $30M Faulty Kit Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge won't let California-based laboratory equipment maker Atila Biosystems Inc. out of a suit alleging it sold faulty COVID-19 testing kits, saying Fusion Diagnostic Laboratories LLC has adequately pled a breach of contract claim.

  • June 18, 2024

    Archegos Trader Doubles Down On Hwang Accusations

    A former protégé of Archegos founder Bill Hwang told New York federal jurors Tuesday that the hedge fund boss directed manipulative and improper trading, pushing back on insinuations by Hwang's counsel that the trades were above-board.

  • June 18, 2024

    DOJ Says DC Circ. Shouldn't Rethink Realtor Antitrust Probe

    The U.S. Department of Justice has told the D.C. Circuit that its April decision allowing it to reopen an investigation into the National Association of Realtors doesn't conflict with any U.S. Supreme Court or circuit court decisions and that the NAR's rehearing petition should be denied.

  • June 18, 2024

    Korean Airline Can't Get $50M Catering Award Nixed

    A California judge has enforced a $50 million arbitral award issued to a catering company following a dispute with South Korea's Asiana Airlines, rejecting an argument that the award couldn't be enforced because the underlying contract was tainted by corruption.

  • June 18, 2024

    Nuggets Accused Of Racial Profiling Over Front-Row Seat

    A fan who says that employees of the Denver Nuggets racially profiled him at a game in December, in a confrontation he recorded and posted on social media, is suing the NBA franchise, its arena and owner Stan Kroenke for discrimination.

  • June 18, 2024

    High Bidder Insists Auctioneers Turn Over Potential Van Gogh

    The highest bidder in an auction for a painting that might be a previously unknown work by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh is entitled to summary judgment for breach of contract against auction houses that have refused to turn it over to her, she said in a new filing in her state court lawsuit.

  • June 18, 2024

    Tilray, Anheuser-Busch Want Out Of Beer Contract Suit

    Anheuser-Busch InBev and Tilray Brands Inc. are asking a New York federal judge to schedule a pre-motion conference to discuss their proposed motions to dismiss a suit by CraftCanTravel LLC alleging they interfered with its exclusive distribution deal, arguing the claims are baseless and speculative.

  • June 17, 2024

    Trader Claims Firm Owes Bonus On $37M Texas Storm Profits

    A trader told a Denver jury Monday that a Colorado energy marketing company fired him as retaliation after he accused the CEO of failing to pay out his cut of $37 million from trades made during a 2021 Texas storm that caused natural gas prices to spike.

  • June 17, 2024

    'What Am I Supposed To Do?': Epic-Apple Doc Row Irks Judge

    A California federal judge presiding over Epic Games' high-stakes antitrust compliance fight against Apple expressed frustration Monday with the parties' disagreement over the scope of Apple's document production, asking counsel repeatedly "What am I supposed to do?" and "Do I need to get somebody on the stand to explain this?"

  • June 17, 2024

    Startup Wants To Add More Than $200M To Boeing IP Verdict

    Zunum Aero Inc. is urging a Washington federal judge to significantly boost a $72 million jury verdict against the Boeing Co. for misappropriating the electric jet startup's trade secrets, including adding $162.5 million in exemplary damages and nearly $52 million in legal costs and interest.

  • June 17, 2024

    NJ Firm Defends Lien On Ex-Client's Patents After Unpaid Bills

    A major New Jersey law firm said it has a "common law" right to place a lien on its former client's patents without telling it, after the "failed" biopharmaceutical startup fired the firm and stopped paying its outstanding legal bills.

  • June 17, 2024

    Bitcoin Mining Hosting Vendor Can't Dodge $6.4M Suit

    A Washington federal judge told a crypto computer host that it must face a suit from a bitcoin mining company accusing it of failing to return equipment worth $6.4 million, finding the hosting agreement allowed the mining company to demand access to all the equipment if the host failed to meet its obligations.

  • June 17, 2024

    Teamsters Plan Says Health Network Has Monopoly In Conn.

    A Teamsters healthcare benefits plan and a Connecticut public transit provider have sued the healthcare network Hartford Healthcare Corp., accusing it of having a monopoly over healthcare in a half-dozen regions of the state.

  • June 17, 2024

    Mich. Judge Unsure If Town's Pot Co. Shutdown Broke Lease

    A commercial landlord will have to go to trial on claims of unpaid rent against a combination medical marijuana grow and sign-making company, a Michigan state judge ruled, saying a jury must decide if the local government's decision to force the cannabis shop out voids the lease.

  • June 17, 2024

    Dutch Insurer Says Record Clear To Affirm $160M Arbitration

    A Dutch insurer is pushing a North Carolina federal judge to confirm a €150 million (roughly $160 million) arbitration award against insurance mogul Greg Lindberg and his companies, citing a recent order in which the court acknowledged the award as binding.

  • June 17, 2024

    Drugmaker, PE Investor Sued In Del. Over 'Unfair' Deal Terms

    Clinical-stage biotechnology firm Omega Therapeutics' board entered into an "unfair" agreement to develop a new drug with the company's controlling private equity stockholder that was heavily tilted in favor of the majority equity holder and Omega insiders, an investor alleged in a lawsuit in Delaware's Chancery Court.

Expert Analysis

  • Drafting Calif. Cannabis Management Services Agreements

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    Meital Manzuri and Alexis Lazzeri at Manzuri Law explore the ways in which management services agreements function in the California commercial cannabis industry, and highlight a few specific terms and conditions that are crucial when drafting these agreements.

  • In Energy Disputes, Good Arbitration Clauses Are Key

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    Recent trends have spawned many complex energy disputes that cross jurisdictional boundaries — but arbitration offers an optimal forum for resolving such matters, especially when arbitration provisions in contracts are tailored for the energy sector, say Scott Marrs at Akerman and Andrew Barton at the American Arbitration Association and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Could 'General Average' Apply To The Key Bridge Crash?

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    While the owner and operator of the vessel that struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge have sought legal protection under the Limitation of Liability Act, they could choose to invoke the long-standing principle of general average, if supported by the facts of the crash and the terms of their contracts with cargo owners, says Julie Maurer at Husch Blackwell.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Expect An Increase In Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement

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    Recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission and prominent lawmakers should be viewed as a harbinger of renewed scrutiny of price discrimination in all industries and a sign that Robinson-Patman Act investigations and enforcement actions are likely to see an uptick, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    The FTC's Noncompete Rule Is Likely Dead On Arrival

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    The Federal Trade Commission's April 23 noncompete ban ignores the consequences to the employees it claims to help — but the rule is unlikely to go into effect provided the ideological makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court remains the same, say Erik Weibust and Stuart Gerson at Epstein Becker.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: April Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three notable circuit court decisions on topics from the Class Action Fairness Act to consumer fraud — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including CAFA’s local controversy exception and Article III standing to seek injunctive relief.

  • 9th Circ. Arbitration Ruling Could Have Int'l Implications

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    In Patrick v. Running Warehouse, the Ninth Circuit's recent matter-of-fact invocation of an unusual California rule in a domestic arbitration context raises choice of law questions, and could make California law a strategic option for some international arbitration parties, says Jerry Roth at FedArb.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • FTC Noncompete Ban Signals Rising Labor Focus In Antitrust

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    The Federal Trade Commission’s approval this week of a prohibition on noncompete agreements continues antitrust enforcers’ increasing focus on labor, meaning companies must keep employee issues top of mind both in the ordinary course of business and when pursuing transactions, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What 3rd Circ. Trust Ruling Means For Securitization Market

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    Mercedes Tunstall and Michael Gambro at Cadwalader break down the Third Circuit's March decision in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. National Collegiate Master Student Loan Trust, as well as predict next steps in the litigation and the implications of the decision for servicers and the securitization industry as a whole.

  • Clemson's ACC Exit Fee Suit May Have Major Consequences

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    Clemson University's recent suit in South Carolina state court against the Atlantic Coast Conference, which challenges the ACC's $140 million exit fee and its ownership of member schools' media rights, would likely have enormous ramifications for ACC members in the event of a definitive court ruling, say William Sullivan and Alex Anderson at Pillsbury.

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