Commercial Contracts

  • August 15, 2024

    Baha Mar Builder Blames Developer Debt As $1.5B Trial Wraps

    Counsel for the Chinese state-owned construction firm that built the Bahamian luxury resort Baha Mar closed out a bench trial in New York state court on Thursday arguing that it was the resort developer's overleveraged debt, not delays in the building process, that led to $1.5 billion in losses.

  • August 15, 2024

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Interpreters' Unpaid Wages Suit

    The Fourth Circuit declined Thursday to reinstate a lawsuit two Nepalese-English interpreters brought against a government contractor accusing it of failing to pay them overtime wages, saying the Maryland laws they sued under don't apply to their case because they worked in Afghanistan.

  • August 15, 2024

    Onni Capital Asks Calif. Court To Void $95M LA Tower Deal

    Onni Capital LLC has sued Nexstar Media Group and an affiliate in California state court to recoup a $30 million deposit and to exit a purchase agreement for a commercial office building in Los Angeles, alleging it was misled by the seller.

  • August 15, 2024

    Del. Chancery OKs $175M Judgment Against Insys Founder

    The convicted founder of drugmaker Insys has told Delaware's Chancery Court he agreed to accept a $175 million judgment as part of a settlement with the company's liquidation trust over his role in an opioid kickback scheme that drove the firm into bankruptcy.

  • August 15, 2024

    Ex-Mushroomhead Singer Sues Bandmate Over Royalties

    The co-founder of metal band Mushroomhead has filed a copyright infringement and breach of contract suit in Ohio federal court accusing his fellow co-founder of failing to pay him royalties and income from tours and merchandise sales, and failing to rightfully attribute his ownership of many of the band's original musical works.

  • August 15, 2024

    Gas Co. Tells Chancery Texas Settlement Spikes Pipeline Duty

    A settlement and Texas court's direction to vacate an earlier arbitration award has revived an Energy Transfer LP subsidiary's bid to scuttle a Delaware Court of Chancery order requiring it to build costly, high-pressure natural gas pipelines for free.

  • August 15, 2024

    Startup's Cannabis Payment Deal Dispute Can Move Ahead

    An Illinois federal judge has preserved the bulk of a now-defunct cannabis payment startup's suit alleging Fidelity National Information Services drove it out of business by backing out of a partnership deal, saying that while there wasn't an enforceable contract, the startup sufficiently pled that FIS was misleading in its promises.

  • August 15, 2024

    Ga. Man Accused Of Trying To Steal $1.9M In COVID Funds

    A Georgia man was indicted in a scheme to steal $1.9 million in pandemic relief money and accused of wire fraud, submitting fraudulent federal tax returns and stealing dozens of Social Security numbers, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

  • August 15, 2024

    Partners Stole Dairy Product Co.'s Trade Secrets, Suit Says

    A dairy farm products company has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court claiming its manufacturing and distribution partners used its trade secrets to develop and sell a competing line of infection prevention offerings.

  • August 15, 2024

    DraftKings Looks To Wipe Out Suit Over Voided NBA Bets

    DraftKings fired back at an aggrieved bettor suing the online sportsbook over voided NBA bets that allegedly cost him a $150,000 payday, telling an Indiana federal judge that its rules plainly allow for the cancelation of wagers offered with obviously incorrect odds.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fla. Gratuity Platform Alleges Toast Stole Trade Secrets

    Gratuity Solutions LLC accused Boston-based Toast Inc. of misappropriating trade secrets in a lawsuit brought Wednesday in Florida federal court, alleging that executives from the point-of-sale software company stole confidential information after a failed bid to merge the two companies.

  • August 14, 2024

    J&J Vision Unit Sues Ex-Marketing Exec Over Move To Rival

    Johnson & Johnson's vision unit sued a former marketing director on Tuesday, saying her move to a direct competitor is an "imminent threat of immediate, irreparable harm" and asking a New Jersey federal court to enforce her noncompete agreement and other post-employment obligations.

  • August 14, 2024

    Cannabis Fertilizer Co. Says Rival Stole IP For Fake THC Study

    A company that sells fertilizer to commercial cannabis growers has claimed a competitor used its trademarks as part of an unsanctioned co-branding campaign and on THC lab testing reports that falsely advertise its products as less effective, according to a suit filed in Washington federal court.

  • August 14, 2024

    MLB Players Inc. Slams Pirates, Store Chain Over NIL Use

    The Pittsburgh Pirates and a local convenience store chain are exploiting the names, images and likenesses of team players in marketing materials, according to a Pennsylvania federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by MLB Players Inc.

  • August 14, 2024

    BP Unit Can't Escape Truck Stop Suit, Developers Claim

    Companies suing a BP subsidiary for terminating their truck stop franchise agreement and leaving them stuck with unrecoverable development costs hit back against its "shotgun approach" to have their suit seeking more than $300 million in damages thrown out, telling an Ohio federal judge that their complaint is grounded in compelling claims.

  • August 14, 2024

    NY Judge Tosses Noise Suit Against Queens Tennis Club

    A New York state judge on Tuesday dismissed a Queens nonprofit's nuisance suit against The West Side Tennis Club, which was accused of being responsible for excessive noise coming from concerts held at its century-old outdoor stadium in the borough's Forest Hills neighborhood.

  • August 14, 2024

    Philly Art School Hit With Students' Suit Over Abrupt Closure

    Two former students at the University of the Arts claimed the school's sudden shutdown in June was without proper heads-up or guidance, according to a potential class action in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • August 14, 2024

    Insurer Fights $29M Judgment Over Fatal Crash Coverage

    An insurer urged a North Carolina state appeals court Wednesday to undo a nearly $29 million judgment in a lawsuit stemming from a claim for a fatal vehicle crash, citing a policy exclusion that barred coverage for injuries to fellow employees.

  • August 14, 2024

    Boeing Scraps Electric Jet Co.'s $72M Trade Secrets Trial Win

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday canceled a $72 million jury award against The Boeing Co. for misappropriating electric jet startup Zunum Aero Inc.'s trade secrets, finding Zunum offered "only vague and amorphous descriptions" of the trade secrets at trial.

  • August 14, 2024

    Cannabis Co. And Ex-Exec End Bad-Mouthing Dispute

    A Colorado state judge has permanently dismissed a lawsuit in which a cannabis company and its former chief operating officer each accused the other of waging a smear campaign, after the parties agreed to end the litigation.

  • August 14, 2024

    Nursing Co. Exec Can't Split Up Fraud, Wage-Fixing Charges

    A Nevada federal magistrate judge has struck two blows against a home healthcare staffing executive facing criminal charges of fixing nurses' wages and hiding that probe when selling the business for $12.5 million, as the judge refused to break up the allegations and recommended against dismissing the fraud counts.

  • August 14, 2024

    Ex-Allied Wallet Execs Plead Guilty In $150M Fraud Scheme

    Two former executives of payment processing company Allied Wallet have admitted to their roles in a $150 million bank fraud conspiracy that tricked financial institutions into allowing otherwise restricted merchants to access the card payment networks of Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. 

  • August 14, 2024

    Insurer Off Hook For Jury Award In Construction Dispute

    A commercial insurer does not have to indemnify a contractor found liable for multiple structural and other problems in a home he built, a Massachusetts intermediate appellate court concluded Wednesday in a case of first impression involving what is considered "property damage" in a construction dispute.

  • August 14, 2024

    NC Court Defers Ruling To Unseal Cadwalader Coverage Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court on Monday did not outright reject a bid by a Lloyd's of London syndicate looking to unseal a complaint by Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP seeking coverage for a November 2022 data breach, though the judge did admonish the syndicate for failing to consult with Cadwalader's counsel before filing the motion.

  • August 14, 2024

    Judge DQs Ex-Overstock CEO's Atty For Discovery Violations

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge has granted Dominion Voting Systems' "extraordinary and rarely granted" disqualification bid over serious discovery violations by a lawyer defending Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne in a defamation lawsuit brought by the voting machine company.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • A Key Pitfall Of Restricted Subsidiaries In Loan Agreements

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    In loan agreements, the treatment afforded to non-loan party restricted subsidiaries' EBITDA presents subtle, but serious threats to lenders that require thoughtful attention in underwriting and drafting, say David Ebroon at JPMorgan Chase and ​​​​​​​Jared Zajac at Cadwalader.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS

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    Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • How Companies Can Use Big Data As A Strategic Asset

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    Artificial intelligence technology powered by big data has the potential to create radical improvements to business operations, but if big data is improperly protected or monetized, this same information can give competitors similar advantages, or at the very least undermine a company's edge, say Gary Weinstein and Hudson Peters at Faegre Drinker.

  • How Retail Tenants Can Avoid Paying Rent Prematurely

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    When negotiating leases for spaces in shopping centers, retail tenants should ensure that the language specifies they only need to begin paying rent when the center is substantially occupied as a whole, as it can be difficult to modify leases that are executed without co-tenancy requirements or termination rights, say Joshua Bernstein and Benjamin Joelson at Akerman.

  • Policy Misrepresentations Carry Insurance Rescission Risks

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Medical Mutual v. Gnik, finding that material misrepresentation in a clinic's insurance applications warranted policy rescission, is a clear example of the far-reaching effects that misrepresentations can have and provides a reminder that policyholders should employ relatively straightforward steps to decrease risks, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Analyzing New EU Measure To Prevent Reexports To Russia

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    Niels Ersbøll, Alexander Italianer and Laura Beuls at Arnold & Porter offer a comprehensive overview of the European Union's new rule requiring export agreements to contain a clause prohibiting the reexport of goods to Russia, and discuss what companies should do to ensure compliance.

  • 3 Tech Sourcing Best Practices That Are Relevant For AI

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    It might be tempting to think that sourcing artificial intelligence tools requires a completely new set of skills, but the best practices that lead to a good deal are much the same as traditional technology procurement, says Mia Rendar at Pillsbury.

  • 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.

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