Commercial Contracts

  • October 17, 2024

    Engineer Wood PLC Faces Contempt Bid Amid Pipeline Spat

    A contractor facing claims that it mismanaged the construction of a $22 million Colonial Pipeline Co. fuel terminal in Georgia asked a federal judge Thursday to hold multinational engineering firm John L. Wood PLC in contempt of court for playing "word games" with a recent subpoena.

  • October 17, 2024

    Lender Says Denver Property Owner Defaulted On $27M Loan

    A lender told a Colorado state court that it wants a Denver retail property to be placed in receivership after the owner allegedly defaulted on a $27.1 million commercial mortgage loan this month.

  • October 17, 2024

    Neobank Execs Want Out Of Cannabis Co.'s $127K Suit

    The former directors of a defunct, cannabis industry-focused neobank are looking to kill a suit brought against them by Killa Bees Distribution LLC, a CBD company which claims in Oregon federal court that executives should be held liable for the nontraditional financial institution's failure to produce nearly $127,000 in deposits.

  • October 17, 2024

    Ex-CEO Of Credit Union Blames Accounting Firm For Firing

    The dismissed chief executive officer of a Connecticut credit union is suing the financial institution and Whittlesey PC, its accounting firm, claiming he was fired after following advice from the largest CPA group in the state on when to calendar a $1.2 million gain connected to a property sale.

  • October 17, 2024

    Monsanto Leveraged Judge Shuffle In Enviro Suit, Court Told

    A former customer of Bayer AG unit Monsanto urged a New Jersey appeals panel on Thursday to revive its suit seeking to avoid covering the agrochemical giant for environmental enforcement claims, arguing that the company took advantage of a change in jurists presiding over the case.

  • October 17, 2024

    Wash. Library Says Insurers Undervalued $4.8M Damage

    A Washington island library district blamed its insurers for undervaluing damages caused by frozen sprinkler pipes that burst during a snowstorm by more than $2.9 million in a case removed to Washington federal court.

  • October 17, 2024

    Texans Say Rapper Is Tripping With Suit Over 'Still Tippin'

    The Houston Texans are asking a Texas federal judge to toss a suit lodged by a rapper who claims the NFL team stole his song, "Still Tippin," characterizing his claims as "frivolous" and "not viable."

  • October 17, 2024

    Jury Says Phillips 66 Owes $605M In Fuel Trade Secrets Fight

    A jury in California state court said Wednesday a retailer of low-carbon fuels is owed $604.9 million after finding that Phillips 66 swiped trade secrets relating to data, such as sales information and pricing methods.

  • October 17, 2024

    FCA Blames Supplier For Defective Parts Leading To Recalls

    FCA US LLC is suing one of its parts suppliers in Michigan federal court, alleging that it sold the automaker air heater grid relays for its Ram pickup trucks with a defect that can cause fires even when the vehicles are turned off and caused multiple recalls.

  • October 17, 2024

    Restaurant Says Toast Refusing To Update Bank Info

    A Boston restaurant says it's struggling to stay afloat because point-of-sale provider Toast Inc. won't update its banking information and is sitting on more than $200,000 in revenue, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Massachusetts state court.

  • October 17, 2024

    Fla. Supreme Court Suspends Atty Over 'Punitive' Fee Hike

    A Florida attorney has been suspended from practicing law for a year after he lashed out at a client by sending a new bill for $126,650 — a figure derived by retroactively jacking up his rates more than fourfold for a year of legal work, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

  • October 17, 2024

    No Privilege For Drug Discount Co. Accused Of Faking Deal

    A Colorado federal judge held Wednesday that he saw probable cause that a drug discounter hired an attorney with the intent to commit fraud, ordering that company to disclose privileged documents in a lawsuit alleging it faked an acquisition to dupe an Illinois-based pharmacy benefit company into paying higher commissions.

  • October 17, 2024

    Seyfarth Hit With $8M Suit For Botched Wage Class Settlement

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP owes a physician practice almost $8 million for negligently removing hundreds of the practice's employees from a list of those entitled to part of a $4.9 million wage and hour settlement, costing the practice another $3.6 million to correct the mistake, according to a California suit.

  • October 17, 2024

    Pa. AG Can't Get State Claims Restored In FTC Amazon Suit

    A federal judge tersely denied a request from Pennsylvania's attorney general, who had sought to reinstate her state's consumer protection claims against Amazon in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust suit.

  • October 16, 2024

    Airline Owner Can't Force Cravath To Give Docs, Court Says

    Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP doesn't have to turn over documents used in the prosecution of an airline owner accused in a scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide of millions of dollars, a New York federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the defendant hasn't shown the firm was part of the prosecution.

  • October 16, 2024

    Philips Says $12M Sanction Needed For Evidence Destruction

    A spoliation sanctions hearing for around $12 million in royalty damages turned terse when the owner of a medical device equipment sale and servicing company seemingly hedged his statements, with a Texas federal judge saying, "Oh my gosh, just answer the question," during the Wednesday hearing.

  • October 16, 2024

    Conn. Nurses Sue To Block Forced Post-Contract Overtime

    A union representing nurses at a Hartford HealthCare-affiliated hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, has asked a state superior court judge to block mandatory overtime assignments, arguing that a 2020 union contract requiring such shifts expired over the summer and that a 2023 state statute bans the hospital's continuing practices.

  • October 16, 2024

    Amec Unit Wants 'Vexatious' Biofuel Plant Suit Tossed

    Energy construction giant Amec Foster Wheeler and one of its units called on a Georgia federal judge to throw out a lawsuit alleging it misled a Peach State power company about the quality of work on two biofuel plants, arguing the company's complaint violates the claim-splitting doctrine and lacks sufficient factual allegations.

  • October 16, 2024

    Alphatec Investor Seeks $9.5M Atty Fee After Chancery Win

    A family office investment company that recently won a five-year battle over millions worth of securities purchase rights not honored by a surgical and medical device developer asked Delaware's Court of Chancery on Wednesday to shift more than $9.5 million in fees and expenses to the developer.

  • October 16, 2024

    Pa. AG Wants State Claims Restored In FTC Amazon Suit

    Pennsylvania's attorney general wants to get back into a joint state and federal antitrust case against Amazon, asking a Washington federal judge to reconsider tossing claims under Pennsylvania's consumer protection law because Amazon allegedly concealed its unfair trade practices from Pennsylvania customers.

  • October 16, 2024

    Georgia EV Battery Manufacturer Settles Fire Suit

    A Georgia electric vehicle battery manufacturer has reached a settlement ending a recycling facility's suit alleging it caught fire and burned to the ground last year after the manufacturer allegedly sent hundreds of charged lithium-ion battery scraps to the facility.

  • October 16, 2024

    PE Firm Trashed Exec To Avoid Payout In $98M Deal, Suit Says

    A Summit Partners affiliate and several executives concocted false allegations of misconduct to get out of fully compensating the owner of an investment management firm as part of an acquisition worth a reported $97.6 million, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • October 16, 2024

    Railroad Holding Locomotive 'Hostage,' G&W Unit Says

    A Connecticut railroad has held a locomotive "hostage" since it derailed in August and is trying to "extort" its rightful owner for more than $100,000, according to a federal lawsuit that brings claims including larceny and unfair trade practices against Housatonic Railroad Co. Inc.

  • October 15, 2024

    Uber Faces Scrutiny From NY High Court In Negligence Case

    Judges on New York's highest court on Tuesday grilled an Uber attorney over whether the rideshare company violated ethical rules when it failed to omit a user already pursuing a negligence lawsuit against it from an email blast providing notice about an updated arbitration agreement in its terms of use.

  • October 15, 2024

    10th Circ. Finds Doll Co. Can Bring Copyright Suit In Utah

    A Utah company that makes realistic human-sized dolls won a ruling from the Tenth Circuit on Tuesday that it can sue two Chinese companies for counterfeiting in Utah federal court because those businesses agreed to the jurisdiction of anywhere Amazon can be legally "found."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.

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