Commercial Contracts

  • October 31, 2024

    Ex-Citadel Reps Can't Escape Trade Secrets Suit

    A New York federal judge has greenlighted most claims in Citadel Securities' lawsuit accusing a Swiss cryptocurrency trading firm founded by two of its former employees of stealing its trade secrets, while tossing those asserted against the firm's French angel investor for lack of jurisdiction.

  • October 31, 2024

    Atty Can't Dodge All Claims In $14.6M Tribal RICO Suit

    An Oklahoma federal judge has partly denied a bid by a tribe's general counsel and his law firm to toss accused fraudsters' claims against them in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act lawsuit, finding he may have breached his fiduciary duty when serving both parties in the suit.

  • October 31, 2024

    Judge Suggests Condo Builder's $19M Jury Win Should Stand

    A Washington appeals court judge asked Thursday why a $19 million trial verdict in favor of Skanska USA Building Inc. should be overturned, saying determining the facts in the condo project construction dispute that led to the verdict seemed like something for the jury to answer.

  • October 31, 2024

    Feds: No 'Willfulness' Needed In Texas AG-Tied Investor Case

    Federal prosecutors asked a Texas federal judge to reject an attempt by an investor at the center of the failed impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to toss the fraud case, saying Wednesday that "willfulness" isn't needed for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction.

  • October 31, 2024

    X Corp. Plays Discovery 'Games' To Shield Musk, Judge Told

    Left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America fired another broadside at X Corp. Wednesday in an ongoing discovery battle between the parties, telling a Texas federal judge that the social media company continues to "play games about discovery" to shield Elon Musk and keep unfavorable evidence from the defendants.

  • October 31, 2024

    Scott + Scott Sues Robins Kaplan For $5M In Swipe Deal Fees

    Scott + Scott Attorneys at Law LLP alleged in a New York state court lawsuit that Robins Kaplan LLP, its co-counsel in antitrust litigation over Visa Inc. and Mastercard's interchange fees, is withholding $5 million in promised payouts from the case's $5.6 billion settlement.

  • October 31, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive 'Ghost Cattle' Contract Fight With Tyson

    The Ninth Circuit said Thursday a rancher who admitted to invoicing Tyson Foods Inc. for nonexistent cattle cannot sue the meat company for allegedly using his name and photograph in marketing materials without giving him a cut of the profits, rejecting the rancher's argument that Tyson had agreed orally to the deal.

  • October 31, 2024

    Jury Awards Synopsys $550K In IP Suit Against Software Rival

    A California federal jury has awarded software company Synopsys Inc. nearly $550,000 in damages after its competitor, Real Intent Inc., was found to have breached contractual agreements by copying certain commands from Synopsys' software — but the defendants' counsel considers the damages award a victory.

  • October 31, 2024

    Dallas Judge Kicks 2022 Energy Case Out Of Biz Court

    A Dallas business court judge sent a multimillion-dollar energy dispute back to state district court this week, marking the first time a Texas Business Court judge has weighed in on whether cases in existence before the court's opening could be litigated in the new venue.

  • October 31, 2024

    Ex-Salesman Says CommScope's Bonus System Cut His Pay

    Broadband company CommScope Technologies is facing a proposed class action alleging that its system for tracking commissions is flawed to the point that it does not accurately reflect the full incentive bonuses its employees have actually earned and that the company has knowingly let the problem persist.

  • October 31, 2024

    Ga. Private Pilot Sues Engine Co. After Golf Course Landing

    A Georgia man has sued a division of Avco Corp. alleging that the engine had failed in a small plane that he had rented, forcing him to crash-land on a golf course in Illinois, injuring him and his family.

  • October 31, 2024

    Exxon Entitled To Interest Deduction On Qatar Deal

    Exxon Mobil is entitled to an interest expense deduction on payments to Qatar under a natural gas deal, a Texas federal judge ruled, rejecting the U.S. government's classification of an underlying transaction as a royalty rather than a loan.

  • October 31, 2024

    Airbnb Insurance Providers Sued Over Undisclosed Fees

    A proposed class of Airbnb users sued two insurers for the rental platform in Washington federal court, alleging the providers violate state law by charging consumers who buy their travel insurance with an unavoidable "assistance fee."

  • October 31, 2024

    Nixon Peabody Lands Norton Rose Real Estate Pros In LA

    Nixon Peabody LLP took another step this week to strengthen its affordable housing and real estate practice on the West Coast and beyond, bringing on a pair of real estate attorneys from Norton Rose Fulbright with six years of experience working together.

  • October 31, 2024

    Houston Firm Accuses Legal Marketing Services Biz Of Fraud

    A Houston law firm has filed a complaint in Texas state court accusing a business that provides marketing services to law firms of a Ponzi-like scheme that misused money provided for two marketing campaigns.

  • October 31, 2024

    Holland & Knight Brings On Jones Day Tax Expert In Dallas

    In an effort to bolster its national corporate transactional and private equity practices, Holland & Knight LLP added an experienced attorney from Jones Day in Dallas to provide deal support to its clients.

  • October 31, 2024

    Suit Against Indicted NJ Power Broker Sent To Biz Court 

    A New Jersey state court on Wednesday granted indicted Garden State power broker George E. Norcross III's request to transfer the civil racketeering suit brought against him and his attorney brother by a Philadelphia developer to the state's complex business litigation program.

  • October 31, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard

    Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.

  • October 31, 2024

    Firms' Hiring Strategies Are Evolving In Fight For Top Spot

    Competition for top talent among elite law firms shows no signs of slowing down, even amid economic uncertainty, with financially strong firms deploying aggressive strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals to solidify their market position.

  • October 31, 2024

    Toast Releases Steakhouse Funds Amid Ownership Spat

    Restaurant point-of-sale provider Toast has agreed to release more than $312,000 to the current manager of a Brazilian steakhouse in Boston's Seaport District amid litigation stemming from an ownership dispute.

  • October 31, 2024

    Blank Rome Adds Commercial Real Estate Expert In DC

    The former president and general counsel of Edge Funds Management LLC has joined Blank Rome LLP as an of counsel in the real estate group.

  • October 30, 2024

    Judge Stops Arbitration Of Connecticut Trial Firm Breakup

    A Connecticut Superior Court judge has issued an emergency order temporarily restraining the CEO of a law firm known for high-dollar trial verdicts from arbitrating a dispute over the practice's breakup after onetime partner Andrew P. Garza filed suit late last week.

  • October 30, 2024

    Alleged Kickback Plotters Can Waive Conflict Over Attorney

    A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday concluded that a lab testing company owner charged with participating in a kickback scheme to defraud Medicare and a man who pled guilty to participating in a connected conspiracy could waive any conflicts that might arise from both using the same attorney.

  • October 30, 2024

    Defunct Insurer Says Broker Sabotoged Investment Coverage

    A defunct specialty insurer has accused a broker of sabotaging its innovative investment theft protection program, telling a Florida federal court the broker not only failed to sell a single policy but also abruptly canceled its agreement amid negotiations with a separate broker, damaging the insurer's reputation and costing it millions of dollars.

  • October 30, 2024

    Cigna Wants $16.1M, Florida Labs Seek $5.1M In Benefits Feud

    Cigna should pay $5.1 million for harming three Florida laboratories by wrongfully declaring thousands of substance abuse treatment tests medically unnecessary, the labs told a Connecticut jury Wednesday, while Cigna asked to recoup $16.1 million in payouts to the labs for what it called "wasteful" tests.

Expert Analysis

  • Anticipating Disputes In Small Biz Partnerships And LLCs

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    In light of persistently high failures of small business partnerships and limited liability companies, mediator Frank Burke discusses proactive strategies for protecting and defining business rights and responsibilities, as well as reactive measures for owners.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Addressing Dispositive Motions

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    Stephanie Magnell and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions from the U.S. Court of Claims and the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals that provide interesting takeaways about the nuances of motion practice utilized by the government to dispose of cases brought under the Contract Disputes Act prior to substantive litigation

  • What 2 Rulings On Standing Mean For DEI Litigation

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    Recent federal court decisions in the Fearless Fund and Hello Alice cases shed new light on the ongoing wave of challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with opposite conclusions on whether the plaintiffs had standing to sue, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: June Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers two recent decisions from the Third and Tenth Circuits, and identifies practice tips around class action settlements and standing in securities litigation.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • Arbitration Implications Of High Court Coinbase Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Coinbase v. Suski ruling not only reaffirmed the long-standing principle that arbitration is a matter of contract, but also established new and more general principles concerning the courts' jurisdiction to decide challenges to delegation clauses and the severability rule, say Tamar Meshel at the University of Alberta.

  • A Look At Calif. Contract Considerations In Fiji Water Ruling

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Carolina Beverage v. Fiji Water, that a party may not seek contractual recovery on the basis of constructive termination, offers a look at contract construction and other considerations on negotiating distribution agreements, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Practical Private Equity Lessons From 2 Delaware Deals

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    A pair of Delaware Chancery Court cases remind private equity sponsors that specificity is crucial through the lens of deal certainty, particularly around closing conditions and agreement sections of acquisition agreements, say Robert Rizzo and Larissa Lucas at Weil Gotshal and William Lafferty at Morris Nichols.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

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