Commercial Contracts

  • August 29, 2024

    Amazon Sheds Whole Foods 'Bait-And-Switch' Case For Good

    A Washington federal court on Thursday dismissed a proposed class action accusing Amazon.com of misleading Prime members by advertising free Whole Foods grocery deliveries and later canceling the perk, in an order that said the lead plaintiff failed to fix deficiencies in the complaint that a judge previously flagged.

  • August 29, 2024

    Lannett Says Areva Reneged On Cancer-Drug Deal After Ch. 11

    Lannett Pharmaceuticals hit generic-drug maker Areva Pharmaceuticals with a contract suit in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Thursday, accusing Areva of breaching their 2022 agreement that gave Lannett exclusive rights to distribute Areva's injectable anticancer drug after Lannett emerged from a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

  • August 29, 2024

    Chancery Gavels In Ex-Jurist As Band Journey's Custodian

    Retired Delaware Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III has taken a court-ordered, tie-breaking, front-row seat in the recently messy business of managing the iconic rock band Journey, with the lead bandmates sending up a few sour notes just ahead of the choice.

  • August 29, 2024

    Schwab's 'Cash Sweep' Paid For TD Ameritrade Buy, Suit Says

    The Charles Schwab Corp. has been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court by three customers alleging that the investment bank obtains "outsized benefits" from its cash sweep programs and used a significant amount of the cash to finance its $26 billion acquisition of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. several years ago.

  • August 29, 2024

    50 Cent's Liquor Biz Wins Ch. 7 Fight Over Ex-Boss's House

    A onetime international liquor trader for rap artist 50 Cent's booze business has lost a bid to protect his Connecticut residence from Sire Spirits LLC's attempt to recover a $7 million New York fraud judgment, with a bankruptcy judge applying a lower state homestead exemption than the indebted trader requested.

  • August 29, 2024

    Seattle Biotech Can't Immediately Force Out LA Times Owner

    Billionaire and Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong will not be forced to recuse himself from a Seattle-based biotech research institute board while the nonprofit's breach-of-fiduciary duty lawsuit against him is pending, a Washington federal judge said on Thursday.

  • August 29, 2024

    Albright Boots $8B EV Trade Secrets Suit For Improper Venue

    U.S. District Judge Alan Albright tossed out a $7.8 billion trade secrets dispute between two electric vehicle companies, adopting a federal magistrate judge's recommendation that the case should be handled in Israel where he said both companies and the majority of the individuals related to the matter already are.

  • August 29, 2024

    JPMorgan Says Ex-Adviser Poached Clients Worth $13M

    JPMorgan Chase has accused a former adviser of attempting to solicit clients for Wells Fargo, an effort JPMorgan alleged has so far been successful in converting 16 clients worth $13 million to its competitor.

  • August 29, 2024

    Counterclaims Cut From $12.1M Home Security Contract Suit

    The home-security arm of Pennsylvania-based builder Toll Brothers has persuaded a Connecticut state court to trim some of the counterclaims from its litigation with Security Systems Inc., successfully arguing that the buyer of nearly 10,000 customer accounts hasn't shown that damages exceed the $1.5 million "attrition reserve" the company was already holding on to.

  • August 29, 2024

    4th Circ. Says CSX's Norfolk Southern Case Came Too Late

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday that CSX's antitrust case against Norfolk Southern over "exclusionary" fees charged by a Virginia switching line they jointly own was filed outside the statute of limitations.

  • August 29, 2024

    Mintz Settles Suit Over Clients' $4.3M IP Legal Tab

    Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC settled a dispute over $4.3 million in legal fees and interest owed by parking meter provider Duncan Parking Technologies Inc. and its parent company, CivicSmart Inc., according to a Thursday filing.

  • August 29, 2024

    Foley & Lardner Must Face Ex-Clients' Breach-Of-Duty Action

    A Texas appellate court has reversed a decision that let Foley & Lardner LLP escape a suit filed by two partners in an oil and gas venture who allege that the firm failed to disclose conflicts of interest and misused their confidential information after representing them in several matters.

  • August 29, 2024

    Agency Says Homeowner's Appeal Question Is Too Late

    An insurance agency pushed North Carolina's Supreme Court to toss a homeowner's appeal on whether the court erred by having heightened pleadings standards for punitive damages against corporations, arguing the deadline for debating the issue had passed.

  • August 28, 2024

    CyDex Says Bexson Breached Deal By Misusing Pharma IP

    CyDex Pharmaceuticals hit Bexson Biomedical with a contract breach suit in Delaware Chancery Court accusing it of misusing a CyDex-designed molecule to develop unauthorized non-ketamine formulations, and subsequently filing a patent for those formulations, in violation of the parties' agreement.

  • August 28, 2024

    Dr.'s Suit Blames Practice's Buyer For Chaos After Sale

    A North Carolina doctor struck back in a lawsuit blaming him for business challenges following the sale of his practice to another physician, alleging in counterclaims that the purchasing physician lied about his intentions for the practice and ultimately led it to ruin.

  • August 28, 2024

    Raymond James Hit With Suit Over 'Cash Sweep' Programs

    Financial services giant Raymond James faces a proposed class action in Florida federal court alleging its so-called cash sweep programs offer interest rates "significantly lower" than those offered by competitors, in violation of federal law.

  • August 28, 2024

    Ford Buyers Fight Arbitration Bid In Faulty Transmission Case

    A class of car buyers who claim Ford Motor Co. sold vehicles with bad transmission systems asked a Massachusetts federal judge to deny the carmaker's bid to arbitrate some of the claims, arguing Ford is trying to "dramatically expand the scope" of arbitration agreements with dealerships.

  • August 28, 2024

    Landlord Says Twitter Changed Tune On Lease After Musk

    A Colorado landlord claims it was on the same page with Twitter about the terms of a lease and tenant improvement project until Elon Musk bought the company, when the social media platform suddenly "discover[ed] its new interpretation" of the lease and stopped paying rent. 

  • August 28, 2024

    Conn. Investment Firm Withheld Pay, Commissions, Suit Says

    Six former employees of Connecticut investment advisory firm Excel Wealth Management LLC have sued the company and its members in state court seeking hourly wages or commissions they claimed they were never paid, with some alleging they were terminated for speaking out about their compensation.  

  • August 28, 2024

    Venezuela Argues For Pause In Chemical Co. Seizure Suit

    Venezuela is asking the Eleventh Circuit to put litigation accusing the country of unlawfully seizing a chemical company over sham drug charges on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on an expropriation case Holocaust survivors are pursuing against the Hungarian government.

  • August 28, 2024

    No Money For Air Gun Co. Investors, NC Biz Court Told

    The court-appointed overseer of an air gun business has asked the North Carolina Business Court to overrule an attempt by two minority owners of a parent company of the business to get paid as the air gun company is dismantled, with the overseer arguing that the owners' payout isn't a priority as a dearth of funds is drained.

  • August 28, 2024

    Pa. Justices To Mull 'Click-Through' Arbitration Agreements

    The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will review a ruling that so-called "click-through" terms of service for apps and online forms don't give users adequate notice that they are often waiving their rights to a jury trial, according to an order issued Tuesday.

  • August 28, 2024

    NY Firm Calls Gas Co.'s Contract And Fee Claims Duplicative

    Albany, New York-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP has moved to trim breach of contract and disgorgement of fees claims brought by a former client over allegedly bungled tax advice, telling a New York federal judge the claims are redundant when the ex-client is also pursuing a legal malpractice cause of action. 

  • August 28, 2024

    Disney's $8.5B India Media Merger Gets Regulatory Nod

    India's competition watchdog said in a statement Wednesday it has conditionally approved the proposed $8.5 billion merger between Disney India's media business and Reliance Industries, after the merging entities reportedly overcame regulatory concerns about their grip on broadcast rights to cricket. 

  • August 28, 2024

    Judge Tosses Boxer's Don King Suit Over Filing Deficiencies

    A federal Florida judge has stopped heavyweight boxer Mahmoud Charr's second attempt to resolve a $1 million contract dispute with legendary promoter Don King, saying the fighter and his attorney have failed to provide timely filings.

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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