Commercial Contracts

  • June 28, 2024

    Supreme Court Strikes Down Chevron Deference

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned a decades-old precedent that instructed judges about when they could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking, depriving courts of a commonly used analytic tool and leaving lots of questions about what comes next.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ex-Gibson Dunn Partner Wins Over $557K In Retirement Fight

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher must pay $557,371 plus retirement benefits to a former partner who left in 2022 and joined Weil Gotshal & Manges, a California state judge said Thursday, affirming an arbitrator's conclusion that the partner didn't resign but rather retired, which allows him to collect retirement benefits.

  • June 27, 2024

    Ch. 7 Can't Free PE Firm From Suit, Diamond Polisher Says

    A Canadian diamond polisher urged a Michigan federal judge to keep alive its suit alleging that a lab-grown diamond company's private equity owner knew it couldn't make good on its promise to fund new facilities to process the gemstones, saying the fact that the company is going through bankruptcy can't shield the PE firm from liability for using its alter ego to make fraudulent statements.

  • June 27, 2024

    FCC's Unlocked Phone Regs Could Affect Existing Contracts

    A Federal Communications Commission plan to require the "unlocking" of cellphones so consumers can easily switch providers could impose rules on existing mobile contracts, but the FCC said Thursday that it might apply only to future agreements.

  • June 27, 2024

    Construction Co. Ordered To Stop Misusing Credentials

    A construction engineering firm was ordered by a Massachusetts state court judge on Wednesday to stop identifying an employee as a construction supervisor on projects he's not involved with.

  • June 27, 2024

    Mich. Top Court Won't Fast-Track Fiat Supplier's Pricing Fight

    The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected a petition from one of Fiat Chrysler's suppliers, Kamax, for an immediate audience in front of the state's top court after Kamax was ordered by a judge to continue producing parts for the automaker at a loss.

  • June 27, 2024

    Rec Sports Co. Wants Proof Behind Trade Secret Theft Claims

    A recreational sports club that was accused of receiving a competitor's confidential customer information has demanded that its accuser produce its evidence, telling a New Jersey federal judge that it is "mystified" by the allegations.

  • June 27, 2024

    Colo. GOP Atty Sent Client's $375K To Hacker, Suit Says

    A Colorado attorney and conservative radio personality is facing breach of contract claims in state court after he allegedly wired a client's $375,000 divorce settlement to a purported investment account in Hong Kong despite what the plaintiff, a garden center worker making $14.77 per hour, called clear signs of fraud.

  • June 27, 2024

    US Service Members Want Timeshare Class Action Certified

    A putative class of U.S. service members who borrowed timeshare loans pushed for class certification for their suit in Florida federal court against two timeshare companies, which were accused of violating the Military Lending Act by not making legally required disclosures about the loans and arbitration requirements.

  • June 27, 2024

    Title IX Firm Conspired To File Frivolous Grievance, Suit Says

    A Michigan law firm that specializes in defending college students from Title IX claims alleged another firm conspired with a former joint client to file a grievance complaint to gain leverage in a separate lawsuit over the firms' soured business relationship.

  • June 27, 2024

    Boeing Settles Suit Claiming NC Fund Ransomed Plane Parts

    The Boeing Co. and the private investment firm it accused of forcing a new supply contract under false pretenses before raising prices for aircraft parts by more than 300% have agreed to settle their dispute, according to a new notice filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • June 27, 2024

    Honeywell Says Sourcing Co. Backpedaled On Supply Deal

    Honeywell has accused a sourcing company of trying to claw its way out of a contract to buy medical-grade gloves by fabricating quality concerns and launching a bogus recall in an allegedly underhanded way to make itself more appealing to potential buyers.

  • June 27, 2024

    Conn. Banking Dept. Defends $25K Fine Against Legal Funder

    The Connecticut Department of Banking is urging a state judge to affirm a $25,000 fine levied on a legal funding business, saying the court should reject the company's contention that it has no authority over transactions at issue in the penalty.

  • June 27, 2024

    Susan Sarandon Can Get Home Contractor's Bank Records

    A Massachusetts credit union must give Hollywood star Susan Sarandon some of the personal financial records of a contractor who she says failed to properly oversee construction of her $2 million sustainable home in Vermont, a federal magistrate judge ruled Wednesday.

  • June 26, 2024

    Window Seal Maker Can't Nix Condo's Faulty Glass Panel Suit

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday refused to free a window component maker from a lawsuit claiming it helped conceal defects in a Seattle condominium's windows, saying the court had personal jurisdiction because the alleged wrongdoing was characterized as a deliberate act that affected a large number of actual Washington consumers.

  • June 26, 2024

    Calif. Sanctioned $111M In 30-Year Prison Staffing Case

    A California federal judge has ordered state officials to hand over more than $111 million for failing to bring prison mental health staffing up to levels set by the court in 2009 in a 30-year-old case, saying Tuesday that "given defendants' contumacy, it is for the court to effect compliance."

  • June 26, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive Distillery Investor's RICO, Secrets Case

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday agreed that the main investor of a Pennsylvania distillery can't revive his federal racketeering or trade secret claims against a former business partner and others related to the craft liquor business.

  • June 26, 2024

    Subway Franchisor Must Keep Paying Co. During Arbitration

    A New York federal judge has granted a development company's petition to confirm an arbitrator's order requiring the Subway sandwich chain's Canadian franchisor to continue making payments on their pact while they arbitrate a contractual dispute.

  • June 26, 2024

    Bill Nye Asks Calif. Panel To Reboot His Disney Royalty Fight

    Bill Nye the Science Guy urged a California appellate court Wednesday to revive allegations that The Walt Disney Co. cheated him out of millions in royalties for his famous educational show, arguing the trial judge erred by deciding the contract and accounting dispute instead of sending it to a jury.

  • June 26, 2024

    State Farm Loses Bid To Skip Atty Fees On Expert Technicality

    A Texas appeals court found that State Farm may still have to pony up attorney fees in a case involving an underinsured motorist claim, saying Wednesday that the trial court got it wrong when it granted the insurance company's motion to strike the motorist's expert designation in a bifurcated trial on the fee issue.

  • June 26, 2024

    Colo. County's Short-Term Rental Regs Survive Challenge

    A Colorado federal court has upheld a county's ordinance limiting short-term rentals in residential areas, finding it doesn't violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause just because it doesn't apply in areas zoned for resorts.

  • June 26, 2024

    Ed Tech Co. Can't Beat Investor Suit Over Bot-Inflated Classes

    A New Jersey federal judge has ruled that confidential witness testimonies, among other things, "paint an unmistakable picture" that education tech company GSX Techedu Inc. used "bots" to inflate its online class enrollment numbers, in refusing to dismiss a suit against the company that demands recompense from certain executives for stock price drops.

  • June 26, 2024

    2 Adidas Employees Exit Amid China Compliance Probe

    Adidas AG said Wednesday that two employees have left the company amid an internal investigation into allegations of compliance violations in China, saying one employee's purported misconduct concerned dealings with local vendors.

  • June 26, 2024

    Nantucket Festival Owner Sues Over Alleged Imposter Event

    The longtime operator of Nantucket's Wine and Food Festival says a former vendor has set up a competing event with a similar name, misleading potential participants into believing the original event was acquired and that the new name was merely a "rebrand."

  • June 26, 2024

    EDF Renewables Units Dodging Biogas Judgment, Suit Says

    A Colorado composting company claims a biogas plant venture has been stripping itself of assets in order to evade a judgment, according to a Colorado federal complaint accusing the biogas company and related enterprises of fraudulent transfers.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

  • Trouble Indemnity: IP Lawsuits In The Generative AI Boom

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    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray explore the contours of the intellectual property indemnification protections offered by providers of generative AI models — including their scope, coverage, conditions, exclusions and caps — to assess where businesses may still face liability exposure.

  • 6 AI Cases And What They Mean For Copyright Law

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    Artificial intelligence cases filed last year, some decided and others pending, demonstrate how the appellate courts that set binding precedent look at the intersection between copyright and AI, so legal frameworks must adapt and provide clarity in order to foster innovation, protect creators, and ensure fair and equitable outcomes, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • The Space Law And Policy Outlook For 2024

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    Expect significant movement in space law, regulation and policy in 2024, as Congress, the administration and independent federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission address the increasingly congested, contested and competitive nature of space and the space industry, say Paul Stimers and Leighton Brown at Holland & Knight.

  • Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024

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    Although 2023 was a tough year for the digital asset industry, upcoming court decisions, legislation and regulatory action will bring clarity, allowing the industry to expand and evolve, and the government will decide what innovation it will allow without challenge, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.

  • Antitrust Enforcement Initiatives To Watch In 2024

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is likely to prioritize information-sharing prosecutions in 2024, following last year's withdrawal of safe harbors, as well as labor market enforcement after trial losses forced a pullback in 2023, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

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    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • HHS Advisory Highlights Free Product Inducement Risks

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    A recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advisory opinion highlights concerns that valuable free products and other inducements may influence patients and providers to choose one manufacturer’s product over another, notwithstanding that such free healthcare products may be a benefit, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

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    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • Del. Dispatch: The 2023 Corporate Cases You Need To Know

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    Corporate and mergers and acquisitions litigation has continued at a fevered pace this year, with the Delaware courts addressing numerous novel issues with important practical implications, including officer exculpation and buyer aiding-and-abetting liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Termination and Accrual

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    Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw examine three recent decisions that illustrate why contractors should consider, during the bidding process, impediments to their ability to meet contract requirements, and the need to track the accrual dates of individual claims that may arise during performance to avoid being time-barred.

  • The Year In FRAND: What To Know Heading Into 2024

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    In 2023, there were eight significant developments concerning the fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory patent licensing regime that undergirds technical standardization, say Tom Millikan and Kevin Zeck at Perkins Coie.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

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