Commercial Contracts

  • October 22, 2024

    'A Lot Of Nerve': Judge Slams Ex-Sparks Owners' Fee Claim

    A California judge overseeing a suit by former Los Angeles Sparks basketball team co-owners claiming they're owed free game tickets for life said their argument that they also deserve attorney fees because the lawsuit serves the public interest is potentially frivolous, adding, "Somebody in my view has a lot of nerve."

  • October 22, 2024

    Judge Tells Firm To Tighten Up Testimony In Nassar Fee Trial

    A Michigan federal judge cautioned a local personal injury firm Tuesday to reel in the head of the firm on the witness stand, warning he was losing the jury in a long "inside baseball" legal discussion in his efforts to get a greater cut of fees from a Colorado firm for work on a Larry Nassar abuse settlement.

  • October 22, 2024

    Supervisor Could've Prevented Electrician's Death, Widow Says

    The widow of a man who was electrocuted told a Texas appeals court during oral arguments Tuesday that it wouldn't matter if there was a supervisor looking over the deceased man's shoulder, claiming the question never came up because there wasn't a qualified supervisor on site.

  • October 22, 2024

    IQVIA, Veeva Blast Summary Judgment Bids In Secrets Suit

    Life sciences data giant IQVIA Inc. and competitor Veeva Systems Inc. slammed each other's summary judgment bids made public Tuesday in a trade secrets lawsuit in New Jersey federal court, with Veeva arguing that IQVIA's purported trade secrets are hardly confidential and IQVIA saying Veeva's assertions are "a last-ditch effort to avoid liability."

  • October 22, 2024

    10th Circ. Affirms Energera Broke Deal By Filing Patent Suits

    The Tenth Circuit has ruled that both basic logic and "ordinary grammar" support the finding that a covenant not to file any further patent infringement lawsuits was broken by Colorado oil field equipment supplier Energera when it continued to sue Fuel Automation's future customers over "related" patents.

  • October 22, 2024

    NY Judge Trims HOA's Nuisance Suit Against Queens Stadium

    A New York state court judge has pared a Forest Hills, Queens, homeowners association's nuisance suit against a local stadium owner accused of disturbing the neighborhood with lots of noise, traffic and crowds.

  • October 22, 2024

    Paramount Again Foils Suit Over 'Romeo & Juliet' Nude Scene

    Paramount Pictures again defeated a lawsuit by two actors challenging the redistribution of the 1968 film adaptation of "Romeo & Juliet" that contained a nude scene, because a California judge said a prior court already decided the film's distribution was protected activity and, accordingly, the actors are barred from relitigating the issue.

  • October 22, 2024

    Judge Skeptical Amgen Can't Sue Over Colo. Drug Price Caps

    A Colorado federal judge on Tuesday seemed to doubt the state could short-circuit drugmaker Amgen's challenge to the state's drug price cap system, pressing the state to explain why limiting what consumers ultimately pay does not affect what companies like Amgen can charge.

  • October 22, 2024

    BP Unit Says Mexican Cos. Owe It $46M For Natural Gas

    Oil and gas giant BP's Mexican unit has asked a Texas federal court to enforce approximately $46 million in arbitral awards against subsidiaries of steelmaker Ternium SA after they allegedly bought natural gas during 2021's Winter Storm Uri and refused to pay.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    In-House Counsel For Veeva, SingleStore Joins Stoel Rives

    Stoel Rives LLP has hired the former in-house counsel for technology companies SingleStore and Veeva Systems Inc. in Boise, Idaho, positioning the firm to better serve the increasing demand for sophisticated transactional representations in the area.

  • October 22, 2024

    DraftKings, Former Exec Eye Settlement Over Noncompete

    DraftKings and a former vice president accused of violating a noncompete agreement by jumping to competitor Fanatics are attempting to settle their differences, according to a Tuesday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 21, 2024

    Rocket Mortgage Faces DOJ Suit Alleging Refi Race Bias

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday sued Rocket Mortgage and two appraisal companies in Colorado federal court for allegedly undervaluing a woman's Denver home because she was Black, asserting that the mortgage company then canceled her refinancing application when she reported the alleged discrimination.

  • October 21, 2024

    X Corp. 'Sabotaging' Discovery Process, Media Matters Says

    Left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America says that X Corp. is "jamming the wheels of discovery" by refusing to answer questions or provide documents relating to Elon Musk's role in the site's content moderation, asking a Texas federal court Friday to order X to comply.

  • October 21, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Force Arbitration Of Kellogg 401(k) Fee Suit

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday revived a proposed class action against a Kellogg Co. subsidiary alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, finding a Michigan federal court wrongly tossed the suit in favor of arbitration in April 2023.

  • October 21, 2024

    Baha Mar Developer Wins $1.6B Verdict Over Delays

    A New York state judge has handed the developer of the Bahamian resort Baha Mar a $1.6 billion verdict against a Chinese state-owned construction firm that was accused of concealing its massive delays in building the project and then sabotaging the development entirely when it realized catching up was hopeless.

  • October 21, 2024

    Netflix Inks $1.4M Wage Deal With Reality TV Contestants

    A California judge gave preliminary approval Monday to a $1.4 million settlement between Netflix and contestants from the reality television shows "Love Is Blind" and "The Ultimatum" to end a putative wage class action alleging the contestants were forced to work long hours with little pay.

  • October 21, 2024

    3rd Take's The Charm For Terrence Howard in CAA Suit

    A Los Angeles judge Monday declined to dismiss "Empire" star Terrence Howard's suit alleging Creative Artists Agency's conflicting interests led him to accept a salary below industry standards, finding the latest version of the complaint adequately addressed her statute of limitations concerns.  

  • October 21, 2024

    Cannabis Financing Co. Sues Over Dubious $3M Merger Demand

    A Colorado-based company that provides banking services to cannabis companies is suing three shareholders of a company it acquired in a $30 million merger, saying in the last few days they've attempted to change the way the merger payments are distributed.

  • October 21, 2024

    Atty's Brother Says Sibling Feud Is Harassment Campaign

    A Michigan attorney's brother and former business partner has accused the attorney of filing baseless lawsuits and harassing his employees in an attempt to squeeze money out of him, as the businessman countered a motion to block him from attending depositions.

  • October 21, 2024

    Lawsuit By Wireless Tech Co. Too Late, Mass. Co. Says

    A Massachusetts display technology company urged a Colorado federal judge to find that trade secrets and breach of confidentiality claims lobbed against it from a former business partner were launched too late.

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    Classic Car Auctioneer Loan Fight Ends In $20M Award

    A collector car auction house backed by Sotheby's is asking a Michigan federal court to enforce an €18.69 million ($20.3 million) arbitral award against longtime client GTC SASU, a French collector and seller of classic cars, following a dispute over a loan deal.

  • October 18, 2024

    Timeshare Co. Preyed On Fla. Servicemember, High Court Told

    A Florida U.S. Army soldier and his wife petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to review their case against Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited Inc., disputing that his contract isn't legal under the Military Lending Act because the company used predatory tactics to sell him a timeshare.

Expert Analysis

  • Expect CFPB To Enforce Warning Against 'Coercive' Fine Print

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    The recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warning against unenforceable terms "deceptively" slipped into the fine print of contracts will likely be challenged in court, but until then, companies should expect the agency to treat its guidance as law and must carefully scrutinize their consumer contracts, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Leveling Up IP Protections For Video Game Icons' Film Debuts

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    Video game creators venturing into new realms of entertainment that include their iconic characters, such as television and film adaptations, should take specific steps to strengthen their intellectual property rights, say Joshua Weigensberg and Parmida Enkeshafi at Pryor Cashman.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Mitigating Risks Amid 10-Year Sanctions Enforcement Window

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    In response to recent legislation, which doubles the statute of limitations for actions related to certain U.S. sanctions and provides regulators greater opportunity to investigate possible violations, companies should take specific steps to account for the increased civil and criminal enforcement risk, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Keys To Strong Parking, Storage Contracts For NYC Buildings

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    Drafting and enforcing unambiguous parking and storage unit license agreements are essential tasks for co-op and condo boards in New York City, with recent cases highlighting how prudent terms can minimize potential headaches, say Matthew Eiben and Adam Lindenbaum at Rosenberg & Estis.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FTC's 'Unfair Competition' Actions In Jeopardy

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision ending Chevron deference will have limited effect on the Federal Trade Commission's merger guidelines, administrative enforcement actions and commission decisions on appeal, it could restrict the agency's expansive take on its rulemaking authority and threaten the noncompete ban, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Expect The Unexpected: Contracts For Underground Projects

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    Recent challenges encountered by the Mountain Valley Pipeline project underscore the importance of drafting contracts for underground construction to account for unexpected site conditions, associated risks and compliance with applicable laws, say Jill Jaffe and Brenda Lin at Nossaman.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

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