Commercial Contracts

  • January 16, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Judge Bids Adieu, TikTok Wants Out

    The North Carolina Business Court's former chief judge hung up his robes for the last time as the court entered the new year with a ruling that shapes the fate of beset real estate company MV Realty's consumer fraud trial and arguments by TikTok Inc. that its platform being "too engaging" isn't enough for the state to begin an enforcement action.

  • January 16, 2025

    Paxton-Tied Developer Pleads Guilty In Bank Fraud Case

    A real estate developer whose ties to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton were central to his 2023 impeachment case pled guilty Wednesday to unrelated charges of making false statements to a mortgage lender.

  • January 15, 2025

    Microsoft Accused Of Stealing Online Marketer Commissions

    An affiliate marketing company whose software aims to help online shoppers support or avoid certain businesses hauled Microsoft into Washington federal court on Tuesday, alleging in a proposed class action that the technology giant steals referral fees and sales commissions by replacing online marketers' affiliate marketing cookies with its own.

  • January 15, 2025

    Drake Says Violence Followed UMG Boosting 'Pedo' Claim

    Universal Music Group chose greed over the safety of its artists when it launched a campaign to boost the popularity of Kendrick Lamar's single "Not Like Us," which the record label knew falsely accused Drake of being a "certified pedophile," the Canadian rapper alleged Wednesday in a Manhattan federal lawsuit.

  • January 15, 2025

    Chancery Awards $1.6M To Food Recycler In Trade Secret Fight

    The former leaders of a now-defunct food waste company owe another company $1.6 million for misappropriating a process for turning waste into fertilizer and animal feed, a Delaware vice chancellor said in a decision released Wednesday, finding they "rode" that process "all the way to the bank."

  • January 15, 2025

    FTC Defends Authority To Bring Amazon Antitrust Case

    The Federal Trade Commission is pushing back on Amazon's claims that the commission can't bring an antitrust case in federal court without first launching an administrative complaint, telling the Washington federal judge overseeing its case against the e-commerce giant that the Ninth Circuit has already cleared such a move.

  • January 15, 2025

    CBD Oil Co. Says Brokers, Suppliers Lied About Hemp Quality

    A New Jersey hemp producer and CBD oil extractor is suing a pair of brokers and hemp suppliers in federal court, alleging that despite promising and charging for high-quality biomass, they instead supplied "dirt quality" hemp with far lower potency than advertised.

  • January 15, 2025

    4th Circ. Affirms $1M Appeal Bond Reimbursement Ruling

    Atain Specialty Insurance Co. must reimburse Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. for the $1 million appeal bond Liberty issued to an Atain insured that ultimately lost its appeal in an underlying suit, the Fourth Circuit ruled Wednesday, even though Liberty incorrectly indicated it previously closed the bond.

  • January 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Eyes Undoing Trans Patients' Win In ACA Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit seemed inclined Wednesday to strike down a trial court win for patients who challenged Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' administration of their employer-provided health plans containing gender-affirming care exclusions, with two judges questioning why those employers weren't part of the case. 

  • January 15, 2025

    Symetra Life Policyholders Seek $32.5M Settlement Approval

    A proposed class of Symetra policyholders asked a Washington federal court to preliminarily approve a $32.5 million deal to resolve a suit alleging that the insurer overcharged them for life insurance, saying the 11-state settlement would cover the owners of 43,000 policies.

  • January 15, 2025

    Grocer, Insurers Must Produce Docs In NC Opioid Row

    A North Carolina state court issued a discovery decision in a dispute between grocery chain Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc. and a slew of its insurers over coverage for about 100 lawsuits seeking damages related to the opioid epidemic, telling the parties to hand over certain documents from between 1993 and 2014.

  • January 15, 2025

    Boeing Vexes Judge In 737 Max Records Flap With Airline

    The Boeing Co. can't use a now-defunct South African airline's loss of records to dodge a suit over fallout from a 737 Max airplane deal, a Washington federal judge has said, chiding the aerospace giant for offering thin circumstantial evidence of intent without any "smoking gun."

  • January 15, 2025

    Duke Settles Retiree's Mortality Data Suit At 4th Circ.

    Duke University told the Fourth Circuit it has agreed to settle a retiree's proposed class action claiming the school used outdated mortality data to calculate retirement benefits and underpaid former employees by millions of dollars, ending the university's attempt to send the case to arbitration.

  • January 15, 2025

    Biz Court Calls Out Biogas Co. For 'Stack' Of Broken Promises

    A North Carolina Business Court judge pondered during a sanctions hearing Wednesday whether a biogas company should be held in contempt for allegedly violating a court order, saying the company has repeatedly fallen short of its promises in a fight with lenders over funding for renewable energy projects.

  • January 15, 2025

    SMU Can't Chuck 100-Year Ties To Church, Justices Suggest

    Texas Supreme Court justices piled questions on Southern Methodist University over its split with the United Methodist Church, saying during oral arguments Wednesday that the school seemingly used "clever lawyering" over a "hot button political issue" to wrestle control from the church.

  • January 15, 2025

    Jackson Lewis Grows In Atlanta With E-Commerce Biz Atty

    Jackson Lewis PC has gained a new principal in Atlanta who formerly worked in-house for e-commerce company StockX and previously practiced with Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC.

  • January 14, 2025

    Wells Fargo Fights To Drop Officers From Investors' Bias Suit

    Wells Fargo & Co. urged a California federal judge Tuesday to free three executives from a derivative lawsuit filed by shareholders claiming the bank's leadership failed to address the company's discriminatory lending and hiring practices, saying there are no allegations that explain why a presuit demand to the board would have been futile.

  • January 14, 2025

    Enbridge Beats Ducere's Oil Transport Antitrust Suit

    Enbridge Inc. beat Ducere LLC's suit accusing it of killing a pipeline terminal project to maintain its monopoly over crude oil transportation services in the Chicago area, after an Illinois federal judge pointed out Monday there are several non-Enbridge pipeline routes providing refineries with alternatives for moving oil.

  • January 14, 2025

    Colo. Panel Iffy Ski Waiver Ruling Allows Snowboarder's Claim

    A Colorado appellate panel was skeptical on Tuesday that precedent for cracking down on ski resort waivers could apply to claims by a snowboarder injured by a resort employee driving a snowmobile, pressing the victim's lawyer to explain why the matter is not a question for lawmakers.

  • January 14, 2025

    Justices Told 'Copyrightability' Issues Must Be Left To Judges

    The justices have been asked by a defense contractor to wade into a split among circuit courts over "whether questions of copyrightability" should be decided by judges or juries.

  • January 14, 2025

    Chancery Hits Co. With $2.9M Atty Fee Bill As Sanction

    A California medical device molding company that sought millions from a merger partner for breaches of contract in Delaware's Court of Chancery came away Tuesday with awards of $104,000 for its claims and $2.9 million in attorney fees as a sanction for contempt and spoliation by Symbient Product Development LLC founder Scott Castanon.

  • January 14, 2025

    Crypto Co.'s Lax Compliance Enabled Hackers, Suit Says

    A proposed class action in California federal court accused digital asset exchange OKX of flouting U.S. laws and allowing criminals to launder stolen funds through its platform, including $725,000 worth of crypto looted from the crypto investor leading the suit.

  • January 14, 2025

    Influencer Says Capital One Steals Link Commissions

    An online content creator has filed a proposed class action against Capital One over an alleged theft of commissions she says are rightfully owed to those responsible for connecting shoppers with products.

  • January 14, 2025

    NY Appeals Court OKs Arbitration Stay In $60M Hotel Fight

    A New York appeals court has affirmed a lower court order pausing an arbitration initiated by a hotel co-owner in a $60 million dispute with another co-owner over the purported mismanagement of eight hotels nationwide.

  • January 14, 2025

    Dispute Over Eli Lilly Weight Loss Drug Reignited

    Compounding pharmacies have reignited a suit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over the removal of a lucrative weight loss drug from the shortage list, with a Texas federal judge ordering both sides to turn in briefing on injunctive relief during a Tuesday hearing.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A Legal Perspective On NYC's Retail Real Estate Evolution

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    As New York City's retail market begins to show signs of resilience after the challenges of recent years, landlords must be cognizant of legal implications from shifting trends toward shorter-term leases and pop-up stores, says Andrea Gendel at Pryor Cashman.

  • The Fed. Circ. In October: Anti-Suit Injunctions And SEPs

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    The Federal Circuit's holding in Ericsson v. Lenovo, a complex global case involving standard-essential patents, will likely have broad consequences for practitioners, including by making it easier to obtain an anti-suit injunction, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • OpenAI's Patent Pledge Is Not All It Seems

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    A recent statement that OpenAI won't assert its own patents is more of an aspiration than an obligation, and should prompt practitioners to think deeply about the underlying legal mechanisms of patent and contract law when determining the effectiveness of similar nonassertion pledges, say attorneys at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • FERC's Reactive Power Compensation Cutoff Is No Shock

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    While the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent final rule ending compensation for reactive power provided within the standard power factor range will mean less revenue for some generators, it should not come as a surprise, since FERC has long signaled its interest in this shift, says Linda Walsh at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    Feds May Have Overstepped In Suit Against Mortgage Lender

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Rocket Mortgage goes too far in attempting to combat racial bias and appears to fail on the fatal flaw that mortgage lenders should be at arm's length from appraisers, says Drew Ketterer at Ketterer & Ketterer.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

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