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Georgia
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June 18, 2024
11th Circ. Orders New Shrimp Secrets Trial Over Judge's Exit
The Eleventh Circuit ordered a new trial in a trade secrets dispute involving breeders of disease-resistant shrimp, saying Tuesday that a magistrate judge who oversaw the trial's conclusion so that a federal judge could catch a flight exceeded his authority by answering jury questions and rejecting a defense counsel's request for clarification on damages awarded.
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June 18, 2024
11th Circ. Affirms Warrantless Search Of Probationer's Home
The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the denial of a woman's bid to suppress evidence obtained by police in a warrantless search of her home, finding that the search was reasonable because her live-in boyfriend's probation conditions authorized warrantless home searches.
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June 18, 2024
Blue States And Enviro Groups Back DOE Furnace Rule
Several blue states and environmental and consumer groups have thrown their support behind the U.S. Department of Energy's tighter energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters, telling the D.C. Circuit that challenges to the new rules are meritless.
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June 18, 2024
Ford Says Sanctions Violated Due Process In $1.7B Case
Attorneys for Ford Motor Co. urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday either to order a new trial or substantially reduce a record-setting $1.7 billion punitive damages verdict returned against the automaker in litigation over a fatal rollover, arguing the award resulted from "death penalty sanctions" that essentially directed a verdict against it.
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June 18, 2024
Ga. Judge Won't Recuse Over Closed-Door Chat In YSL Case
A Georgia state judge on Tuesday denied a motion to disqualify himself from continuing to preside over Atlanta rapper Young Thug's racketeering trial, calling the bid "insufficient" and rejecting the rapper's claim that the judge had "joined the prosecutors' team" by unethically having a closed-door conversation with prosecutors and a witness.
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June 18, 2024
Ga. County Solicitor General Charged With Stealing Public Cash
A Georgia state grand jury on Tuesday issued a 24-count indictment against Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard that accuses her of using taxpayer dollars for her personal benefit for four years.
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June 17, 2024
Hacker Facing Rare, Deadly Cancer Avoids Prison Time
Despite "vehemently" rejecting defense counsel's arguments seeking a more lenient sentence for a cybersecurity contractor facing up to five years in prison for hacking into a hospital's computer systems, a Georgia federal judge nevertheless handed down a two-year house arrest sentence on Monday, citing the defendant's extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer.
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June 17, 2024
Creditors Say Giuliani Is 'Shrewd' And Needs Ch. 11 Trustee
Rudy Giuliani's creditors made their argument to a New York judge on Monday about why they felt he should be stripped of control of his bankruptcy case, disparaging his motives, missing financial information and ability to stick to a budget.
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June 17, 2024
Male Enhancement Pills Infringe RAW Trademark, Co. Says
HBI International, the American distributor of the RAW line of smoking products, has filed a lawsuit in Georgia federal court alleging Mash Enterprise LLC used "identical copies" of its trademarks, trade dress and copyrighted packaging to sell male enhancement pills and beverages.
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June 17, 2024
Ga. Judge Shuts Down Bond Bid From Convicted Fla. Atty
A Georgia federal judge has denied a Florida attorney's request to remain free on bond while she appeals her conviction and more than six-year prison sentence for fraudulently obtaining federal pandemic-relief loans meant for businesses, calling her request "the latest chapter in her attempt to dodge the consequences of her malevolence."
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June 17, 2024
Ga. County Says Battery Co.'s Dumping Caused Blaze
A Georgia electric vehicle battery manufacturer that has come under regulatory scrutiny for a series of workplace safety violations has been hit with a lawsuit from its own county, which accused the company of dumping hundreds of batteries that led to a massive fire at a local recycling plant.
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June 17, 2024
Ga. Panel OKs Instruction In $4.5M Spinal Device Injury Suit
The Georgia Court of Appeals has affirmed a trial court's decision to tell jurors not to consider the availability of insurance benefits when considering the issues of liability and damages in a case in which a woman whose doctor incorrectly implanted a spinal cord stimulator was awarded $4.5 million.
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June 17, 2024
King & Spalding Repping IQVentures On $504M Aaron's Buy
King & Spalding LLP-repped IQVentures Holdings has agreed to purchase Atlanta-based lease-to-own provider The Aaron's Co. Inc., represented by Jones Day, at an enterprise value of about $504 million, Aaron's said in a Monday statement.
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June 14, 2024
Global Payments Inks $3.6M Deal Over Fee Disclosure Fallout
Atlanta-based payment tech company Global Payments Inc. has agreed to pay $3.6 million as part of a deal to resolve a proposed investor class action tied to allegations that its summer camp payment processor subsidiary allegedly "tricked" consumers into signing up for a program that had fees it didn't properly disclose.
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June 14, 2024
Ga. CPA Admits To Role In $1.3B Tax Fraud Scheme
After a federal jury convicted two of his co-conspirators in a landmark conservation easement tax shelter trial last year, a Georgia accountant who'd previously denied culpability elected to change course Friday and plead guilty to two felony charges.
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June 14, 2024
11th Circ. Shows Insurers Preference In D&O Coverage Row
The Eleventh Circuit appeared poised to affirm a Florida district court's finding that the successor of an insurance services firm is not owed coverage for underlying shareholder-related litigation under 2017 claims-made policies because the claims are connected to ones made under a 2016 policy.
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June 14, 2024
Real Estate Recap: Special Servicers, 'Dirty' Money, Alt Energy
Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including recent litigation targeting special servicers, a 700% increase in brownfield funding, and one BigLaw real estate leader's take on alternative energy as interest rates hold steady.
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June 14, 2024
GOP AGs Demand Stay For DOL's H-2A Protections Rule
Seventeen Republican attorneys general requested a pause on the effective date for the U.S. Department of Labor's final rule covering foreign farmworkers within the H-2A visa program, telling the court that the rule provides protections that U.S. citizen agricultural workers lack under federal labor law.
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June 14, 2024
Janssen Hit With $150M Verdict In HIV Drug False Claims Suit
A New Jersey federal jury hit Janssen with a $150 million False Claims Act verdict in a 12-year-old whistleblower suit, finding that the drugmaker violated the federal law as well as 27 related state FCA statutes by illegally profiting from the off-label marketing of two popular Janssen HIV medications.
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June 14, 2024
Florida Says It Can Control Own Speech In 'Stop WOKE' Suit
Florida officials urged an Eleventh Circuit panel on Friday to unblock a state law known as the Stop WOKE Act that restricts classroom discussion of race and gender, saying it does not violate the First Amendment because government should be allowed to "freely select the views it wants to express."
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June 14, 2024
Ga. Woman Wants 'Illegal' Online Gambling Suit In State Court
A Georgia woman wants her suit accusing an online operator of hosting illegal gambling on sites disguised as game arcades sent back to state court, arguing she cannot verify without discovery whether the case meets the $5 million, 100-member class threshold required for federal cases.
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June 14, 2024
Red States Look To Block ACA Trans Discrimination Rule
A group of 15 conservative states urged a Mississippi federal court to halt recently finalized regulations clarifying gender identity-based discrimination under the Affordable Care Act from taking effect, saying the new rule strips the states of their right to oversee medical ethics.
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June 14, 2024
Voting Groups Seek $124K In Fees In Recently Tossed Ga. Suit
A coalition of voting rights groups that challenged the legality of how Georgia adds newly naturalized citizens to its voter rolls asked a federal judge to award them more than $124,000 in attorney fees and costs after the case was dismissed midtrial.
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June 13, 2024
Alston & Bird Wins Bid To Arbitrate COVID Vax Claims
Alston & Bird LLP can arbitrate a former aide's allegations that she was fired after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a Georgia federal judge ruled Thursday, putting the litigation on ice pending the outcome of arbitration.
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June 13, 2024
KeyBank Borrowers' $6M Data Breach Deal Gets Initial OK
A Georgia federal judge on Thursday granted preliminary approval to a $6 million settlement deal resolving a class suit over data breaches at KeyBank and other regional lenders and a technology contractor despite objections from a subclass of borrowers — who had previously settled their claims — saying the deal was inequitable.
Expert Analysis
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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Circuit Rulings Confirm Ch. 11 Trustee Fee Refund Trend
Recent Ninth and Eleventh Circuit rulings that Chapter 11 debtors are entitled to refunds for unconstitutional bankruptcy trustee fees paid under the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act support a developing trend in debtors' favor, making it likely that courts considering the same question will follow suit, says Adam Herring at Nelson Mullins.
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In Ga., Promptness Is Key To Setting Aside Default Judgments
The Georgia Court of Appeals' recent vacating of a lower court's decision to set aside a default judgment against Samsung Electronics America is a reminder of the processes and arguments provided by Georgia's statutes for challenging default judgments — including the importance of responding quickly, says Katy Robertson at Swift Currie.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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Ore. Warranty Ruling Complicates Insurance Classification
The Oregon Court of Appeals' recent TruNorth v. Department of Consumer and Business Services holding that a service contract — commonly referred to as an extended warranty — covering commercial property is subject to the state's consumer service contract laws raises regulatory questions for contract obligors, sellers and administrators, say attorneys at Locke Lord.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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Post-Mallory, Calif. Personal Jurisdiction Unlikely To Expand
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway decision, affirming that registration to do business in Pennsylvania means consenting to be sued in that state's courts, could prompt other states to experiment with similar laws — but such efforts would likely fail in California, say Virginia Milstead and Raza Rasheed at Skadden.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Lessons From High-Profile Witness Tampering Allegations
As demonstrated by recent developments in the cases against former President Donald Trump and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, allegations of witness tampering can carry serious consequences — but attorneys can employ certain strategies to mitigate the risk that accusations arise, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.
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The 7 Most Notable FCRA Cases Of 2023 So Far
Both consumer reporting agencies and furnishers should take note of Fair Credit Reporting Act decisions by federal district and appellate courts so far this year, especially those concerning dispute processing and the distinction between legal and factual inaccuracies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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3 Factors That May Complicate Jury Selection In Trump Trials
As former President Donald Trump prepares to face four trials in Georgia, Florida, New York and Washington, D.C., judges and attorneys in these venues may find it challenging to seat fair and impartial juries for several key reasons, says Richard Gabriel at Decision Analysis.
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To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.
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Perspectives
More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap
Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.
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Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure
Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.