Hospitality

  • March 01, 2024

    Judge Pauses Sale Of Miami Official's Home In $63.5M Case

    A Florida magistrate judge on Friday paused the sale of a Miami city commissioner's house and ordered briefing on whether his homestead exemption claim — which would shield the property from being used to satisfy a $63.5 million judgment — is legitimate.

  • March 01, 2024

    Mich. Wineries Crush Town's Live Music, Catering Bans

    A Michigan federal judge has again ruled that a township's bans on wineries hosting amplified live music and catering are preempted by state regulations, narrowing a long-running zoning dispute ahead of an April trial.

  • March 01, 2024

    Golf Club Settles Claims Trump Atty Illegally Pushed NDA

    A Trump Organization golf club has settled a former server's claims that she was illegally induced to sign a nondisclosure agreement by one of Donald Trump's lawyers, Alina Habba, reopening the door for the ex-employee to pursue claims that she was sexually harassed on the job.

  • February 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Sends COVID-19 Coverage Row Back To Tribal Court

    A Ninth Circuit panel unanimously affirmed the Suquamish Tribal Court's jurisdiction over a COVID-19 coverage dispute, finding in a published opinion Thursday that although the tribe's insurers weren't present on its land, a consensual business relationship means tribal law applies.

  • February 29, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Won't Revive Flood Suit Over Cherokee Casino

    A Federal Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Thursday denied an Oklahoma landowner's bid to overturn a lower court's ruling that the federal government isn't liable for flooding damage to her property due to activity at a nearby Cherokee Nation casino, saying that the claim requires proof that the matter is a "direct, natural or probable result" of its actions.

  • February 29, 2024

    Newsom, Tribe Must Negotiate Gambling Pact Under IGRA

    A federal district court judge ruled in favor of a California tribe in its challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom for failing to negotiate its gambling compact in good faith, saying a Ninth Circuit determination that off-list topics cannot be included in tribal agreements heavily swayed the decision.

  • February 29, 2024

    Texas Hotel Co. Denied H-2B Workers For National Guard Influx

    The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals has ruled that a hotel management company seeking foreign housekeepers and cleaners to work in hotels housing National Guard soldiers deployed to the border failed to show they temporarily needed the H-2B workers.

  • February 29, 2024

    Aetna Asks Judge To Force Arbitration In Aramark ERISA Feud

    Aetna Life Insurance Co. says Aramark Services Inc. and its affiliated employee health plans ignored arbitration requirements in their contract when they filed a lawsuit in Texas accusing Aetna of mismanaging Aramark's health insurance claims, and has asked a Connecticut federal court to force the parties to arbitration there.

  • February 29, 2024

    NC Judge Trims Family Paving Co.'s Dueling Self-Dealing Jabs

    The North Carolina Business Court has pruned a family quarrel over the alleged mismanagement of their construction company, narrowing one side's claims that a longtime officer siphoned company funds for his own gain while simultaneously slashing certain counterclaims accusing a faction of the family of plotting a takeover.

  • February 28, 2024

    Sbarro Worker Appeals 'Prejudiced' Verdict On Rape Claims

    A former Sbarro employee asked the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to order a retrial on her allegations that she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a manager and co-workers, claiming a jury verdict favoring the company resulted from a trial tainted by prejudicial assertions, improper evidence and defamatory comments toward her and her counsel.

  • February 28, 2024

    Seminole Sports Gaming Compact Worth $4.4B, Report Says

    An economic research agency in Florida estimated in a recent report that a gaming compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida that is currently pending certiorari review by the U.S. Supreme Court will garner $4.4 billion in new revenues for the state over the next six years.

  • February 28, 2024

    Court Will Hear Arguments In Camp Operator's Bond Dispute

    A Montana federal judge will hear arguments next month to determine whether a campground operator can pay a bond in cash as opposed to a third-party surety that will allow it to stay the case over a lease dispute with the Blackfeet Nation pending an appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

  • February 28, 2024

    Ex-Development Director Asks 4th Circ. To Flip Bias Suit Loss

    A former development director for a North Carolina city said she supported her sex discrimination and retaliation claims with evidence that she was treated differently from male colleagues, urging the Fourth Circuit to overturn the city's win in her suit.

  • February 28, 2024

    Insurance Agency Says It Wasn't Told Of Airbnb Shooting Suits

    A Pennsylvania insurance agency accused of concealing that a Pittsburgh Airbnb property was subject to numerous lawsuits over a mass shooting has claimed that the property owner never revealed the problems when shopping for a new policy, so it wasn't the agency's fault when the new insurer canceled coverage.

  • February 28, 2024

    Seattle Convention Center's Virus Losses Not Covered

    A Seattle convention center operator is not owed coverage for pandemic-related business interruption losses, a Washington federal judge ruled, finding that although the governor's emergency pandemic proclamations prohibited access to the convention center, they weren't issued because of physical loss or damage to the property.

  • February 28, 2024

    Trump Can't Freeze $465M Penalty But Can Seek Loans

    A New York state appellate judge on Wednesday refused to freeze the $465 million civil fraud judgment against Donald Trump while he appeals the award, but said the former president could take out loans to cover the cost of the judgment.  

  • February 27, 2024

    Conn. Restaurant Rejects Revamped Wine-Tasting Death Suit

    Citing the statute of limitations and an alleged failure to plead a valid case, a venerable New Haven restaurant has asked a Connecticut state judge to reject an amended lawsuit accusing it of recklessly overserving alcohol at a "mandatory" employee wine tasting event and allegedly causing a worker's drunk driving death.

  • February 27, 2024

    La. Comfort Inn Owner Ordered To Arbitrate $2.6M Storm Suit

    A Louisiana federal judge has ordered the owner of a Comfort Inn outside New Orleans to arbitrate a $2.6 million suit against its insurer over coverage for damage from Hurricane Ida, saying its insurance policy compels arbitration.

  • February 27, 2024

    NC Short-Term Rental Law Fight Gets Partial Remand

    A North Carolina federal judge divvied up a proposed class action lodged by three vacation property companies claiming a county's recently passed zoning ordinance illegally places restrictions on short-term rentals, sending the state law claims back to state court but maintaining jurisdiction over the federal allegations.

  • February 26, 2024

    Live Nation Can't Cancel Suit Over Eras Tour Sales Meltdown

    A California federal judge refused Friday to end a proposed securities class action alleging Live Nation made misleading statements about its operations when news of alleged anticompetitive practices with Ticketmaster caused stock prices to drop, finding the suit describes "a materially different state of affairs" than what Live Nation claimed.

  • February 26, 2024

    Disney Sued Over Woman's Death From Allergen-Filled Meal

    A New York man whose wife died of an allergic reaction after eating at an Irish restaurant at Walt Disney World is suing both the restaurant and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for negligence, asserting they were repeatedly assured that the food they were served was free of allergens.

  • February 26, 2024

    Timeshare Settlement Can't Stop Additional Consumer Suit

    A Washington marketing firm must face negligent misrepresentation and consumer protection claims over links to a timeshare-exit company, according to a Washington federal judge who ruled that a group of consumers seeking refunds are not barred from suing because of a settlement in another case.

  • February 26, 2024

    Fla. Official Can't Save Home From Verdict, Businessmen Say

    Two Miami businessmen have urged a federal judge to block a city commissioner's attempt to prevent the forced sale of his house to satisfy a $63.5 million judgment, saying he voted to unconstitutionally gerrymander the city's districts to include the property and also improperly claimed a last-minute homestead protection.

  • February 26, 2024

    Mass. Casino Gets 2nd Fine For Taking Illegal College Bets

    The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Monday fined Encore Boston Harbor $40,000 for improperly taking bets on games involving in-state colleges, the second such punishment doled out to the casino in the past seven months.

  • February 26, 2024

    Miffed NC Biz Court Mulls Sanctions After Missed Deadlines

    A North Carolina Business Court judge on Monday chided counsel on both sides of an employment dispute for missing important deadlines on the eve of a jury trial, causing him to postpone the trial indefinitely and contemplate dismissing the case entirely.

Expert Analysis

  • Some Client Speculations On AI And The Law Firm Biz Model

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    Generative artificial intelligence technologies will put pressure on the business of law as it is structured currently, but clients may end up with more price certainty for legal services, and lawyers may spend more time being lawyers, says Jonathan Cole at Melody Capital.

  • Trafficking Ruling Offers Liability Lessons For Hospitality Cos.

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    A California federal court recently dismissed a lawsuit accusing several national hotel chains of knowingly benefiting from sex trafficking at their premises, highlighting how hospitality leaders can protect their guests and staff, and shield their companies from liability and reputational damage, says Danielle Dudai at Hall Booth.

  • A Lawyer's Guide To Approaching Digital Assets In Discovery

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    The booming growth of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens has made digital assets relevant in many legal disputes but also poses several challenges for discovery, so lawyers must garner an understanding of the technology behind these assets, the way they function, and how they're held, says Brett Sager at Ehrenstein Sager.

  • Opinion

    High Court's Ethics Statement Places Justices Above The Law

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    The U.S. Supreme Court justices' disappointing statement on the court's ethics principles and practices reveals that not only are they satisfied with a status quo in which they are bound by fewer ethics rules than other federal judges, but also that they've twisted the few rules that do apply to them, says David Janovsky at the Project on Government Oversight.

  • Assessing The Reach Of 9th Circuit's Natural Gas Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in California Restaurant Association v. Berkeley, affirming that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act preempts certain state and local natural gas bans, may chill other efforts to limit usage of natural gas and raises important questions for utility companies, natural gas consumers and policymakers to consider, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Opinion

    Time For Law Schools To Rethink Unsung Role Of Adjuncts

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    As law schools prepare for the fall 2023 semester, administrators should reevaluate the role of the underappreciated, indispensable adjunct, and consider 16 concrete actions to improve the adjuncts' teaching experience, overall happiness and feeling of belonging, say T. Markus Funk at Perkins Coie, Andrew Boutros at Dechert and Eugene Volokh at UCLA.

  • Good Faith Buyer Lessons From 5th Circ. Bankruptcy Ruling

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    The Fifth Circuit’s recent ruling in Palm Springs II, affirming the sale of property to a senior lender, is notable for its guidance on Section 363(m), including the ability of a senior lender to remain a good faith purchaser despite squeezing out a junior lender, says Shane Ramsey at Nelson Mullins.

  • Tips For In-House Legal Leaders In A Challenging Economy

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    Amid today's economic and geopolitical uncertainty, in-house legal teams are running lean and facing increased scrutiny and unique issues, but can step up and find innovative ways to manage outcomes and capitalize on good business opportunities, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

  • What Associates Need To Know Before Switching Law Firms

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    The days of staying at the same firm for the duration of one's career are mostly a thing of the past as lateral moves by lawyers are commonplace, but there are several obstacles that associates should consider before making a move, say attorneys at HWG.

  • A Case For Sharing Mediation Statements With Counterparties

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    In light of a potential growing mediation trend of only submitting statements to the mediator, litigants should think critically about the pros and cons of exchanging statements with opposing parties as it could boost the chances of reaching a settlement, says Arthur Eidelhoch at Eidelhoch Mediation.

  • Calif. Independent Contractor Lessons From Grubhub Suit

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    California courts have been creating little in the way of clarity when it comes to the employment status of gig workers — and a recent federal court decision in Lawson v. Grubhub illustrates how status may change with the winds of litigation, offering four takeaways for businesses that rely on delivery drivers, say Esra Hudson and Marah Bragdon at Manatt.

  • EB-5 Reform Continues To Weigh Heavily On Participants

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    Recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guidance helps clarify aspects of the 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, which increased oversight of EB-5 regional centers, but does not end the industry's continuing state of uncertainty, says Robert Divine at Baker Donelson.

  • 3 Key Areas Where Fintech And Sports Gaming Intersect

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    Sports gaming operators cannot produce reliable and efficient products without the full participation and support of their fintech vendors and suppliers, so firms in both industries should follow developments and changing regulation in the arena, including state expansion of crypto-funded wagering and advancements in payment processing, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Preparing For Legal Scrutiny Of Data Retention Policies

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    Two recent cases involving Google and Meta should serve as a call to action for companies to ensure their data retention policies are updated and properly implemented to the degree of being able to withstand judicial scrutiny, especially as more data is generated by emerging technologies, say Jack Kallus and Labeed Choudhry at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Defending Against Fail-Safe Classes With Rule 23

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent decision in the case of White that there is no stand-alone rule against fail-safe classes deepens an existing circuit split — but defendants can still effectively attack fail-safe class definitions via different procedural arguments based in Rule 23, say Jeffrey Huberman and Andrew Soukup at Covington.

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