Hospitality

  • September 23, 2024

    Starbucks Wins At 9th Circ. In 'S'mores' Lip Gloss IP Theft Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday refused to revive lip balm company Balmuccino's claims that Starbucks breached an implied contract and misappropriated trade secrets by stealing its idea for coffee-flavored "S'mores Frappuccino" lip gloss, agreeing with the lower court's order that Balmuccino's claims were filed too late.

  • September 23, 2024

    Gordon Rees Gets Insurer's Wash. Malpractice Suit Trimmed

    A Washington judge issued a mixed order in a lawsuit brought by the insurer for a climbing equipment manufacturer over allegations that misconduct by a Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP attorney — coupled with another insurer's decision to yank coverage — forced the manufacturer into a settlement over a climber's fall.

  • September 23, 2024

    Chicago's DoorDash Fee Claims Get Two-Year Limit

    An Illinois federal judge on Friday pared down a lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago accusing DoorDash of using various deceptive practices to fool customers into paying higher prices, holding that claims under the city's municipal code that accrued more than two years before the city filed suit are time-barred.

  • September 20, 2024

    Domino's Execs Concealed Store Closure Woes, Investor Says

    Domino's is facing a proposed class action filed Friday in Michigan federal court by an investor who says the pizza chain overhyped plans to launch more than 1,100 stores across the globe over a four-year period while concealing that a major franchisee faced significant hurdles with store openings and closures.

  • September 20, 2024

    Senate Panel Advances Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act

    A U.S. Senate panel has moved forward efforts to win passage of the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, which would place approximately 172 acres of specified lands in San Diego into trust for the benefit of the California tribe.

  • September 20, 2024

    NC Governor Defends Bar Closures During COVID

    North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged the state's highest court to overturn a decision finding he violated the constitutional right to make a living and the equal protection of bar owners with his COVID shutdown order, arguing the decision was reasonable given how the virus was spreading.

  • September 20, 2024

    Golf Course Co. Sued Again; Earlier Data Breach Case Axed

    An Illinois-based golf course and hospitality management business faces a new lawsuit from a former employee for allegedly failing to protect its customers' personal information following an April breach, while a separate case against the business has been dismissed.

  • September 20, 2024

    Entrepreneur Says Partners Stiffed Him On Testing Site Deal

    A Pittsburgh entrepreneur says he had a deal with three Omaha, Nebraska-based businessmen to help them open COVID-19 testing labs in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the early days of the pandemic, but is still owed $2 million, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Pennsylvania state court.

  • September 20, 2024

    Panera Can't Delay Trial Over Shook Hardy Attys' Schedule

    A Pennsylvania federal judge denied Panera Bread's repeated requests to delay a wrongful death trial, finding the restaurant chain will not be prejudiced if its desired Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP counsel cannot attend, as "plenty" of Shook Hardy lawyers can stand in, the judge said.

  • September 20, 2024

    Womble Bond Hires New Head Of Int'l Disputes From Dechert

    Womble Bond Dickinson has hired a former Dechert LLP partner as the head of its international disputes practice, who will be based in the firm's Washington, D.C., office and will double as a partner in its business litigation practice group, Womble Bond recently announced.

  • September 20, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Gibson Dunn, Holland & Knight

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, CACI International buys Azure Summit Technology, Hotel Engine lands a valuation led by Permira, and Knowles Corp. sells its microphone business to Syntiant Corp.

  • September 19, 2024

    Wash. Justices Strike Down County's Rural Winery Regs

    The Washington State Supreme Court has struck down an Evergreen State county's regulations for wineries and tasting rooms on rural land near Seattle, saying Thursday the local government violated long-term planning and land use law by downplaying potential environmental consequences of the rules before passing them.

  • September 19, 2024

    76ers To Get New Philly Arena In $1.3B Project, Mayor Says

    The Philadelphia 76ers are getting a new arena in Chinatown as part of a $1.3 billion project that will bring hundreds of jobs, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced in a video message.

  • September 19, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Hilton Builder's $7.5M Insurance Suit

    Two insurers for a construction company have no duty to provide coverage for a more than $7.5 million water damage claim, the Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday, finding a rain damage exclusion in the company's policies is applicable.

  • September 19, 2024

    Cleaning Co., H-2B Workers Nab Final OK For $400K Deal

    A Colorado federal judge granted final approval Thursday to a $400,000 settlement that resolves claims from migrant housekeepers who accused a cleaning contractor of committing a variety of wage and visa law violations and threatening to deport workers who complained.

  • September 18, 2024

    Mich. Justices Continue To Fight Over Minimum Wage Ruling

    Michigan's minimum wage will rise to $12.48 an hour in February, the state Supreme Court confirmed Wednesday in an order that settled a debate over how to calculate the new wage floor, but rehashed internal disagreements over the court's July decision to increase the minimum wage.

  • September 18, 2024

    Wynn Resorts To Pay Investors $70M Over Misconduct Claims

    Wynn Resorts, its former CEO Stephen Wynn and others have reached a $70 million settlement in Nevada federal court to end an investor class action accusing the hotel and casino giant of deceiving shareholders by covering up allegations of Wynn's sexual misconduct, according to a Tuesday filing.

  • September 18, 2024

    Pa. Jury Clears SeaWorld-Owned Park In Race Bias Trial

    A Pennsylvania jury on Wednesday freed SeaWorld's Philadelphia-area park Sesame Place of claims that minority children endured discrimination by costumed performers who were accused of ignoring them during character parades.

  • September 18, 2024

    Jury Finds Eatery Owner Guilty Of COVID Fraud, Tax Crimes

    A San Diego restaurant owner who worked with food delivery services during the pandemic and saw his business improve was convicted by a California federal jury of tax crimes and lying on loan applications to obtain more than $1.7 million in COVID-19 funds meant for struggling businesses.

  • September 18, 2024

    House Panel Members Question Legitimacy Of Axed Tip Rule

    A U.S. House panel chair criticized Wednesday a tip credit rule that the Fifth Circuit recently vacated, calling it burdensome and out of touch.

  • September 17, 2024

    Hawkers Asian Restaurant Chain Files For Ch. 11 In Fla.

    Florida-based pan-Asian restaurant chain Hawkers Asian Street Food and Craft Cocktails became the latest casual dining enterprise to file for Chapter 11 protection Tuesday, as the industry continues to deal with a tricky combination of rising costs and tightening consumer pocketbooks.

  • September 17, 2024

    Insurer Must Defend Ga. Hotel In Sex Trafficking Suit

    A Georgia hotel's insurer must defend the hotel in an underlying suit brought by a woman claiming she was a victim of sex trafficking, a Georgia federal court said, finding that an exclusion for injuries arising for abuse or molestation did not apply.

  • September 17, 2024

    Putative Class Says Golf Course Co. Shanked Data Protection

    An Illinois-based golf course and hospitality management company failed to adequately protect the personal information of its customers and failed to provide them with timely notice of an April data breach, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in federal court.

  • September 17, 2024

    GC Base Salaries At Big Companies On The Rise

    General counsel base salaries at companies making $5 billion or more in revenue has increased from last year, while their total compensation has decreased, according to a report released Tuesday by the Association of Corporate Counsel and Empsight International LLC.

  • September 17, 2024

    Travel Tech Co. Hotel Engine Books $2.1B Valuation

    Hotel Engine announced Tuesday it landed a $2.1 billion valuation in series C financing led by Permira, as the Denver-based business travel technology company looks to expand beyond hotels into flight and rental car bookings.

Expert Analysis

  • Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where

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    During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Series

    Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

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    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Opinion

    The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act

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    In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

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    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • DOJ Paths To Limit FARA Fallout From Wynn's DC Circ. Win

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    After the D.C. Circuit’s recent Attorney General v. Wynn ruling, holding that the government cannot compel retroactive registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the U.S. Department of Justice has a few options to limit the decision’s impact on enforcement, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Series

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

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    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

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