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Massachusetts
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August 12, 2024
Big Tobacco To Pay $600M In 'Historic' Mass. Deal
Philip Morris Inc. and RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. will pay nine-figure sums as part of a $600 million settlement between Massachusetts and major tobacco companies that resolves yearslong disputes about how much the cigarette makers owe, the state attorney general announced Monday.
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August 09, 2024
Real Estate Recap: Big 4 Market Views, Gas-Ban Backfire, AI
Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including what the largest commercial real estate brokers expect from capital markets in the second half of the year, how municipalities are reacting to the Ninth Circuit striking down Berkeley, California's natural gas-hookup ban, and why Brookfield Corp. is betting big on AI.
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August 09, 2024
Judge Slams Justices For 'Eschewing' History In Trump Case
The U.S. Supreme Court spurned historical analysis and "fundamentally" changed the presidency when it granted Donald Trump broad criminal immunity from federal charges that he interfered with the 2020 presidential election while in office, a Massachusetts federal judge wrote in a ruling Friday that ended an ex-public defender's sexual harassment lawsuit.
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August 09, 2024
Dem Lawmakers Ask OpenAI To Disclose Safety Processes
Two members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation are calling on OpenAI to provide information about its safety processes and how it handles whistleblowers and conflicts of interest, in a letter to the company.
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August 09, 2024
'Outrageous': Dems Grill JPMorgan Over Potential New Fees
Two Senate Banking Committee Democrats have ripped into JPMorgan Chase & Co. over an executive's recent warning that it may hike some costs for customers in response to pending fee rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, calling it an "outrageous" threat and demanding more details from the megabank.
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August 09, 2024
Marketer Seeking Dismissal Of Mass. Data Privacy Suit
Texas-based online marketing company InMarket Media LLC is asking a Massachusetts federal judge to toss a proposed class action by two women who say the company secretly collected and sold location data through its apps, arguing in a motion to dismiss that the court lacks jurisdiction over the company.
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August 09, 2024
Judge Nixes Ex-Defender's Bias Suit, But Calls For Reform
A former public defender in North Carolina failed to show how her equal protection and due process rights were violated during an allegedly botched internal investigation of her sexual harassment claim, a federal judge ruled Friday in a candid opinion that nevertheless called out what he described as a "flawed" dispute resolution process for judiciary employees.
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August 09, 2024
Ex-Boston U Law Instructor Sues Over Course Materials
A former Boston University Law School instructor has sued the university, accusing it of copyright infringement through use of course materials he developed, in violation of a prior settlement agreement.
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August 08, 2024
Mass. Atty, 2 Others Settle SEC Insider Trading Claims
A Massachusetts business lawyer, his friend and his friend's father have agreed to collectively pay more than $230,000 to settle the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's allegations they used intel to trade ahead of an announcement made by the biotechnology company Frequency Therapeutics Inc., the SEC said Thursday.
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August 08, 2024
Migrant Can't Show 1st Circ. That Attacks Weren't Personal
A man who left his native Guatemala after a 2010 car explosion and wedding attack couldn't convince the First Circuit to revive his asylum application, unable to show that the perpetrators of the attack had targeted him due to his family.
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August 08, 2024
SEC Wins Jurisdiction Over German As Sanction For Default
A German national who the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says has ignored discovery requests in its attempt to recover proceeds from a $150 million international pump and dump scheme involving his son is subject to personal jurisdiction in the U.S., a Boston federal judge ordered as a sanction.
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August 08, 2024
Insurer Utica Off Hook In High-End Leather Goods Dispute
Utica National Insurance Group is not obligated to defend or indemnify a maker of high-end leather goods against claims it fraudulently induced a former partner into a deal in order to steal his designs and then attempt to drive him out of business, a Massachusetts intermediate appellate court has concluded.
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August 08, 2024
Mass. Justices Toss Conviction Over 'Vague' Jailhouse Bribe
Massachusetts' top court on Thursday vacated a man's witness intimidation conviction based on "vague and amorphous" promises he made during jailhouse phone calls with his fiancée that prosecutors claimed were bribes.
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August 08, 2024
FedEx Sued By 15K Drivers After OT Collectives End
About 15,000 drivers who worked for FedEx across the U.S. through intermediary employers have filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts federal courts arguing the logistics giant is responsible for their lack of overtime wages as a joint employer, launching individual claims following a failed effort to sue as a collective.
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August 07, 2024
Robot Vacuum Cleaner Patent Ruling Remains Undisturbed
Federal Circuit judges proved unpersuaded on Wednesday to do anything to touch an administrative board ruling that wiped out most, but not all, of the claims in a patent that allegedly covered a new feature in the Roomba brand of robotic vacuum cleaners.
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August 07, 2024
Fund Seeks Forced Sale Of Long-Stalled Baltimore Project
A Boston-based investment fund that backs development projects in disadvantaged communities is seeking to recoup $13 million it poured into a stalled mixed-use project in Baltimore, including through a forced sale, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
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August 07, 2024
RELX Hit With Proposed Greenwashing Class Action
RELX PLC has been hit with a proposed class action by a former employee alleging the information and analytics company retaliated against him and committed securities fraud by making various business decisions that contradicted its investor disclosures and public-facing statements.
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August 07, 2024
Ex-Pharma Exec Gets 20 Months In SEC Contempt Case
A former pharmaceutical executive who used an alias to flout a 2016 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission consent judgment barring him from the securities industry was sentenced Wednesday to 20 months in prison by a judge who called him "incorrigible."
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August 07, 2024
Gun Cos. Exit Mexico's Suit As Judge Cites 'Thin' Mass. Ties
A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday dismissed six U.S. gun companies from a suit over Mexican cartel violence after finding the alleged conduct has virtually no ties to the Bay State.
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August 07, 2024
Insurer Can't Dodge $13.4M Conn. Death Verdict, Estate Says
A mother who won a $13.4 million judgment after her son died in a Connecticut group home says its insurer, Hanover Insurance Co., is trying to use "misplaced" arguments to escape her bid to collect a portion of the judgment, urging a judge not to dismiss her compensation request.
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August 07, 2024
1st Circ. Backs Boston Prayer Policy With Political Warning
The First Circuit rejected a satanic temple's challenge to the Boston City Council's practice of inviting local leaders to pray at its meetings, but warned that the practice could conceivably cross constitutional red lines if it became a vehicle to curry favor with voters.
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August 07, 2024
Morgan Stanley Loses Bid To Arbitrate Background Check Suit
A Boston federal judge ruled Tuesday that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC can't force arbitration in a proposed class action claiming the bank illegally used protected criminal history information to discriminate against job applicants.
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August 06, 2024
4 Takeaways From Landmark Google Search Ruling
A landmark ruling in D.C. federal court Monday found that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly, and experts say the case could have broad implications for the company as well as the wider internet and shows how existing antitrust laws can apply to modern technology.
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August 06, 2024
1st Circ. Denies Removal Relief Over Bank Fraud Guilty Plea
A Massachusetts resident facing deportation after pleading guilty to bank fraud couldn't convince the First Circuit to revive his efforts to stay in the country, after the circuit court ruled that the crime rendered him ineligible for removal relief.
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August 06, 2024
Robins Kaplan Appoints New Trial, IP Leaders
National trial firm Robins Kaplan LLP has named a new co-head and head of its trial and IP practice groups, respectively, the firm announced Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Takeaways From Nat'l Security Division's Historic Declination
The Justice Department National Security Division's recent decision not to prosecute a biochemical company for an employee's export control violation marks its first declination under a new corporate enforcement policy, sending a clear message to companies that self-disclosure of misconduct may confer material benefits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
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Deciphering SEC Disgorgement 4 Years After Liu
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Liu v. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to preserve SEC disgorgement with limits, courts have continued to rule largely in the agency’s favor, but a recent circuit split over the National Defense Authorization Act's import may create hurdles for the SEC, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Playing The Odds: Criminal Charges Related To Sports Betting
In light of recent sports betting scandals involving MLB player Shohei Ohtani and NBA player Jontay Porter, institutions and individuals involved in athletics should be aware of and prepared to address the legal issues, including potential criminal charges, that sports gambling may bring to their door, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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What Junk Fee Law Means For Biz In California And Beyond
Come July 1, companies doing business in California must ensure that the price of any good or service as offered, displayed or advertised is inclusive of all mandatory fees and other charges in compliance with S.B. 478, which may have a far-reaching impact across the country due to wide applicability, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley Austin.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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FTC Focus: Exploring The Meaning Of Orange Book Letters
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced an expansion of its campaign to promote competition by targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers' improper Orange Book patent listings, but there is a question of whether and how this helps generic entrants, say Colin Kass and David Munkittrick at Proskauer.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.