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Massachusetts
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June 13, 2024
FERC Gains Full Bench With 3rd Nominee Confirmation
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed former Massachusetts Undersecretary for Energy and Climate Solutions Judy W. Chang to fill a vacant commissioner slot at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, giving the agency a full complement of five commissioners.
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June 13, 2024
Mass. High Court Approves Tipped Wage Ballot Measure
Massachusetts' highest court on Thursday gave its blessing to a November ballot question asking voters to increase the state's minimum wage for tipped workers, finding that pairing the measure with a provision to allow tip pooling is part of an overall public policy goal to boost wages for all service industry employees.
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June 12, 2024
Internet Co. Hit With $4M Default Judgment Over Tower Bills
TPT SpeedConnect has been slapped with a nearly $4 million judgment after it stopped footing the bill on some 60 of its license agreements, which allowed the internet service provider to keep its telecom equipment installed on others' towers in exchange for rent.
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June 12, 2024
House IP Panel Eyes Transparency For Litigation Funders
A congressional committee on Wednesday began discussing whether to require more transparency of third-party litigation funding agreements to stem what lawmakers say are abusive patent lawsuits and national security concerns if hostile foreign governments meddle with cases anonymously.
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June 12, 2024
1st Circ. Finds PREPA Bondholders Have $8.5B In Valid Liens
The First Circuit said Wednesday that bondholders of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority have valid liens worth $8.5 billion on the revenue of the utility, reversing a lower court's ruling but leaving it up to the bankruptcy court to determine what effect that has on the restructuring plan.
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June 12, 2024
32 AGs Urge Justices Take Up Okla. PBM Law Fight
Thirty-two attorneys general urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Oklahoma's petition for review of a Tenth Circuit decision holding that federal law preempted portions of a state law regulating pharmacy benefit managers, arguing the justices needed to intervene to resolve a circuit split.
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June 12, 2024
Sen. Dems Seek Criminal Penalties For PE Hospital 'Looters'
A pair of Democratic senators are targeting private equity's role in the healthcare industry, introducing new legislation Tuesday that would give federal and state enforcers new tools to go after firms they say are "looting" hospital systems and other providers, including possibly jailing executives if patient deaths result.
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June 12, 2024
Massachusetts Pot Shop To Take Union Fight To 1st Circ.
A Massachusetts cannabis retailer found to have engaged in union busting is appealing a district court order that directed it to bargain with a United Food and Commercial Workers local and to offer to rehire two fired union supporters.
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June 12, 2024
Nelson Mullins Partner's Widow Must Arbitrate Pay Dispute
The estate of a Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP partner who died last year is bound by a partnership agreement that requires disputes to be resolved through arbitration, a Massachusetts judge said in dismissing a suit brought by the attorney's widow.
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June 11, 2024
Fed's New Internal Trading Policy Full Of Loopholes, Sens. Say
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have called on Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell to repeal what they say is a "failed approach" to addressing allegedly illicit trading by Fed officials, saying the long-awaited policy is riddled with loopholes, contains weak penalties and requires no transparency for officials who violate the trading rules.
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June 11, 2024
Listing Co. Urges Court To Ignore DOJ's Broker Deal Issues
A multiple listing service that has struck a $3 million settlement over broker commission rules told a Massachusetts federal court the changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Justice go far beyond what's required and would create an antitrust problem in the real estate industry.
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June 11, 2024
4 More States Join DOJ's Antitrust Suit Against Apple
The attorneys general of Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada and Indiana on Tuesday became the latest to join the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit in New Jersey federal court claiming Apple is monopolizing the smartphone market.
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June 11, 2024
Raytheon Openly Prefers Younger Job Applicants, Suit Says
Raytheon for years has violated age bias law by advertising positions explicitly meant for recent college graduates despite public statements acknowledging that the aerospace company needs thousands of additional workers, a 67-year-old job applicant alleged Tuesday in Massachusetts federal court.
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June 11, 2024
Ex-DraftKings Exec Seeks Fast Trial To Test Noncompete Law
A former DraftKings executive wants a snap trial to unwind a noncompete blocking him from work at sports-betting rival Fanatics, calling the fiercely litigated, bicoastal dispute a "test case" for California's recent law reinforcing a ban on restrictive covenants.
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June 11, 2024
Foley & Lardner Accused Of Underpaying Recruiter
A legal recruiter accused Foley & Lardner LLP in a Massachusetts state court lawsuit of taking advantage of a 13-year-old contract to pay it a "woefully insufficient" fee for helping to lure a multimillion-dollar partner from another firm earlier this year.
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June 11, 2024
ArentFox Adds 17-Person Team From Burns & Levinson
A few months after adding a four-partner automotive team from Burns & Levinson LLP, ArentFox Schiff LLP on Tuesday announced the addition of 17 more attorneys and professionals from the firm with experience ranging from intellectual property matters to business litigation.
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June 11, 2024
Research Org, Ex-Workers Agree To End Retirement Fee Fight
A research and development nonprofit agreed to settle a class action alleging it mismanaged its $3.5 billion employee retirement plans by allowing them to pay excessive administrative fees, according to a filing Tuesday in Massachusetts federal court.
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June 11, 2024
J&J Inks $700M Deal To End AGs' Talc Marketing Suits
Forty-three state attorneys general on Tuesday said there has been a $700 million nationwide settlement and a consent judgment has been reached with Johnson & Johnson that ends claims it misled consumers about the safety of its talc products.
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June 11, 2024
Pepsi Bottling Partner Hit With Pollutant Lawsuit In Mass.
A Massachusetts environmental advocacy group has followed through on plans to sue a bottler of Pepsi products over alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, but a lawyer for the Conservation Law Foundation says the organization is "optimistic" it will be able to resolve the issue.
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June 10, 2024
'Wicked Smart' Justice Sworn In To Mass. High Court
If there's one thing that makes Supreme Judicial Court Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian uncomfortable, it's praise, former WilmerHale partner Peter Macdonald told an audience of hundreds of the jurist's colleagues, friends and family during a ceremonial swearing-in Monday evening.
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June 10, 2024
Mass. House Omits Local-Option Tax From $6B Housing Bill
A proposal by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to allow local-option transfer fees on high-value real estate sales was left out of a housing package worth more than $6 billion passed by the state House of Representatives.
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June 10, 2024
Parexel Says Staffing Firm Liable For Temp's Alleged Fraud
Clinical research company Parexel International says a Boston-based staffing agency is liable for damages caused by a rogue temporary employee who engaged in "egregious fraud" involving multiple drug trials, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
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June 10, 2024
Kirkland Faces Class Claims Over Breach Of File Transfer Tool
A proposed class of victims of a data breach has sued Kirkland & Ellis LLP and various other entities in a Massachusetts federal court, accusing them of failing to "properly secure and safeguard [the] plaintiff's and other similarly situated individuals' private information" in the lead-up to the massive 2023 MOVEit data breach.
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June 10, 2024
Duane Morris Rehires Employment Partner From Cooley
A labor and employment attorney who spent nearly two decades at Duane Morris LLP has rejoined the firm after working at Cooley LLP the past few years.
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June 10, 2024
Medical-Aesthetic Device Rivals Set For Sept. Poaching Trial
A Boston federal judge on Monday scheduled a post-Labor Day jury trial for medical-aesthetic device company Cynosure's $78 million poaching lawsuit against rival Reveal Lasers, urging the parties to streamline their exhibits and damages claims.
Expert Analysis
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Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.
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Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
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Series
Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.
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Mass. Bill May Alter Deals Involving Both Goods And Services
Massachusetts' proposed H.B. 1112 would adopt several model Uniform Commercial Code amendments, including a new rule for hybrid transactions that could affect risk assessments made by lenders in determining whether to make loans that involve materials and equipment, especially in the context of construction projects, say attorneys at Barclay Damon.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
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Calif. Right To Repair Law Highlights A Growing Movement
New legislation in California is a comprehensive victory for the "right to repair" movement — signaling that this push for legal reform represents a multifaceted challenge to the status quo not only on the consumer rights front, but also in the fields of copyright, software, antitrust and warranty law, says Courtney Sarnow at Culhane Meadows.
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Series
In Focus At The EEOC: Advancing Equal Pay
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recently finalized strategic enforcement plan expresses a renewed commitment to advancing equal pay at a time when employees have unprecedented access to compensation information, highlighting for employers the importance of open communication and ongoing pay equity analyses, say Paul Evans at Baker McKenzie and Christine Hendrickson at Syndio.
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Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Why Standing Analysis Is Key In Data Breach Mediation
Amid a growing wave of data breach class action litigation, recent legal developments show shifting criteria for Article III standing based on an increased risk of future identity theft, meaning parties must integrate assessments of standing into mediation discussions to substantiate their settlement demands in data breach class actions, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Series
Mass. Banking Brief: The Notable Compliance Updates In Q3
Among the most significant developments in the financial services space in the third quarter of the year, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a stunning endorsement of the state's fiduciary duty rule, and banking regulators continued their multiyear crackdown on unregistered entities, say attorneys at Mintz.
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AGs' Distaste For Food Bill May Signal Other State Issues
States' recent opposition to a proposed federal law that would block them from regulating out-of-state agricultural production could affect issues beyond this narrow debate, such as the balance of state and federal regulatory power, reproductive rights post-Dobbs, and energy production and water use, say Christopher Allen and Stephen Cobb at Cozen O'Connor.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.