Media & Entertainment

  • February 12, 2025

    Jurisdiction Dooms Federal Russell Simmons Sex Assault Suit

    A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a suit accusing music producer and Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons of sexual assault, saying Simmons is now a permanent resident of Indonesia over whom the court has no jurisdiction, though the plaintiff plans to refile the claims in state court.

  • February 12, 2025

    NFL Unlawfully Keeping Teams Off Bluesky, Suit Says

    Two football fans are suing the National Football League in New York federal court for allegedly restricting the free speech of its teams by prohibiting them from opening accounts on the social media platform Bluesky.

  • February 12, 2025

    Hospital Says It Should've Had Immunity In 'Maya' Case

    Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital told a Florida appeals court Wednesday that the lower court "profoundly misconstrued" immunity Florida law grants to those who report suspicions of child abuse, which allowed a jury to award $261 million to Maya Kowalski, the subject of a Netflix documentary, for her mother's suicide.

  • February 12, 2025

    Nike Asks 9th Circ. To Claw Back Workplace Harassment Docs

    A lawyer for Nike urged a Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday to block an Oregon local newspaper from publishing workplace harassment questionnaires provided by plaintiffs' attorney in pay equity litigation against the athletic apparel giant.

  • February 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Upholds R. Kelly's Sex Abuse Conviction

    The Second Circuit upheld R&B singer R. Kelly's convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking Wednesday, citing the strength of the evidence and rejecting his claims that four jurors were biased against him.

  • February 12, 2025

    Google Must Face Wiretapping Suit Over AI-Powered Assistant

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Google of using a "human-like" customer-service product powered by artificial intelligence to illegally eavesdrop on users' calls with Hulu, Verizon and others, finding the consumers adequately allege Google is a third party that can benefit from the data.

  • February 12, 2025

    PE Exec Says USC Can't Escape $75M 'Varsity Blues' Suit

    A private equity executive roped into the "Varsity Blues" college admissions case for his six-figure donation to the University of Southern California is asking a Los Angeles court to green-light his $75 million lawsuit alleging the school lied when it deemed his largesse improper.

  • February 12, 2025

    Trump Can Sue Pulitzer Board Members, Fla. Panel Rules

    A Florida appellate court ruled on Wednesday that President Donald Trump can sue the Pulitzer Prize Board members in a defamation lawsuit over reporting that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election, saying his complaint sufficiently met state jurisdiction requirements.

  • February 12, 2025

    Meta User Antitrust Suit Gets Nov. 17 Trial Date

    A California federal judge has set a Nov. 17 trial date for accusations that Meta monopolized the social media advertising market weeks after he declined to certify a class of Facebook users that would have numbered in the millions.

  • February 12, 2025

    Munger Tolles Coaxes Corporate Pro Out Of Retirement

    Munger Tolles & Olson LLP announced Wednesday that it has added a mergers and acquisitions specialist with 30 years of experience to its roster at its Los Angeles headquarters, in a role that will have him spearheading the expansion of the firm's corporate practice to meet clients' growing needs.

  • February 11, 2025

    Faulty 'Harry Potter' Ride Crushed Grandma's Spine, Jury Told

    A woman known in her family as the "adventure grandma" was horribly injured at Universal Studios Hollywood on a "Harry Potter" ride, a California federal jury was told Tuesday during opening statements of a trial over allegations the ride's poor design and employee negligence resulted in her spine being crushed.

  • February 11, 2025

    Split 6th Circ. Backs Ex-Cincinnati Politician's Conviction

    A split Sixth Circuit ruled Tuesday that, although a close case, there was enough evidence to convict a former Cincinnati council member of bribery and attempted extortion in connection with a sports betting development project spearheaded by a former Cincinnati Bengals player.

  • February 11, 2025

    ​​​​​​​FCC's Subsidy Fund Like 'Bureaucrat's Dream,' Justices Told

    A free-market litigation group urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's fee system to support telecom subsidies, comparing the regime to an out-of-control IRS with unbridled taxing powers.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ye Accused Of Bullying And Calling Himself Hitler In Suit

    A former marketing specialist for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, sued the "Heartless" rapper in California state court on Tuesday, accusing West of being a "bully" who openly called himself Hitler and threatened her using profanities on account of her being Jewish.

  • February 11, 2025

    Patent Attys Can Be Liable For Fees Too, Justices Told

    The tech and retail industries are endorsing an effort by Dish Network aiming to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to potentially expand the personal liability of lawyers who file failed patent cases that are found to be "exceptional" by the courts. 

  • February 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts X Plaintiff Can Revive Phone Data Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday questioned whether a lawsuit targeting social platform X could be revived and remanded to state court, with one judge suggesting circuit precedent established a privacy right that keeps the case in federal court, and another saying the lower court had "broad discretion" in deciding to dismiss the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Chinese Co. Must Clarify Trade Secret Claims Against TikTok

    A Chinese company suing TikTok for allegedly stealing proprietary information to develop a video-editing tool must provide more information about the trade secrets and copyrights claimed in its suit so that TikTok can prepare its defenses, a special master appointed to the case has ordered.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ex-Employee Sues Fla. News Database Co. Over Data Breach

    An Oklahoma resident has brought a proposed federal class action over a data breach against a Florida-based news database company, alleging that she was an employee and that her former employer didn't do enough to adequately protect her personal information from being stolen.

  • February 11, 2025

    FanDuel, DraftKings Hit With Patent Suits From WinView

    FanDuel and DraftKings were accused in New Jersey federal court of willfully infringing nine WinView IP Holdings patents covering online and mobile gambling despite the company's offers for collaboration.

  • February 11, 2025

    FTC Bureau Heads Include DOJ Alum With Big Tech Mandate

    The Federal Trade Commission named its new competition and consumer protection bureau chiefs Monday, tapping for its top competition enforcer the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's civil conduct head, praised specifically for his "experience taking on Big Tech."

  • February 11, 2025

    Ye Sanctioned, Ordered To Sit For Depo In Fired Guard's Suit

    A California judge ordered Ye on Tuesday to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit from a former security guard at the embattled rapper's Donda Academy and sanctioned him $500 for skipping a deposition, while also scolding Ye's counsel about the attorney's apparently difficult "history" before his court.

  • February 11, 2025

    Colo. Theater Says State Wrongfully Denied Tax Credit

    A Colorado theater has filed claims against the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade, alleging it wrongfully denied its application for a tax credit for rehabilitating the historic theater, according to a suit filed in state court Monday.

  • February 11, 2025

    Judge OKs Quick End To 'Moms Who Puck' TM Lawsuit

    A Connecticut federal judge has approved the dismissal of a trademark lawsuit brought by a professional women's hockey player against two retired teammates over the name of their podcast, "Moms Who Puck," about two weeks after the parties agreed to end the litigation.

  • February 11, 2025

    End 'Cableopoly' Over Broadband Consumers, 5G Groups Say

    Mobile industry groups formed a coalition this week to combat what they say are cable industry tactics meant to keep wireless companies from amassing enough spectrum to fully compete in and bring newer services to the home broadband market.

  • February 11, 2025

    Former Marvel Exec Sues Disney For 'Old White Guy' Bias

    The former co-president of Marvel Entertainment has filed a discrimination lawsuit in California state court alleging he was passed over for a promotion to lead the consumer products division of parent company Disney because he is an "old white guy."

Expert Analysis

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Alice Step 2 Trends Show Courts' Extrinsic Evidence Reliance

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    A look at recent trends in how district courts are applying Step 2 of the Alice framework shows that courts have increasingly relied on extrinsic evidence to help determine whether a claimed invention is "well-understood, routine, and conventional," says Jonathan Tuminaro at Sterne Kessler.

  • What To Know As Children's Privacy Law Rapidly Evolves

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    If your business hasn't been paying attention to growing state and federal efforts to protect children online, now is the time to start — there is no sign of this regulation slowing down, and more aggressive enforcement actions are to be expected in the coming year, says Susan Rohol at Willkie Farr.

  • What High Court TM Rulings Tell Us About Free Speech

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    Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings show tension between free speech and trademark law, highlighting that while political mockery is protected, established brands may be forced to adapt to evolving cultural values, says William Scott Goldman at Goldman Law Group.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Questions Remain After 3rd Circ.'s NCAA Amateurism Ruling

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    The Third Circuit's recent holding that college athletes can be considered employees under the FLSA adds to the trend of student-athletes obtaining new legal status in collegiate athletics, but leaves key questions unanswered, including how the economics of the decision will be applied, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Playing The Odds: Probing Sports Betting Allegations

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    With gambling-related controversies becoming a mainstay of the athletics landscape, it's essential for in-house and outside counsel to stay abreast of best practices for conducting sports betting investigations, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Leveling Up IP Protections For Video Game Icons' Film Debuts

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    Video game creators venturing into new realms of entertainment that include their iconic characters, such as television and film adaptations, should take specific steps to strengthen their intellectual property rights, say Joshua Weigensberg and Parmida Enkeshafi at Pryor Cashman.

  • The Show Must Go On: Noncompete Uncertainty In Film, TV

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    The Federal Trade Commission has taken action to ban noncompetes while the entertainment industry is in the midst of a massive shift away from traditional media, so it is important for studio heads and content owners alike to understand the fate of the rule and their options going forward, say Christopher Chatham and Douglas Smith at Manatt.

  • A Refresher On Calculating Political Advertising Costs

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    With election season well underway, it is important for broadcasters, political candidates, time buyers and others concerned with how the cost of broadcast political advertising is determined to know what the Federal Communications Commission factors into lowest unit calculations, and how the commission has defined "commercial advertisers," says Gregg Skall at Telecommunications Law Professionals.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

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