Michigan

  • April 11, 2024

    US Sends Mixed Messages In Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline Dispute

    The U.S. government sent mixed messages to the Seventh Circuit in weighing in on Enbridge's controversial Line 5 oil pipeline, saying a lower court was right to determine that the company is trespassing on tribal lands, but recommended that the case be remanded and that a tribe's public nuisance claim be dismissed. 

  • April 10, 2024

    DOJ's Apple Antitrust Suit Gets New Judge After Recusal

    The New Jersey federal judge overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice's recent iPhone antitrust case against Apple recused himself from the litigation Wednesday, according to a text order posted to the docket reassigning the case.

  • April 10, 2024

    6th Circ. Says Firm Owes Insurer Part Of Defense Bill

    A financial advisory firm's professional liability insurer had no duty to defend the company in underlying securities suits after underlying plaintiffs removed their common law violations, the Sixth Circuit ruled, further allowing the insurer to be reimbursed for some of its defense costs.

  • April 10, 2024

    Mich. Justices Block Wind Farm's Plan To Expand Near Airport

    The Michigan Supreme Court has upheld a local board's decision to block a commercial wind farm expansion, agreeing with a trial judge that zoning officials had marshaled enough evidence that the windmills posed safety risks to aviators.

  • April 10, 2024

    Diamond Biz Says PE Firm Had 'No Intention' Of Paying Fees

    A Canadian diamond polisher is suing the private equity owner of a lab-grown diamond company in Michigan federal court, arguing that Huron Capital Partners promised to help fund new facilities to process the diamonds it was sending despite knowing the company was heading for bankruptcy and would be unable to pay the fees.

  • April 10, 2024

    Paper Companies Still Liable In Superfund Row, Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge held that International Paper Co. and Weyerhaeuser Co. can still be sued for future cleanup costs of a Michigan superfund site after the Sixth Circuit cut them loose from their portion of a $49 million bill for cleanup costs to date.

  • April 10, 2024

    Mich. Appellate Panel Won't Halt Election Case Against Atty

    A Michigan appellate panel on Tuesday said it wouldn't pause criminal proceedings against an attorney accused of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election or consider her appeal of a trial court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for missing a hearing.

  • April 10, 2024

    GM Hit With Class Action Over 'Shift-To-Park' Defect

    General Motors vehicles have a defect that prevents vehicles from detecting when they are in park, stopping drivers from shutting off or locking the vehicle and causing batteries to drain, a proposed class of drivers alleged in a new suit Tuesday.

  • April 09, 2024

    Jones Day's FOIA Suit Turning Into Judicial Quagmire

    A Michigan state judge said what he initially thought was a straightforward open-records dispute had turned into a complicated mess, as law firm Jones Day argued Tuesday that a Michigan agency must turn over documents related to its crackdown on the family of toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

  • April 09, 2024

    How Imminent Is 'Imminent,' Judge Asks In Supply Chain Fight

    A Colorado federal judge asked an auto parts supplier Tuesday how quickly a Michigan company's alleged violation of an exclusivity deal would have tangible effects, as he considered temporarily stopping the Michigan firm from using other suppliers.

  • April 09, 2024

    GM Rips 'Word Salad' Discovery Request, Fights Sanction Bid

    General Motors and its Detroit Renaissance Center told a Michigan federal judge Monday that guests of the center's Marriott hotel are unfairly demanding sanctions over allegedly unreasonable discovery requests, saying the businesses are making every effort to respond in a timely fashion to the "burdensome" interrogatories.

  • April 09, 2024

    Senate Confirms US Atty To Michigan Court

    The Senate voted 58-42 on Tuesday to confirm Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. White to the Eastern District of Michigan bench.

  • April 09, 2024

    16 States Seek To Defend EPA Particulate Matter Rule

    A coalition of 16 states, New York City and Washington, D.C., has pushed to intervene before the D.C. Circuit in defense of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent final rule tightening federal standards for fine particulate matter pollution, as it faces challenges from industry groups and Republican-led states.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Regulators' Fraud Fears Are 'Nonsense,' Developer Says

    A real estate developer has told Michigan's high court that the state is raising unfounded concerns that Michigan will become a haven for fraudsters if the top court does not adopt a federal judicially created test to determine when an investment is a security, telling the justices Michigan's own securities law is controlling.

  • April 08, 2024

    Ford Motor Co. OT Claims Transferred To Michigan

    An Ohio federal judge sent a proposed collective action by a former Ford Motor Co. plant worker to the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday after the worker and the auto manufacturer said the case is better dealt with near Ford's headquarters in Detroit.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Judge Not Persuaded Wineries' Agritourism Is Speech

    A Michigan federal judge has found a local ban on wineries hosting weddings is not a commercial speech restriction despite the advertising potential of such events, again trimming a contentious zoning dispute ahead of trial. 

  • April 08, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds Partial Award In ESOP Liability Dispute

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld a lower court's finding that an insurance firm was obligated to pay some costs spent defending a consulting firm's stock valuation work, based on a finding that costs weren't completely covered under the insurer's professional liability policy exclusion.

  • April 08, 2024

    Feds Can't Believe Steel Factory Doesn't Know Own Directors

    The U.S. government told a Michigan federal judge that a steel input manufacturer can't try to avoid questions about business decisions by claiming it can't identify company leaders, asking the judge to make the factory answer key inquiries about its practices when it sought to remove oven gas limits.

  • April 08, 2024

    Doctors Say MSU Vax Mandate Suit Needs High Court Review

    Three doctors urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case challenging Michigan State University's vaccine mandate after the Sixth Circuit backed the suit's dismissal, arguing that the circuit court should have applied a stricter standard when considering whether the government could interfere with patients' medical decisions.

  • April 05, 2024

    Parents Seek Justices' Review Of Private School Funding Law

    Five Michigan families want the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their challenge to a Michigan constitutional provision that they say prevents them from using tax-advantaged education savings accounts to pay for religious school tuition, alleging the law amounts to religious discrimination.

  • April 05, 2024

    BofA Objects To Allowing Zelle Fraud Claim To Proceed

    Bank of America took umbrage with certain recommendations a federal magistrate judge made in allowing to proceed a proposed class action over alleged fraud on the peer-to-peer payment service Zelle.

  • April 05, 2024

    Mich. Panel Rejects 'Fees For Fees' In Contractor's FOIA Bid

    A split Michigan state appeals court has refused to top attorney fees a construction contractor won against a county-level road agency that the contractor accused of failing to disclose certain hiring information, with the court finding the fees to be limited because the contractor dragged out litigation.

  • April 05, 2024

    Carl Sagan Co. Says It Owns Astronomer's Rights In TM Fight

    A company managing the works of famed astronomer Carl Sagan said it has the rights to the scientist's name and likeness, telling a Michigan federal judge that it has the standing to sue a software company for allegedly using Sagan's name without permission.

  • April 05, 2024

    Mich. Plaintiffs Bar Prepares For Growth After Policy Shifts

    After decades of the deck stacked against them, Michigan's plaintiffs attorneys are poised to take advantage of a more hospitable environment for personal injury cases and pharmaceutical class actions, though experts caution the learning curve will be steep.

  • April 05, 2024

    Insurer Denies Coverage In Pet Store BIPA Class Action

    An insurer told a Michigan federal court Friday that it didn't have to cover a pet store in an underlying employee proposed class action alleging the store violated Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act because the claims were precluded by the policy and a state statute of limitations.

Expert Analysis

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    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.

  • Ga. Ruling A Win For Plaintiffs Injured By Older Products

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    The Georgia Supreme Court's recent opinion in Ford Motor Co. v. Cosper gives plaintiffs the assurance that even if they are injured by older products, they can still bring claims under state law if the manufacturer used a design that it knew, or should have known, created a risk of substantial harm, says Rob Snyder at Cannella Snyder.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    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.

  • State Regs Sow Discord Between Cannabis, Hemp Industries

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    Connecticut, Maryland and Washington are the latest states choosing to require intoxicating hemp products to comply with the states' recreational marijuana laws, resulting in a widening rift between cannabis and hemp as Congress works on crafting new hemp legislation within the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

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    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.

  • Opinion

    Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

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    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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