A Virginia federal court has rejected Jeld-Wen Inc.'s bid to overturn a landmark order forcing it to sell a door skin factory after finding the $115 million price is fair considering the circumstances and that its rival's plan to open its own factory will not restore competition.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2024 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Judge Found Door Market Won't Change Without Factory Sale

By Matthew Perlman

A Virginia federal court has rejected Jeld-Wen Inc.'s bid to overturn a landmark order forcing it to sell a door skin factory after finding the $115 million price is fair considering the circumstances and that its rival's plan to open its own factory will not restore competition.

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Split Del. Jury Clears Qualcomm In Arm Ltd. Chip Fight

By Jeff Montgomery

A federal jury in Delaware on Friday rejected semiconductor design and licensing giant Arm Ltd. Inc.'s claims that Qualcomm Inc. breached Arm's chip architecture licensing and trademark rights, but was declared hung on matching claims against Nuvia Inc., acquired by Qualcomm in 2021

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Colo. Panel Upholds Antero's $215M Wastewater Contract Win

By Rachel Riley

A Colorado appellate panel will hold a wastewater solutions firm to a $215 million judgment for breaching salt standards in a contract to build a fracking water treatment plant for Antero Resources, recognizing an email referencing the criteria as a part of a change order and thus the deal itself.  

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LEGAL ETHICS & MALPRACTICE

Beasley Allen Fights Bid To Recuse Judge In Talc Fee Suit

By Emily Sawicki

Beasley Allen Law Firm on Friday fired back at The Smith Law Firm PLLC's motion to recuse an Alabama federal judge from Beasley Allen's breach of contract suit because the jurist previously represented the firm, arguing that the request is incompatible with Seventh Circuit precedent.

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REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Calif. Panel Says Woman Has Right To Sue Over Home Sale

By Isaac Monterose

A California state appeals court reversed a quick win granted to Sotheby's International Realty Inc. and other real estate brokers in a suit filed over a $3.15 million sale of a Malibu home, ruling in a published decision that the homeowner legally allowed his daughter to sue over the property sale.

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INSURANCE

Fla. Labs Appeal $7.3M Conn. Jury Verdict Favoring Cigna

By Carolina Bolado

Three Florida substance abuse testing laboratories filed notice Thursday promising to appeal a $7.3 million loss to Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. over billings for recurring tests on drug treatment patients the insurer said were not medically necessary.

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PRODUCT LIABILITY

Feature

Top Pa. Cases Of 2024: Elon Musk, Johnny Doc, Uber Drivers

By P.J. D'Annunzio

This year was a standout for high-profile legal battles in Pennsylvania, from a blockbuster verdict against Monsanto over its Roundup weedkiller to the Philadelphia district attorney's fight with Elon Musk over allegations that he tried to influence the 2024 presidential election with his million-dollar giveaway.

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PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTION

Analysis

The Top Cases Of 2024 In Texas: Year In Review

By Spencer Brewer

Texas closed out the year with blockbuster rulings on social media companies’ use of biometric data and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s expanded definition of a dealer. Here are the biggest decisions out of Texas that topped Law360’s radar this year.

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Amazon Touted Efforts To Curb Price-Gouging, Shoppers Say

By Greg Lamm

A group of online shoppers said Thursday that Amazon can't dodge litigation alleging price-gouging during the pandemic, arguing that the retail giant's efforts to toss the case are contradicted by earlier public statements "trumpeting" the company's work with Washington's attorney general to enforce the state's consumer protection law against price-gougers.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Samsung Contractor Still Partly On Hook In Patent Suit

By Adam Lidgett

A California federal judge has partially denied a Samsung contractor's attempt to beat a suit alleging two of its products infringe a pair of technology patents, only agreeing to narrow which claims can move to trial.

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Nike, Converse Blast Co.'s Trade Secret Case Ahead Of Trial

By Ivan Moreno

Ahead of a trial in February in Oregon federal court, Nike Inc. and Converse Inc. on Thursday blasted trade secret theft allegations involving an anti-counterfeiting system from Valmarc Corp., saying that Valmarc failed to protect its claimed secrets, that the technology at issue has been around for years and that the company's complaint is time-barred.

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SPORTS & BETTING

Feature

Watershed NCAA, UFC Settlements Highlight 2024's 2nd Half

By Elaine Briseño

The second half of 2024 saw the sunset of several yearslong lawsuits that will significantly impact the world of sports, including the settlement of the NCAA's name, image and likeness antitrust litigation and the closing of the UFC's legal battle with current and former fighters. Here, Law360 explores the top sports and betting moments from the second half of 2024.

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Roundup

Off The Bench: Jordan's NASCAR Dunk, NIL Attys' Payday

By Alex Lawson

In this week's Off The Bench, Michael Jordan's racing team scores an early-stage win in its antitrust battle with NASCAR, attorneys engineering a historic settlement with the NCAA seek more than half a billion dollars in fees, and the fracas over college sports realignment makes headaches for the Mountain West Conference.

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SECURITIES & WHITE COLLAR

Analysis

A Look Back At 2024's Major Securities Litigation Moments

By Katryna Perera

The private securities litigation bar experienced a busy 2024, with meaningful and significant rulings in almost all of the nation's leading courts, and corporations, investors, government agencies and executives fighting over pay packages, disclosures, class certifications and mergers.

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COMPETITION

Medical Records Co. Wants Rival's Antitrust Suit Tossed

By Matthew Perlman

Epic Systems Corp. told a New York federal court that an antitrust case lodged by Particle Health Inc. is really just payback for revealing concerns that Particle allowed its customers to inappropriately access personal medical records.

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UK LITIGATION

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Max Austin

This past week in London has seen the University of Southampton sue a drone-maker over the rights to an uncrewed aircraft patent, Importers Service Corp. and its subsidiary ISC Europe take action against a former director who allegedly owes the company over £1.1 million ($1.4 million), and DAC Beachcroft face a fraud claim by a "prolific litigant." 

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

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NLRB Likely To Fill Vacuum After NMB Jurisdiction Ruling

The National Mediation Board's recent ruling in Swissport Cargo Services LP abandoned decades of precedent by concluding the Railway Labor Act doesn’t apply to airline service providers, likely leading the National Labor Relations Board to assert its jurisdiction instead and potentially causing more operational disruptions and labor strife, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

MoFo, Irell Latest Firms To Unveil Competitive Bonuses

By Aebra Coe & Hailey Konnath

Morrison Foerster LLP and litigation boutique Irell & Manella LLP have joined a chorus of firms announcing associate bonuses that meet or exceed the BigLaw standard for associate bonuses this year, with MoFo offering up to $218,200 and Irell handing its lawyers as much as $175,000.

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Approach The Bench: What Judges Had To Say This Year

By Cara Bayles

Jurists weighed the benefits of partisan elections, praised innovations in telehearings and worried about the future of the profession in nearly a dozen interviews with Law360 this year.

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Gunster $8.5M Data Breach Deal Needs More Info, Judge Says

By Matt Perez

A Florida federal judge this week denied preliminary approval of an $8.5 million settlement in a data breach class action against Gunster and demanded more information on payouts, the plaintiffs' standing in the case and a historical breakdown of settlement rates.

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NJ Bar's Diversity Plan Isn't Biased, Panel Says

By Tracey Read

A New Jersey state appeals court reversed and remanded on Friday a lower court's ruling that found the state bar association's diversity practices to be an unlawful, discriminatory quota system.

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Analysis

How Lawyers May Sue The Trump Administration … Again

By Cara Bayles

During the last Trump administration, BigLaw firms challenged White House policies, focusing on immigration, environmental regulations and healthcare. This time around, attorneys could rely on old tools, and some new tactics, to stall the executive branch.

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Biden Exceeds Trump's Record On Judges By One

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Senate confirmed on Friday the last two judicial nominations from President Joe Biden, making his total of lifetime judicial appointments 235, just one over President Donald Trump's 234.

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High Court Bar's Future: Williams & Connolly's Sarah Harris

By Katie Buehler

Sarah M. Harris of Williams & Connolly LLP never planned on being a U.S. Supreme Court advocate, or even an appellate one. She stumbled upon that career path after realizing her initial goal of becoming a national security or government lawyer wasn't the right fit.

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Legislators Key To Court Fee Relief, Chief Justices Say

By Cara Salvatore

Two state high court chief justices and a top judicial administrator have told the National Center for State Courts that while they've been able to make significant progress in abolishing unfair court fines and fees, lawmakers have been vital in enacting these changes.

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No, Microsoft Isn't Driving DOJ's Google Antitrust Suit: Judge

By Bryan Koenig

A D.C. federal judge pushed back Friday on Google's efforts to paint Microsoft as the true plaintiff in the Justice Department's search monopolization lawsuit, casting doubt during a hearing that Google should get even more information about Microsoft's relationship with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

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Feature

Litigator On The Roof: The Acting, Singing Mass. Solicitor

By Chris Villani

The top appellate lawyer in the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General will be ringing in the new year by performing a comical cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, the latest show in a lengthy side career in music.

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Another Texas Judge Exits X's Advertising Boycott Suit

By Lauren Berg

The second Texas judge to oversee litigation filed by Elon Musk's X Corp. accusing the World Federation of Advertisers and others of conspiring to withhold advertising revenue from the company has recused himself from the case.

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Hagens Berman Settles Suit Over Effexor Deal Atty Fees

By Bryan Koenig

A pharmaceutical reseller's in-house counsel and founder moved Friday to drop a Mississippi federal court breach of contract suit accusing Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP of stiffing him on his share of a $13 million attorney fees award from an antitrust class settlement, citing a resolution to the dispute.

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Girardi's Mental Health To Be Evaluated At NC Federal Prison

By Craig Clough

A California federal judge said Friday she will order Tom Girardi to receive a psychiatric evaluation at a North Carolina federal correctional facility after she recently delayed his wire fraud sentencing to determine if he should be committed to a medical facility instead of prison due to his dementia diagnosis.

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Q&A

A Judge Reflects: West Wing Call, 'Alford Plea?' Early Exit

By Hayley Fowler

When Chief Judge Louis A. Bledsoe III of the North Carolina Business Court hangs up his robes for the last time on Dec. 31, he'll leave behind a white-hot docket of high-profile cases and a profusion of opinions that helped mold the court into a tribunal fit to rival Delaware's Court of Chancery.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Andrea Keckley

This week's Legal Lions leader comes from the public sector, as federal prosecutors secured a $650 million settlement from McKinsey & Co. to resolve a lawsuit over the consulting giant's role in Purdue Pharma's promotion of OxyContin.

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In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

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LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Addleshaw Goddard

Ahmad Zavitsanos

Akerman LLP

Alston & Bird

American Center for Law & Justice Inc.

Andrews & Springer

Armstrong Teasdale

Arnold & Porter

Bainbridge Mims

Barrett Law Group

Bartlit Beck

Beasley Allen

Blacks Solicitors

Bradley Arant

Brito PLLC

CMS Cameron McKenna

Cantey Hanger

Charles Russell Speechlys

Choate Hall

Copeland Franco

Covington & Burling

Cravath Swaine

DAC Beachcroft

DLA Piper

Davis Graham

Davis Wright Tremaine

Dechert LLP

Dhillon Law Group

Domnick Cunningham

Fenchurch Law

Fieldfisher

Fisher & Phillips

Folio Law Group

Forsters LLP

Fox Rothschild

Fried Frank

Friedman Oster

Gatehouse Chambers

Gibbons PC

Gibson Dunn

Girardi & Keese

Glancy Prongay

Glenn Agre

Goodwin Procter

Gowling WLG

Gunster Yoakley

Gupta Wessler

Hadsell Stormer

Hagens Berman

Halunen Law

Haynes & Boone

Hilgers Graben

Hogan Lovells

Holman Fenwick

Holwell Shuster

Hueston Hennigan

Hugh James

Hunton Andrews

Irell & Manella

Jenner & Block

Jones Day

Kaufman Dolowich

Keker Van Nest & Peters

Kirkland & Ellis

Kutak Rock

Labaton Keller

Latham & Watkins

Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh

Lewis Roca

Locke Lord

Manning Kass

Markowitz Herbold

Mayer Brown

McGuireWoods

Milbank LLP

Morgan & Morgan

Morgan Lewis

Morris Nichols

Morris S. Getzels Law Office

Morrison Foerster

Munger Tolles

Nabarro LLP

Norton Rose

O'Melveny & Myers

Orrick Herrington

Patterson Belknap

Paul Weiss

Paynter Law Firm

Perkins Coie

Porter Malouf

Proskauer Rose

Quinn Emanuel

Raines Feldman

Reynolds Porter

Robbins Geller

Robinson Bradshaw

Ropes & Gray

Ross Aronstam

Roythornes Solicitors

Rushton Stakely

Sanford Heisler

Sidley Austin

Skadden Arps

Spector Constant & Williams

Strength & Connally

Sullivan & Cromwell

TLT LLP

Trenk Isabel

Troutman Pepper

Trowers & Hamlins

Vartabedian Hester

Vinson & Elkins

Wachtell Lipton

Ward Hadaway

White & Case

Wiley Rein

Wilkinson Stekloff

Williams & Connolly

WilmerHale

Wilson Sonsini

Winston & Strawn

Young Conaway

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

ARM Holdings PLC

Amazon.com Inc.

American Civil Liberties Union

American Constitution Society

American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations

Antero Resources Corp.

Apple Inc.

Applied Materials Inc.

Ares Management Corp.

Atlantic Coast Conference

BNP Paribas SA

Beazley PLC

Blackstone Inc.

Boy Scouts of America

British American Tobacco PLC

Buffalo Bills

CVC Capital Partners Ltd.

CVS Health Corp.

Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

Converse Inc.

Dell Technologies Inc.

Democracy Forward Foundation

Duke Energy Corp.

Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc.

Epic Systems Corp.

Erie Insurance Inc.

Essity AB

Evercore Inc.

Exxon Mobil Corp.

Federalist Society

GP Global

Google LLC

Gulf Petrochem FZC

Inovalon Holdings Inc.

International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

JELD-WEN Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

Judicial Watch Inc.

Lambda Legal Defense & Educational Fund

Los Angeles Dodgers

Macquarie Group Ltd.

Macquarie Infrastructure Corp.

Mars Inc.

Match.com Inc.

McKinsey & Co. Inc.

Meadow

Meta Platforms Inc.

Miami Dolphins

Microsoft Corp.

Monsanto Co.

Mozilla Corp.

NBCUniversal Media LLC

NFL Enterprises LLC

NVIDIA Corp.

Nascar Digital Media LLC

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Natixis SA

New Jersey State Bar Association

Nike Inc.

Nordic Capital Ltd.

Our Children's Trust

Pac-12 Enterprises LLC

Pfizer Inc.

Princeton University

Purdue Pharma LP

QUALCOMM Inc.

ROC Nation LLC

RWE AG

Reynolds American Inc.

Rocket Cos.

Saint-Gobain SA

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

SoftBank Group Corp.

Sotheby's

Spotify Technology SA

Starr International Co. Inc.

Steves & Sons Inc.

Swissport International Ltd.

Tesla Inc.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

The Carlyle Group Inc.

The Cigna Group

The DIRECTV Group Inc.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The New York Times Co.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC

The Walt Disney Co.

TikTok Inc.

TransUnion LLC

Twitter Inc.

Uber Technologies Inc.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Ltd.

Unilever PLC

United Airlines Holdings Inc.

United Steelworkers

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Valero Energy Corp.

Veolia Environnement SA

Walmart Inc.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Wells Fargo & Co.

Western Environmental Law Center

World Economic Forum

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Arkansas Teacher Retirement System

Central Intelligence Agency

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Companies House

Dallas County, Texas

Delaware Court of Chancery

European Union

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Georgia Court of Appeals

Internal Revenue Service

Los Angeles Superior Court

National Labor Relations Board

National Mediation Board

Ohio Supreme Court

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Public Utility Commission of Texas

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Texas Legislature

Texas Supreme Court

The Crown Prosecution Service

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

UK High Court

US Office of Management and Budget

United States District Court for the District of Colorado

United States District Court for the District of Nevada