Retail & E-Commerce

  • November 22, 2024

    1st Circ. Affirms Volvo Win In Dealers' Maintenance Pay Suit

    The First Circuit affirmed a pretrial win granted to Volvo in a suit brought by two dealerships claiming the carmaker was underpaying them for maintenance they perform under prepaid service plans.

  • November 22, 2024

    Walmart Class Attys In $123M Opioid Deal Seek $24.6M Fee

    Three plaintiffs firms known for shareholder litigation are seeking $25 million in fees for their work on a $123 million settlement with Walmart in Delaware's Chancery Court, ending a suit that claimed oversight failures at the retail giant led to reckless opioid prescriptions and massive liabilities.

  • November 22, 2024

    Judge 'Concerned' With 'Lack Of Progress' In Walmart OT Suit

    A Georgia federal judge warned that he was "concerned by the lack of progress on the limited discovery" he reopened last month at the request of a Walmart warehouse manager suing the company for unpaid overtime hours.

  • November 21, 2024

    Messi Drink's Look A 'Blatant' Copy, Logan Paul's Co. Says

    Social media influencer Logan Paul's sports beverage company Prime Hydration has struck back at the maker of White Claw over its new beverage collaboration with soccer legend Lionel Messi, saying in a New York federal court filing that the "blatant copying" of their Prime product's trade dress has already created consumer confusion.

  • November 21, 2024

    Children's Place Investor Drops Suit After Counsel Rule Qualm

    A New Jersey federal judge agreed Thursday to let an investor who protested conditions the court placed on his pick for lead counsel to voluntarily toss his proposed class action against clothing retailer The Children's Place Inc.

  • November 21, 2024

    Franchise Group Lenders Want End To Debtor's Ch. 11 Rights

    Lenders of bankrupt retail-focused holding company Franchise Group Inc., including Pacific Investment Management Co. and private equity firm Irradiant Partners, have urged a Delaware bankruptcy judge to end holdco debtor Chapter 11 exclusivity restrictions, arguing that the move offers the best escape from a near-inescapable "Gordian knot" entangling all their claims.

  • November 21, 2024

    FCC To Hit Video Doorbell Maker For Skirting Security Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission wants to slap Chinese smart home device maker Eken with a more than $700,000 fine for breaking agency rules that require foreign companies to have an agent located in the U.S.

  • November 21, 2024

    Walmart Hit With $34.7M Verdict For Defaming Truck Driver

    A California jury has awarded $34.7 million to a former Walmart truck driver, finding that the retailer defamed him when it falsely accused him of fraud and fired him after he was injured on the job and filed a worker's compensation claim.

  • November 21, 2024

    AutoZone, Ex-Manager Agree To Park Sex Bias Suit

    A subsidiary of car parts retailer AutoZone Inc. struck a deal to end a sex, gender and age bias suit from a former district manager who said the company fired her and replaced her with a younger worker, according to a filing in California federal court.

  • November 21, 2024

    Tempur Gave UK Co. 'Total Autonomy' Post-Merger, CEO Says

    The CEO of a United Kingdom-based mattress company acquired by Tempur Sealy in 2021 told a Houston federal judge Thursday that his new parent company has provided him "total autonomy" since the acquisition.

  • November 21, 2024

    Big Lots Seeks To Include Claims Against Execs In Asset Sale

    Discount retailer Big Lots on Thursday asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to approve a $760 million asset sale to a private equity group and override creditor objections to the inclusion of potential litigation claims against company insiders in the package.

  • November 21, 2024

    Glassmakers Seek Duty Probe On Overseas Competitors

    A group of U.S. glassmakers asked the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday to look into float glass imports from China and Malaysia, saying subsidies in those countries have allowed the imports to be sold at artificially low prices.

  • November 21, 2024

    EPA Announces National Strategy To Tackle Plastic Pollution

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday unveiled its national strategy outlining how government agencies, businesses, nonprofits and communities can prevent plastic pollution. 

  • November 21, 2024

    Sherwin-Williams Wants Pause In NJ Pollution Suit

    Sherwin-Williams asked a New Jersey state court to pause a suit from Garden State regulators over the contamination at one of its former plants, arguing an expert for the state has claimed the cleanup required under a consent decree failed to accurately assess the scope of contamination and that a massive new soil excavation is required.

  • November 21, 2024

    Louisiana Defends New Hemp Law From Industry Challenge

    A Cannabis industry-led lawsuit seeking to block Louisiana from imposing new restrictions on consumables infused with hemp-derived THC should be squashed, the state told a federal judge, saying the legal theories the suit presents "have been tried and failed elsewhere."

  • November 21, 2024

    Vape Maker Sued Over Illegally High Delta-9 THC Levels

    Two men are suing Lifted Liquids Inc. in Illinois federal court, alleging that its hemp-derived vape products contain more than .3% Delta-9 THC despite its advertising, making the products federally illegal and putting users at risk.

  • November 21, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Agrees Tomofun's Pet Camera Didn't Infringe Patent

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday affirmed a lower court's finding that pet technology company Tomofun's Furbo pet camera didn't infringe a pet communication patent, agreeing that the product at issue didn't cover key patent language.

  • November 21, 2024

    Calif. Judge Says Dormant Commerce Inapplicable To Pot

    A California federal judge on Thursday tossed an out-of-state entrepreneur's challenge to Sacramento's cannabis social equity licensure program, asserting that the dormant commerce clause does not apply to federally illegal marijuana.

  • November 21, 2024

    Newell Brands Wants Baby Bottle Microplastics Suit Tossed

    Newell Brands Inc. moved Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of misleading buyers by labeling its Nuk brand of baby bottles as BPA-free while failing to disclose the products leach microplastics when heated, saying the label is "objectively truthful."

  • November 21, 2024

    Chewy Investors Sue BC Partners In Del. Over PetSmart Deal

    British international investment giant BC Partners exploited its control of online pet product retailer Chewy Inc. when a BCP affiliate merged into Chewy after divesting its interest in PetSmart Inc., saddling Chewy with a potential $1.9 billion post-deal tax liability, according to a new Delaware Court of Chancery complaint.

  • November 21, 2024

    DOJ Urges Chrome, Android Sales In Google Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice late Wednesday formally asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge to order a range of steps to end Google's monopolization of general search services and the text ads shown alongside search results, most notably by forcing the company to spin off the Chrome browser.

  • November 20, 2024

    CVS Can't Dodge Proposed Action Over 'Non-Drowsy' Claims

    CVS Pharmacy must continue facing a proposed class action alleging it "dangerously" markets over-the-counter medicine as "non-drowsy" despite containing a substance known to cause drowsiness after a Missouri federal judge on Wednesday refused to toss claims lodged under Missouri and other states' consumer protection laws.

  • November 20, 2024

    Lululemon Execs Hit With Derivative Suit Over DEI Program

    Lululemon leadership was hit with a shareholder derivative suit Wednesday claiming they made false statements related to the company's new "Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action" program that artificially boosted the company's stock price and also concealed problems with the company's inventory allocation.

  • November 20, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Asks How Loper Bright Impacts EPA Fine Case

    A Ninth Circuit judge wondered on Wednesday what weight the court should give the Environmental Protection Agency's view in a chemical wholesaler's appeal of an $850,000 fine in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision, suggesting the justices might next end agency deference in regulatory interpretation.

  • November 20, 2024

    Wash. Judge Questions Startup's Amazon Antitrust Claims

    A Washington federal judge on Wednesday suggested that antitrust claims might not survive in a startup's complaint against Amazon Web Services involving a dispute over higher-speed internet connections in the Middle East that allowed the startup to cater to its customer Epic Games.

Expert Analysis

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

    Author Photo

    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

    Author Photo

    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Constitutional Protections For Cannabis Companies Are Hazy

    Author Photo

    Cannabis businesses are subject to federal enforcement and tax, but often without the benefit of constitutional protections — and the entanglement of state and federal law and conflicting judicial opinions are creating confusion in the space, says Amber Lengacher at Purple Circle.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Anticipating Disputes In Small Biz Partnerships And LLCs

    Author Photo

    In light of persistently high failures of small business partnerships and limited liability companies, mediator Frank Burke discusses proactive strategies for protecting and defining business rights and responsibilities, as well as reactive measures for owners.

  • The Often Overlooked NY Foreclosure Notice Requirements

    Author Photo

    As multifamily real estate defaults mount, New York foreclosing parties should be aware of pitfalls and perils that can await the litigant who is not prepared to ensure adherence with tenant notice requirements under the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, say Christopher Gorman and John Muldoon at Rosenberg & Estis.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • After Chevron

    Author Photo

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 37 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

    Author Photo

    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Antitrust In Retail: The Meaning Of 'Accessible Luxury'

    Author Photo

    In order for the Federal Trade Commission to block a deal that would put six "accessible luxury" brands, including Coach and Michael Kors, under one roof, the agency will need to prove that this category is distinct from the true luxury or mass-market categories, says David Kully at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

    Author Photo

    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Retail & E-Commerce archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!