Retail & E-Commerce

  • March 20, 2025

    Chinese Pool Firms Banned From US Sales Until Judgment Is Paid

    A North Carolina federal judge barred multiple Chinese companies and their owner from importing and selling pool equipment in the United States until they pay off a prior $17.8 million judgment after finding them in contempt for "actively frustrating" collection efforts by moving money around despite restraining orders.

  • March 20, 2025

    Saatva Misled Consumers About Mattress Material, Suit Says

    Saatva, a direct-to-consumer mattress brand, has been hit with a proposed class action in a New York federal court, with shoppers accusing it of misrepresenting that its products are nontoxic, natural and chemical-free, even though its mattresses contained materials that pose health and environmental concerns.

  • March 20, 2025

    Oracle Eyes Stake In TikTok's US Entity, And More Rumors

    Oracle is considering acquiring a stake in TikTok's U.S. operations that would allow the social media giant to continue doing business here under certain security assurances. Meanwhile, Brookfield Asset Management has emerged as the top contender to acquire Colonial Pipeline, and German drugmaker Stada is delaying its IPO until at least September because of market volatility. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • March 19, 2025

    Beech-Nut Beats Baby Food Metals Case Revived By 2nd Circ.

    A New York federal judge tossed Wednesday a recently revived consolidated proposed consumer class action alleging Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. sold baby food contaminated with metals, finding that the consumers have not shown they were economically harmed, while rejecting their claims they overpaid for the products or did not receive the benefit of the bargain.

  • March 19, 2025

    Philip Morris Must Face Bulk Of Fla. Zyn Injury Suits

    A Florida federal judge trimmed on Wednesday a single fraudulent concealment claim against Philip Morris' subsidiary in a pair of consumer lawsuits alleging ongoing injuries caused by addictions to Zyn nicotine pouches, but the judge refused to toss other claims, rejecting Philip Morris' jurisdictional challenges.

  • March 19, 2025

    DOJ Says Anthropic View Of Google Search Fix Is Now Moot

    The U.S. Department of Justice is urging a D.C. federal judge to dismiss Anthropic's bid to submit witness declarations in the remedies phase of the government's search antitrust case against Google, arguing that it already dropped the proposed remedy that drew Anthropic's input in the first place.

  • March 19, 2025

    Crisco Slips Proposed Class Cert. In Butter False Ad Suit

    A Crisco cooking spray purchaser looking to hold its manufacturer liable for an allegedly deceptive "butter" label cannot pursue those claims on behalf of other consumers because his intended classes aren't solid enough to proceed as one, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday.  

  • March 19, 2025

    DOJ Defends Rejection Of Agri Stats Bid For Data Points

    The U.S. Department of Justice is defending a decision in Minnesota federal court denying a bid from Agri Stats Inc. to make enforcers identify specific data fields in company reports that allegedly allow chicken, pork and turkey producers to share competitively sensitive information.

  • March 19, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs Partial Ax Of 'Money Mart' TM In Pawn Fight

    The Federal Circuit has backed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's finding that two Dollar Financial Group trademark registrations for the phrase "Money Mart" can't be used for pawn brokerages and pawn shops.

  • March 19, 2025

    Insurers End Dispute Over Pizza Chain Salmonella Coverage

    Two insurers for a "take 'n' bake" pizza chain have settled a dispute over their contributions to a deal reached by their mutual insured in an underlying case over salmonella-tainted cookie dough, with a Washington federal court tossing the suit.

  • March 19, 2025

    Judge Tosses Vroom Investors' IPO Suit Due To Vague Claims

    A New York federal judge has tossed a stockholder class action against Vroom Inc. over issues with its $468 million initial public offering, finding that none of the more than 50 challenged statements in the complaint made about the online car retailer's customer service or business plan are actionable.

  • March 19, 2025

    Conn. Barber Says She Faced Anti-Polish Bias, Docked Pay

    A former barber at a Greenwich, Connecticut, hair salon has taken her ex-employer to federal court for allegedly discriminating against her for being from Poland, failing to pay overtime, and docking her pay for "house charges" to cover amenities she was never given at work.

  • March 19, 2025

    EU Accuses Google Of Breaking New Big Tech Rules

    European enforcers accused Google on Wednesday of violating the bloc's new rules for digital markets by favoring its own services in search results and through restrictions in its Play Store, while also outlining steps Apple needs to take to comply.

  • March 19, 2025

    Court Tosses Challenge To Indiana's Delta-8 THC Policy

    An Indiana federal judge has dismissed a challenge brought by hemp industry stakeholders against Indiana's policy to rein in hemp-derived delta-8 THC, saying the case was a matter for a state court.

  • March 19, 2025

    Revlon Settles Trade Secrets Case Over Britney Spears' Scent

    A federal court signed off on settlements ending Revlon's trade secrets case against an upstart Italian beauty brand, and one of its former marketing executives, who were both accused of stealing trade secrets when luring Britney Spears' perfume line abroad.

  • March 19, 2025

    Activist Asks 9th Circ. To Revive Meta, Twitter RICO Fight

    Political activist Laura Loomer urged the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to revive her latest racketeering lawsuit alleging Meta and Twitter conspired with the government to censor conservative voices, arguing the lawsuit is distinct from three prior suits in part because this case involves accounts she used as a political candidate.

  • March 19, 2025

    How Cleary, Simpson Thacher Went To The Mattresses With FTC

    The Federal Trade Commission's attempt to block Tempur Sealy's $5 billion bid to acquire retailer Mattress Firm suffered a likely fatal blow when a Texas federal court refused to put the merger on hold.

  • March 19, 2025

    MLM Cosmetics Co. Doesn't Pay Any Wages, Stylist Says

    A multilevel marketing company illegally classifies stylists as independent contractors, thus forcing them to foot the bill for promoting the company's products, and only pays workers a commission and for recruiting more stylists, a lawsuit filed in California state court said.

  • March 19, 2025

    Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • March 18, 2025

    Quaker Oats Beats Pesticide Suit As Judge Cites EPA Limits

    An Illinois federal judge threw out a putative class action Tuesday accusing Quaker Oats Co. of misleadingly marketing its products as healthy despite the presence of pesticides, saying the chemical levels identified in the case are far below the limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

  • March 18, 2025

    Amazon Asks To Claw Back Docs In Consumer Antitrust Suits

    Amazon has asked a Washington federal court to allow it to claw back three documents it has deemed as privileged from consumers in a trio of proposed antitrust class actions, saying that the plaintiffs are refusing to return or destroy them after quoting them in their motion for class certification.

  • March 18, 2025

    PVC Pipe Giant's Top Brass Sued For Hiding Price-Fix Scheme

    PVC pipe maker Atkore Inc.'s top executives and board members were hit with derivative claims Tuesday for allegedly shielding the company's participation in a pandemic-era price-fixing scheme, just days after investors sued the company and three executives for the same alleged conduct.

  • March 18, 2025

    J&J Denies 'Evil Motive' In Face Of $30M Talc Damages

    Johnson & Johnson did not act with the kind of "evil motive" that would justify a $30 million punitive damages award to a Connecticut man who won a lawsuit alleging its talc products caused his lung cancer, the company argued Tuesday in state court.

  • March 18, 2025

    Vans Facility Subjected Employees To Extreme Heat, Suit Says

    A former Vans sneaker distribution center in Southern California made employees work in unventilated rooms that would reach over 100 degrees, an employee who worked at the facility for 16 years has alleged in a new lawsuit filed in California state court.

  • March 18, 2025

    Google, Apple Urge 9th Circ. To Reject Search Collusion Case

    Google and Apple are urging the Ninth Circuit to reject an appeal from an advertiser seeking to revive a case accusing Google of paying Apple to stay out of the search market, arguing that a ruling in the government's search case against Google has nothing to do with the claims.

Expert Analysis

  • How Trump's Tariff Promises May Play Out In 2nd Term

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    While it is unclear which of President-elect Donald Trump's promised tariffs he intends to actually implement in January, lessons from his first administration, laws governing executive action and U.S. trade agreements together paint a picture of what may be possible, say attorneys at Butzel.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

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    Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

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    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Reviewing 2024's State Consumer Privacy Law Enforcement

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    While we are still in the infancy of state consumer privacy laws, a review of enforcement activity this year suggests substantial overlaps in regulatory priorities across the most active states and gives insight into the likely paths of future enforcement, says Thomas Nolan at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Preparing For The New Restrictions On Investment Into China

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    In light of a new regulatory program governing U.S. investments in China-related technology companies of national security concern, investors should keep several considerations in mind, including the rules' effect on existing and new investments, compliance hurdles, and penalties for noncompliance ahead of the rules' January implementation, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

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    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Netflix Dispute May Alter 'Source' In TM Fair-Use Analysis

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    ​The Ninth Circuit’s upcoming decision in Hara v. Netflix​, about what it means to be source-identifying​, could change how the Rogers defense protects expressive works that utilize trademarks in a creative fashion, says Sara Gold at Gold IP.

  • What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry

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    The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Tracking The Uncertainty Of The FTC's Negative Option Rule

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    The fate of the Federal Trade Commission's final rule requiring businesses that utilize negative options to provide consumers with a simple cancellation method remains in limbo as it faces multiple legal challenges and the threat of possible congressional action looms, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Antitrust in Retail: Handbag Ruling Won't Go Out Of Fashion

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    Although a New York federal court’s recent decision to enjoin a proposed $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Michael Kors and Coach applied noncontroversial antitrust interpretations, several notable aspects of the opinion stand out as likely candidates for further discussion in future merger litigation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • What New Calif. Law Means For Cannabis Lounges

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    With a recently enacted California law authorizing licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses to prepare and sell noncannabis food and beverages, the door opens for a more sustainable business model — but challenges related to costs and liability remain, says Tracy Gallegos at Duane Morris.

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