Retail & E-Commerce

  • October 07, 2024

    Justices Reject 5-Hour Energy's Attack On Unfair Pricing Test

    The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the maker of 5-Hour Energy's petition to review a Ninth Circuit test for deciding whether companies are in competition with one another in price discrimination cases Monday, allowing the circuit court's revival of a suit brought by wholesalers to stand.

  • October 07, 2024

    High Court Rejects Pleas To Hear 7 Patent Cases

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down seven petitions seeking review of decisions in patent cases, including appeals dealing with double patenting, patent eligibility and Patent Trial and Appeal Board procedures.

  • October 04, 2024

    Top 5 Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Fall

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear several cases in its October 2024 term that could further refine the new administrative law landscape, establish constitutional rights to gender-affirming care for transgender minors and affect how the federal government regulates water, air and weapons. Here, Law360 looks at five of the most important cases on the Supreme Court's docket so far.

  • October 04, 2024

    JPML Agrees To Combine Snowflake, AT&T Data Breach MDLs

    The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Friday centralized a slew of cases stemming from high-profile data breaches affecting customers of the Snowflake Inc. cloud platform in the District of Montana, a transfer order that includes sprawling multidistrict litigation against AT&T, one of Snowflake's customers.

  • October 04, 2024

    Circle K Avoids Trial, Settles Suit Over Gas Pump Death

    The family of a woman who was killed at a Circle K gas pump that caught fire has settled its claims against the convenience store and gas station company and its attorneys on the eve of trial, an attorney confirmed Friday.

  • October 04, 2024

    Amazon Consumers Want In On FTC Antitrust Econ Primer

    Consumers bringing proposed class claims against Amazon over its seller contracts have asked a Washington federal judge to let them join an upcoming "economics day hearing" in the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the e-commerce giant of similar antitrust violations, saying experts will be addressing overlapping competition issues.

  • October 04, 2024

    Tractor Fluid MDL's $32M Settlement To Move Forward

    A Missouri federal judge has given the go-ahead to a $32 million settlement between tractor owners and a pair of hydraulic fluid makers to resolve claims in multidistrict litigation alleging the fluid was defective and damaged vehicles that used it.

  • October 04, 2024

    Hemp Org, Cheech & Chong Seek Halt Of Calif. Hemp Ban

    A leading hemp industry trade organization, along with the cannabis brand fronted by stoner comedians Cheech & Chong, have asked a Los Angeles state judge to halt enforcement of new California emergency regulations banning the sale of hemp products with THC.

  • October 04, 2024

    Couple Harassed By EBay May Not Get Maximum Damages

    A federal judge said Friday she will have to decide count by count whether she can allow a Massachusetts couple suing eBay over a harassment campaign against them to seek punitive damages under California law while pursuing compensatory damages for the same claims under the laws of the pair's home state.

  • October 04, 2024

    Tempur Sealy, Mattress Firm Sue To Block FTC Merger Case

    Tempur Sealy International Inc. and Mattress Firm Group Inc. told a Texas federal court on Friday that the Federal Trade Commission's in-house process violates the Constitution, so the agency's case challenging their planned $4 billion merger should be blocked.

  • October 04, 2024

    Albertsons Inks $3.9M Overcharge Deal With Calif. DAs

    Albertsons and its affiliate companies have agreed to pay $3.9 million to settle a civil enforcement action accusing them of bilking shoppers by charging higher prices for grocery items than what was advertised, according to an announcement made by several California district attorneys. 

  • October 04, 2024

    Epic Doubts Apple's Privilege Assertions In Antitrust Fight

    Epic Games told a California federal magistrate judge overseeing discovery in its antitrust compliance fight with Apple on Friday that it's concerned Apple has wrongly asserted privilege in more than half the documents it has declined to produce, while adding "we don't want to spend months here duking this out."

  • October 04, 2024

    Robertshaw Closes Ch. 11 Sale Hours Before 5th Circ. Stay

    Appliance parts maker Robertshaw sold the business to a group of its lenders this week, less than two hours before the Fifth Circuit entered an order staying the deal, marking a setback for Invesco, another lender that had objected to a Texas bankruptcy court's approval of the Chapter 11 asset sale.

  • October 04, 2024

    Up First At High Court: Civil Rights, Ghost Guns, Atty Fees

    The U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes Monday to start a brand-new term, with the justices first hearing arguments related to prerequisites for litigating federal rights in state courts, ghost gun regulations, and whether a death row inmate is entitled to a new trial after a state admits that prosecutorial misconduct might have led to his conviction.

  • October 04, 2024

    Judge Says Live Nation Case Runs Deeper Than Merger Pact

    In refusing to transfer the government's monopolization case against Live Nation, a New York federal judge said the settlement allowing the company's 2010 merger with Ticketmaster dealt only with potential problems that existed at the time and has no bearing on the new claims.

  • October 04, 2024

    High Court Will Hear Mexico's Suit Against Gun Cos.

    The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a decision allowing Mexico to sue a group of gun manufacturers alleging they have aided and abetted criminal cartels.

  • October 04, 2024

    High Court Takes Up E-Cig 'Forum Shopping' Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a Fifth Circuit ruling that allowed out-of-circuit e-cigarette manufacturers to seek judicial review before the New Orleans-based court so long as the petition is joined by a seller located in the circuit.

  • October 03, 2024

    Kohl's Beats Investor Class Action Over Activist Bid, For Now

    A Wisconsin federal judge has dismissed an investor class action alleging that Kohl's attributed positive financial results to executives' strategic planning instead of unrelated, pandemic-related factors in an attempt to defeat an activist at a board meeting, finding that the investors have failed to plead any actionable false or misleading statements.

  • October 03, 2024

    Trulieve Sues Fla. Republican Party Over Anti-Weed Ads

    Trulieve, which is Florida's largest medical marijuana company and the principal backer of a ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in the Sunshine State, has sued the state's Republican Party and a pair of television stations for defamation, alleging that they ran misleading anti-weed ads.

  • October 03, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Crocs' Fake IP Claims Could Be False Ads

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday revived false advertising claims against Crocs Inc., which a competitor said improperly stated that its shoes were made with "patented, proprietary, and exclusive" materials.

  • October 03, 2024

    Wash. AG Wants Albertsons Sanctioned In Opioid Suit

    Washington state's attorney general has accused Albertsons of using a state-court-ordered stay to shield itself from discovery in a consumer protection suit that accuses Rite Aid and grocery store pharmacies of exacerbating the opioid epidemic, seeking the appointment of a "discovery referee" in a new sanctions motion.

  • October 03, 2024

    Lowe's Staves Off Defamation Claim In Vendor's Contract Suit

    A home accents company accusing Lowe's of maligning its reputation with allegedly unsubstantiated claims about defective products and its financial health can't pursue defamation against the home improvement giant, North Carolina's business court has ruled.

  • October 03, 2024

    12 Lawyers Who Are The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar

    One attorney hasn't lost a single U.S. Supreme Court case she's argued, or even a single justice's vote. One attorney is perhaps "the preeminent SCOTUS advocate." And one may soon become U.S. solicitor general, despite acknowledging there are "judges out there who don't like me." All three are among a dozen lawyers in the vanguard of the Supreme Court bar's next generation, poised to follow in the footsteps of the bar's current icons.

  • October 03, 2024

    Chinese Nationals Get Prison For Counterfeit IPhone Caper

    Two Chinese citizens residing in Maryland have been sentenced to prison after being convicted for their roles in a $2.5 million scam that involved submitting over 6,000 counterfeit iPhones to Apple, inducing the company to replace the fakes with real smartphones.

  • October 03, 2024

    Georgia Resident Adds To Lawsuits Targeting Bio-Lab Fire

    A resident of Conyers, Georgia, is adding to the litigation against Bio-Lab Inc. and its corporate parent, KIK Custom Products Inc., with a proposed class action filed after a fire at the company's facility in the city on Sunday led to evacuation and shelter-in-place orders.

Expert Analysis

  • Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords

    Author Photo

    Large retail tenants often require co-tenancy provisions in their leases, entitling them to remedies if a shopping center's occupancy drops in certain ways, but landlords must draft these provisions carefully to avoid giving tenants too much control, says Gary Glick at Cox Castle.

  • Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools

    Author Photo

    A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.

  • 3 Patent Considerations For America's New Quantum Hub

    Author Photo

    Recent developments signal an incredibly bright future for Chicago as the new home of quantum computing, and it is crucial that these innovators — whose technology has the potential to transform many industries — prioritize intellectual property strategy, says Andrew Velzen at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

    Author Photo

    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies

    Author Photo

    An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • 11 Patent Cases To Watch At Fed. Circ. And High Court

    Author Photo

    As we head into fall, there are 11 patent cases to monitor, touching on a range of issues that could affect patent strategy, such as biotech innovation, administrative rulemaking and patent eligibility, say Edward Lanquist and Wesley Barbee at Baker Donelson.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

    Author Photo

    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.

  • Trending At The PTAB: Obviousness In Director Reviews

    Author Photo

    Three July decisions from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office favoring petitioners indicate a willingness by the director to review substantive issues, such as obviousness, particularly in cases where the director believes the Patent Trial and Appeal Board provided incorrect or inadequate rationale to support its decisions, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

    Author Photo

    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy

    Author Photo

    In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

    Author Photo

    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • Opinion

    Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority

    Author Photo

    Recent measures by Portland, Oregon, that expand the voter-approved scope of the Clean Energy Surcharge on certain retail sales eviscerate the common meaning of the word "retail" and exceed the city's chartered authority to levy tax, say Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig and Jeff Newgard at Peak Policy.

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!