Retail & E-Commerce

  • August 23, 2024

    Vaping Co. VPR Says Rival Ashh Infringing E-Cig Tech

    Florida-based e-cigarette manufacturer VPR Brands has slapped a rival with a patent infringement lawsuit, telling a Michigan federal court that its competitor has been making and selling vapes that infringe its patented "electronic inhaler" and atomizer system.

  • August 23, 2024

    Pot Entrepreneur Seeks To Ensure Judgment On Ex-Partner

    A cannabis entrepreneur urged a Colorado federal judge Friday to bar his former business partner from making any equity transactions until after the court has the opportunity to revisit a $6.4 million judgment ruling as part of a recent Tenth Circuit remand.

  • August 23, 2024

    Albertsons-Kroger Deal Tests FTC's Stepped-Up Merger Policy

    The Federal Trade Commission's highly anticipated hearing to block Albertsons' planned $24.6 billion merger with Kroger kicks off Monday in a Portland, Oregon, courtroom in what attorneys say will be a pivotal test of the Biden administration's newly formalized merger policy.

  • August 23, 2024

    Western Union Seeks To Toss Most Claims In $8M Breach Suit

    Western Union looks to shake off the bulk of a point-of-sales device manufacturer's $8.1 million breach of contract case, telling a Colorado federal court that much of the suit arose from purchase orders to which the financial services company hadn't been party.

  • August 23, 2024

    Google Args Don't Erase 'History Is On, Jesus,' DOJ Says

    Google employees were so conscious of hiding evidence of conduct "that leads to law suits" that they reacted quickly when forgetting to let internal chats delete automatically, the Justice Department said, pushing to punish the search giant for those policies in the looming advertising technology monopolization trial.

  • August 23, 2024

    Class Wants $2.1M In Fees In Home Depot Hose Fight

    A class suing Home Depot Corp. and Reliance Worldwide Corp. asked a Georgia federal judge to award them $2.1 million in attorney fees, more than $160,000 in expenses and $35,000 for class representative service awards in connection with a settlement that was preliminarily approved in March.

  • August 23, 2024

    Ga. Worker Received Lewd Pics From Boss's Son, Suit Says

    An Atlanta-area industrial machinery manufacturer was hit with a sex discrimination lawsuit by an employee who says she was berated by her boss after reporting the boss' son for sexual harassment.

  • August 23, 2024

    Illinois Car Dealers Can't Stop Direct EV Sales

    An Illinois state appeals court threw out a suit by franchise car dealerships and trade associations aiming to block two electric vehicle makers from selling directly to customers, saying Friday that neither the Illinois Vehicle Code nor the Motor Vehicle Franchise Act require carmakers to sell through a franchise dealership.

  • August 23, 2024

    The Biggest Texas Trial Rulings Of 2024: Midyear Report

    Trial courts in Texas saw a series of high-dollar verdicts for plaintiffs in suits over patent infringement and personal injuries, but appellate courts tempered some plaintiffs' successes, backing a large retail employer in a harassment suit and tossing a verdict based on a lawyer's remarks. Here's a look at some of the biggest trial decisions in Texas in the first half of 2024.

  • August 23, 2024

    Brokerage Startup Challenges NAR Listing Rules

    A Utah-based residential brokerage startup has accused the National Association of Realtors, an affiliated Utah multiple listing service and several major brokerages including Keller Williams Realty Inc. of engaging in an antitrust conspiracy that involved the defendants blocking the startup from accessing the NAR's MLS because the startup offers cheaper commission fees.

  • August 23, 2024

    Ex-Pot Shop Worker Says Sex Harassment Drove Her From Job

    A former employee at a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary is suing her ex-employer, saying she was subjected to "persistent and horrible" sexual harassment and denied her promised pay and benefits, leading to what she describes as wrongful constructive termination.

  • August 23, 2024

    Grocery Chain Wants 'Scandalous' Claims Out Of Allergy Suit

    The estate of a professional dancer who died after eating a mislabeled cookie that contained peanuts should revise its Connecticut state court complaint against a grocery chain and several of its employees to remove "scandalous" and "immaterial" allegations, the defendants said in a new filing.

  • August 22, 2024

    Popular Mich. Sushi Bar Sues Hacker Who Deleted Instagram

    A popular Michigan sushi restaurant is hoping a federal lawsuit will help it track down and hold accountable the person who hacked into and deleted its Instagram account, the loss of which the company said cost it thousands of dollars and harmed its reputation.

  • August 22, 2024

    11th Circ. Nixes Hyundai's Appeal Of $16M Dealership Verdict

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday rejected Hyundai Motor America's attempt to void a $16 million verdict awarded to a Florida dealership in a contract dispute over Hyundai's efforts to launch a separate dealer network for its luxury Genesis line of vehicles.

  • August 22, 2024

    Influencer-Backed Wine Glass Co. Sues Over Trade Dress

    A small startup that sells colorful wine glasses is suing other companies that sell similar glasses in Colorado federal court, calling those companies "counterfeiters" that are trying to capitalize on the startup's popularity stemming from the endorsement of a popular TikTok influencer.

  • August 22, 2024

    UK Antitrust Arm Pauses Google, Apple Probes For New Law

    United Kingdom antitrust authorities hit pause on investigations into Google and Apple policies allegedly locking app developers into their in-app payment systems, preferring to wait until new powers come online even as officials said commitments offered by Google aren't enough to address their concerns.

  • August 22, 2024

    Williams-Sonoma Infringes Fabric TMs, Michigan Co. Claims

    A supplier of moisture-resistant textiles and fabric treatments sued Williams-Sonoma Inc. in Michigan federal court Thursday, alleging the retailer is infringing three trademarks with its Pottery Barn furniture.

  • August 22, 2024

    Consumers Will Appeal Tossed Apple Web App Antitrust Case

    Consumers have told a California federal court they plan to appeal the dismissal of a case accusing Apple of violating antitrust law by preventing iPhones from running web-based apps, instead of amending the proposed class action.

  • August 22, 2024

    Consumer Rebuffs Reynolds' Bid To Nix 'Made In The USA' Case

    A woman challenging Reynolds Consumers Products LLC's aluminum foil's "Made in the U.S.A." labeling urged a New York federal court against freeing the company from her lawsuit, arguing that she had sufficiently shown how the label could harm consumers.

  • August 22, 2024

    Appeals Court Revives DC AG's Amazon Antitrust Suit

    A Washington, D.C., appeals court ruled Thursday that the D.C. attorney general can pursue an antitrust suit against Amazon, overturning a lower court order that tossed district enforcers' complaint against the e-commerce giant.

  • August 22, 2024

    Fla. Court Urged To Penalize Furniture Chain In Docs Dispute

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has urged a Florida federal court to levy an attorney fees penalty against a furniture chain over its failure to produce documents in an employment discrimination lawsuit, saying the company continues to skirt its obligation to produce information such as emails and financial records.

  • August 22, 2024

    Memorabilia Biz Sues Atlanta Braves For Maligning Reputation

    Auctioneer Heritage Vintage Sports has accused the Atlanta Braves in a defamation lawsuit of purposely maligning its image by leaking to the press that it did not have the right to sell certain items, including memorabilia connected to Hank Aaron.

  • August 22, 2024

    Kroger-Albertsons Wrong On Labor Law In FTC Row: NLRB

    The National Labor Relations Board used an amicus brief Wednesday to call out Kroger and Albertsons for their "mistaken" citation to labor law as a defense against Federal Trade Commission claims that the grocery giants' $25 billion megamerger threatens union bargaining leverage.

  • August 22, 2024

    Missouri Gov. Clashes With Secretary Of State Over Hemp Ban

    Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday blasted the state's secretary of state for declining to implement an emergency rulemaking that would have banned psychoactive consumable cannabis products manufactured outside the state's regulated adult-use marijuana market.

  • August 22, 2024

    Gunmaker, Web Developer Eye Mediation In Data Breach Suit

    A federal magistrate judge in Connecticut on Thursday agreed to slide expert witness deadlines into January 2025 and class certification deadlines into March, April and May so that a proposed class of customers can pursue mediation with gunmaker Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. and a web developer in a data breach lawsuit.

Expert Analysis

  • Dapper Settlement Offers Rules Of The Road For NFT Issuers

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    The terms of a $4 million settlement in a class action alleging that Dapper Labs sold its NBA Top Shot Moments as unregistered securities may be a model for third parties that wish to avoid securities liability in connection with offering digital asset non-fungible token collectibles, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Opinion

    'Trump Too Small' Ruling Overlooks TM Registration Issues

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last month in Vidal v. Elster, which concluded that “Trump Too Small” cannot be a registered trademark as it violates a federal prohibition, fails to consider modern-day, real-world implications for trademark owners who are denied access to federal registration, say Tiffany Gehrke and Alexa Spitz at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Why High Court Social Media Ruling Will Be Hotly Debated

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    In deciding the NetChoice cases that challenged Florida and Texas content moderation laws, what the U.S. Supreme Court justices said about social media platforms — and the First Amendment — will have implications and raise questions for nearly all online operators, say Jacob Canter and Joanna Rosen Forster at Crowell & Moring.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 26 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

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    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.

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