Retail & E-Commerce

  • July 01, 2024

    Court Tosses Constitutional Challenge To Pot Prohibition

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday granted the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to dismiss a constitutional challenge to federal marijuana prohibition, delivering a blow to an effort brought by a group of cannabis companies represented by litigator David Boies.

  • July 01, 2024

    Enforcers Push Antitrust Agenda, Brace For Google Ruling

    The first half of 2024 was marked by U.S. antitrust enforcers' pursuit of groundbreaking cases alleging anticompetitive conduct.

  • July 01, 2024

    Aldi Unit, Warehouse Settle Suit Over Rodent-Ravaged Sweets

    A New Jersey federal court permanently tossed a suit brought by an Aldi branch and its insurer seeking payback from a warehouse operator after rodents feasted on hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of chocolate stored there, signing off on a settlement.

  • July 01, 2024

    Commerce Bulks Up Chinese Pea Protein Duties To 355%

    The U.S. Department of Commerce announced final countervailing duties topping 355% for four Chinese makers of pea protein, while producers considered to be under government control will face anti-dumping duties approaching 270%.

  • July 01, 2024

    Starbucks Targets 'Starbuds' Marijuana Truck In IP Suit

    Starbucks has filed a trademark suit against the operator of a repurposed New York City food truck that sells marijuana under the brand Starbuds Flowers and uses an altered image of the coffee giant's iconic siren logo smoking a joint.

  • July 01, 2024

    SD Ban On Modified Hemp Products Allowed To Take Effect

    A new South Dakota state law prohibiting the processing of hemp derivatives into intoxicating products was allowed to go into effect Monday after a federal judge declined to grant an injunction halting its enforcement while a constitutional challenge played out.

  • July 01, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Two multimillion-dollar settlement approvals, a $25 million fee-shifting demand, and a biotech merger spoiled by murder: This was just the beginning of the drama last week in the nation's preeminent court of equity. Shareholders in satellite companies filed new cases, a cannabis company headed toward trial, and there were new developments in old disputes involving Tesla and Truth Social.

  • July 01, 2024

    Judge Won't Block Iowa Hemp Law Regulating THC Limits

    An Iowa law that imposes new restrictions on products with hemp-derived THC went into effect Monday after a federal judge, who previously expressed "serious concerns" about the statute's constitutionality, declined to grant a temporary restraining order halting its enforcement.

  • July 01, 2024

    Ga. E-Commerce Law Blocked By Federal Statute, Judge Says

    A Georgia federal judge on Sunday blocked new state-level regulations on e-commerce platforms from being enforced just a day before they were set to take effect, ruling that the Peach State's planned oversight conflicts with counterparts in federal law.

  • July 01, 2024

    Redbox Parent Chicken Soup For The Soul Hits Ch. 11

    Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc., the parent of movie rental kiosk pioneer Redbox, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court, saying it owes nearly $1 billion to creditors after it wasn't able to secure enough cash to purchase rights to newly released films.

  • July 01, 2024

    Clothing Maker Delta Apparel Hits Ch. 11 With Sale Plans

    Delta Apparel Inc., a Georgia-based clothes manufacturer, and six affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware with around $250 million in debt and plans to sell the lifestyle and clothes brand Salt Life while in bankruptcy.

  • July 01, 2024

    Supreme Court Widens Window To Challenge Federal Regs

    Legal challenges to federal regulations can be brought outside the normal statute of limitations if someone isn't adversely affected until after the six-year window of time to file suit, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.

  • June 28, 2024

    Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

    By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.

  • June 28, 2024

    Visa, Mastercard Can Manage 'Greater' Fee Deal, Judge Says

    Visa and Mastercard could likely tolerate a "substantially greater judgment" than the proposed settlement valued at about $30 billion in multidistrict litigation over the credit card companies' merchant fees, a New York federal judge ruled in an order unsealed Friday evening, rejecting the parties deal.

  • June 28, 2024

    R.I. Pot Residency Rule Unconstitutional, Fla. Resident Claims

    Rhode Island is hogging all the "enormous economic opportunities" associated with retail cannabis for state residents, according to a federal lawsuit filed by a Florida entrepreneur who claims the Ocean State's residency requirement is unconstitutional.

  • June 28, 2024

    Iowa's Hemp Law Could Be 'Unconstitutionally Vague'

    A federal judge on Friday suggested she'd consider blocking an Iowa hemp law, set to go into effect Monday, which would impose new restrictions on THC levels and dole out criminal penalties, saying the statute "potentially raises due process concerns."

  • June 28, 2024

    In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.

  • June 28, 2024

    E-Commerce Not Speech, Strictly Business, Ga. Tells Judge

    Lawyers for the State of Georgia attempted to convince a Georgia federal judge Friday that new regulations on e-commerce platforms set to take effect Monday neither restrict the online platforms' speech, nor do they conflict with a comparable set of restrictions enacted by Congress last year.

  • June 28, 2024

    Split 9th Circ. Revives Part Of Sprout Baby Food Label Suit

    A California couple suing Sprout Foods over nutrient statements on its baby food pouches can pursue a Golden State law claim but not fraud-based claims, a split Ninth Circuit panel ruled Friday, saying federal law doesn't preempt the state's labeling standards, but the parents haven't shown the products were misleading.

  • June 28, 2024

    Rite Aid Ch. 11 Plan OK'd With Insurers' Objections Resolved

    A New Jersey bankruptcy judge Friday approved pharmacy chain Rite Aid's Chapter 11 restructuring plan after the company said it had resolved objections from its insurance carriers to how the plan treats their policies.

  • June 28, 2024

    Calif. Panel Won't Toss Trial Win By AT&T's Cricket

    Cricket Communications Inc. won't have to worry about a 2018 jury trial win being kiboshed after a California appeals court ruled that when it overturned a pretrial ruling because a previous judge failed to disclose that he owned AT&T stock, it didn't mean the entire trial should be undone.

  • June 28, 2024

    2nd Circ. Puts Heat On Internet Archive Over E-Book Lending

    A Second Circuit panel had tough questions Friday for counsel defending the Internet Archive's argument that its free e-book lending program is fair use, questioning the assertion that its system of scanning physical books to convert them to digital form does not harm the market of the four publishers who sued for copyright infringement.

  • June 28, 2024

    Chevron Reversal's Impact In Trade Cases Likely Limited

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Friday overturning Chevron deference is expected to have wide-ranging impacts, but its effect may be less harsh on international trade litigation where the field is virtually clear of cases invoking the now-defunct standard.  

  • June 28, 2024

    Maxeon Was Overreliant On SunPower Sales, Investor Says

    Maxeon Solar Technologies was hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging that the company concealed that a significant portion of its business depended on exclusive sales of certain products to its former parent company, SunPower Corp., and that a terminated contract between the two would lead to a 41% revenue drop for Maxeon.

  • June 28, 2024

    Uber Driver Axes Coverage Claims Against Co.'s Insurer

    An Uber driver agreed to dismiss his claims against an insurer for Uber after he filed a suit in Massachusetts federal court accusing it and the ride-hailing company of wrongly refusing to offer him underinsured motorist coverage after he said he was severely injured in an accident.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    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'

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    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

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    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

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    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 at Finnegan.

  • In Biz Account Breaches, Look Beyond The Payment Platform

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    A business's legal path to recovering funds after bad actors access a payment platform account and engage in unauthorized transactions can lead into murky legal territory where liability is unclear, and pursuing the payment platform itself will be an uphill, if not insurmountable, struggle, say Edward Marshall and Morgan Harrison at Arnall Golden.

  • A Look At Calif. Contract Considerations In Fiji Water Ruling

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Carolina Beverage v. Fiji Water, that a party may not seek contractual recovery on the basis of constructive termination, offers a look at contract construction and other considerations on negotiating distribution agreements, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • Making Plans For BNPL Consumer Protection Compliance

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    With an interpretive rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set to require buy-now, pay-later providers to implement credit card-like consumer safeguards by the end of July, loan providers must solidify their federally compliant customer dispute resolution and disclosure procedures before the newly emboldened bureau's deadline, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

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    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

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    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

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    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

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