Retail & E-Commerce

  • November 13, 2024

    Online Car Financing Co. Vroom Crashes Into Ch. 11

    Former used car seller and financier Vroom Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday in Texas with a prepackaged plan to swap $290 million of debt for the bulk of the equity in a reorganized business.

  • November 12, 2024

    Sephora Again Loses Bid To Toss Ex-Workers' Late Pay Suit

    A New York federal judge on Tuesday stood by his decision denying Sephora's motion to dismiss a proposed class action accusing it of not paying employees every week, rejecting the company's contention that he used an incorrect standard of review when departing from a federal magistrate judge's recommendation to toss the case.

  • November 12, 2024

    Big Tech Litigant's Latest Suit Vs. Google Tossed

    A Florida federal judge has granted Google's motion to dismiss a patent infringement and antitrust suit from web development company Greenflight targeting the search giant's reverse phone number lookup, ruling that the plaintiff's phone lookup service appearing low on Google's search results doesn't amount to standing to sue.

  • November 12, 2024

    'Heat Machine' Maker's Trade Dress Win Clears 8th Circ.

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a finding from a bench trial that cleared the Costco supplier behind the "Heat Machine" involved in "a complex intellectual property dispute" with the maker of the "HeatDish," a different machine that Costco also sells.

  • November 12, 2024

    3 Firms Guide Rare Canadian IPO Eyed By Groupe Dynamite

    Canadian women's clothing retailer Groupe Dynamite Inc. has launched plans for an estimated C$300 million ($215 million) initial public offering, marking a rare Canadian listing under guidance from three law firms.

  • November 12, 2024

    HIV Drug Buyers Want Gilead Product Switch Claims Revived

    Insurers and benefit plans are asking the Ninth Circuit to revive a chunk of their antitrust case against Gilead, arguing their claims that Gilead delayed generic competition to its HIV drugs by monopolizing the market should have new life.

  • November 12, 2024

    Web App Antitrust Suit Backed By Epic-Apple, 9th Circ. Told

    A proposed class of iPhone buyers urged the Ninth Circuit on Friday to revive their antitrust claims over Apple's barriers against advanced web-based apps, saying a California federal judge's dismissal order directly contradicts binding precedent from Epic Games' landmark monopoly suit against the tech giant.

  • November 12, 2024

    Roblox, WowWee Settle Avatar Toy Infringement Case

    Online game platform Roblox Corp. has agreed to drop a suit alleging WowWee Group Ltd. sold toys based on Roblox's avatars, saying the two companies have reached a settlement to end the trademark and copyright infringement case.

  • November 12, 2024

    Weedmaps Execs Named In Derivative Action Over SEC Fine

    Current and former executives and directors of Weedmaps' parent company face shareholder derivative claims following an investor class action and a regulator's fine over the digital cannabis marketplace's alleged use of "willfully inflated" user metrics.

  • November 12, 2024

    Tempur Sealy Merger 'Surprisingly Bold,' Competitor Testifies

    The CEO of a Utah-based mattress company told a Houston federal judge Tuesday that Tempur Sealy's proposed remedies under its $4 billion planned Mattress Firm purchase were "surprisingly bold" as the Federal Trade Commission began its case in opposition of the merger.

  • November 12, 2024

    Hertz Investors Urge Chancery Not To Toss Stock Warrant Suit

    An attorney for two Hertz Inc. institutional investors told a Delaware judge Monday that the vehicle rental giant relied on an impermissible reinterpretation of a warrant agreement to reject a redemption demand purportedly triggered by the company's post-Chapter 11 recapitalization.

  • November 12, 2024

    Designers Can Pursue RICO Claims Against Shein In IP Suit

    A California federal judge has ruled that a group of independent designers can pursue racketeering claims against Shein Distribution Corp. and other defendants in a lawsuit where the plaintiffs accuse the online retailer of copyright and trademark infringement for allegedly copying and selling the designers' works.

  • November 12, 2024

    Penn State TM Jury Asked To Ponder Sponsorship Confusion

    A central Pennsylvania federal jury will have to weigh whether consumers are likely to be confused by a Seattle-based online retailer's use of historic logos and art associated with Pennsylvania State University, with opening arguments Tuesday promising dueling experts on consumer surveys and interpretations of trademark law.

  • November 12, 2024

    Chipotle's Portions Are Eating Away Profits, Investor Suit Says

    Fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging the company downplayed concerns about meager portion sizes, an issue the company later acknowledged it would correct, sacrificing profitability.

  • November 12, 2024

    Valve Can't Speak Directly With Gamers In Antitrust Row

    A Washington federal judge has rejected a bid by Valve Corp. to directly contact 624 game buyers named in its suit seeking to block them from further arbitrating antitrust claims, saying the video game seller hasn't pointed to "exceptional circumstances" warranting the clearance to reach out to the defendants outside the presence of legal counsel.

  • November 12, 2024

    Pencil Importer Rebuts Commerce's Transformation Analysis

    A pencil importer told the U.S. Court of International Trade that the federal government was wrong to implement duties on pencils made from Chinese raw materials when they are made into finished products in the Philippines.

  • November 12, 2024

    Amazon Harassing Drivers Via Discovery Demand, Court Told

    Amazon is harassing delivery drivers with an overly broad request for documents, including a decade's worth of tax returns and cellphone records, and its request should be tailored to reflect that many claims in an 8-year-old lawsuit were recently nixed, the workers told a Washington federal court.

  • November 12, 2024

    Indian Food Delivery Giant Swiggy To Debut After $1.3B IPO

    Shares of Indian e-commerce giant Swiggy Ltd. are set to begin trading on Wednesday after the company priced a $1.3 billion initial public offering, marking the latest test of the country's IPO market following a blockbuster listing of Hyundai's Indian unit.

  • November 12, 2024

    NY Costco Junior Managers' Wage Statement Claim Tossed

    Three junior Costco managers' declarations contradicted their proposed collective action claiming that the retail company's wage statements didn't allow them to determine whether they worked overtime, a New York federal judge ruled, trimming their suit.

  • November 12, 2024

    High Court Turns Away Appeal From 'Insider' Hedge Fund

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up hedge fund Raging Capital Management LLC's petition to review whether its status as a large investor in 1-800-Flowers should leave it vulnerable to a derivative suit claiming it made illegal swing-trades.

  • November 08, 2024

    Ill. Assault Rifle Ban Struck As Unconstitutional, AG To Appeal

    An Illinois federal judge Friday overturned the state's law banning AR-15 rifles and other semiautomatic weapons, pointing to U.S. Supreme Court rulings interpreting the Second Amendment to give individuals the broad right to keep and bear firearms, and opining that the debate over guns is a matter of perspective.

  • November 08, 2024

    8th Circ. Flips $12M Verdict Against Jagermeister's US Arm

    The Eighth Circuit has overturned a jury's verdict that Jägermeister's U.S. importer must pay a distributor $11.75 million after terminating their deal, saying Friday the jury was misinstructed and a new trial is required.

  • November 08, 2024

    Fla. Apparel Distributor Sues Gap Over $378M Bait-And-Switch

    A South Florida-based apparel distribution company has brought a $378 million counter-complaint against Gap Inc. in California state court, alleging the clothing retailer threatened to sabotage an initial public offering after pulling a bait-and-switch by sending millions of dollars of oversized, unsellable garments and ruin relationships with existing customers.

  • November 08, 2024

    Pawn Shop Must Face CFPB's Military Law Claims, Judge Says

    In a matter of first impression, a Texas federal judge has ruled that national pawn shop company FirstCash Inc. cannot use a "bona fide error" defense to argue that its alleged violation of the Military Lending Act was an unintentional mishap, saying the defense only applies to private borrower claims, not federal agency suits.

  • November 08, 2024

    Apple's Cited Rulings Just Cement Old Precedent, Epic Says

    What Apple contends are new rulings from a California appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court are really just affirmations of existing precedent that change nothing about the injunction blocking the iPhone maker's rules against steering users to alternative payment systems, Epic Games has told a California federal judge.

Expert Analysis

  • 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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    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

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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 and Lionel Lavenue 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.

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