Retail & E-Commerce

  • December 18, 2024

    LL Flooring Confirms Wind-Down Plan After 'Chaotic' Ch. 11

    Discount home renovation retailer LL Flooring was cleared to wind down in Chapter 11 on Wednesday, with a Delaware bankruptcy judge commending the parties for reaching a consensual plan despite a turbulent case that narrowly missed a full liquidation.

  • December 18, 2024

    RJ Reynolds Asks Justices To Toss Forum Shopping Argument

    R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's argument that the vape company engaged in forum shopping when it challenged denial of one of its applications in the Fifth Circuit, saying its Texas- and Mississippi-based co-petitioners make the Fifth Circuit the proper venue.

  • December 18, 2024

    The Biggest Trademark Decisions Of 2024

    The Pennsylvania State University emerged victorious in arguably the most closely watched trademark trial of the year against an online retailer that sold merchandise bearing historic Penn State marks, and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an attorney's attempt to register "Trump Too Small" as a trademark. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trademark decisions of 2024.

  • December 18, 2024

    Hagens Berman Says Apple, Amazon Doc Demand Is Off Base

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is firing back against Apple and Amazon's bid to force the turnover of texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a putative class action against the tech giants, calling the spat an opportunistic attack "based on a fiction."

  • December 18, 2024

    Greenberg Traurig Faces DQ Bid In NJ Cosmetics Spat

    A New Jersey cosmetics company suing a former investor alleging breach of contract has asked a federal court to disqualify Greenberg Traurig LLP as defense counsel, telling the court that it previously consulted with the firm about suing the investor and gave away its "playbook" for the litigation.

  • December 18, 2024

    11th Circ. Considers Reviving Developer's I-20 Truck Stop Suit

    A Georgia property owner and his company urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to revive their suit challenging a Rockdale County ordinance that thwarted plans for a new QuikTrip truck stop near Interstate 20.

  • December 18, 2024

    CFPB Says Credit Card Point Devaluation May Break The Law

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned Wednesday that credit card companies risk violating federal law when they or their merchant partners devalue rewards points and miles banked by their cardholders, casting it as a potential "bait-and-switch."

  • December 17, 2024

    Fla. Judge Trims Suit Over Misrepresented Pickleball Paddles

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday declined to completely toss a proposed class action brought by a pickleball player accusing a paddle manufacturer of deceptively marketing its products as certified by the sport's governing body, dismissing the suit's breach of warranty counts but saying its primary consumer protection claims would remain intact.

  • December 17, 2024

    Judge Cuts Upper Deck's Disney Card Game Suit

    A Washington federal judge has pared down a toy company's suit accusing a competitor of improperly luring away a former contractor and infringing copyrighted material in making a Disney-branded game, partially letting claims involving unfair competition and fraudulent misrepresentations proceed while dismissing others.

  • December 17, 2024

    Alcohol Co. Sued Over Biz Hangover After COVID Lockdowns

    Alcoholic beverage manufacturer MGP Ingredients Inc. has been hit with a proposed investor class action alleging the company misled the public about the continued success of its business following its exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns.

  • December 17, 2024

    Franchise Group Can Keep Exclusive Control Of Its Ch. 11

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday denied a motion to end the plan exclusivity window and other bankruptcy rights for debtors in Franchise Group Inc.'s Chapter 11, saying possible intercompany claims don't justify relief that the debtor argued would plunge the case into chaos.

  • December 17, 2024

    Neiman Marcus Owes Model $1.25M Over Fallen Painting

    Neiman Marcus owes $1.25 million in damages to a former model who alleges that she suffered a concussion when a 13-pound painting fell from the wall inside its store and struck her on the head, a Pennsylvania federal jury decided Tuesday, following a multiday trial.

  • December 17, 2024

    2nd Circ. Says Sears Trustee Can Keep Mall Of America Lease

    The Second Circuit has upheld a district court order obliging the return of bankrupt Sears Holding Corp.'s lease in Minnesota's Mall of America to SHC's liquidating trustee, finding in part the mall's earlier lease was not a "true" contract.

  • December 17, 2024

    Google-Apple Collusion Plaintiff Asks 9th Circ. To Revive Suit

    A California crane operator training school asked the Ninth Circuit on Monday to revive its case accusing Google of paying Apple to refrain from developing its own search engine in light of a recent Washington, D.C., federal judge's decision that Google monopolizes the search market.

  • December 17, 2024

    The Biggest Copyright Decisions Of 2024

    The U.S. Supreme Court made it possible for copyright plaintiffs to pursue damages for periods longer than three years — while leaving lawyers speculating about how long the ruling will stand — and the Second Circuit put an end to a free digital library. Here are Law360's picks for the top copyright decisions of 2024.

  • December 17, 2024

    FTC, Meta Fight Over Monopolization Trial Limits

    Meta Platforms and the FTC are butting heads about how to structure the trial they are hurtling toward in April in D.C. federal court over the agency's monopolization claims, trading barbs Tuesday and trying to make their cases for how they think the multiweek trial should look.

  • December 17, 2024

    Mich. Couple Sues Town For Allowing Pot Co. To Expand

    A Michigan couple claim a township is retaliating against them because of the husband's outspoken opposition to the recreational marijuana industry, accusing the municipal leadership of allowing a grow facility to expand next to their property and forcing them to "raise their children in a home that smells of marijuana."

  • December 17, 2024

    SEC Says Express Didn't Disclose $1M In Ex-CEO Perks

    Express Inc. failed to disclose nearly $1 million worth of perks and personal benefits to former CEO Tim Baxter, according to a settlement released Tuesday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which declined to levy a civil penalty against the fashion retailer in light of its cooperation and remediation.

  • December 17, 2024

    Starbucks Baristas Authorize Strike Amid First Contract Talks

    Unionized Starbucks baristas have voted to authorize a strike at the coffee giant, Workers United announced Tuesday, as the parties went back to the negotiating table with outstanding issues for first contracts related to wages, benefits and settling unfair labor practice claims.

  • December 17, 2024

    Apple Fights Epic's Atty Privilege Challenge Win Over Docs

    Apple has asked a California federal judge to overturn a magistrate judge and allow it to withhold documents in a discovery spat with Epic Games, arguing Monday the documents in the antitrust case aren't simply business analyses but rather, reflect "'legal advice on a business decision,' which is protected."

  • December 17, 2024

    Express Inc.'s Post-Sale Ch. 11 Liquidation Plan Approved

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday confirmed the Chapter 11 liquidation plan for the estate of clothing retailer Express Inc., after the debtor sold the business this summer for $174 million.

  • January 01, 2025

    Food & Beverage Cases To Watch In 2025

    Food and beverage attorneys have no shortage of interesting issues to follow in 2025, from Albertsons turning on Kroger after their proposed $25 billion merger was blocked, to new state laws covering the life cycle of single-use packaging, and claims over heavy metals and "forever chemicals" contaminating food.

  • December 17, 2024

    Supercuts Owner Cuts Deal To End Ex-Worker's OT Suit

    The owner of nearly 400 Supercuts and other hair salons agreed to pay $15,000 to resolve a suit from a former employee accusing it of failing to account for commissions and other nondiscretionary bonuses when calculating her overtime rates, a filing in Michigan federal court said.

  • December 16, 2024

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To 2024's Most Memorable Moments

    One judge said a litigant's position would cause "an effing nightmare," and another decried the legal community's silence amid "illegitimate aspersions." Public officials literally trashed one court's opinion, and fateful rulings dealt with controversial politicians, social media and decades of environmental policy. Those were just a few appellate highlights in 2024, a year teeming with memorable moments both substantive and sensational.

  • December 16, 2024

    Amazon Puts Speed Over Worker Safety, Sanders Report Says

    Amazon prioritizes speed and profit over warehouse workers' safety, and the company has ignored its own internal studies on how to improve workplace safety, according to a report Sen. Bernie Sanders has released that Amazon vehemently derided late Monday as an attempt to support a false "preconceived narrative."

Expert Analysis

  • Del. Dispatch: The 2024 Corporate Cases You Need To Know

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery in 2024 issued several decisions that some viewed as upending long-standing corporate practices, leading to the amendment of the Delaware General Corporation Law and debates at some Delaware corporations about potentially reincorporating to another state, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Unwrapping Retailer AI Risks Amid Holiday Shopping Season

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    While generative artificial intelligence tools can catalyze game-changing results for retailers looking to stay ahead of the competition during the holiday season, and year-round, it can also bring certain legal risks, including product liability concerns, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

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    Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.

  • Examining Vidal's Guidance On PTAB Section 315 Time Bar

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    Last month's decision by outgoing U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal in Luminex v. Signify addresses the Section 315 statutes that preclude institution of inter partes review proceedings after certain civil actions are filed, and is instructive as PTAB panels are likely to follow this approach going forward, says Amanda Wieker at McGuireWoods.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • 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.

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