Transportation

  • August 12, 2024

    Ally Bank Latest Auto Lender To Challenge Mass. Towing Law

    Ally Bank has told a Massachusetts federal judge that a towing company should be on the hook for the value of a Lexus it sold despite the bank's lien, marking the latest challenge to what the lender calls an "outdated and unconstitutional" state law.

  • August 12, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Multimillion-dollar share conversions, power struggles in a classic rock band, a good deal for fandom collectibles, and a pindown by two heavyweights were all part of the spectacle in Delaware's Court of Chancery last week. New cases involved pharmaceutical companies, cannabis, drones and liquid-gas exports. In case you missed it, here's the latest from the Chancery Court.

  • August 12, 2024

    Oil Cos. Get Go-Ahead On $3.5M La. Contamination Settlement

    A Louisiana federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a $3.5 million settlement to resolve residents' claims against Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. over alleged contamination from creosoting facilities, over the objection of co-defendants BNSF and International Paper.

  • August 09, 2024

    SEC Settles With EV Fleet Co., 3 Execs For More Than $5M

    Electric vehicle company Ideanomics and its former CEO Bruno Wu, a wealthy Chinese entrepreneur, have agreed along with other executives to pay a combined roughly $5.1 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claims of accounting and disclosure fraud, the agency said Friday.

  • August 09, 2024

    9th Circ. Wipes Out BNSF's Retaliation Win

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday overturned BNSF Railway Co.'s win in a late conductor's retaliation suit on Friday, saying the railroad failed to show it would've terminated the worker regardless of his refusal to stop conducting a brake test — even though the employer has insisted he was mainly fired for insubordination and misreporting his time card.

  • August 09, 2024

    Tesla Can't Duck Workers' PAGA Case Under Anti-SLAPP

    A California appellate court has rejected Tesla's attempt to ditch a Private Attorneys General Act case brought by former employees seeking personnel records, agreeing with a lower court that the workers' status as members of a class in a related action against Tesla doesn't entitle the electric-car maker to protection under anti-SLAPP.

  • August 09, 2024

    Pitney Bowes' E-Commerce Arm Can Tap $47M DIP In Ch. 11

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Friday gave DRF Logistics LLC the go ahead to borrow $45 million under a Chapter 11 loan funded by its former parent, shipping company Pitney Bowes Inc., which let go of its majority stake in DRF to wind down the unprofitable e-commerce division in bankruptcy.

  • August 09, 2024

    Tesla Sued Over Gigafactory Worker's Electrocution Death

    The widow of an electrician who was fatally electrocuted this month while working at Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, has filed a wrongful death suit in Texas state court, claiming the company negligently allowed a dangerous condition to exist at the automaker's global headquarters.

  • August 09, 2024

    Transco Can't Get Full 3rd Circ. Review Of Pa. Permit Fight

    The Third Circuit has rebuffed Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co.'s bid for en banc review of a district court's decision backing a Pennsylvania state environmental board's authority to review pipeline upgrade permits.

  • August 09, 2024

    Ex-Mozambique Finance Minister Convicted For $2B Scheme

    Mozambique's former finance minister was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges in connection with his role in the $2 billion "tuna bonds" scandal, prosecutors announced.

  • August 09, 2024

    Domino's Drivers' Attys Urge Court To Reject Sanctions Bid

    Attorneys for Domino's Pizza delivery drivers alleging the company doesn't properly reimburse for mileage expenses have implored a Michigan federal judge not to sanction them, saying they weren't aware of arbitration agreements the company alleges should preclude the action until Domino's produced them.

  • August 09, 2024

    Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines Families Float April Trial Lineup

    Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash victims' families told an Illinois federal judge Friday that they're prepping the next six cases for an April trial, but disagreed over whether a Canadian resident who lost five family members in the crash should be slotted in for a standalone trial in March.

  • August 09, 2024

    Lucid Narrows Securities Suit Over EV Production Targets

    A California federal judge has trimmed a suit alleging electric-vehicle startup Lucid Group Inc. misled investors about its production target, trimming the case down to four out of 30 statements the investors said were misleading.

  • August 09, 2024

    DC Circ. Makes Case For Restarting FERC Gas Policy Revamp

    The D.C. Circuit's recent wipeout of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals of gas infrastructure projects is a sign that the agency should restart a stalled effort to update its decades-old pipeline approval policy, FERC watchers say.

  • August 09, 2024

    Highway Contractor, Exec Charged With $100M Price-Fixing

    Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of an Oklahoma highway runoff contracting business and two of its employees for their involvement in a price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation conspiracy that impacted over $100 million in publicly funded construction contracts in the state.

  • August 09, 2024

    Cars' 'Unique Place' In Mich. Justifies Tough Laws, Panel Says

    A Michigan Court of Appeals panel said Thursday that cars "occupy a unique place in the lives of Michigan citizens," which supports the constitutionality of the state punishing carjacking more harshly than other robberies.

  • August 09, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen China Evergrande Group file a commercial fraud claim against its founder's ex-wife, legal action by Manolete Partners against the directors of an insolvent construction company, VietJet tackle a claim by French banking group Natixis and more developments in the "Dieselgate" scandal. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • August 08, 2024

    Auto Paint Co. Faces Investor Suit Over Competition Woes

    Vehicle paint protection company XPEL Technologies misled investors about the extent of competition it faced in the marketplace and how the changing demographics of electric vehicle buyers would affect the business, according to a proposed class action filed Thursday in Texas federal court. 

  • August 08, 2024

    SPAC Investors Can't Sue Lucid Over Merger, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to revive investors' proposed class action alleging that Lucid duped them into buying stock in a special purpose acquisition company ahead of the electric-vehicle maker's $11.75 billion merger, saying an acquiring company's investors can't sue the target company over its alleged misstatements before the merger.

  • August 08, 2024

    Uber's $200M Deal To End Investors' 'Train Wreck' IPO Suit OK'd

    A California federal judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to Uber's $200 million class action deal with investors who claim the ride-hailing giant made false and misleading statements ahead of its $8.1 billion initial public offering regarding its passenger safety record, financial condition and the legality of its business model.

  • August 08, 2024

    Parts Supplier Says Price Hikes Not Sabotaging Supply Chain

    Pennsylvania-based supplier Modern Industries Inc. urged a federal court to deny a request for a preliminary injunction that would force it to provide key parts to auto parts manufacturer BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC, which the supplier said has refused to pay increased prices.

  • August 08, 2024

    Ford Hid High Warranty Costs From Investors, Suit Says

    A Ford Motor Co. investor launched a putative securities fraud class action Thursday alleging the automaker hid quality issues dating back to 2022, only disclosing the higher-than-expected warranty costs in its recently released second quarter 2024 financial results.

  • August 08, 2024

    9th Circ. Revives Negligence Claims In Uber Sex Assault Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday revived a woman's negligence claim against Uber Technologies Inc. over her sexual assault by a suspended driver, saying the company had a duty of care because it contributed to the situation that led to her being assaulted.

  • August 08, 2024

    Fla. Judge Won't Pause E-Scooter Co.'s Ch. 11 Plan

    California plaintiffs with tort claims against Bird Global Inc. can't stop a Chapter 11 plan for the bankrupt e-bike and e-scooter rental company while they appeal its confirmation because of the plan's third-party releases, a Florida bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday.

  • August 08, 2024

    Calif. Yacht Group Urges Toss Of Fee Antitrust Suit In Fla.

    The California Yacht Brokers Association has urged a Florida federal court to toss a proposed class action alleging that it's part of a scheme to inflate boat sales fees, saying it's not violating the Sherman Antitrust Act because the Golden State allows commission sharing and requires sellers to pay for buyer representation.

Expert Analysis

  • Insurer Quota-Sharing Lessons From $112M Bad Faith Verdict

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    In Indiana GRQ v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, an Indiana federal jury recently issued a landmark $112 million bad faith verdict, illustrating why insurers must understand the interplay between bad faith law and quota-sharing before entering into these relatively new arrangements, say Jason Reichlyn and Christopher Sakauye at Dykema. 

  • Insurance Types That May Help Cos. After Key Bridge Collapse

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    Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, businesses that depend on the bridge, the Port of Baltimore and related infrastructure for shipment and distribution of cargo should understand which common types of first-party insurance coverage may provide recoveries for financial losses, say Bert Wells and Richard Lewis at Reed Smith.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Del. Dispatch: Chancery's Evolving Approach To Caremark

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    Though Caremark claims are historically the least likely corporate claims to lead to liability, such cases have been met in recent years with increased judicial receptivity — but the Delaware Court of Chancery still expressly discourages the reflexive filing of Caremark claims following corporate mishaps, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Unwitting Disclosure, Agency Deference

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    Roke Iko at MoFo examines two U.S. Court of Federal Claims decisions highlighting factors to consider before filing a protest alleging Procurement Integrity Act violations, and a decision from the U.S. Government Accountability Office about the capacity of an agency to interpret its own solicitation terms.

  • Global Bribery Probes Are Complicating FCPA Compliance

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    The recent rise in collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and foreign authorities in bribery enforcement can not only affect companies' legal exposure as resolution approaches vary by country, but also the decision of when and whether to disclose Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations to the DOJ, say Samantha Badlam and Catherine Conroy at Ropes & Gray.

  • Airlines Must Prepare For State AG Investigations

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    A recent agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and 18 states and territories will allow attorneys general to investigate consumer complaints against commercial passenger airlines — so carriers must be ready for heightened scrutiny and possibly inconsistent enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

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    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

  • What A Louisiana Ruling Means For Pipeline Crossings

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    After a Louisiana appeals court's recent ruling on a conflict between two pipeline projects, operators and developers should review pipeline crossings to ensure that they occur at safe distances — and keep in mind the value of crossing agreements for protecting both sides in case of a dispute, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • 4 Sectors Will Likely Bear Initial Brunt Of FTC 'Junk Fees' Rule

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    If the Federal Trade Commission adopts its comprehensive proposed rule to ban unfair or deceptive fees across the U.S. economy, many businesses — including those in the lodging, event ticketing, dining and transportation sectors — will need to reexamine the way they market and price their products and services, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data

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    Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • What CRA Deadline Means For Biden Admin. Rulemaking

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    With the 2024 election rapidly approaching, the Biden administration must race to finalize proposed agency actions within the next few weeks, or be exposed to the chance that the following Congress will overturn the rules under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Rebuttal

    Time For Congress To Let Qualified Older Pilots Keep Flying

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    While a previous Law360 guest article affirmed the current law requiring airline pilots to retire at age 65, the facts suggest that the pilots, their unions, the airlines and the flying public will all benefit if Congress allows experienced, medically qualified aviators to stay in the cockpit, say Allen Baker and Bo Ellis at Let Experienced Pilots Fly.

  • 8 Questions To Ask Before Final CISA Breach Reporting Rule

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    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recently proposed cyber incident reporting requirements for critical infrastructure entities represent the overall approach CISA will take in its final rule, so companies should be asking key compliance questions now and preparing for a more complicated reporting regime, say Arianna Evers and Shannon Mercer at WilmerHale.

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