Transportation

  • May 14, 2024

    Scooter Rider Not A 'Pedestrian' In PIP Suit, NJ Justices Affirm

    An electric scooter operator who was struck by an automobile is not entitled to personal injury protection benefits under his auto policy, a unanimous New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed Tuesday, saying the operator does not fall within the definition of "pedestrian" for purposes of the state's No-Fault Act.

  • May 14, 2024

    Biden More Than Doubles Tariffs On Chinese EVs, Solar Cells

    The U.S. will more than double tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, including electric vehicles and their batteries, steel, semiconductors and solar cells, in response to allegedly unfair trade practices and overproduction, the White House announced Monday.

  • May 13, 2024

    Tesla Threatened To Fire Holland & Knight, Law Prof Says

    Tesla tried to bully a law professor out of filing an amicus brief in investors' suit over Elon Musk's $56 billion compensation plan, in part by threatening to fire the company's longtime outside counsel at Holland & Knight LLP if the professor submitted his brief, according to a filing Monday in Delaware.

  • May 13, 2024

    16 States Sue To Block Calif.'s 'Clean Fleets' Rule For Trucks

    Over a dozen U.S. states filed a constitutional challenge in California federal court Monday against a Golden State regulation requiring commercial truck operators to move to zero-emission electric-vehicle fleets, arguing it would disrupt the global supply chain, raise costs, and illegally enforce emission control standards, in violation of federal laws. 

  • May 13, 2024

    Eletson Creditors Seek Over $1M Cut In Reed Smith Fees

    Unsecured creditors of shipping company Eletson Holdings have asked a New York bankruptcy judge to cut more than $1 million from the fees being sought by Eletson counsel Reed Smith LLP, saying the firm overstaffed the case and wasted money on needless and meritless fights.

  • May 13, 2024

    Electric-Jet Startup Flouted Boeing Loan Deals, Judge Says

    A Washington state electric-jet startup breached its contracts with The Boeing Co. by not repaying $9 million in loans, a federal judge has ruled in an order rejecting an argument the loans were voided by the aviation giant's alleged theft of the startup's intellectual property.

  • May 13, 2024

    Tesla Shareholder Alleges Drugs Fueled Musk's Erratic Posts

    Tesla Inc. has failed to investigate reports that CEO Elon Musk used illicit drugs including ketamine, LSD and cocaine that may have influenced his social media posts, hurting stockholders and damaging the company's value, a shareholder has alleged in a recently unsealed amended complaint in Delaware's Court of Chancery.

  • May 13, 2024

    Airlines Ask 5th Circ. To Void DOT 'Junk Fees' Disclosure Rule

    A lead lobbying group for major U.S. airlines has asked the Fifth Circuit to vacate a recent final rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation requiring airlines to clearly disclose add-on fees upfront, saying the agency overstepped with a needless rule that will only confuse consumers.

  • May 13, 2024

    Airline Mogul Says FBI Won't Give Docs In North Carolina Suit

    Airline tycoon Farhad Azima has asked a Texas federal court to force the FBI's Houston office to comply with a subpoena for documents related to its criminal investigation of the businessman, writing that the bureau has stonewalled his "basic discovery rights" in connection with a federal lawsuit against a Dechert LLP-hired private investigator.

  • May 13, 2024

    Insurer's Countersuit Pared In $1.85M Boat Fire Coverage Row

    A Florida federal judge has allowed part of an insurer's countersuit to continue in a yacht owner's dispute over coverage for a 2023 boat fire after the insurer denied the company for allegedly misrepresenting boat prices.

  • May 13, 2024

    Uber, Lyft Put Driver Work Fight In Reverse As Trial Begins

    A high-stakes battle over the employment status of drivers for Uber and Lyft kicked off in Massachusetts on Monday, as the companies sought to flip the government allegations by arguing that the ride-hailing giants work for their drivers, not the other way around.

  • May 13, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Sunken treasure, recycled plastics, questionable denim and dog food all made appearances in Chancery Court dockets last week, along with developments in cases involving Qualcomm, Tesla Inc., and Truth Social. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • May 13, 2024

    NJ Boater Sued Over Death Of Philly Marketing Exec

    The family of a Philadelphia marketing executive on Monday filed a wrongful death suit against the New Jersey boater who was allegedly drunk at the wheel when he hit her while she was swimming off the dock of her Atlantic City townhouse.

  • May 13, 2024

    Houston Truck Co. Doesn't Owe $2M Excise Tax, 5th Circ. Told

    A Houston truck company that sells tires made by a Chinese manufacturer doesn't owe $2 million in import taxes because it's not legally the tire importer, the company told the Fifth Circuit in asking it to affirm a ruling that could split circuits.

  • May 13, 2024

    Semisubmersible Co. CEO Convicted Of Fraud, Fleeing Law

    The CEO of a semisubmersible manufacturer has been convicted by a Hawaii federal jury of financial fraud, witness tampering and attempting to escape law enforcement in one of his company's ocean vessels.

  • May 13, 2024

    Rail Worker Wage Case Won't Get High Court Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't intervene in a pending Massachusetts lawsuit against the operator of a freight rail line over whether its employees are covered by the state's Prevailing Wage Act, declining Monday to review the case.

  • May 13, 2024

    Car Paint Biz Buys Industry Peer In Up To $295M Deal

    Philadelphia-based coatings company Axalta Coating Systems on Monday unveiled plans to buy The CoverFlexx Group, which makes and sells coatings for automotive refinishing, from BakerHostetler-led Transtar Holding Co. for up to $295 million.

  • May 10, 2024

    Rivian's Cert. Oppo Not How 'Real World Works,' Judge Says

    A California federal judge told Rivian's attorney Friday that his arguments opposing class certification for investors alleging the carmaker misled them on material costs appeared to say that unless a company practically admits fraud in a disclosure it's not a "corrective" disclosure, but "that is not how the real world works."

  • May 10, 2024

    Ariz. Judge Allows Insurer To Target DOT For Canadian Arb.

    An Arizona federal judge has issued an apparently novel ruling granting a Canadian government-backed insurer's request to subpoena the state's Department of Transportation for use in an arbitration stemming from a hit-and-run accident that took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2016.

  • May 10, 2024

    EV Startup Says California Settlement Covers Stockholder Suit

    Backers of a transaction that took electric vehicle startup Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. public with a $1 billion value in 2021 have asked Delaware's Court of Chancery to block discovery in a stockholder challenge to the deal, citing pending settlement of a similar federal action in California.

  • May 10, 2024

    FAA Faces $15M Suit Over NC Woman's Plane Crash Death

    A plane crash victim's estate brought a $15 million complaint against the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to North Carolina federal court, alleging the government's air traffic controllers led her pilot into the severe weather, which resulted in a crash and both of their deaths.

  • May 10, 2024

    Zeekr's US Debut Could Spur More IPOs From China

    Electric-vehicle maker Zeekr's robust initial public offering sent an encouraging signal to Chinese companies considering whether to tap U.S. markets after a long lull, despite continued risks stemming from fractured U.S.-China relations, experts said Friday.

  • May 10, 2024

    Full 4th Circ. Urged To Settle Key 'Texas Two-Step' Questions

    A Fourth Circuit panel left critical issues open when it denied permission to an appeal challenging the so-called Texas two-step Chapter 11 of industrial equipment maker Aldrich Pump, asbestos claimants in two separate bankruptcy cases said, asking the full appeals court to reconsider hearing the case and settle questions that have plagued their own bankruptcies in the Western District of North Carolina.

  • May 10, 2024

    Sens. Lament Broadband Subsidy's Absence From FAA Bill

    Senators from both parties are upset that the Federal Aviation Authorization bill, which the Senate passed 88-4 on Thursday night, did not include provisions to bolster the pandemic-era broadband assistance program.

  • May 10, 2024

    Michigan Dept. Gets Snowmobile Crash Claims Tossed

    A Michigan appeals panel has thrown out a man's claims alleging one of the state's Department of Natural Resources rangers was negligent in a suit over a crash that claimed that ranger's life, saying the lack of evidence renders the plaintiff's theory of negligence hypothetical and speculative.

Expert Analysis

  • Cos. Must Reassess Retaliation Risk As 2nd. Circ. Lowers Bar

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    After a recent Second Circuit decision broadened the federal standard for workplace retaliation, employers should reinforce their nondiscrimination and complaint-handling policies to help management anticipate and monitor worker grievances that could give rise to such claims, says Thomas Eron at Bond Schoeneck.

  • Leveraging Municipal Bonds For Green Energy Finance

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    The U.S.'s transition to renewable energy will require collaboration between public and private capital sources — and that means that lawyers used to working in corporate finance must understand how the municipal bond market functions differently, due to its grounding in the U.S. Constitution, says Ann Fillingham at Dykema.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

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    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

  • 2nd Circ. OT Ruling Guides On Pay For Off-The-Clock Work

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    While the Second Circuit’s recent holding in Perry v. City of New York reiterated that the Fair Labor Standards Act obligates employers to pay overtime for off-the-clock work, it recognized circumstances, such as an employee’s failure to report, that allow an employer to disclaim the knowledge element that triggers this obligation, say Robert Whitman and Kyle Winnick at Seyfarth.

  • Autonomous Vehicles Must Navigate Patchwork Of State Regs

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    With only modest action by the federal government on the autonomous vehicle regulatory front in 2023, states and localities remain the predominant source of new regulations affecting AVs — but the result is a mix of rules that both help and hinder AV development and adoption, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Calif. Climate Disclosure Bills Promise Challenges For Cos.

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    Two novel climate disclosure bills recently passed by the California Legislature will pose challenges for many businesses — especially private companies that are less familiar with climate-related reporting obligations — and will require investments of significant time and effort in processes, procedures and personnel, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

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    As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Federal Policies Keeping Autonomous Vehicles In Slow Lane

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    In the first installment of this two-part article, attorneys at Faegre Drinker examine recent federal regulations and programs related to autonomous vehicles — and how the federal government's failure to implement a more comprehensive AV regulatory scheme may be slowing the progress of the industry.

  • Auto Defect Damages Should Factor In Supply Conditions

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    Automotive defect class action plaintiffs commonly seek damages based on the theory that an undisclosed defect made a vehicle worth less than its purchase price — but the methods that plaintiff experts commonly use to calculate such damages are insufficient, because they do not incorporate supply conditions, says Jon Tomlin at Ankura Consulting.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

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    The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: European Union

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    As the EU makes ESG regulation a priority, companies — both those based in the EU and others just doing business there — need to keep abreast of myriad new legislation that has either already taken effect or will in the near future, as noncompliance could result in fines, damages and director liability, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

  • Greenwashing And 'Greenhushing': Lessons For Fashion Cos.

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    While fashion companies continue to pursue improvements in the environmental impacts of the clothing they produce, they might be wise to note how businesses in other industries have attracted litigation over alleged greenwashing, and consider playing down environmental claims — a phenomenon known as "greenhushing," says Christopher Cole at Katten.

  • Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees

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    The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • How Investors Can Seize Renewables Opportunities In RE

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    As governments and stakeholders increasingly focus on sustainability in the real estate sector, investors could capture significant upside by implementing an operational real estate strategy focused on renewable energy sources, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Bracing For Regulatory Delays As Shutdown Looms

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    As a government shutdown looms, stakeholders should plan for regulatory delays and note that more regulations could become vulnerable to congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, say Matthew Shapanka and Holly Fechner at Covington.

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