Transportation

  • August 12, 2024

    Jetaire Patents Axed After Fla. Judge Backs Magistrate Report

    A Florida federal judge invalidated three "fuel tank ignition mitigation technology" patents held by Jetaire Aerospace LLC and granted its competitor AerSale Inc. an early win over the infringement claims Jetaire brought against it, fully adopting a magistrate judge's recommendation that the patents be axed under the on-sale bar.

  • 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for the value of a Lexus it sold despite the bank's lien, marking the latest challenge to what the lender calls an "outdated and unconstitutional" state law.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.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Maritime Law Issues In 2024: Environmental Challenges

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    In the second installment of this three-part article examining key concerns for the maritime sector this year, Sean Pribyl at Holland & Knight considers how the industry will be affected by environmental concerns — including the growing push for decarbonization, and regulatory scrutiny around greenwashing and ESG issues.

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

  • Key Maritime Law Issues In 2024: Geopolitics And Sanctions

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    Major challenges are on the horizon for the U.S. maritime sector in 2024, including geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea and ever-evolving sanctions targeting Iran and Russia — which may lead to higher shipping costs and greater compliance burdens for stakeholders, says Sean Pribyl at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: Navigating The Air Traffic Control Crisis

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    After a recent Federal Aviation Administration report identified significant deficiencies in air traffic control staffing, equipment and funding that compromise U.S. aviation safety, it is vital that the FAA act to limit the volume of traffic to what air traffic control can safely manage with available resources, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Supplementation, Conversion, Rejection

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    In this month's bid protest roundup, Lyle Hedgecock and Michaela Thornton at MoFo discuss recent cases highlighting how the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims consider supplementation of the record and an agency’s attempt to convert a sealed bid opportunity into a negotiated procurement, as well as an example of precedential drift.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • How States Vary On The Fireman's Rule And Its Applicability

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    A recent decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals, reviving a firefighter’s suit, is illustrative of changes in the application and interpretation by state courts and legislatures of the Fireman’s Rule, which bans first responders from recovering for injuries sustained on the job, says Shea Feagin at Swift Currie.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • After Watershed Year, Clean Hydrogen Faces New Challenges

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    Clean hydrogen is on the verge of taking off — but over the course of 2023, it became clear that the regulatory landscape will be more stringent than expected, and the cost and timing of major projects will depend on a number of key developments anticipated in 2024, say attorneys at Weil.

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