Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Trials
-
June 10, 2024
Victims Of Chiquita-Funded Paramilitaries Win $38M Award
The first bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation against Chiquita over its funding of right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia's banana-producing region ended with a victory Monday afternoon for nearly all the plaintiffs, as a Florida federal jury awarded them $38.3 million in damages for the losses of their loved ones killed by paramilitaries.
-
June 10, 2024
NY State May Allow People With Past Felonies To Sit On Juries
A New York state bill to remove a prohibition on people convicted of felonies sitting on juries following their release from prison has advanced to the governor's office, moving forward legislation that its authors say is designed to increase the racial diversity of jury pools and help former prison inmates reintegrate into society.
-
June 10, 2024
Medical-Aesthetic Device Rivals Set For Sept. Poaching Trial
A Boston federal judge on Monday scheduled a post-Labor Day jury trial for medical-aesthetic device company Cynosure's $78 million poaching lawsuit against rival Reveal Lasers, urging the parties to streamline their exhibits and damages claims.
-
June 07, 2024
Talc User With Cancer Had 2nd Exposure Path, Jury Hears
A pulmonologist helping make the case that a Texas man got mesothelioma from using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder was pressed Friday as to why he failed to tell jurors that medical records reflect the man had a separate type of asbestos exposure.
-
June 07, 2024
NFL's Kraft Testifies 'Too Many' Sunday Ticket Sales Is Bad
A California federal jury considering multi-billion dollar antitrust claims against the NFL brought by Sunday Ticket subscribers saw video deposition testimony Friday from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who said ensuring a high price for the television package is a league priority, and he would not want "too many" U.S. subscribers.
-
June 07, 2024
Ontrak CEO Had Anxiety Over Souring Cigna Deal, Jury Told
A former Ontrak Inc. consultant testified Friday in the trial of its founder who's accused of trading on insider information about Ontrak's souring relationship with Cigna Healthcare in 2021, telling California federal jurors he frequently expressed anxiety, saying that Ontrak must "save Cigna" and describing the situation as a nightmare.
-
June 07, 2024
Ohio Panel Says School Union Dues Dispute Tied To Contract
An Ohio state appeals court said five public school employees cannot hash out their claims over unauthorized union dues deductions in court because they draw from a collective bargaining agreement and therefore must be handled administratively.
-
June 07, 2024
Texas Jury Clears Michaels In Paint-By-Number TM Suit
Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Stores Inc. did not infringe a paint-by-number company's trademarks to create a competing product, a Texas federal jury determined.
-
June 07, 2024
Conn. Judge Pushes State For Proof In $11M Kickback Case
The Connecticut state judge presiding over an $11 million false claims and kickbacks case against a compounding pharmacy appeared unconvinced Friday that the defendants submitted false claims for payment, peppering the government's counsel with requests to support assertions with case law and evidence that was put on at trial.
-
June 07, 2024
Trump Can Bring Atty To Presentence Interview
A New York judge ruled Friday that Donald Trump can bring his attorney with him when he sits down with a New York City probation officer for a presentence interview, granting an unusual accommodation to the former president before he is sentenced for his criminal conviction next month.
-
June 07, 2024
Don't Delay In-House Handbags Case For Fed. Court, FTC Told
Federal Trade Commission staffers are urging the commission not to delay an in-house challenge to the planned $8.5 billion merger combining the parent companies of Coach and Michael Kors, arguing that a separate New York federal court fight won't automatically determine the deal's fate.
-
June 07, 2024
Hunter Biden Prosecutors Wrap Up Case As Daughter Testifies
Federal prosecutors who say Hunter Biden lied about his crack addiction when he bought a gun in 2018 wrapped up their case Friday with expert testimony about cocaine residue and street dealer lingo, as Biden's daughter kicked off testimony for the defense.
-
June 07, 2024
First Trial Over Chiquita Paramilitary Payments Goes To Jury
A Florida federal jury on Friday began deliberating whether Chiquita is liable for several deaths at the hands of right-wing paramilitary organization Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia although deliberations paused in the afternoon and are scheduled to resume on Monday.
-
June 07, 2024
Contractor Claims No Bad Intentions In Talking To Juror
A general contractor has doubled down on his bid to throw out a contempt conviction for talking to a juror before his suit was officially settled, telling a North Carolina appeals court he genuinely believed the case was over and didn't intend to disrupt the court or violate any order.
-
June 07, 2024
Judge Doubts Ethnicity Questions Deserve Jury Bias Probe
A Washington appellate judge pushed back Friday against a Filipino family who claimed a hospital's questions about their ethnicity at trial required a bias inquiry, noting race is "something that can't be ignored" in any courtroom filled with people who look different from one another.
-
June 07, 2024
Minn. Jury Convicts 5 In Food Aid Fraud Trial Marred By Bribe
A Minnesota federal jury on Friday convicted five out of seven defendants on a litany of charges alleging they schemed to defraud a federal food aid program during the COVID-19 pandemic, days after one juror told of being offered a $120,000 bribe to vote for acquittal.
-
June 07, 2024
Off The Bench: NFL On Trial, Betting Crackdowns, Tennis Suit
In this week's Off The Bench, the NFL stands trial in a massive antitrust class action over its Sunday Ticket broadcast package, a series of sports betting crackdowns makes waves in the MLB and the NBA, and the U.S. Tennis Association denies any liability for a player's sexual assault by her coach.
-
June 07, 2024
Purdue Keeps $32.5M Semiconductor Patent Trial Win
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright entered final judgment Thursday affirming a Texas federal jury's finding that microchip maker STMicroelectronics owes the trustees of Purdue University $32.5 million for infringing a semiconductor patent, rejecting the chipmaker's argument that Purdue engaged in inequitable conduct by allegedly hiding prior art.
-
June 07, 2024
Mich. Atty Convicted Of Client's Murder Gets License Pulled
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has suspended the license of a lawyer recently convicted of plotting to kill two of his clients, a jeweler and his wife, and of killing the jeweler, allegedly to gain access to their trust.
-
June 07, 2024
Ex-Insurance Broker Tells Jury He Bribed Sen. Menendez
A former insurance broker testified Friday that he bribed U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to intervene in an investigation by the New Jersey attorney general's office in return for a Mercedes-Benz convertible, which replaced a car that was totaled in a fatal crash involving the congressman's wife.
-
June 07, 2024
Carhartt Heir's Atty Cleared On 2 Counts; Deadlock On Rest
A Michigan state jury in Detroit on Friday partially cleared a Michigan attorney accused of stealing millions of dollars from his wealthy client, the late Carhartt company heiress Gretchen Valade, but jurors could not agree on two of four charges.
-
June 07, 2024
Former Allianz Unit Exec Admits Role In $6B Fund Fraud
A former portfolio manager at Allianz SE's U.S. unit told a Manhattan federal judge Friday that he lied to investors about the risks of the German finance giant's now-defunct Structured Alpha Funds, admitting to his role in a $6 billion fraud.
-
June 07, 2024
Google Ad Tech Case Won't Go To Jury Due To Co.'s Payment
A Virginia federal judge ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology will be heard by the bench, and not a jury, thanks to a $2.3 million check from Google covering the amount enforcers could be awarded if they prevail.
-
June 06, 2024
Health Co. CEO Sold Stock Amid Souring Cigna Deal, Jury Told
A stock analyst told California federal jurors Thursday he noticed in disclosure forms that the founder of healthcare company Ontrak Inc. was starting to sell company shares a few weeks before Cigna announced it was terminating its $90 million contract with the company.
-
June 06, 2024
NFL Sunday Ticket Is A Rigged Game, Antitrust Jury Told
An attorney for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers told a California jury Thursday during opening statements of a multibillion-dollar antitrust suit that secret documents will prove the NFL engaged in anticompetitive behavior, and the trial would reveal the "darker side of the NFL behind the shield."
Expert Analysis
-
1st Tax Easement Convictions Will Likely Embolden DOJ, IRS
After recent convictions in the first criminal tax fraud trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements, the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice will likely pursue other promoters for similar alleged conspiracies — though one acquittal may help attorneys better evaluate their clients' exposure, say Bill Curtis and Lauren DeSantis-Then at Polsinelli.
-
Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.
-
Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
-
Reconstruction-Era Laws Show Jan. 6 Cases Are Not Political
The renewed use of Reconstruction-era laws in indictments stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection demonstrates that these statutes serve as a bulwark against erosion of the federal system, and provides a counterpoint to the public accusations that certain prosecutions are politically motivated, say Solomon Shinerock and Annika Conrad at Lewis Baach.
-
Series
Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.
-
Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
-
A Closer Look At Evolving Early Release Programs
As the implementation of the First Step Act continues to progress and the U.S. Sentencing Commission amends its guidelines, white collar defense attorneys should understand the many mechanisms that can help reduce a client’s prison sentence early on in any case, say attorneys at Abell Eskew.
-
Teach Your Witness About 'Good' And 'Bad' Testimony Words
To ensure honest and accurate testimony in trials and depositions, attorneys must take care to educate their witnesses about the problematic words opposing counsel may use, such as “always” and “must,” and the effective words they can use in response, like “potentially” and “depends,” say Steve Wood and Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.
-
Unearthing The Lesser-Known 'Buried Facts' Doctrine
A New York federal judge’s recent suggestion that the “buried facts” doctrine may be applicable in the fraud trial of FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried should serve as a reminder to attorneys in all kinds of cases involving corporate disclosures that this lesser-known rule could torpedo their defense, say Corban Rhodes and Li Yu at DiCello Levitt.
-
Opinion
Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
-
5th Circ. Ruling Shows Need For Proffer Terms Negotiation
The Fifth Circuit’s recent U.S. v. Shah decision, holding that a defendant breached his proffer agreement, illustrates why defense attorneys should insist on negotiating the terms of such agreements with prosecutors to protect their clients at trial, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
-
How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
-
Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
-
How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
-
Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
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.