Hospitality

  • April 08, 2024

    Red Robin Reaches $600K Deal To End EEOC Claims In Wash.

    Red Robin has agreed to pay $600,000 and bolster its anti-sexual harassment policies to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging a line cook in Washington state retaliated against female co-workers for objecting to his offensive comments, according to a proposed consent decree filed in federal court in Seattle.

  • April 08, 2024

    Mich. Judge Not Persuaded Wineries' Agritourism Is Speech

    A Michigan federal judge has found a local ban on wineries hosting weddings is not a commercial speech restriction despite the advertising potential of such events, again trimming a contentious zoning dispute ahead of trial. 

  • April 08, 2024

    Starbucks Drops TM Suit After Fake Websites Go Dark

    Starbucks has agreed to drop a trademark lawsuit claiming a pair of websites ripped off its "twin-tailed siren" logo and other brand material to sell fake franchise deals, saying in a recent Washington federal court filing that the allegedly unauthorized activity has stopped.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hormel Settling Pork Price-Fixing Claims For Over $11M

    Three plaintiff classes in the ongoing pork price-fixing litigation against Hormel Foods have reached preliminary settlements worth over $11 million with the company and are now asking the Minnesota federal judge overseeing the case to grant them initial approval.

  • April 08, 2024

    Atlantic City Hotels Say Gov't Backing Can't Save Pricing Suit

    Atlantic City casino-hotels continue to push a New Jersey federal judge to toss room rate price-fixing allegations they say get no help from a U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission intervening brief that argued algorithmic collusion is just as liable under antitrust law.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hotel Co. Comes Out On Top In Passover Fiasco Row 

    A bench trial over a "Passover celebration gone wrong" at a Pennsylvania hotel ended Friday largely in favor of the hotel operator, with $1,447.60 in contract damages for the caterer plaintiff offset by a $5,164.28 judgment in the hotel's favor for damages allegedly caused by guests who created plumbing issues.

  • April 08, 2024

    Royal Caribbean Settles Passenger's Suit Over Wife's Death

    Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the husband of a passenger who died of congestive heart failure while on a Mediterranean cruise opted Friday to settle their dispute over whether the cruise company had provided adequate medical care, avoiding a trial set to start Monday.

  • April 08, 2024

    3 Firms Build $2.3B Hospitality Biz SPAC Merger

    Singapore-headquartered Hotel101 Global Pte Ltd., a hotel prop-tech operator pioneering a standardized "condotel" business model, announced Monday that it plans to go public through a merger with blank-check company JVSPAC Acquisition Corp. in a deal built by three firms that will give it an equity value of $2.3 billion post-closing.

  • April 05, 2024

    Wow Bao Says Customer Can't Prove Kiosk Data Collection

    Asian fast-food chain Wow Bao has urged an Illinois state court judge to grant it summary judgment in a biometric privacy suit targeting the company's self-serve kiosks, arguing it cannot be held liable for collecting or possessing data it never in fact had.

  • April 05, 2024

    Marriott Wants $5M Repair Work Bill Stayed Pending Appeal

    Marriott International asked a Colorado federal judge Friday to hold off on enforcing a $5 million judgment it was ordered to pay a construction company over mudslide repair work in Brazil while the hotel appeals the order, noting it has secured a surety bond with Liberty Mutual.

  • April 05, 2024

    Starbucks Tells Judge Union Dealings Aren't 'Mission Critical'

    Starbucks denied Friday that complying with federal labor law was "mission critical" to its business as it urged a Washington state judge to dismiss a shareholder suit accusing company leaders of union busting, which they say tanked Starbucks' reputation.

  • April 05, 2024

    NJ Smoking Law Violates Casino Workers' Rights, UAW Says

    A law preventing smoking in certain indoor workspaces violates New Jersey's Constitution by excluding casino workers, the United Auto Workers alleged Friday in a state court suit against the governor and state health department commissioner.

  • April 05, 2024

    Skadden-Led Cruise Operator Viking Files $100M IPO

    Private equity-backed cruise operator Viking Holdings Ltd. on Friday filed initial public offering plans with a preliminary fundraising estimate of $100 million, represented by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkins LLP, hoping to sail into an IPO market that is more inviting lately.

  • April 05, 2024

    Chinese Insurer Awarded Nearly $15M Over Hotel Theft Suit

    A California federal judge awarded a Chinese insurer nearly $15 million in damages after a man accused of conspiring to fraudulently claim ownership of New York City's JW Marriott Essex House Hotel and other luxury properties failed to appear in the action.

  • April 04, 2024

    'No Madonna Fan' Expects Show At Ticket Time, Singer Says

    Madonna, Live Nation and the Barclays Center asked a New York federal judge to toss a lawsuit alleging fans were "lulled" into buying tickets for a show that started two hours late, saying no reasonable concertgoer — "and certainly no Madonna fan" — expects the headliner to begin at the ticketed time.

  • April 04, 2024

    Fla. Judge Won't Dismiss Suit Claiming Restaurant EB-5 Fraud

    A Florida state judge on Thursday declined to dismiss a lawsuit accusing a Miami restaurant group of mismanaging immigrant investors' funds, finding that the investors had successfully alleged fraud against the former manager of the investment company.

  • April 04, 2024

    Texts Were Intentionally Deleted In Hotel Suit, Investors Say

    Two investors have urged a Florida state court to impose severe penalties on the managers of a hotel enterprise after WhatsApp text messages in a $15 million lawsuit were allegedly deleted intentionally, saying the communications were critical to proving that their equity interests were wrongly taken from them.

  • April 04, 2024

    GRSM50 Accused Of Letting Detroit Hotel Hide Evidence

    Former workers at an upscale Detroit hotel suing over their firings urged a Michigan federal judge on Wednesday to sanction the club and disqualify its attorneys at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP, alleging it is likely they helped withhold documents and try to intimidate witnesses.

  • April 03, 2024

    Trampoline Park Can't Arbitrate Injury Suit, Texas Panel Says

    A Texas appellate court has ruled a trampoline park operator can't force the parents of a child who broke their arm on its property to litigate personal injury claims since there is evidence the company never formed a contract with the family.

  • April 03, 2024

    Reba McEntire's Ex-Hubby Loses Bid To Cancel Farm Name TM

    The ex-husband of country star Reba McEntire has lost a bid to cancel the trademark "Starstruck Farm" after the man who bought the property kept the name, with a Tennessee federal judge finding that McEntire's former husband, Narvel Blackstock, has not met his burden regarding likelihood of confusion or bad faith to profit off the name.

  • April 03, 2024

    Family Not 'Trespassers' In Revived Deck Collapse Suit

    A Texas appeals panel on Wednesday revived a family's claims against Silverleaf Resorts LLC and Holiday Inn Club Vacation Inc. over injuries from a deck collapse, finding the trial court was wrong to find they were trespassers as a matter of law.

  • April 03, 2024

    5 Hotel Cos. Defeat Trafficking Claims, 2 Others Settle

    An Ohio federal judge gave five hospitality companies early wins against a sex trafficking survivor's liability claims and dismissed two others following undisclosed settlement agreements, bringing an end to the survivor's suit alleging the companies should have seen warning signs and prevented what happened to her.

  • April 02, 2024

    3rd Circ. Preview: Black Lung, Back Pay On Tap In April

    The Third Circuit this month will consider Keystone Coal Mining Co.'s contention that a lower court erred in deeming a miner's black lung a "total disability," while a shuttered rehabilitation facility has asked the court to undo the National Labor Relations Board's determination that it owes unionized employees back pay and bonuses for work done during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • April 02, 2024

    Reject Carole Baskin's Defamation Appeal, Fla. Justices Told

    The former assistant of Carole Baskin's missing husband urged the Florida Supreme Court not to take up the appeal of a decision reviving her defamation claims against the "Tiger King" star, saying Baskin misrepresented the ruling in her request to the high court to hear the case.

  • April 02, 2024

    Bally's Investor Says Takeover Bid Exploiting Weakness Of Biz

    Bally's Corp. investor K&F Growth Capital has urged the board of directors for the casino operator to reject a $15-per-share takeover bid from its largest shareholder, Standard General, asserting the offer from the investment firm "woefully" undervalues the business.

Expert Analysis

  • Del. Dispatch: The 2023 Corporate Cases You Need To Know

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    Corporate and mergers and acquisitions litigation has continued at a fevered pace this year, with the Delaware courts addressing numerous novel issues with important practical implications, including officer exculpation and buyer aiding-and-abetting liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • 3 Developments That Will Affect Hospitality Companies In 2024

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    As the hospitality industry continues its post-pandemic recovery, it faces both challenges and opportunities to thrive in 2024, including navigating new labor rules, developing branded residential living spaces and cautiously embracing artificial intelligence, says Lauren Stewart at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 5 Traps To Avoid When Selling CRE In Las Vegas Area

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    When dealing with commercial real estate in Clark County, Nevada — which includes the Las Vegas metro area — even sophisticated sellers may be ensnared by a myriad of tricky issues, ranging from transfer tax nuances to arbitration laws, says Chris Walther at Fennemore Craig.

  • How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Singapore

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    Singapore is keen to establish itself as a leading international financial center and a key player in the sustainable finance ecosystem, and key initiatives led by its government and other regulatory bodies have helped the Asian nation progress from its initially guarded attitude toward ESG investment and reporting, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

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    The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.

  • Series

    Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Trump NY Fraud Trial Shows Civil, Criminal Case Differences

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    Former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial currently unfolding in New York provides a reminder that civil bench trials can be just as damaging, if not more so, than criminal prosecutions, due to several key elements of civil litigation procedure, says retired attorney David Moskowitz.

  • Opinion

    Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

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    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

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