Michigan

  • April 24, 2024

    Customer Service Reps Say DTE Energy Owes Log-In Pay

    Michigan's largest energy company pressured its customer service employees into performing between seven and 18 minutes' worth of unpaid off-the-clock tasks per shift, two former employees have said in a new federal lawsuit accusing DTE Energy of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • April 24, 2024

    Forex Trader Must Pay $11.8M For Ponzi-Like Scheme

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday said a purported forex commodity pool operator and its agent must pay more than $11.8 million in penalties and restitution for bilking participants in a Ponzi-like scheme, after the defendants ignored a Commodity Futures Trading Commission suit.

  • April 24, 2024

    Solar Co. Must Pay Workers, Union Benefit Funds

    A Kalamazoo, Michigan-based solar company must follow an arbitration board's order to remit unpaid wages to two workers and unpaid contributions to a group of union benefit funds, a Michigan federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    Trump Considered 'Co-Conspirator' In Mich. Elector Probe

    Donald Trump and his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis are considered unindicted co-conspirators in an alleged plot to cast Michigan's electoral votes for the former president following the 2020 election, a witness revealed Wednesday in criminal proceedings against the so-called false electors.

  • April 24, 2024

    DTE Says Toshiba Must Share Info On $500M Plant Upgrade

    Michigan's largest energy companies want to force Toshiba Corp. to disclose details about its allegedly botched work on a hydroelectric plant, arguing it can't claim the documents are confidential just because they were shared with prospective buyers. 

  • April 23, 2024

    Mich. Judge Threatens Contempt After Atty's 'Star Snitch' Post

    A lawyer defending a Republican elector against criminal charges called a government witness a "star snitch" in a February Facebook post, prompting a Michigan state judge Tuesday to warn the entire courtroom that similar behavior going forward could lead to witness tampering charges.

  • April 23, 2024

    Doctor Renews $20M Claim His Hospital Made Up 25 Murders

    An Ohio physician accused of 25 counts of murder and found guilty of none just renewed his $20 million malicious-prosecution suit against Trinity Health Corp., the parent company of his former employer, claiming that the company misled prosecutors to get him indicted as a distraction from the internal issues of the hospital where he worked.

  • April 23, 2024

    Justices Probe NLRB's Burden In Starbucks' Injunction Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to hold that the courts' traditional factors apply when the National Labor Relations Board pursues injunctions, though it's unclear from Tuesday's argument how closely it will direct courts to examine a key factor: the strength of the board's case.

  • April 23, 2024

    FCA Says Virtual Order Spells End Of In-Person Depositions

    Automaker FCA is sounding the alarm that in-person depositions in the Eastern half of Michigan are in jeopardy if a federal magistrate judge's ruling allowing remote depositions in a class action isn't overturned, arguing the supposed "judicial efficiency" rationale is too easily satisfied.

  • April 23, 2024

    Blue States Leap To Defend EPA Vehicle Emissions Rule

    California and 21 other blue states, along with a smattering of cities and the District of Columbia, have told the D.C. Circuit that they want to help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defend its rule requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks and vans from legal attack by red states.

  • April 23, 2024

    Sugar Giants Accused Of Using Shadow Analyst To Fix Prices

    A putative class action filed in Illinois federal court on Monday accuses top sugar producers of colluding with each other since at least 2019 to illegally fix the price for white, refined table sugar, driving up the prices of granulated sugar since in "one of the steepest climbs ever."

  • April 23, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs Dykema's Win In Ex-Secretary's Age Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit won't reinstate a former Dykema legal secretary's age discrimination case, saying Tuesday she failed to show that her supervisor — whom she accused of giving her adult diapers for her 50th birthday and frequently asking her if she planned to retire — had anything to do with her firing.

  • April 23, 2024

    DOJ Unveils $139M Deal For Larry Nassar Victims

    The U.S. Department of Justice will pay $138.7 million to settle 139 tort claims accusing the Federal Bureau of Investigation of not doing enough to stop the sprawling, decades-long sexual abuse of hundreds of victims at the hands of USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, according to a Tuesday announcement.

  • April 22, 2024

    Mich. Justices To Settle When Juries Make Crash Injury Call

    Michigan's Supreme Court has said it would hear oral arguments in the case of a teen whose college baseball prospects may have been cut short by a car crash, as the court considers who should decide if an injury is serious enough to support a claim against the at-fault driver.

  • April 22, 2024

    Mich. Panel Drains $1.3M 1-800-Bathtub Arbitration Award

    A Michigan appellate court affirmed slashing most of a $1.3 million arbitration award for the owner of the toll-free number 1-800-BATHTUB, pulling the plug on the owner's claim that a bathroom remodeling company stole the number.

  • April 22, 2024

    6th Circ. Backs Ohio City's Win In COVID Layoff Age Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an Ohio public service commissioner's bias suit alleging he was swept up in a round of layoffs because of his older age, ruling Monday that the city showed COVID-19-related budget concerns drove its decision-making, not prejudice.

  • April 22, 2024

    Opioid Marketer Completes $1.5M Damages Settlement With Del.

    Delaware's chancellor signed off Monday on a $1.5 million payment to the state by a company that helped Purdue Pharmaceuticals market its opioid products, the latest step in a $358 million, 50-state damages settlement reached with Publicis Health LLC.

  • April 22, 2024

    GM, Others Sued For Sharing Driver Data With Insurers

    Two New Jersey drivers say they saw increases in their insurance premiums after General Motors and its OnStar unit allegedly used apps installed in their vehicles to illegally share driver data with consumer reporting agencies and insurance carriers without their consent.

  • April 22, 2024

    Mich. Top Court Strikes Down Public Union Fee Policies

    The Michigan Supreme Court said Monday a public-sector union cannot charge nonmembers a fee to receive union support in filing a grievance, ruling that doing so violates the organization's duty to fairly represent all employees when the union is the sole representative for workers.

  • April 22, 2024

    3M Urges Mich. Justices To Ditch PFAS Water Rule Challenge

    Manufacturing giant 3M has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reinforce an invalidation of the state's new limits on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water, telling justices that regulators illegally failed to estimate the full cost of its new restrictions on businesses.

  • April 19, 2024

    Flint Class Urges Approval Of $25M Water Firm Settlement

    A proposed class of 45,000 Flint, Michigan, property owners, businesses and adult residents on Friday urged a Michigan federal court to give the go-ahead to a $25 million settlement with Veolia North America, the last remaining engineering defendant in sprawling litigation over the city's water crisis.

  • April 19, 2024

    Mich. Panel Backs GM's Win In Supplier Pricing Spat

    A Michigan appellate panel has refused to reinstate a supplier's lawsuit claiming General Motors underpaid for five years' worth of deliveries, saying Semco Inc. didn't have the written evidence needed to hold GM to a promise to rectify the alleged shortfalls.

  • April 19, 2024

    Fla. Solar Panel CEO Can Be Sued In Mich., Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge ruled Thursday that a Florida resident and former CEO of a solar panel company must face racketeering claims in Michigan alongside the company for allegedly scamming customers because he used to own property in the state and lived there during the alleged scheme.

  • April 19, 2024

    Mich. Judge Says $12K Fee Spat 'Tremendous Waste Of Time'

    A Michigan federal judge on Friday urged attorneys in a slip-and-fall suit to figure out a $12,000 fee dispute soon or risk having to spend a day in person with him in a conference with their clients, something he joked that "nobody ever wants to do."

  • April 19, 2024

    Lawyer Too Late To Collect Fees From Aretha Franklin Estate

    Michigan appellate judges have upheld the denial of a bid for attorney fees for a lawyer who complained he was not properly paid for work he did for Aretha Franklin, with judges determining the claims were time-barred.

Expert Analysis

  • Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout

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    While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • Series

    Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.

  • What's At Stake In High Court NLRB Injunction Case

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    William Baker at Wigdor examines the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear Starbucks v. McKinney — where it will consider a long-standing circuit split over the standard for evaluating National Labor Relations Board injunction bids — and explains why the justices’ eventual decision, either way, is unlikely to be a significant blow to labor.

  • The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift

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    As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.

  • 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.

  • 1869 Case May Pave Off-Ramp For Justices In Trump DQ Fight

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    In deciding whether former President Donald Trump is disqualified from Colorado's Republican primary ballots, the U.S. Supreme Court could rely on due process principles articulated in a Reconstruction-era case to avert a chaotic or undemocratic outcome, says Gordon Renneisen at Cornerstone Law Group.

  • 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.

  • 10 Years Of Retail Battles: Unpacking Pricing Litigation Trends

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    A close look at a decade of pricing class actions against retailers reveals evolving trends, plaintiffs bar strategies, and the effects of significant court decisions across states, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

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