Commercial Contracts

  • March 25, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week in Delaware's Court of Chancery, litigants battled as Truth Social went public, Carl Icahn and Tripadvisor hit a roadblock, and more shareholders wailed about "invasive" bylaws. Oil drilling and pharmaceutical mergers sparked new lawsuits, and a sewing machine trademark owner sued to end a contract.

  • March 25, 2024

    M&T Bank Execs Seek Exit From Fla. Law Firm's $1.5M Suit

    Two M&T Bank Corp. representatives want out of a lawsuit claiming they participated in the unlawful restriction of a Florida law firm's trust account amid a chargeback dispute, arguing they are protected from such claims by Florida's corporate shield doctrine.

  • March 25, 2024

    Justices Won't Review 11th Circ. $285M Arbitrator Bias Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an Eleventh Circuit decision refusing to vacate $285 million in arbitral awards issued to the operator of the Panama Canal, a case that the petitioners said raised questions about the standard by which courts may nix awards over an arbitrator's "evident partiality."

  • March 22, 2024

    Golfers Demand City Of LA End Tee Time Black Market

    Los Angeles golfers have sued the city claiming it's failing to stop black-market brokers from snatching up affordable tee times on municipal courses and reselling them for a profit.

  • March 22, 2024

    US Bank Ends $3.5B RMBS Trusts Suits Against BofA, Others

    U.S. Bank on Friday notified a New York federal judge it permanently discontinued two lawsuits against First Franklin Financial, Merrill Lynch Mortgage and Bank of America relating to substandard loans in residential mortgage-backed securities trusts worth $3.5 billion, two years after the parties reached a conditional settlement.

  • March 22, 2024

    Md. University Says Psilocybin Trade Theft Suit Belongs In US

    A London-based biochemical company cannot be allowed to escape across the pond with trade secrets related to using psilocybin as a mental health treatment, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, told a federal court, saying the company's minimum contacts with the state was its "months-long fraudulent scheme" to swipe intellectual property.

  • March 22, 2024

    Telecom Shareholders Want Tribunal DQ'd Over 'Biased' Blog

    The majority shareholders in a Latin American telecommunications tower operator are urging a New York court to reconsider its bid to disqualify the entire tribunal overseeing an arbitration over an alleged corporate coup, saying a blog run by one of the arbiters shows proof of bias.

  • March 22, 2024

    Fired CFO Of Conn. Gas Co. Seeks $5.6M From Sale

    The former chief financial officer of Hocon Gas Inc., a propane and heating oil company serving three Northeastern states, says he was fired for dubious reasons after demanding his share of distributions ahead of a planned sale of the company and its affiliates, in a $5.6 million lawsuit in Connecticut state court.

  • March 22, 2024

    9th Circ. Sends OppFi Predatory Lending Suit To Arbitration

    The Ninth Circuit has sent a proposed class action accusing Opportunity Financial LLC of issuing usurious loans back to the district court, ordering it to grant the lender's bid for arbitration after finding the lower court erred in ruling that the company's arbitration clause is "substantively unconscionable."

  • March 22, 2024

    Jones Soda Says Partner Contaminated 'Off-Flavor' Drinks

    A contractor breached a beverage production deal with Seattle's Jones Soda Co. by canning a batch of lemon-coconut drinks that were unfit to sell because of "an indisputable off-flavor," according to a complaint filed by the soda company in Washington federal court.

  • March 22, 2024

    Trims Recommended In Zelle Fraud Victims' Case Against BofA

    A North Carolina federal magistrate judge has recommended trimming claims in a proposed class action that alleges Bank of America NA didn't compensate for or adequately investigate scammers' unauthorized Zelle transactions despite assurances to victims who lost thousands of dollars.

  • March 22, 2024

    Colo. City Wins $13.5M For Software Co.'s Trickery

    A Colorado federal judge says a software company that was found to have lied to secure a multimillion project with the city of Fort Collins must pay $13.5 million for the city's costs stemming from its fraud.

  • March 22, 2024

    Google Loses New Trial Bid After Epic Games' Antitrust Win

    A California federal judge denied Google LLC's bid for a new trial and teed up for a May hearing on a possible court-ordered injunction against the tech giant, following Epic Games' jury win on antitrust claims related to Google Play Store and Android apps.

  • March 22, 2024

    Radiology Co., Trustee Must Face Ex-Worker's ESOP Suit

    A Colorado federal judge refused to toss a proposed class action accusing a radiology company and its trustee of overcharging the company's employee stock ownership plan in a $163.7 million sale, saying the former workers' complaint puts forward enough details to back up their allegations.

  • March 22, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Pipefitting Co. Must Rehire Union Workers

    A Georgia pipefitting company violated federal labor law when it prematurely terminated a project labor agreement with a union, then fired or rescinded job offers to 18 union-represented workers, the Eleventh Circuit ruled Friday, upholding decisions by a National Labor Relations Board panel and an agency judge.

  • March 22, 2024

    DraftKings' Suit Is 'Character Assassination,' Former VP Says

    A former DraftKings executive picked apart a trade secret suit brought against him in Massachusetts federal court by his ex-employer, saying it's an attempt to "torch his reputation" with questionable evidence that also demonstrates the company's practice of smearing employees who leave for better opportunities.

  • March 22, 2024

    Parts Of Secret Recording Buried In Blackbeard Ship Suit

    A North Carolina state judge has ruled that parts of a secret recording of a 2014 meeting between the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the organization that discovered the pirate Blackbeard's sunken ship fall under attorney-client privilege and must be redacted as part of a contract dispute over footage and images of the ship.

  • March 22, 2024

    'Love Is Blind' Contestant's Suit Sent To Arbitration

    A California judge on Friday held that claims against Netflix from a "Love Is Blind" contestant alleging she was matched with a violent drug addict must be sent to arbitration after finding that the arbitrability of the contract in question is not for the court to decide.

  • March 22, 2024

    Off The Bench: Ohtani Lawyers Up, UFC Settles, ACC Clash

    MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani enlists a Hollywood boutique to advise him amid a still-unfolding sports betting scandal, UFC forks over $335 million to settle a wage class action and Clemson's bid to join a new conference spills into court. Catch up with the sports and betting stories that had Law360's readers talking with this week's Off The Bench.

  • March 22, 2024

    Fla. Judge Allows Sale Of Ex-MLBer's House In Fraud Suit

    A Florida state court judge on Friday allowed the sale of a house owned by ex-Boston Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo to go forward over the objection of a sports managing company, which accused the baseball player of fraudulent transfer in order to avoid a $3 million judgment against him.

  • March 22, 2024

    Pot Co. Investor Gets Colo. Contract Breach Suit Revived

    A Colorado appeals court has revived an investor's suit alleging that the head of a six-company cannabis enterprise failed to pay out as agreed, finding the trial court was wrong to find the investor did not have a legally protected interest in the enterprise.

  • March 22, 2024

    Feds, Girardi Agree To Delay Trial More Than 2 Months

    Disgraced attorney Tom Girardi's criminal trial could now be pushed back from May to August, after prosecutors and Girardi's defense attorneys filed a mutual request for a few more weeks of preparation in the closely watched case.

  • March 22, 2024

    Pa. Panel Says Tort Statute Can't Kill Contract Claims

    A Pennsylvania appellate panel has revived a breach of contract suit brought by a pro se litigant against his former counsel for failing to provide adequate legal services, finding the trial court was wrong to reclassify the contract complaint as a tort claim for legal malpractice and then toss it on statutory grounds.

  • March 22, 2024

    Lewis Brisbois Accused Of Filing 'Sham' Suits To Avert Fault

    A group of 185 Chinese investors have accused Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP attorneys of filing numerous lawsuits — and collecting $3.8 million in legal fees — to cover for failing to read "draconian" contract terms that led the investors to lose their $92.5 million stake in a $2.5 billion Los Angeles mixed-use development.

  • March 22, 2024

    Colo. Geothermal Startup, Directors Settle Ownership Spat

    A Colorado-based geothermal energy startup and its partners have told a federal judge they are finalizing a settlement to end more than a year of bitter litigation over ownership of the company.

Expert Analysis

  • The NIL Legislation Race: CAPCA And The PASS Act

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    Christina Stylianou and Gregg Clifton at Lewis Brisbois compare the College Athletes Protection and Compensation Act and the Protecting Athletes, Schools, and Sports Act — two of the latest bills introduced to federally regulate publicity rights for the name, image and likeness of college student-athletes.

  • Lenders Should Study New York's Biz Loan Disclosure Rules

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    Loan providers will need to dive deep into the detailed rules governing New York state’s new commercial financing disclosure requirements in order to successfully understand and comply with the recently implemented law, say Barry Hester and Gretchen von Dwingelo at BCLP.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'

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    Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.

  • Keys To Robust AML Programs At Private Funds

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    Attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler explain why hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds should develop risk-based anti-money laundering compliance programs despite not being subject to the Bank Secrecy Act, and offer tips on setting up a program similar to those implemented by financial institutions.

  • 4 Business-Building Strategies For Introvert Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Introverted lawyers can build client bases to rival their extroverted peers’ by adapting time-tested strategies for business development that can work for any personality — such as claiming a niche, networking for maximum impact, drawing on existing contacts and more, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Barbie Deals Should Remind Brands Of IP Licensing Benefits

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    Mattel Inc.'s recent licensing of the Barbie trademark — one of the biggest licensing campaigns of recent history — illustrates that, as long as risks are managed properly, intellectual property licensing can form part of the overall business strategy and benefit both parties, say Maria Peyman and Anousha Vasantha at Birketts.

  • Opinion

    Has The NCAA Not Learned NIL Policy Lessons Of The Past?

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    The NCAA has applied its heavy hand — which has been slapped back by courts and legislatures — again, saying that colleges must comply with its name, image and likeness policies even if they conflict with state laws, but recent antitrust decisions might caution against its reasoning, says Kenneth Jacobsen at Temple University.

  • Opinion

    3 Ways Justices' Disclosure Defenses Miss The Ethical Point

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    The rule-bound interpretation of financial disclosures preferred by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — demonstrated in their respective statements defending their failure to disclose gifts from billionaires — show that they do not understand the ethical aspects of the public's concern, says Jim Moliterno at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

  • Counterfactual Models: A Key Tool In Energy Price Disputes

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    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent review of penalties assessed by PJM Interconnection during Winter Storm Elliott is just one example of how estimating the behavior of energy markets in counterfactual scenarios is an essential tool for settling contractual and regulatory disputes, say Kivanç Kirgiz and Manuel Vasconcelos at Cornerstone Research, and independent consultant Roy Shanker.

  • 5 Ways To Improve Commercial Arbitration Clauses

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    Arbitration clauses have become ubiquitous as parties hope to streamline disputes, but with boilerplate language leading to the same downsides as conventional litigation, commercial contract drafters should opt for custom-written terms, say Lauren Zimmerman and Jeff Zalesin at Selendy Gay.

  • Mitigating Risk In US Liquefied Natural Gas Contracts

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    Recent increases in demand for liquefied natural gas in both European and Asian markets will present logistical, economic and legal challenges for suppliers, which will need to mitigate risks posed by both short-term and long-term contracts, says C. Thomas Kruse at Arnold & Porter.

  • Caregiver Flexibility Is Crucial For Atty Engagement, Retention

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    As the battle for top talent continues post-pandemic, many firms are attempting to attract employees with progressive hybrid working environments — and supporting caregivers before, during and after an extended leave is a critically important way to retain top talent, says Manar Morales at The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

  • 3 Ideas To Guide In-House Counsel On Creating AI Policies

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    When drafting guidelines on generative artificial intelligence use for organizations that have a heightened need to safeguard their intellectual property, in-house counsel will need to address some gray areas that have become difficult to navigate in order to set their company up for success, say Enrique Abarca and Tanner Jarrell at Nabors Corporate.

  • Serta Simmons Ch. 11 Expands Split On Credit Agreements

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    The recent confirmation of Serta Simmons' Chapter 11 plan by a Texas bankruptcy court judge furthers a split in case law between narrow interpretation of credit agreement provisions and a more holistic approach focused on the practical effect of the uptiering transaction on minority lender rights, say attorneys at Schulte Roth.

  • Ruling Affirms Drillers' Right To Choose Methods In Colo.

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    In the wake of the Tenth Circuit's decision in Bay v. Anadarko E&P Onshore, a bellwether trespass case, oil and gas operators can breathe easy knowing that Colorado landowners cannot dictate their method of drilling — even in the face of more reasonable alternatives, say Lauren Varnado and Jessica Pharis at Michelman & Robinson.

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