Commercial Contracts

  • March 19, 2024

    Clemson Sues Over 'Unconscionable' Fees To Exit ACC

    Clemson University on Tuesday sued the Atlantic Coast Conference in South Carolina state court, alleging that the conference is hindering its ability to explore alternative options regarding conference membership because it claims member institutions must pay an "unconscionable and unenforceable" $140 million to leave the conference.

  • March 20, 2024

    Future Of Judge-Shopping Reform Hazy After Rule Proposal

    The policymaking body for U.S. courts provoked a stir last week when it proposed a rule designed to curb "judge shopping," with observers saying that the policy does address one type of the practice but that it remains to be seen if individual federal district courts will be willing to adopt even that limited reform.

  • March 19, 2024

    J&J Says Former Exec Stole Thousands Of Files In Move To Pfizer

    Johnson & Johnson has sued a former competitive strategy director in New Jersey federal court, claiming he illegally downloaded thousands of confidential files on his way out the door to work for direct competitor Pfizer.

  • March 19, 2024

    Vicente LLP Sues Recruiter Over Fee Demand In Failed Search

    Vicente LLP is alleging that a Florida-based recruiter wants money for nothing after a failed search for a corporate attorney to join the cannabis law firm, during which one of the two proposed candidates turned out to be someone Vicente already worked with and later hired in a different role.

  • March 19, 2024

    Ex-Lynch Carpenter Atty Hits Firm With Whistleblower Case

    A former associate for Lynch Carpenter LLP has brought a whistleblower suit in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming labor code violations, discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation after allegedly witnessing "multiple instances of unethical conduct that he believed constituted fraud and/or legal malpractice."

  • March 19, 2024

    CBD Co. Investor Oral Contract Suit Tossed For Good

    A Nevada federal judge has thrown out for good a suit from the co-founder of CBD company CV Sciences Inc. that alleges an investor reneged on a profit-sharing agreement, saying the latest complaint still doesn't establish that the court has jurisdiction over the investor.

  • March 18, 2024

    Texas Hospital Loses Bid To Dismiss Patients' Hack Suit

    A Texas federal judge handed a win to the plaintiffs suing a hospital system in the aftermath of a hack that saw hundreds of patients' data pilfered, dismissing some of the claims in the proposed class action but allowing the suit to move forward after a hearing Monday.

  • March 18, 2024

    7th Circ. Wants Del. High Court's Input On Stock Shares Row

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday asked Delaware's top court to clarify a ruling it made earlier this year upholding the enforceability of forfeiture-for-competition provisions in limited partnership agreements, saying it found "meaningful differences" between that case and an ex-manager's bid before it to keep the stock sale proceeds he earned before working for a competitor.

  • March 18, 2024

    Airgun Exec Hiding Biz Info From Overseer, Court Told

    The receiver of an airgun seller asked the North Carolina Business Court to tighten restrictions on its chief executive, who is accused of using the company as his personal piggy bank, telling the court that the executive is believed to be taking company property and money following "deteriorating cooperation."

  • March 18, 2024

    Indian Potato Cos. Can't Get $4.4M Award OK'd In NJ

    A New Jersey federal judge has refused to enforce a $4.4 million arbitral award stemming from an ill-fated joint venture to develop a potato-processing production line, ruling that Indian affiliates of Idaho-based agribusiness J.R. Simplot Co. haven't shown his court has jurisdiction in the dispute.

  • March 18, 2024

    Leerink Enticed Goldman Exec With False Promises, Suit Says

    An investment banker says she was lured away from a senior position at Goldman Sachs to Boston-based Leerink Partners with what turned out to be a meaningless job title and false promises of guaranteed bonuses, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Massachusetts state court.

  • March 18, 2024

    Subway Franchise Fight Order Can't Be Nixed, Court Hears

    A company that helps to develop and service Subway restaurants in western Canada is urging a New York court not to vacate an arbitrator's order requiring the sub shop's Canadian franchisor to continue making payments on their pact while they arbitrate a contractual feud.

  • March 18, 2024

    Singer Seeks Chancery OK To Pull Plug On Licensee Rights

    The owner of rights and trademarks of Singer sewing machine products has sued its North American distributor in Delaware's Court of Chancery, seeking a court declaration that it could end their contract because the distributor failed to meet minimum billing and royalties requirements.

  • March 18, 2024

    NC Judge Axes Wage Suit After Attys Flout Pretrial Deadlines

    A North Carolina judge has cast out an employment dispute between a funeral home and its former president on the eve of trial after both sides neglected deadlines, saying he'll dismiss the case in its entirety with a chance to refile and "clean the slate."

  • March 18, 2024

    5th Circ. Revives Widows' Collections Suit Against Law Firm

    The Fifth Circuit has revived a proposed class action against Louisiana law firm Shows Cali & Walsh LLP regarding its efforts to recoup grant funds awarded in connection with Hurricane Katrina, saying a reasonable jury could find the law firm violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

  • March 18, 2024

    Chicago Can Keep $26M Willis Tower Suit In Federal Court

    A federal judge in Illinois has declined to send a $26 million lawsuit against the City of Chicago over rain damage at Willis Tower back to state court, finding the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago acts under federal authority in maintaining the minimum water levels dictated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

  • March 18, 2024

    Pa. Firm Partner's Equity Suit Sent Back To State Court

    A dispute between two firm partners is being remanded to Pennsylvania state court after a U.S. district judge ruled Friday that the case lacks the geographic diversity required to be in federal court because both attorneys remain members of the firm, despite one submitting notice of her intent to withdraw.

  • March 18, 2024

    Marriott Must Face Suit For Booting Kidswear Wholesalers

    Marriott International must face a suit by two clothing wholesalers who were kicked out of rooms at a Fairfield Inn just outside Boston for violating an undisclosed "non-solicitation" policy, a Massachusetts appellate court said Monday.

  • March 18, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Multimillion-dollar e-cigarette settlements, $4 billion in stock buybacks and a $6.1 million appraisal tweak were among the big-dollar items logged in the Delaware Court of Chancery's ledger last week. Also on the docket: a Panama port project, a news outlet's defamation case, drone disputes and a flood of mail from Tesla shareholders. In case you missed it, here's all the latest from the Chancery Court.

  • March 18, 2024

    4th Circ. Preview: Airport Mishap, Inmate Pay Launch March

    The Fourth Circuit's spring session will task the court with refereeing a power struggle between Virginia regulators and the authority that runs Washington, D.C.'s airports — stemming from a workplace amputation — and delving into the "honest belief" doctrine's role in a Family Medical Leave Act case.

  • March 18, 2024

    Justices Won't Review McDonald's No-Poach Case

    A proposed class action targeting McDonald's past use of no-poach provisions in its franchise agreements will move ahead after the Supreme Court on Monday turned down McDonald's petition to review a Seventh Circuit ruling reviving the case.

  • March 15, 2024

    NYC Taxi Drivers Convince Judge To Reconsider RICO Claims

    A New York federal judge has agreed to rethink her decision throwing out New York City cab drivers' racketeering suit claiming the city artificially inflated the values of once highly coveted taxi licenses, admitting that she "committed clear error" in finding that certain claims were filed too late.

  • March 15, 2024

    Insurance Mogul Hit With $500K Judgment For Website Co.

    The legal woes of embattled North Carolina insurance mogul Greg Lindberg were compounded when a federal judge ordered him and one of his companies to pay nearly half a million dollars, including interest and attorney fees, to an internet marketing company for a payment he missed following his sentencing on federal bribery charges.

  • March 15, 2024

    Firm, Mont. Tribal Council To Settle Violence Dispute

    Greenberg Traurig LLP, its longtime counsel and a Montana tribal council are looking to settle a dispute in which the law firm and attorney are accused of devising a financial scheme that led to violence over a decision to remove the board of directors of the tribe's economic entity.

  • March 15, 2024

    8th Circ. Nixes Arbitration Bid In $9M Chinese PPE Fight

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday refused to force a Chinese manufacturer of personal protective equipment to arbitrate its $9 million dispute over unpaid invoices with a U.S. distributor, ruling in a published opinion that the underlying pact containing an arbitration clause was never consummated.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Litigation Funding Disclosure Should Be Mandatory

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    Despite the Appellate Rules Committee's recent deferral of the issue of requiring third-party litigation funding disclosure, such a mandate is necessary to ensure the even-handed administration of justice across all cases, says David Levitt at Hinshaw.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

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    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • How Calif. Privacy Law Changes Affect Asset Managers

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    Asset managers need to understand the important ways in which the California Consumer Privacy Act applies to their work, despite a recent update to the law that exempts information subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, say Kevin Angle and Catherine Skulan at Ropes & Gray.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Timeliness, Evidence, Fact-Finding

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    Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw look at three recent opinions from three stages of government contract claims litigation about avoiding untimeliness by ticking procedural boxes, supporting factual positions at the summary judgment stage and how the appellate boards review default terminations.

  • Indivior Ruling May Affect Rebate Wall Litigation

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    A New Jersey federal court's recent decision in Indivior v. Alvogen, in which a claim that an alleged rebate wall anti-competitively blocked generic competition survived summary judgment, may provide a blueprint for successfully challenging other drug rebating practices, say Peter Herrick and Monsura Sirajee at O'Melveny.

  • Perspectives

    Mallory Gives Plaintiffs A Better Shot At Justice

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    Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern claim it opens the door to litigation tourism, but the ruling simply gives plaintiffs more options — enabling them to seek justice against major corporations in the best possible court, say Rayna Kessler and Ethan Seidenberg at Robins Kaplan.

  • An Emerging Copyright Paradox For AI-Generated Content

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    It is becoming increasingly clear that something of a double-edged sword now exists with regard to copyrights and artificial intelligence — though it may not be possible to secure or convey copyrights in AI-generated content, the same content may result in claims of copyright infringement, says Samuel Lewis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Key Considerations For Negotiating Sponsor Guaranties

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    As both creditors and borrower groups shift their negotiating positions regarding sponsor guaranties, practitioners should refresh their understanding of common law suretyship defenses and their associated waivers so that they can watch for contract terms that are overly or insufficiently broad, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • Canada Emoji Ruling Considers Digital-Age Contract Realities

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    In South West Terminal v. Achter Land & Cattle, a Canadian court recently held that a thumbs-up emoji was just as valid as a signature, illustrating a common situation in the digital age and setting forth a rational framework for addressing contract disputes in U.S. courts and elsewhere, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

  • Effectual Relief Questions Linger After Section 363 Ruling

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    In the months since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in MOAC Mall Holdings, courts and practitioners must grapple with the issue of what effectual relief courts may grant upon an appeal of an unstayed sale order, says Monique Jewett-Brewster at Hopkins Carley.

  • Cannabis Cos. Must Heed PFAS Risks In Products, Packaging

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    Cannabis businesses and ancillary service providers will have to grapple with evolving PFAS enforcement, litigation and regulations – most recently enacted in Minnesota – and take steps to mitigate risks posed by forever chemicals in their products and packaging, say Malina Dumas and Amy Rubenstein at Dentons.

  • SEC v. Ripple Labs Decision Could Change Crypto Regulation

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    The distinction drawn by federal securities laws between a transaction and an asset is key to understanding the remarkable recent decision from a New York federal court in SEC v. Ripple Labs — a ruling that could mark a turning point in the nation's fraught regulatory relationship with cryptocurrency, says Joseph Hall at Davis Polk.

  • Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too

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    While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.

  • 4 Things Cos. Must Know About Texas' New Business Courts

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    A recently passed Texas law will create a special court system to handle the state's increasingly large business dispute docket — but there are several key features of the new business courts that companies and their legal teams must understand before their cases are filed, say Nicholas Bruno and Madison Moore at Beck Redden.

  • Micromobility Can Lead To Macro Liability For Cities, Cos.

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    E-bike and scooter manufacturers and rental operators, as well as the cities that host such services, must be aware of the major litigation risk associated with the growing number of serious accidents and injuries involving such micromobility devices — and should track emerging regulations in this area, says Arturo Aviles at Segal McCambridge.

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