http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts Latest articles for: Commercial Contracts Copyright 2012 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:43:10 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312132 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312132 The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday rejected an antitrust challenge to the industry-shifting 1998 master settlement agreement between states and tobacco companies, ruling that tobacco manufacturer and state attorney general defendants were protected from the now-defunct General Tobacco's claims. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:34:32 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311944 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311944 U.S. regulators have launched a formal probe into allegations that one of Cobalt International Energy Inc.’s oil drilling contractors bribed foreign officials in Angola, Cobalt said Tuesday. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:40:35 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312151 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312151 An Illinois federal judge on Friday dismissed an Arizona-based law firm from a suit accusing it and two former Macey Bankruptcy Law PC attorneys of stealing clients from Macey's Phoenix office, ruling the court did not have personal jurisdiction over the firm. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:38:45 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312093 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/312093 The developers of New York's Artisan Lofts, a 16-story condominium complex in downtown Manhattan, were hit with a lawsuit on Wednesday over allegations that they defaulted on a $16 million mezzanine loan used to help finance the conversion of the property from an office building. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:53:45 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311981 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311981 Los Angeles litigation boutique Iverson Yoakum Papiano & Hatch LLP was hit with a complaint Friday in California court alleging it owes $167,500 in unpaid rent at the downtown Los Angeles US Bank Tower. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:15:43 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311801 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311801 A former Freed & Weiss LLC attorney sued one of the firm's former name partners for breach of contract in Illinois court Tuesday, claiming Paul Weiss tried to take over the firm and fired the plaintiff after he “refused to help [Weiss] accomplish his schemes.” Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:21:38 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311806 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311806 Concert promoter AEG Live LLC on Tuesday escaped a wrongful death suit brought by the father of the late pop star Michael Jackson, after a California state judge found Joseph Jackson's claims were mirrored in an ongoing suit filed by his wife.  Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:06:53 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311780 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311780 The Second Circuit on Tuesday upheld a decision to exclude four investment trusts from a $138 million settlement between Biovail Corp. and shareholders, saying the fact that the founder had a controlling interest in them was an appropriate reason for disqualification. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:56:43 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311607 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311607 The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a ruling that Developers Diversified Realty Corp. affiliates violated leases with Best Buy Stores LP by self-insuring part of their shopping centers' liability coverage, but said further litigation is needed to determine their exact liability. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:12:20 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311744 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311744 An Illinois appeals court last week revived SNR Denton’s defamation and tortious interference counterclaims in a consulting company’s trade secrets suit that claims a former executive violated her noncompete agreement by joining the law firm and helping it poach employees for the firm's health care group. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:21:29 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311547 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311547 The former CEO of Lincolnshire Management Inc. on Monday sued the private equity firm over a dispute arising from an underlying shareholder suit in which a $99 million award was ordered against two Lincolnshire-related investment firms. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:01:16 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311374 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311374 Arch Specialty Insurance Co. accused underwriter Axiom Insurance Managers Agency LLC in New York federal court on Friday of breaking an agreement by charging too little to cover policies' actual risks, and seeks at least $17.2 million in damages. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:11:14 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/310843 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/310843 AllianceBernstein LP on Thursday went after a former employee in New York state court, accusing the financial adviser of using trade secrets to lure clients to JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he now works. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:02:03 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311412 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311412 A Herrick Feinstein LLP attorney told a New York state judge Tuesday that the lender of $70 million in bridge financing for an unfinished residential tower can't pin all the blame for the tower's failure on Herrick's alleged malpractice. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:20:43 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311399 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311399 The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday vacated a West Virginia high court's finding that arbitration deals couldn't apply to wrongful death claims against nursing homes, ruling the decision disregarded decades of precedent including AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:57:10 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311242 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311242 A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday tossed breach of warranty claims against Toyobo Co. Ltd. in an $8 million suit brought by a body armor company claiming that Toyobo fraudulently sold defective fibers used to make bulletproof vests. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:07:42 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311202 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311202 The executors of Michael Jackson's estate on Friday sued the dead pop star's former manager Tohme R. Tohme, alleging he persuaded Jackson to sign a series of deals that guaranteed compensation and rights far beyond the norm of a personal manager. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:40:58 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311109 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311109 Texas' highest court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal in a case centering on the enforceability of a liquid damages provision in a contract dispute between an Energy Future Holdings Corp. unit and three wind farms led by a predecessor of NextEra Energy Inc. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:00:37 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311151 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311151 The developer of a glass walkway looking over the Grand Canyon sued a Native American tribe in Arizona federal court on Thursday over the tribe's alleged seizure of the property to get out of sharing more than $100 million in revenues. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:22:45 +0000 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311003 http://www.law360.com/commercialcontracts/articles/311003 A California federal judge affirmed Wednesday that royalties stemming from digital downloads of rapper Eminem's two most recent albums will be included in the damages calculation for FBT Productions LLC, Eminem's former label, in its ongoing royalties dispute against his current label.