http://www.law360.com/ Latest articles for organization: Eckert Seamans Copyright 2009 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US http://www.law360.com/images/headings/logo.gif http://www.law360.com/ http://www.law360.com/articles/132491 Two product liability attorneys formerly of Dechert LLP have joined the Philadelphia office of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC. http://www.law360.com/articles/132491 http://www.law360.com/articles/132582 A federal judge has declined to grant sanctions in a collective action over pay policies at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, finding that while the plaintiffs' counsel “pushed the envelope” by sending unsupervised notices to potential opt-ins, they did not actually violate any court orders. http://www.law360.com/articles/132582 http://www.law360.com/articles/131677 A bankruptcy judge has approved Philadelphia Newspapers LLC's disclosure statement, but the news chain — which owns the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philly.com Web site — still faces a crucial appeal over whether bank creditors can bid for its assets based on credit they've already extended. http://www.law360.com/articles/131677 http://www.law360.com/articles/131151 Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC has announced the hiring of utilities and telecommunications attorneys Charles Zdebski, Matthew Kirsner, Raymond Kowalski and Eric Schwalb from Troutman Sanders LLP, as well as the creation of a new office in Richmond, Va. http://www.law360.com/articles/131151 http://www.law360.com/articles/121090 As a profession, we frequently are guided in our actions by appearances, including the appearance of fairness. Allowing oral argument to those who want it, regardless of the views of some judges who may think that it is unnecessary, enhances that appearance, says Robert A. Graci, chair of the appellate practice at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC. http://www.law360.com/articles/121090 http://www.law360.com/articles/126516 Increased enforcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, coupled with recent rulings that may pierce holes in food companies’ preemption defenses, is likely to lead to an uptick in the number of consumer lawsuits filed over deceptive health and nutrition claims on foods and beverages. http://www.law360.com/articles/126516 http://www.law360.com/articles/128224 Philadelphia Newspapers LLC has appealed a bankruptcy judge's denial of a proposed sale of substantially all the Philadelphia Inquirer publisher's assets to a consortium of local interests based on numerous objections from the U.S. trustee, the creditors committee and other lenders. http://www.law360.com/articles/128224 http://www.law360.com/articles/127439 The judge overseeing the Chapter 11 proceedings of Philadelphia Newspapers LLC has struck down a proposed sale of substantially all the Philadelphia Inquirer publisher's assets to a consortium of local interests, citing objections from the U.S. trustee and a representative from virtually every creditor group, but noted the sale could be approved if amended. http://www.law360.com/articles/127439 http://www.law360.com/articles/125453 A federal judge has trimmed a suit filed by Ford Motor Co. and steel manufacturer Severstal North America Inc. to force Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. to cover environmental cleanup costs at a swath of land near Michigan's Rouge River. http://www.law360.com/articles/125453 http://www.law360.com/articles/125013 The U.S. trustee for Region 3 has balked at Philadelphia Newspapers LLC's bid to employ an internal investigator in its Chapter 11 case, arguing that the debtor has failed to show such assistance is warranted. http://www.law360.com/articles/125013 http://www.law360.com/articles/123762 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has lost its bid to transfer a patent infringement case brought by Carnegie Mellon University from Pennsylvania to Northern California, where the semiconductor maker's headquarters are located. http://www.law360.com/articles/123762 http://www.law360.com/articles/122006 Keeping with a ruling in a related case, a federal judge has declined to dismiss claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act in a suit challenging meal break policies at a Pittsburgh-area hospital system. http://www.law360.com/articles/122006 http://www.law360.com/articles/121155 Bankrupt Philadelphia Newspapers LLC has issued a stinging rebuke of its creditors committee's motion to keep the publisher from advertising the sale of its assets to local owners, saying the bankruptcy court has no jurisdiction to grant such an order. http://www.law360.com/articles/121155 http://www.law360.com/articles/119606 The Employee Free Choice Act will not likely make it up for full consideration before the U.S. Senate this fall, according to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., signaling a shift in political momentum that could permanently sideline the hotly debated labor bill. http://www.law360.com/articles/119606 http://www.law360.com/articles/119370 FedEx Ground Packaging System Inc. remains on the hook for over $1.2 million after a federal appeals court upheld a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff, who claimed the company had illegally forced her to take disability leave. http://www.law360.com/articles/119370 http://www.law360.com/articles/117980 Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin PC has become the latest firm to shutter its 2010 summer associate program. http://www.law360.com/articles/117980 http://www.law360.com/articles/118149 Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP has confirmed it is cutting the size of its 2010 summer associate program by more than half. http://www.law360.com/articles/118149 http://www.law360.com/articles/116879 Bayer Healthcare LLC has sued Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. alleging that Centocor's popular arthritis drug Simponi infringes a Bayer patent on a type of human antibody. http://www.law360.com/articles/116879 http://www.law360.com/articles/116311 Several candy makers received a sweet deal recently when they were dismissed from the multidistrict litigation over alleged price-fixing in the market for chocolate confectionery products after a federal judge agreed with their contention that the U.S. courts do not have jurisdiction over them. http://www.law360.com/articles/116311 http://www.law360.com/articles/111892 With rumors swirling that U.S. senators will nix a potential rule allowing unions to certify bargaining representatives without an election if they gather cards signed by 50 percent of employees in favor of unionizing, management attorneys say companies are breathing a tentative sigh of relief. http://www.law360.com/articles/111892