http://www.law360.com/ Latest articles for organization: McGuireWoods Copyright 2009 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US http://www.law360.com/images/headings/logo.gif http://www.law360.com/ http://www.law360.com/articles/131597 Hogan & Hartson LLP's plans to join with the U.K.'s Lovells LLP has renewed interest in trans-Atlantic mergers on both sides of the pond, but law firms thinking of taking the plunge should expect challenges to meshing cultures and financial systems, consultants said. http://www.law360.com/articles/131597 http://www.law360.com/articles/134987 Bracewell & Giuliani LLP has wooed Joseph Tirone, a project development and project finance attorney, from McGuireWoods LLP to its energy practice. http://www.law360.com/articles/134987 http://www.law360.com/articles/134114 A U.S. trustee has raised another objection to LandAmerica Financial Group Inc.'s proposed Chapter 11 plan, saying it provides overly broad releases to the debtors and others affiliated with the case and treats same-class creditors differently depending on how they vote on the plan. http://www.law360.com/articles/134114 http://www.law360.com/articles/133987 Bankrupt Circuit City Stores Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. have resolved millions of dollars in secured and unsecured claims related to the consumer electronics retailer's sale of HP products, with both parties agreeing to reduce HP's claims to $70.5 million. http://www.law360.com/articles/133987 http://www.law360.com/articles/133533 About a dozen objections have come in against LandAmerica Financial Group Inc.'s Chapter 11 plan, mostly by entities that have adversary proceedings pending against the liquidating real estate services and financing company and by the Internal Revenue Service. http://www.law360.com/articles/133533 http://www.law360.com/articles/132326 Wachovia Corp. and the underwriters and auditor of 30 of the company's public offerings have denounced a consolidated class action alleging they downplayed Wachovia’s parlous subprime exposure when selling some $35 billion bond class securities. http://www.law360.com/articles/132326 http://www.law360.com/articles/132093 Participants in Bank of America Corp.'s two employee savings plans have lost a bid to appeal the dismissal of claims in their putative class action that accuses plan administrators of breaching their fiduciary duties by heavily investing in mutual funds offered or managed by the bank's own subsidiaries and affiliates. http://www.law360.com/articles/132093 http://www.law360.com/articles/131713 Purdue Pharma Products LP has sued Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. over Cipher's new drug application for its own version of Purdue's Ultram pain reliever, alleging the application infringes Purdue's patents because they have yet to expire. http://www.law360.com/articles/131713 http://www.law360.com/articles/130657 Daniel Nunn has joined Fowler White Boggs PA as a shareholder in its business transaction and corporate practice groups. http://www.law360.com/articles/130657 http://www.law360.com/articles/130832 The American Antitrust Institute has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that ambiguous arbitration agreements should be construed to permit class arbitration, one of the central issues in a case accusing several shipping companies of restraining trade in the parcel tanker industry. http://www.law360.com/articles/130832 http://www.law360.com/articles/130100 LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. has tried to pull the plug on the Texas Department of Insurance’s lawsuit alleging the liquidating company's kickbacks for middlemen inflated title insurance rates in the state. http://www.law360.com/articles/130100 http://www.law360.com/articles/129601 Finding that the plaintiff has not offered direct evidence of discriminatory intent, a magistrate judge has recommended the dismissal of a racial bias lawsuit against Mayer Brown LLP filed by a black former associate who claims she was fired for her race in 2008. http://www.law360.com/articles/129601 http://www.law360.com/articles/129549 A federal judge has allowed a bottled water industry association to move ahead with an unfair competition lawsuit against Eco Canteen Inc. over its ad campaign claiming that plastic water bottles contain toxins, rebuffing the stainless steel bottle manufacturer's bid to force the dispute into arbitration. http://www.law360.com/articles/129549 http://www.law360.com/articles/128982 Indalex Holdings Finance Inc.'s unsecured creditors have persuaded a judge that converting the company's bankruptcy case from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 provides the only way to derive potential value for the benefit of creditors. http://www.law360.com/articles/128982 http://www.law360.com/articles/128744 A federal appeals court has upheld a $2 million award granted to Defiant Technologies after it convinced a jury that rival Nanodetex Corp. wanted to derail Defiant's business plan and bully it into merging by tying it up in baseless litigation. http://www.law360.com/articles/128744 http://www.law360.com/articles/128309 Bankrupt electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc. has reached a settlement with insurers — including Lexington Insurance Co., Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. and underwriters at Lloyd’s Insurance Co. — over claims for damage to stores and business interruption resulting from Hurricane Ike in 2008. http://www.law360.com/articles/128309 http://www.law360.com/articles/127972 A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the disclosure statement of real estate services and financing company LandAmerica Financial Group Inc., paving the way for a confirmation vote. http://www.law360.com/articles/127972 http://www.law360.com/articles/127931 Claiming that recent objections from banks and federal regulators have been adequately addressed, Fremont General Corp.’s committee of equity holders has urged the bankruptcy court to approve the latest disclosure statement for its proposed reorganization of the stricken mortgage lender. http://www.law360.com/articles/127931 http://www.law360.com/articles/126949 A federal judge has overruled Circuit City Stores Inc.’s attempts to discard former employees' requests for payment of accrued time off and designated the workers’ wages a priority claim in the consumer electronics retailer's liquidation. http://www.law360.com/articles/126949 http://www.law360.com/articles/126652 State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. has asked a court to force Lenox Financial Mortgage LLC and one of its founders to adhere to a confidential settlement agreement the parties had arranged in a declaratory judgment lawsuit. http://www.law360.com/articles/126652