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Michigan
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April 03, 2024
Amazon Book Scammer Can't Trim Prison Time
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 16-year prison sentence Tuesday for a man who scammed Amazon by renting textbooks from the e-commerce giant and then selling them at a profit, ultimately costing Amazon approximately $3.2 million.
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April 03, 2024
OpenText Belongs In Merger Suit Coverage Row, Insurer Says
OpenText belongs in a dispute over coverage for a class action alleging Covisint's shareholders got a bad deal when it merged with OpenText in 2017, Covisint's insurer told a Michigan federal judge, arguing OpenText has a vested interest because it may have indemnification obligations if no coverage exists.
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April 03, 2024
Ex-NBA Guard's Health Fraud Perjury Merits Prison, Feds Say
Manhattan federal prosecutors said a former Detroit Pistons point guard who was convicted on one of two counts over an alleged scheme to defraud the NBA's healthcare plan should be sentenced to 27 to 33 months in prison, claiming he lied during his testimony.
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April 02, 2024
Feds Want 2 Years For Culprit In Fake NASA Contracts Plot
Prosecutors urged a Virginia federal judge to sentence a Michigan man to 25 months in prison Tuesday after he admitted to defrauding investors through fake NASA contracts, seeking a sentence lighter than the guideline range because he spent eight grueling months in a Philippines detention center before he was in U.S. custody.
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April 02, 2024
Frat That Allows Women Barred From Using 'Sigma Phi' Name
A federal judge in Detroit says that a University of Michigan fraternity is breaking the law by continuing to use the Sigma Phi name after the national fraternity excommunicated the group for accepting women.
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April 02, 2024
Axle Maker Says It's Getting Shafted On Exclusive Parts Deal
A Colorado maker of electrically powered axle components says a Michigan heavy-vehicle company broke their exclusivity agreement and is trying to replace the manufacturer with a competitor, according to a complaint removed to Colorado federal court Monday.
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April 02, 2024
9th Circ. Urged Not To Create Dormant Commerce Split On Pot
A Michigan resident and a California lawyer vying for one of Washington state's social equity cannabis licenses are urging the Ninth Circuit not to create a circuit split and to find that regulators' licensing scheme unconstitutionally discriminates against out-of-state players.
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April 02, 2024
7th Circ. Won't Revive Parents' Claims in Abbott Formula Row
The Seventh Circuit upheld on Tuesday the dismissal of parents' claims they were economically harmed from buying infant formula that could have been contaminated with bacteria at an Abbott Laboratories plant, saying their alleged injuries aren't enough to prove standing.
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April 02, 2024
Mich. Warns PFAS Ruling Could Fuel More Agency Challenges
Michigan has warned the state's high court that an appellate decision invalidating PFAS drinking water limits could pave the way for future litigants to attack state regulations by pointing to imperfect cost estimates, urging the court to revive the PFAS rules.
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April 02, 2024
$40M Union Pension Dispute To Head Back To Arbitrator
A Michigan federal judge stood firm on his decision to send a roughly $40 million dispute between a demolition company and a union pension fund back to an arbitrator, rejecting the company's bid for him to reconsider his opinion.
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April 02, 2024
Aretha Franklin's Estate Says Atty Can't Get Unpaid Fees
A lawyer who claims Aretha Franklin owed him for his work getting her a recording deal declined to participate in oral arguments Tuesday in Michigan appellate court, where the singer's estate told the court he filed his claims years too late.
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April 01, 2024
6th Circ. Judge Warns Of 'Trap' In Medical Malpractice Laws
The Sixth Circuit has backed an Ohio federal judge's decision to toss a couple's claim against a doctor they say failed to provide proper prenatal care that could have prevented their child's brain damage, with one judge writing separately that the relevant laws can easily "trap unwary litigants" with their requirements.
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April 01, 2024
Ford Can Keep Pursuing Narrowed BCBS Antitrust Suit
A Michigan federal judge has trimmed some of Ford Motor Co.'s time-barred claims alleging Blue Cross Blue Shield engaged in an anti-competitive scheme to drive up prices, but said the auto giant established it had standing to pursue allegations it was injured by market-restricting agreements among insurance licensees.
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April 01, 2024
Mich. Can't Get Immunity In Courthouse ADA Class Action
Attorneys with disabilities and a disability rights advocate can proceed with a proposed class action aimed at forcing accessibility improvements at several Michigan courthouses and government buildings, a Michigan federal judge ruled Saturday, rejecting the state's argument that it was immune from the suit.
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April 01, 2024
One Set Of Amazon Buyers Can't Cancel Later Antitrust Case
Antitrust lawsuits against Amazon.com in New York and Washington federal court will remain separate after a New York federal judge refused Friday to let online shoppers in the earlier-filed Washington case intervene in — and junk — the other proposed class action filed two years later.
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April 01, 2024
Insurer Can't Avoid Indemnity Payments Over Grocery Fire
West Bend Mutual cannot avoid making extra indemnity payments to a Detroit grocery store over a fire or collect its insured's unpaid premium from another insurer, a Michigan federal court ruled after previously compelling both insurers to provide coverage because their policies were active when the fire occurred.
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April 01, 2024
Justices Won't Hear Atty's Bid To Conflict Out Entire Ill. Bench
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the case of a lawyer suspended in Illinois who claimed the state's entire federal judiciary needed to recuse itself from his challenge to Illinois' attorney watchdog.
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March 29, 2024
Weed Investors' Money Shift Cost Co. Millions, Suit Says
A Michigan entrepreneur has hit his ex-partner with a $5 million lawsuit, accusing him of wrecking plans to buy a 10-acre marijuana grow facility near Ann Arbor by poaching the lead investors so he could fund his own Colorado cultivation.
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March 29, 2024
Fiat Chrysler Can't Get Out Of Workers' Overtime Suit
Fiat Chrysler must face a proposed collective action by workers accusing the automaker of failing to fully pay overtime wages, with a Michigan federal judge saying Friday that the company's argument improperly attacked the claims' merits rather than whether there was enough proof to keep them in court.
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March 29, 2024
Vidal Offers 'Peace Of Mind' For MDL Rivals Heading To PTAB
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal has set new boundaries on interpreting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's discretionary denial precedent for follow-on petitions, making clear that defendants can work together in multidistrict litigation without giving up the right to file separate patent challenges.
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March 29, 2024
Varnum Grows Practice With Corporate Immigration Pro
A Michigan law firm has picked up an immigration attorney with more than 25 years of experience helping businesses meet their immediate and long-term immigration needs.
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March 29, 2024
GOP Targets Mich. Framework For Approving Mail-In Ballots
National and state Republican groups are contesting a Michigan directive for counting mail-in ballots, arguing that the guidance about verifying signatures runs afoul of state elections law.
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March 29, 2024
Flint Residents Can't Show Profit From Hasty Water Rate Hike
Residents challenging the city of Flint's rushed implementation of higher water and sewage rates couldn't show how the city unjustly profited from the change or whether the increased rate was unreasonable, a Michigan appellate panel said in upholding the dismissal of the residents' suit.
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March 29, 2024
8 States Seek $122M After Robocaller Allegedly Ignored Ban
Attorneys general from eight states urged a federal judge to modify an existing injunction barring a businessman from engaging in robocalling or telemarketing campaigns, asserting he has violated that order, should be held in contempt and must pay $122 million.
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March 28, 2024
Judge Powers Down Lenovo Computer Crashing Claims
A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday scrapped a proposed class action claiming Lenovo marketed a computer as reliable when it allegedly suffered from performance issues, saying the company never promised the computer wouldn't freeze or crash.
Expert Analysis
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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AGs' Distaste For Food Bill May Signal Other State Issues
States' recent opposition to a proposed federal law that would block them from regulating out-of-state agricultural production could affect issues beyond this narrow debate, such as the balance of state and federal regulatory power, reproductive rights post-Dobbs, and energy production and water use, say Christopher Allen and Stephen Cobb at Cozen O'Connor.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Autonomous Vehicles Must Navigate Patchwork Of State Regs
With only modest action by the federal government on the autonomous vehicle regulatory front in 2023, states and localities remain the predominant source of new regulations affecting AVs — but the result is a mix of rules that both help and hinder AV development and adoption, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Federal Policies Keeping Autonomous Vehicles In Slow Lane
In the first installment of this two-part article, attorneys at Faegre Drinker examine recent federal regulations and programs related to autonomous vehicles — and how the federal government's failure to implement a more comprehensive AV regulatory scheme may be slowing the progress of the industry.
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Calif. Law Tests Noncompete Prohibitions' Potential Reach
California’s newly enacted law, which voids employee restrictive covenants, whether signed in or out of the state, has the potential to upend typical agreement negotiations, and highlights ongoing questions concerning how California's worker protections fare in other jurisdictions, says Sarah Tishler at Beck Reed.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.