Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Product Liability
-
April 23, 2024
FCA Says Virtual Order Spells End Of In-Person Depositions
Automaker FCA is sounding the alarm that in-person depositions in the Eastern half of Michigan are in jeopardy if a federal magistrate judge's ruling allowing remote depositions in a class action isn't overturned, arguing the supposed "judicial efficiency" rationale is too easily satisfied.
-
April 23, 2024
Blue States Leap To Defend EPA Vehicle Emissions Rule
California and 21 other blue states, along with a smattering of cities and the District of Columbia, have told the D.C. Circuit that they want to help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defend its rule requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks and vans from legal attack by red states.
-
April 23, 2024
EPA Finishes Stronger Chemical Risk Evaluation Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced stronger and broader regulations to assess chemicals' health and environmental risks, completing a process that started when the Ninth Circuit struck down parts of the initial rule as too weak.
-
April 23, 2024
Baltimore Sues Owners Of Ship That Crashed Into Key Bridge
Baltimore wants the owners and operators of the cargo ship that knocked down a part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge to pay for the rebuild and cover billions of dollars of revenue the city will likely lose out on while its port is shut down, according to a federal complaint the municipality's leaders filed Monday.
-
April 23, 2024
Do Not Remand FDA Cigar Rule Without Vacatur, DC Circ. Told
The New Civil Liberties Alliance is urging the D.C. Circuit not to remand a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule regulating premium cigars without first vacating the regulation, saying federal agencies cannot enforce rules that have been declared unlawful.
-
April 23, 2024
Approach The Bench: Judge Rosenberg Fosters Young Talent
Soon after U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg of the Southern District of Florida began presiding over her first multidistrict litigation — a case alleging the heartburn medication Zantac caused cancer — she took a novel approach to selecting leadership on the plaintiffs' side.
-
April 22, 2024
4 Biggest Takeaways From New EPA 'Forever Chemicals' Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule listing two "forever chemicals" as hazardous substances under the Superfund law will introduce costly new cleanup requirements at polluted sites — that is, if the rule survives probable legal challenges targeting its novel legal foundation and the accuracy of asserted health risks.
-
April 22, 2024
Los Angeles Sues 3M, DuPont Over 'Forever Chemicals'
The city of Los Angeles is the latest to sue 3M, DuPont and other chemical companies over contamination caused by "forever chemicals," saying the substances from firefighting foam leech into the environment and that the companies "should pay to help clean up the mess that they created."
-
April 22, 2024
Social Media MDL Attys Ordered To Sort Out Confidentiality
A California federal judge presiding over discovery in multidistrict litigation over whether social media platforms' design is addictive warned parties at a hearing Monday not to ask him to resolve disputes over confidentiality designations, asking repeatedly, "Why do they matter?" and saying, "These are the kinds of things that lawyers should work out."
-
April 22, 2024
9th Circ. Backs Class Cert. In Pet Supplement False Ad Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Monday upheld certification of a consumer class accusing health supplement company Nutramax of falsely marketing Cosequin as promoting healthy joints in dogs, saying an economics expert could use a generic and "otherwise reliable" damages model without applying it specifically to the class at this stage.
-
April 22, 2024
USW Says EPA Asbestos Ban Doesn't Protect Workers Enough
The United Steelworkers and the nonprofit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization called on the D.C. Circuit to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent ban on the most prevalent variety of asbestos, with the union arguing the ban falls short by failing to provide certain interim protections.
-
April 22, 2024
Father Asks Texas High Court To Take Up Gun Suicide Case
The father of a woman who died by suicide has asked the Texas Supreme Court to review the dismissal of his suit against a gun company, saying there were clear signs that his daughter was experiencing mental health problems and should not have been sold a weapon.
-
April 22, 2024
J&J Hit With $45M Talc Verdict In Illinois Cancer Trial
An Illinois state jury has awarded $45 million to the estate of a woman who died from mesothelioma after using Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder for years, finding that her exposure to asbestos fibers in the powder led to her cancer.
-
April 22, 2024
Opioid Marketer Completes $1.5M Damages Settlement With Del.
Delaware's chancellor signed off Monday on a $1.5 million payment to the state by a company that helped Purdue Pharmaceuticals market its opioid products, the latest step in a $358 million, 50-state damages settlement reached with Publicis Health LLC.
-
April 22, 2024
3M Urges Mich. Justices To Ditch PFAS Water Rule Challenge
Manufacturing giant 3M has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reinforce an invalidation of the state's new limits on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water, telling justices that regulators illegally failed to estimate the full cost of its new restrictions on businesses.
-
April 22, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Last week, Delaware's Chancery Court news included a Tesla announcement about moving to Texas, a midcase appeal of Tripadvisor's move to Nevada, and United Airlines' escape from a stockholder suit. Disputes about board entrenchment, squeeze-out mergers, co-founder fallouts and deadly ice cream moved ahead.
-
April 22, 2024
Hyundai, Kia Drivers Want $13M Fees In Car Theft Defect Deal
A consumer class of Hyundai and Kia drivers who claimed that the companies knowingly sold them cars with defects that made them easy to steal asked a California federal judge for final approval of their $145 million deal, with $13.4 million in fees, after an objector said the deal wasn't enough.
-
April 22, 2024
Supreme Court Will Hear Feds' Ghost Guns Ban Appeal
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from the federal government seeking to block an injunction excluding two companies from a rule classifying so-called ghost gun kits as firearms.
-
April 19, 2024
Meta Faces Uphill Fight To Nix AG Claims In Addiction MDL
A California judge expressed skepticism Friday over Meta's bid to ax the claims of 34 state attorneys general from multidistrict litigation over social media platforms' allegedly addictive design, saying Meta and its co-defendants haven't been transparent about how their platforms work, and it's plausible the states can obtain psychiatric treatment receipts to show economic injuries.
-
April 19, 2024
Flint Class Urges Approval Of $25M Water Firm Settlement
A proposed class of 45,000 Flint, Michigan, property owners, businesses and adult residents on Friday urged a Michigan federal court to give the go-ahead to a $25 million settlement with Veolia North America, the last remaining engineering defendant in sprawling litigation over the city's water crisis.
-
April 19, 2024
Walgreens Inks $110M Deal To End Philly Opioid Crisis Suit
Walgreens will pay the city of Philadelphia $110 million over the next five years to settle claims that it contributed to the opioid epidemic by ignoring suspicious prescriptions for addictive opioid painkillers, city officials announced Friday.
-
April 19, 2024
Shampoo-Maker Can't Wash Away 'Natural' False Ad Suit
An Illinois federal judge on Thursday trimmed but refused to toss a proposed class action alleging Dr. Squatch LLC deceptively labels its shampoo as "natural" even though it contains multiple artificial ingredients, saying the consumers had sufficiently alleged consumer fraud and unjust enrichment.
-
April 19, 2024
Defense Firms Say 'Political Question' Dooms Yemeni War Suit
Three defense contractors warned a D.C. federal court that it would be improperly meddling with the executive branch's national security decisions if it didn't toss a lawsuit accusing the companies of supplying weapons used in Yemen's deadly civil war.
-
April 19, 2024
J&J Unit Sued Over Defective Knee Replacements
A woman is suing Johnson & Johnson unit DePuy Orthopaedics in New Jersey federal court, alleging it marketed and sold a faulty knee replacement system that's prone to failing, requiring additional surgery to fix the issue.
-
April 19, 2024
Nevada Justices Stop Block On State's Ghost Gun Ban
The Nevada Supreme Court has reversed an order blocking enforcement of state laws blocking the sale of so-called ghost gun kits, saying the lower court was wrong in finding the laws were unconstitutionally vague.
Expert Analysis
-
Pa. Court's Venue Ruling Is Likely To Worsen Forum Shopping
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent Hangey v. Husqvarna decision claims to narrowly clarify the standard for evaluating whether a venue is proper, but has broader implications that are likely to exacerbate the forum-shopping problem that already plagues corporate defendants in Pennsylvania, says Stefanie Pitcavage Mekilo and Joseph Schaeffer at Babst Calland.
-
Superfund Site Reopenings Carry Insured Risk, Opportunity
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reported plans to reopen certain Superfund sites citing the presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances raise notable liability concerns, but may also present unique opportunities for policyholders under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, say attorneys at Haynes and Boone.
-
Series
Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.
-
What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance
Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.
-
Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories
The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.
-
How Color Psychology Can Help Tell Your Trial Narrative
Research shows that color is a powerful sensory input that affects memory and perception, so attorneys should understand how, when and why to use certain shades in trial graphics to enhance their narrative and draw jurors’ focus, says Adam Bloomberg at IMS Consulting.
-
And Now A Word From The Panel: Tracking MDL Geography
In recent years, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has predominantly selected states east of the Mississippi River as venues for new MDLs — but with half of the proceedings it has created in recent months venued in Arizona and California, the panel is not neglecting the western part of the country, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.
-
Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
-
Opinion
FDA And Companies Must Move Quickly On Drug Recalls
When a drug doesn't work as promised — whether it causes harm, like eyedrops recalled last month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or is merely useless, like a widely used decongestant ingredient recently acknowledged by the agency to be ineffective — the public must be notified in a timely manner, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
-
The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
-
Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary
The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
-
AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
-
Transparency And Explainability Are Critical To AI Compliance
Although there is not yet a comprehensive law governing artificial intelligence, regulators have tools to hold businesses accountable, and companies need to focus on ensuring that consumers and key stakeholders understand how their AI systems operate and make decisions, say Chanley Howell and Lauren Hudon at Foley & Lardner.
-
Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
-
How Social Media Can Affect Trial Outcomes
With social media’s ability to seize upon an issue and spin it into a specifically designed narrative, it is more critical than ever that a litigation communications strategy be part of trial planning to manage the impact of legal action on a company's reputation, say Sean Murphy and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.