Commercial Contracts

  • May 07, 2024

    Duke Energy Rival Stresses Holistic View Of Monopoly Suit

    Duke Energy's contract snub and price drops reveal a bid to monopolize the North Carolina market when the conduct is viewed holistically rather than in piecemeal fashion, a rival told the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday in an attempt to revive antitrust claims.

  • May 07, 2024

    Amazon Says Zulily Lacks Standing To Bring Antitrust Claims

    Amazon is asking a Washington federal court to throw out now-defunct online retailer Zulily's lawsuit accusing it of using its monopoly power to shut out competition from other online retailers, arguing that Zulily merely "parrots" allegations made by regulators and has singled out "plainly procompetitive practice."

  • May 07, 2024

    Hospital Says Appellate Court Flubbed $1.9M Payout Review

    A Connecticut hospital has asked the state's appellate court to hold a full court rehearing on its refusal to pause a $1.9 million prejudgment remedy the hospital was ordered to pay to a group of anesthesiologists pursuing billing claims against it, arguing the decision causes irreparable harm.

  • May 07, 2024

    Everton Investors Bemoan Soccer Team Sale Amid Fraud Suit

    The Everton FC Shareholders Association wants to slam the brakes on the "farce" sale of its Premier League soccer team to private equity firm 777 Partners LLC, arguing they are not qualified owners, a demand that comes as the firm faces allegations of fraud.

  • May 07, 2024

    Atty Dons Muppet Head To Open Sesame Place Race Bias Trial

    A federal jury in Philadelphia on Tuesday gazed at the googly eyes and blue fur of an attorney who donned the head of Sesame Street's Grover to tell them that performers wearing the fluorescent bodysuits of other beloved Muppets discriminated against children at a Pennsylvania theme park because of the color of their skin.

  • May 07, 2024

    Contract's 1-Year Limit Doesn't Block NC Mold Claims

    A North Carolina appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a couple's suit against a contractor they say failed to remediate water and mold damage in their house, saying the trial court was wrong to find that the contract's one-year limitation on claims applied to the state's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

  • May 07, 2024

    Policy Dispute Should Be Heard In Wash., Colo. Judge Says

    A Colorado federal court has tossed an insurer's suit seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe $4 million in coverage to a climbing equipment manufacturer and its primary insurer, finding that a related case in Washington state court provides a better opportunity to resolve the parties' dispute.

  • May 07, 2024

    Hytera Sanctions Show Strength Of Antisuit Injunctions

    The Seventh Circuit's decision upholding $1 million a day in sanctions against Hytera Communications for violating an order to drop trade secrets and copyright litigation in China highlights the difficulty for lawyers when working alongside Chinese courts, while affirming to patent attorneys how powerful antisuit injunctions can be.

  • May 07, 2024

    Lender Shanks Bid To Halt Ga. Golf Course Auctions

    A Georgia federal judge on Tuesday denied successive efforts from a lender to wrest control of the assets of an Atlanta-area golf club owner, whom attorneys for the lender describe as a "serial fraudster" likely to abscond with his assets while still owing millions on a 2023 loan.

  • May 07, 2024

    Starbucks Can't End Investor Suit Over Union-Busting Stance

    A Washington state judge won't toss a shareholder suit accusing Starbucks' corporate leadership of diminishing stock values by allowing store managers to quash baristas' organizing efforts.

  • May 07, 2024

    Swiss Co. Says $8M Equatorial Guinea Award Is Valid

    A Swiss clinic operator ousted from a hospital contract in Equatorial Guinea has asked the D.C. Circuit to affirm the enforcement of an $8 million arbitral award against the country, rebutting its argument that the company was required to litigate in the local courts first.

  • May 07, 2024

    Lockheed Accused Of Causing $8.25M Damages In Ship Tests

    A marine transportation company took Lockheed Martin Corp. to Michigan federal court, accusing the defense contractor of negligently causing $8.25 million worth of damages to its dock while testing a naval combat vessel.

  • May 07, 2024

    Yale Can View Deposition In Fraudulent Insemination Suit

    Entities tied to Yale University can see a transcript of a deposition taken from a retired fertility doctor accused in two court actions of secretly using his own sperm for inseminations in the 1980s, as the school tries to shield itself from possible litigation, a Connecticut judge ruled Tuesday.

  • May 07, 2024

    NC Firm Beats Appeal In Fee Fight With Fla. Client

    A North Carolina state appeals court on Tuesday affirmed a lower court's denial of a motion to dismiss a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Raleigh-based law firm Wilson Ratledge PLLC, agreeing the fee dispute with two Florida-based companies falls under the state court's jurisdiction.

  • May 07, 2024

    Pashman Stein Sued For Malpractice Over Firm Breakup Work

    A New Jersey intellectual property attorney facing claims from Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC that he owes $88,000 in unpaid legal fees denied those allegations and countered with his own claims that Pashman Stein committed malpractice in representing him in the breakup of his old firm.

  • May 07, 2024

    Margolis Edelstein Gets Rehearing In Del. Malpractice Case

    Delaware's Supreme Court has granted Margolis Edelstein's bid for a rehearing by the full five-justice court of an April ruling that revived an insurer's malpractice suit claiming its incompetence caused the insurer to have to settle a case for $1.2 million.

  • May 07, 2024

    Law Firm Must Face COVID Test-Kit Fraud Suit, NJ Court Told

    A medical supply business has urged a New Jersey federal court to reject a Texas law firm's bid to walk away from or transfer a more than $2.45 million lawsuit alleging it took part in a scheme to dupe the company into paying for COVID-19 test kits that were never delivered. 

  • May 06, 2024

    Fla. Jury Sides With Polo Star In Fight Over Cloned Horse Deal

    A Florida federal jury on Monday handed an Argentine polo star a win on breach of contract and trade secret claims against a competitor over the use of genetic material in cloned foals.

  • May 06, 2024

    Miles Davis Photog Denied New Trial Over Kat Von D Tattoo

    A California federal judge on Friday denied a photographer's new trial motion in a copyright case accusing celebrity tattooist Kat Von D of infringing his portrait of Miles Davis, rejecting his argument that the jury's finding of fair use of the portrait conflicted with the evidence at trial.

  • May 06, 2024

    Asiana Airlines Says $50M Catering Award Can't Be Enforced

    South Korea's Asiana Airlines has urged a California federal court not to enforce a $50 million arbitral award issued to a catering company, saying the underlying contract, which guaranteed the caterer "unheard of profits," was only inked in exchange for a bribe paid to its disgraced former chairman.

  • May 06, 2024

    Judge Weighs Discovery Need On McD's No-Poach Standard

    No-poach antitrust litigation against McDonald's is getting back underway in Illinois federal court following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal of the fast food giant's appeal, spurring the district court judge to consider whether more discovery might be needed to determine the appropriate standard that will govern the case.

  • May 06, 2024

    Colo. Court Order Smashes Atty-Client Privilege, Insurer Says

    The Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to take up an appeal of a Denver trial court order in a construction insurance case that an insurer warns would "eviscerate privilege protection for the vast majority of attorney-client privileged communications in society."

  • May 06, 2024

    Colo. Justices To Hear College COVID Refund Case

    The Colorado Supreme Court said Monday it will consider whether students at Colorado State University campuses can still pursue a class action seeking fee refunds after a state appeals court found the public university system was justified in closing campuses because of the coronavirus pandemic.

  • May 06, 2024

    Judge Turns Down Realtek's Patent 'Conspiracy' Case

    A California federal judge has found that Taiwanese chipmaker Realtek can't use the federal courts to sue one of its major rivals for allegedly using a "bounty" to fund "patent troll" litigation against it because that doesn't break any federal antitrust laws.

  • May 06, 2024

    NOLA Can't Arbitrate $51M Airport Defect Row With Insurers

    A Louisiana federal judge granted a group of insurers a preliminary injunction Monday, relieving them from forced arbitration in a dispute over alleged design defects at a new $1 billion terminal of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Expert Analysis

  • Clemson's ACC Exit Fee Suit May Have Major Consequences

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    Clemson University's recent suit in South Carolina state court against the Atlantic Coast Conference, which challenges the ACC's $140 million exit fee and its ownership of member schools' media rights, would likely have enormous ramifications for ACC members in the event of a definitive court ruling, say William Sullivan and Alex Anderson at Pillsbury.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • A Key Pitfall Of Restricted Subsidiaries In Loan Agreements

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    In loan agreements, the treatment afforded to non-loan party restricted subsidiaries' EBITDA presents subtle, but serious threats to lenders that require thoughtful attention in underwriting and drafting, say David Ebroon at JPMorgan Chase and ​​​​​​​Jared Zajac at Cadwalader.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • New Proposal Signals Sharper Enforcement Focus At CFIUS

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    Last week's proposed rule aimed at broadening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' enforcement authority over foreign investments and increasing penalties for violations signals that CFIUS intends to continue expanding its aggressive monitoring of national security issues, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • How Companies Can Use Big Data As A Strategic Asset

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    Artificial intelligence technology powered by big data has the potential to create radical improvements to business operations, but if big data is improperly protected or monetized, this same information can give competitors similar advantages, or at the very least undermine a company's edge, say Gary Weinstein and Hudson Peters at Faegre Drinker.

  • How Retail Tenants Can Avoid Paying Rent Prematurely

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    When negotiating leases for spaces in shopping centers, retail tenants should ensure that the language specifies they only need to begin paying rent when the center is substantially occupied as a whole, as it can be difficult to modify leases that are executed without co-tenancy requirements or termination rights, say Joshua Bernstein and Benjamin Joelson at Akerman.

  • Policy Misrepresentations Carry Insurance Rescission Risks

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Medical Mutual v. Gnik, finding that material misrepresentation in a clinic's insurance applications warranted policy rescission, is a clear example of the far-reaching effects that misrepresentations can have and provides a reminder that policyholders should employ relatively straightforward steps to decrease risks, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Analyzing New EU Measure To Prevent Reexports To Russia

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    Niels Ersbøll, Alexander Italianer and Laura Beuls at Arnold & Porter offer a comprehensive overview of the European Union's new rule requiring export agreements to contain a clause prohibiting the reexport of goods to Russia, and discuss what companies should do to ensure compliance.

  • 3 Tech Sourcing Best Practices That Are Relevant For AI

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    It might be tempting to think that sourcing artificial intelligence tools requires a completely new set of skills, but the best practices that lead to a good deal are much the same as traditional technology procurement, says Mia Rendar at Pillsbury.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • A Snapshot Of The Evolving Restrictive Covenant Landscape

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    Rachael Martinez and Brooke Bahlinger at Foley highlight recent trends in the hotly contested regulation and enforcement of noncompetition and related nonsolicitation covenants, and provide guidance on drafting such provisions within the context of stand-alone employment agreements and merger or acquisition transactions.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

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