Commercial Contracts

  • June 04, 2024

    PE Firm Tells 5th Circ. It Got Pushed Out Of EV Co. Acquisition

    Texas-based private equity company Ancor Holdings LP says it got pushed out of an acquisition deal by another private equity group it brought in as backup, arguing in oral arguments at the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday that a binding letter of intent means it's entitled to future profits.

  • June 04, 2024

    Atty's Argentine Uber Debut Fight Lands At Calif. High Court

    Barring fraudulent concealment claims under the so-called economic loss doctrine would create "perverse incentives" for people to draw others into contracts and "have their way with them," the California Supreme Court was told Tuesday by counsel for an Argentinian attorney suing Uber on allegations it hid crucial information from him.

  • June 04, 2024

    Mexican Co. Asks Justices To Resolve Foreign Service Q's

    A Mexican film distributor is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve a technical question relating to service of process on foreign parties, as it fights a Ninth Circuit decision enforcing an arbitral award favoring a Los Angeles-based film production company over a 2020 movie that starred Jessica Chastain.

  • June 04, 2024

    Paramount Hit With $142.5M 'Lucha Libre' Lawsuit

    Paramount and Univision have been hit with a $142.5 million copyright lawsuit over allegedly continuing to broadcast masked "Lucha Libre" fights on Pluto TV, over a year after ending a licensing deal with a California company that markets the videos in the U.S.

  • June 04, 2024

    Bread Financial Wants Suit Over Spinoff's 'Death Spiral' Axed

    Financial services company Bread Financial Holdings Inc. and its CEO have asked an Ohio federal judge to toss a proposed investor class action over the alleged "death spiral" of a now-bankrupt spinoff company, saying the suit actually details Bread's "good faith efforts" to establish the spinoff as a successful independent venture.

  • June 04, 2024

    Fla. Biz Owners Indicted On Grant-Writing Fraud Conspiracy

    Two northern Florida business owners have been federally indicted on fraud conspiracy-related charges in connection to a scheme in which they allegedly stole nearly $3 million from minority-owned companies by promising grant-writing services that were never delivered.

  • June 04, 2024

    Construction Co. Says $1B Texas Chemical Plant Bill Unpaid

    The construction company behind a multimillion-dollar chemical processing facility near the Texas coast has accused the plant's owner of refusing to pay it for its work, despite making changes to the original scope of the facility that caused extra construction costs and delays.

  • June 04, 2024

    Ex-NFL Player Settles With Former Partner In Colo. Reptile Biz

    Former NFL player Chadwick Brown has settled a lawsuit with his former business partner in a Colorado reptile shipping company less than a month before trial, resolving allegations that Brown tried to strip the former partner of his stake in the company, according to a recently filed notice in state court.

  • June 04, 2024

    BofA Gets First Nod For $21M Wire Fee Settlement

    A North Carolina federal judge gave an early nod Tuesday to a $21 million settlement between Bank of America NA and the proposed class of its customers who accused it of slapping $15 "junk fees" on their incoming wire transfers, with $7 million of the deal going to class counsel.

  • June 04, 2024

    Bally Sports Parent Reaches Multiyear Fubo Carriage Deal

    The bankrupt owner of Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks told a Texas judge Tuesday that it has reached a multiyear agreement with fuboTV to continue that company's carriage of the debtor's channels on its streaming platform, adding to its roster of new distribution deals as a hearing on its Chapter 11 plan nears.

  • June 04, 2024

    CFPB Cautions Firms Against Contractual 'Fine Print Tactic'

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday warned banks and other financial services firms against trying to "trick" consumers with unenforceable waivers in their customer contracts, saying their use of certain contractual terms and conditions can open them up to supervisory or enforcement action.

  • June 04, 2024

    Nurse Staffing Exec Wants Antitrust, Fraud Charges Separated

    An indicted home health care staffing executive asked a Nevada federal court to separate the antitrust charge against him for allegedly fixing nurses wages from claims that he concealed the conspiracy and government probe when selling the business for more than $10 million.

  • June 04, 2024

    Developer, Buyer Settle $10M Miami Condo Dispute

    A German citizen and a developer have settled their dispute over a $9.6 million deal to buy a highly customized duplex condominium unit in a new Miami high rise, according to a notice filed in Florida federal court Monday.

  • June 04, 2024

    Houston IP Firm Settles Trade Secrets Case With Ex-Law Clerk

    Houston-based intellectual property law firm Lloyd & Mousilli PLLC and a former law clerk accused of stealing confidential information while working virtually from California reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the firm in a Texas federal court.

  • June 04, 2024

    Ex-Restoration Co. Execs 'Teeter' On Contempt, Judge Says

    The former presidents of a property restoration company have staved off civil contempt after narrowly convincing a North Carolina Business Court judge that they merely misunderstood an injunction curbing their business activities as opposed to flagrantly disregarding it.

  • June 03, 2024

    Voir Dire With No Judge Present Persists In State Courts

    Data released Friday by the National Center for State Courts revealed that voir dire conducted by lawyers with no judge present in the room persists in 7% of state court trials, but has been virtually eliminated in federal courts.

  • June 03, 2024

    Michaels Stole Paint-By-Number IP, Company Says

    A paint-by-number company told a jury Monday during opening arguments in Texas federal court that arts and crafts corporation Michaels Stores Inc. used the company's trademarks to create a competing product, saying it only learned of the phony product after a customer called in praising it.

  • June 03, 2024

    11th Circ. Backs Freeze Of Grants For Black Women Only

    In a split decision Monday, the Eleventh Circuit said that a Georgia federal judge should have blocked a Black-led venture capital firm from awarding grants to businesses owned only by Black women, opining that the practice was "substantially likely" to violate federal law barring racial discrimination in the writing of contracts.

  • June 03, 2024

    Ex-Biopharma Co. Prez Accused Of Defecting With Secrets

    Biopharmaceutical firm United Therapeutics Corp. has accused a former executive of violating an employment agreement by taking ideas to a rival company to develop a competing lung treatment.

  • June 03, 2024

    USDA Proposes Another Rule To Protect Chicken Farmers

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a rule Monday to make changes to the way poultry farmers are compensated, as the agency looks to address alleged abuses by the large processing companies that also supply the chickens.

  • June 03, 2024

    Fifth Third Bank Sued Over 'Hidden' Cost Of Solar Panel Loans

    Fifth Third Bank faces a proposed class action alleging that its solar panel financing business violated the federal Truth in Lending Act by failing to disclose that it keeps a significant portion of the cost of certain solar panel system purchases while telling consumers it was lending to them at a low interest rate.

  • June 03, 2024

    Navy Federal Lets AI Co. Monitor Calls, Suit Says

    Navy Federal Credit Union has been letting an artificial intelligence software company intercept, analyze and record all its customer calls, according to a new lawsuit accusing the nation's largest credit union of putting its members' confidential, personal and financial information at risk.

  • June 03, 2024

    American Says 'Common Sense' Makes JetBlue Deal A Positive

    An attorney for American Airlines appeared to run into turbulence during his First Circuit oral arguments Monday while contending that the mere presence of "upward pricing pressure" from the since-blocked Northeast Alliance joint venture with JetBlue is outweighed by deal benefits improperly ignored by the district court.

  • June 03, 2024

    Everton's Sale To Embattled PE Firm Off The Table, For Now

    Everton Football Club has let its sale to private equity firm 777 Partners LLC lapse amid legal troubles for the buyer and concerns from minority shareholders about the deal, although no official reason was given in its Saturday announcement.

  • June 03, 2024

    Surgeons Denied Early Exit From GEICO's Bogus Injury Suit

    A pair of orthopedic surgeons can't escape GEICO's lawsuit claiming they conspired with a personal injury attorney to file inflated insurance claims for car accident victims based on bogus medical documents, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates

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    If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • How 3 Unfolding Cases Could Affect The Energy Industry

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    Three judicial decisions now in the pipeline — Texas' challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane regulations, Delaware's climate suit against big energy companies, and a case before the Supreme Court of Texas on royalty lease interpretation — could have important implications for the energy industry, say Michelle Scheffler and Rachael Cox at Skadden.

  • Flexibility Is Key In Hybrid Capital Investment Strategies

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    Flexible or hybrid capital funds have become a solution for some owners adverse to private debt or requiring short-term capital support not otherwise available in the market, but the complexity and possible range of structures available means that principals need to consider how they may work in different scenarios and outcomes, says Daniel Mathias at Cohen Gresser.

  • Contract Negotiation Prep Checklist For In-House Ad Lawyers

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    Barriers for in-house lawyers and procurement professionals persist in media and ad tech contract negotiations — but a pre-negotiation checklist can help counsel navigate nuances and other industry issues that need to be considered before landing a deal, including supplier services, business use cases and data retrieval, says Keri Bruce at Reed Smith.

  • Calif. Ruling Shows Limits Of Exculpatory Lease Clauses

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    A California court's recent decision in Epochal Enterprises v. LF Encinitas Properties, finding a landlord liable for failing to disclose the presence of asbestos on the subject property, underscores the limits of exculpatory clauses' ability to safeguard landlords from liability where known hazards are present, say Fawaz Bham and Javier De Luna at Hunton.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

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