Commercial Contracts

  • May 31, 2024

    NY Appeals Court Backs Trimming Of 50 Cent Liquor Spat

    A New York appeals court has said a lower court rightly dismissed some components of a suit brought by a fine liquors company owned by rapper 50 Cent, allowing Jim Beam and its parent company to escape the rapper's claims they aided a fraud and rejecting his request for punitive damages and attorney fees.

  • May 31, 2024

    COVID Test Contract Suit 'Cries Out' For Jury, NC Judge Says

    A fight between two companies over a doomed distribution deal for COVID-19 tests has gone from "ships passing in the night" to not even "sailing in the same ocean," a North Carolina Business Court judge said, paring the case for trial.

  • May 31, 2024

    Off The Bench: NCAA Transfers Freed, Atty Plays Cards Right

    In this week's Off the Bench, the NCAA agrees to more historic rule changes while experts examine its post-House settlement future, and a patent lawyer looks back at his transformation into a poker champion.

  • May 31, 2024

    Colo. Justices Agree To Weigh In On Blackstone Lease Row

    Colorado's high court agreed Wednesday to answer two key questions in a putative class action against Blackstone subsidiaries, after a federal judge said tenants' claims alleging the companies' lease agreements violate state law present novel legal issues with little case law to provide guidance.

  • May 31, 2024

    Contractor, Insurers Settle NYC Four Seasons Coverage Row

    A New York federal judge dismissed a general contractor's suit seeking coverage from two insurers for an underlying $1 million action over damage to a Four Seasons hotel in midtown Manhattan, saying the parties have reached a proposed settlement.

  • May 31, 2024

    Smith Gambrell Faces Slimmed Data Breach Suit

    A California federal judge has trimmed the claims a proposed class of data breach victims brought against international law firm Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP, leaving the firm to face claims of negligence, invasion of privacy and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law.

  • May 31, 2024

    Robins Kaplan Can't Escape Sanction Over Dropbox Access

    A New York state appeals court has upheld the $156,000 sanction on litigation funding firm KrunchCash and its counsel Robins Kaplan LLP for poking through an opposing party's Dropbox database that was accidentally shared in a $10 million suit, finding that they knew or should have known it was privileged information.

  • May 31, 2024

    Steptoe Adds To Employment Department In Pittsburgh Office

    A commercial litigator's plan to refocus her practice on employment law prompted a recent move to Steptoe & Johnson PLLC's Pittsburgh office after more than eight years with Sherrard German & Kelly P.C.

  • May 31, 2024

    4th Circ. Won't Revive NC Homeowners' Storm Coverage Suit

    The Fourth Circuit refused on Friday to revive a suit brought by the owners of a North Carolina beach house accusing certain underwriters at Lloyd's London of stalling a $1 million payout over hurricane damage.

  • May 31, 2024

    Child Care Center Says Insurer Duped It Into Less Coverage

    A Texas child care center says that Century Surety Co. made false claims when it came time to renew an insurance policy, telling a federal court Thursday that the insurance company duped it into signing a policy that had coverage well below what the center thought it was getting.

  • May 31, 2024

    Judge Rejects Home Service Workers' Class Cert. Redo Bid

    A Colorado federal judge once again refused to fully certify a putative class of home service professionals who accused HomeAdvisor Inc. and other parties of running a scheme where poor quality customer leads were generated and sold to home service professionals.

  • May 31, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen financier Crispin Odey file a defamation claim against the Financial Times, Ford hit with the latest "Dieselgate" claim and a human rights activist bring a privacy claim against Saudi Arabia. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 31, 2024

    GRSM50 Brings On Clausen Miller Insurance Pro In SF

    Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP, which now goes by the name GRSM50, is expanding its team, announcing Thursday it is bringing on a Clausen Miller PC insurance specialist as a partner in its San Francisco office.

  • May 30, 2024

    Trump's Niece Can't Escape His Suit Over NYT Tax Story

    A New York appellate panel ruled Thursday that former President Donald Trump can pursue claims that his niece, Mary Trump, breached a confidentiality agreement by sharing his tax records with The New York Times, handing him a legal win the same day he was convicted of 34 felony counts.

  • May 30, 2024

    Healthcare Data Co. Says Blocked Access Could Kill Patients

    A healthcare data company asked a Maryland federal court on Thursday to stop a rival from blocking access to nursing home patient records it said are needed to identify potential complications that could lead to hospitalization or death.

  • May 30, 2024

    Madonna Fan Didn't Cherish Late Show With Nudity, Suit Says

    Madonna and four concert venues were hit with a class action in California state court Wednesday by a fan who says he purchased a $500 ticket to see the pop singer in an "uncomfortably hot" arena that featured a lip-syncing star who took the stage very late with "pornographic" topless dancers.

  • May 30, 2024

    X Corp. Aims For 'Jugular' In Defamation Suit, Watchdog Says

    Media Matters for America says X Corp. shouldn't be allowed to target the left-leaning media watchdog's "financial jugular" by accessing its donor lists or its most sensitive financial documents, asking a federal judge Wednesday to reject the social platform's attempt to force production of the documents in a defamation suit.

  • May 30, 2024

    Jury Awards Electric Jet Startup $72M In Boeing IP Case

    A Washington federal jury said Thursday that The Boeing Co. should pay Zunum Aero Inc. $72 million for misappropriating the electric jet startup's trade secrets and souring a deal with a potential investor, in an award partially subject to trebling under state law.

  • May 30, 2024

    Venezuelan Oil Co. Looks To Slip Asset Seizure Suit

    An Oklahoma-based oil drilling company insisted Thursday that the D.C. federal court has jurisdiction to decide claims that the company's Venezuelan subsidiary was illegally expropriated without compensation as Venezuela's state-owned oil company looks to slip the long-running suit.

  • May 30, 2024

    BNSF Says It Owes Tribe Up To $30M For Oil Train Trespasses

    BNSF Railway Co. said Wednesday it should pay a Washington tribe either $10 million or $30 million for years of illegally running oil cars across tribal territory, after a federal judge rejected both the railroad's $7 million and the tribe's $445 million calculations. 

  • May 30, 2024

    Sorority, Ex-Affiliate End Trademark Suit After Mediation

    A sorority and a former affiliate have agreed to scrap a trademark dispute alleging the affiliate continued to use the sorority's name and symbols after their relationship had been severed.

  • May 30, 2024

    StubHub Owes TicketManager $16M For Breach, Jury Says

    A Los Angeles jury has found following a monthlong trial that StubHub owes more than $16 million for breaching its contract with Spotlight Ticket Management, which does business as TicketManager, and interfering in the company's relationship with American Express.

  • May 30, 2024

    Pipe Co. Says Appeals Court Erred In Indemnity Claim Waiver

    A steel pipe manufacturer asked Texas' Supreme Court to scrap an appellate court ruling it waived its ability to challenge a trial court order requiring it to defend another manufacturer in a multimillion-dollar suit over faulty pipes, saying the appellate panel should have concluded the company was challenging the decision.

  • May 30, 2024

    Gas Station Chain Owes Wash. Tax For In-Network Sales

    A Pacific Northwest gas station chain that issued fuel cards to customers must pay the Washington state business and occupation tax when holders of those cards purchase gas from other participating gas station chains, a Washington appeals court panel found, partially upholding the trial court.

  • May 30, 2024

    DOJ's Kanter Says AI Cos. Could Exploit Creators

    The head of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Jonathan Kanter, said Thursday that a lack of competition between artificial intelligence companies could allow them to exploit writers, artists and other content creators.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves

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    As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.

  • No AI FRAUD Act Is A Significant Step For Right Of Publicity

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    The No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas and Unauthorized Duplications Act's proposed federal right of publicity protection, including post-mortem rights, represents a significant step toward harmonizing the landscape of right of publicity law, Rachel Hofstatter and Aaron Rosenthal at Honigman.

  • Series

    Cheering In The NFL Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Balancing my time between a BigLaw career and my role as an NFL cheerleader has taught me that pursuing your passions outside of work is not a distraction, but rather an opportunity to harness important skills that can positively affect how you approach work and view success in your career, says Rachel Schuster at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Unpacking The New Russia Sanctions And Export Controls

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    Although geographically broad new prohibitions the U.S., U.K. and EU issued last week are somewhat underwhelming in their efforts to target third-country facilitators of Russia sanctions evasion, companies with exposure to noncompliant jurisdictions should pay close attention to their potential impacts, say attorneys at Shearman.

  • Using Arbitration And Class Waivers As Privacy Suit Tools

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    Amid a surge in data breach class actions over the last few years, several federal court decisions indicate that arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions can be possible alternatives to public court battles and potentially reduce the costs of privacy litigation, say Mark Olthoff and Courtney Klaus at Polsinelli.

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • 5 Lessons For SaaS Companies After Blackbaud Data Breach

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    Looking at the enforcement actions that software-as-a-service provider Blackbaud resolved with state attorneys general, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission in the past year can help SaaS companies manage these increasingly common forms of data breaches, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Will Guide Social Media Account Ownership

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision in JLM Couture v. Gutman — which held that ownership of social media accounts must be resolved using traditional property law analysis — will guide employers and employees alike in future cases, and underscores the importance of express agreements in establishing ownership of social media accounts, says Joshua Glasgow at Phillips Lytle.

  • Assessing The Future Of Colorado's Economic Loss Rule

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    The Colorado Supreme Court's decision to review a state appellate court's ruling in Mid-Century Insurance Co. v. HIVE Construction will significantly influence the future of Colorado's economic loss rule, with high stakes for the cost of doing business in the state, says David Holman at Crisham & Holman.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • What To Know About RWI In Acquisition And Divestiture Deals

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    As a slower pace of merger activity turns underwriters toward new industries, representations and warranties insurance policies are increasingly being written for acquisition and divestiture energy deals, making it important for contracting parties to understand how the RWI underwriting process works in this new sector, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Freight Forwarders And Common Carriers: Know Your Cargo

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    Freight forwarders and other nonprincipal parties involved in global cargo movement should follow the guidance in the multi-agency know-your-cargo compliance note to avoid enforcement actions should they fail to spot evasive tactics used in supply chains to circumvent U.S. sanctions and export controls, say attorneys at Venable.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Key Considerations For Evaluating An AI Vendor

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    As artificial intelligence technology advances across industries, businesses can mitigate risks, while maximizing the value of their investment, by evaluating technology, expertise, support services, transparency and more when selecting an AI vendor, say Rahul Kapoor and Shokoh Yaghoubi at Morgan Lewis.

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