Commercial Contracts

  • April 09, 2024

    Former Blockchain Stock Exchange CEO Sues For $1.4M Pay

    The former CEO of a defunct blockchain securities exchange claims she was denied her final year's salary, bonus and other compensation valued at nearly $1.4 million, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • April 09, 2024

    ​​​​​​Locke Lord Slams 'Faulty' Stance On Malpractice Row Venue

    Texas-based Locke Lord LLP has objected to an oil company's expert affidavit filed amid a malpractice suit alleging the firm and its former attorney bungled a transaction involving a North Dakota oil refinery project, redoubling its argument that New Jersey state court is not a proper venue for the complaint.

  • April 09, 2024

    Insurer Owes $2M For Loan Scheme, Financing Co. Says

    An industrial financing company is seeking over $2 million in coverage after it alleged it was defrauded of over $4.5 million by an agricultural equipment company to which it provided millions in financing, telling an Arkansas federal court its insurer wrongfully denied coverage for the "dishonest acts."

  • April 09, 2024

    Tribal Co. Says Calif. DA Shouldn't Escape Greenhouse Fight

    A Native American-owned corporation is asking a California federal court not to throw out its suit aiming to block the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office from destroying its greenhouses, saying federal abstention isn't proper because the state proceeding the DA references is against a different party.

  • April 08, 2024

    Gamers Can't Block Microsoft From 'Dismantling' Activison

    A California federal judge on Monday refused to block Microsoft from further integrating Activision Blizzard into its business after it acquired the gaming titan last year, saying the gamers who are still challenging the union between the companies have a similar motion pending before the Ninth Circuit.

  • April 08, 2024

    Allstate Sues Ex-Agent For Post-Litigation 'Smear Campaign'

    Allstate Insurance Co. has alleged in Colorado federal court that a former independent contractor it previously sued for allegedly stealing trade secrets has since launched an online "smear campaign" to spread false claims that the company is selling its customers' sensitive personal data to criminals and that it flouted a court order in the earlier suit by posting confidential deposition excerpts.

  • April 08, 2024

    ACC Can Keep ESPN Deal Under Wraps In FSU Suit

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has allowed the Atlantic Coast Conference to file some contract terms under seal in its fight over whether Florida State University can leave the conference without facing a hefty fine, reasoning that such terms have been considered sealable trade secrets by state courts.

  • April 08, 2024

    Consumers Fight Amazon's E-Book Appeal Ask

    Amazon shouldn't get to go to the Second Circuit after a federal judge refused to toss a proposed class action accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing the e-book market, according to consumers who have urged that judge not to seek another opinion on whether they lack standing.

  • April 08, 2024

    Pepperidge Farm Distributor Can Keep Delivering Cookies

    Pepperidge Farms will have to keep using a distributor that is suing the cookie company for showing up with six moving vans on a Friday night to seize its inventory, after the California federal judge who handed down the preliminary injunction accused Pepperidge Farms of trying to "hijack" the distributorship.

  • April 08, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds Partial Award In ESOP Liability Dispute

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld a lower court's finding that an insurance firm was obligated to pay some costs spent defending a consulting firm's stock valuation work, based on a finding that costs weren't completely covered under the insurer's professional liability policy exclusion.

  • April 08, 2024

    Conn. Law Firm Demands Insurer Pay More For Leak In Office

    A Connecticut law firm and a real estate company have accused their insurer of failing to fully cover damage from a leak at their New Haven offices despite a $2.2 million policy in a suit removed to Connecticut federal court by the insurer.

  • April 08, 2024

    2nd Circ. OKs Turnover Order In HNA $185M Award Feud

    The Second Circuit on Monday affirmed an order forcing a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate HNA Group to turn over its most valuable North American asset to an SL Green Realty Corp. affiliate owed about $185 million, following a dispute stemming from the affiliate's $148 million investment in a Manhattan skyscraper.

  • April 08, 2024

    Ex-NBA Player Sues BCBS Over 'Outrageous' Care Denial

    Former NBA player Rodney Rogers, who was paralyzed in 2008 after retiring, has accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina of exhibiting "outrageous" disregard for his medical needs by denying him life-saving in-home nursing assistance.

  • April 08, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, a much-watched Chancery Court Match.com decision got reversed, a Philip Morris motion got stubbed out, and a long-frozen Blue Bell Creameries suit started churning again. Delaware's Court of Chancery also saw new suits filed for legal fees, arguments over multibillion-dollar pay packages, and a judge flummoxed over Truth Social.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hotel Co. Comes Out On Top In Passover Fiasco Row 

    A bench trial over a "Passover celebration gone wrong" at a Pennsylvania hotel ended Friday largely in favor of the hotel operator, with $1,447.60 in contract damages for the caterer plaintiff offset by a $5,164.28 judgment in the hotel's favor for damages allegedly caused by guests who created plumbing issues.

  • April 08, 2024

    Jackson Hewitt Preparers Want First OK On $10.8M Deal

    Former Jackson Hewitt Inc. workers have reached a $10.8 million settlement with their former employer over claims the company's franchisees entered into an anti-competitive no-poach agreement despite the provision being removed from the company's franchise agreements, according to a Friday motion.

  • April 08, 2024

    Taxi Hailing Cos. Settle Hidden Fees RICO Claims

    Three taxi hailing companies have settled a proposed class action accusing them of conspiring to hit users who call for cabs using their tech products with hidden fees, according to a new order from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissing the suit.

  • April 05, 2024

    Contractor Says Apartment Developer's Missteps Cost $8.5M

    A general contractor has filed an $8.5 million lawsuit in North Carolina's Business Court accusing a developer of misleading it about an apartment complex project's safeguards and failing to cover the resulting cost overruns and delays.

  • April 05, 2024

    Equatorial Guinea Says $8M Award Can't Be Enforced

    Equatorial Guinea is urging the D.C. Circuit to nix enforcement of an $8 million arbitral award issued to a Swiss company that was ousted from a hospital operating contract, saying a lower court should have looked closer at whether the dispute was adjudicated in the proper forum.

  • April 05, 2024

    Marriott Wants $5M Repair Work Bill Stayed Pending Appeal

    Marriott International asked a Colorado federal judge Friday to hold off on enforcing a $5 million judgment it was ordered to pay a construction company over mudslide repair work in Brazil while the hotel appeals the order, noting it has secured a surety bond with Liberty Mutual.

  • April 05, 2024

    Jolie Seeks Abuse Evidence, Pitt Rips 'Pure Pretext' Defense

    Actress Angelina Jolie has asked a California state judge to force her estranged husband, Brad Pitt, to produce evidence of his alleged "history of physical abuse" in litigation over her sale of their French vineyard, while Pitt has filed his own evidentiary motion arguing Jolie's defense argument is "pure pretext."

  • April 05, 2024

    BofA Objects To Allowing Zelle Fraud Claim To Proceed

    Bank of America took umbrage with certain recommendations a federal magistrate judge made in allowing to proceed a proposed class action over alleged fraud on the peer-to-peer payment service Zelle.

  • April 05, 2024

    Starbucks Tells Judge Union Dealings Aren't 'Mission Critical'

    Starbucks denied Friday that complying with federal labor law was "mission critical" to its business as it urged a Washington state judge to dismiss a shareholder suit accusing company leaders of union busting, which they say tanked Starbucks' reputation.

  • April 05, 2024

    Texas Appeals Court Reverses IT Consulting Worker Spat

    A Texas appeals court revived a suit brought by an information technology consulting company against its former worker, ruling that the company had shown enough evidence to go forward with the case and the trial court abused its discretion in granting a no-evidence summary judgment motion.

  • April 05, 2024

    DC Circ. Says DOJ Can Reopen Realtor Antitrust Probe

    The D.C. Circuit said on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice can reopen an antitrust investigation into the National Association of Realtors, despite an earlier agency settlement over the association's rules.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Elements Of The Proposed Credit Card Competition Act

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    Attorneys at Troutman Pepper examine the most noteworthy provisions in the recently proposed Credit Card Competition Act, including changes to payment card network access, Federal Reserve Board review, who would qualify as a covered institution, and routing restrictions.

  • The NIL Legislation Race: CAEFA And Ted Cruz's Draft Bill

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    Christina Stylianou and Gregg Clifton at Lewis Brisbois compare legislation pertaining to the name, image and likeness rights of college student-athletes, including the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act and Sen. Ted Cruz's draft bill that would restrict an athlete's eligibility to compete if an NIL agreement violates their university's student code of conduct.

  • Developers Are Testing Defenses In Generative AI Litigation

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    In the rapidly growing field of generative artificial intelligence law in the U.S., there are a few possible defenses that have already been effectively asserted by defendants in litigation, including lack of standing, reliance on the fair use doctrine, and the legality of so-called data scraping, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Brand Owners Beware: AI-Generated Ad Content Poses Risks

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    Since the Association of National Advertisers recently updated its master media buying services template agreement, brand owners should consider how their contracted agencies are using artificial intelligence to create and implement campaigns and media purchases, say Kyle-Beth Hilfer and John Miranda at Cowan Liebowitz.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • A Higher Bar For Surviving Summary Judgment In SC Courts

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    The South Carolina Supreme Court's recent decision in Kitchen Planners v. Friedman, rejecting a lower court's usage of the mere scintilla standard for allowing cases to proceed, suggests that the mere existence of an alleged factual dispute between parties will no longer be sufficient to thwart a well-supported motion for summary judgment, says Denver Smith at Butler Snow.

  • Key Strike Considerations For Automotive Industry Suppliers

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    As the UAW's labor contracts with Detroit's Big Three automakers expire, and the possibility of a strike looms, automotive industry suppliers face a number of possible legal and operational issues — and should have strategic action plans in place to deal with contracts, liquidity, the post-strike environment and more, say experts at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • Ore. Warranty Ruling Complicates Insurance Classification

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    The Oregon Court of Appeals' recent TruNorth v. Department of Consumer and Business Services holding that a service contract — commonly referred to as an extended warranty — covering commercial property is subject to the state's consumer service contract laws raises regulatory questions for contract obligors, sellers and administrators, say attorneys at Locke Lord.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • A Festival Of Litigation Could Arise From 'Electric Zoo' Fiasco

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    Over Labor Day weekend, thousands of electronic dance music fans were displeased with the organization of the New York City-based Electric Zoo festival, which quickly elicited comparisons to the 2017 Fyre Festival — and three kinds of litigation could ensue from the debacle, say attorneys at Seiden Law.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • A Closer Look At Another HBCU Race Bias Suit Against NCAA

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    The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Academic Performance Program has become a lightning rod for scrutiny, as seen in the recently filed class action McKinney v. NCAA — where statistics in the complaint raise questions about the program's potential discriminatory impact on student-athletes at historically Black colleges and universities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • 5 Takeaways From SEC's First Marketing Rule Action

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement — the first under the amended marketing rule — with Titan Global on charges that the fintech company misled investors shows investment advisers that they should expect close scrutiny of marketing materials and that their questions will only be answered through SEC enforcement, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Texas Produced Water Ruling Helps Clarify Oil, Gas Leases

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    A Texas state appeals court's recent opinion in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that the mineral lessee under an oil and gas lease owns the water extracted during oil and gas production, is a first step toward clarity on an issue that has divided the midstream industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Pa. Case Highlights Complexity Of Oil And Gas Leases

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    A Pennsylvania state court's recent decision in Douglas Equipment Inc. v. EQT Production Co. is a reminder that oil and gas leases are rather strange creatures — morphing from something akin to a traditional surface lease to a mineral property conveyance the moment oil and gas is produced, says Christopher Rogers at Frost Brown.

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