Commercial Contracts

  • October 02, 2025

    Peach State Panel Tosses $500K Verdict In Peach Picking Spat

    The Georgia Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in a case where a jury awarded $500,000 worth of punitive damages to a peach grower who said his crop was ruined by another farmer, ruling that inadmissible evidence about their settlement talks was "likely significant" in securing the verdict.

  • October 02, 2025

    Ex-Fla. Rep Fights To Cut Tax Charges From Lobbying Case

    A former Florida congressman on Thursday asked a federal judge in Miami to sever tax evasion charges from a criminal indictment alleging he and a political consultant failed to register as foreign agents while lobbying on behalf of Venezuela's state oil company.

  • October 02, 2025

    Polish Airline's Boeing 737 Max Fraud Suit Bound For Trial

    A Washington federal judge on Thursday teed up for trial LOT Polish Airlines' suit alleging Boeing duped it into leasing defective 737 Max jets that were later grounded after two deadly crashes overseas, saying a jury should consider whether Boeing misrepresented risks about the jets to airline customers.

  • October 02, 2025

    Tesla Can't Nix Battery Maker's Arbitration Award, Judge Rules

    A California federal judge has confirmed an arbitration award that guarantees a battery maker's right to sell its dry battery electrode equipment to parties other than Tesla, rejecting Tesla's contention that an arbitrator disregarded the law when interpreting the companies' intellectual property rights in the equipment.

  • October 02, 2025

    No Pay Owed To Flooring Co.'s Fired CEO, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit won't revive a suit from the former CEO of flooring manufacturer Interface Inc. claiming he was bilked out of a severance package after allegedly going on a drunken tirade at a company function, ruling Thursday that the executive's appeal impermissibly tried to advance a new reading of his contract.

  • October 02, 2025

    Jordan's Team Seeks Partial Antitrust Win In NASCAR Suit

    The market for auto racing that NASCAR is accused of unjustly dominating has been clearly established and the organization's monopoly power is obvious, the two auto racing teams suing it told a North Carolina federal judge in asking for partial summary judgment in their antitrust suit.

  • October 02, 2025

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In September

    One attorney scored an early exit from a malpractice suit, another must face a long-delayed arbitration, and a judge has requested more information on a proposed settlement in a class action brought by gamblers at a Massachusetts casino. Here are four rulings from Suffolk Superior Court's business litigation session in September.

  • October 02, 2025

    Pac-12's Antitrust Suit Over Exit Fees Can Go On, Judge Says

    The Mountain West Conference cannot escape a lawsuit over its demand for $55 million in "poaching" fees from the Pac-12 for luring away five universities, with a California federal judge ruling that there are plausible claims that the exit fees violate antitrust laws.

  • October 02, 2025

    Exec Says Beauty Co. Owes Her More After $1B L'Oreal Sale

    A beauty brand that L'Oreal bought for around $1 billion plans to share less of the proceeds with its president than what she is owed, according to an anticipatory breach of contract suit filed in Connecticut state court.

  • October 02, 2025

    LinkedIn Sues Over Alleged 'Industrial-Scale' Data Scraping

    LinkedIn Corp. sued ProAPIs, Netswift and its co-founder Rehmat Alam in California federal court Thursday, alleging the software-makers operate "industrial-scale" data scraping mills that violate LinkedIn's terms and numerous other laws by continuously creating fake accounts to extract LinkedIn's member data, which they then sell without permission.

  • October 02, 2025

    Honeywell, Rival End 4th Circ. Barcode Royalty Clash

    A Japanese laser technology company and rival Honeywell International Inc. together concluded one chapter in a long-running patent and royalty battle over barcodes, just weeks before the case was slated for oral arguments at the Fourth Circuit.

  • October 02, 2025

    Ex-NFL Player Claims Signature Forged In Arbitration Clause

    A North Carolina Business Court judge was befuddled Thursday by an arbitration clause that retired NFL defensive lineman Mike Rucker says he has no memory of signing, stopping short arguments on its enforceability to instead give the parties time to dig into its authenticity.

  • October 02, 2025

    Healthcare AI Co. Says Biz Partner Holding IP 'Hostage'

    A company creating artificial intelligence-powered tools meant for skin image analysis has alleged in Massachusetts federal court that another firm it entered into a business deal with was holding data and intellectual property "hostage" after its CEO ordered his staff to cease a planned data migration.

  • October 02, 2025

    Emory, Student Urged To Mediate Pro-Palestine Speech Suit

    A Georgia federal judge on Thursday encouraged the parties to seek mediation in a Muslim Palestinian American student's suit alleging that her rights were violated when she was suspended from Emory University's medical school after expressing support for Palestinians in Israel's attacks on Gaza. 

  • October 02, 2025

    Vet Co. Buyers Win $8M Interest On Top Of $40M Award In Del.

    A Delaware Superior Court judge has awarded buyers of what is now Veterinary Orthopedic Implants more than $8 million in prejudgment interest in a dispute over payouts still due after they won $40 million in a patent-related settlement, rejecting arguments the $8 million would amount to a double recovery.

  • October 02, 2025

    Agency Ex-Exec Says He Was Misled About CEO Agreement

    A former executive at a company providing assistance to people with intellectual disabilities and autism claimed in a lawsuit that he was misled over whether he was officially promoted, even as the company held him out to state regulators and banks as the chief executive officer.

  • October 02, 2025

    McCarter & English Won't Face Pretrial Win Bid In $22M Suit

    A Connecticut Superior Court judge has denied requests by Phoenix Life Insurance Co. and PHL Variable Insurance Co. to file late partial summary judgment motions in a $22.3 million professional negligence lawsuit against McCarter & English LLP over the law firm's work on a Long Island loan deal.

  • October 01, 2025

    NYT Wants Justin Baldoni To Cough Up Defamation Suit Fees

    The New York Times on Tuesday sued "It Ends With Us" director and star Justin Baldoni's production company, claiming the company must cover the $150,000 in legal fees and court costs the paper racked up while defending itself in defamation litigation that "had no basis in law or fact."

  • October 01, 2025

    Drone Maker Can't Arbitrate Minor's Suit Over Eye Injuries

    A Texas federal judge on Tuesday rejected a motion to compel arbitration in a case brought by a minor who was legally blinded in one eye by a drone, finding that the minor had disavowed the arbitration agreement both when he was underage and when he turned 18.

  • October 01, 2025

    Amazon Must Cough Up Return Records In Consumer Suit

    Amazon must hand over certain information about its returns system to a group of consumers who claim that the company wrongfully denied them refunds for products they sent back, a Washington federal judge has determined, calling some of the company's objections "evasive" and "borderline frivolous."

  • October 01, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Panel Reopens Teachers' Pension Interest Suit

    A Washington state appeals court unanimously revived a class action claim that accuses a state pension agency of unlawfully skimming interest from teachers' retirement accounts, holding that a lower court was wrong to decide that it couldn't take up the matter.

  • October 01, 2025

    Judge Orders Contempt Proceedings After $3.7M IP Judgment

    A Washington federal judge has agreed to open contempt proceedings against the leaders of a company that was hit with a $3.7 million judgment in a suit over fire-resistant construction assembly product patents.

  • October 01, 2025

    DC Circ. Deems FERC-Approved Pipeline Rates Unjustly High

    The D.C. Circuit wiped out FERC's approval of fuel rates charged by a Kinder Morgan unit's pipeline following an expansion project, saying the agency unfairly saddled gas producer Antero Resources Corp. with higher rates than other pipeline customers.

  • October 01, 2025

    Ship Manager Says Liability Shield Applies In Baltimore Wreck

    The manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge last year has told a Maryland federal judge that it should be allowed to invoke a nearly two-centuries-old maritime law to limit its liability for the wreck.

  • October 01, 2025

    Inventor's $11M Award Slashed To $5M Over Pet Device IP

    A New Jersey federal judge has hit two pet supply companies with a $5 million damages bill for misappropriating a woman's idea for a skin medicine applicator for dogs and cats, more than four years after the Federal Circuit faulted the original $11 million award in the long-running case.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Strategies For De-Escalating Hospitality Industry Disputes

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    As recent uncertainty in the travel business exacerbates the risk of conflict in the hospitality sector, industry in-house counsel and their outside partners should consider proactive strategies aimed at de-escalating disputes, including preserving the record, avoiding boilerplate clauses and considering arbitration, say Randa Adra at Crowell and Stephanie Jean-Jacques at Hyatt.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

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    If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.

  • Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

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    The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in February were drafted using generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the continued importance of disclosure for attorneys who use AI tools, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

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    The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • 'A Deal Is A Deal': Tariffs No Excuse To Dodge Contract Terms

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    Tariff policy uncertainty is unlikely to be a basis for allowing a party to avoid contractual obligations, but businesses can still plan for future disputes related to pricing, operations and the supply chain, including with the addition of tariffs to any force majeure provision, say attorneys at Arnold Porter.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

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    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • 3 Mistakes To Avoid In Service Provider AI Terms

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    Every service provider contract doesn't need extensive artificial intelligence provisions, because when poorly drafted, they create impracticable obligations, miss important distinctions and may reflect wrong understanding of the law, says Chris Wlach at Huge Inc.

  • 5 Ways In-House Counsel Can Stay Ahead Of New HSR Rules

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    Now that the Trump administration’s new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules have been in effect for several months, in-house counsel should consider several practice pointers that can help spearhead management of M&A-related antitrust risk, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Recent Complex Global Deals Reveal Regulatory Trends

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    An analysis of six complex global deals that were completed or abandoned in the last year suggests that, while such deals continue to face significant and lengthy scrutiny across the U.S, U.K. and European Union, the path to closing may have eased slightly compared to recent years, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Google Damages Ruling May Spur Income Approach Usage

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in EcoFactor v. Google may affect the extent to which damages experts apply the market approach in patent infringement matters, and income approach techniques may assume greater importance, says Erin Crockett at Charles River Associates.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • 11th Circ. Ruling Warns Parties To Follow Arbitral Rules

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Merritt Island Woodwerx v. Space Coast is important for companies utilizing arbitration clauses because it clearly demonstrates the court's intent to hold noncompliant parties responsible in federal court — regardless of subsequent efforts to cure, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

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