Commercial Contracts

  • August 31, 2026

    Colo. Fund Says Lender Hid $10M Loan Subordination Deal

    The manager of a Colorado-based investment fund accused mortgage lender Cherry Creek in state court of executing an "invalid" hidden subordination agreement that allowed the lender to delay its interest payments on a $10 million promissory note.

  • August 31, 2026

    Baird Sues Colo. Firm Over Alleged Adviser-Poaching Scheme

    Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. claimed in Colorado state court that a competing financial services firm is using false and misleading statements about its independence to lure away Baird advisers and clients, according to the company's complaint.

  • August 31, 2026

    Paul Mitchell Urges 9th Circ. To Untangle False Ad Class

    Paul Mitchell urged the Ninth Circuit Monday to decertify a class of customers alleging the company deceptively concealed its animal testing in China while touting its U.S. haircare products as cruelty-free, arguing there's no evidence that all class members saw and relied on its cruelty-free labels before their purchases.

  • August 31, 2026

    Juul Sublicense Ends Reynolds' Altria Vape Royalty Tab

    A sublicensing agreement between R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. and Juul Labs Inc. relieves Reynolds of its obligation to pay ongoing royalties to Philip Morris parent company Altria Client Services LLC after a federal jury found that Reynolds infringed Altria's vape pen design, a North Carolina federal judge has ruled.

  • August 31, 2026

    NFL Legend Emmitt Smith, Partners Sued Over Solar Venture

    A Native American economic development entity Monday sued former NFL star running back Emmitt Smith and several business partners in the Delaware Chancery Court, accusing them of diverting a $2.5 million loan meant for a Texas solar project and leaving the joint venture unable to repay the money.

  • August 31, 2026

    11th Circ. Upholds $800K Award In Venezuelan Takeover Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit on Monday upheld an $800,000 jury verdict that found two former Miami bank directors accused of working for the Venezuelan government were liable for the bank's financial difficulties.

  • August 31, 2026

    Ramey Wants Full Fed. Circ. To Reconsider $207K Sanctions

    William Ramey of Ramey LLP has urged the full Federal Circuit to review his liability for more than $207,000 in sanctions in a client's patent infringement suit against Volkswagen, arguing that his notices of appeal were faulty but still adequately identified him as a party.

  • August 31, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Affirms Samsung Didn't Infringe Mobile Tech Patent

    The Federal Circuit on Monday upheld a lower court's decision to deny a new trial in a case accusing Samsung of infringing a mobile device technology patent, saying Samsung had shown "ample" evidence cutting against infringement.

  • August 31, 2026

    Ex-Clifford Chance Attys Fight Bid To Toss Clawback Suit

    The two partners facing a $6 million clawback demand by Clifford Chance LLP have again asked a federal judge to decide whether English or New York law should govern the arbitration, claiming the firm's partnership agreement is unclear.

  • August 31, 2026

    Meyer Unkovic Discovery Bid Partly Granted

    A Pennsylvania federal magistrate judge partly granted Meyer Unkovic & Scott LLP's bid for discovery in a malpractice suit over a $3.3 million default judgment that was later thrown out, ruling the firm can obtain documents about defenses raised in the underlying landlord-tenant case.

  • August 31, 2026

    Viks Seek Split Trial To Save Deutsche Bank Suit Injunction

    Billionaire Alexander Vik and his daughter on Monday asked a Connecticut state court judge to order multiple trials on claims they are pursuing against Deutsche Bank AG, which demand the bank hand over proceeds from a $65 million asset sale and permanently end a related lawsuit against them in Norway.

  • August 31, 2026

    Law Firm's Calif. Claims Stayed Over AI Comms Co.'s NY Suit

    A California federal judge ruled that AI communications company Connex One cannot escape claims brought by a personal injury law firm alleging it faced harassment and threats of litigation after it declined to renew their contract, saying the case will be stayed until a New York lawsuit brought by Connex against the firm runs its course.

  • August 31, 2026

    Feds' Crackdown Targets Commercial Trucking Fraud

    The Trump administration said Monday it is immediately shutting down 110 commercial driver's license schools for certifying truck drivers who can't read or speak English, and pledged to aggressively prosecute accused "fraudsters" who knowingly put untrained or unskilled truck drivers on American roads.

  • August 31, 2026

    Shareholders Say Generator Co. Overhyped Data Center Deal

    A shareholder in Hyliion Holdings Corp. is accusing the linear generator manufacturer in Texas federal court of exaggerating the potential success of its business partnership with an AI infrastructure company that specializes in data centers.

  • August 31, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court this past week saw disputes over a $200 million federal grant, a $1.7 billion software take-private deal, the ouster of Better.com founder Vishal Garg and a proposed $4 million settlement stemming from an electric vehicle company's SPAC merger.

  • August 28, 2026

    'Troubled' 7th Circ. Finds No Harm From Benesch Atty Conflict

    While "troubled" by an ex-Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP partner's decision to take on a client's trade secrets suit while negotiating a move from Benesch to the defendant company's outside counsel, the Seventh Circuit agreed Friday that the displeased client cannot pursue her legal malpractice claim.

  • August 28, 2026

    Patent Marking Case Will Shape License Talks And Damages

    A Federal Circuit ruling that patent owners must ensure that all licensees mark their products with patent information in order to recover presuit damages will complicate licensing talks and give defendants a route to limit or escape damages in some cases, attorneys say.

  • August 28, 2026

    Uber Text Doesn't Bind Guest Rider To Arbitrate, DC Circ. Says

    Uber cannot force into arbitration a passenger who sued over a crash in which he was severely injured when the ride was requested by his wife since he never created an account or agreed to the ride-hailing company's terms of service, the D.C. Circuit said in a published opinion Friday.

  • August 28, 2026

    'Friday The 13th' Creators Say Game Publisher Hid Royalties

    Creators of the "Friday the 13th" franchise alleged in a Friday suit that a video game publisher withheld up to $4.5 million in royalties from sales of a "Friday the 13th" video game that it was licensed to distribute and destroyed reports that proved how much it owed.

  • August 28, 2026

    11th Circ. Won't Nix Royal Caribbean Arbitration Appeal

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday denied a bid to summarily affirm an order denying Royal Caribbean's motion to arbitration claims by passengers suing the cruise line over numerous incidents of voyeurism involving a former employee.

  • August 28, 2026

    Md. Pot Co. Evermore Faces Bid To Confirm $1.98M Award

    A California-based capital advisory firm is urging a state court to enforce a $1.98 million arbitration award it scored against Evermore Cannabis Company, which was found to have intentionally dodged fees it promised to pay the firm as part of a contract that helped the marijuana cultivator secure loans.

  • August 28, 2026

    NCAA Fights NC State Football Player's Demand For Eligibility

    The NCAA struck back at a football player's bid to play for North Carolina State University this year while he challenges the organization's eligibility rules, arguing that he was denied a waiver because his academic standing is under his control and thus can't be the basis for extending his eligibility.

  • August 28, 2026

    Amazon Beats Calif. AG's 'Ill-Conceived' Injunction Bid

    A California judge refused to block what the state attorney general's office has cast as Amazon's coercive price-fixing imposed on Walmart, Target and others via major brands like Levi Strauss, critiquing enforcers for the "last-minute request" targeting conduct they have not shown is ongoing.

  • August 28, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Shifts T-Mobile Patent Settlement Fight To 5th Circ.

    The Federal Circuit on Friday sent an appeal from T-Mobile stemming from a patent litigation settlement to the Fifth Circuit, ruling that is proper because the Eastern District of Texas had jurisdiction when the appeal was filed.

  • August 28, 2026

    Insurance Tech SPAC Investor Wins Fight To Resell 5M Shares

    The Delaware Chancery Court has handed asset manager Meteora Capital Partners LP a summary judgment win in its contract fight with auto insurance technology company Roadzen Inc., finding Roadzen breached a 2023 stock subscription agreement by failing to register shares and later failing to remove restrictions that kept Meteora from reselling them.

Expert Analysis

  • If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Tackling Privacy And 'Utility'

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    Because bankruptcies of artificial intelligence vendors will require courts to decide in the moment how to handle bespoke deals for AI tools, customers that anticipate consumer privacy concerns in asset disposition and questions about utility and critical-vendor classifications can be better positioned before proceedings, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • What Artists Can Learn From Latest AI Music Licensing Deals

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    Recent partnerships between music labels and artificial intelligence companies raise a number of key questions for artists, rightsholders and other industry players about IP, revenue-sharing, and rights and obligations, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Keeping Licensed IP Access

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    With contracting norms still evolving to account for the licensing of artificial intelligence tools, customers that need to retain access to key AI products in the event of vendor’s bankruptcy should consider four elements that could determine whether they may invoke traditional Section 365(n) intellectual property protections, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Tips For Financial Advisers Facing TRO From Former Firm

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    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Choreo v. Lors, overturning a lower court's sweeping injunction after financial advisers moved to a new firm, gives advisers new strategies to fight restraining orders from their old firms, such as focusing on whether the alleged irreparable harm is calculable, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • 2 Rulings Showcase Fuzzy Limits Of 'Related To' Jurisdiction

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    The Fifth and Ninth Circuits recently handed down decisions, in Sanchez Energy and Sawtelle Partners, respectively, reminding practitioners that bankruptcy court jurisdiction over lingering disputes is not guaranteed, regardless of whether confirmation orders contain specific "retention of jurisdiction" language, says Brian Shaw at Cozen O’Connor.

  • 3 Key Ohio Financial Services Developments From 2025

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    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw particularly notable developments in 2025, including a significant Ohio Supreme Court decision on creditor disclosure duties to guarantors in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, and some major proposed changes to the state's Homebuyer Plus program, says Alex Durst at Durst Kerridge.

  • AI Licensing Suit Exhibits Pitfalls Of Vague Contract Terms

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    Fastcase Inc. v. Alexi Technologies, a case in District of Columbia federal court, demonstrates the potential consequences of vaguely drafted contract terms amid unforeseen technological advances, but there is practical guidance parties may employ to mitigate the potential for similar contract disputes, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

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