Commercial Contracts

  • April 23, 2026

    Expert Must Speak To Ruined Phone Claims In Antitrust Case

    A Washington federal judge said Wednesday that a digital forensics expert who was hired by a former Pilgrim's Pride employee facing bid-rigging allegations must testify in long-running civil antitrust litigation accusing poultry producers of price-fixing, finding the expert may be able to speak to claims that the worker destroyed evidence.

  • April 23, 2026

    CBRE Escapes Fraud Suit Over Jersey City Apartment Deal

    A New Jersey state judge has handed a win to CBRE Inc. and two of its brokers in a Jersey City apartment development enterprise's suit alleging it was duped into a $19.5 million site deal, finding no reasonable jury could conclude the buyer justifiably relied on alleged misrepresentations about the number of units that could be built on the property. 

  • April 23, 2026

    11th Circ. Affirms Arbitration In Ex-Sears CEO Yacht Case

    The Eleventh Circuit affirmed much of an order compelling arbitration in the Cayman Islands of claims brought by a seaman who was injured aboard a luxury 288-foot yacht allegedly owned by billionaire and former Sears CEO Edward Lampert, saying its precedent on such matters remains good law.

  • April 23, 2026

    Solar Co. Again Seeks To Toss Colo. Hemp Growers' Suit

    A solar company claims that Colorado's economic loss rule bars a negligence claim from a pair of hemp growers that claim a broken irrigation line caused nearly $200 million in damages to their hemp farm, according to a motion to dismiss filed in Colorado federal court Thursday.

  • April 23, 2026

    Transport Co. Says Broker, Insurer Cost It Gov't Contract

    An insurance broker submitted forged documents while obtaining an adjustment on a transportation company's insurance policy, causing it to lose coverage it needed to do business with a Washington, D.C., regional transit agency, according to a complaint filed in D.C. federal court.

  • April 23, 2026

    Judge Orders Media Matters To Give X Its Employee Lists

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday ordered left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters for America to hand over employee lists and editorial process information to X Corp. as part of a business disparagement suit, ending a lengthy battle between the parties over the documents.

  • April 23, 2026

    Sikorsky Says UK Co. Owes $9.8M More In Chopper Feud

    A British company that is already on the hook for more than $26.3 million must pay Sikorsky International Operations Inc. an additional $9.77 million in offer-of-compromise interest after losing a lawsuit over the scrapped purchase of two helicopters, the Lockheed Martin-owned manufacturer told a Connecticut federal judge.

  • April 23, 2026

    Ex-First Liberty Chief Ran $140M Ponzi Scheme, DOJ Says

    The owner and former president of the now-defunct Georgia-based First Liberty Building & Loan LLC was arraigned Thursday in Georgia federal court for allegedly orchestrating a $140 million Ponzi scheme, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta.

  • April 23, 2026

    Honeywell Beats Suit Over Russian Legal Fee Advancement

    The Delaware Chancery Court has recommended dismissing a former Honeywell executive's bid to force the company to cover his legal bills tied to Russian proceedings, finding that he failed to follow key contractual steps required to trigger such payments.

  • April 23, 2026

    Hotel Developer's Suit Against Mich. City Revived On Appeal

    The Michigan Court of Appeals has reinstated a developer's suit over a failed deal with the city of Jackson to renovate a historic and long-vacant hotel, ruling that the trial court ignored an amended complaint when it granted summary disposition to the city.

  • April 23, 2026

    11th Circ. Partly Revives State Farm Unearned Premium Suit

    Two State Farm units don't belong in a Florida couple's suit over reimbursement for unearned premiums following a total loss, the Eleventh Circuit found, while reviving the couple's breach of contract claim against the insurer's Florida-based subsidiary pending a new jurisdictional analysis.

  • April 23, 2026

    Home Improvement Co. Nailed With Misclassification Suit

    A home improvement company's nationwide sales model is built on a misclassification scheme that shortchanged workers, a group of former sales representatives said in a proposed collective and class action filed in Colorado federal court.

  • April 23, 2026

    Fla. Subpoenas Cos., Green Groups In Plastics Antitrust Probe

    Florida's attorney general has subpoenaed several major corporations, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Target, Nestle and Mondelez International, and a number of environmental groups as part of an investigation into whether their involvement in organizations aiming to reduce plastic waste might run afoul of antitrust and consumer protection laws.

  • April 23, 2026

    As Game Cos. Fight Over Docs, Judge Trims Requests

    Mobile game companies Skillz Inc. and Tether Studios LLC clashed Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court over the scope of discovery in a contract and trade secrets dispute, with each accusing the other of withholding critical information, while Vice Chancellor Morgan T. Zurn largely trimmed back what she said were overbroad requests.

  • April 23, 2026

    Bassist's Suit Against Metal Band Can Rock On, Judge Says

    A Connecticut judge has refused to strike six counts from a bassist's lawsuit challenging his ejection from the Grammy-nominated metal band Hatebreed, finding the musician properly pleaded claims that he was harmed by his 2024 removal after a decades-long business relationship.

  • April 22, 2026

    Anthropic Slams Hegseth's Security Risk Label At DC Circ.

    Anthropic Wednesday asked the D.C. Circuit to overturn the U.S. Department of Defense's action branding it a supply chain risk, saying the decision was retaliation for the artificial intelligence company's refusal to provide the Trump administration with technology for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.

  • April 22, 2026

    Pal Of Ex-Beneficient CEO Aided Fraud Cover-Up, Jury Hears

    A childhood friend of the founder and former CEO of Dallas-based financial services firm Beneficient on Wednesday told a Manhattan federal jury that he fabricated email correspondence and signed documents misstating his time as head of what prosecutors say was a shell company used to pull off a $100 million fraud.

  • April 22, 2026

    Messner Reeves Accused Of $8.3M Trust Account Fraud

    Colorado law firm Messner Reeves LLP was hit with a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court from five businesses claiming it stole more than $8 million from them in a fraudulent loan scheme involving a now-defunct sports arena and hotel project in Las Vegas.

  • April 22, 2026

    Alston & Bird Says Goliath Investors Can't Claim Malpractice

    Alston & Bird LLP urged a Florida federal court on Wednesday to toss a malpractice suit claiming the firm facilitated a $328 million cryptocurrency scam at Goliath Ventures Inc., arguing that the proposed class of Goliath investors who brought the suit were never clients of the firm.

  • April 22, 2026

    Pot Dispensary Owners Sue Partners Over 'Phantom Debt' Plot

    An investor and a cannabis license holder are suing a couple they had hoped would manage a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary for them, claiming in California state court that they instead created $3.4 million in "phantom debt" to steal majority ownership interests in the business and then misappropriate millions.

  • April 22, 2026

    Citibank Defends Arbitration Ruling In Veteran Credit Card Row

    Citibank has urged a North Carolina federal court to uphold a magistrate judge's decision to pause a military consumer lawsuit accusing the bank of misleading service members about interest and fees after the Fourth Circuit determined that the arbitration agreements were enforceable.

  • April 22, 2026

    Citizenship Questions Can't End Fraud Suit Against SL Green

    A New York federal judge on April 22 refused to toss a fraud suit accusing office-focused real estate investment trust SL Green Realty Corp. and several of its entities of conducting a fraudulent property transfer scheme in order to dodge a nearly $13 million judgment, ruling that allegations regarding the plaintiff's citizenship at the time it filed suit will have to be resolved later.

  • April 22, 2026

    Texas Judge Says Treasure Hunter Can Seek Share Of Loot

    A Texas federal judge mostly kept intact a suit seeking to force a company to hand over part of the haul from a Caribbean treasure expedition, saying the treasure hunting company that brought the suit could continue to seek its claimed share of the booty.

  • April 22, 2026

    Health System Says AI Co. Botched $32M Software Project

    A San Francisco-based healthcare technology company failed to deliver on promises it would consolidate a Catholic health system's data under a unified platform, breaching a projected $32 million service agreement, the health system alleged in a complaint.

  • April 22, 2026

    $16B YPF Argentina Feud Will Go To Arbitration

    Investors in Argentina's largest oil and gas exploration company confirmed to a New York federal judge Tuesday that they will pursue arbitration in their $16 billion fight with the country, and are now seeking permission to use discovery obtained in the case in the parallel claim.

Expert Analysis

  • TikTok Divestiture Deal Revolves Around IP Considerations

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    The divestiture deal between the U.S. and China to resolve a security dispute over TikTok's U.S. operations is seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, but its success hinges on the treatment of intellectual property and may set a precedent in the global contest over digital sovereignty and IP control, say attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Opinion

    Courts Must Continue Protecting Plaintiffs In Mass Arbitration

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    In recent years, many companies have imposed onerous protocols that function to frustrate plaintiffs' ability to seek justice through mass arbitration, but a series of welcome court decisions in recent months indicate that the pendulum might be swinging back toward plaintiffs, say Raphael Janove and Sasha Jones at Janove Law.

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • 7 Areas To Watch As FTC Ends Push For A Noncompete Ban

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    ​​​​​​As the government ends its push for a nationwide noncompete ban, ​employers who do not want to be caught without protections for legitimate business interests should explore supplementing their noncompetes by deploying elements of seven practical, enforceable tools, including nondisclosure agreements and garden leave strategies, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • In NY, Long COVID (Tolling) Still Applies

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    A series of pandemic-era executive orders in New York tolling state statutes of limitations for 228 days mean that many causes of action that appear time-barred on their face may continue to apply, including in federal practice, for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • FTC's Consumer Finance Pivot Brings Industry Pros And Cons

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    An active Federal Trade Commission against the backdrop of a leashed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be welcomed by most in the consumer finance industry, but the incremental expansion of the FTC's authority via enforcement actions remains a risk, say attorneys at Hudson Cook.

  • Amazon Ruling Marks New Era Of Personal Liability For Execs

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    A Washington federal court's recent decision in FTC v. Amazon extended personal liability to senior executives for design-driven violations of broad consumer protection statutes, signaling a fundamental shift in how consumer protection laws may be enforced against large public companies, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

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