Commercial Contracts

  • September 10, 2025

    Liberty Says Subcontractor's Insurer Must Defend Injury Row

    A subcontractor's insurer must defend and indemnify companies insured by a Liberty Mutual unit on a primary basis in a worker's injury lawsuit, the unit argued to a New York federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    OpenAI Can't Keep For-Profit Shift Docs From Musk

    A California federal magistrate judge has said that OpenAI must produce key planning documents in Elon Musk's lawsuit challenging its attempted shift into a for-profit business, rejecting arguments that the information is protected because it could influence future takeover bids by the billionaire or future investments by Microsoft.

  • September 10, 2025

    Vehicle Cosmetics Co. Sues Over AI-Voice Suit Threats

    A manufacturer of vehicle wax and wash products has sued a voice actor in Texas federal court, seeking a declaration that he doesn't have a claim for misappropriating his likeness, saying a rogue employee created an artificial intelligence-generated version of his voice and that no revenues were derived from it.

  • September 10, 2025

    Del. Justices Urged To Reverse Ad Co. Note Conversion Nix

    An investor group attorney told three Delaware Supreme Court justices Wednesday that the Court of Chancery wrongly found last year that advertising tech company Vistar Media Inc. had a right to involuntarily cash out millions worth of matured investor notes despite noteholder claims their agreement never allowed the move.

  • September 10, 2025

    Quarry Blasting Suit Dropped By NC Construction Supplier

    A construction company dropped its lawsuit against a blasting services and distribution business Wednesday in North Carolina federal court, after accusing it in June of botching an explosives operation at a Colorado quarry.

  • September 10, 2025

    Kirkland Adds Fintech Regulatory Partner From McDermott

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has enhanced its fintech regulatory compliance capabilities in New York with the addition of an experienced corporate partner who joins the firm from McDermott Will & Schulte.

  • September 09, 2025

    4th Circ. Debates Whether 'Silence' In 340B Empowers States

    Two states told a Fourth Circuit panel on Tuesday that "silence" in the law governing the federal government's drug discount program permits state enforcers to step in and regulate the delivery of those drugs to their communities.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Says ConocoPhillips Can Arbitrate FLSA Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday ruled that a former ConocoPhillips safety consultant must arbitrate claims in his proposed collective action that accuses the oil and natural gas company of not paying overtime wages, saying in an unpublished opinion that the consultant entered into an agreement that incorporated an arbitration provision.

  • September 09, 2025

    Investor Tells Texas Justices UDF Claims Aren't Derivative

    The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday pressed an alternative investment firm to explain how its suit against an adviser to a fund at the center of a $100 million, decadelong Ponzi scheme would not be classified as a derivative action, asking what distinct injury allows the firm to sue individually.

  • September 09, 2025

    Private Fund Adviser To Pay $9.7M To End SEC Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced on Tuesday that a real estate-focused Colorado private fund adviser and his two management firms would pay $9.7 million to settle claims of defrauding investors with misrepresentations, which include concealing conflicts of interests in proposed buyout transaction requests he sent to investors.

  • September 09, 2025

    Mich. Judge OKs Auto Mogul's $19M Bid To Reclaim Assets

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday allowed a Detroit-area auto parts manufacturer to buy assets in a sale held by his own trust as part of efforts to satisfy a years-old $775 million judgment against it, finding the businessman didn't interfere with the sale or flout a court sales procedure order.

  • September 09, 2025

    Nursing Exec Says $10.5M Fraud Penalty Excessive

    A nurse staffing executive convicted of wage-fixing told a Nevada federal court the U.S. Department of Justice's request for a $10.5 million forfeiture order for allegedly failing to disclose the antitrust investigation when selling his business is excessive.

  • September 09, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Revives Realtek's Fee Bid In Semiconductor IP Feud

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday faulted U.S. District Judge Alan Albright for denying Realtek Semiconductor Corp.'s request for fees following the dismissal of a patent infringement suit against it, saying the semiconductor company is the prevailing party even if the accusing company willingly abandoned the case.

  • September 09, 2025

    Google Says Ad Tech MDL Market Should Stay Within US

    Google has urged a New York federal judge not to expand the scope of its advertising placement technology business as targeted by publishers and advertisers in multidistrict litigation, arguing the plaintiffs had their chance and cannot now latch onto the worldwide scope found in the Justice Department's successful case.

  • September 09, 2025

    Pa. Justices Seem Split On Uber's 'Clickwrap' Arbitration Link

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court appeared unsure about whether arbitration agreements linked in apps like Uber adequately inform consumers that they're giving up the right to a jury trial by using services, with some justices commenting during oral arguments Tuesday that more explicit warnings couldn't hurt and others saying they could muddle the state's contract laws.

  • September 09, 2025

    Ski Mountain Owner Points To Google Remedies Decision

    A New York ski mountain owner is citing the recent remedies decision in the Google search antitrust case as it looks to avoid selling one of its properties after the court found it violated state law by purchasing and closing a neighboring mountain ski park.

  • September 09, 2025

    Nestlé Wins Singapore Court Battle Over Thai Coffee Dispute

    A court in Singapore refused on Tuesday to set aside an arbitral award favoring Swiss food and drink conglomerate Nestlé in a dispute with a Thai coffee magnate over a nixed deal by which his company served as the sole producer of Nescafé instant coffee in Thailand.

  • September 09, 2025

    Woman Says Co.'s Auto Insurer Owes $7.5M Crash Judgment

    A woman injured in a crash with a food service distributor's employee said the company's insurer must pay for a $7.5 million judgment entered in her favor, telling a Connecticut federal court Tuesday that the carrier failed to protect its insureds.

  • September 09, 2025

    Heartland To Pay $18M For Charges On School Lunch Cards

    Heartland Payment Systems LLC will pay $18.25 million to approximately 5.6 million parents and caretakers to resolve a class action alleging it levied unfair surcharges when they deposited lunch money onto school-sponsored reloadable cards used by their kids, according to a final settlement approval motion filed Monday in Florida federal court. 

  • September 09, 2025

    WNBA Warned Of Fed Antitrust Probe Over Conn. Sun Sale

    U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is the latest Connecticut political figure to publicly fight to keep the WNBA's Sun franchise in the state, telling Commissioner Cathy Engelbert that the league's "interference" in the team's sale could be a federal antitrust violation.

  • September 09, 2025

    Alfa Insurance Beats Ga. Church In Fire Coverage Dispute

    Alfa Insurance Corp. won't owe any coverage for a metro Atlanta church's 2022 fire after notching an early win Tuesday on its claims that the church lied about prior property damage on its policy application.

  • September 09, 2025

    Franchise Law Firm Can't Dump Trash Co.'s Malpractice Suit

    A Charlotte, North Carolina-based law firm can't escape a trash compactor company's claims that it botched franchise agreements in 2019 and 2020, after a federal judge said it was too early for a final ruling on a statute of limitations defense.

  • September 09, 2025

    3rd Circ. Told Cigna's 'Private Label' Stelara May Alter Market

    A Johnson & Johnson subsidiary told a Third Circuit panel it would be "difficult" to calculate its potential monetary losses if a Cigna subsidiary were to launch its own version of an anti-inflammatory treatment, particularly if it permanently changed the market by giving the insurance giant a "private label" version that pharmacies would give preference over the original.

  • September 08, 2025

    Cleo AI Must Face Military Lending Suit Over Cash Advances

    Cleo AI must face an Army staff sergeant's proposed class action alleging it employs predatory lending practices through its cash advances that exceed the Military Lending Act's annual percentage rate cap on consumer credit, after a Washington federal judge said Monday the advances constitute as "credit" under the statute. 

  • September 08, 2025

    'Disappointed' Alsup Wants More Info On $1.5B Anthropic Deal

    U.S. District Judge William Alsup has declined to sign off on Anthropic's proposed $1.5 billion settlement with authors accusing the artificial intelligence developer of copyright infringement, saying he's "disappointed that counsel have left important questions" unanswered and instructing the parties to provide more information by the end of the month.

Expert Analysis

  • A Deep Dive Into Singapore's New Int'l Arbitration Rules

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    The latest revisions to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre's rules, effective as of Jan. 1, contain numerous innovative and industry-leading updates, including new rules on coordinated and emergency procedures, and third-party funding, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • What Vinyl Acetate's Prop 65 Listing Means For Cos.

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    California's recent move to add vinyl acetate to the Proposition 65 list of carcinogens, with enforcement starting later this year, will have sweeping compliance and risk implications for businesses in the retail, food and beverage, paint, adhesive, industrial manufacturing, and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 5 Ways To Create Effective Mock Assignments For Associates

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    In order to effectively develop associates’ critical thinking skills, firms should design mock assignments that contain a few key ingredients, from messy fact patterns to actionable feedback, says Abdi Shayesteh at AltaClaro.

  • Trump Likely To Prioritize Trade, Customs Fraud Enforcement

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    With the evasion of tariffs and duties a probable focus for the U.S. Department of Justice and its partners under President Donald Trump, businesses should carefully monitor supply chains to avoid enforcement targeting, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • Recent Suits Show Antitrust Agencies' Focus On HSR Review

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's suit this month against KKR for inaccurate and incomplete premerger filings, along with other recent cases, highlights the agency's increasing scrutiny of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance for private equity firms, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

  • Private-Bidding Compliance Lessons From Siemens Plea Deal

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    Siemens Energy’s recent wire fraud conspiracy guilty plea shows that U.S. prosecutors are willing and able to police the private, domestic bidding market to protect the integrity of the competitive marketplace, and companies will need a robust compliance program to mitigate these risks, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • FTC Report On AI Sector Illuminates Future Enforcement

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    The Federal Trade Commission's report on cloud service providers and their partnerships with developers of artificial intelligence's large language models suggests that the agency will move to rein in Big Tech with antitrust enforcement to protect startups, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

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    Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • The Fed. Circ. In 2024: 5 Major Rulings To Know

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    In 2024, the Federal Circuit provided a number of important clarifications to distinct areas of patent law – including design patent obviousness, expert testimony admissions and patent term adjustments – all of which are poised to have an influence going forward, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Mass Arbitration Procedures After Faulty Live Nation Ruling

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    Despite the Ninth Circuit's flawed reasoning in Heckman v. Live Nation, the exceptional allegations of collusive conduct shouldn't be read to restrict arbitration providers that have adopted good faith procedures to ensure that consumer mass arbitrations can be efficiently resolved on the merits, says Collin Vierra at Eimer Stahl.

  • Proactively Managing Tariff Impacts On Megaprojects

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    President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs may compound the complexity, duration and risks associated with financing and building large-scale infrastructure projects — so owners and contractors should plan to take possible tariff-related cost and schedule overruns into account when drafting contracts, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

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