Hospitality

  • March 28, 2024

    DOL Judge Rejects Hawaiian Hotel's H-2B Bid Over Lack Of Info

    A U.S. Department of Labor judge wouldn't let Grand Hyatt Kauai boost its staff with noncitizens during tourism season, faulting the Hawaiian resort for resubmitting the same information on its application in response to a request for more information.

  • March 28, 2024

    Hard Rock Cafe Workers Score Conditional Cert. In Tip Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has granted conditional class certification to a group of Hard Rock Cafe servers alleging the company forfeited its right to pay servers subminimum tipped wages by compelling them to perform excessive untipped work and not telling them a tip credit would be taken against their wages.

  • March 28, 2024

    Former Prison Contractor Must Pay $112K, 6th Circ. Says

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a National Labor Relations Board decision ordering a former Federal Bureau of Prisons contractor and a Michigan halfway house to pay around $112,000 to two fired workers, supporting the agency's conclusion that the entities are liable for back pay.

  • March 28, 2024

    Foxwoods Tribal Owner Loses $76M COVID Insurance Appeal

    The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, did not meet a key burden when suing its insurer for more than $76 million in losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's intermediate-level appeals court ruled Thursday in declining to revive the litigation.

  • March 27, 2024

    Vrbo Host Is Breaking Zoning Regs, Conn. High Court Told

    Some justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court signaled on Wednesday that a lower court may have failed to provide a workable definition of the word "residence" when deciding that a Branford-based zoning board's regulations allowed short-term rentals through services like Vrbo and Airbnb.

  • March 27, 2024

    DoorDash, Grubhub Want Docs From NY Restaurant Lobbyists

    DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats have urged a Manhattan federal judge to let them subpoena the trade group executives who allegedly "worked closely" with officials on challenged New York City caps on fees that food delivery apps can charge restaurants.

  • March 27, 2024

    Marriott Hit With Negligence Suit After Break-In, Sex Assault

    An Air Force major and his wife are accusing Marriott International Inc. and owners of a hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, of negligent security, alleging that a repeat trespasser well known to hotel staff sexually assaulted and robbed the major in his room, according to a newly filed federal lawsuit.

  • March 27, 2024

    HR Services Co. May Be Liable In Harassment Suit, Court Says

    A Texas appellate court said Wednesday that more fact-finding is needed to determine whether a professional employer organization could be on the hook for a sexual harassment claim brought by a cafeteria worker, but found that the company is, legally, an employer.

  • March 27, 2024

    9th Circ. Judge Doubts Feds' Gambling Stance Matches Tribe's

    A Ninth Circuit judge pushed back Wednesday against a gambling company's argument that a particular Washington tribe did not need to be a part of its lawsuit over state gambling compacts, pointing out that the federal government is expected to balance competing interests — not necessarily mirror the tribes' position.

  • March 27, 2024

    On Deck In JPML: Baby Food, 23andMe Privacy, NCAA

    The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's packed meeting Thursday in South Carolina will see the panel mulling consolidation of privacy litigation against 23andMe, claims of heavy metals in baby food, and scholarship-fixing claims by student athletes against the NCAA — and that's just for starters.

  • March 27, 2024

    Casino Beats Suit Over Diabetic Customer's Fall

    A now-shuttered floating casino that was moored in Lake Michigan can't be held liable for the fall of a longtime patron who injured her hip after tripping in a hallway that connected two boats, an Illinois federal court has ruled, finding the patron couldn't support any element of her premises liability claim.

  • March 26, 2024

    Albright Told That Choice Hotel's Alice Ax Is 'Premature'

    Patent Armory has told Texas federal Judge Alan D. Albright that a bid to dismiss its patent lawsuit against Choice Hotels International is "premature" and should be set aside at least until fact discovery is done and claim construction has been issued.

  • March 26, 2024

    Ski Resort Corp. Says Sheep Used As Pretext To Ruin Project

    Ski resort corporation The Vail Corp. told the Colorado Court of Appeals Monday to revive its workforce housing project after the town of Vail allegedly gave into local opposition against the project and used a local bighorn sheep herd as pretext to condemn the 23.3 acres of land that the ski resort corporation planned to use for the project.

  • March 26, 2024

    Marriott Guests Call For Sanctions In Discrimination Suit

    Marriott Detroit guests claim they are being "improperly" denied discovery in their discrimination and harassment lawsuit against the hotel chain and urged a federal court on Sunday to issue sanctions as a result.

  • March 26, 2024

    Starbucks Settles Worker's Suit Alleging Manager Groped Her

    Starbucks Corp. has settled a lawsuit with an employee who alleged her reports of groping and harassment by a manger resulted in a retaliatory investigation, stunting her career with the coffee chain.

  • March 26, 2024

    Insurer's Intervention In Sex-Trafficking Coverage Suit Limited

    Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. can intervene in another insurer's suit against a hospitality company over coverage for sex trafficking allegations, but only if the other carrier's policy isn't rescinded and the case proceeds to a second phase of litigation, a Texas federal court has ruled.

  • March 25, 2024

    Texas Hotel REIT Says Blackwells Wants Illegal Proxy Contest

    A Texas hotel real estate investment trust asked a Texas federal court Sunday to stop a shareholder vote "from being infected with deception and misinformation," saying a New York-based hedge fund wants to run an illegal proxy contest to take control of the company's board of directors while hiding plans to buy it.

  • March 22, 2024

    Special District Members Seek To Block Disney Depo Request

    Members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District asked a state court to block Disney's attempt to depose them in its suit trying to revoke two land use agreements the company signed with the predecessor district board over the property surrounding Walt Disney World.

  • March 22, 2024

    Ohio Board Upholds $2.2M Hotel Value Cut Due To COVID

    The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals upheld a local tax board's decision to lower the value of a hotel property by $2.2 million, saying in an order Friday that the hotel proved COVID-19 led to a reduction in value.

  • March 22, 2024

    Chancery Denies Midcase Appeal In TripAdvisor Dispute

    The Delaware judge who gave TripAdvisor Inc. the go-ahead to convert its corporate home to Nevada while upholding most of a shareholder lawsuit challenging the proposed move has refused to certify a midcase appeal of his ruling, despite what he called "disproportionate media attention" about companies fleeing Delaware.

  • March 22, 2024

    Del. Courts Examining 'Colonoscopy'-Like Bylaw Rules

    Invasive advance-notice bylaws that some observers say make shareholder board nominations as intrusive as a "colonoscopy" are reviving old questions in Delaware courts about how far boards can go to protect themselves against shareholder activism.

  • March 21, 2024

    Burford, Sysco Get OK To Swap Bid In Price-Fixing Cases

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday agreed to allow an affiliate of legal investment firm Burford Capital to substitute for food giant Sysco in price-fixing litigation against broiler chicken producers, a ruling that comes a month after a Minnesota federal judge refused to allow the same Burford unit to substitute for Sysco in similar pork and beef price-fixing litigation.

  • March 21, 2024

    8th Circ. Backs Attys' Win In COVID Hotel Eviction Challenge

    Two government attorneys did not violate the U.S. Constitution when they gave the green light to a Minnesota police department to forcibly remove a resident from a Super 8 motel in June 2020 amid a COVID-19 era eviction ban, the Eighth Circuit ruled in a precedential opinion Thursday, citing a "dearth of precedent."

  • March 21, 2024

    Chicago Restaurant Biz Sanctioned For Missing Discovery

    A Cook County judge on Wednesday sanctioned the former management group behind celebrated Chicago eatery Maple & Ash and two associated entities for discovery violations, ordering them to pay attorney fees and costs spent seeking their compliance to information requests and warning that escalating penalties could be imposed if violations continue.

  • March 21, 2024

    Manhattan Pizzeria Owner Indicted On Wage Theft Charges

    The owner and a manager of a well-known Manhattan pizzeria were indicted in New York state court Thursday on charges of stealing more than $30,000 in wages from seven employees.

Expert Analysis

  • What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review

    Author Photo

    Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • How A Gov't Shutdown Would Affect Immigration Processing

    Author Photo

    While a government shutdown would certainly create issues and cause delays for immigration processing, independently funded functions would continue for at least a limited time, and immigration practitioners can expect agencies to create reasonable exceptions and provide guidance for navigating affected matters once operations resume, say William Stock and Sarah Holler at Klasko Immigration Law Partners.

  • Opinion

    Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

    Author Photo

    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

    Author Photo

    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

    Author Photo

    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Series

    In A 'Barbie' World: Boosting IP Value With Publicity Machines

    Author Photo

    Mattel's history of intellectual property monitoring, including its recent challenge against Burberry over the "BRBY" trademark ahead of the "Barbie" film, shows how IP enforcement strategies can be used as publicity to increase brand value and inform potential collaborations, says Carly Duckett at Shepherd and Wedderburn.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Australia

    Author Photo

    Clive Cachia and Cathy Ma at K&L Gates detail ESG-reporting policies in Australia and explain how the country is starting to introduce mandatory requirements as ESG performance is increasingly seen as a key investment and corporate differentiator in the fight for global capital.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

    Author Photo

    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.

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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • What Upholding Of Short-Term Rental Law Means For NYC

    Author Photo

    A New York state judge's dismissal of Airbnb's challenge against the Short-Term Rental Registration Law will benefit the city's hospitality industry and exert downward pressure on apartment rents, and potentially provide a model for other local governments around the U.S. to curb short-term apartment rentals, says Alexander Lycoyannis at Holland & Knight.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • The 7 Most Notable FCRA Cases Of 2023 So Far

    Author Photo

    Both consumer reporting agencies and furnishers should take note of Fair Credit Reporting Act decisions by federal district and appellate courts so far this year, especially those concerning dispute processing and the distinction between legal and factual inaccuracies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Hospitality archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!