Hospitality

  • June 05, 2024

    1st Circ. May Undo Tribal Casino Bribery Convictions

    First Circuit judges hinted Wednesday that jurisdictional flaws and other issues could reverse the bribery convictions of an architect and tribal chairman in connection with a proposed $1 billion casino in southeastern Massachusetts.

  • June 05, 2024

    Fish Taco Chain Rubio's Files 2nd Bankruptcy In 4 Years

    The California-based fish taco-focused chain Rubio's Coastal Grill filed its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in four years on Wednesday in Delaware, saying it had between $100 million and $500 million of liabilities and plans for an asset sale.

  • June 03, 2024

    Hooters Can't Yet Ditch Ex-Workers' Sex Harassment Claims

    A California appellate court has refused to undo a lower court's decision finding that Hooters of America must continue to fight former servers' allegations that they were harassed and abused at work, ruling that Hooters hasn't met its burden of showing that it was entitled to summary adjudication.

  • June 03, 2024

    California Pizza Kitchen Hack Deal Is Half Baked, 9th Circ. Told

    An attorney for objectors to a settlement between a class of current and former California Pizza Kitchen employees and the restaurant chain over a data breach told a Ninth Circuit panel on Monday that the district court did not properly scrutinize the deal or allegations of collusion between the parties.

  • June 03, 2024

    Burford-Sysco Plaintiff Swap Stays Nixed In Price-Fixing Case

    A Minnesota federal judge refused Monday to let a unit of legal investment firm Burford Capital substitute for Sysco Corp. as plaintiff in sprawling price-fixing lawsuits against pork and beef producers, agreeing with a magistrate judge's conclusions that allowing a litigation funder to dictate antitrust settlements "could have a detrimental impact."

  • June 03, 2024

    Royal Caribbean Sued Over Ship's Wave Simulation Attraction

    Royal Caribbean was hit Monday with a lawsuit in Florida federal court alleging its FlowRider wave simulation attraction on one of its cruise ships was "unreasonably dangerous" and led to a passenger being injured.

  • June 03, 2024

    Chicago Restaurant Biz Can Fix Testimony Without Sanctions

    A Cook County judge on Monday refused to order the management group behind celebrated Chicago eatery Maple & Ash to produce thousands of documents that it claims are subject to attorney-client privilege as a sanction for misstating when an engagement letter was signed in sworn testimony, saying the issue was concerning but deeming the relief sought inappropriate.

  • June 03, 2024

    Food Co. Gets Win In 'Digital Checklist' Patent Fight

    A Connecticut federal judge has found that claims in a patent owned by the Georgia-based CM Systems LLC are invalid, handing a win to TransAct Technologies Inc. in a suit over restaurant food safety technology.

  • June 03, 2024

    Law Firm Faces Sanctions Bid For Happy Meal 'Extortion' Suit

    McDonald's has urged a Florida federal court to sanction Fischer Redavid PLLC and its clients for bringing a recently dismissed lawsuit seeking a warning on Happy Meal containers, accusing them of trying to extort the company for a bigger payout after securing an $800,000 jury verdict in a related case for the second-degree burns suffered by a girl from a dangerously hot Chicken McNugget.

  • June 03, 2024

    Mich. High Court Keeps $15 Min. Wage Proposal Off Ballot

    An initiative to raise the hourly minimum wage in Michigan to $15 by 2027 will stay off the 2024 ballot, the state Supreme Court ruled, turning down a group's bid to force the state canvassers board to certify the proposal.

  • June 03, 2024

    Justices Won't Review Migrant Harboring Convictions

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't review a Kentucky federal jury's verdict convicting two restaurateurs on four counts of harboring unauthorized immigrants, shutting down those business owners' arguments they were not intentionally hiding the migrants from the government.

  • May 31, 2024

    DC Judge Takes Dim View Of Proposed 'Surfside' TM Deal

    A D.C. federal judge has refused to enforce a scrapped settlement in a trademark dispute between a Mexican restaurant operator and a distilling company over the name "Surfside," saying there wasn't ever an enforceable deal.

  • May 31, 2024

    Airport Shops, Ex-Workers Say They Have A Data Breach Deal

    Attorneys for an airport retail company and a worker who says his personal information was compromised in a corporate data breach told a Georgia federal judge Thursday they've reached a tentative deal to bring the proposed class action to a close.

  • May 31, 2024

    Contractor, Insurers Settle NYC Four Seasons Coverage Row

    A New York federal judge dismissed a general contractor's suit seeking coverage from two insurers for an underlying $1 million action over damage to a Four Seasons hotel in midtown Manhattan, saying the parties have reached a proposed settlement.

  • May 31, 2024

    Activist Donerail Pushes Ex-Barstool Owner Penn To Sell

    Activist Investor Donerail Group on Friday pushed Penn Entertainment Inc. to pursue a sale, ripping the company for a "failed" online gaming strategy that has "destroyed shareholder value," including its $1 sale of Barstool Sports and launch of a new betting platform with ESPN.  

  • May 30, 2024

    'I Don't Need Help Running The Court,' Judge Chides Attys

    A Michigan state judge on Thursday appeared frustrated with attorneys for MGM and its former law firm arguing over potential conflicts in an underlying case, telling them to stop avoiding his questions and saying he didn't "need help running the court."

  • May 30, 2024

    Army Vet Again Files Retaliation Suit Against Casino Owners

    A disabled U.S. Army veteran and former table games dealer has again filed suit against Harrah's Casino and its parent company, Caesar's Entertainment, claiming his employment was wrongfully terminated after he requested time off to deal with the aftermath of a fire alarm that triggered his post-traumatic stress disorder.

  • May 30, 2024

    Curaçao Expropriation Suit Tossed Over Sovereign Immunity

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday tossed an Iranian American women's rights activist's $110 million suit accusing Curaçao's banking regulator of unlawfully seizing her stake in a $700 million investment company, saying the regulator has sovereign immunity and that, in any case, no expropriation had taken place.

  • May 30, 2024

    Jersey Shore Motel Loses Condemnation Fight With Town

    A New Jersey borough properly used eminent domain to take over a local 50-room motel where it plans to provide parking and electric vehicle charging, a New Jersey appellate panel ruled.

  • May 29, 2024

    MGM Gambler's Missing $3M Heads To Mich. Supreme Court

    The Michigan Supreme Court said Wednesday it will consider whether a state law governing online gambling preempts a woman's lawsuit claiming MGM's online betting arm refused to pay her $3.2 million in winnings from online roulette, after the casino said the payout was a mistake.

  • May 29, 2024

    NLRB Wants Subpoenas Enforced In Calif. Tribal Casino Row

    The National Labor Relations Board has gone to federal court to enforce its subpoenas seeking a list of casino workers in a proposed bargaining unit, saying the refusals of a California tribe and a gaming company to provide the information are impeding an agency investigation.

  • May 28, 2024

    Ranchers' Claims Again Tossed From Beef Price-Fixing MDL

    A Minnesota federal judge has once again thrown out beef price-fixing claims brought by ranchers who raise cattle and calves, ruling Tuesday that the ranchers still haven't clearly established they are directly affected by the alleged scheme.

  • May 28, 2024

    Davis Wright Recruits Kelley Drye FDA Practice Chair In DC

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP said Tuesday that the head of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP's Food and Drug Administration practice group has joined the firm as an advertising and food and drug law partner in Washington, D.C.

  • May 24, 2024

    11th Circ. Lets Carnival Passenger Pursue Pain Damages

    The Eleventh Circuit on Friday granted a Carnival Cruise passenger's bid for a new trial seeking damages stemming from her falling out of a wheelchair while disembarking a ship, agreeing that the movant's previous jury award for medical expenses is inadequate without a nominal award for pain and suffering.

  • May 24, 2024

    Biden's Judicial Impact And What's Left On The Wish List

    President Joe Biden secured confirmation of his 200th federal judge Wednesday and has transformed the judiciary by picking more women and people of color than any other president. But the upcoming election season could derail his hopes of confirming many more judges.

Expert Analysis

  • Setting Goals For Kicking Corruption Off FIFA World Cup Field

    Author Photo

    The unprecedented tri-country nature of the 2026 men's World Cup will add to the complexity of an already complicated event, but best practices can help businesses stay on the right side of anti-corruption rules during this historic competition, say Sandra Moser and ​​​​​​​Emily Ahdieh at Morgan Lewis.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

    Author Photo

    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Data Shows H-2B Wages May Be Skewed High By Sample Size

    Author Photo

    Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics wage data from April illustrates that smaller sample sizes from less populated areas may be skewing prevailing wages for H-2B visas artificially high, potentially harming businesses that rely on the visa program, says Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • The Secret Sauce For Trademarking Viral Food Products

    Author Photo

    Three recent high-profile trademark disputes in the food industry illustrate the importance of protecting brands early — especially for any company aiming for viral fame — and underscore the value of intent-to-use applications, say Elliot Gee and Matthew Dowd at Dowd Scheffel.

  • Key Issues Raised By Colorado's Brain Data Privacy Bill

    Author Photo

    Colorado recently became the first state to provide consumer privacy protections for data generated from a person's brain waves, and despite the bill’s ambiguity and open questions introduced, the new law has helped turn the spotlight on neurodata, says Sara Pullen Guercio at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

    Author Photo

    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

    Author Photo

    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: April Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three notable circuit court decisions on topics from the Class Action Fairness Act to consumer fraud — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including CAFA’s local controversy exception and Article III standing to seek injunctive relief.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

    Author Photo

    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • Risks Of Rejecting Hotel Mgmt. Agreements Via Bankruptcy

    Author Photo

    In recent years, hotel owners have paid a high price when they attempted to use bankruptcy proceedings to prematurely terminate their hotel management agreements, highlighting that other options may be preferable, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

    Author Photo

    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

    Author Photo

    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

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!