Massachusetts

  • April 10, 2024

    'Varsity Blues' Judge Won't Recuse From Bid For Plea Redo

    The Boston federal judge overseeing the waning "Varsity Blues" college admissions case said Wednesday he should be the one to decide whether a parent who pled guilty in the scandal's early days should be able to have the conviction erased, calling her recusal bid "fraught with judge-shopping."

  • April 10, 2024

    Moderna Says Pfizer Is PTAB 'Tea-Leaf-Reading' In Vax IP Row

    Moderna Inc. asked a Boston federal judge to deny Pfizer Inc.'s bid to pause a COVID-19 vaccine patent trial while the Patent Trial and Appeal Board reviews the validity of two of the three patents at issue.

  • April 10, 2024

    1st Circ. Says Appellant's Death Erases Conviction

    The First Circuit has vacated the stock fraud conviction of a biotech executive who died in prison, aligning itself with all the other federal circuits in adopting the longstanding principle that a defendant's death during a direct appeal of a conviction wipes out all the criminal proceedings from their inception.

  • April 10, 2024

    Liberty Mutual Says Former Star Sales Rep Poached Clients

    A former high-performing sales representative for a Liberty Mutual Group Inc. subsidiary violated nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements when he left to start his own competing agency, the insurer alleged in a Massachusetts state court complaint.

  • April 09, 2024

    Quinn Emanuel, Davidoff Hutcher Sued Over Mansion Sale

    The trustee for a bankrupt entity once owned by HFZ Capital Group has sued Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, seeking to claw back up to $2 million the firms allegedly fraudulently received from a $45 million Hamptons mansion sale linked to developer Nir Meir.

  • April 09, 2024

    Why IP Attys Are Watching This $2B Trade Secrets Battle

    A case of alleged corporate espionage involving two software companies that resulted in a $2 billion verdict has all the hallmarks of a legal thriller, and attorneys are watching the appeal closely to see how it could impact trade secrets litigation.

  • April 09, 2024

    Former Pharma Exec Can't Oust Judge In Contempt Case

    A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday denied what he called a "frivolous" motion to recuse himself from a criminal contempt proceeding against a former pharmaceutical executive who has acknowledged using an alias to flout an injunction banning him from working in the securities field.

  • April 09, 2024

    Ex-Haitian Mayor Can't Nix Mass. Jury's $15.5M Torture Verdict

    A Boston federal judge has refused to toss a $15.5 million civil verdict finding a former Haitian mayor responsible for torture and extrajudicial violence against rival political party members.

  • April 09, 2024

    Ex-DraftKings Exec Loses Bid For $310K In Atty Fees

    A California federal judge will not award the $310,000 in attorney fees a former DraftKings executive claims it cost to handle the ping-ponging of his lawsuit between federal and state court, ruling the removal at the behest of his ex-employer was "suspect" but not unreasonable.

  • April 09, 2024

    ArentFox Schiff Bets On Auto Sector With 4 Boston Partners

    ArentFox Schiff LLP has brought on four partners from midsize Boston firm Burns & Levinson LLP who specialize in representing the automotive industry, according to a Tuesday announcement by the firm.

  • April 09, 2024

    Former Blockchain Stock Exchange CEO Sues For $1.4M Pay

    The former CEO of a defunct blockchain securities exchange claims she was denied her final year's salary, bonus and other compensation valued at nearly $1.4 million, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • April 09, 2024

    16 States Seek To Defend EPA Particulate Matter Rule

    A coalition of 16 states, New York City and Washington, D.C., has pushed to intervene before the D.C. Circuit in defense of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent final rule tightening federal standards for fine particulate matter pollution, as it faces challenges from industry groups and Republican-led states.

  • April 09, 2024

    California Can Set Own Emissions Standards, DC Circ. Says

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act waiver that allows California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and run a zero-emission vehicles program, rejecting challenges filed by red states and industry groups.

  • April 08, 2024

    Feds Say Cannabis Cos. Can't Challenge CSA Pot Ban

    The U.S. government is urging a Massachusetts federal court to throw out a suit by several cannabis companies alleging the ban on cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional, saying they don't have standing to sue because their activities aren't being prosecuted.

  • April 08, 2024

    Immigrant Children Settle ICE Border Separation Claims

    Three immigrant children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 have settled their lawsuit seeking compensation from the U.S. government for the trauma they endured in federal detention, according to a court filing.

  • April 08, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, a much-watched Chancery Court Match.com decision got reversed, a Philip Morris motion got stubbed out, and a long-frozen Blue Bell Creameries suit started churning again. Delaware's Court of Chancery also saw new suits filed for legal fees, arguments over multibillion-dollar pay packages, and a judge flummoxed over Truth Social.

  • April 08, 2024

    Goodwin Adds 5-Atty Tech Team From Cooley In Boston

    A team of five partners in technology and life sciences has left Cooley LLP for Goodwin Procter LLP's Boston office.

  • April 08, 2024

    New Balance, Golden Goose Agree To End 'Dad Shoe' IP Row

    New Balance and rival shoe brand Golden Goose have settled a trademark infringement dispute over a style of chunky "Dad" sneakers sold by the two companies, according to a court filing.

  • April 05, 2024

    Gunmakers Denied Stay In Mexico Lawsuit

    Gunmakers hoping to get the U.S. Supreme Court to take up their effort to end a lawsuit by the Mexican government seeking to hold them liable for arming drug cartels can't make an end run around the First Circuit to pause the case while they wait, a Massachusetts district judge said on Friday.

  • April 05, 2024

    Walmart's Self-Checkout Patents Survive BJ's PTAB Attacks

    Retail chain BJ's Wholesale Club was unable to persuade judges on an administrative patent board to knock out any claims from a pair of patents covering a self-checkout app that Walmart's Sam's Club brand is suing the rival over in Florida federal court.

  • April 05, 2024

    Conflicting Stories Wreck Suit Blaming UPS Truck For Crash

    A Massachusetts federal judge has thrown out a man's suit against United Parcel Service Inc. alleging he had a wreck while trying to avoid hitting a UPS truck that was double-parked in the driving lane, with the judge saying the man gave two contradictory versions of the event in his filings.

  • April 05, 2024

    Solar Company Hit With TCPA Suit After $13.8M FTC Fine

    Months after the Federal Trade Commission slapped lead generation firm Solar Xchange with a $13.8 million fine for sending out millions of pestering calls to people on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, one recipient of those calls has filed suit in Massachusetts federal court to seek his own recompense.

  • April 05, 2024

    Nixon Peabody Adds 2 Attys From Hinckley Allen In Boston

    A pair of attorneys have jumped to Nixon Peabody LLP in Boston after spending more than a decade working at Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP.

  • April 05, 2024

    Schneider National Forced Disabled Vet Off Job, Suit Says

    A former office worker for trucking company Schneider National Carriers Inc. says in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Massachusetts state court that the company changed his job description to include a daily yard check that he was unable to perform due to service-related disabilities, failed to provide a reasonable accommodation and then fired him.

  • April 05, 2024

    Firefighters Union's Finance Firm Can't Spike Whistleblower Claim

    A finance firm set up for the nation's largest firefighters' union can't escape a whistleblower retaliation claim from the investment adviser it fired after he reported concerns to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a Boston federal judge has ruled.

Expert Analysis

  • A Look At Mass. Sports Betting Data Privacy Regulations

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    The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently approved data privacy regulations under the state's sports wagering act to promote responsible gaming, showing a trend of regulators directing companies on how to protect personal information used by artificial intelligence systems, say Liisa Thomas and Kathryn Smith at Sheppard Mullin.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: Tracking MDL Geography

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    In recent years, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has predominantly selected states east of the Mississippi River as venues for new MDLs — but with half of the proceedings it has created in recent months venued in Arizona and California, the panel is not neglecting the western part of the country, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • An Overview Of Circuit Courts' Interlocutory Motion Standards

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    The Federal Arbitration Act allows litigants to file an immediate appeal from an order declining to enforce an arbitration agreement, but the circuit courts differ on the specific requirements for the underlying order as well as which motion must be filed, as demonstrated in several 2023 decisions, says Kristen Mueller at Mueller Law.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • What Cos. Should Know About FTC's Proposed Junk Fee Rule

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    The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a notice of proposed rulemaking targeting junk fees and how businesses may advertise prices to consumers — and since it would give the agency powers to seek monetary penalties against businesses that do not comply, companies should look to get ahead now, say Phyllis Marcus and Nicole Johnson at Hunton Andrews.

  • FTC Orange Book Move Signals New Pharma Patent Scrutiny

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent dispute against improper listing of drug patents in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book indicates heightened surveillance of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly where competition-related consequences of patent or regulatory processes are concerned, say attorneys at Fenwick.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Harvard's Broker Fight Shows Active Risk Management Is Key

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    Harvard University’s recently filed suit against its insurance broker for alleged malpractice in handling the Students for Fair Admissions claim illustrates that risk management requires the concerted effort of policyholders, brokers and insurers to protect against disastrous losses, say William McMichael and David Klein at Pillsbury.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • AI Isn't The Wild West, So Prepare Now For Bias Risks

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    In addition to President Joe Biden's recent historic executive order on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence, there are existing federal and state laws prohibiting fraud, defamation and even discrimination, so companies considering using or developing AI should take steps to minimize legal and business risks, says civil rights attorney Farhana Khera.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

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