9th Circ. Doubts Finance Guru's Stance In Timeshare Exit Suit

By Rachel Riley

A Ninth Circuit panel signaled on Tuesday that it's unlikely to force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing celebrity financial planner Dave Ramsey of roping his radio show's listeners into a timeshare exit scheme, with two judges emphasizing that Ramsey's argument hinges on a contract that he never signed.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LinkedIn Can't Shake Privacy Suit Over Video Data Sharing

By Allison Grande

A California federal judge has refused to release LinkedIn Corp. from a proposed class action accusing it of illegally sharing with Meta and Adobe personal information about the online training courses that subscribers watched on its learning platform, finding that the company and its alleged conduct fall within the parameters of federal video privacy law. 

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

4th Circ. Dubious Of Class Status In Genworth 401(k) Suit

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Fourth Circuit seemed likely Tuesday to unravel a nearly 4,000-member class of Genworth Financial employee 401(k) participants who allegedly saw their retirement savings dragged down by underperforming BlackRock target date funds, given that individual investors' returns varied based on how close they were to retirement. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Food Co. Strikes $4.7M Deal To End ERISA Tobacco Fee Suit

By Patrick Hoff

Food distributor Performance Food Group will pay $4.7 million to settle a proposed class action alleging it violated federal benefits law by charging tobacco users in its health plan an extra fee, according to a filing in Virginia federal court.

Settlement attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mitsubishi Electric Gets 1st Nod For $515K Wage Class Deal

By Irene Spezzamonte

A $515,000 deal to settle a suit accusing Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America of only paying workers based on their scheduled shifts will go forward, an Ohio federal judge ruled, finding the settlement fair and reasonable.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Judge Agrees With United That Wage Suits Are Linked

By Irene Spezzamonte

A suit accusing United Airlines of conspiring to underpay workers is related to another case in which flight attendants are bringing a grievance to arbitration without the Teamsters' support, a California federal judge ruled, turning down a worker's arguments that the cases didn't overlap.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

2nd Circ. Weighs Reviving Signature Bank Investor Suit

By Jessica Corso

The Second Circuit quizzed an FDIC attorney Tuesday over the agency's ability to stop Signature Bank's former shareholders from suing following the bank's collapse, with the judges considering whether to revive a lawsuit accusing Signature's brass and its outside auditor of failing to warn investors about its liquidity problems.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chancery Mulls 'Sufficiency' Ruling In Squarespace Doc Suit

By Jeff Montgomery

An attorney for a former stockholder of website hosting venture Squarespace Inc. told a Delaware vice chancellor Tuesday that the Chancery Court's senior magistrate erred in declining to order a release of emails for a books and records investigation focused on the company founder's role in a $7.2 billion take-private sale.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Investors Tell Chancery CytoDyn Board Ignored Drug Scheme

By Jarek Rutz

Stockholders of CytoDyn Inc. have filed a consolidated derivative complaint in the Delaware Chancery Court, accusing the company's leadership of wrongfully refusing to investigate and sue its former CEO and others over an aligned scheme to mislead investors about the company's flagship drug.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

UK Enforcer Backs Private Immunity For Reporting Cartels

By Matthew Perlman

Britain's competition enforcer told the government Tuesday that leniency applicants who are the first to report cartel activity should be afforded full immunity from damages under the collective actions regime to help boost enforcement efforts.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Football Players Urge Judge To Rethink Tossing $50M NIL Suit

By David Steele

A Michigan federal judge committed "a clear error of law" by dismissing a $50 million antitrust suit against the NCAA by four former college football players last month based on the statute of limitations and on a misapplication of recent rulings involving other past college athletes' publicity rights, attorneys for the former football players said Tuesday in a motion to reconsider the suit's dismissal.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Kratom Drink Co. Wants 'Internally Inconsistent' Suit Tossed

By Jonathan Capriel

It can't both be true that beverage maker Mitra-9 concealed from consumers the "addictive nature" of its kratom products and that, for decades, "Western Civilization" has known the substance is "highly addictive," the company told a New York federal court when urging for the dismissal of a proposed class action suit.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Vivid Seats Faces Class Action Claiming 'Drip Pricing' Tactics

By Jared Foretek

Ticket reseller Vivid Seats is facing a proposed class action alleging that it used "drip pricing" to illegally deceive consumers by advertising artificially low ticket prices before revealing mandatory fees at checkout.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Apartments.com Operator CoStar Beats Video Privacy Suit

By Bonnie Eslinger

A Missouri federal judge tossed a proposed class action alleging the operator of Apartments.com unlawfully shared data about the visitors to the rental website, holding that CoStar Realty isn't covered by the federal Video Privacy Protection Act because it's not a videotape business.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wilkes University Faces Class Action Over Data Breach

By Matthew Santoni

A Pennsylvania university was hit with a proposed class action in federal court after announcing it had suffered a data breach early this year, potentially affecting more than 27,600 current and former students.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Uber MDL Judge Sets Litigation Funding Disclosure Deadline

By Y. Peter Kang

A California federal judge ruled Tuesday in multidistrict litigation accusing Uber Technologies Inc. of failing to prevent drivers from sexually assaulting passengers that plaintiffs' counsel must disclose any ties to third-party litigation funding companies by next week, but stopped short of ordering all plaintiffs' counsel to affirmatively deny any connection.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chime Seeks Exit From Class Suit Over 'Refer A Friend' Texts

By Emilie Ruscoe

Online banking company Chime seeks to shed a proposed class action alleging its "refer a friend" texts violate Washington's Consumer Electronic Mail Act, arguing that its text referrals fit "squarely" within the anti-spam law's statutory exemption for legitimate business activities.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Amazon Return Policy Suit On Hold Amid Tentative Class Deal

By Rachel Riley

A Washington federal judge Tuesday paused a proposed class action accusing Amazon of shortchanging customers on refunds for returned items, after the parties told the court they struck a classwide deal to end the case and intend to seek formal approval of the settlement in the next two months.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Mich. AG Can Step Into Fire Insurance Policy Challenge

By Hope Patti

The Michigan attorney general can intervene in a dispute over the constitutionality of the state's Fire Insurance Withholding Program, which allows participating municipalities to withhold part of a property owner's insurance payout until fire-damaged property is repaired, a federal court ruled.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

BofA Says COVID-Era Cardholders Flip-Flop On Fraud Claims

By Emilie Ruscoe

Bank of America NA seeks a partial early win in multidistrict litigation brought over unemployment benefits cards it issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing the plaintiffs went from accusing the bank of failing to stop fraud in the accounts to claiming it was too stringent with its anti-fraud measures.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Shutdown Won't Pause Suit Over Migrant Parole Terminations

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday denied the government's request to stay proceedings in a proposed class action brought on behalf of nearly a million migrants that alleges their legal status was illegally ended by the Trump administration via an app.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Holland & Hart Partner Confirmed To Montana Seat

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Senate voted 52-45, along party lines, Wednesday evening on the confirmation of William Mercer, a Holland & Hart LLP partner and veteran government attorney, to the District of Montana.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

La. Justice Faces Questions On Campaigns At Nom Hearing

By Courtney Bublé

Two nominees for Louisiana federal court positions appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, including a state Supreme Court justice who faced Democratic questions about the election process for his current role.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Ex-NY AGs Say James Case Will Rally Office: 'Fuel To The Fire'

By Phillip Bantz

New York Attorney General Letitia James' criminal prosecution is unlikely to have any significant effect on the day-to-day operations of her office, including its suits against the federal government and an appeal in President Donald Trump's nearly $500 million civil fraud case, but former leaders of the office say it could strengthen the resolve of her staff.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Latham Adds BCLP Environmental Atty In SF Bay Area

By James Mills

Latham & Watkins LLP is expanding its environmental team, announcing Wednesday it is bringing in a Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP expert on chemicals, especially "forever chemicals," as a partner in its San Francisco Bay Area offices.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Former Jack Smith DOJ Leaders Launch DC Boutique

By Daniel Connolly

Two attorneys who supported former special counsel Jack Smith in his criminal prosecutions of Donald Trump have now launched a boutique law firm that will specialize in services such as criminal defense and helping state and local governments handle public corruption investigations.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Baker Donelson Hires CFPB Veteran In DC

By Jack Rodgers

Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC has hired for its Washington, D.C., team a 12-year veteran of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who brings more than two decades of legal experience working on financial services matters.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Racial, Class Gaps Persist In Strong Year For Law Grad Hiring

By Xiumei Dong

Employment for the class of 2024 reached near-record levels, but graduates from underrepresented backgrounds were less likely to secure attorney positions or judicial clerkships, according to newly released data from the National Association for Law Placement.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Seeks To Dismiss NY Law Claims In Ex-Aide's Suit

By David Minsky

President Donald Trump urged a New York federal court to toss allegations of human rights violations in a discrimination lawsuit brought by a former aide claiming she was banished from his first incoming administration after she became pregnant. 

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Presidential Firing Limits Fight Builds At High Court

By Katie Buehler

The ousted U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board chair has encouraged the U.S. Supreme Court to include a caveat for "legislative courts" if it overturns precedent that empowers Congress to limit the president's authority to fire certain agency officials, but opponents of independent agencies want a clean break from the status quo. 

5 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tax Court Judge Warns Against Unchecked AI Use In Filings

By Kat Lucero

A U.S. Tax Court judge cautioned attorneys Wednesday against relying on artificial intelligence to write filings without verifying the information it generates, saying recent "unfortunate incidents" have prompted the court to double down on accuracy in using such tools.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NC Lawmakers Probe 'Rogue' Legal Services Grants Process

By Hayley Fowler

North Carolina State Bar leaders faced the third degree Wednesday in a state House committee hearing where Republicans sounded the alarm on grants for legal assistance programs going to what the GOP lawmakers view as left-leaning organizations, prompting a funding freeze that has threatened the operations of the state's largest legal aid group, which itself is not political.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

The Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders: A Look At The Top Firms

By Rachel Reimer and Xiumei Dong

Clients flock to firms with prestigious reputations, and so does top talent. Here's a peek at the top 10 firms in this year's Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders — a ranking of law firms the industry recognizes for their prominence, power and distinction.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »