Mich. Judges Seek Sanctions Over Ex-Defender's Discovery

By Melanie Dorsey

Two Michigan state district judges accused of discriminating and retaliating against a former public defender told a federal court Monday that she still has not produced any discovery despite a court order compelling her to do so, arguing her conduct presents an obvious need for sanctions, including the dismissal of the case.

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Michigan City Says Short-Term Rental Ban Is Constitutional

By Susan Smiley

The city of Dearborn Heights defended its zoning ordinance banning short-term rentals in Michigan federal court on Monday, claiming a group of property management companies have no standing to challenge the prohibition because the city has full legal authority to regulate rental properties as it sees fit.

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Mich. Panel Backs Conversion Ruling Against Disbarred Atty

By Melanie Dorsey

A Michigan appellate panel has said a disbarred northeastern Michigan attorney's decision not to back up her arguments sank her appeal arising from a lawsuit accusing her of converting or embezzling trust funds, affirming summary disposition against the attorney and saying she "simply failed to brief the issue."

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Mich. Biz Can't Appeal AG Intervention In Fire Coverage Suit

By Emilie Ruscoe

A Detroit property owner can't seek Sixth Circuit review of the Michigan attorney general's intervention in the property owner's constitutional challenge to the state's Fire Insurance Withholding Program, as a federal judge said Monday the intervention won't "materially alter" the suit.

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EPA Beats States' $7B Solar Grant Cancellation Suit In Wash.

By Rachel Riley

A Washington federal judge sided with the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday in a multistate challenge of the U.S. government's cancellation of a Biden-era solar energy grant program, concluding she cannot resolve the dispute because it involves contractual questions that the Tucker Act delegates to the Court of Federal Claims.  

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Court Botched Scammer Restitution Process, 6th Circ. Says

By Jonathan Capriel

A Romanian man convicted of running multimillion-dollar online schemes has, for now, upended a court order requiring him to pay $850,000 to his alleged victims, the Sixth Circuit ruled, saying in a published opinion that the trial court violated federal law by imposing the prosecution's requested restitution sum without explaining how it got to that number.

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Cold Storage Co. Says Investors Can't Claim Misleading IPO

By Emilie Ruscoe

Investors in temperature-controlled warehouse giant Lineage Inc. can't show they were misled about the company's prospects ahead of its $4.4 billion initial public offering in 2024, the company has argued in Michigan federal court, arguing it plainly disclosed at the time that it was debuting amid a "soft" market for cold storage.

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GM Investors Seek Cert. In Cruise AV Securities Fraud Suit

By Gina Kim

General Motors investors who alleged the automotive giant misrepresented technological capabilities and commercial readiness of its self-driving unit's robotaxis urged a Michigan federal judge to grant class certification, arguing Friday the merits of their securities fraud case "turn on a common course of misconduct — defendants' public misrepresentations."

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Ill. Passes Bill To Restrict Outside Investment In Legal Sector

By Emma Cueto

The Illinois state Legislature has passed a bill that aims to stop attorneys from fee sharing with non-lawyer-owned firms in other states and from accepting outside investment via a managed service organization structure.

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Bonus Spotlight

Hueston Hennigan To Pay Summer Bonuses Up To $35K

By Tracey Read

Trial firm Hueston Hennigan is the second boutique to announce it will dole out midyear bonuses to associates.

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As Judicial AI Use Gains Steam, Training Lags

By Emily Sawicki

Court systems around the country are emerging bullish on the use of generative artificial intelligence by judicial officers, but implementation, training, resources and overall regulations remain scattershot, giving rise to concerns that a learning gap could lead to missteps.

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Roundup

The Top In-House Hires Of May

By Michele Gorman

Legal department hires during the past month included high-profile appointments at Chevron, Barclays and Topgolf. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from the last full month of spring.

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Plaintiffs' Counsel In Tylenol MDL Agree To $50K Donation

By Gianna Ferrarin

A plaintiffs' attorney and law firm sanctioned in multidistrict litigation alleging prenatal exposure to acetaminophen can cause autism agreed to donate $50,000 to maternal health organization March of Dimes in lieu of paying attorney fees, according to a letter filed Monday in New York federal court. 

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DOJ Will Obey Order Freezing $1.8B 'Slush Fund'

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday it will abide by a federal judge's decision to temporarily pause the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, adding that it disagreed with the ruling.

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Kia, Hyundai Workers' Attys Get $3.45M Fee Award In Visa Suit

By Benjamin Morse

A Georgia federal court on Monday awarded $3.45 million in attorney fees and costs to lawyers for workers who reached an $11.5 million settlement over claims that a Hyundai supplier, a Kia plant and staffing agencies recruited skilled Mexican engineers for production work and underpaid them.

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Roundup

Hub Hires: Foley Hoag, Holland & Knight, Paul Hastings

By Julie Manganis

The rapidly expanding gaming and sports betting industry brought more legal industry players to the table in Massachusetts in May, with two firms beefing up their bench in that area, while other local attorneys made midcareer leaps into new roles.

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Titan Of The Plaintiffs Bar: Labaton Keller's Michael Canty

By Allison Grande

When Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP partner and general counsel Michael Canty decided to pursue a legal career, he had no doubt about what type of lawyer he wanted to be. 

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