Splenda Maker Says Cancer Claims Weren't Protected Speech

By Corey Rothauser

Splenda maker TC Heartland LLC urged the Fourth Circuit to revive its defamation suit against a scientist over her public warnings about the sweetener, arguing that the First Amendment does not shield statements that misrepresent research or rely on concealed test results.

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Judge Gives Final OK To Mortgage Insurer's ERISA Deal

By Hope Patti

A North Carolina federal court Monday gave final approval to an up to $650,000 deal settling a class action claiming that a mortgage insurance company mismanaged an employee retirement profit sharing plan.

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BigLaw Attys Step Up To Help Voters In Midterm Elections

By Jack Karp and Lynn LaRowe

Attorneys from several BigLaw firms are volunteering across the country to make sure voters don't run into problems casting their ballots or having those ballots counted in Tuesday's midterm elections.

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Shop Says Rival Must Arbitrate ENASCAR Trade Secrets Row

By Elaine Briseño

An eNASCAR digital race car shop accused of stealing trade secrets told a North Carolina federal judge the dispute should be arbitrated, arguing the accusations stem from supposed information obtained from its rival's website.

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Brief

PNC Bank, Ex-Managing Director Settle Sex Bias Suit

By Sydney Price

A former managing director at Charlotte-based PNC Bank has settled her sex-based discrimination suit against the financial services provider, according to a mediator's report.

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4th Circ. Says 'Beyond Doubt' Doesn't Apply In Green Card Bid

By Rae Ann Varona

The Fourth Circuit on Monday revived a Dominican Republic native's bid for a green card, saying in a published opinion that she only had to prove her admissibility by a "preponderance of the evidence" and not a higher burden standard.

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Approach The Bench: Judge Wilson On Trial By Zoom

By Cara Bayles and Kelley Marcano

Before she became a state court judge in Washington, Judge Coreen Wilson worked as a trial attorney litigating hundreds of cases, including the country's first binding virtual civil jury trial during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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DOJ Says Trump Adviser Needn't Answer ABA Subpoenas Yet

By Jared Foretek

The U.S. Department of Justice is arguing that Trump attorney Boris Epshteyn shouldn't have to respond to subpoenas from the American Bar Association in its challenge to the Trump administration's campaign against law firms until the presiding judge rules on the administration's preexisting motion to quash them.

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Judge Questions Federal Role In Ed Martin Ethics Case

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge struggled Tuesday to see how he could preside over a state attorney ethics proceeding if U.S. pardon attorney Ed Martin gets his way and keeps the case in federal court, as the city's ethics board fought to have it sent back to state court.

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Brownstein Hyatt Faces Suit Over Flawed Cannabis Co. Deal

By Rachel Konieczny

A Colorado real estate developer and his company alleged that Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP negligently drafted their settlement agreement in a dispute with members of cannabis dispensary chain Native Roots over a sale of the chain's entities, resulting in a roughly $100 million arbitration award against the developer's company.

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Texas Atty Seeks Release In Cyberstalking Case

By Lynn LaRowe

A Texas lawyer who is expected to plead guilty in a cyberstalking case involving BigLaw firm attorneys is asking a federal court to free her, saying circumstances are "materially different" because of mental health treatment she has received while behind bars.

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Adult Daycare Pushes To Revive Suit Against Fox Rothschild

By Rose Krebs

An adult daycare company is asking a New Jersey state court to undo the toss of its suit against Fox Rothschild LLP and one of its attorneys, saying the dismissal was in error because the business had sought more time to respond to a dismissal motion.

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Volunteer Exits Malicious Prosecution Suit Naming DLA Piper

By Craig Clough

A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday tossed a malicious prosecution claim against a former volunteer for Breaking Code Silence on free speech grounds, even as he called the broader case against DLA Piper and the nonprofit "stronger than most."

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Ashurst Perkins ICap Suit Stayed Amid Bankruptcy Fight

By Ben Adlin

A Washington state judge has agreed to freeze a lawsuit accusing law firm Ashurst Perkins Coie of aiding and abetting a nearly $230 million Ponzi scheme, ordering the King County Superior Court litigation be put on hold pending an outcome in a related bankruptcy dispute.

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Roundup

The Top In-House Hires Of October

By Michele Gorman

Legal department hires during the past month included high-profile appointments at Fox, Dell and LinkedIn. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from October.

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