Guardian Capital Goes Private In $1.67B Deal With Desjardins

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Canadian investment management firm Guardian Capital Group Ltd. on Thursday announced plans to go private after being bought by financial services company Desjardins Global Asset Management in a deal that values it at $1.67 billion and was built by three law firms.

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Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook Sues Trump To Block Firing

By Alison Knezevich

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook filed suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday challenging President Donald Trump's "unprecedented and illegal attempt" to remove her from her position.

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Justices Asked To Limit Private Investment Fund Suits

By Jessica Corso

A group of investment funds seeking to fend off a challenge from an activist investor are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling in the case that would end the ability of private parties to file contractual disputes under the Investment Company Act.

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Commonwealth Fusion Systems Wraps $863M Funding Round

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Private fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems on Thursday revealed that it clinched an $863 million Series B2 funding round, marking what the company says is the "largest amount raised" among deep tech and energy companies since its 2021 $1.8 billion Series B funding round.

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'Bitcoin Infrastructure' SPAC Files Plans To Raise $200M

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Special purpose acquisition company Bitcoin Infrastructure Acquisition Corp. Ltd. has filed plans with regulators to raise up to $200 million in an initial public offering, a move that follows a pair of crypto-focused special purpose acquisition companies that began trading on Wednesday amid surging interest in digital assets.

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Brief

Sycamore Closes $24B Walgreens Deal, Replaces CEO

By Al Barbarino

New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners has completed its $24 billion acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., and the pharmacy chain named a new CEO, the companies announced Thursday.

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Deals Rumor Mill

ByteDance Buyback To Bring $330B Value, And More Rumors

By Al Barbarino

A planned employee share buyback by ByteDance could value the company at $330 billion, the Pinault family is reaching out to potential buyers for the German sports apparel brand Puma SE, and Canada Goose might be up for sale by its private equity owner Bain Capital. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable rumors from the past week.

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Chancery Says Docket For 'Routine' Matters Shows Success

By Rose Krebs

As it continues to pursue ways to streamline its docket and ease burnout concerns for its judges, Delaware's Chancery Court announced this week that a new procedure for handling "routine matters" is already showing success.

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Ex-Fugees Rapper Ordered To Pay $6.5M In Loan Dispute

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia federal judge has ruled that former Fugees rapper Prakazrel Samuel "Pras" Michel must repay $6.5 million to a lender that accused him of fraudulently selling his music catalog while it was being held as collateral.

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Barnes & Thornburg Adds Corporate Attys In Dallas, Nashville

By Lynn LaRowe

Barnes & Thornburg LLP has deepened its corporate bench with a partner in Nashville who joined from Polsinelli PC and a counsel in Dallas who came aboard from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

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Arnold & Porter Adds Fund Formation Expert In New York

By Tracey Read

A Lowenstein Sandler LLP fund formation and structuring co-chair has moved to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP to co-lead its investment management practice group in New York, the firm said Thursday.

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Proskauer Adds Another Structured Credit Atty From Dechert

By Andrea Keckley

Proskauer Rose LLP announced Wednesday that its structured credit team has gained another former Dechert LLP attorney in New York, touting his extensive experience with collateralized loan obligations.

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Structuring Noncompetes In License And Collaboration Deals

As companies grappling with coming patent cliffs look to mergers and acquisitions to compensate, contracting parties assessing biopharma license and collaboration agreements should prepare to agree on noncompetes that ensure the parties' respective objectives are met and that their incentives are aligned, both under their collaboration and beyond, says Jeff Jay at Freshfields.

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Patterns And Trends In Publicly Filed Insider Trading Policies

An assessment of insider trading policies filed by over 60 issuers reveals a range of common approaches and a few differences with respect to key policy terms, including the parties covered, the scope of prohibited activities and the exceptions to these prohibitions, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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Series

Coaching Cheerleading Makes Me A Better Lawyer

At first glance, cheerleading and litigation may seem like worlds apart, but both require precision, adaptability, leadership and the ability to stay composed under pressure — all of which have sharpened how I approach my work in the emotionally complex world of mass torts and personal injury, says Rashanda Bruce at Robins Kaplan.

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First Chief PTAB Judge Remembered As Industrious Leader

By Theresa Schliep

Colleagues and loved ones of James Donald Smith — the first chief judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board who died this spring — remembered him as a superb leader, talented violist and dear friend at a memorial service on Saturday that featured a reading of a letter from former President Barack Obama.

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Wash. Sen. Opposes Full-Term Role For State's New US Atty

By Courtney Bublé

The newly installed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington at this juncture has not been nominated for the full-term role, but one of the state's Democratic senators is already vowing to prevent his confirmation.

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Ex-Katten Partner's $67M Age Bias Suit Stayed For Arbitration

By Lauren Berg

A Manhattan federal judge stayed a $67 million discrimination lawsuit brought by a former Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP partner alleging the firm pushed him out of the aircraft-finance practice group, pressured him to resign and then fired him because of his age, saying there is an arbitration agreement at play.

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Healthcare Cos. Want Akerman's 'Indefensible' Fee Suit Nixed

By Madison Arnold

Rennova Health Inc. and others asked a Florida state judge to dismiss Akerman LLP's unpaid fees case against the company, calling it "facially time-barred, factually flawed and legally indefensible."

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LA Atty Convicted Of Laundering $2.1M From Swiss Oil Co.

By Craig Clough

A Los Angeles federal jury on Thursday found a divorce and immigration attorney guilty of money laundering, tax evasion and obstruction of justice related to a $2.1 million payment he received from a Swiss oil company while working in a government position in Nigeria that prosecutors allege was a bribe.

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Email Excluded From Harassment Suit Against Paxton Deputies

By Spencer Brewer

A Texas federal judge on Thursday struck an email from a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against the founders of a law firm founded by former top attorneys in the Texas attorney general's office, but said the plaintiff could conduct discovery regarding the email.

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Ga. Atty Sues Former Firm For Failing To Pay Final Wages

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia attorney has filed suit against her former employer, John Foy and Associates PC, over "threatening emails" she said she received after she was fired and a final paycheck that she reportedly never got.

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