Pennsylvania

  • August 19, 2024

    Israel Boycott Question Withdrawn From Pittsburgh Ballots

    A proposed ballot question that would have required the City of Pittsburgh to stop doing business with or granting tax credits to entities associated with Israel during its war in Gaza will be withdrawn for lack of enough valid signatures, the parties agreed Monday — leaving unanswered whether such measures are preempted by state law.

  • August 16, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Cases To Watch, DC Flooding, NYC Hotels

    Catch up on the past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the commercial real estate cases to watch in 2024's second half, one BigLaw attorney's thoughts on new Washington, D.C., flood construction rules and the NYC hotel license bill that has hospitality attorneys rattled.

  • August 16, 2024

    Feds Drop Extortion Case Against Convicted Ex-Labor Leader

    Federal prosecutors want to dismiss their extortion case against former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 business manager John Dougherty, who was convicted of bribery and embezzlement and sentenced to six years in prison, but whose trial on charges related to allegedly threatening a contractor ended with a hung jury.

  • August 16, 2024

    Drexel Accounting Prof Convicted Of Evading Tax On $3.3M

    New Jersey federal jurors have convicted a Drexel University accounting professor on charges of tax evasion and filing false tax returns after the government accused him of failing to report $3.3 million in income from a Trenton pharmacy.

  • August 16, 2024

    Jackson Lewis Brings On Litigators In Pittsburgh, Kansas City

    Employment firm Jackson Lewis PC has expanded its roster this week with the additions of two attorneys with combined experience of more than 30 years to its offices in the Western Pennsylvania and Kansas City areas.

  • August 16, 2024

    Photographer Says Studio Owes Pay, Shared Her Intimate Pics

    A Pittsburgh photography studio cheated a former associate photographer of her wages after misclassifying her as an independent contractor, withheld her tipped wages and posted boudoir photos of her on social media without her consent, the photographer said in a suit in Pennsylvania state court.

  • August 16, 2024

    Ch. 7 Trustee Can't Recover Tax Payment, States Tell Justices

    A group of roughly two dozen states threw their support behind the federal government in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that forced the IRS to return a tax payment after a bankruptcy trustee argued it was a fraudulent transfer and recoverable under state law.

  • August 16, 2024

    Pa. Energy Fund Ducks Class Claims Over Data Breach

    A federal judge trimmed most of the claims from a data breach lawsuit against Dollar Energy Fund Inc., including those of a plaintiff seeking to represent similarly situated customers whose personal information was stolen but not yet used.

  • August 16, 2024

    Avantor Sells Clinical Services Biz To PE Shop In $650M Deal

    Life sciences tools company Avantor Inc., advised by Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, on Friday announced plans to sell its clinical services business to Ropes & Gray LLP-advised Audax Private Equity for $650 million.

  • August 15, 2024

    Pa. Utility Regulator Insists It Can Reject Grid Project

    The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is urging the Third Circuit to reinstate its denial of a transmission project regional grid operator PJM Interconnection approved, saying the Federal Power Act and PJM's tariff can't be used to override its rejection of a "wasteful and counterproductive project."

  • August 15, 2024

    Monsanto Gets 3rd Circ. Win In Roundup Failure-To-Warn Case

    The Third Circuit ruled Thursday that a Pennsylvania state law failure-to-warn claim in a suit alleging the weed killer Roundup caused a Keystone State man's cancer is preempted by federal law, creating a circuit split on central issues in multidistrict litigation over the Monsanto product.

  • August 15, 2024

    Shift4 Beats Suit Over 'Questionable' Accounting Practices

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action accusing payment processing company Shift4 Payments Inc. of engaging in questionable accounting practices to keep its stock price afloat, ruling that the plaintiffs had not proven that the company knowingly lied, among other things.

  • August 15, 2024

    Pa. District's Appeal Method Is Constitutional, Court Affirms

    A Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas correctly ruled that a school district did not violate the state's uniformity clause when using a monetary threshold to decide which property tax assessments to appeal, the state Commonwealth Court affirmed Thursday.

  • August 15, 2024

    Interior Department Grants $775M To Plug Oil And Gas Wells

    The U.S. Department of the Interior said it's making up to $775 million available for 21 eligible states to plug orphaned oil and gas wells to curb harmful methane leaks and reduce risks to the environment and public health.

  • August 15, 2024

    Pennsylvania, Agencies Sued Over Child's Death

    The half-sisters of a 12-year-old Pennsylvania girl who was allegedly tortured and starved to death by her father and stepmother have filed a lawsuit saying there was "atrocious and reprehensible disregard" shown by those responsible for protecting her.

  • August 15, 2024

    NLRB Seeks Injunction Against Pittsburgh Paper Amid Strike

    National Labor Relations Board prosecutors are pursuing an injunction against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in federal court, saying the newspaper's bad faith bargaining and refusal to maintain workers' healthcare during a nearly two-year-long strike warrants an order compelling the newspaper to bargain with its four unions.

  • August 15, 2024

    No Dismissal Yet In Dispute Over Education Law Firm TM

    A Philadelphia-based education law firm's suit seeking to cancel registration for its competitor's trademark "The Education Lawyers" must continue because open questions remain, a Pennsylvania federal judge said.

  • August 15, 2024

    Pa. Atty And Wife Apologize To Lawyer For Theft Allegations

    A Pennsylvania attorney and his wife have apologized for accusing another attorney of stealing money from a business venture, saying in a court settlement record that they have no evidence that the lawyer committed the theft and that they retract their earlier statements.

  • August 15, 2024

    Norfolk Southern Engineer Asks 3rd Circ. To Revive ADA Suit

    A train conductor urged the Third Circuit to reinstate his disability bias suit claiming he was unlawfully disqualified from his position because of his history of seizures, saying Norfolk Southern Railway Co. and a lower court ignored evidence that he could safely perform his job.

  • August 14, 2024

    3rd Circ. May Nix $10M Venezuela Award Transfer Suit

    The Third Circuit appeared poised to decline jurisdiction over appeals challenging a Delaware judge's decision to send litigation enforcing some $10 million in arbitral awards against a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company to federal court in Washington, D.C.

  • August 14, 2024

    Disbarred Atty Admits To Tax Evasion Over Mass Tort Fees

    A disbarred attorney pled guilty to a single count of tax evasion Wednesday in Pennsylvania federal court stemming from allegations he didn't pay taxes on more than $100 million in legal fees he earned from representing 4,300 plaintiffs in a mass tort case, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

  • August 14, 2024

    Harley-Davidson Liable For $287M In 'Trike' Crash Verdict

    A New York state jury on Tuesday awarded $287 million in damages to a man and his late girlfriend's estate in a suit alleging a defective Harley-Davidson "trike" motorcycle caused a deadly crash in Pennsylvania, with punitive damages making up the bulk of the award.

  • August 14, 2024

    MLB Players Inc. Slams Pirates, Store Chain Over NIL Use

    The Pittsburgh Pirates and a local convenience store chain are exploiting the names, images and likenesses of team players in marketing materials, according to a Pennsylvania federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by MLB Players Inc.

  • August 14, 2024

    Philly Art School Hit With Students' Suit Over Abrupt Closure

    Two former students at the University of the Arts claimed the school's sudden shutdown in June was without proper heads-up or guidance, according to a potential class action in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fraternity Says Lehigh Univ. Hazing Suit Lacks Conn. Ties

    The national parent organization for a fraternity accused of hazing a Connecticut man when he joined a chapter in Pennsylvania says a Connecticut federal court should throw out the suit or transfer it to Pennsylvania.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    States Should Follow Federal Lead On Expert Evidence Rules

    Author Photo

    The recently amended Federal Rule of Evidence 702 will help ensure expert testimony in federal courts reflects adequate data and reliable methods properly applied to a given case, and state courts — home to the overwhelming majority of U.S. litigation — should adopt similar changes, says retired attorney Michael Harrington.

  • How DEI Programs Are Being Challenged In Court And Beyond

    Author Photo

    In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmative action decision last year declaring the consideration of race in university admissions unconstitutional, employers should keep abreast of recent litigation challenging diversity, equity and inclusion training programs, as well as legislation both supporting and opposing DEI initiatives in the workplace, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • What Bankruptcy Deadline Appeal May Mean For Claimants

    Author Photo

    If the Third Circuit reverses a recent appeal made in In re: Promise Healthcare, litigation claimants within the circuit will not be able to rely on the proof of claim process to preserve the claim — but if the court affirms, the U.S. Supreme Court may need to step in to resolve the circuit split on this issue, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

    Author Photo

    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

    Author Photo

    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

    Author Photo

    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

    Author Photo

    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • Conn. Bankruptcy Ruling Furthers Limitation Extension Split

    Author Photo

    A recent Connecticut bankruptcy court decision further solidifies a split of authority on whether Bankruptcy Rule 9006(b) may be used to extend the limitations period, meaning practitioners seeking to extend should serve the motion on all applicable parties and, where possible, rely on the doctrine of equitable tolling, says Shane Ramsey at Nelson Mullins.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Opinion

    The SEC Is Engaging In Regulation By Destruction

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent use of regulation by enforcement against digital assets indicates it's more interested in causing harm to crypto companies than providing guidance to the markets or protecting investors, says J.W. Verret at George Mason University.

  • Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs

    Author Photo

    Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.

  • Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent

    Author Photo

    Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: Benefits Of MDL Transfers

    Author Photo

    A recent order from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation highlights a critical part of the panel's work — moving cases into an existing MDL — and serves as a reminder that common arguments against such transfers don't outweigh the benefits of coordinating discovery and utilizing lead counsel, says Alan Rothman at Sidley Austin.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Pennsylvania archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!