Retail & E-Commerce

  • May 13, 2025

    Grocery Giants Fight Washington's 'Redundant' $32.4M Fee Bid

    Kroger and Albertsons are fighting a bid by Washington's attorney general to recover a record $32.4 million in legal fees for winning a lawsuit to block a $24.6 billion merger of the grocery giants, saying that the state's "go-it-alone" litigation was unnecessary and wasteful because of parallel antitrust action by the Federal Trade Commission.

  • May 13, 2025

    FTC Says It Won't Enforce 'Click To Cancel' Until July

    The Federal Trade Commission, currently only staffed with Republicans following President Donald Trump's firing of the remaining two Democratic commissioners, has decided to pump the brakes on its plan to start enforcing the agency's new "click to cancel" rule this month.

  • May 13, 2025

    Farberware, Walmart Can't Duck Pressure Cooker Burn Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday denied Walmart Inc. and Farberware Licensing Co.'s bid to prevail in a suit alleging they sold a defective pressure cooker that erupted and burned a woman using it to make steak.

  • May 13, 2025

    Applebee's Accused Of 'Egregious' Delivery Order Junk Fees

    Applebee's employs a deceptive bait-and-switch tactic to stick hidden junk fees to delivery orders on its website that aren't mentioned to customers until the very end of the check-out process, allowing it to rake in millions in profit, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pa. Sens. Reject Bill To Legalize Pot Through State-Run Shops

    A Pennsylvania Senate committee on Tuesday voted to reject a bill to legalize adult-use marijuana and regulate its sale via state-run stores.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pot Dispensary Asks Mo. High Court To Block County Taxes

    In incorporated areas of Missouri counties, a municipality's imposition of a 3% sales tax on adult-use cannabis supersedes a county's ability to impose its own additional tax, a dispensary told the Missouri Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday.

  • May 13, 2025

    Walmart Settles Biometric Privacy Suit Ahead Of June Trial

    Walmart and a driver for Walmart's grocery delivery platform have resolved his claims that the platform's identity verification process violates Illinois' biometric privacy law by scanning geometric facial data in their selfies and licenses to authenticate an applicant's identity without informed consent.

  • May 13, 2025

    Latham-Led VMG Nets $1B For 6th Consumer Fund

    Latham & Watkins LLP-advised growth equity firm VMG Partners on Tuesday revealed it had clinched its sixth consumer fund after securing $1 billion in investor commitments.

  • May 13, 2025

    Vegan Restaurant Chain Planta Hits Ch. 11 With Sale Plans

    Vegan restaurant chain Planta Group has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware, listing up to $50 million in debt and saying it intends to sell the business as part of the bankruptcy process.

  • May 12, 2025

    Amazon Cites FTC Take On Online Shopping Law In Prime Suit

    Amazon has asked a federal court to either allow it to present evidence of the Federal Trade Commission's statements about the clarity of the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act or permit it to bring the matter to the Ninth Circuit, arguing the issue must be resolved sooner rather than later.

  • May 12, 2025

    Instacart Beats Investor Suit Over Pre-IPO Business

    A California federal judge tossed a shareholder class action accusing grocery delivery company Instacart of misrepresenting its potential in the lead-up to its initial public offering, finding, among other things, that the plaintiffs did not sufficiently plead any actionable misleading statements or that the defendants acted with a motive to deceive investors.

  • May 12, 2025

    Barnes & Noble Faces IP Suit Over E-Commerce Tech

    Barnes & Noble has joined a line of retailers facing patent infringement suits from intellectual property licensing company AML IP, with a complaint filed Monday in Texas federal court accusing the bookseller of violating a patent related to technology for electronic methods of processing payments.

  • May 12, 2025

    Cardholders Can't Revive Visa, Mastercard Swipe Fee Suit

    A New York federal judge on Monday declined cardholders' bid to revive their interchange fee suit against Visa, Mastercard and major banks, saying they failed to show that they were directly harmed by an alleged swipe fee price-fixing conspiracy.

  • May 12, 2025

    More Than Defaults: Google Judge Mulls AI, Search, Browsers

    A D.C. federal judge has three weeks to figure out the last questions he'll ask the U.S. Department of Justice and Google before laying out search monopolization remedies that could help shape the way consumers search, browse and use artificial intelligence.

  • May 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Asks Wash. Justices About Fake Discount CPA Suit

    The Ninth Circuit has called on Washington state's highest court to clarify whether a shopper who claims she purchased leggings from clothing retailer Aéropostale based on an alleged fake discounting scheme has suffered harm covered by the state Consumer Protection Act.

  • May 12, 2025

    Zazzle Can't Dodge Copyright Claim Over Fonts, Judge Says

    A California federal judge has axed fraud claims in a suit claiming online marketplace Zazzle Inc. profits from stolen intellectual property and fails to fairly compensate design owners, but said it couldn't dodge a copyright claim.

  • May 12, 2025

    Walmart, Transportation Manager End OT Suit

    Walmart and a transportation operations manager have agreed to end the worker's suit in Georgia federal court accusing the retailer of misclassifying her as overtime-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to a joint filing Monday.

  • May 12, 2025

    Will Justices Finally Rein In Universal Injunctions?

    The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address for the first time Thursday the propriety of universal injunctions, a tool federal judges have increasingly used to broadly halt presidential orders and policy initiatives, and whose validity has haunted the high court's merits and emergency dockets for more than a decade.

  • May 12, 2025

    Proskauer, Cooley Guide Up To $880M Hand Sanitizer Deal

    Arm & Hammer owner Church & Dwight Co. Inc. said Monday it has agreed to acquire fast-growing hand sanitizer brand Touchland for up to $880 million, in a deal steered by Proskauer Rose LLP for Church & Dwight and Cooley LLP for Touchland.

  • May 12, 2025

    Ugg Maker Hits Costco, CVS, Others With Wave Of IP Suits

    The maker of Ugg footwear has fired off a series of fresh trade dress infringement lawsuits against Costco Wholesale Corp., CVS Pharmacy Inc. and other online retailers in California federal court in its latest offensive push to protect its signature shearling footwear designs.

  • May 12, 2025

    Bradley Arant Faces DQ Bid In Georgia Mall Rent Dispute

    A mall has urged a Georgia federal judge to disqualify Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP from representing a tenant in an unpaid rent dispute, arguing that the law firm has a conflict of interest because it has represented the mall's sister corporation in similar litigation.

  • May 12, 2025

    US, China Agree To Temporarily Cut Soaring Tariffs

    The U.S. will cut tariffs on most Chinese goods to 30% for 90 days while China will reduce tariffs on most U.S. goods to 10%, the countries announced Monday after the two governments agreed to relax soaring tariffs.

  • May 12, 2025

    Broker Wants To Trim Chipwich Maker's $4.5M Recall Suit

    An insurance broker asked a Connecticut state court to trim a suit seeking $4.5 million for losses that the maker of Chipwich ice cream sandwiches alleges it incurred because of insufficient product recall coverage, saying the company can't sustain its breach of contract claim.

  • May 12, 2025

    New York Medical Cannabis Industry Wary Of $15M Fee

    The large, vertically integrated companies that make up the Empire State's medical cannabis trade said Monday that Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to levy $15 million fees on dispensaries seeking to enter the recreational market would "doom" the industry.

  • May 12, 2025

    Forever 21 Says No Buyer In Sight, Liquidation Expected

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday gave Forever 21 permission to send its Chapter 11 plan out for a creditor vote after the fast-fashion retailer said it had not found a going-concern buyer and will likely be liquidating its remaining assets.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Points From New Maritime Oil Price Cap Advisory

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    The Price Cap Coalition's updated advisory regarding the maritime oil industry's compliance with the Russian oil price cap highlights the role of governmental authorities, additional areas warranting due diligence and the need for training programs, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Best Practices For Influencer Trademark Protection

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    Though the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently decided that an influencer couldn't qualify for a retail services trademark registration for posting affiliate links to a third-party website, there are other trademark protections that influencers can pursue for their branding and marketing services, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • A Look At 2024 NIL Rights And Economies In College Sports

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    Permutations in the arena of name, image and likeness affecting collegiate athletics have continued unabated this year, and practitioners and industry representatives should anticipate significant activity at schools and continuing legal changes at the state level, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Unpacking CFPB's Unwieldy Buy Now, Pay Later Guidance

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    Both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent interpretive rule regarding buy now, pay later transactions, and its FAQ guidance, place providers in murky waters with the unenviable position of attempting to place a square, closed-end product in a round, regulatory framework meant for open-end products, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Patent Marking Steps After Fed. Circ. Opens Lanham Act Door

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    Following the Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Crocs v. Effervescent, which seemingly revives private actors’ ability to bring false patent marking claims under the Lanham Act, marketing and legal teams should be careful to avoid advertisement language that implies nonexistent patent rights, says Jeffrey Ratinoff at Spencer Fane.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

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