Retail & E-Commerce

  • May 16, 2024

    Viacom Sues Apparel Co. Over 'TMNT,' 'Avatar' Products

    Viacom International Inc. accused an apparel and toys company in New York federal court of profiting off products that infringe its trademarks for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Avatar: The Last Airbender," among other intellectual properties.

  • May 16, 2024

    Rue21 Seeks To Reject 51 Leases As Stores Close

    Bankrupt teen retailer rue21 has asked a Delaware bankruptcy court for approval to reject its leases at 51 store locations where going-out-of-business sales have already wrapped up or aren't planned, saying the move would represent "a significant cost savings" to the bankruptcy estate.

  • May 16, 2024

    Apple Exec Must Produce All Docs On 27% App Fee Decision

    A California federal judge presiding over a high-stakes antitrust hearing over Apple's compliance with a court-ordered ban on App Store anti-steering rules ordered a company executive Thursday to hand over all of his communications and notes on Apple's decision to impose a new 27% fee after her injunction.

  • May 16, 2024

    Gilead, Teva Want 17 HIV Drug Antitrust Appeals Consolidated

    Gilead Sciences Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals are asking the Ninth Circuit to consolidate 17 appeals contesting their win in a case alleging they delayed generic versions of HIV medications, saying the three groups of buyers are raising largely the same issues but refuse to commit to combining their briefs.

  • May 16, 2024

    Pa. Pot Co. Says No Deal To Breach In Growth IP Suit

    A Pennsylvania cannabis cultivator is asking a federal court to dismiss a suit claiming it broke an oral agreement with a consulting firm and continued to use the firm's trade secrets, saying no oral contract existed, nor was the firm's information trade secrets.

  • May 16, 2024

    Biden Admin Proposes To Loosen Restrictions On Marijuana

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that his administration has formally recommended relaxing restrictions on marijuana, marking the most significant federal policy shift on cannabis since the drug was criminalized more than 50 years ago.

  • May 16, 2024

    Weighted Baby Swaddle 'Inherently Dangerous,' Suit Alleges

    A Massachusetts company has been hit with a proposed class action over its allegedly "inherently dangerous" weighted baby blankets and swaddling wraps, a product category suspected in multiple infant deaths and under investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

  • May 16, 2024

    Nordstrom Settles Patagonia's Suit Over Alleged Counterfeits

    Patagonia has agreed to toss its trademark lawsuit accusing Nordstrom's Nordstrom Rack discount stores of selling thousands of "obvious counterfeits" after their partnership ended and then refusing to issue a recall on the products once Patagonia complained.

  • May 16, 2024

    Olo Investor Sues In Chancery To Stop Raine Group Takeover

    A shareholder in New York online food-ordering company Olo Inc. sued its officers, directors and largest stockholder in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Wednesday, alleging the board had approved a stock buyback program that would hand control of the company to its largest shareholder for no consideration.

  • May 15, 2024

    Arizona AG Lobs Suits Over 'Deceptive' Amazon Practices

    Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Wednesday filed a pair of suits claiming that Amazon Prime's cancellation process and other features are deceptive, misleading and have led to higher prices for consumers.

  • May 15, 2024

    'Law And Order' Star Sues Instacart Over Dog's Shooting

    "Law & Order" actor Angie Harmon has filed a lawsuit against Instacart and a delivery driver who she claims shot and killed her dog while delivering groceries to her home, according to the complaint lodged in North Carolina state court.

  • May 15, 2024

    DocuSign Investors Near Cert. In Post-COVID Prospects Fight

    A California federal judge told counsel Wednesday he's inclined to certify a class of investors who allege DocuSign and its top brass misled investors about the e-signature company's post-pandemic growth prospects, saying DocuSign's challenges to the class-wide damages model seem premature, and the investors easily meet other class certification requirements.

  • May 15, 2024

    Calif. Atty Tells 4th Circ. Dormant Commerce Applies To Pot

    A California lawyer who has filed lawsuits challenging state and local cannabis licensure programs spearheaded an appeal at the Fourth Circuit asking it to find that the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution applies to federally illegal marijuana.

  • May 15, 2024

    Bolt Financial Cancels $37M In Shares To End CEO Loan Suit

    Bolt Financial Inc. will cancel over $37 million in shares to settle a derivative suit against the company's board of directors that accuses its former CEO of purposely defaulting on a $30 million loan, according to a filing in Delaware's Court of Chancery.

  • May 15, 2024

    2nd Circ. Calls Starbucks' Union Discovery Order 'Overbroad'

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday revived the National Labor Relations Board's suit seeking to halt Starbucks' alleged labor violations nationwide, finding that the lower court erred in tossing the suit for noncompliance with its "overbroad" discovery order granting the coffee chain's subpoenas seeking confidential union intel and workers' communications.

  • May 15, 2024

    Feds Urge Prison For Convicted Baby Formula Fraudster

    Urging the judge to communicate the gravity of white collar crime, federal prosecutors in New York asked Wednesday that a Staten Island man get at least 2.25 years in prison after he pled guilty to forging baby formula prescriptions as part of a scheme to defraud insurers of $1.9 million.

  • May 15, 2024

    En Banc 9th Circ. Will Mull Jurisdiction In Shopify Privacy Suit

    The Ninth Circuit agreed to review en banc a panel's decision dismissing a suit alleging payment processing company Shopify collects shoppers' sensitive information without permission, after the plaintiff argued the full court should hear the case to resolve how to assess personal jurisdiction in online misconduct cases.

  • May 15, 2024

    Exec Wants No Jail In Landmark Product Safety Conviction

    A former Gree USA executive convicted of failing to immediately report defective dehumidifiers known to catch fire, has asked a California federal judge to sentence him to probation and not incarceration, citing several companies that delayed reporting longer than he did and caused greater harm to customers but weren't criminally charged.

  • May 15, 2024

    Little People Wrestling Co. Starts 'Micro' TM Fight With Rival

    Low Budget Rock Star Entertainment LLC, which produces wrestling entertainment featuring little people, has accused two men of infringing its trademark by using the word "micro" in their own wrestling ventures, according to a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court.

  • May 15, 2024

    EEOC Suit Over Vax Refuser's Firing Survives Dismissal Bid

    Arkansas-based Hank's Furniture Inc. must face a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it unlawfully fired a Christian manager who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, with a Florida federal judge ruling the agency plausibly alleged her beliefs conflicted with the company's inoculation policy.

  • May 15, 2024

    Arizona Judge Revives Opendoor Investors' Securities Suit

    An Arizona federal judge has revived a consolidated securities class action accusing real estate company Opendoor Technologies Inc. of misleading investors about the benefits of its pricing algorithm software in order to go public in a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company.

  • May 15, 2024

    'Misconduct Bingo Card' Warrants $2M In Fees, Co. Says

    Cozy Comfort, maker of the Comfy sweatshirt featured on "Shark Tank," has asked for nearly $2 million in fees — and about $8 million in additional interest — in a suit where a jury found that Chicago hooded sweatshirt retailer Top Brand owed over $18 million for infringing design patents and trademarks.

  • May 15, 2024

    Last-Mile Amazon Driver Does Interstate Work, Panel Says

    A driver for a logistics company who primarily made local deliveries for Amazon was engaged in interstate commerce and thus exempt from mandatory arbitration, a California appeals court has held, saying the worker's wage and hour claims can remain in state court.

  • May 15, 2024

    Chinese Art Marketplace, EV Co. Ink SPAC Deals Worth $834M

    Two Chinese companies, art marketplace Tyfon Culture Holdings and electric-vehicle maker Aiways Europe have announced plans to go public in the U.S. via mergers with special-purpose acquisition companies in deals that are together valued at around $834 million.

  • May 14, 2024

    Effect Of New China Duties Hinges On Allies' Response

    The effectiveness of new tariffs, announced Tuesday, on Chinese products including electric vehicles, semiconductors and solar cells to protect domestic industries may be determined more by the international community's response than the trade remedies themselves.

Expert Analysis

  • Directors And Officers Face Unique AI-Related Risks

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    As privacy, intellectual property and discrimination lawsuits focusing on artificial intelligence increase, corporate directors and officers must stay aware of associated risks, including those related to compliance, litigation and cybersecurity, says Jonathan Meer at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • New Strain Of Web Tracking Suits Pose Risks For Retailers

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    Amid an ongoing surge of California state and federal lawsuits that are using novel theories to allege companies used certain recording technologies to illegally track website users, retailers should take steps to develop a potential argument that customers consented to any alleged uses of these devices, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Ex-OpenSea Staffer Case May Clarify When Info Is Property

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    In considering the appeal of a former OpenSea manager’s wire fraud conviction in U.S. v. Chastain, the Second Circuit may soon provide guidance about whether economic information is traditional property in certain insider trading prosecutions — a theory of fraud that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly narrowed, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Unraveling The Bundled Benefits Of Retail Memberships

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    The recent prevalence of paid retail memberships and the associated findings of a consumer survey suggest that assessing consumer preferences and welfare may be important when considering resolution mechanisms in antitrust contexts, say Rosa M. Abrantes-Metz at Berkeley Research Group, Mame Maloney at The Brattle Group and Jeff Brazell at the University of Utah.

  • Opinion

    Stakeholder Amici Should Be Heard In Russian Trade Case

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    Although the U.S. Court of International Trade recently rejected U.S. Steel's amicus brief in NLMK Pennsylvania v. U.S., other industry stakeholders should seek to appear — and the court should allow it because additional perspectives will lead to a more informed ruling, say attorneys Jeffrey Shapiro and Michael Andrews.

  • Workplace Speech Policies Limit Legal And PR Risks

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    As workers increasingly speak out on controversies like the 2024 elections and the Israel-Hamas war, companies should implement practical workplace expression policies and plans to protect their brands and mitigate the risk of violating federal and state anti-discrimination and free speech laws, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • US Cos. Must Guard Against Russian Diversion Of Goods

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    Amid allegations that Russia is end-running trade sanctions through the diversion of otherwise innocuous, everyday goods, U.S. industry involved in the manufacture or distribution of electric products must step up its customer and partner due diligence to avoid unwittingly facilitating the weapons proliferation cycle, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Staying Ahead Of The AI Policymaking Curve

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    With artificial intelligence poised to be the hottest legislative and regulatory topic in 2024, expect the AI policymaking toolbox to continue to expand and evolve as stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad develop, deploy, use and learn more about these technologies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • 10 Years Of Retail Battles: Unpacking Pricing Litigation Trends

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    A close look at a decade of pricing class actions against retailers reveals evolving trends, plaintiffs bar strategies, and the effects of significant court decisions across states, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • What Cos. Can Learn From 2023 Export Enforcement Report

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    A January report summarizing key actions and policy changes undertaken at the Office of Export Enforcement in 2023 is a valuable indicator of future government priorities and the factors companies should consider as they conduct export operations amid what may be a turbulent international trading environment in 2024, says Thaddeus McBride at Bass Berry.

  • How Consumer Product Cos. Can Keep Up With Class Actions

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    Recent cases show California's federal courts and the Ninth Circuit remain the preferred arena for consumers pursuing false advertising and trade deception claims against companies — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products should continue to watch these courts for guidance on how to fight class actions, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

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