Retail & E-Commerce

  • May 14, 2024

    FINRA Official Calls Off-Channel Flags 'Shockingly Common'

    A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority official said Tuesday that firms often veer into issues with off-channel business communications thanks to what's on their representatives' business cards and email signatures, and that the biggest red flag of recordkeeping violations are the habits of firms' own leaders and managers.

  • May 14, 2024

    Bedsheet Buyer Attys Clinch $3.5M Fee For Macy's Deal

    Lawyers representing a class of consumers that accused Macy's of lying about the thread count of its sheets will get $3.5 million as part of a $10.5 million settlement with the retailer, an Ohio federal judge ruled, but gave the lead plaintiffs a pittance, saying they did not work hard enough to get more.

  • May 14, 2024

    Lululemon Scores Partial PTAB Wins On Nike Patents

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has found that athletic apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. had shown that all the challenged claims of one Nike patent on fitness tracking technology and some of the claims of another patent are invalid.

  • May 14, 2024

    Stitch Fix Stockholder's Del. Suit Alleges $102M Insider Trades

    Insiders at online personal styling service Stitch Fix Inc. sold $102 million worth of company stock while hiding information for nearly 18 months about the company's faltering business prospects, a shareholder has alleged in a new Delaware Chancery Court complaint.

  • May 14, 2024

    Revised $2.25M Walmart OT Deal Fails For Lack Of Changes

    A California federal judge again refused to approve a $2.25 million deal between Walmart and 1,700 workers that would resolve an unpaid overtime lawsuit, finding that the modified agreement did not fix deficiencies the court had previously identified in the settlement's distribution method.

  • May 14, 2024

    Chamber Cautions FCC Against Making Anti-Arbitration Rules

    Business leaders told the Federal Communications Commission that it cannot bar wireless providers from requiring arbitration clauses with customers to resolve disputes arising from cellphone SIM card and port-out fraud.

  • May 14, 2024

    Cos. Ask NY Court To Invalidate 100s Of Pot Licenses

    New York state's beleaguered cannabis oversight agency has been hit with another lawsuit, this one seeking to invalidate hundreds of retail licenses that regulators issued to those most directly affected by the enforcement of marijuana prohibition laws.

  • May 14, 2024

    Data Co. Workers Had No Power Over Scam Clients, Jury Told

    Lawyers for two former Epsilon Data Management employees told a Colorado federal jury Tuesday they weren't responsible for selling consumer data to phony sweepstakes and other Epsilon clients, arguing they were just following orders from executives who made the deals.

  • May 14, 2024

    Judge Cuts Customer's Walmart Seafood Sustainability Claims

    An Illinois federal judge has cut several claims from a consumer's proposed class suit targeting allegedly deceptive sustainability representations Walmart makes about its seafood, but left the door open for her to amend her allegations before going forward.

  • May 14, 2024

    Amazon Owes Atty Fees Plus $525M IP Bill, Cloud Co. Says

    After an Illinois federal jury determined that Amazon owes $525 million for infringing three of Kove IO's patents relating to cloud data storage technology, the Chicago software company asked a judge Tuesday to add $180 million in interest, while also arguing Amazon owes attorney fees for its surprise trial tactics.

  • May 14, 2024

    Amazon Rips 'Misleading' Claims Execs Destroyed Evidence

    Amazon on Monday opposed the Federal Trade Commission's and state attorneys generals' allegations that founder Jeff Bezos and other executives used the encrypted app Signal to destroy evidence in their high-stakes Washington federal court antitrust fight, arguing that the executives' use of the app is legitimate and that the plaintiffs' motion is "misleading."

  • May 14, 2024

    California Pot Worker's Suit Alleges Slurs, Unpaid Overtime

    A former worker for a cannabis cultivator and distributor is suing his former employer in California state court, saying he was fired in retaliation for reporting a work environment rife with racial discrimination.

  • May 14, 2024

    Pool Co. Pleads For Reprieve From Asset Freeze To Pay Attys

    A Chinese manufacturer of swimming pool products and its American subsidiary are seeking a temporary respite from a court-ordered asset freeze intended to ensure they pay a multimillion-dollar verdict, saying they need to pay legal fees and other trial costs in the interim.

  • May 14, 2024

    Int'l Trade Commission Confirms Asia Is Dumping Steel Shelves

    The U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously voted Tuesday that boltless steel shelves from Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are hurting the domestic industry by being sold in the U.S. at unfairly low prices.

  • May 14, 2024

    EU Finance Ministers Strike Deal On Withholding Tax Refunds

    European Union finance ministers agreed Tuesday to a withholding tax refund law, as previous holdouts Poland and the Czech Republic withdrew their objections.

  • May 13, 2024

    Bank Lobbies Rattle Sabers At Fed Over Debit Swipe Fees

    Some of the same banking industry groups that sued over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's credit card late fee rule have urged the Federal Reserve to refrain from lowering a separate cap on debit card swipe fees, signaling it could be the next bank fee regulation to face a legal challenge if finalized.

  • May 13, 2024

    Vt. On Brink Of Enacting Privacy Bill With Lawsuit Mechanism

    The Vermont legislature has sent to the governor's desk a comprehensive data privacy bill that would not only require companies to scale back their data collection efforts and ramp up safeguards for children, but also give consumers the rare opportunity to sue large businesses that violate the law in certain circumstances. 

  • May 13, 2024

    Whirlpool Service Plans Don't Guarantee Repairs, Suit Says

    Whirlpool Corp. violates Washington consumer protection laws by selling extended service plans that give the company the option to buy back broken appliances instead of fixing them, according to a proposed class action filed in federal court.

  • May 13, 2024

    Handbag Cos. Denied More Market Info In FTC Merger Suit

    A New York federal judge refused Monday to force the Federal Trade Commission to give Tapestry and Capri more details on the market allegedly threatened by their planned $8.5 billion merger, finding the parent companies of Coach and Michael Kors have the information they need.

  • May 13, 2024

    Trade Court Judge Objects To Nippon's New Duty Arguments

    Nippon Steel Corp. struggled Friday to convince the U.S. Court of International Trade that national security tariffs should not have factored into its anti-dumping duty rate, as Judge Stephen Vaden criticizing its counsel for introducing new arguments in court.

  • May 13, 2024

    Starbucks Sues La. Coffee Co. Over 'Nearly Identical' Logo

    Starbucks Corp. has accused a Louisiana-based coffee company in New York federal court of infringing its logo trademark with a "nearly identical" logo.

  • May 13, 2024

    Judge Says Bold, Italic Font Muddies Allbirds Investor Suit

    A California federal judge has tossed for now a proposed class action from Allbirds Inc. investors who claim the sustainable shoe retailer made false and misleading statements in registration documents connected to its initial public offering, saying the complaint doesn't indicate which statements from the company's executives were allegedly misleading.

  • May 13, 2024

    2nd Circ. Affirms Dismissal Of Bystolic Antitrust Suit

    The Second Circuit issued its first decision under the high court's Actavis "pay for delay" ruling on Monday, affirming the dismissal of a case alleging that an AbbVie predecessor delayed competition for its hypertension treatment Bystolic through deals with several generic makers.

  • May 13, 2024

    Corp. Transparency Act An Overbroad Dragnet, 11th Circ. Told

    Congress exceeded its authority in passing the Corporate Transparency Act, which prompted the U.S. Treasury Department to solicit personal information for law enforcement purposes from those that registered and owned state-registered entities, a small-business group told the Eleventh Circuit on Monday.

  • May 13, 2024

    Kroger Says Wash. AG's Merger Suit Ignores Costco's Impact

    The Washington state attorney general's challenge to Kroger's proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of rival grocery giant Albertsons ignores key economic realities, the companies argued in recent state court filings, including fierce competition from Costco and other big-box retailers.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Singapore

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    Singapore is keen to establish itself as a leading international financial center and a key player in the sustainable finance ecosystem, and key initiatives led by its government and other regulatory bodies have helped the Asian nation progress from its initially guarded attitude toward ESG investment and reporting, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape

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    The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.

  • Series

    Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Rockport Ch. 11 Highlights Global Settlement Considerations

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    A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent rejection of Rockport’s proposed settlement serves as a reminder that there is a risk that a global settlement executed outside of a plan may be rejected as a sub rosa plan, but shouldn’t dissuade parties from seeking relief when applicable case law supports approval, says Kyle Arendsen at Squire Patton.

  • 7 Critical Copyright And AI Questions Courts Need To Address

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    U.S. courts have yet to rule on many copyright issues regarding generative artificial intelligence technologies, so developers and users should consider several questions when evaluating risks, developing risk mitigation plans and making decisions about particular use cases, say John Delaney and Sean West at Perkins Coie.

  • Why E-Commerce Tools Are Under Fire Amid Privacy Lawsuits

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    As lawsuits try to shoehorn new technologies into decades-old privacy laws never intended for the digital age, e-commerce tools and the companies that use them are increasingly at risk, and retailers should act now to minimize their potential exposure, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Alcohol's E-Commerce Spike Brings Regulatory Dilemmas

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    In the evolving landscape of beverage alcohol e-commerce, the clash between supplier marketing and tied-house laws poses challenges, with regulators grappling to keep pace with the digital marketplace, leaving the industry in a gray area, says Jaci Flug at Greenspoon Marder.

  • Opinion

    Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

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    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • 'Manufacturing' Amid Mass. Adoption Of Single-Sales Factor

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    Massachusetts’ recent adoption of single-sales-factor apportionment will benefit companies that have a greater in-state physical presence, reinforce the importance of understanding market-sourcing rules, and reduce the manufacturing classification's importance to tax apportionment, though the classification continues to be significant to other aspects of taxation, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Pa. Court's Venue Ruling Is Likely To Worsen Forum Shopping

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    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent Hangey v. Husqvarna decision claims to narrowly clarify the standard for evaluating whether a venue is proper, but has broader implications that are likely to exacerbate the forum-shopping problem that already plagues corporate defendants in Pennsylvania, says Stefanie Pitcavage Mekilo and Joseph Schaeffer at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

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