Retail & E-Commerce

  • March 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Renew Consumers' Amazon 'Buy Box' Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel has declined to revive a consumer antitrust suit against Amazon, ruling on Thursday the plaintiffs have failed to show they were injured by the e-commerce company's practices incentivizing third-party sellers to use its logistics services with the "Buy Box" feature.

  • March 20, 2025

    Chinese Pool Firms Banned From US Sales Until Judgment Is Paid

    A North Carolina federal judge barred multiple Chinese companies and their owner from importing and selling pool equipment in the United States until they pay off a prior $17.8 million judgment after finding them in contempt for "actively frustrating" collection efforts by moving money around despite restraining orders.

  • March 20, 2025

    Saatva Misled Consumers About Mattress Material, Suit Says

    Saatva, a direct-to-consumer mattress brand, has been hit with a proposed class action in a New York federal court, with shoppers accusing it of misrepresenting that its products are nontoxic, natural and chemical-free, even though its mattresses contained materials that pose health and environmental concerns.

  • March 20, 2025

    Oracle Eyes Stake In TikTok's US Entity, And More Rumors

    Oracle is considering acquiring a stake in TikTok's U.S. operations that would allow the social media giant to continue doing business here under certain security assurances. Meanwhile, Brookfield Asset Management has emerged as the top contender to acquire Colonial Pipeline, and German drugmaker Stada is delaying its IPO until at least September because of market volatility. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • March 19, 2025

    Beech-Nut Beats Baby Food Metals Case Revived By 2nd Circ.

    A New York federal judge tossed Wednesday a recently revived consolidated proposed consumer class action alleging Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. sold baby food contaminated with metals, finding that the consumers have not shown they were economically harmed, while rejecting their claims they overpaid for the products or did not receive the benefit of the bargain.

  • March 19, 2025

    Philip Morris Must Face Bulk Of Fla. Zyn Injury Suits

    A Florida federal judge trimmed on Wednesday a single fraudulent concealment claim against Philip Morris' subsidiary in a pair of consumer lawsuits alleging ongoing injuries caused by addictions to Zyn nicotine pouches, but the judge refused to toss other claims, rejecting Philip Morris' jurisdictional challenges.

  • March 19, 2025

    DOJ Says Anthropic View Of Google Search Fix Is Now Moot

    The U.S. Department of Justice is urging a D.C. federal judge to dismiss Anthropic's bid to submit witness declarations in the remedies phase of the government's search antitrust case against Google, arguing that it already dropped the proposed remedy that drew Anthropic's input in the first place.

  • March 19, 2025

    Crisco Slips Proposed Class Cert. In Butter False Ad Suit

    A Crisco cooking spray purchaser looking to hold its manufacturer liable for an allegedly deceptive "butter" label cannot pursue those claims on behalf of other consumers because his intended classes aren't solid enough to proceed as one, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday.  

  • March 19, 2025

    DOJ Defends Rejection Of Agri Stats Bid For Data Points

    The U.S. Department of Justice is defending a decision in Minnesota federal court denying a bid from Agri Stats Inc. to make enforcers identify specific data fields in company reports that allegedly allow chicken, pork and turkey producers to share competitively sensitive information.

  • March 19, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs Partial Ax Of 'Money Mart' TM In Pawn Fight

    The Federal Circuit has backed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's finding that two Dollar Financial Group trademark registrations for the phrase "Money Mart" can't be used for pawn brokerages and pawn shops.

  • March 19, 2025

    Insurers End Dispute Over Pizza Chain Salmonella Coverage

    Two insurers for a "take 'n' bake" pizza chain have settled a dispute over their contributions to a deal reached by their mutual insured in an underlying case over salmonella-tainted cookie dough, with a Washington federal court tossing the suit.

  • March 19, 2025

    Judge Tosses Vroom Investors' IPO Suit Due To Vague Claims

    A New York federal judge has tossed a stockholder class action against Vroom Inc. over issues with its $468 million initial public offering, finding that none of the more than 50 challenged statements in the complaint made about the online car retailer's customer service or business plan are actionable.

  • March 19, 2025

    Conn. Barber Says She Faced Anti-Polish Bias, Docked Pay

    A former barber at a Greenwich, Connecticut, hair salon has taken her ex-employer to federal court for allegedly discriminating against her for being from Poland, failing to pay overtime, and docking her pay for "house charges" to cover amenities she was never given at work.

  • March 19, 2025

    EU Accuses Google Of Breaking New Big Tech Rules

    European enforcers accused Google on Wednesday of violating the bloc's new rules for digital markets by favoring its own services in search results and through restrictions in its Play Store, while also outlining steps Apple needs to take to comply.

  • March 19, 2025

    Court Tosses Challenge To Indiana's Delta-8 THC Policy

    An Indiana federal judge has dismissed a challenge brought by hemp industry stakeholders against Indiana's policy to rein in hemp-derived delta-8 THC, saying the case was a matter for a state court.

  • March 19, 2025

    Revlon Settles Trade Secrets Case Over Britney Spears' Scent

    A federal court signed off on settlements ending Revlon's trade secrets case against an upstart Italian beauty brand, and one of its former marketing executives, who were both accused of stealing trade secrets when luring Britney Spears' perfume line abroad.

  • March 19, 2025

    Activist Asks 9th Circ. To Revive Meta, Twitter RICO Fight

    Political activist Laura Loomer urged the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to revive her latest racketeering lawsuit alleging Meta and Twitter conspired with the government to censor conservative voices, arguing the lawsuit is distinct from three prior suits in part because this case involves accounts she used as a political candidate.

  • March 19, 2025

    How Cleary, Simpson Thacher Went To The Mattresses With FTC

    The Federal Trade Commission's attempt to block Tempur Sealy's $5 billion bid to acquire retailer Mattress Firm suffered a likely fatal blow when a Texas federal court refused to put the merger on hold.

  • March 19, 2025

    MLM Cosmetics Co. Doesn't Pay Any Wages, Stylist Says

    A multilevel marketing company illegally classifies stylists as independent contractors, thus forcing them to foot the bill for promoting the company's products, and only pays workers a commission and for recruiting more stylists, a lawsuit filed in California state court said.

  • March 19, 2025

    Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • March 18, 2025

    Quaker Oats Beats Pesticide Suit As Judge Cites EPA Limits

    An Illinois federal judge threw out a putative class action Tuesday accusing Quaker Oats Co. of misleadingly marketing its products as healthy despite the presence of pesticides, saying the chemical levels identified in the case are far below the limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

  • March 18, 2025

    Amazon Asks To Claw Back Docs In Consumer Antitrust Suits

    Amazon has asked a Washington federal court to allow it to claw back three documents it has deemed as privileged from consumers in a trio of proposed antitrust class actions, saying that the plaintiffs are refusing to return or destroy them after quoting them in their motion for class certification.

  • March 18, 2025

    PVC Pipe Giant's Top Brass Sued For Hiding Price-Fix Scheme

    PVC pipe maker Atkore Inc.'s top executives and board members were hit with derivative claims Tuesday for allegedly shielding the company's participation in a pandemic-era price-fixing scheme, just days after investors sued the company and three executives for the same alleged conduct.

  • March 18, 2025

    J&J Denies 'Evil Motive' In Face Of $30M Talc Damages

    Johnson & Johnson did not act with the kind of "evil motive" that would justify a $30 million punitive damages award to a Connecticut man who won a lawsuit alleging its talc products caused his lung cancer, the company argued Tuesday in state court.

  • March 18, 2025

    Vans Facility Subjected Employees To Extreme Heat, Suit Says

    A former Vans sneaker distribution center in Southern California made employees work in unventilated rooms that would reach over 100 degrees, an employee who worked at the facility for 16 years has alleged in a new lawsuit filed in California state court.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    AI May Limit Key Learning Opportunities For Young Attorneys

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    The thing that’s so powerful about artificial intelligence is also what’s most scary about it — its ability to detect patterns may curtail young attorneys’ chance to practice the lower-level work of managing cases, preventing them from ever honing the pattern recognition skills that undergird creative lawyering, says Sarah Murray at Trialcraft.

  • A Class Action Trend Tests Limit Of Courts' Equity Powers

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    A troubling trend has developed in federal class action litigation as some counsel and judges attempt to push injunctive relief classes under Rule 23(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure beyond the traditional limits of federal courts' equitable powers, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • A Look At How De Minimis Import Rules May Soon Change

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    The planned implementation of executive actions focused on the de minimis rule as it applies to shipments means companies should use this interval to evaluate the potential applicability and impact of Section 301, Section 201 or Section 232 duties on their products, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Antitrust Issues To Watch Amid Google Ad Tech Trial

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    Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. Department of Justice's advertising technology antitrust suit against Google in Virginia federal court, matters ranging from market definition to unified pricing will likely have far-reaching implications for the digital advertising industry, competition and innovation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What To Know About Latest Calif. Auto-Renewal Law Update

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    While businesses have about nine months to prepare before the recently passed amendment to California's automatic renewal law takes effect, it’s not too early to begin working on compliance efforts, including sign-up flow reviews, record retention updates and marketing language revisions, say Gonzalo Mon and Beth Chun at Kelley Drye.

  • How Lucia, Jarkesy Could Affect Grocery Merger Challenge

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    While the Federal Trade Commission is taking a dual federal court and administrative tribunal approach to block Kroger's merger with Alberstons, Kroger's long-shot unconstitutionality claims could potentially lead to a reevaluation of the FTC's reliance on administrative processes in complex merger cases, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How To Avoid Liability When Using Cookie Consent Managers

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    As companies attempt to comply with consumer protection laws by implementing cookie consent managers on their websites, they must be wary of separate legal risks that can stem from implementing or using these tools incorrectly, says Ian Cohen at LOKKER.

  • Basel Endgame Rules: A Change Is Coming

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    The Federal Reserve Board's recently announced recalibration of the Basel endgame proposal begins a critical chapter in the evolution of not only the safety and soundness of U.S. banks, but also of banks' abilities to lend and support American businesses and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • How Labeling And Testing May Help Reduce PFAS Litigation

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    As regulators take steps to reduce consumers’ exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, companies can take a proactive approach to mitigating litigation risks not only by labeling their products transparently, but also by complying with testing and marketing standards, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Behind 3rd Circ. Ruling On College Athletes' FLSA Eligibility

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    The Third Circuit's decision that college athletes are not precluded from bringing a claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act raises key questions about the practical consequences of treating collegiate athletes as employees, such as Title IX equal pay claims and potential eligibility for all employment benefits, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Commerce Proposal Could Ease Trade Remedy Administration

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    Recently proposed international trade enforcement regulations could help the U.S. Department of Commerce more easily administer antidumping and countervailing duty remedies, in turn maximizing relief to American companies adversely affected by unfair trade, says Natan Tubman at Buchanan Ingersoll.

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