Retail & E-Commerce

  • May 17, 2024

    Feds Seek 10 Years In First Product Safety Conviction

    The government is asking for a pair of 10-year prison sentences for two Gree USA Inc. executives convicted of failing to report defective humidifiers, after the two were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

  • May 17, 2024

    'Confusing' Evidence Leads To New Patent Trial For Shopify

    A Delaware federal judge Friday granted in part Shopify Inc.'s bid for a new trial in an infringement suit over a series of patents for website generation owned by Express Mobile Inc. after Express won a $40 million jury verdict in 2022.

  • May 17, 2024

    Chicago Wants Climate Deception Claims Back In State Court

    The city of Chicago says it should be in state court hashing out climate change deception claims against several of the nation's largest oil producers because the companies lodged "objectively baseless" arguments to remove its case to federal court.

  • May 17, 2024

    Air Gun Co. Manager Accused Of Fraud By Receiver

    The court-appointed overseer of a crumbling North Carolina air gun company has alleged that an owner was fraudulent and self-dealing with the businesses' money, saying a forensic accounting showed money flowing between accounts.

  • May 17, 2024

    Koch-Tied Group Says Transparency Law Offends Federalism

    The Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional because it does not regulate interstate commerce yet mandates that state-registered entities disclose personal information, a conservative group affiliated with the billionaire Koch brothers told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Dolce & Gabbana Sued Over 'Worthless' Digital Outfit NFTs

    Luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has been hit with a shareholder class action in New York federal court, alleging it sold consumers "essentially worthless" non-fungible tokens that it misrepresented as high-value and abandoned the project while retaining over $25 million that was used to fund it.

  • May 17, 2024

    Google Says Payment Means No Need For DOJ Ad Tech Jury

    Google is arguing in Virginia federal court the government has no right to a jury trial in a case accusing the company of monopolizing key digital advertising technology, especially after Google issued a check for the money enforcers could be awarded if they won.

  • May 17, 2024

    $5M Candy Recall Coverage Dispute Moved To Texas Court

    An insurer's lawsuit disclaiming coverage for a candy manufacturer over a near $5 million recall over metal fragments found in certain gummy candies belongs in Texas, a New York federal judge has ruled, finding that the action was "filed preemptively to deprive the natural plaintiff of its choice of forum."

  • May 17, 2024

    Trade Commission Affirms Harm From Indian Steel Cylinder

    The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that nonrefillable steel cylinders imported into the U.S. from India have harmed U.S. producers through unfair prices and government-backed subsidies, allowing the U.S. Department of Commerce to place anti-dumping and countervailing duties on the goods.

  • May 17, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a wave of claims filed against Verity Trustees Ltd., Harley-Davidson hit retailer Next with an intellectual property claim, Turkish e-commerce entrepreneur Demet Mutlu sue her ex-husband and Trendyol co-founder Evren Üçok and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the former boss of collapsed law firm Axiom. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 17, 2024

    Kitchenware Cos. Seek Duties On Chinese Disposable Pans

    A group of domestic companies that produce disposable aluminum pans is pushing for tariffs on Chinese imports, telling U.S. trade officials that its overseas rivals are using unfair trade practices to get ahead of the competition.

  • May 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Let Alexa Users Revive Voice Data Privacy Row

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to reinstate a proposed class action alleging Amazon's Alexa software illegally collects voice data to target users with advertisements, agreeing with the lower court that the e-commerce giant had clearly disclosed the practice and the plaintiffs hadn't shown they were harmed.

  • May 16, 2024

    $2B Default Recommended For Making Fair Trial 'Impossible'

    Years of lies should put a pair of Chinese electronics companies on the hook for over $2 billion in default judgment, a special master told a California federal judge, adding that their yearslong no-show and disregard of U.S. counsel advice to retain documents have rendered a fair trial "impossible."

  • May 16, 2024

    Albertsons Sued Over 'Naturally Flavored' Fruit Bar Labels

    Albertsons Cos. Inc. was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in California federal court by a shopper who alleges the grocer falsely labels its breakfast cereal bars as containing natural flavors even though they're made with artificial ingredients derived from petrochemicals.

  • May 16, 2024

    FTC Can't Make Albertsons, Kroger Produce Divestiture Docs

    An administrative law judge on Thursday denied the Federal Trade Commission's "premature" bid to compel Kroger and Albertsons to fork over documents related to negotiations for the companies' expanded divestiture plan amid the commission's in-house challenge to the grocers' merger.

  • May 16, 2024

    BIC Hit With Class Action Over PFAS-Containing Razors

    The makers of BIC razors intentionally use so-called forever chemicals in several of their products but failed to mention that to customers, who say they wouldn't have bought the razors if they'd known they were exposing themselves to toxic chemicals.

  • May 16, 2024

    Judge Irked By 'Smart' Attys And 'Silly' Doc Retention Policies

    The chief judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade scolded Chinese tire companies on Thursday for complaining about having to provide information the federal government requested to reassess antidumping duties after the companies won an order for that reassessment.

  • May 16, 2024

    Disinfectant Maker To Pay $1.2M To Exit Abandoned-Product Suit

    The peddler of a disinfectant that stands accused of working with Walmart to abandon millions of units of product made from unregistered chemicals, which is illegal to sell and difficult to dispose of, on two unwitting warehouse companies has reached a settlement to end a $30 million lawsuit.

  • May 16, 2024

    Carhartt Heiress's Atty Stole Millions, Jury Told

    A jury trial kicked off Thursday in a case against a Michigan lawyer accused of embezzling millions of dollars from trusts belonging to the granddaughter of Carhartt Inc.'s founder, with one of her financial managers testifying that the attorney made loans to himself without permission.

  • May 16, 2024

    Funko Beats Investor Suit Over Warehouse Move For Now

    Toy company Funko Inc. on Thursday beat a proposed investor class action alleging it failed to disclose accurate information about problems relocating a distribution center and updating critical software, with a Washington federal judge saying the investors have failed to prove the company's statements were false or misleading, among other things.

  • May 16, 2024

    Trade Court OKs Commerce's Cambodian Mattress Duties

    The U.S. Court of International Trade on Thursday blessed the U.S. Department of Commerce's revised anti-dumping duty calculations for Cambodia-origin mattresses, saying Commerce provided better explanations a second time around including for why it used an Indian company's financial statements.

  • May 16, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Shein IPO, Kraft Heinz, Cinven-Jaggaer

    Online fashion giant Shein is shifting IPO plans from the U.S. to London amid resistance from U.S. lawmakers and Chinese regulators, Kraft Heinz wants to sell its Oscar Mayer business, and private equity firm Cinven hopes to divest software firm Jaggaer for $3 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • May 16, 2024

    Prosecutors Say Fake Fortune 500 Workers Funded N. Korea

    The Biden administration alleged that North Korea may have raised $6.8 million to develop nuclear weapons by installing remote information technology workers at Fortune 500 businesses, announcing charges Thursday against two individuals accused of helping agents pose as U.S. employees.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    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.

  • The Merger Cases That Will Matter At ABA Antitrust Meeting

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    While the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week will cover all types of competition law issues in the U.S. and abroad, expect the federal agencies' recent track record in merger enforcement to be a key area of focus on the official panels and in cocktail party chatter, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Ruling Signals Wave Of CIPA Litigation May Soon End

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    A California state court's recent ruling in Licea v. Hickory Farms, which rejects the argument that IP address tracking violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act's pen register provision, is likely to reduce or stop the slew of new cases filed against businesses for similar alleged violations, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.

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

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    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.

  • UK Amazon Ruling Spotlights TM Rights In International Sales

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    Highlighting the conflict between the territorial nature of trademark rights and the borderless nature of the internet, the U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision — that Amazon's U.S. website could infringe EU and U.K. rights by targeting local buyers — offers guidance on navigating trademark rights in relation to online sales, say Emmy Hunt, Mark Kramer and Jordan Mitchell at Potter Clarkson.

  • 5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS

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    The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    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

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    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.

  • Series

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

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    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.

  • Fears About The End Of Chevron Deference Are Overblown

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    While some are concerned about repercussions if the U.S. Supreme Court brings an end to Chevron deference in the Loper and Relentless cases this term, agencies and attorneys would survive just fine under the doctrines that have already begun to replace it, say Daniel Wolff and Henry Leung at Crowell & Moring.

  • Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs

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    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.

  • Unpacking The Complicated Question Of CIPA's Applicability

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    As the number of California Invasion of Privacy Act cases increases, more and more companies with little-to-no California presence are being hauled into California court, raising questions of when CIPA applies and to whom, says Matthew Pearson at BakerHostetler.

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