Retail & E-Commerce

  • October 20, 2025

    Bridal Shop Says Insurer Can't Avoid Fire Coverage Suit

    A bridal shop that won a $38 million judgment against a contractor following a fire at a neighboring property told a New York federal court that the contractor's insurer can't hide behind a default judgment it obtained against its policyholder in a prior suit to avoid the shop's coverage action.

  • October 17, 2025

    'Small Tobacco' Cos. Challenge Va. Ban On Flavored Vapes

    Virginia vape companies are looking to stop the state from enforcing a ban on flavored e-cigarettes endorsed by "Big Tobacco," calling the law unconstitutional because it runs afoul of the supremacy clause by having state officials enforce federal tobacco law, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.

  • October 17, 2025

    California AG Sues Plastic Bag Makers Over Recycling Claims

    California's attorney general on Friday sued three plastic bag manufacturers in state court for allegedly selling nonrecyclable plastic bags despite claiming to meet the Golden State's recyclability standards, but said four other producers agreed to stop sales in the state as part of a settlement resolving similar allegations.

  • October 17, 2025

    Fragrance Co. Cuts $26M 'Icebreaker' Deal In Price-Fixing Suit

    A proposed class of direct purchasers asked a New Jersey federal judge Friday to preliminarily sign off on International Flavors and Fragrances Inc.'s $26 million settlement, the first "icebreaker" deal cut in sprawling price-fixing antitrust litigation against four major fragrance ingredient makers.

  • October 17, 2025

    Audible Users Blocked From Using Calif. Law In Privacy Row

    A pair of Audible customers can't sustain claims that the audiobook provider violated California's wiretap law on allegations it shared their browsing and listening activities with Meta Platforms Inc. because they agreed to litigate any disputes under Washington law when they signed up for the service, a federal judge in Seattle held in tossing the proposed class action for now.

  • October 17, 2025

    Altria, Juul May Face Certified 'Frankenstein' Antitrust Class

    A California federal judge indicated on Friday that he will likely certify classes of direct and indirect purchasers accusing e-cigarette makers Juul and ex-rival Altria of violating antitrust laws by conspiring to reduce product variety on the market, although Altria's lawyer urged the judge to reconsider and avoid a "Frankeinstein" for damage calculations.

  • October 17, 2025

    Bankers Lobby Warns Of 'Operational Crises' From Penny Halt

    A banking industry group on Friday urged leaders of the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to swiftly address "operational crises" the institutions say have arisen from a policy restricting penny deposits at coin terminals as the U.S. phases out the one-cent coin.

  • October 17, 2025

    Electronic Co. Tells Justices Trump Tariffs Are The Emergency

    Emergency tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are creating extraordinary economic threats under a law that was intended to protect U.S. retailers from such harm, a Virginia-based electronics company told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.

  • October 17, 2025

    Federal Courts To Scale Back Operations Amid Shutdown

    The federal court system has run out of money and will scale back operations beginning Monday as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, possibly leading to case delays.

  • October 17, 2025

    $2.25M Deal In Lighting Co. ESOP Suit Gets Initial Nod

    A California federal judge gave the initial OK to a $2.25 million settlement that aims to shutter a former lighting company worker's class action claiming the business mismanaged a $25 million asset ownership sale that established its employee stock ownership plan.

  • October 17, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs Noninfringement Ruling In Fence Patent Case

    The Federal Circuit on Friday wouldn't revive an Ohio-based outdoor product company's lawsuit accusing a Texas rival of infringing various fencing patents, finding nothing was wrong with the way the lower court interpreted key terminology in the patent.

  • October 17, 2025

    Latham To Bring On 3 Restructuring Pros From Ropes & Gray

    Latham & Watkins LLP announced Friday that it will be adding three restructuring partners from Ropes & Gray LLP, including one who steered that firm's business restructuring practice.

  • October 17, 2025

    MGA Fights New Trial On Damages In Doll TM Case

    Toy maker MGA Entertainment wants to appeal a California federal judge's decision calling for a new jury trial to consider whether to award punitive damages to hip-hop moguls Clifford "T.I." Harris and Tameka "Tiny" Harris over a line of dolls called L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G.

  • October 17, 2025

    Pennsylvania Auto Parts Co. Sued Over Loading Dock Fall

    A Pittsburgh auto parts warehouse employee moved a loading dock plate while a delivery driver had her back turned, causing her to fall into an unseen gap and severely injure her shoulder, according to a lawsuit seeking to hold Rohrich Automotive Group and affiliates liable for the incident.

  • October 17, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen Johnson & Johnson hit with a £1 billion ($1.34 billion) claim for allegedly selling contaminated baby powder, Carter-Ruck bring a claim against the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and Hewlett Packard file a probate claim against the estate of Mike Lynch.

  • October 16, 2025

    CFPB Ends Citi Order Over Armenian Discrimination Claims

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has agreed to drop its case accusing Citibank NA of intentionally and systematically discriminating against retail-branded credit card applicants with Armenian-looking last names, according to an order filed Thursday.

  • October 16, 2025

    Closed Pot Shops Can't Stop Future Enforcement, DC Argues

    A lawsuit seeking to halt the District of Columbia from penalizing and closing any more recreational marijuana shops should be dismissed, the city has told a federal court, arguing the retailers can't sue because they are either already closed or have failed to show they will be targeted.

  • October 16, 2025

    Macy's, Discount Tire Co. Hit With Wash. Anti-Spam Suits

    Macy's and Discount Tire Co. are the latest businesses targeted by a wave of proposed class actions in which consumers claim the companies broke a Washington state law outlawing commercial emails with false or misleading subject lines.

  • October 16, 2025

    China's Crackdown On Rare Earth Minerals Spooks Importers

    In the latest trade salvo between the U.S. and China, stricter Chinese export controls on critical earth minerals that many U.S. manufacturers rely on are causing concern for businesses, which may have difficulty diversifying supply chains for the rare materials.

  • October 16, 2025

    Peloton Moves To Toss Investors' Revived COVID-19 Suit

    Peloton has once again moved to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit revived by the Second Circuit last month, saying that investors couldn't prove executives intentionally misled them into believing that a spike in demand during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic was sustainable.

  • October 16, 2025

    Car Buyer Unclear About His Own Fee Suit, Dealership Says

    A Connecticut car buyer isn't an adequate representative for a proposed class of consumers who were allegedly overcharged by a dealership for a service called VIN etching because he didn't know basic details when he testified in a deposition, the defense said in opposing class certification.

  • October 16, 2025

    Insurers Settle Bid To Arbitrate $7M La. Hurricane Ida Case

    A group of domestic and foreign insurers including underwriters at Lloyd's of London have asked a Louisiana federal judge to dismiss their lawsuit seeking an order to arbitrate a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, saying they have settled the dispute.

  • October 16, 2025

    Amazon Claims Calif. Lawyer, Chinese Firms Pulled IP Scheme

    Amazon is suing a California lawyer and four Chinese companies, among others, over an alleged scheme to fraudulently register thousands of trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and then wrongfully report infringement by other Amazon sellers.

  • October 16, 2025

    NJ AG Sues Sig Sauer, Alleging Pistol Discharge Defect

    The New Jersey attorney general on Thursday launched a suit against Sig Sauer Inc. that seeks a mandatory recall of its P320 handgun on allegations it can fire unexpectedly — a defect that prosecutors said killed a police officer.

  • October 16, 2025

    Travelers Seeks Over $1M In Camera Theft Subrogation Suit

    Travelers is seeking to recoup around $1 million in costs from a shipping logistics company that it says failed to verify to whom it was providing a shipment of cameras, resulting in their theft, according to a complaint filed in California federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Companies Crafting Tariff Surcharge Disclosures

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    As the Trump administration imposes tariffs on imports, retail businesses considering itemizing tariff-related costs separately for consumers must ensure that any disclosures are both accurate and defensible to avoid regulatory enforcement or private suits, says Christopher Cole at Katten.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • Compliance Lessons From Warby Parker's HIPAA Fine

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil money penalty against Warby Parker highlights the emerging challenges that consumer-facing brands encounter when expanding into healthcare-adjacent sectors, with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance being a potential focus of regulatory attention, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • Tracking The Evolution Of Liability Management Exercises

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    As liability management exercises face increasing legal scrutiny, understanding the history of these debt restructuring tools can help explain how the playbook keeps adapting — and why the next move is always just one ruling or transaction away, say attorneys at Weil.

  • What Banks Must Do To Attract Gen Z Customers

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    The young adults of Generation Z bank differently, so financial institutions must engage appropriately if they wish to attract this key population, including by leveraging savvy marketing, well-designed online interfaces and top-notch customer service, says Madeline Thieschafer at Fredrikson & Byron.

  • Rebuttal

    Mass Arbitration Reform Must Focus On Justice

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    A recent Law360 guest article argued that mass arbitration reform is needed to alleviate companies’ financial and administrative burdens, but any such reform must deliver real justice, not just cost savings for the powerful, says Eduard Korsinsky at Levi & Korsinsky.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

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    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Breaking Down Ill. Bellwether Case For Bank Preemption

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    The banking industry's pending lawsuit against the state of Illinois stands to permanently enjoin state regulation of bank card processing, as well as clarify the outstanding and consequential issue of whether conflict preemption continues to cover third parties in certain circumstances, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • J&J's Failed 3rd Try Casts Doubt On Use Of 'Texas Two-Step'

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    A Texas bankruptcy court recently rejected Johnson & Johnson's third attempt to use Chapter 11 to resolve liabilities from allegations of injuries from using talcum powder, suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court's limitations on nondebtor releases, from 2024's Purdue Pharma ruling, may prove difficult to evade, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Charging A Separate Tariff Fee May Backfire For Retailers

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    In the wake of the Trump administration's newly imposed tariffs, retailers facing significant supply chain cost increases may be considering adding a tariff fee to offset these costs, but doing so risks violating state drip pricing bans, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Why Trade Cases May Put Maple Leaf Deference On Review

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    When litigation challenging the president’s trade actions reaches the Federal Circuit, the court will have to reevaluate the Maple Leaf standard in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 Loper Bright decision limiting Chevron-like deference to cases involving statutory provisions in which Congress delegated discretionary authority to the executive branch, say attorneys at Wiley.

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