Retail & E-Commerce

  • May 29, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Says Spa's Rule On Certain Trans Women Biased

    A divided Ninth Circuit refused to reinstate a Korean spa's constitutional challenge against the Washington State Human Rights Commission and ordered it to rescind its policy denying admission to trans women without gender-affirming surgery, noting Thursday the policy violated state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

  • May 29, 2025

    FTC Seeks To Push Amazon Antitrust Trial To 2027

    The Federal Trade Commission and Amazon on Wednesday fought over the agency's proposal to push back an antitrust trial into 2027 to account for the e-commerce giant's alleged efforts to obstruct discovery, with Amazon telling a Washington federal judge that it was the FTC that insisted on a burdensome discovery.

  • May 29, 2025

    Amazon Says Class Too Complex To Certify In Antitrust Suit

    Amazon has told a Washington federal judge in a newly unsealed filing that a proposed class of nearly 300 million customers would be far too unwieldy for certification and defining the market in a suit accusing the company of inflating prices of items sold on its platform.

  • May 29, 2025

    Columbia Sportswear Gets Mixed Trade Secrets Ruling

    An Oregon federal judge has partially sided with motions by Columbia Sportswear Co. and a former employee in a case alleging the worker took trade secrets with him when he left the company, but denied the bulk of the requests from all parties seeking to end the suit in their favor.

  • May 29, 2025

    Ore. Pot Regulator Will No Longer Require Labor Peace Pacts

    Oregon's cannabis regulator said Thursday that it would no longer enforce a voter-approved law requiring cannabis businesses to enter into labor peace agreements with their employees, following a federal judge's ruling that the law was preempted by federal policy.

  • May 29, 2025

    Cannabis Package Maker Alleges Trademark Infringement

    A manufacturer of packaging designed for cannabis products alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Oklahoma federal court that a competitor has been infringing its designs and trademarks with knockoff wares.

  • May 29, 2025

    No Coverage For Clothing Chain's COVID-19 Losses

    A national clothing retailer can't get coverage for its pandemic-related losses, a Tennessee federal court ruled, permanently tossing the case and saying its Hartford policy plainly excluded the losses regardless of whether Tennessee law or Pennsylvania law — the original jurisdiction of the case — applied.

  • May 29, 2025

    Wash. Justices Upend Cannabis Co. Win In Wage Suit

    Washington state's Department of Labor and Industries does not need to issue a formal letter demanding an employer pay a specific sum to employees before launching a wage and hour lawsuit, the state's supreme court held Thursday, upending a cannabis company's win in a lawsuit the agency launched against it.

  • May 29, 2025

    RJ Reynolds Lied About Carbon Offset Of Vapes, Suit Says

    A group of California vape users is suing R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. and its U.S. and British affiliates in federal court, alleging that its claims that the Vuse vape is the first carbon-neutral electronic cigarette are misleading.

  • May 29, 2025

    NYT, Amazon Reach Licensing Deal To Use Content For AI

    The New York Times and Amazon have reached a licensing deal for the tech and online retail giant to use the newspaper's editorial content on its artificial intelligence platforms, the companies announced Thursday.

  • May 29, 2025

    Shein Eyes HK Listing After London Snag, Plus More Rumors

    Fast-fashion retailer Shein intends to list in Hong Kong after its plans to go public in London fell apart, messaging app Telegram is set to raised $1.7 billion through an upsized bond offering, while Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp. raised $600 million in a deal that values the brain-implant startup at $9 billion.

  • May 28, 2025

    16 States Sue Trump Admin Over Cuts To Science Grants

    A coalition of 16 state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration in New York federal court on Wednesday to stop it from cutting millions of dollars in grant funds from the National Science Foundation for scientific research and programs aimed at enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM fields and environmental justice.

  • May 28, 2025

    5-Hour Energy Price Discrimination Suit Falls Short Again

    A California federal judge ruled Wednesday that family-owned wholesalers proved competition with Costco in their price-discrimination suit against the maker of 5-Hour Energy and that the energy "shot" company offered Costco disproportionate promotions, but the wholesalers did not prove that this discrimination caused them antitrust injury.

  • May 28, 2025

    3 Firms Guide Hailey Bieber's $1B Sale Of Rhode To Elf Beauty

    e.l.f. Beauty announced Wednesday that it has signed a deal to acquire Hailey Bieber's skincare and makeup company, Rhode, for around $1 billion, with law firms Latham & Watkins LLP, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP advising the various parties.

  • May 28, 2025

    Agency Says Klehr Harrison Testimony Allowed In NFL Case

    A sports management company on Wednesday argued that a Pennsylvania federal court's previous sanction orders permit the testimony it is seeking from two Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP attorneys who represented defendants in a lawsuit over an alleged attempt to poach former Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay as a client.

  • May 28, 2025

    NJ Pot Shop Says Payment Processor Is Withholding Funds

    A New Jersey dispensary is urging a federal court to order two electronic payment processors and a Florida bank to give back $273,820 of its money, claiming that if the cash is not released in short order the cannabis shop will become insolvent.

  • May 28, 2025

    Influencers Settle IP Dispute Over 'Beige' Aesthetic

    Two influencers have reached a settlement of a copyright and trade dress dispute in which one accused the other of ripping off her "beige" social media aesthetic in posts on Instagram and TikTok promoting products on Amazon.

  • May 28, 2025

    Cannabis Cos. Eye High Court Review After 1st Circ. Decision

    The First Circuit's decision upholding the dismissal of a splashy federal case challenging the national ban on marijuana was all but inevitable given the controlling case law on the issue, which can only be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court, legal experts and cannabis attorneys told Law360.

  • May 28, 2025

    Distiller Denied New Shot At Wash. State Alcohol Sales Regs

    A federal judge in Washington state gave short shrift to a bid for reconsideration from a New York distillery and two Washington whiskey drinkers who lost their challenge to the Washington state liquor board's rules requiring a physical in-state presence to sell online.

  • May 28, 2025

    Flamin' Hot Cheetos Defamation Suit Snuffed Out, For Now

    A California federal judge Wednesday granted Frito-Lay Inc.'s motion to strike a former employee's discrimination and defamation suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, finding he's unlikely to win his claims, but giving him another shot at amendment.

  • May 28, 2025

    Amazon Seeks To End FTC's Prime Subscription Case

    Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission have both asked a Washington state federal court to hand them wins ahead of trial in the agency's case accusing the e-commerce giant of trapping consumers into Prime subscriptions.

  • May 28, 2025

    MGA Seeks 4th Trial In $71M Doll Dispute With Rapper T.I.

    MGA Entertainment urged a California federal judge Tuesday to reverse a jury's $71.4 million award to rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris and others for MGA infringing the trade dress and publicity rights of the OMG Girlz pop group, saying the court's finding of no willful infringement should nullify the verdict.

  • May 28, 2025

    In Volatile World, PE Attys Guide Complex Take-Private Deals

    As rising geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty continue to rattle dealmaking markets, attorneys are guiding private equity firms and potential take-private targets through increasingly complex negotiations.

  • May 28, 2025

    NC BBQ Joint Roasts Flagship Over Trademark Use

    A chain of fast casual barbecue restaurants in North Carolina has accused the original location of misusing the brand's trademarks to sell sauces and rubs beyond the bounds of its alleged licensing agreement, according to a newly designated state Business Court complaint.

  • May 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Sued Over '100% Natural Flavors' In Sprite, Fanta

    The Coca-Cola Co. deceptively labels its Sprite and Fanta brands of sodas as being made with "100% natural flavors" despite that they contain synthetic sweetener ingredients and additives like citric acid and aspartame, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in California federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • A Legal Perspective On NYC's Retail Real Estate Evolution

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    As New York City's retail market begins to show signs of resilience after the challenges of recent years, landlords must be cognizant of legal implications from shifting trends toward shorter-term leases and pop-up stores, says Andrea Gendel at Pryor Cashman.

  • The Fashion Industry Should Prep Now For State PFAS Bans

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    New York and California have each passed legislation regulating PFAS in apparel and other textiles, so retailers should consult with manufacturers and suppliers and obtain the requisite certification documents as soon as possible to avoid disruptions in supply chains, say attorneys at Venable.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence

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    The Bureau of Industry and Security’s recent removal of a Canadian surveillance provider from its export blacklist, after just eight months, illustrates the importance of integrating human rights due diligence into the vetting process by asking a few targeted questions, say attorneys at Cravath.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • 9th Circ.'s High Bar May Limit Keyword Confusion TM Claims

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    A recent Ninth Circuit ruling that a law firm did not infringe upon a competitor’s trademarks by paying Google to promote its website when users searched for the rival’s name signals that plaintiffs likely can no longer win infringement suits by claiming competitive keyword advertising confuses internet-savvy consumers, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

  • Key Points From New Maritime Oil Price Cap Advisory

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    The Price Cap Coalition's updated advisory regarding the maritime oil industry's compliance with the Russian oil price cap highlights the role of governmental authorities, additional areas warranting due diligence and the need for training programs, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Best Practices For Influencer Trademark Protection

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    Though the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently decided that an influencer couldn't qualify for a retail services trademark registration for posting affiliate links to a third-party website, there are other trademark protections that influencers can pursue for their branding and marketing services, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

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