Retail & E-Commerce

  • June 04, 2026

    Atkore Inks Additional $50M Deal In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Atkore Inc. has reached another settlement in litigation claiming it conspired with other polyvinyl chloride pipe producers to fix prices, this time agreeing to pay $50 million to a class of end-user plaintiffs, according to a motion for preliminary approval of the deal filed Thursday in Illinois federal court.

  • June 04, 2026

    Cannibas Co. Dutchie Is Biased Against Men, Suit Claims

    A project manager sued Oregon-based cannabis software company Dutchie on Thursday in Iowa federal court, saying he was paid less than a less-qualified female colleague and fired just days after complaining about the disparity.

  • June 04, 2026

    Jacksons Food Stores Hit With Wash. Wage Class Action

    Jacksons Food Stores Inc. pushed workers in Washington state to delay their legally mandated meal and rest breaks, cut them short or skip them entirely in order to complete their assigned job duties, a former employee has claimed in a proposed class action targeting the convenience store chain.

  • June 04, 2026

    QVC Defends Ch. 11 Plan Against Shareholder Objection

    QVC Group Inc. defended its Chapter 11 plan at the beginning of a multiday confirmation hearing, calling it the result of a robust, good-faith process and arguing that a competing proposal from objecting preferred shareholders would lead to years of litigation.

  • June 04, 2026

    Alibaba's Money-Back Guarantees Are 'Illusory,' Shoppers Say

    Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding makes "illusory" money-back guarantee and refund promises if shipped items are damaged or missing, despite it having "unfettered discretion" to choose whether to provide refunds regardless of the evidence provided by customers, according to a proposed class action in California federal court. 

  • June 04, 2026

    MAC Must Face Customer's Makeup Try-On BIPA Suit

    A MAC Cosmetics customer can pursue Biometric Information Privacy Act allegations targeting virtual makeup try-on technology the company uses in store and online because she has plausibly alleged that the technology's face scans can be used to identify consumers, an Illinois federal judge said Thursday.

  • June 04, 2026

    Is Pattie Gonna Get Out Of This? Patagonia's IP And PR Pickle

    Patagonia's trademark infringement suit against drag queen and environmental activist Pattie Gonia has caught the attention of both intellectual property attorneys and popular culture aficionados, with lawyers saying the action highlights how IP enforcement and public relations management aren't always in perfect harmony.

  • June 04, 2026

    Safeway Sues To Undo Teamsters Local's Driver Mileage Win

    Safeway Inc. has urged a Washington federal court to vacate an arbitration award finding the grocery store chain violated its collective bargaining agreement with a Teamsters local by unilaterally changing its method for calculating how much its delivery drivers are paid, arguing that the award "fails to draw its essence" from the agreement.

  • June 04, 2026

    Total Wine Operator Says Pay Transparency Class Is 'Ruinous'

    A Total Wine & More operator urged a Washington federal judge Thursday to deny class certification in a pay transparency suit, warning that certifying a class of up to 20,000 job applicants would be "ruinous" for the employer.

  • June 04, 2026

    Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

    New York lawmakers gave final approval to legislation designed to curb the flow of illicit product into the state's cannabis market; Iowa's governor signed into law a bill to double the number of licensed medical cannabis dispensaries; and Louisiana legislation allowing terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana became law. Here are the major moves in cannabis and psychedelics legislation from the past week.

  • June 04, 2026

    Zillow Says Compass Won't Detail Talks With MLS

    Zillow told an Illinois federal court that real estate brokerage Compass and a Chicago-area multiple listing service are refusing to document their communications with each other, even though they're accused of conspiring to block listings on Zillow's platform.

  • June 04, 2026

    Feds Appeal Trade Court's Emergency Tariff Refund Order

    The federal government has appealed the U.S. Court of International Trade's order requiring refunds on all duties paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the U.S. Supreme Court struck them down this year, according to filings in the trade court and Federal Circuit.

  • June 04, 2026

    Pot Business Tells 6th Circ. Mich. City Defied Court Order

    The clerk of a Michigan city intentionally sabotaged a plan to revitalize a deserted shopping center to prevent cannabis businesses from operating there, a real estate company told a Sixth Circuit panel Thursday in hopes of reviving its suit over the delays and setbacks.

  • June 04, 2026

    CBD Oil Co., Hemp Farm Spar Over $1.7M Contract Suit

    A Washington hemp farm is suing CBD oil processor AgroRefiner LLC, alleging it breached a contract to buy 2.5 million pounds of biomass and owes $14.7 million, while AgroRefiner has filed counterclaims alleging that the biomass didn't meet the standards of the agreement.

  • June 04, 2026

    Wash. Justices Won't Review Card Processor's Tax Refund

    Washington state's high court declined to review a lower court decision finding that the state's tax agency wrongly included fees charged by issuing banks in a credit card processor's gross income calculation.

  • June 04, 2026

    Ex-Surgeon Agrees To $7.7M Tax Bill From Offshore Scheme

    A retired plastic surgeon reached a $7.7 million settlement with the federal government to resolve an Internal Revenue Service case alleging that he ran an offshore employee leasing scheme, according to an agreement filed in an Ohio federal court.

  • June 04, 2026

    Buyers Say Cove Probiotic Sodas Have Artificial Sweetener

    A proposed class of California consumers is suing Cove Drinks Inc. in federal court, alleging that its probiotic sodas contain an artificial sweetener despite advertising claiming that they do not.

  • June 04, 2026

    Live Nation Remedies Discovery To Wait On New Trial Motions

    A New York federal judge said that state attorneys general will have to wait on discovery to bolster their bid for a Live Nation Entertainment Inc. breakup, preferring to first tackle the live music giant's bid to upend jury findings faulting the company for monopolizing the industry.

  • June 04, 2026

    6th Circ. Rejects Scotts Bid To Block P&G Weed Killer

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a lower court's refusal to block Procter & Gamble from selling its Spruce weed killer, holding that Scotts failed to show its Miracle-Gro packaging is distinctive enough to support trade dress claims or that the products are likely to confuse consumers.

  • June 04, 2026

    PayPal Brass Sued Over Branded Checkout Disclosures

    PayPal executives and directors were hit with a shareholder's derivative suit in Delaware federal court accusing them of damaging the company with positive comments about the growth potential of the company's branded checkout segment that were walked back earlier this year.

  • June 04, 2026

    Ecobee's $11.5M Thermostat IP Trial Loss Erased By Fed. Circ.

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday threw out an $11.5 million award against Ecobee Technologies in a smart thermostat patent infringement suit from Ollnova Technologies, citing problems with the verdict form and how jurors were instructed to look at the patents.

  • June 04, 2026

    US Middle Market PE Surge Expected After Strong 2025

    U.S. middle market private equity dealmakers are signaling renewed optimism, with the vast majority expecting a meaningful jump in buyout activity over the next two years after a robust 2025, according to survey results published on Thursday. 

  • June 03, 2026

    Campbell Soup Sued Over 'Worm-Like' Critters In SpaghettiOs

    Florida parents and their minor child have lodged a negligence suit against Campbell Soup Co. in federal court, alleging that the child and her mother discovered "worm-like organisms" moving in SpaghettiOs they ate and suffered parasitic infections as a result.

  • June 03, 2026

    HP Customers Say Latest Third-Party Ink Suit Should Proceed

    HP customers argued Wednesday that an Illinois federal judge should let them pursue amended antitrust accusations that the printer-maker illegally blocked consumers from using third-party ink, noting their expanded allegations about the printer boxes' "bait-and-switch" cartridge disclaimer should be enough to advance.

  • June 03, 2026

    'This Is Their Document': Jury Told J&J Docs Prove Talc Lies

    Counsel for the families of three women who died of ovarian cancer delivered closing arguments Wednesday in their six-week-long bellwether lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, telling jurors that decades-old internal documents prove the company hid that its talc was contaminated with asbestos.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • AG Watch: Illinois A Key Player In State-Level Enforcement

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    Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has systematically strengthened his office to fill federal enforcement gaps, oppose Trump administration mandates and advance state policy objectives, particularly by aggressively pursuing labor-related issues, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • How A 9th Circ. False Ad Ruling Could Shift Class Certification

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    The Ninth Circuit's July decision in Noohi v. Johnson & Johnson, holding that unexecuted damages models may suffice for purposes of class certification, has the potential to create judicial inefficiencies and crippling uncertainties for class action defendants, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Strategies For Merchants As Payment Processing Costs Rise

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    As current economic pressures and rising card processing costs threaten to decrease margins for businesses, retail merchants should consider restructuring how payments are made and who processes them within the evolving legal framework, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases

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    Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Compliance Tips Amid Rising FTC Scrutiny Of Minors' Privacy

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    The Federal Trade Commission has recently rolled out multiple enforcement actions related to children's privacy, highlighting a renewed focus on federal regulation of minors' personal information and the evolving challenges of establishing effective, privacy-protective age assurance solutions, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • 7 Lessons From The Tractor Supply CCPA Enforcement Action

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency's recent enforcement action targeting Tractor Supply for alleged violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act provides critical insights into the compliance areas that remain a priority for the California regulator, including businesses with significant consumer interactions, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Parody Defendants Are Finding Success Post-Jack Daniel's

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    Recent decisions demonstrate that, although the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products did benefit trademark plaintiffs by significantly limiting the First Amendment expressive use defense, courts also now appear to be less likely to find a parodic work likely to cause confusion, says Andrew Michaels at University of Houston Law Center.

  • Considering Judicial Treatment Of The 2023 Merger Guidelines

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    Courts have so far primarily cited the 2023 merger guidelines for propositions that do not differ significantly from prior versions of the guidelines, leaving it unclear whether the antitrust agencies will test the guidelines’ more aggressive theories, and how those theories will be treated by federal judges, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • Trader Joe's Ruling Highlights Trademark Infringement Trends

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Trader Joe's Co. v. Trader Joe's United explores the legal boundaries between a union's right to advocate for workers and the protection of a brand's intellectual property, and illustrates a growing trend of courts disfavoring early dismissal of trademark infringement claims in the context of expressive speech, say attorneys at Mitchell Silberberg.

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