Retail & E-Commerce

  • September 04, 2024

    Weil Adds Longtime FTC Mergers Assistant Director In DC

    An almost 19-year veteran of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission who helped lead a group of attorneys focused on mergers has moved to private practice, joining Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP as an antitrust partner in the nation's capital, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • September 04, 2024

    Nordstrom Family Makes Takeover Offer, Valuing Biz At $3.8B

    Nordstrom Inc. confirmed Wednesday that it received a proposal from a group that includes its CEO Erik Nordstrom and brother Pete to acquire the company for $23 per share in cash, which values the company around $3.8 billion.

  • September 04, 2024

    AI Musician Duped Streaming Giants To Steal $10M, Feds Say

    A North Carolina man streamed thousands of artificial intelligence-generated songs to dupe streaming giants like Spotify and YouTube and generate $10 million in an elaborate scam, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind case.

  • September 03, 2024

    3rd Trial In T.I.'s IP Fight With MGA Kicks Off In Calif.

    An attorney for hip-hop moguls T.I. and Tiny Harris on Tuesday told a California federal jury during opening statements in a retrial of his clients' intellectual property dispute with MGA Entertainment that the company's line of O.M.G. dolls stole their look and name from the OMG Girlz group.

  • September 03, 2024

    7th Circ. Upholds Arbitration In Menards Hidden Fees Suit

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday upheld a decision to compel arbitration in a proposed class action claiming that home improvement retailer Menards used a hidden pickup service fee to manipulate its prices, saying the company provided "reasonably conspicuous" notice of its terms on the page where the lead plaintiff completed her online order.

  • September 03, 2024

    Tribe Of Two Loses Fed. Circ. Appeal Over Rival's 'TT' Mark

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a small handbag designer that claimed a potential rival wanted to register a trademark that used the letters "TT" in a similar way.

  • September 03, 2024

    Nike Wins Pause Of Bra Patent Row As It Seeks PTAB Review

    Nike has been granted a pause of a case alleging its pocket-adorned sports bras violate a small Florida-based apparel company's patents while the athletic wear giant argues to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that such bras are "far from new."

  • September 03, 2024

    Amazon Prevails In Targeted Programming IP Fight At Fed. Circ.

    A patent licensing outfit trying to assert patents related to developing "video-on-demand" programming for cable companies was told Tuesday by the Federal Circuit that they cover abstract ideas.

  • September 03, 2024

    Retailer Says No Good Faith In Worker's Wash. Pay Range Suit

    Retailer Aaron's urged a Washington state court to throw out a job applicant's proposed class action accusing it of failing to post salary ranges in job advertisements, saying the worker's 15 other similar lawsuits show he had no interest in actually getting a job at the company.

  • September 03, 2024

    3rd Circ. Preview: Starbucks Firing, Liquor Law In September

    Two National Labor Relations Board cases grace the Third Circuit's September session, when panels will probe the agency's suits against Starbucks Corp. for firing Philadelphia workers attempting to unionize and a plastic company accused of firing a safety whistleblower.

  • September 03, 2024

    No BIPA Exception For OTC Glasses, Ill. Judges Say

    An Illinois appellate court has held that someone trying on nonprescription sunglasses with an online try-on tool isn't considered a patient in a healthcare setting, dooming a glasses retailer's attempt to end the biometric privacy lawsuit it faces.

  • September 03, 2024

    Minn. AG Asks Cos. To Stop Selling Illicit Vapes

    Minnesota's attorney general wants a promise from players in the tobacco and vape product industry that they will no longer pedal e-cigarette or nicotine pouches not approved by the federal government, warning that "consequences" will follow should they not comply.

  • September 03, 2024

    Sprouts Fired Worker For Reporting Harassment, Suit Says

    A former employee at an Atlanta-area Sprouts Farmers Market hit the grocery chain with a lawsuit alleging she was unlawfully fired for complaining about harassing comments a co-worker repeatedly made about her sexuality.

  • August 30, 2024

    McKesson, Others To Pay Benefit Plans $300M In Opioid Deal

    McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and Cencora Inc. have agreed to pay a group of benefit plans a combined $300 million to resolve allegations that the drug distributors fanned the flames of the opioid epidemic, according to a filing Friday in Ohio federal court.

  • August 30, 2024

    $100M Deal Finally Ends MoneyGram Unclaimed Property Fight

    Delaware will be giving back more than $100 million from uncashed MoneyGram checks to the states where they were bought after finally reaching a settlement with 29 other states that took the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • August 30, 2024

    Steel Distributor Exec Pleads Guilty To Price-Fixing

    A second steel distributor executive pled guilty Friday in Puerto Rico to criminal charges for allegedly participating in an eight-year-long scheme to fix the prices of steel products, including while the island was recovering from a pair of hurricanes.

  • August 30, 2024

    Missouri Ban On Some Psychoactive Foods To Hit Sept. 1

    Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's ban on consumables "containing psychoactive cannabis products" will go into effect Sunday, according to an announcement by state health regulators.

  • August 30, 2024

    CPSC Warns Against Magnetic Chess Game Over Injury Risk

    The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned consumers not to use magnetic chess games sold by a Chinese company called JOMO because the toys pose a risk of injury or death if children swallow the game pieces.

  • August 30, 2024

    Hotel Chains, Software Co. Fight Algorithmic Pricing Suit

    Major hotel chains and software provider SAS Institute Inc. have asked a California federal court to toss a proposed class action from hotel guests alleging the companies used a shared pricing algorithm to fix and raise room rates nationwide.

  • August 30, 2024

    US Seeks Trade Talks In Dispute Over Canada's Digital Tax

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Friday that it has requested dispute settlement discussions with Canada regarding the country's recently enacted digital services tax, which the USTR claims discriminates against U.S. companies.

  • August 30, 2024

    NY Hemp Shops Seek Halt Of 'Military Style' Raids

    A quintet of hemp product retailers have alleged that New York state and city officials unlawfully targeted their businesses as part of an effort to crack down on unregulated marijuana sellers.

  • August 30, 2024

    AGs Ask 11th Circ. To Back Fla. Under-21 Gun Sale Law

    A group of 21 attorneys general Friday filed an amicus brief with the Eleventh Circuit urging the appeals court to reaffirm a panel decision upholding a Florida law that banned the sale of firearms by people under 21.

  • August 30, 2024

    Nike Slammed Over Litigation Tactics In TM Atty Fees Battle

    A Pennsylvania clothing manufacturer panned Nike Inc.'s alleged "intransigence" and obstructive conduct in fighting a trademark infringement lawsuit, as the business pushed for attorneys fees in federal court following a remand from the Third Circuit.

  • August 30, 2024

    Staples Latest To Face Suit Over Job-Seeker Polygraph Notice

    A Massachusetts man applying for jobs with Staples Inc. filed a proposed class action alleging the company violated a state law that requires companies to notify candidates that the use of lie detectors is banned for hiring decisions, the latest such case targeting a major Bay State employer.

  • August 29, 2024

    Mars Wrigley Must Face False Ad Suit Over 'Real Cheese'

    Snack maker Mars Wrigley could not escape claims it falsely advertised its Cheddar Cheese Combos as being made with "real cheese," after a New York federal judge ruled that consumers' adequately showed they paid a premium for inferior "cheese substitute."

Expert Analysis

  • How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Paraphernalia Imports

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    The Biden administration's recent proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana use raises questions about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement policies may shift when it comes to enforcing a separate federal ban on marijuana accessory imports, says R. Kevin Williams at Clark Hill.

  • Trademark In Artistic Works 1 Year After Jack Daniel's

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court's Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products ruling, courts have applied Jack Daniel's inconsistently to deny First Amendment protection to artistic works, providing guidance for dismissing trademark claims relating to film and TV titles, say Hardy Ehlers and Neema Sahni at Covington.

  • Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ

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    Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.

  • Legal Battles Show Brands' Dilemma In Luxury Resale Trend

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    Recent litigation, such as Chanel's pending case against The RealReal, underscores the intricate balance luxury brands must strike between protecting their trademarks and embracing the burgeoning secondhand market that values sustainability, says Prachi Ajmera at Michelman & Robinson.

  • How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving

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    Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • Best Practices For Responding To CBP's Solar Questionnaire

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    U.S. Customs and Border Protection's recently introduced questionnaire to solar importers imposes significant burdens, with the potential for supply chain disruptions and market consolidation, but taking certain steps can assist companies in navigating the new requirements, say Carl Valenstein and Katelyn Hilferty at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • Calif. Web Tracking Cases Show Courts' Indecision Over CIPA

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    Several hundred cases filed to date, and two recent conflicting rulings, underscore California courts' uncertainty over whether the use of web analytics tools to track users' website interactions can give rise to a violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided

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    The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation focuses on the apparent Chinese ownership of solar device importers in four Southeast Asian countries — a point that is irrelevant under the controlling statute, says John Anwesen at Lighthill.

  • 'Food As Health' Serves Up Fresh Legal Considerations

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    The growth of food as medicine presents a significant opportunity for healthcare organizations and nontraditional healthcare players to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, though these innovative programs also bring compliance considerations that must be carefully navigated, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • FTC Hearing On Fake Review Rule Stressed Compliance Costs

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    The Federal Trade Commission is likely to finalize its proposed rule to prohibit marketers from using deceptive practices in their product reviews after an informal hearing covered arguments over whether costs of implementing the rule, such as review moderation and software maintenance, would be minimal, says Jeffrey Edelstein at Manatt.

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