Mich. Judge Not Satisfied By Atty's Letter Over Flint PR Stunt

By Lauren Berg

The federal judge overseeing Flint, Michigan, water crisis cases isn't satisfied with a California attorney's letter denying involvement in an alleged smear campaign targeting a lawyer for Flint children, saying Wednesday that if the attorney doesn't provide more substantive information, she will be referred to the State Bar of California.

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Ex-Mich. Judge Loses Law License Challenge

By Emily Sawicki

A former Detroit trial court judge's failure to object to a magistrate judge's recommendation to toss her claims means she cannot continue to pursue a discrimination and defamation complaint against the state's judicial disciplinary board, a federal judge in Michigan ruled Wednesday.

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NFL Escapes Sanders Statue Spat As Getty Eyes Arbitration

By Elaine Briseño

The NFL has escaped a New York federal lawsuit filed by a professional photographer who claims his copyrighted photo was unlawfully used to create a statue of legendary running back Barry Sanders, while Getty Images Inc. hopes to settle through arbitration.

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'Pump-And-Dump' Claims Sputter In 'Disorganized' RICO Suit

By Danielle Ferguson

A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday freed multiple defendants accused of funding a "pump-and-dump" scheme, saying a company suing over shareholders' alleged $3 million losses couldn't prove that the defendants made any plans together, while taking jabs at both sides' "disorganized" filings.

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Anti-Abortion Activist Gets Two Years For DC Clinic Blockade

By Ali Sullivan

An anti-abortion activist convicted of invading and blockading a Washington, D.C., reproductive health clinic was sentenced to two years of incarceration Wednesday, becoming the ninth defendant to get prison time in the D.C. federal court case.

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Brief

Mich. Judge Gives Final OK To Engineering Co. $8M Flint Deal

By Madeline Lyskawa

A Michigan federal judge has granted final approval of an $8 million settlement between a civil engineering company and Flint, Michigan, residents, putting to rest claims the company failed to warn them of likely lead contamination that triggered a drinking water crisis in the city.

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Analysis

Justices' CFPB Alliance May Save SEC Courts, Not Chevron

By Katie Buehler

A four-justice concurrence to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's unique funding scheme last week carries implications for other cases pending before the court that challenge the so-called administrative state, or the permanent cadre of regulatory agencies and career government enforcers who hold sway over vast swaths of American economic life.

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Steel Co. Tells Mich. Court Not To Order Worker's Rehire

By Beverly Banks

A Michigan federal judge can't enforce an arbitration award requiring the rehire of a fired worker, a steel manufacturer argued Wednesday, claiming the arbitration panel went beyond the parties' collective bargaining agreement in ordering reinstatement.

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Stryker Agrees To Settle Calif. Misclassification Suit

By Irene Spezzamonte

Medical device company Stryker told a California federal court Wednesday it has agreed to settle a proposed class action accusing it of misclassifying workers as overtime-exempt and failing to pay them overtime during their mandatory training.

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Tommy's Boats Hits Ch. 11 After Alleged M&T Bank Default

By Emily Lever

Boat and water sports retailer Tommy's Boats has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court, listing up to $500 million in debt after allegedly breaching an agreement with lender M&T Bank.

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What The FTC Report On AG Collabs Means For Cos.

The Federal Trade Commission's April report on working with state attorneys general shows collaboration can increase efficiency and consistency in how statutes are interpreted and enforced, which can minimize the likelihood of requests for inconsistent injunctive relief that can create operational problems for businesses, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

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When Oral Settlements Reached In Mediation Are Enforceable

A recent decision by the New Jersey Appellate Division illustrates the difficulties that may arise in trying to enforce an oral settlement agreement reached in mediation, but adherence to certain practices can improve the likelihood that such an agreement will be binding, says Richard Mason at MasonADR.

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Series

Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

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Stryker Unit And Seyfarth Attys Hit With $275K Sanctions

By Emily Sawicki

A Colorado federal judge has imposed $275,000 in sanctions jointly and severally on Stryker-owned Howmedica Osteonics Corp., along with Seyfarth Shaw LLP, for witness coaching and discovery violations in a bitter breach-of-contract dispute, amounting to roughly one-eighth of what plaintiff ORP Surgical LLC had sought.

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BREAKING: Biden Names Judicial Nominees For 1st, 6th Circuits

By Courtney Bublé

President Joe Biden announced four new judicial nominees on Thursday, including picks for the First Circuit and the Sixth Circuit.

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