Commercial Contracts

  • January 21, 2026

    Court Rejects Sanctions In Venezuelan Oil Defamation Case

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to sanction a director of a Venezuelan state-owned oil company, finding no conflict of interest by his attorneys at Diaz Reus LLP in a now-dismissed suit accusing the director and others of engaging in a campaign to smear Venezuelan civic leaders.

  • January 21, 2026

    Delaware Justices Clarify Ruling On Loews' $1.5B Cash-Out

    In a rare second look at one of its own recent decisions, Delaware's Supreme Court said an earlier opinion "misconstrued" some dimensions of an unjust enrichment challenge to Loews Corp.'s $1.5 billion buyout of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP public unitholders.

  • January 21, 2026

    PE Firm Used Jail Threats To Steer Cannabis Deal, Court Told

    A private equity firm can't free itself from a contract breach spat between a CBD and hemp product manufacturer and its business partner, as the firm not only interfered with the contract but also threatened to have people thrown in jail if they refused to capitulate, a North Carolina federal court heard Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    Texas AG Launches Investigation Into Vaccine Incentives

    The Texas attorney general launched what it characterized as a sweeping, multi-industry investigation into financial incentives for medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines, saying providers regularly dish out vaccines that "are not proven to be safe or necessary."

  • January 21, 2026

    Schwab Nixed From DOL Enforcement Suit Against Other Firm

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday dismissed two Schwab companies from a U.S. Department of Labor enforcement case, finding the financial services providers' participation was no longer needed in the agency's dispute against another firm.

  • January 21, 2026

    3rd Circ. Ends Minor League Owner's Suit Over MLB Ties

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from the owner of the Oregon-based Salem-Keizer Volcanoes alleging a minor league baseball official cut the team out of a relationship with Major League Baseball, finding the official had no fiduciary duty to it.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Back Freight Broker In High Court Negligence Case

    The federal government urged the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday to hold that federal law unequivocally shields freight brokers from state-based negligence and personal injury claims, throwing its support behind broker and logistics giant C.H. Robinson in a closely watched case.

  • January 21, 2026

    Apple Workers In Wash. Sue Over Limits On Moonlighting

    Apple Inc. has broken a Washington state moonlighting law by prohibiting dozens of lower-wage workers from taking second jobs to supplement their incomes, according to a former employee's proposed class action against the company.

  • January 21, 2026

    Pa. Justices Reverse Clickwrap Arbitration Limits, For Now

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has determined that a lower appellate court was too quick to declare that "clickwrap" arbitration agreements buried in apps' and websites' terms of service erode the constitutional right to trial by jury, reversing a decision that invalidated such an agreement in an injury suit against Uber.

  • January 21, 2026

    Licensing Deal Saves Cisco From Lionra Suit, Fed. Circ. Says

    The Federal Circuit rebuffed Lionra Technologies Ltd.'s efforts to save its patent infringement case against Cisco Systems Inc., with a panel finding Wednesday that a licensing agreement foreclosed the lawsuit and calling Lionra's characterization of the agreement "skewed."

  • January 21, 2026

    NC Court Throws Duke A Lifeline In Transfer Battle With QB

    A North Carolina state judge allowed Duke University quarterback Darian Mensah to enter the NCAA transfer portal Wednesday, but prohibited him from signing with another school until ruling on Duke's request for an injunction that would keep him at the university.

  • January 21, 2026

    Businesses Seek OK On $436M Toyota Forklift Emissions Deal

    A proposed class of businesses is asking a California federal court to give the go-ahead on a $436 million settlement with Toyota Industries Corp. and its material handling affiliates in a suit that alleged the company misled them on their forklift and construction engine emissions.

  • January 21, 2026

    Tex-Mex Chain's 'Feeling' Isn't Trade Secret, NC Biz Court Told

    A chain of upscale Tex-Mex restaurants in North Carolina failed to specify the trade secrets a former manager is accused of stealing to replicate its dining concept at another restaurant in Missouri, defense counsel told a North Carolina Business Court judge on Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    Cresco Accused Of Withholding Revenue Share From Partner

    An Ohio company that claims it helped cannabis giant Cresco Labs LLC build its medical and retail marijuana operations in the Buckeye State alleges in a new federal lawsuit that the company bilked it out of promised fees when it expanded its business into adult-use cannabis.

  • January 21, 2026

    Widow Of 'Sophie's Choice' Author Settles Stage Rights Spat

    The 97-year-old widow of author William Styron has settled a suit by a playwright who claimed he held exclusive rights to the stage version of Styron's novel "Sophie's Choice," according to a filing in Massachusetts state court.

  • January 21, 2026

    Realtor Alleges Zillow 'Monopoly' Forces Loan Referrals

    A proposed class of real estate agents accused property listing company Zillow Group Inc. and several of its subsidiaries in Washington federal court of running a monopoly that forces real estate agents to, among other things, use a Zillow client referral program that pushes program participants to refer clients to Zillow's loan services.

  • January 21, 2026

    Chancery Gives Solar Roof Co. One Week To Find In-State Atty

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday declined to rule immediately on a request to hold a solar roofing company in contempt for defying a court order, instead pausing the case to give the company time to hire Delaware counsel, a prerequisite to allowing the company to be heard on the merits.

  • January 20, 2026

    Adviser Can't Freeze Funds From $2.1B Plymouth REIT Buy

    A Massachusetts state judge declined Tuesday to set aside $60 million from a pending $2.1 billion deal to take Plymouth Industrial REIT private, finding the criteria to escrow the funds as a "debt" to Plymouth's financial adviser were not met.

  • January 20, 2026

    Martin Shkreli Can't Force Wu-Tang's RZA Into Album Fight

    A New York federal judge has shot down Martin Shkreli's request to add Wu-Tang Clan rappers and producers RZA and Cilvaringz to litigation centered on the group's rare album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," slamming Shkreli's motion as "astonishingly devoid of support."

  • January 20, 2026

    John Roberts Welcomes John Roberts To Supreme Court

    U.S. Supreme Court advocates have tips galore for staying calm at a debut argument, including diligent preparation, mindful breathing and treating the event as a conversation. But a Proskauer Rose LLP attorney benefited Tuesday from a distinctive development: the chief justice's introductory jest about the two of them not being related.

  • January 20, 2026

    American Bridge Owes $57M In Seattle Convention Center Suit

    American Bridge Co. has been hit with a $57 million judgment in Washington state court after a judge last month found the steel subcontractor on the hook for delays to a Seattle convention center project in a legal battle with a Clark Construction joint venture that served as the general contractor. 

  • January 20, 2026

    Judge Mostly Rejects Discovery Requests In OpenAI MDL

    A Manhattan federal magistrate judge largely rejected a series of requests from a group of authors and news publishers to expand discovery in a copyright infringement case against OpenAI, but directed the parties to confer on some topics to discuss production of certain materials.

  • January 20, 2026

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.

  • January 20, 2026

    Duke Sues To Block Quarterback's Transfer, Citing NIL Deal

    Duke University is suing to stop quarterback Darian Mensah from entering the NCAA transfer portal, saying the sophomore from California is defying his name, image and likeness deal with the Blue Devils, which runs through the end of 2026.

  • January 20, 2026

    Microsoft Warns Google Play Store Deal Invites Antitrust Harm

    Microsoft Corp. urged a California federal judge to reject the proposed Android app distribution settlement in Epic Games' antitrust suit against Google, arguing that the deal would essentially erase the court's injunction requiring Google to open up its Play Store to Microsoft and other competitors.

Expert Analysis

  • Reddit v. Anthropic Is A Defining Moment In The AI Data Race

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    The recent lawsuit filed by Reddit against Anthropic in California state court marks a pivotal moment in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence by sidestepping a typical copyright dispute, focusing instead on the enforceability of online terms of service and ownership of the digital commons, says William Galkin at Galkin Law.

  • What Developers Can Glean From Miami Condo Ruling

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    A Florida state appeals court's recent denial of a Miami condo redevelopment bid offers a detailed blueprint of what future developers must address when they evaluate the condominium's governing declaration and seek to terminate a condominium, say attorneys at Shubin Law.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • 2nd Circ. Reinforces Consensus On Vacating Foreign Awards

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    In Molecular Dynamics v. Spectrum Dynamics Medical, the Second Circuit recently affirmed that federal district courts do not possess subject matter jurisdiction to vacate foreign arbitral awards, strengthening this consensus across the circuits most active in recognition and enforcement actions, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Corp. Human Rights Regulatory Landscape Is Fragmented

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    Given the complexity of compliance with nations' overlapping human rights laws, multinational companies need to be cognizant of the evolving approaches to modern slavery transparency, and proposals that could reduce mandatory due diligence and reporting requirements, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Opinion

    Premerger Settlements Don't Meet Standard For Bribery

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    Claims that Paramount’s decision to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump while it was undergoing a premerger regulatory review amounts to a quid pro quo misconstrue bribery law and ignore how modern legal departments operate, says Ediberto Román at the Florida International University College of Law.

  • Series

    Playing Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Soccer has become a key contributor to how I approach my work, and the lessons I’ve learned on the pitch about leadership, adaptability, resilience and communication make me better at what I do every day in my legal career, says Whitney O’Byrne at MoFo.

  • Forced Labor Bans Hold Steady Amid Shifts In Global Trade

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    As businesses try to navigate shifting regulatory trends affecting human rights and sustainability, forced labor import bans present a zone of relative stability, notwithstanding outstanding questions about the future of enforcement, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • Recent Decisions Caution Against Broad Indemnity Provisions

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    Two recent decisions in disparate jurisdictions are reminders that businesses and practitioners should be mindful of contractual indemnity rights and draft indemnity provisions that enhance the predictability of enforceability without being overly broad, says Gregory Jaske at Olshan Frome.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • Tips For US Investors Eyeing Middle East Data Centers

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    While Middle East data center investment presents a compelling opportunity in light of renewed U.S.-Gulf cooperation on artificial intelligence and critical technologies, these projects require a nuanced understanding of regional legal and regulatory regimes, says Haykel Hajjaji at Covington.

  • 4th Circ. Favors Plain Meaning In Bump-Up D&O Ruling

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    The Fourth Circuit's latest denial of indemnity coverage in Towers Watson v. National Union Fire Insurance and its previous ruling in this case lay out a pragmatic approach to bump-up provisions that avoids hypertechnical constructions to limit the effect of a policy's plain meaning, say attorneys at Kennedys.

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