Commercial Contracts

  • May 02, 2024

    Kushner-Owned Co. Owes $15M For Scrapped Apartment Deal

    A New Jersey appeals panel has ordered a company owned by Kushner Cos. LLC to pay $15 million to real estate sellers in a $186 million deal that fell apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • May 02, 2024

    Door Maker Asks To Undo Landmark Divestiture Order

    Door maker Jeld-Wen has asked a Virginia federal court to dismiss an order in a private merger challenge requiring it to sell a manufacturing plant, saying the landscape has changed since the landmark 2018 ruling.

  • May 02, 2024

    11th Circ. Rules Tribal Co. Is Not Immune In Trade Secrets Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit has revived a tribal-owned defense contractor's suit against another tribal-owned competitor and a former employee for allegedly stealing trade secrets, finding the competitor agreed to federal court jurisdiction when it participated in the bidding process for work on a missile detection system.

  • May 02, 2024

    Split Conn. Supreme Court Says No To 'Ratio' Utility Bills

    In a rare 4-3 opinion, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a corporate landlord cannot use a ratio utility billing system to divide monthly costs among units not equipped with precise individual meters, stressing a legislative policy of protecting tenants from fluctuating fees beyond their immediate control.

  • May 02, 2024

    Split 10th Circ. Spikes $17.3M Atty Fee Over Class Notice

    A split Tenth Circuit panel has vacated for a second time a $17.3 million attorney fee award for reaching a $52 million class action settlement over gas well royalty payments, with the majority writing that the lower court erred by not requiring a new class notice regarding the revised fee bid.

  • May 02, 2024

    Eckert Seamans Sues For Inclusive Zoning Fight Fees

    Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott says a group representing Pittsburgh-area developers still owes nearly $76,000 in legal fees for the firm's work on a federal suit challenging an "inclusive zoning" ordinance, according to a complaint filed in Pennsylvania state court Thursday.

  • May 02, 2024

    Calif. Hospitals Say BCBS Unit Left Them With $3.8M Bill

    A pair of California health systems say that Pittsburgh-based Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't honoring its obligations to pay them under a national Blue Cross insurance program, leaving their hospitals holding the bag for up to $3.8 million worth of treatment, according to two lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania state court.

  • May 02, 2024

    11th Circ. 'Emphatically' Upholds JCPenney's Sanctions Win

    The Eleventh Circuit has affirmed a $63,000 sanction against an Alabama shopping mall amid its lease dispute with JCPenney, finding that the mall acted in bad faith by not notifying the court of a lack of diversity jurisdiction, eventually sinking the case — only after JCPenney won partial summary judgment and a later mediation failed.

  • May 02, 2024

    NC Dems Propose Axing At-Will Work In Workers Rights Bill

    North Carolina Democrats have proposed broad legislation to bolster protections for employees in the Tar Heel State — from abolishing at-will employment to repealing the ban on collective bargaining for public employees and shoring up safeguards for contract workers.

  • May 01, 2024

    Forex Fraudsters Hid Losses From Investors, Jury Hears

    Federal prosecutors told a Colorado jury Wednesday that two men helping run a foreign exchange investment company sold investors on a supposedly successful trading algorithm that ended up being nothing more than a multimillion-dollar fraud.

  • May 01, 2024

    Bipartisan Reps. Introduce Bill To Trace Battery Supply Chains

    Environmental advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, Earthworks and SAFE have thrown their support behind a new bill to promote traceability in battery supply chains, a measure aimed at weeding bad labor and environmental practices out of the supply chain.

  • May 01, 2024

    Colorado Asks Judge To Review New Kroger Spinoffs At Trial

    Kroger can't throw a new divestiture plan on the table two months before discovery closes and then ask the court to consider it when deciding whether to hand down a preliminary injunction blocking its $25 billion union with Albertsons from moving forward, the state of Colorado says.

  • May 01, 2024

    Chamber Must Name Cos. It Reps In Noncompete Suit, FTC Says

    The Federal Trade Commission has asked a Texas federal judge to limit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to representing only named members in its challenge to the agency's pending noncompetes ban, arguing the trade group can't hide behind the First Amendment to represent "millions of undisclosed members."

  • May 01, 2024

    T-Mobile Gets Tax Reimbursement Suit Tossed For Good

    T-Mobile has convinced a New Jersey federal court to toss for good a suit brought by a middleman seeking to collect tax reimbursements the mobile behemoth had supposedly promised a landlord after it didn't fix the deficiencies in its suit the third go round.

  • May 01, 2024

    Judge Finds Engineering Co. Had No Duty In Goya Death Case

    A Texas federal judge has thrown out claims against Zachry Engineering Inc. in a suit by the family of a Goya Foods Inc. worker who died when his forklift hit a pipe and caused him to be sprayed with nearly boiling beans, saying the engineering company had no say in the height of the pipe and was not responsible for making sure it wasn't a hazard.

  • May 01, 2024

    Colonial Pipeline Says Contractor Bungled $22M Ga. Project

    A contractor hired to build a $22.4 million fuel terminal for Colonial Pipeline Co. in Georgia owes the company at least $600,000 because of missed deadlines, shoddy workmanship and failing to pay its subcontractors, a new suit alleges.

  • May 01, 2024

    Ex-Execs End Fight Over Syska Hennessy Stock Buyback Deal

    A former associate vice president and a managing director at engineering firm Syska Hennessy have ended their lawsuit alleging that the company made up a story about the pair soliciting employees to get out of buying back company stock.

  • May 01, 2024

    Crescent Petroleum Wins OK Of $2.75B Award

    Iran's state-owned oil company cannot escape having to pay an arbitral award now worth more than $2.75 billion owed to Crescent Petroleum after spending some two years ignoring the Emirati oil company's enforcement lawsuit in Washington, D.C., a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

  • May 01, 2024

    Chipotle Granted Win in Customer Change-Shorting Row

    A Pennsylvania federal judge gave Chipotle Mexican Grill an early win Wednesday in a lawsuit by customers alleging they were stiffed out of change during a coin shortage, finding that because the customers agreed to not receive coin change during their transactions, they can't reasonably argue the fast food giant did anything wrong.

  • May 01, 2024

    3rd Circ. Flags Bayer's Knowledge Of Tainted Fungal Spray

    A proposed class of consumers who bought tainted Bayer antifungal sprays said they should have standing to sue because they didn't get the "benefit of the bargain" — and a Third Circuit panel questioned Wednesday if Bayer's separate suit blaming a supplier made the consumers' case for them.

  • May 01, 2024

    Eateries Note 'Fatal' Concession By Insurer In NC COVID Row

    Cincinnati Insurance Co. made a "fatal" concession when it argued that "physical loss" merely requires "some sort of dispossession," a group of 16 restaurants told the North Carolina Supreme Court, urging it to reinstate their COVID-19 coverage win that got reversed on appeal. 

  • May 01, 2024

    6th Circ. May Unbuckle Supplier From Seat Belt Parts Contract

    One Sixth Circuit judge seemed prepared Wednesday to free a supplier from a court order to continue fulfilling a seat belt system manufacturer's orders, indicating that he didn't think the terms of the companies' contract obligated them to each other long-term.   

  • May 01, 2024

    Judge Enjoins Baseball Bat Cos. In Fla. Trademark Fight

    A pair of companies owned by ex-MLB player Yoenis Céspedes have won a preliminary injunction against several businesses in an intellectual property dispute in Florida federal court over baseball bats, saying the former New York Mets outfielder's companies are likely to succeed on a trademark claim.

  • May 01, 2024

    Colo. Toll Lane Venture Says Aecom Can't Get Penalty Interest

    A Colorado joint venture that formed to construct a state toll lanes project has told a federal judge that he erroneously awarded a design firm penalty interest on a $5.2 million judgment, arguing in a motion that the firm doesn't qualify as a subcontractor under Colorado law.

  • May 01, 2024

    Georgia Co. Says City Must Pay $5M For Road Project Delays

    A Georgia paving company that sued the city of Smyrna for $5 million in damages after it allegedly pushed a multimillion-dollar road construction project past its completion deadline urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday to overturn a trial court ruling that freed the city from its claims.

Expert Analysis

  • Policy Misrepresentations Carry Insurance Rescission Risks

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    The Second Circuit's recent decision in Medical Mutual v. Gnik, finding that material misrepresentation in a clinic's insurance applications warranted policy rescission, is a clear example of the far-reaching effects that misrepresentations can have and provides a reminder that policyholders should employ relatively straightforward steps to decrease risks, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Analyzing New EU Measure To Prevent Reexports To Russia

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    Niels Ersbøll, Alexander Italianer and Laura Beuls at Arnold & Porter offer a comprehensive overview of the European Union's new rule requiring export agreements to contain a clause prohibiting the reexport of goods to Russia, and discuss what companies should do to ensure compliance.

  • 3 Tech Sourcing Best Practices That Are Relevant For AI

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    It might be tempting to think that sourcing artificial intelligence tools requires a completely new set of skills, but the best practices that lead to a good deal are much the same as traditional technology procurement, says Mia Rendar at Pillsbury.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • A Snapshot Of The Evolving Restrictive Covenant Landscape

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    Rachael Martinez and Brooke Bahlinger at Foley highlight recent trends in the hotly contested regulation and enforcement of noncompetition and related nonsolicitation covenants, and provide guidance on drafting such provisions within the context of stand-alone employment agreements and merger or acquisition transactions.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates

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    If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • How 3 Unfolding Cases Could Affect The Energy Industry

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    Three judicial decisions now in the pipeline — Texas' challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane regulations, Delaware's climate suit against big energy companies, and a case before the Supreme Court of Texas on royalty lease interpretation — could have important implications for the energy industry, say Michelle Scheffler and Rachael Cox at Skadden.

  • Flexibility Is Key In Hybrid Capital Investment Strategies

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    Flexible or hybrid capital funds have become a solution for some owners adverse to private debt or requiring short-term capital support not otherwise available in the market, but the complexity and possible range of structures available means that principals need to consider how they may work in different scenarios and outcomes, says Daniel Mathias at Cohen Gresser.

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