Commercial Contracts

  • April 18, 2024

    Citi Can Arbitrate Anti-Armenian Bias Suit, Judge Rules

    Citibank has won its bid to arbitrate proposed class claims that it discriminated against customers with Armenian surnames, as a Los Angeles federal judge found Wednesday that the plaintiff agreed to arbitrate allegations like these when she became a party to her Citibank card agreement.

  • April 18, 2024

    Lebanese Bank To Face Victims' Hezbollah Terrorism Suit

    New York's highest court ruled Thursday that an entity that acquires another entity's liabilities and assets inherits its status for purposes of personal jurisdiction even if there is no merger, greenlighting litigation targeting a Lebanese bank over its predecessor's alleged assistance to Hezbollah.

  • April 18, 2024

    Mich. High Court Takes Up Insurer Garnishment Dispute

    The Michigan Supreme Court agreed Thursday to consider whether an insurer's supposed bad faith refusal to settle a claim can be litigated in a garnishment action in The Burlington Insurance Co.'s appeal of an injured worker's attempt to collect the unsatisfied portion of a $13.7 million judgment.

  • April 18, 2024

    $100M Arbitration Award Restored In Colo. Dispensary Fight

    A Colorado appellate panel on Thursday largely reinstated a roughly $100 million arbitration award in a dispute between former business partners in the cannabis dispensary chain Native Roots, finding no basis to conclude the arbitrator was biased.

  • April 18, 2024

    AGs, Google Defend $700M Play Store Deal Ripped By Judge

    A group of state attorneys general and Google defended the proposed $700 million settlement both sides brokered in the states' antitrust suit against the company in December, telling a San Francisco federal judge that the deal is consistent with Ninth Circuit precedent and releases only a limited set of claims against Google for a seven-year period.

  • April 18, 2024

    T-Mobile, Others Rip 'Hodgepodge' Forced Store Closings Suit

    T-Mobile says it doesn't belong in a suit accusing it and another company of misleading store owners by promising it would open hundreds of new stores in the wake of its $26 billion merger with Sprint in 2020 only to turn around and shut the plaintiffs down.

  • April 18, 2024

    Elevance Units Not Fiduciaries Of Union Plans, Court Told

    A lawsuit that two union healthcare funds brought against Elevance Health Inc. and several subsidiaries should be dismissed because it does not plausibly allege that fund money was overspent on medical care and administrative fees, and the defendants did not have fiduciary responsibilities, attorneys told a Connecticut federal judge on Thursday.

  • April 18, 2024

    Investors In Failed Manila Casino Deal Sue For SPAC Shares

    Shareholders in a blank-check company that failed to take a Philippines casino public have intervened in two Delaware Chancery Court lawsuits to recoup their failed investments, with one seeking to litigate damages from the busted $2.6 billion deal and the other pushing for the company's liquidation.

  • April 18, 2024

    Kimmel Atty Defends Airing 'Patently Ridiculous' Santos Clips

    A lawyer for Jimmy Kimmel told a Manhattan federal judge Thursday that the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law allows the late-night host to air silly videos that he tricked indicted former congressman George Santos into making on the personalized messaging platform Cameo.  

  • April 18, 2024

    No Redo For Insurers In COVID-19 Coverage Row, Tribe Says

    The Ninth Circuit should stand by its decision ordering an AIG unit and other insurers to litigate the Suquamish Tribe's COVID-19 business interruption claims in tribal court, the tribe told the appeals court, saying the insurers' request for a do-over distorts the panel's decision and controlling law.

  • April 18, 2024

    9th Circ. Affirms Rosette's Win In Tribe Representation Fight

    The Ninth Circuit has backed a federal district court ruling that found Rosette LLP is not responsible for using allegedly false advertising to induce the Quechan Tribe to drop Williams & Cochrane LLP as counsel on the verge of closing a lucrative gambling contract.

  • April 18, 2024

    Red Roof Franchise Co. Settles IP Fight With Motel Operator

    Red Roof Inn's Ohio-based location franchising company and the Toledo motel operator it accused of still using the hospitality chain's branding almost two years after its franchise agreement was terminated have agreed to settle the intellectual property dispute between them, according to a new joint notice.

  • April 17, 2024

    7th Circ. Affirms Toss Of Indy TV Network's Bias Claims

    The Seventh Circuit upheld the lower court's toss of a Black-owned broadcasting company's racial discrimination claims against DirecTV and Dish Network, agreeing that the underlying retransmission negotiation dispute was a matter of bargaining power, not bias.

  • April 17, 2024

    Ga. Jury Finds Supplier At Fault For Botched Herbicide Job

    An Atlanta federal jury on Wednesday found a company hired to thin out woods on a rural Georgia property and a subcontractor brought in to spray the property with herbicide were responsible for wrecking a developer's plans for turning the location into a quail hunting retreat. 

  • April 17, 2024

    Wash. Winemaker Wants Insurers To Cover $30M Spoiled Wine

    A Washington state winemaker has launched a lawsuit against certain Lloyd's of London underwriters in state court, seeking coverage under a pair of insurance policies for more than $30 million worth of cabernet sauvignon that became too acidic to sell while being stored by another wine producer prior to bottling.

  • April 17, 2024

    Flagstar Bank Beats Overdraft 'Fee Maximization' Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has shut down a proposed consumer class action that accused Flagstar Bank of unlawfully charging millions of dollars in surprise overdraft fees, ruling that the bank had provided clarifying disclosures that left no more room for surprise.

  • April 17, 2024

    Coding Bootcamp Fined $164K For Misleading Student Loans

    A company that runs coding "bootcamps" has been permanently banned from consumer lending after U.S. regulators found it inflated its job placement rates to students and lied to them about a tuition financing program that turned out to be risky loans.

  • April 17, 2024

    Alien Influencer, Ex-Partners Walk Away From IP Row

    A Colorado federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a motivational speaker and self-described influencer who claims to have met with extraterrestrial beings known as the "Blue Avians," after the influencer and two former business partners agreed to drop dueling claims over movie projects and business ventures gone awry. 

  • April 17, 2024

    Jury Says Caterpillar's Interference Cost Equipment Co. $100M

    A jury in Delaware has rejected antitrust claims against Caterpillar but found that the equipment maker caused a defunct importer $100 million in damages by interfering with its contract to sell equipment through an online sales platform.

  • April 17, 2024

    Data Co. Seeks Coverage For $250M Lebanon Explosion Suit

    A data services company told a Texas state court that its insurers must defend it in an underlying $250 million lawsuit stemming from the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion in Lebanon which killed over 218 people, maintaining that the insurers have wrongfully refused.

  • April 17, 2024

    Panel Agrees Pot Investor's Deal In 2017 Suit Nixes 2019 Suit

    A Washington state appeals court has thrown out an investor's suit alleging that a cannabis venture failed to follow through on a deal to acquire ownership interest in exchange for a $650,000 investment, finding his settlement of a prior suit block his claims.

  • April 17, 2024

    Judge Merges Axos Bank Suits But Won't Appoint Counsel Yet

    A California federal judge has agreed to consolidate a pair of cases over how Axos handled interest rates on savings deposit accounts offered through an online banking division, but rejected its customers' bid to name three law firms as interim co-lead counsel, saying it is not necessary at this time since more consolidation could occur.

  • April 17, 2024

    Ogletree Expands Into Western NY With Ex-Goldberg Atty

    Management-side employment firm Ogletree Deakins is expanding into western New York, announcing Tuesday that it is adding a shareholder in Buffalo from Goldberg Segalla.

  • April 17, 2024

    American Urges 1st Circ. To Reject 'Radical' JetBlue Ruling

    American Airlines has told the First Circuit that a judge's "radical vision of the antitrust laws" that blocked its Northeast Alliance joint venture with JetBlue shouldn't stand, arguing that federal enforcers are relying on misleading claims and outdated precedent to prop up the lower court's mistaken conclusion.

  • April 16, 2024

    Pro-Israel Fart Sprayer Sues Columbia Univ. Over Suspension

    A Jewish Columbia University student on Tuesday lobbed discrimination claims at the university, which he said unfairly suspended him for spraying non-toxic fart spray at a protest over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a move he said was designed to "silence" him for his views.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

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    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • How Reps And Warranties Insurance Can Aid Sellers In M&A

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    Amid the current slowdown in the M&A climate, representation and warranty insurance offers sellers a number of advantages, including protection against fraud and possible leverage to insist on a no-seller-indemnity deal, say Alex Leibowitz and Eric Jesse at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Key Elements Of The Proposed Credit Card Competition Act

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    Attorneys at Troutman Pepper examine the most noteworthy provisions in the recently proposed Credit Card Competition Act, including changes to payment card network access, Federal Reserve Board review, who would qualify as a covered institution, and routing restrictions.

  • The NIL Legislation Race: CAEFA And Ted Cruz's Draft Bill

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    Christina Stylianou and Gregg Clifton at Lewis Brisbois compare legislation pertaining to the name, image and likeness rights of college student-athletes, including the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act and Sen. Ted Cruz's draft bill that would restrict an athlete's eligibility to compete if an NIL agreement violates their university's student code of conduct.

  • Developers Are Testing Defenses In Generative AI Litigation

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    In the rapidly growing field of generative artificial intelligence law in the U.S., there are a few possible defenses that have already been effectively asserted by defendants in litigation, including lack of standing, reliance on the fair use doctrine, and the legality of so-called data scraping, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Brand Owners Beware: AI-Generated Ad Content Poses Risks

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    Since the Association of National Advertisers recently updated its master media buying services template agreement, brand owners should consider how their contracted agencies are using artificial intelligence to create and implement campaigns and media purchases, say Kyle-Beth Hilfer and John Miranda at Cowan Liebowitz.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • A Higher Bar For Surviving Summary Judgment In SC Courts

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    The South Carolina Supreme Court's recent decision in Kitchen Planners v. Friedman, rejecting a lower court's usage of the mere scintilla standard for allowing cases to proceed, suggests that the mere existence of an alleged factual dispute between parties will no longer be sufficient to thwart a well-supported motion for summary judgment, says Denver Smith at Butler Snow.

  • Key Strike Considerations For Automotive Industry Suppliers

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    As the UAW's labor contracts with Detroit's Big Three automakers expire, and the possibility of a strike looms, automotive industry suppliers face a number of possible legal and operational issues — and should have strategic action plans in place to deal with contracts, liquidity, the post-strike environment and more, say experts at Alvarez & Marsal.

  • Ore. Warranty Ruling Complicates Insurance Classification

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    The Oregon Court of Appeals' recent TruNorth v. Department of Consumer and Business Services holding that a service contract — commonly referred to as an extended warranty — covering commercial property is subject to the state's consumer service contract laws raises regulatory questions for contract obligors, sellers and administrators, say attorneys at Locke Lord.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • A Festival Of Litigation Could Arise From 'Electric Zoo' Fiasco

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    Over Labor Day weekend, thousands of electronic dance music fans were displeased with the organization of the New York City-based Electric Zoo festival, which quickly elicited comparisons to the 2017 Fyre Festival — and three kinds of litigation could ensue from the debacle, say attorneys at Seiden Law.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • A Closer Look At Another HBCU Race Bias Suit Against NCAA

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    The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Academic Performance Program has become a lightning rod for scrutiny, as seen in the recently filed class action McKinney v. NCAA — where statistics in the complaint raise questions about the program's potential discriminatory impact on student-athletes at historically Black colleges and universities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

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