Commercial Contracts

  • May 15, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 15, 2026

    Texas Atty And Firm Accused Of $1M Investment Scam

    A New York couple have accused an of counsel at Texas-based firm Naman Howell Smith & Lee PLLC of duping them out of $1 million after being lured into a purported profitable investment program, a scheme the couple said has previously targeted other victims.

  • May 14, 2026

    8th Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Horse Breeder's Malpractice Suit

    The Eighth Circuit said a federal judge was right to dismiss a malpractice suit a Minnesota horse breeder brought against Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP and one of its former attorneys for mishandling malpractice cases against three other firms.

  • May 14, 2026

    'Who's Telling The Truth?' Musk-OpenAI Fight Goes To Jury

    Elon Musk's counsel urged a California federal jury during trial closings Thursday to find OpenAI breached its charitable trust aided by Microsoft Corp. and slammed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's credibility, while OpenAI's counsel argued Musk is trying to attack his competitor and urged jurors to ask themselves, "Who's telling the truth?"

  • May 14, 2026

    Freight Brokers Brace For New Risks After High Court Ruling

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday shattered what freight brokers believed was an ironclad shield against state-based negligence and injury claims over catastrophic accidents, as the trucking industry's middlemen face heightened legal exposure and question what reasonable care means in selecting motor carriers for a transport, experts say.

  • May 14, 2026

    Oppenheimer Customers Ink $70M Cash Sweep Rate Deal

    A class of Oppenheimer & Co. customers are asking a New York federal judge to greenlight a $70 million settlement resolving their claims that the investment bank pocketed hefty fees from its cash sweep account program while paying customers "unreasonable, below-market interest rates."

  • May 14, 2026

    Text-Marketing Startup Sued In Chancery Over Stock Dilution

    A Texas investor has sued text-marketing company Voxie Inc. in Delaware Chancery Court, claiming the startup pushed through a new financing round and charter amendment that stripped away negotiated protections for early preferred shareholders without getting their required approval.

  • May 14, 2026

    Fla. Property Manager To Pay Evicted Sailor $60K In DOJ Deal

    A Florida property management company will pay $60,000 to a U.S. Navy sailor to settle allegations by federal prosecutors that the company used a false affidavit to win an eviction that forced the sailor to live apart from his wife — at times on a Navy ship with no heat.

  • May 14, 2026

    Calif. Cannabis Distributor Gets $1.35M In Delivery Row

    Cannabis company Magnolia Extracts LLC must pay a distributor $1.35 million for delivered products, a California state court judge has ruled, saying the retailer waived any opportunity to claim the products were defective after accepting the shipment and then reselling it.

  • May 14, 2026

    Fortive, Subsidiary Seek Early Win In Wrongful Firing Suit

    Technology company Fortive and a medical equipment subsidiary asked a Colorado federal judge for an early win in a former regional sales director's lawsuit alleging she was fired for raising concerns about compliance with anti-kickback rules, contending the subsidiary terminated her due to a restructuring and that Fortive wasn't her employer.

  • May 14, 2026

    United Rentals, Ex-Worker Strike Deal In Noncompete Suit

    United Rentals Inc. on Thursday asked a Connecticut federal judge to approve a permanent injunction blocking a former North Carolina salesperson from working for a competitor within 100 miles of United's Raleigh branch office through mid-January 2027, ending a 4-month-old noncompete suit.

  • May 14, 2026

    Sills Cummis, Ex-Client Compete To Narrow Malpractice Trial

    Sills Cummis & Gross PC and the former manager of a rock musician suing the firm for malpractice sought to limit the scope of evidence in an upcoming trial over $1.2 million in damages in motions to a New Jersey state court this week.

  • May 14, 2026

    Tourism Co. Floats Jail For Balloon Biz Owner Who Owes $2M

    A Chinese tourism company has asked a Massachusetts federal court to jail the owner of a hot air balloon business who still owes it more than $2 million from a 2022 judgment, alleging he has continued to flout a prior contempt and sanctions order.

  • May 14, 2026

    Justices Say Freight Brokers Can Face Negligence Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday that freight brokers might also be liable under state law for selecting unsafe motor carriers that then get into highway crashes that kill or injure people, offering long-sought clarity on liability standards in a commercial trucking industry unnerved by supersized verdicts against carriers and drivers.

  • May 13, 2026

    Rebel Wilson Can't Defeat Calif. Defamation Suit On Appeal

    California appellate justices upheld an order denying Rebel Wilson's bid to ax a defamation suit alleging she spread lies about producers of the movie "The Deb," and whom she accused of embezzlement and sexually harassing the lead actress, ruling Wednesday there's evidence to support Wilson knew her statements were likely untrue. 

  • May 13, 2026

    Microsoft Exec Backed OpenAI Deal Amid Concerns, Jury Told

    Microsoft's chief technology officer testified in a California federal jury trial Wednesday over Elon Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion, recalling that he proposed Microsoft invest significant resources into OpenAI's for-profit arm to stay competitive despite his initial concerns over whether OpenAI's nonprofit donors had agreed to the for-profit partnership.

  • May 13, 2026

    Derailed BIC Razor Blade Deal Leads To $291M Award

    An investment company registered in Mauritius has asked a California federal court to enforce approximately $291 million in arbitral awards it won against the son of the founder of Super-Max Group, an international group of companies that manufactures razor blades.

  • May 13, 2026

    Texas Biz Court Weighs If It Can Hear La. Antitrust Claims

    A Texas Business Court judge fielded dueling arguments Wednesday on whether the court should be able to hear claims brought under Louisiana antitrust and unfair trade practices laws, a move Exxon Mobil Corp. and its subsidiaries said is a no-go.

  • May 13, 2026

    Army Contractor, Cable Co. Settle Missed-Delivery Suit

    A Texas federal judge agreed Wednesday to toss a lawsuit a U.S. Army contractor filed against a custom cable maker in California over undelivered cable sets after the companies reported that they had settled their dispute.

  • May 13, 2026

    Swiss Army Knife Co. Has Knives Out For Amazon Suppliers

    Victorinox Swiss Army Inc. filed suit Tuesday in an effort to identify the authorized sellers of its iconic knives and other products who are allegedly diverting goods to unauthorized resellers, including merchants on Amazon.com.

  • May 13, 2026

    Big Fish Games Buyer Evading Royalty Duties, Studio Claims

    The new owner of Seattle-based desktop game publisher Big Fish Games has been accused of attempting to illegally rewrite deals with a studio that helped develop many of its titles to avoid paying royalties and revoke mobile distribution rights, according to a fresh lawsuit in Washington state court.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fintech Inks $8M Mass. Settlement Over 'Lease-To-Own' Biz

    A Texas-based financial technology company told a state court Wednesday it has agreed to a $7.8 million resolution of the Massachusetts attorney general's claims that it misled consumers about its "lease-to-own" contracts for consumer merchandise, causing customers to pay "far more than the retail price for their merchandise."

  • May 13, 2026

    Former Fairstead Partner Wins Chancery Fight Over Equity

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday handed a win to former Fairstead partner William Blodgett in a fight over whether two affiliates of Fairstead, a real estate firm, could use their LLC agreements to punish him for conduct that an arbitrator found breached his employment agreement.

  • May 13, 2026

    Business Exec Says NBA Cut Him Out Of Airline Partnership

    A California businessman claims the NBA should have to cough up millions of dollars in damages for cutting him out of a lucrative sponsorship deal it struck with Emirates airline.

  • May 13, 2026

    Vineyard Wind Contractor Asks Judge To Pull Work Order

    A GE Vernova subsidiary urged a judge in Boston to lift his order forcing it to continue as principal contractor for a major offshore wind project Wednesday, saying recent events undermine the narrative that the $4 billion venture's success hangs on the contractor staying.

Expert Analysis

  • If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Tackling Privacy And 'Utility'

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    Because bankruptcies of artificial intelligence vendors will require courts to decide in the moment how to handle bespoke deals for AI tools, customers that anticipate consumer privacy concerns in asset disposition and questions about utility and critical-vendor classifications can be better positioned before proceedings, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • What Artists Can Learn From Latest AI Music Licensing Deals

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    Recent partnerships between music labels and artificial intelligence companies raise a number of key questions for artists, rightsholders and other industry players about IP, revenue-sharing, and rights and obligations, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • If Your AI Vendor Goes Bankrupt: Keeping Licensed IP Access

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    With contracting norms still evolving to account for the licensing of artificial intelligence tools, customers that need to retain access to key AI products in the event of vendor’s bankruptcy should consider four elements that could determine whether they may invoke traditional Section 365(n) intellectual property protections, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Tips For Financial Advisers Facing TRO From Former Firm

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    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Choreo v. Lors, overturning a lower court's sweeping injunction after financial advisers moved to a new firm, gives advisers new strategies to fight restraining orders from their old firms, such as focusing on whether the alleged irreparable harm is calculable, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • 2 Rulings Showcase Fuzzy Limits Of 'Related To' Jurisdiction

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    The Fifth and Ninth Circuits recently handed down decisions, in Sanchez Energy and Sawtelle Partners, respectively, reminding practitioners that bankruptcy court jurisdiction over lingering disputes is not guaranteed, regardless of whether confirmation orders contain specific "retention of jurisdiction" language, says Brian Shaw at Cozen O’Connor.

  • 3 Key Ohio Financial Services Developments From 2025

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    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw particularly notable developments in 2025, including a significant Ohio Supreme Court decision on creditor disclosure duties to guarantors in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, and some major proposed changes to the state's Homebuyer Plus program, says Alex Durst at Durst Kerridge.

  • AI Licensing Suit Exhibits Pitfalls Of Vague Contract Terms

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    Fastcase Inc. v. Alexi Technologies, a case in District of Columbia federal court, demonstrates the potential consequences of vaguely drafted contract terms amid unforeseen technological advances, but there is practical guidance parties may employ to mitigate the potential for similar contract disputes, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

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