Commercial Contracts

  • December 18, 2025

    Top Trade Secrets Decisions Of 2025

    The Ninth Circuit clarified the rules of engagement in trade secrets disputes with guidance on when confidential information must be precisely detailed during litigation, and jurors delivered a $200 million verdict against Walmart over product freshness technology. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trade secrets decisions of 2025.

  • December 18, 2025

    Monarch Overhyped 'Driver-Optional' Tractors, Ex-Dealer Says

    A Washington farm supply store sued California-based Monarch Tractor — which bills itself as the maker of "the world's first autonomous tractor" — in Seattle federal court Thursday, claiming the company's MK-V vehicles "did not perform as represented and were unable to operate in the autonomous manner represented."

  • December 18, 2025

    Wash. Justices Say Open Gov't Law Covers Seattle Contractor

    The Washington State Supreme Court has reinstated a citizen suit seeking information related to downtown Seattle's Metropolitan Improvement District, recognizing in a Thursday opinion that the district's private nonprofit management entity DBIA Services is analogous to a government agency and thus subject to the state's public records law.  

  • December 18, 2025

    Coffee Contractual Dispute Will Be Arbitrated, NY Judge Says

    A New York federal judge ordered the parent company of a Colombian coffee supplier to arbitrate a dispute over its soured relationship with the U.S. arm of a Swiss coffee merchant despite not signing an underlying arbitration agreement, ruling that the pact could be enforced based on an agency theory.

  • December 18, 2025

    Settlement Admin, Bank Conspiracy Suits Consolidated In DC

    A group of putative class actions alleging a wide-ranging kickback scheme between three of the largest settlement administration companies in the country and banks that was designed to juice administration fees while diminishing class action payouts has been consolidated in D.C. federal court.

  • December 18, 2025

    Ex-NFL Player Can't Keep $1.9M Atty Fees, 5th Circ. Rules

    Former NFL player Michael Cloud was not owed attorney fees by the NFL's retirement plan from his attempt to attain disability benefits, the Fifth Circuit said Thursday, dealing Cloud another defeat after a previous court victory was reversed.

  • December 18, 2025

    Vegas Sun Wants Justices To Revive Protective Pact

    The Las Vegas Sun wants the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a Ninth Circuit decision that nixed an agreement protecting it from the Las Vegas Review-Journal's alleged plan to drive it out of business, arguing that the old pact with the more conservative paper was valid even without express government approval.

  • December 18, 2025

    Agita Over Piglets At Party Got Pharma Exec Axed, Suit Says

    The U.S. arm of a Danish pharmaceutical company pushed out a director after he expressed concerns about using baby pigs for a photo op at the company's anniversary party knowing the animals would be euthanized after, a new federal lawsuit alleges.

  • December 18, 2025

    LinkedIn Data Access Settlement Rejected In Antitrust Case

    A California federal court refused to approve a settlement requiring LinkedIn to stop conditioning access to its data interface on rivals agreeing not to use the data for a competing professional social network, a deal that included no damages but up to $4 million in attorney fees.

  • December 18, 2025

    Boies Schiller Must Face Fla. Fee Suit, Court Told

    In pushing back on a bid to toss a Florida state court lawsuit against Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and related defendants, a pharmaceutical mass tort law firm and other parties said the lawsuit outlines a clear breach of a nondisclosure agreement and interference with existing business relationships, making the complaint legally sufficient under Sunshine State law.

  • December 17, 2025

    Avis Did Not Waive Arbitration In Traffic Fines Suit: 3rd Circ.

    The Third Circuit has concluded that Avis did not waive its right to arbitrate a long-running class action over traffic fines incurred during a rental with certain members of the class by continuing to litigate the dispute years after incorporating an arbitration clause in its rental agreement.

  • December 17, 2025

    Nvidia Settles Valeo's Suit Over Stolen Driving Assist Code

    Nvidia Corp. has settled automotive tech supplier Valeo's lawsuit that accused the artificial intelligence chipmaker of using trade secrets a former Valeo engineer stole before joining Nvidia and later accidentally left on his screen during a videoconference call with Valeo.

  • December 17, 2025

    $2.75M Award Partly Revived In OxyLife Employment Dispute

    A Florida state appeals court ruled Wednesday that a lower court wrongly erased a $2.75 million jury award for two former executives at home medical equipment company OxyLife in their employment dispute with the company, but ordered the award reduced to reflect the valuation evidence presented at trial.

  • December 17, 2025

    10th Circ. Panel Restores $2.9M FINRA Award Against Adviser

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Wednesday reinstated a $2.9 million Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration award against a financial adviser who allegedly undermined a firm she worked for, ruling that she waived any objections she had to arbitrating with the plaintiffs before FINRA.

  • December 17, 2025

    Bank Deserves Sanctions In Jail Debit Card Suit, Court Told

    A class of formerly incarcerated people who've accused the Central Bank of Kansas City of charging excessive fees on prepaid debit cards told a Washington federal judge that the bank should face sanctions for failing to sort and hand over documents required for compliance with an August court order.

  • December 17, 2025

    EFF Loses Fed. Circ. Appeal Over Patent Case Intervention

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday tossed the Electronic Frontier Foundation's challenge to a Texas federal court's denial of its bid to intervene in a now-settled patent dispute between Entropic and Charter Communications, agreeing the digital rights nonprofit waited too long.

  • December 17, 2025

    Korean Food Chain Stole Family Spring Roll Recipe, Suit Says

    Korean food conglomerate CJ Group has been accused of stealing a family spring roll recipe that dates to the 1950s and marketing its versions as knockoff frozen spring roll products in a suit seeking $100 million in damages.

  • December 17, 2025

    Co-Owner Of Cannabis Dispensary Says Partner Stole Funds

    A co-owner of a cannabis retailer in North Carolina has accused his business partner of stealing from the business and blocking his access to the company's financial records in a newly designated state business court complaint.

  • December 17, 2025

    DOJ Weighs In On Apple Watch Antitrust Claims

    The Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the private smartphone monopolization case against Apple to urge the court to reject several arguments supporting the tech giant's bid to nix claims that it restricts the capabilities of competing smartwatches.

  • December 17, 2025

    Zurich Owes $130M For Helene Damage, NC Mining Co. Says

    A quartz mining company has sued a Zurich insurer to recover $130 million for property damage and business interruption losses stemming from Hurricane Helene, saying the insurer has stonewalled for over a year and improperly tried to limit coverage to $28 million.

  • December 17, 2025

    6th Circ. Revives NJ Drivers' Wage Action Against Hub Group

    Two drivers alleging that logistics company Hub Group misclassified them as independent contractors have no connection to Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit ruled, departing from a Tennessee federal court's decision that found their suit under New Jersey law couldn't stand.

  • December 16, 2025

    Digital Marketing Co. Ibotta Seeks To Ditch Suit Over IPO

    Digital consumer discount company Ibotta Inc. and its brass and underwriters seek to shed a consolidated proposed investor class action alleging the company misled investors in the lead-up to its 2024 initial public offering, arguing that it properly disclosed certain risks that later purportedly affected trading prices for its shares.

  • December 16, 2025

    American Bridge Hit With $4.8M Sanction For Discovery Abuse

    A Washington state judge has slapped American Bridge Co. with $4.8 million in monetary sanctions and found the steel subcontractor and its counsel at Smith Currie Oles LLP on the hook for additional legal fees for "widespread discovery abuses" throughout a court battle with a general contractor over delays in a Seattle convention center project.

  • December 16, 2025

    Judge Blocks T-Mobile From Using Tool To Scrape AT&T Data

    A Texas federal judge blocked T-Mobile from using a price tool to scrape data from AT&T's website, saying that without a temporary restraining order T-Mobile would likely continue to enter into AT&T's password-protected software without permission.

  • December 16, 2025

    Arms Broker Sues Explosives Co. Over Subpar Product

    An arms broker sending munitions to support Ukraine has sued a Pennsylvania-based explosives manufacturer for allegedly grossly overselling its ability to provide high-quality explosives and secure faster-than-average export licenses, claiming the company is now refusing to return a $2.1 million deposit. 

Expert Analysis

  • Assessing Jurisdictional Issues In 2nd Circ. Bank Audi Case

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    The Second Circuit's reasoning last month in Raad v. Bank Audi that the exercise of personal jurisdiction must be based on conduct taking place within the jurisdiction reminds foreign financial institutions to continually monitor how plaintiffs are advocating for an expansive view of personal jurisdiction in the U.S., say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Series

    Teaching Business Law Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching business law to college students has rekindled my sense of purpose as a lawyer — I am more mindful of the importance of the rule of law and the benefits of our common law system, which helps me maintain a clearer perspective on work, says David Feldman at Feldman Legal Advisors.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Discovery

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    The discovery process and the rules that govern it are often absent from law school curricula, but developing a solid grasp of the particulars can give any new attorney a leg up in their practice, says Jordan Davies at Knowles Gallant.

  • Mitigating Import Risks Around Southeast Asian Solar Cells

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    The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent final determinations in its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into solar cells produced in certain Southeast Asian countries make it important for U.S. purchasers to consider risk mitigation strategies, including modifying supply chains and contractually assigning import responsibilities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Playing Guitar Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a lawyer not only requires logic and hard work, but also belief, emotion, situational awareness and lots of natural energy — playing guitar enhances all of these qualities, increasing my capacity to do my best work, says Kosta Stojilkovic at Wilkinson Stekloff.

  • Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook

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    The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • Tracking The Evolution Of Liability Management Exercises

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    As liability management exercises face increasing legal scrutiny, understanding the history of these debt restructuring tools can help explain how the playbook keeps adapting — and why the next move is always just one ruling or transaction away, say attorneys at Weil.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

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    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Negotiating Triparty Hotel Agreements To Withstand Risk

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    Brewing economic uncertainty in the hospitality industry underscores the importance of subordination, nondisturbance and attornment agreements, and hotel managers should tightly negotiate these agreements to ensure remedies will not disturb key rights, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Independent Contractor Rule Up In The Air Under New DOL

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    In several recent court challenges, the U.S. Department of Labor has indicated its intent to revoke the 2024 independent contractor rule, sending a clear signal that it will not defend the Biden-era rule on the merits in anticipation of further rulemaking, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

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