Commercial Contracts

  • April 09, 2024

    Tribal Co. Says Calif. DA Shouldn't Escape Greenhouse Fight

    A Native American-owned corporation is asking a California federal court not to throw out its suit aiming to block the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office from destroying its greenhouses, saying federal abstention isn't proper because the state proceeding the DA references is against a different party.

  • April 08, 2024

    Gamers Can't Block Microsoft From 'Dismantling' Activison

    A California federal judge on Monday refused to block Microsoft from further integrating Activision Blizzard into its business after it acquired the gaming titan last year, saying the gamers who are still challenging the union between the companies have a similar motion pending before the Ninth Circuit.

  • April 08, 2024

    Allstate Sues Ex-Agent For Post-Litigation 'Smear Campaign'

    Allstate Insurance Co. has alleged in Colorado federal court that a former independent contractor it previously sued for allegedly stealing trade secrets has since launched an online "smear campaign" to spread false claims that the company is selling its customers' sensitive personal data to criminals and that it flouted a court order in the earlier suit by posting confidential deposition excerpts.

  • April 08, 2024

    ACC Can Keep ESPN Deal Under Wraps In FSU Suit

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has allowed the Atlantic Coast Conference to file some contract terms under seal in its fight over whether Florida State University can leave the conference without facing a hefty fine, reasoning that such terms have been considered sealable trade secrets by state courts.

  • April 08, 2024

    Consumers Fight Amazon's E-Book Appeal Ask

    Amazon shouldn't get to go to the Second Circuit after a federal judge refused to toss a proposed class action accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing the e-book market, according to consumers who have urged that judge not to seek another opinion on whether they lack standing.

  • April 08, 2024

    Pepperidge Farm Distributor Can Keep Delivering Cookies

    Pepperidge Farms will have to keep using a distributor that is suing the cookie company for showing up with six moving vans on a Friday night to seize its inventory, after the California federal judge who handed down the preliminary injunction accused Pepperidge Farms of trying to "hijack" the distributorship.

  • April 08, 2024

    6th Circ. Upholds Partial Award In ESOP Liability Dispute

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld a lower court's finding that an insurance firm was obligated to pay some costs spent defending a consulting firm's stock valuation work, based on a finding that costs weren't completely covered under the insurer's professional liability policy exclusion.

  • April 08, 2024

    Conn. Law Firm Demands Insurer Pay More For Leak In Office

    A Connecticut law firm and a real estate company have accused their insurer of failing to fully cover damage from a leak at their New Haven offices despite a $2.2 million policy in a suit removed to Connecticut federal court by the insurer.

  • April 08, 2024

    2nd Circ. OKs Turnover Order In HNA $185M Award Feud

    The Second Circuit on Monday affirmed an order forcing a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate HNA Group to turn over its most valuable North American asset to an SL Green Realty Corp. affiliate owed about $185 million, following a dispute stemming from the affiliate's $148 million investment in a Manhattan skyscraper.

  • April 08, 2024

    Ex-NBA Player Sues BCBS Over 'Outrageous' Care Denial

    Former NBA player Rodney Rogers, who was paralyzed in 2008 after retiring, has accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina of exhibiting "outrageous" disregard for his medical needs by denying him life-saving in-home nursing assistance.

  • April 08, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week, a much-watched Chancery Court Match.com decision got reversed, a Philip Morris motion got stubbed out, and a long-frozen Blue Bell Creameries suit started churning again. Delaware's Court of Chancery also saw new suits filed for legal fees, arguments over multibillion-dollar pay packages, and a judge flummoxed over Truth Social.

  • April 08, 2024

    Hotel Co. Comes Out On Top In Passover Fiasco Row 

    A bench trial over a "Passover celebration gone wrong" at a Pennsylvania hotel ended Friday largely in favor of the hotel operator, with $1,447.60 in contract damages for the caterer plaintiff offset by a $5,164.28 judgment in the hotel's favor for damages allegedly caused by guests who created plumbing issues.

  • April 08, 2024

    Jackson Hewitt Preparers Want First OK On $10.8M Deal

    Former Jackson Hewitt Inc. workers have reached a $10.8 million settlement with their former employer over claims the company's franchisees entered into an anti-competitive no-poach agreement despite the provision being removed from the company's franchise agreements, according to a Friday motion.

  • April 08, 2024

    Taxi Hailing Cos. Settle Hidden Fees RICO Claims

    Three taxi hailing companies have settled a proposed class action accusing them of conspiring to hit users who call for cabs using their tech products with hidden fees, according to a new order from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissing the suit.

  • April 05, 2024

    Contractor Says Apartment Developer's Missteps Cost $8.5M

    A general contractor has filed an $8.5 million lawsuit in North Carolina's Business Court accusing a developer of misleading it about an apartment complex project's safeguards and failing to cover the resulting cost overruns and delays.

  • April 05, 2024

    Equatorial Guinea Says $8M Award Can't Be Enforced

    Equatorial Guinea is urging the D.C. Circuit to nix enforcement of an $8 million arbitral award issued to a Swiss company that was ousted from a hospital operating contract, saying a lower court should have looked closer at whether the dispute was adjudicated in the proper forum.

  • April 05, 2024

    Marriott Wants $5M Repair Work Bill Stayed Pending Appeal

    Marriott International asked a Colorado federal judge Friday to hold off on enforcing a $5 million judgment it was ordered to pay a construction company over mudslide repair work in Brazil while the hotel appeals the order, noting it has secured a surety bond with Liberty Mutual.

  • April 05, 2024

    Jolie Seeks Abuse Evidence, Pitt Rips 'Pure Pretext' Defense

    Actress Angelina Jolie has asked a California state judge to force her estranged husband, Brad Pitt, to produce evidence of his alleged "history of physical abuse" in litigation over her sale of their French vineyard, while Pitt has filed his own evidentiary motion arguing Jolie's defense argument is "pure pretext."

  • April 05, 2024

    BofA Objects To Allowing Zelle Fraud Claim To Proceed

    Bank of America took umbrage with certain recommendations a federal magistrate judge made in allowing to proceed a proposed class action over alleged fraud on the peer-to-peer payment service Zelle.

  • April 05, 2024

    Starbucks Tells Judge Union Dealings Aren't 'Mission Critical'

    Starbucks denied Friday that complying with federal labor law was "mission critical" to its business as it urged a Washington state judge to dismiss a shareholder suit accusing company leaders of union busting, which they say tanked Starbucks' reputation.

  • April 05, 2024

    Texas Appeals Court Reverses IT Consulting Worker Spat

    A Texas appeals court revived a suit brought by an information technology consulting company against its former worker, ruling that the company had shown enough evidence to go forward with the case and the trial court abused its discretion in granting a no-evidence summary judgment motion.

  • April 05, 2024

    DC Circ. Says DOJ Can Reopen Realtor Antitrust Probe

    The D.C. Circuit said on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice can reopen an antitrust investigation into the National Association of Realtors, despite an earlier agency settlement over the association's rules.

  • April 05, 2024

    Virgin Galactic Sues Boeing Over 'Shoddy' $45M Aircraft Work

    Virgin Galactic has hit Boeing with a breach-of-contract suit in California federal court, alleging the aerospace giant failed to deliver a new $45 million "mothership" carrier aircraft due to its alleged "shoddy and incomplete" work and that Boeing has since wrongfully sued in Virginia seeking to claw back intellectual property licenses. 

  • April 05, 2024

    WebMD Unit Drops Suit Against Ex-Execs Tied To $7M Dispute

    A subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp. has dropped a federal lawsuit accusing a former executive of hiring an ex-chief product and technology officer to work at his new company in order to gain an advantage in an arbitration proceeding with about $7 million on the line.

  • April 05, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Upholds Australian Steel Import Pricing

    A Federal Circuit panel has backed the U.S. Department of Commerce and a trade court's assessment of the prices an Australian steel company charged its U.S. customer, holding that the companies provided enough of a paper trail to explain their relationship.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Approach The Nuances Of AI Vendor Contracts

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    There is no immediate road map for negotiating contracts presented by artificial intelligence and machine learning vendors, but a phased approach can be used to direct a customer's diligence and to better assess whether additional contractual terms should be included in these agreements, say Reeya Thakrar and Ira Kalina at Faegre Drinker.

  • CFPB, FTC Actions Show Consumer Terms Need Fresh Eyes

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    Providers of consumer financial products and services should take recent statements and actions from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission as an invitation to review their consumer-facing disclosures to ensure that the terms are clear, easy to understand and prominently displayed, say Christina Grigorian and Eric Hail at Katten.

  • What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review

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    Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Tech M&A Due Diligence Checklist: Critical IP Areas Of Inquiry

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    Declining valuations are the backdrop of the current technology M&A landscape worldwide, and intellectual property is a key value driver from the vantage point of a potential acquiror, so when it comes to due diligence for technology acquisitions, there are several pitfalls to avoid, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Tossed FIFA Bribery Convictions May Spur New DOJ Offense

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    After a New York federal court vacated the bribery convictions of two defendants in the U.S. Department of Justice’s sprawling FIFA probe, prosecutors may continue to pursue foreign commercial corruption through other means, albeit with some limitations, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Series

    Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Master Service Agreements Can Mitigate Manufacturing Risks

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    Terms and conditions of standard contracts between manufacturers and their suppliers may not cover the numerous geopolitical, legal and technical issues that can arise in the manufacturing process in 2023 — so a master service agreement covering everything from payment terms to dispute resolution can be an excellent alternative, says Bryan Rose at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

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    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • 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.

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