Commercial Contracts

  • May 05, 2026

    Miner Looks To DQ Dorsey Under The 'Hot Potato' Doctrine

    A uranium mining company is looking to disqualify Dorsey & Whitney LLP as counsel for potential intervenors in a lawsuit in Colorado federal court over an arbitration initiated by another mining company based on a mineral assets purchase, saying Dorsey can't drop it like a "hot potato."

  • May 05, 2026

    Papa John's Workers Defend No-Poach Deal From Objections

    Papa John's employees are continuing to push a Kentucky federal court to approve a $5 million settlement for the pizza chain's past use of "no-poach" provisions in its franchise agreements, saying a handful of newly discovered objections offer no reason to reject the deal.

  • May 05, 2026

    NC Law Firm Can Pursue Coverage In $510K Loan Fraud Row

    A North Carolina federal judge on Tuesday said a professional liability insurer must face claims that it has to defend a law firm against allegations it was responsible for a $510,000 fraudulent home loan, finding documents in the closing package could preserve coverage. 

  • May 05, 2026

    Tribal Loan Co. Wants To Arbitrate Predatory Lending Claims

    Tribally owned online direct lender WithU Loans is urging a Washington federal judge to send a consumer's proposed class action over alleged predatory lending practices to arbitration, arguing that the plaintiff agreed to arbitrate any claims against the company when he signed the loan agreement at issue.

  • May 05, 2026

    11th Circ. Revives Annie Leibovitz 'Star Wars' Photo IP Dispute

    The Eleventh Circuit vacated an early win handed to a digital outlet accused of impermissibly using renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz's images taken on the set of a new "Star Wars" film that were featured in Vanity Fair, ruling on Tuesday the lower court's "understanding of copyright law was not quite right."

  • May 05, 2026

    Charter Asked To Pay Overdue Royalties After 5th Circ. Loss

    A Texas family has said a Fifth Circuit ruling obligates a district judge to enforce a decades-old royalty agreement against Charter Communications and to order back payment of unpaid royalties for rights of way permits in three Texas cities.

  • May 05, 2026

    Texas Appeals Court Wary Of Reviving Trustee's $100M Claim

    A Texas appeals panel seemed skeptical of a bankruptcy trustee's attempt to revive an action seeking to claw back money distributed by True Health Group to its shareholders before the company declared bankruptcy, asking Tuesday if the trustee brought its claims under the correct portion of the law.

  • May 05, 2026

    Hockey Players Urge 9th Circ. To Revive U.S. Antitrust Claims

    A U.S. federal court erroneously ruled that federal antitrust law did not apply in a case involving Canada-based hockey leagues and teams, players hoping to revive their suit alleging mistreatment by the developmental leagues told the Ninth Circuit on Monday.

  • May 05, 2026

    Court Backs MassMutual's $1.5M Life Policy Termination

    A Texas federal court ruled that MassMutual did not prematurely terminate a $1.54 million universal life insurance policy after a company failed to pay the minimum amount required to keep the policy active during a grace period.

  • May 05, 2026

    NJ-NY Tunnel Commission Asks Court To Toss PLA Challenge

    The Gateway Development Commission asked a New Jersey federal judge to toss a construction contractor's constitutional challenge to a project labor agreement that the commission used on a Hudson Tunnel Project initiative, saying the PLA requirement that the contractor is fighting doesn't violate the right to freedom of association.

  • May 05, 2026

    Santander Says Ex-Adviser Poached Lion's Share Of Clients

    Santander Bank and its investment adviser unit have sued a former employee, alleging that he improperly wooed away the vast majority of his clients when he decamped for a competitor.

  • May 05, 2026

    BlackRock, State Street Push To Trim Red State AGs' Suit

    BlackRock and State Street have further urged a Texas federal judge to trim down antitrust claims from Republican state attorneys general accusing the asset managers of driving up coal prices, arguing that the chain from their investment activity to retail electricity prices "stretches through multiple intervening markets and countless nonparties."

  • May 05, 2026

    DOT, Mexico Inching Toward 'Consensus' In Airport Slots Fight

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday that Mexico has tentatively agreed to reconsider some of its restrictions on flights into Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport, signaling there's some headway being made in a dispute over alleged violations of a decade-old bilateral air transport agreement.

  • May 05, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Chip Injunction In Google Contract Case

    The Ninth Circuit refused to lift an injunction against Point Financial Inc. barring it from interfering with Google's license to manufacture certain computer chips while a case plays out over Google's contract with a chipmaker that went out of business.

  • May 05, 2026

    SVB's $73M Fraud Losses Not Covered, Insurers Say

    Two insurers said they owe no coverage for a fraudulent scheme that caused the failed Silicon Valley Bank to lose $73 million, telling a North Carolina federal court that the bank has not satisfied all requirements under its financial institution bonds' extended forgery coverage provision.

  • May 05, 2026

    Duane Morris Integrates Gambling, Sports Industry Groups

    The growing popularity of betting in sports has prompted Duane Morris LLP to respond to the meshing of the two sectors by integrating its sports and gambling law groups.

  • May 05, 2026

    Deutsche, Pathward Want Fintech Blacklist Suit Tossed

    Deutsche Bank AG and Pathward NA urged a New York federal court to dismiss a suit accusing them of improperly blacklisting a barter-based payment platform that the banks found was "transaction laundering" for companies selling gray-market pharmaceuticals, arguing that the suit's jurisdiction assertions are fatal to the claims.

  • May 05, 2026

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In April

    Judges in Suffolk County Superior Court's business litigation session in Massachusetts sent two cases to arbitration and weighed in on disputes over trade secrets and tradespeople in recent rulings.

  • May 04, 2026

    'What Will Take Me To $1B?': Trial Probes OpenAI Exec's Diary

    OpenAI President Greg Brockman's private journal took center stage Monday in a California federal jury trial over Elon Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion, revealing that just days after telling Musk that OpenAI would remain a nonprofit, Brockman privately asked himself, "What will take me to $1B?"

  • May 04, 2026

    Nexstar Tells Justices DirecTV Fee Case Creates Circuit Split

    Nexstar is not pleased with the Second Circuit's decision to revive DirecTV's antitrust suit accusing the broadcasting giant of trying to fix the price of retransmission fees, and it's hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will step in and overturn the ruling.

  • May 04, 2026

    Exxon Execs Never Pressured Profitability Analysts, Jury Hears

    Former Exxon Chief Executive Rex Tillerson testified Monday that the company's top brass never pressured employees to make the company's holdings seem more profitable than they were, telling a jury in Texas federal court that he stood by the reports the company issued to investors.

  • May 04, 2026

    Calif. Firm Accused Of Withholding Fees From Dying Partner

    The wife of a late Carpenter & Zuckerman LLP partner says the firm withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from her husband before he died of cancer, claiming he spent his final months "pleading for funds" and living in "constant fear" that he would die without securing financial security for his family.

  • May 04, 2026

    Lee & Hayes Wins Liability Ruling In Fee Fight With Ex-Client

    An Idaho-based 3D printing firm broke a fee contract with its former legal counsel at Lee & Hayes PC, a Washington federal judge ruled Monday, rejecting the company's contention that the firm had agreed to reduce its $7.2 million contingency fee to a $3 million fixed rate.

  • May 04, 2026

    Spirit Airlines' Demise To Reshape Low-Cost Competition

    Rival airlines have scrambled to boost routes, plug service gaps and snatch up Spirit Airlines customers in the two days since the budget carrier's demise, raising alarms about what other casualties might be in store for an airline industry reeling from skyrocketing jet fuel costs.

  • May 04, 2026

    Utility Districts Violated Canada-US River Treaty, Judge Says

    A federal judge found Monday that a group of public utility districts in Washington state had breached the U.S.' Columbia River Treaty by failing to contribute their pledged share of hydroelectric power to Canada.

Expert Analysis

  • State Carbon Cost Disparities Are Pivotal In Data Center Siting

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    When choosing U.S. data center locations, developers must carefully consider the patchwork of state and regional carbon emission pricing regimes that are layered on top of the federal permitting framework, creating compliance cost differentials that could add up to billions of dollars, say attorneys at Davis Graham.

  • Series

    Watching Hallmark Movies Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I realize you may be judging me for watching, and actually enjoying, Hallmark Channel movies, but the escapism and storylines actually demonstrate qualities and actions that lead to an efficient, productive and positive legal practice, says Karen Ross at Tucker Ellis.

  • Keys To Federal Carbon Compliance In Data Center Siting

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    Recent statements from the White House and state governors about making data centers pay for their own power infrastructure have underlined the importance of choosing locations, generation technologies and deal structures to optimize carbon, permitting and compliance costs, say attorneys at Davis Graham.

  • Why The Road To Final Four Runs Through The Courthouse

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    As universities navigate a new college sports landscape in which courts decide eligibility, injunctions shape rosters and contract precision determines competitive stability, they should professionalize their NIL contracting, plan for emergency relief, and prepare for eligibility and damages disputes, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • 5 Tips For Navigating Your Firm's All-Attorney Summit

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Law firm retreats should be approached strategically, as they present valuable opportunities to advance both the firm's objectives and attorneys' professional development through meaningful participation, building and strengthening internal relationships, and proactive follow-up, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • How Bankrupt Cos. Can Seek Refunds For Illegal Tariffs

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    In light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision striking down President Donald Trump's International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs as illegal, some companies may have strong prospects for recovering refunds from the government, and trustees in bankruptcy may have a significant role to play in seeking such recovery, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • 5 Gov't Contractor Tips Following Anthropic Risk Designation

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    The Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk is an unprecedented action that raises significant legal questions, and with government contractors already receiving directives and inquiries concerning their use of Anthropic products and services, there are several strategies contractors can use to manage risk, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Duke Energy Settlement Raises Key Antitrust Questions

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    The recent federal court settlement in Duke Energy v. NTE Carolinas II comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's failure to address a Fourth Circuit decision in the matter, calling into question the core purpose and effect of antitrust laws, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • How Data Centers Can Prep For Legal Challenges Amid War

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    Amid conflict in the Middle East, data centers may now be exposed to state-level kinetic threats, creating significant legal, regulatory and contractual implications, so operators should update their legal and operational frameworks in order to withstand future disruptions and meet the regulator expectations, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Coaching Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching youth soccer for my 7-year-old son's team has sharpened how I communicate with clients, prepare witnesses, work within teams and think about leadership, making me a more thoughtful and effective lawyer in many ways, says Joshua Holt at Smith Currie.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: The Human Element

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    Law school teaches you to quickly apply intellect and logic when handling a legal issue, but every fact pattern also involves a person, making the ability to balance expertise with empathy critical to the growth of relationships with clients, colleagues and adversaries, says Rachel Adcox at Adcox Strategies.

  • Time Limit Case Highlights How Justices Apply Federal Rules

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    In Coney Island Auto Parts Unlimited v. Burton, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the minority in a circuit split on when a litigant can seek relief from an allegedly void judgment — but the decision's most important lessons may be about the high court's interpretive approach to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Avoid The Unexpected When Drafting License Agreements

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in Commave v. Zevrain raises several practice points for attorneys drafting commercial contracts, underscoring the importance of considering anti-assignment provisions, specific exclusions and potential carveouts when drafting license agreements or other commercial contracts, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • A Reliable Liability Shield For Government-Sponsored R&D

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    The Federal Circuit's decision in Arlton v. AeroVironment last month confirms that the Section 1498 liability-shifting framework applies well beyond production contracts, providing powerful assurance that contractors performing government-directed work are shielded from patent infringement liability, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • The Benefits Of Choosing A Niche Practice In The AI Age

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    As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible, lawyers with a niche practice may stand out as clients seek specialized judgment that automation cannot replicate, but it is important to choose a niche that is durable, engaging and a good personal fit, says Daniel Borneman at Lowenstein Sandler.

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