Commercial Contracts

  • May 12, 2026

    Drone Co. Skirts Unfair Biz Practices Claim In Ex-VP's Pay Suit

    North Carolina's Business Court pared down a dispute between a company that makes emergency response drones and its former vice president of sales, finding his claim that the company misled him about its intent to pay him a bonus doesn't rise to the level of an unfair or deceptive business practice.

  • May 12, 2026

    Ex-Palantir Workers Get Trade Secret Suit Sent To Arbitration

    A New York federal judge Tuesday sent to arbitration Palantir Technologies Inc.'s lawsuit accusing three former employees of absconding with its confidential intellectual property for their rival company, Percepta AI.

  • May 12, 2026

    NCAA Wants Final Whistle On 1983 Team's Appeal Of NIL Suit

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association urged North Carolina justices to keep out of bounds a name, image and likeness lawsuit from members of a 1983 North Carolina State University championship basketball team, arguing that a lower court was right to find the suit several decades expired.

  • May 12, 2026

    NJ, ICE Pause Fight Over Planned Immigrant Detention Center

    The state of New Jersey and one of its municipalities on Tuesday temporarily paused their bid to block a planned immigration detention center after reaching an agreement with federal officials that halts most work at the site pending further environmental review.

  • May 12, 2026

    Fla. Court Won't Move Panther Habitat Suit To Different Judge

    A Florida federal judge denied a request Tuesday by a developer to move an Endangered Species Act suit challenging the approval of a project that environmental groups alleged encroaches on habitats for the federally protected Florida panther to another judge in the district, ruling that transfer is not warranted.

  • May 12, 2026

    Fox Rothschild Adds Trial Partner From Nelson Mullins In Fla.

    Fox Rothschild LLP has expanded its litigation department in West Palm Beach, Florida, with a new partner from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.

  • May 12, 2026

    Investor Says AI Startup Duped Him Out Of $10M

    A Pennsylvania investor has sued LifeBrand Inc.'s founder, executives, a financial adviser and two financial institutions in the Delaware Chancery Court, claiming they used inflated business claims, hidden commissions and insider payouts to induce him to put more than $10 million into the social media monitoring startup.

  • May 12, 2026

    Dinsmore Grows With Addition Of Litigation Firm In Chicago

    Dinsmore & Shohl LLP has expanded its footprint in Chicago with the addition of litigation and advisory firm Galarnyk & Associates Ltd. and its three-attorney team.

  • May 12, 2026

    Pot Co. Claims Attys Filed 'Malicious' Suit To Hide Asset Theft

    A Colorado cannabis company is suing a former director as well as Snell & Wilmer LLP and an attorney with Martin & Hyman LLC, alleging "malicious prosecution" in the form of a frivolous suit that was cover for a theft of assets.

  • May 12, 2026

    SPAC, Investors Sue Aesthetics Co. Over Failed $250M Merger

    Viveon Health Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, and several investors have sued Townsgate Village Inc., formerly known as Suneva Medical Inc., in the Delaware Chancery Court, alleging that the aesthetics company strung them along in a failed $250 million special purpose acquisition company merger while secretly looking for another deal.

  • May 12, 2026

    Female Medtronic Manager's Firing Driven By Bias, Court Told

    Medtronic fired a longtime manager for disciplining a male subordinate and raising concerns about gender discrimination and retaliation, the worker told a Colorado state court.

  • May 12, 2026

    Employee Benefits Atty Joins Freshfields From Debevoise

    Freshfields LLP has hired a former Debevoise & Plimpton LLP attorney who focuses on the employment and executive compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.

  • May 11, 2026

    NJ Justices Back Coverage Exclusion Reservation Of Rights

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Monday said an insurer doesn't waive its right to rely on a policy exclusion after initially defending a claim, backing Berkley Insurance Co. in a coverage dispute stemming from self-dealing suits against a pharmaceutical company and its chairman.

  • May 11, 2026

    Boeing's 737 Max Deceit Cost Airline Over $150M, Jury Told

    Counsel for LOT Polish Airlines kicked off trial in a fraud suit against Boeing on Monday, telling a Seattle federal jury that the aerospace giant caused more than $150 million in losses after 737 Max jets the airline leased became "giant paperweights" amid a global grounding tied to two catastrophic crashes.

  • May 11, 2026

    Wash. Says Novartis Isn't Harmed By 340B Drug Pricing Law

    Washington is objecting to Novartis' attempt to block a state law that expands the discounts the drugmaker must provide under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, telling a federal court that worry about losing money doesn't constitute irreparable harm.

  • May 11, 2026

    Cannabis Co. Can't Block Discovery Despite Dismissed Claim

    A California state court denied a cannabis dispensary operator's request to block discovery, ruling that an investor who allegedly loaned it $1.2 million can continue seeking evidence even though his breach of contract claim had been dismissed.

  • May 11, 2026

    5th Circ. Wary To Flip IP Suit's 'Case-Terminating Sanctions'

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed skeptical of a bid to undo "case-terminating sanctions" that a lower court leveled against a servicing company accused of stealing Philips North America LLC's trade secrets, saying Monday that the company admitted to deleting some files to cover its tracks.

  • May 11, 2026

    Colo. Trial Firm Seeks Fees Ruling In Case Against Injury Firm

    A trial law firm asked a Colorado state court to determine whether a personal injury firm the trial firm contracted with is entitled to fees after the defendant terminated the firms' of-counsel agreement and did so, the trial firm alleged, without good faith.

  • May 11, 2026

    Pharma CEO's Role In Ex-Exec's Contract Permits Deposition

    North Carolina's business court has refused to shield the CEO of biopharmaceutical firm United Therapeutics Corp. from being deposed in a trade secrets lawsuit against a former executive and his new employer, finding it reasonable to believe she was an "ultimate decision-maker."

  • May 11, 2026

    Fla. Panel Denies Arbitration In Nursing Home Death Suit

    A Florida state appellate court denied an arbitration bid in a wrongful death suit brought by the son of an elderly man who died in a nursing home, ruling Monday that the patient lacked the mental capacity to sign an agreement upon being admitted to the facility. 

  • May 11, 2026

    Packaging Co. Wins 2nd Block On Rival's Insulated Container

    A cold storage packaging company has won a second injunction barring a rival manufacturer from selling an insulated shipping container that allegedly infringes its patents, according to a North Carolina federal judge's order.

  • May 11, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Won't Rehear NASA Contractor Patent Fight

    The Federal Circuit declined to reconsider its ruling siding with a district court's decision to grant summary judgment to a NASA contractor over claims the contractor infringed a rotary wing vehicle patent owned by two California brothers.

  • May 11, 2026

    NC Tech Co. Says Supplier Botched Raytheon Battery Deal

    A manufacturer hired by defense contractor Raytheon to develop 270-volt battery packs for powering a weapon on the military's Apache helicopters has accused a business partner of repeatedly failing to meet various delivery deadlines for parts needed to produce the units.

  • May 11, 2026

    Brewery Says Eviction Bid Chases Profit From FIFA World Cup

    A Houston brewery asked a Texas state court on Monday to block its landlord from evicting it ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alleging the landlord manufactured lease defaults to retake the property and profit from its location near Houston's planned tournament fan zone.

  • May 11, 2026

    Ex-US Rep. Faces $1.4M Sanction In Venezuela Contract Fight

    Former Florida Congressman David Rivera, who was found guilty this month of failing to register as a foreign agent, is now facing a nearly $1.4 million sanction in New York, where the U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state-owned oil company sued his consulting firm over a $50 million agreement that fell apart.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • Assessing Material Adverse Event Clauses Amid Iran Conflict

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    As deals signed before the current Middle East conflict come under pressure, determinations over material adverse effect clauses are arising in real time, and whether an MAE has been wrongfully invoked may be as consequential as whether it was validly established in the first place, say Amran Nawaz and Ralph Stobwasser at Secretariat.

  • Navigating Insurance And Contract Risks Amid Hormuz Crisis

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    The Strait of Hormuz has become a legal choke point where contractual obligations, insurance coverage and international law intersect, underscoring for maritime lawyers the importance of proactive contract drafting, rigorous policy review and close engagement with clients, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Notable Q1 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Notable insurance class action decisions from the first quarter of the year included reminders about the statute of limitations as a key defense for claims relating to allegedly deficient forms, the importance of focus on the specific contract at issue and further guidance on the contours of Rule 23, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

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    As first-quarter broker claims reports reveal that materiality disputes remain a key driver of representations and warranties insurance claims, the scarce case law in this area indicates that including a materiality scrape provision in an RWI policy may aid policyholders with recovery, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Speed Jigsaw Puzzling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My passion for speed puzzling — I can complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in under 50 minutes — has sharpened my legal skills in more ways than one, with both disciplines requiring patience, precision and the ability to keep the bigger picture in mind while working through the details, says Tazia Statucki at Proskauer.

  • Enviro Ruling And A New Law Signal Shift In La. Legacy Cases

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    Together, a Louisiana state court decision in WMH Farms v. Apache Corp. and an incoming statutory regime signal a sea change for legacy litigation in Louisiana, as courts make it harder to establish proof of contamination, and lawmakers narrow available remedies once contamination is proven, says Philip Wood at Jones Walker.

  • DOJ's Stance On Antitrust And Patent Law Reflects Balance

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    Recent statements of interest in patent litigation and a speech from a key U.S. Department of Justice official communicate the view that strong patent rights and competition policy are complementary, and offer important guidance for intellectual property practitioners and businesses navigating patent enforcement, standard‑setting and licensing, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • 2 AI Snafus Show Why Attys Can't Outsource Judgment

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    The recent incident involving Sullivan & Cromwell where citations in a filed motion were fabricated by artificial intelligence, as well as a punitive ruling from the Sixth Circuit in U.S. v. Farris, demonstrate that the obligation to supervise AI has belonged and always will belong to lawyers, says John Powell at the Kentucky School Boards Association.

  • Assessing The 9th Circ.'s Recent Stock Drop Dismissal Trend

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    The recent decision in Nova Scotia Health Employees' Pension Plan v. Comerica is an important circuit-level addition to the growing trend of Ninth Circuit securities class action dismissals on loss causation grounds, which have used a contextual analysis premised on stock drops that are modest, typical and short-lived, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Series

    Playing Magic: The Gathering Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The competitive card game Magic: The Gathering offers me a training ground for the strategic thinking skills crucial to litigation, challenging me to adapt to oft-updated rules, analyze text as complicated as any statute and anticipate my opponent’s next moves, says Christopher Smith at Lash Goldberg.

  • Improving Well-Being In Law, 10 Years After Landmark Study

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    An important 2016 study revealed significant substance abuse and mental health issues among lawyers, and while the findings helped normalize the conversation around these topics, a decade later, structural change is still needed, says Denise Robinson at PLI.

  • Contract Language Reigned Supreme In Bancorp Dismissal

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    A Minnesota federal court's recent dismissal of claims over U.S. Bancorp's cash sweep program underscores that clear contractual disclosures hold weight in class actions, demonstrating the power of contract language that plainly indicates terms, fiduciary limits and institutional benefits to customers, says Quin Seiler at Winthrop & Weinstine.

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