Life Sciences

COVID IP Waiver Doesn't Resolve Vaccine Production Barriers

Given the lack of know-how and other legal and technical hurdles associated with producing COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries, and the potential harm to U.S. industry, the Biden administration's backing of a temporary waiver on intellectual property protections may be merely a gesture of goodwill, says William Bergmann at BakerHostetler.

Challenging Class Cert. When Plaintiffs Missed 'False' Ad

False advertising class action plaintiffs often target language from a defendant's marketing materials or product label — but a defendant may be able to challenge class certification with evidence that many class members did not see the statement in question, say Michael Schwartz and Maren Messing at Patterson Belknap.

Judge's Rebuke Of Mass. AG Has Lessons For All Attorneys

A Massachusetts federal judge’s recent rebuke of the state Attorney General’s Office for refusing to respond to discovery requests in Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Healey highlights six important considerations for attorneys who want to avoid the dreaded benchslap, say Alison Eggers and Dallin Wilson at Seyfarth.  

Font Considerations To Give Your Legal Briefs An Edge

Following the D.C. Circuit’s recent notice discouraging use of the font Garamond in legal briefs, Jason Steed at Kilpatrick looks at typeface requirements and preferences in appellate courts across the country, and how practitioners can score a few extra brief-writing points with typography.

How Biden's First 100 Days Will Affect Gov't Contractors

Joseph Berger and Thomas Mason at Thompson Hine examine the significant opportunities for government contractors arising from actions during the first 100 days of the Biden administration, which set the stage for unprecedented investment in national infrastructure, domestic manufacturing, research and development, clean energy, pandemic response and economic recovery.

Opinion

Justices Must Resolve Off-Label Drug Warning Predicament

The U.S. Supreme Court should hear Janssen Pharmaceuticals v. AY, and rule that drugmakers are not required to include off-label warnings, in order to protect companies from being held liable for failing to do what federal law prohibits, say Sheldon Bradshaw and Lisa Dwyer at King & Spalding.

Make Profitability Management Part Of Your Law Firm Culture

As the legal industry continues to change in the post-pandemic world, law firms should adapt to client demands by constantly measuring and managing the profitability of their services, says Joseph Altonji at LawVision.

Drafting Clearer Patent Claims After Fed. Circ. L'Oreal Ruling

The Federal Circuit recently employed a flexible standard for constructing Olaplex's hair care patent claims in a case against L'Oreal, but more precise claim drafting could have avoided altogether a problem with claims for component amounts in product formulations, says Philip Hamzik at Wolf Greenfield.

4 Trends In Discoverability Of Litigation Funding Documents

Recent rulings shed light on how courts and international arbitration tribunals decide if litigation funding materials are discoverable and reaffirm best practices that attorneys should follow when communicating with funders, say Justin Maleson at Longford Capital and Michele Slachetka and Christian Plummer at Jenner & Block.

High Court's AMG Ruling Could Hinder FDA Enforcement

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in AMG Capital v. Federal Trade Commission, limiting the agency's ability to seek equitable monetary relief under the FTC Act, will likely also restrain the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, due to similarities between the laws, say Joshua Oyster and Jenna McCarthy at Ropes & Gray.

Expect Increasing Scrutiny Of Wage-Fixing, No-Poach Deals

Employers can expect more actions against wage-fixing or no-poach agreements as the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division cracks down on labor market collusion, so companies should consider tailoring these agreements on their scope, duration and definition of nonsolicitation, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

W.Va. Consumer Law Changes Offer Help For Finance Cos.

New amendments to the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act will help businesses in the state, particularly in the financial services industry, by better defining the process for presuit notice and opportunity to cure, and by making it easier to recover attorney fees, say Andrew Narod and Jared Searls at Bradley Arant.

Opinion

Keep Junk Science Away From Juries

Well-grounded scientific testimony in judicial proceedings has become more essential than ever, especially with large verdicts at stake in cases concerning hot-button issues like talc and climate change, so judges must act as gatekeepers to exclude unsound science from jury trials, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.

Bio-Rad Ruling Highlights IP Assignment Clause Limits

The Federal Circuit's recent holding in Bio-Rad v. International Trade Commission, that an assignment clause wasn’t enough to claim patent ownership where the conception date followed former inventors’ employment, shows companies and workers the importance of specificity in drafting contractual limitations, say Bryan Vogel and Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

Cannabis Legalization's Effects On Insurance Industry

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Resolution of the legal uncertainty presented by the dueling federal and state approaches to cannabis will pave the way for legal cannabis businesses to access the insurance protections the industry needs for everything from workers' compensation to auto insurance to general liability, says Christy Thiems at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.