BDO $1.3B ESOP Fight Dismissed On Standing Grounds

By Kellie Mejdrich

A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday dismissed a proposed class action against BDO USA alleging the accounting and tax advisory firm's $1.3 billion deal to create an employee stock ownership plan violated federal benefits law, holding the worker who sued couldn't show that the transaction injured him.

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Food Service Co. Faulted For Improper Tobacco Surcharge

By Grace Elletson

A Missouri federal judge handed a win to a class of workers who claimed food service company Compass Group USA hit them with an illegal extra health plan fee if they used tobacco, finding the company didn't properly refund the surcharge as required under federal benefits law.

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Biz Groups Back Health System's Win In 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

By Patrick Hoff

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an employee benefit administrator trade group backed a Louisiana healthcare system's win over a lawsuit challenging its use of forfeited 401(k) funds to cover employer contributions, telling the Fifth Circuit that federal regulations have greenlighted the practice for decades.

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Brief

Architecture Consulting Co. Inks $750K Deal In ERISA Suit

By Grace Elletson

Architecture, engineering and consulting company Ramboll Limited will pay $750,000 to resolve a class action claiming it failed to kick an underperforming investment fund out of its retirement plan, the workers behind the suit have told a New York federal judge.

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Brief

Puerto Rico Workers Ink $3M In Deals To End Pension Fight

By Grace Elletson

A federal judge approved $3 million in settlements that a group of workers reached with Puerto Rico's largest bank among other companies to resolve claims that they were stiffed on benefits after their retirement plan shuttered.

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Brief

DOJ Appeals New Trial Order In Ex-NFL Player's Fraud Case

By Tom Lotshaw

The U.S. Department of Justice said it's asking the Fifth Circuit to review a Texas federal judge's decision to grant a new trial for a former NFL player convicted in a $328 million Medicare billing scheme.

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Brief

Accused In $91M Health Plan Scam Asks To Halt FTC Suit

By David Minsky

A woman accused of running a $91 million fraudulent health benefits scheme with her brother urged a Florida federal court on Monday to pause the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against her if related criminal charges proceed in court. 

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Ex-Josh Cellars Prez Can Keep Litigation Funding Out Of Trial

By Hailey Konnath

A Connecticut judge on Monday refused to allow companies behind the Josh Cellars wine brand to introduce an ex-president's alleged litigation funding deals during an upcoming trademark royalties trial, finding that the agreements aren't relevant to his $4 million contract and fiduciary duty claims against his former employers.

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DOJ Or Trump: Judge Asks Who Is Deciding Golf Course Plan

By Jared Foretek

Trump administration lawyers continued to insist at a hearing Monday there is no final plan to remake East Potomac Golf Course, and they changed their tune about whether one would require environmental review, despite new social media posts from the president announcing that work on the overhaul would begin "immediately."

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Wood Smith, Charlesbank Capital Ink Pioneering MSO Deal

By Emma Cueto

Insurance defense firm Wood Smith Henning & Berman has inked a deal to take investment from middle market investment firm Charlesbank Capital Partners via a managed services organization, according to an announcement Monday, the largest U.S. firm to announce such a move.

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Brief

Arizona Court Approves State's First Non-ABA Law School

By Emma Cueto

The Arizona Supreme Court has approved the state's first law school not accredited by the American Bar Association, citing the need to increase the number of lawyers per capita in the state and provide more affordable options for legal education.

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Court Denies Gov't Bid To DQ Susman Godfrey In ABA's Suit

By Andrea Keckley

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has denied the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to disqualify Susman Godfrey LLP from representing the American Bar Association in its lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's executive orders against multiple major law firms. 

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Trump Taps DOJ Official, Federal Prosecutor For Judgeships

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated a senior U.S. Department of Justice attorney for a Nebraska federal judgeship and an assistant U.S. attorney for a seat on the Northern District of Indiana bench.

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Rogoff Tells 9th Circ. His Firing Furthers Trump's 'Evil' Plan

By Ben Adlin

Roger Rogoff urged the Ninth Circuit to affirm a lower judge's order reinstating him as Seattle's top federal prosecutor, asserting in a filing Friday that he's entitled to keep the court-appointed U.S. attorney position until President Donald Trump fills the role with a Senate-confirmed nominee.

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Proskauer Says It Didn't Drop Reddit To Defend Perplexity

By Lauren Berg

Proskauer Rose LLP and Perplexity AI are urging a New York federal judge to allow the law firm to represent the artificial intelligence company in Reddit's suit over alleged data scraping, balking at the social media platform's argument that its one-time law firm can't represent its current opponent.

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What The Justices Won't Hear: A Roundup Of Cert Denials

By Taylor Bowie

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up cases from Google, a U.S. Navy contractor, and other appellate hopefuls on Monday, according to an order list.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court last week blocked Cloudflare Inc. from completing a restructuring meant to preserve its founders' voting control, while Tower Semiconductor Ltd. accused Intel Corp. of backing out of a semiconductor manufacturing agreement and social media company Triller Group Inc. challenged its removal from Nasdaq.

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