DOL Won't Oppose Vacating ERISA Fiduciary Rule In Texas

By Kellie Mejdrich

An insurance trade group challenging the U.S. Department of Labor's regulations expanding the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act asked a Texas judge Wednesday to vacate the policies and said the DOL didn't oppose the request.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

3M Dodges Workers' Suit Over Retirement Fund Roster

By Patrick Hoff

3M escaped a proposed class action claiming it failed to remove underperforming investment options from its $12 billion employee retirement plans, with a Minnesota federal judge saying workers needed to do more to show that better-performing funds were comparable.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Anthem Beats Lab's $1.9M ERISA Payment Demand

By Brian Steele

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Connecticut has prevailed in a medical laboratory's $1.9 million contract and ERISA lawsuit over allegations the insurer refused to pay for out-of-network tests.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Shouldn't Touch $15.6M Pension Ruling, Fund Says

By Emily Brill

The U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't disturb the Eleventh Circuit's finding that a wholesale bakery company owes a union pension fund up to $15.6 million, the fund said, asking the justices not to accept a writ of certiorari petition from the company.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

VA, DOJ Cut Deal To Make Attys Mental Health Guardians

By Mark Payne

Under a new initiative, attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice will serve as legal guardians for some homeless veterans, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday, though some veterans advocates expressed concern that the new program could involuntarily coerce veterans experiencing mental health issues into institutional care.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ohio Hospital Defeats DaVita's Dialysis Discrimination Suit

By Hope Patti

An Ohio hospital and its health benefit plan did not discriminate against patients with end-stage renal disease by eliminating in-network coverage for dialysis, a federal court ruled, finding that dialysis provider DaVita Inc. failed to show the plan intended to harm participants.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Del. High Court Upholds Pioneer Win In $60B Exxon Deal Fight

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed a lower court ruling denying a union pension fund's request for additional internal communications related to the roughly $60 billion merger between Pioneer Natural Resources Co. and ExxonMobil Corp., concluding that the Delaware Chancery Court correctly rejected the stockholder's bid to obtain more emails and text messages from the company's former chief executive.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Insurer Demands $3.6M Repayment From Conn. City Over Fire

By Aaron Keller

Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association Insurance Co. is asking the city of New Haven, Connecticut, to repay nearly $3.6 million for settling two lawsuits surrounding the deaths of two rooming house residents in a fire, arguing the city breached an agreement to notify the insurer of any litigation.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-DOJ Atty Who Said 'This Job Sucks' Running For Congress

By Courtney Bublé

The former federal government lawyer detailed to Minnesota to help with immigration cases who last month told a federal judge "this job sucks" says she is running for Congress in the state.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

$600M IP Award, Quinn Emanuel Contempt Faulted On Appeal

By Ryan Davis

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday vacated a verdict against the maker of Norton antivirus software for infringing Columbia University patents and reversed a contempt ruling against Norton's former law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP that had caused the judgment to grow to just over $600 million.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feature

Exxon Cements Texas As Delaware's Emerging Rival

By Spencer Brewer

Last year, Vinson & Elkins partner Katherine Frank fielded about one call a week from companies thinking about redomiciling in Texas. Speaking to Law360 the day after ExxonMobil announced its plan to reincorporate in the Lone Star State due to its business-forward courts and policies, Frank said the callers fell into three categories.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Firm Probed In $4B LA Sex Abuse Deal Hit With UPL Charges

By Rachel Rippetoe

A co-founder of the Los Angeles personal injury firm facing investigation for its involvement in a record $4 billion sex abuse settlement against Los Angeles County was hit with disciplinary charges by the California State Bar, alleging the firm illegally practiced law outside the state.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Trump Cybercrime Order Creates New Compliance To-Do List

By Phillip Bantz

President Donald Trump's recent executive order calling for a coalition of government agencies to combat cybercrime is far more forceful than efforts under prior administrations, according to white collar lawyers, who tentatively applaud the proposal while warning it could raise new compliance risks.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

3 Attys Escape Ford's 'Retaliatory' Lemon Law RICO Suit

By Linda Chiem

A California federal judge has shut down Ford Motor Co.'s revised racketeering lawsuit accusing three attorneys affiliated with Knight Law Group LLP of orchestrating a massive fraudulent legal billing scheme, saying the attorneys' underlying conduct in pursuing lemon law litigation is shielded by First Amendment protections.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judges, Lawmakers Urge 4th Circ. To Affirm Halligan Ruling

By Ryan Boysen

Members of Congress and former federal judges have urged the Fourth Circuit to affirm that Lindsey Halligan was not properly appointed as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, saying the episode exemplifies why there are guardrails against installing political loyalists as federal prosecutors.

5 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »