OpenAI CEO Altman Fueled 'Toxic Culture Of Lying,' Jury Told

By Dorothy Atkins

California federal jurors weighing Elon Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion on Thursday watched prerecorded testimony from a former OpenAI board member who voted to oust CEO Sam Altman in 2023 over concerns his pattern of lies and deception fostered a "toxic culture of lying."  

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

J&J Feared FDA's 'Disturbing Proposal' To Test Talc, Jury Told

By Craig Clough

A former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner testifying Thursday in a Los Angeles bellwether trial over claims Johnson & Johnson's talc products caused three women's deadly ovarian cancer described an internal document showing J&J feared the FDA's "disturbing proposal" to test the talc instead of relying on industry self-testing.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Blake Lively's Attys Say Justin Baldoni Fight Not Quite Over

By Lauren Berg

Though Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled her claims accusing his production company of orchestrating a smear campaign after she accused her "It Ends With Us" co-star of sexually harassing her, the actress' attorneys told a New York federal judge Thursday that there's still a dispute over damages and fees.

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

Meta Seeks To Toss LA Jury's Social Media Addiction Verdict

By Bonnie Eslinger

Meta and its Instagram platform asked a Los Angeles judge to override a landmark jury verdict awarding millions of dollars in damages to a woman claiming she became addicted to the social media site as a child, saying in the alternative they deserve a new trial.

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

Taylor Swift Says Vegas Artist Sought 'Showgirl' Confusion

By Lauren Berg

Taylor Swift clapped back at a Las Vegas performer accusing the pop powerhouse of infringing her "Confessions of a Showgirl" trademark, telling a California federal judge it's her accuser who has impermissibly "flooded" her social media with posts mimicking "The Life of a Showgirl" to capitalize on Swift's fame.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Warren Asks Meta About Reported Stablecoin Payment Plans

By Sarah Jarvis

The top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee has called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to provide more information about the company's reported plans to introduce stablecoin-based payment features for its users, accusing it of a "deeply troubling" lack of transparency about the project.

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

Blue States Say Trump Admin Can't Duck Energy Order Suit

By Keith Goldberg

Blue states have urged a federal judge to keep alive their lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's declaration of a national energy emergency, saying every action that's been taken by federal agencies to fast-track nonemergency energy activities flows from that order.

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

Insurer Beats Calif. Health Group's Discovery Costs Suit

By Danielle Ferguson

A California federal judge said Wednesday that an insurer did not have to reimburse the state's largest private health foundation for roughly $400,000 in discovery costs it incurred during an executive's now-settled wrongful termination suit, finding the foundation failed to get the insurer's consent before running up the bill.  

Summary Judgment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Proposed Meta Age Reforms Echo Europe Efforts, Judge Told

By Cara Salvatore

An online safety expert testified Thursday that Meta would not be unduly burdened by age-verification reforms New Mexico's attorney general is seeking in a $3.7 billion bench trial over harm to teen users of its social media platforms, given that European regulators in recent weeks announced nearly identical demands.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Meta Says Section 230 Bars Wash. Driver's Viral Video Claims

By Rachel Riley

Meta moved Wednesday to exit a Washington state woman's lawsuit claiming she was maligned online after a secret dashcam video of her texting while driving went viral, contending Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act safeguards the social media giant from liability for posts on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

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

'Miscarriage Of Justice' Wipes Out $2.5M Injury Verdict

By Y. Peter Kang

A New Jersey state appeals court has tossed a $2.5 million verdict in a lawsuit accusing Public Storage of causing a woman's fall injuries, saying it was a "miscarriage of justice" for the lower court to allow repeated references to irrelevant evidence by the plaintiff's counsel.

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

Dems Press Big 3 Bureaus On BNPL Credit Reporting Gaps

By Sarah Jarvis

Democratic U.S. senators are calling on the "Big Three" credit bureaus to explain how they're adapting their consumer credit scoring and reporting to account for buy-now-pay-later products, citing concerns about inconsistent tracking of a fast-growing source of everyday purchase financing.

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

Ye Used Infringing Song As Listening Party 'Lure,' Jury Told

By Rae Ann Varona

A damages expert for an artists rights holding company told a California federal jury on Thursday that Ye owes over $500,000 in damages for allegedly using an unauthorized sound recording in an early version of his Grammy-winning song "Hurricane," saying Ye used it to "lure" fans into the lucrative listening party.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Live Nation Says Judge Should Decide Shooting Liability

By Ben Adlin

Live Nation asked a Washington state judge to bifurcate a lawsuit accusing the entertainment giant of failing to prevent a fatal shooting at the 2023 Beyond Wonderland music festival, arguing that it's up to the court to decide whether the company is liable and up to a jury to determine damages.

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

SAG-AFTRA Wants Out Of Singer's 'Furious 7' Royalties Suit

By Katherine Smith

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and its intellectual property rights distribution fund are seeking to escape a singer's lawsuit filed in California federal court claiming underpayment for his vocals in a song used in the film "Furious 7," arguing the claims are barred by federal law.

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

Bowlers Sue Lucky Strike Over 'Starbucks Of Bowling' Tactics

By Elaine Briseño

Lucky Strike has been engaging in a yearslong anticompetitive scheme to acquire rival bowling alleys across the United States so it can drive up costs and increase its own profits, while diminishing the experience of bowlers, a group of customers has alleged.

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

Catering Co. Misclassified Delivery Drivers, Suit Says

By Benjamin Morse

Delivery drivers for a catering platform were misclassified as independent contractors and denied minimum wages and overtime pay, according to a proposed class action in California state court.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Man Gets 2½ Years For Swindling $2M From Ill. Investor

By Celeste Bott

A California man has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for bilking $2 million from an Illinois investor through a fraudulent scheme in which he promised a substantial return but instead spent the money on personal expenses, including luxury vintage automobiles.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Backs Lead Choice In Super Micro Investor Fraud Suit

By Rachel Riley

A Ninth Circuit panel has refused to undo a California federal court order rejecting Crain Walnut Shelling's bid to lead a securities class action against Super Micro Computers Inc., concluding Thursday the lower court properly determined other investors had shown the nut processor wasn't fit to spearhead the case.

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

Chip Co. Must Face Suit Over Apple Biz Loss, Judge Says

By Sydney Price

Semiconductor manufacturer Skyworks must face a proposed shareholder class action accusing it of downplaying the financial impact of its diminished business relationship with Apple, with the court finding the investors plausibly show the company concealed relevant information before revealing last year it would pull back its revenue expectations.

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

Pharma Cos. Hit With $2M Judgment Over CBD Investor Fraud

By Mike Curley

A California federal judge has issued final judgments against a pharmaceutical company, its CEO and an affiliate on claims from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they defrauded investors of $6.6 million, hitting them with more than $2 million in damages and civil penalties.

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

Agri Stats Reaches Meat Price-Fixing Deal With States, DOJ

By Hailey Konnath

Agri Stats has agreed to stop putting together certain sales reports for broiler chicken processors to resolve the U.S. Department of Justice's allegations that those reports enabled price-fixing by meat processors, according to an announcement made Thursday.

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

Judge Wants States To Outline Live Nation Antitrust Remedies

By Matthew Perlman

A New York federal judge asked state enforcers on Thursday to outline the remedies they intend to seek from Live Nation, along with the discovery they expect to need, before deciding a schedule for the next steps in the antitrust case against the major live entertainment company.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

California Tribe Seeks Summary Win Over Opioid Clinic Denial

By Crystal Owens

A California tribe is seeking a summary judgment win after a federal judge rejected its bid for a preliminary injunction to force the Indian Health Service to approve a funding agreement for an opioid treatment clinic, arguing that the agency can't reject the offer because it expands services to non-Indians.

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

Barnes & Thornburg Lands Nixon Peabody Entertainment Trio

By Madison Arnold

Three entertainment attorneys from Nixon Peabody LLP have moved their practice to Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles and Nashville, Tennessee, the firm announced Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ.'s Silence Prolongs Uncertainty On Cemex Framework

By affirming a bargaining order in Cemex Construction Materials v. National Labor Relations Board without opining on the NLRB’s 2023 expansion of its authority to issue such orders, the Ninth Circuit avoided direct conflict with the Sixth Circuit’s rejection of the same framework, prolonging uncertainty for employers facing union elections, say attorneys at Dinsmore & Shohl.

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

Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Surveying The CFTC Campaign To Control Prediction Markets

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is simultaneously asserting exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets and signaling aggressive enforcement within them, a combination that will reshape the regulatory landscape for event contract platforms — pending the outcome of several court cases throughout the country and a likely circuit split, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Speed Jigsaw Puzzling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

By Laura Stewart Liberty

The past week in London has seen Morrisons sued by a former logistics partner, EDF and Cripps LLP face a claim brought by a family estate near Hinkley Point C and a former BBC broadcaster file a defamation claim against a Welsh news site over articles linking her to Russian state media and conspiracy theories. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Morgan Lewis Hires 2 More Hunton Litigators

By Andrea Keckley

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced on Friday that it has hired two more attorneys from Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP to build up its litigation bench.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Legal Industry Bounces Back, Gaining 2,400 Jobs In April

By Tracey Read

The legal sector is once again on a positive trajectory, gaining 2,400 jobs last month, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Paul Weiss Says Atty Cuts Were Part Of Performance Reviews

By Daniel Moritz-Rabson

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP told Law360 on Friday that the firm has parted ways with some attorneys following an annual review process.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Top Atty In DOJ Appeal Over Law Firm Exec Orders To Depart

By Jake Maher

The lead federal prosecutor on the Trump administration's appeal to reinstate executive orders targeting four law firms is stepping down from his government role at the end of May, he publicly announced this week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

The National Immigrant Justice Center and the American Civil Liberties Union lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a split Seventh Circuit panel rejected the Trump administration's argument that immigrants unlawfully in the United States have no due process rights.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits section said agency investigations will focus on benefit plan managers' loyalty conflicts, including pursuit of socially conscious goals. Meanwhile, Dell became the latest company to consider Texas as its new legal home. These are among the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Prosecutor Faces Probe Into Withheld Immigration Case Info

By Bonnie Eslinger

The lead assistant federal prosecutor for Rhode Island's civil division is under investigation for allegedly withholding information in an immigration case, according to an order from the Ocean State's top federal judge.

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

DLA Piper Accused Of 'Frivolous' Suit To Please Chipotle GC

By Gina Kim

DLA Piper aggressively litigated a "frivolous" computer fraud lawsuit against a nonprofit volunteer in order to appease the then-general counsel of Chipotle, a client, who referred the case to the firm, according to a malicious-prosecution complaint filed Thursday in California state court. 

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

In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

By Adam LoBelia

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »