Alphabet Investors Near Class Cert. In Google Probe Case

By Bonnie Eslinger

A California federal judge on Tuesday indicated she was leaning toward granting class certification for Alphabet Inc. investors in a suit against the Google parent company over an allegedly false statement CEO Sundar Pichai made to Congress in 2020 about the fairness of ad auctions.

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Meta, Others Can't Look At Internal Data To Probe Jury Pool

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge on Tuesday granted an uncontested bid by school district plaintiffs to bar Meta and other social media companies from using nonpublic information — including their internal data — to investigate potential jurors for an upcoming bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation over the alleged harms of social media addiction.

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Judiciary Panel Backs Legal Finance Project, Subpoena Rules

By Jeff Overley

Federal judiciary advisers agreed Tuesday to develop transparency obligations for litigation funders despite "vehement" views in the defense and plaintiffs bars, while also advancing controversial subpoena rules involving remote testimony and process servers.

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Westlake Inks $67M Antitrust Deal With PVC Pipe Buyers

By Hailey Konnath

Purchasers of polyvinyl chloride pipe urged an Illinois federal judge Tuesday to sign off on a proposed $67 million deal with Westlake Corp. that would put to rest allegations it and other PVC pipe producers conspired to fix prices, according to a motion filed in Illinois federal court.

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Foundation Building Investors Ink $26M Deal Over PE Buyout

By Katryna Perera

The CEO, controlling investor and board members of specialty building product maker Foundation Building Materials Inc. and others have reached a $26 million settlement with stockholders who challenged the company's $1.4 billion sale to a private equity buyer on claims that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties.

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Google Sued By Rival Over 'Interrelated Web' Of Monopolies

By Rae Ann Varona

Google's "anticompetitive chokehold" over Android app distribution and in-app billing markets has kept Portugal-based Android app store alternative Aptoide from being able to compete with the tech giant, Aptoide alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday in California federal court challenging Google's "interrelated web" of monopolies.

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Apple Users Slam 'Distorted' Antitrust Depo Sanctions Bid

By Lauren Berg

Phone users who accuse Google of suppressing rival search engines with anticompetitive deals slammed Apple's bid for sanctions over their counsel's allegedly "unrelenting and increasingly egregious" subpoena efforts, telling a California federal judge that the tech company's motion is based on a "distorted account of the discovery record."

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Investors Want Sanctions For Fake Citations In LGBCoin Suit

By Carolina Bolado

Investors in the "Let's Go Brandon" meme token urged a Florida federal judge Monday to issue "case-terminating sanctions" against the man behind the coin, saying he and his counsel have lied in discovery, disobeyed court orders and submitted fake legal citations in at least eight filings.

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Screening Time Deal Doesn't Bar Break Suit, Wash. Panel Says

By Benjamin Morse

An eldercare company's class settlement over COVID-19 screening time doesn't bar a separate suit claiming the company failed to pay workers for missed meal breaks, a Washington state appeals court ruled, reviving the break claims.

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Vehicle Co. Inks $150K Deal To End Tobacco Fee Suit

By Grace Elletson

International Motors LLC, formerly Navistar, has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a suit claiming the company illegally charged workers an extra $600 a year if they used tobacco without giving them a proper avenue to dodge the fee, according to an Illinois federal court filing.

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Rehab Programs Seek To DQ Participant's Counsel In Pay Suit

By Benjamin Morse

Several Texas-based addiction recovery program operators urged a federal court to disqualify a program participant's counsel in a Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit, arguing the attorney's prior involvement with the programs creates both a conflict of interest and a need for him to serve as a witness.

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Auto Parts Co. Workers Lose Class Certification Bid

By George Woolston

A North Carolina federal judge Tuesday declined to certify a proposed class of workers accusing an automobile parts company of shorting them on wages, but allowed a collective certification bid to stand for the time being.

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Brief

Aluminum Parts Maker Strikes $2M Deal To End ESOP Lawsuit

By Patrick Hoff

An aluminum components manufacturer will pay $2 million to resolve a proposed class action alleging it mismanaged its employee stock ownership plan by investing non-company assets too conservatively, according to a Tuesday filing in California federal court.

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Pomerantz To Lead Chinese Logistics Co. Investor Suit

By Sydney Price

Attorneys from Pomerantz LLP will lead a proposed class action alleging the share prices of China-based Jayud Global Logistics Ltd. were artificially inflated through fake social media posts hyping the company before suddenly collapsing by 95% in one day.

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AI Security Co. Investors Seek 1st OK For $15M Settlement

By Emilie Ruscoe

Investors in Evolv Technologies Holdings Inc. seek an initial nod for a $15 million deal to settle proposed class action claims that the company overstated the effectiveness of its flagship artificial intelligence-powered weapon detection service and improperly recognized millions in revenue from unpaid trial deals with customers.

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Del. Chancery Tosses Jenzabar Suit As Untimely, Defective

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court has dismissed a stockholder lawsuit against educational software company Jenzabar Inc. and its founder, finding the claims were procedurally flawed, too late and, in some respects, premature.

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Lead-Plaintiff Fight Comes First In LRN Suit, Chancery Says

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court signaled Tuesday that it will prioritize sorting out who can lead a long-running stockholder suit against LRN Corp.'s leaders before turning to the merits, as the judge pushed the parties toward a structured path forward after years of procedural detours.

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Marex Investor Drops Suit Over Alleged Short Seller Harm

By Emilie Ruscoe

An investor in U.K.-based financial services company Marex Group PLC has voluntarily tossed her proposed investor class action alleging the company hurt short sellers by using off-order book transactions with its subsidiaries to improperly inflate certain key accounting metrics for its market-making segment.

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Agri Stats' Price-Fix Settlement Receives Chicken Judge's OK

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge overseeing broiler chicken price-fixing litigation gave his early blessing Tuesday to a settlement that end users struck with Agri Stats Inc. that calls for the data service to either cease or substantially change the reports it compiles for protein industry subscribers.

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Mich. AG Says PBMs Can't Duck Drug-Pricing Suit

By Mark Payne

Two pharmacy benefit managers can't dodge an antitrust lawsuit accusing them of price-fixing reimbursement rates because Michigan has properly claimed an antitrust violation, state Attorney General Dana Nessel told a federal court, asking it to toss aside the PBMs' dismissal bid. 

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Turkey Cos. Denied Response To DOJ Price-Fix Intervention

By Bryan Koenig

An Illinois federal judge refused Friday to let Agri Stats, Tyson Foods and other turkey producers respond to the Justice Department statement of interest weighing in on private price-fixing litigation against them, finding "no need" when the court is already obligated to consider the legal precedent the agency raised.

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Trading Card Grading Deals Spark Antitrust Claims

By Matthew Perlman

Trading card collectors filed suit in California federal court Tuesday accusing Collectors Holdings Inc. of buying a pair of competitors in the trading card grading market in order to maintain its monopoly.

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Buyers Seek Final Approval Of $4.85M Bayer Benzene Deal

By Mike Curley

A class of consumers is asking a New Jersey federal court to give final approval of a $4.85 million settlement to resolve claims that Bayer US LLC's antifungal products were contaminated with benzene.

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Berkshire Hathaway Unit Gets Some Claims Limited In RV Suit

By Mike Curley

A Montana federal judge agreed to limit the scope of some class claims in a suit against a Berkshire Hathaway-owned RV maker, finding some claims are subject to the statute of limitations, while others can be tolled by the discovery rule.

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Parts Co.'s Suit Says Chrysler Drivers Can't Link It To Fraud

By Taylor Bowie

The manufacturer of seat height adjusters in Chrysler and Dodge vehicles has said it never directly sold defective products to Texas drivers bringing fraud claims in a federal proposed class action alleging the producer concealed a defect alongside the carmaker.

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Hims Didn't Protect Customer Data From Hackers, Suit Says

By Gina Kim

A Hims customer filed a proposed class action in California federal court Tuesday alleging the telehealth company, which provides prescription and over-the-counter medications for weight loss, sexual health, hair growth and personal care, failed to prevent a foreseeable data breach and waited two months to notify affected customers.

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UMich, Officials Seek Exit From Title IX Ex-Coach Hacking Suit

By Elaine Briseño

University of Michigan officials hoping to escape multidistrict litigation have said student-athletes cannot show the school or its staff were indifferent to the alleged sexual harassment the student-athletes endured after having their accounts hacked by a former assistant football coach.

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Michigan Judge OKs $13 Million Deal In Debt Collection Suit

By Susan Smiley

A Michigan federal judge has given final approval for a $13.1 million settlement to a class of some 5,300 debtors who complained that a creditor law firm charged unlawfully high post-judgment interest rates during debt collection.

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Judge Keeps Avène 'Preservative-Free' Labeling Lawsuit Alive

By Jonathan Capriel

The makers of the Avène skin care brand can't end a proposed class action accusing them of adding citric acid to products advertised as being free of preservatives, a California federal judge has ruled, saying whether the acid is considered a preservative is a question to be addressed later in the litigation.

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Colo. Supplement Co. Sent Unwanted Texts, Suit Says

By MJ Koo

A Colorado dietary supplement company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by bombarding consumers with unsolicited telemarketing text messages despite their numbers being listed on the national Do Not Call Registry, according to a proposed class action filed Tuesday in Colorado federal court.

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Tesla Drivers Urge 9th Circ. To Preserve False Ad Class

By Linda Chiem

California drivers have told the Ninth Circuit that they've offered sufficient evidence of Tesla's pervasive and misleading advertising to forge ahead with their certified class claims alleging Tesla deceived consumers into believing that its cars could fully drive themselves.

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Keurig Accused Of Falsely Labeling K-Cups Recyclable

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. is facing a proposed class action alleging it violated New York consumer protection statutes by deceptively labeling its popular K-Cup pods as recyclable.

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WWE, ESPN Push Arbitration In Viewers' 'Bait And Switch' Suit

By Rae Ann Varona

World Wrestling Entertainment and ESPN have urged a Connecticut federal court to make subscribers of the sports network arbitrate their allegations that WWE baited them into thinking they'd access ESPN's streaming service for free ahead of a premium livestreamed wrestling event, saying a subscriber agreement subjects the dispute to arbitration.

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OpenAI Says Musk Remedy Shift Leaves 'No Case Left To Try'

By Matthew Perlman

OpenAI is pushing back after Elon Musk said he would seek to have Sam Altman removed as the artificial intelligence company's CEO in a case challenging its conversion to a for-profit entity, telling a California federal court that the last-minute change adds a host of issues just weeks before trial.

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Pa. Justices Question US Steel's Duty To Pay Attys For Testing

By Matthew Santoni

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court questioned Tuesday whether a state law governing cleanup of hazardous sites allows neighbors of a long-closed zinc plant to sue for future remediation and health monitoring when the only costs so far had been incurred by lawyers who fronted the first round of testing.

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7th Circ. Suggests High Court Ruling Supports Ark. PBM Rule

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Seventh Circuit appeared reluctant Tuesday to revive a union fund's challenge to an Arkansas rule making health plans disclose pharmacy compensation and pay fees, with judges pointing to a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted state cost regulations on pharmacy benefit managers.

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Colo. Justices Weigh Bid To Restore Trans Youth Care

By Rachel Konieczny

Colorado's justices pushed Children's Hospital Colorado on Tuesday to explain how its decision to halt gender-affirming care for transgender youth patients is not discriminatory, even amid the federal government's threats to cut funding for providers that offer the care to children and adolescents.

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Experian Accused Of Reporting Fraudulent Pink Energy Loans

By Jared Foretek

A Virginia consumer is accusing Experian of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act by blindly listing inflated loan balances from the now-bankrupt Pink Energy solar panel scheme on consumers' reports, claiming in a new class action that the reporting agency ignored warnings from state regulators and continued showing overstated debts.

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Pullman & Comley Accused Of Acting As Town's Tax Office

By Aaron Keller

A Connecticut taxpayer has filed a proposed class action against Pullman & Comley LLC, one of its attorneys, the town of Woodstock and its official tax collector, accusing the town of illegally delegating authority and the firm of overstepping while working as an arm of the tax office.

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IOLTA Group Owed Notice Of Settlements, Mass. Justices Say

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court said Tuesday that a committee overseeing lawyers' trust accounts should have been given a chance to request potential leftover funds prior to a judge's approval of a class action settlement, but saw no reason to unwind the deal.

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Keys To Building Defensible Psychedelic Therapy Programs

Given the rapidly evolving legal environment for psychedelic therapies and heightened liability and compliance risks facing providers, meticulous documentation, robust risk management protocols, and proactive engagement with professional organizations and insurers are essential strategies, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and L. Alison McInnes at Mindful Health Solutions.

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Grassley Says Cruz And Lee Top His List If Alito Retires

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that if U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito were to retire then he would recommend the president nominate either Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

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Ginsburg Hack Conviction Upheld For Man Who Blamed Cat

By Craig Clough

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tuesday a former hospital transplant coordinator's conviction for illegally accessing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's healthcare records, upholding a ruling that the defendant was not improperly coerced when he told FBI agents a coworker or his cat may have been responsible.

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Analysis

IBM's FCA Deal Creates Unease Over DEI Enforcement Scope

By Madeline Lyskawa

IBM's agreement to pay the Trump administration $17 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act with policies aimed at increasing the diversity of its workforce continues to raise more questions than answers about what the administration views as illegal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

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Mintz Can't Halt Texas Malpractice Suit For Fee Fight In Mass.

By Elliot Weld

A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday declined Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC's request to halt a former client's legal malpractice case against the firm in Texas federal court while the two fight over a $2 million "success fee" the law firm claims it is owed.

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DC Circ. Halts Boasberg's 'Unnecessary' Alien Enemies Probe

By Britain Eakin

A split D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday halted for the second time U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's criminal contempt probe of Trump administration officials for willfully violating his order barring removals of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

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House Dem Threatens Bondi Contempt Over Epstein Files

By Courtney Bublé

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is looking to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt if she does not appear before the committee to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files.

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Grassley Hits 100 Judge Confirmations As 2 Clear Senate

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the 100th district judge under Sen. Chuck Grassley's leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Calif. Federal Judges Weigh Audio Access For Civil Jury Trials

By Dorothy Atkins

California Northern District federal judges are seeking public comment on modifying local court rules to allow jurists to audio stream civil jury trials in the district, which regularly presides over high-stakes courtroom fights involving tech giants such as Google, Meta, OpenAI and Apple.

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