The Tenth Circuit has ordered the certification of a class action accusing driller Merit Energy Co. of underpaying Kansas gas royalty owners in violation of a previous settlement with Oxy USA Inc., reversing a lower court decision.
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THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

10th Circ. Orders Class Cert. In Kansas Gas Royalty Fight

By Keith Goldberg

The Tenth Circuit has ordered the certification of a class action accusing driller Merit Energy Co. of underpaying Kansas gas royalty owners in violation of a previous settlement with Oxy USA Inc., reversing a lower court decision.

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Mother Of Musk's Kids Defends Role As OpenAI Liaison

By Dorothy Atkins

Ex-OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, who has four children with Elon Musk, took the stand in a California federal jury trial Wednesday over Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion, defending her role as an intermediary between Musk and other OpenAI founders and testifying she twice raised concerns over Sam Altman's leadership.

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Texas Panel Weighs Highland Sanctions After $1B Judgment

By Spencer Brewer

A Texas appeals court on Wednesday pressed counsel for several former Highland Capital Management LLP executives to explain why they should get out of a contempt finding, asking what to do with an order compelling each of the executives to pay $500 in sanctions.

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HEALTHCARE & LIFE SCIENCES

Fla. Court Asked To Lift Freeze In $91M Fake Health Plans Suit

By David Minsky

Two siblings asked a Florida federal court Wednesday to lift an asset freeze in the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit alleging they sold $91 million of fake health benefits on the Affordable Care Act exchange, arguing they need money to pay their attorneys. 

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Joe Gibbs Racing Adding To Claims Rivals Stole Trade Secrets

By David Steele

Joe Gibbs Racing LLC has asked a North Carolina federal court to let it add allegations to its suit against a rival NASCAR team, to prove that its employee was hired away specifically to bring its trade secrets with him.

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SPORTS & BETTING

Agency Says Rival Poached NCAA Player During Buyout Talks

By Melanie Dorsey

An Arkansas-based sports agency sued a North Carolina rival in Michigan federal court on Wednesday, accusing the company of using acquisition negotiations as a pretext to obtain confidential client information and poach a basketball player with lucrative name, image and likeness, or NIL, opportunities.

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GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Texas Co. Accused Of Stiffing Subcontractor On Navy Project

By Tom Lotshaw

A Wyoming company told a Texas federal judge that asset management company Shipcom Federal Solutions LLC owes it nearly $4.6 million for products and services delivered in support of a U.S. Navy contract and misappropriated its intellectual property.

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DEALS

Tea Deal Sparks Chancery Fight Over Tax Records

By Jarek Rutz

An international tea business has sued a food-and-beverage manufacturer in Delaware Chancery Court, accusing it of withholding tax and audit records needed to complete 2024 filings tied to the manufacturer's purchase of Harris Tea Co. LLC.

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Colo. Investor Claims Biz Partners Illegally Transferred Assets

By Isaac Monterose

A manager of a Colorado investment company accused his business partners on Wednesday of violating a business agreement by transferring shares and selling off properties without his required permission.

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PRIVATE EQUITY

PE Firm Says Hemp Co. Hid State Probe In $1.5M Countersuit

By Jonathan Capriel

A hemp company run by a North Carolina state lawmaker claims it has more than enough proof — including fake wire transfer confirmations — to show that a group of hemp distributors allegedly cheated it out of more than $1.5 million, the company said, urging a federal court not to throw out its claims.

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Brief

Tenn. Telecom Says Dish Owes $300K For Using Fiber Cables

By Nadia Dreid

Dish Wireless has been slapped with yet another suit over its decision to ditch both its plans to build a nationwide 5G network and the dozens of contracts it signed to make that network happen, this time by a Tennessee telecom that says it's owed more than $300,000.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Feds Say Stolen BigLaw Deal Info Aided Huge Trading Scheme

By Chris Villani

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled indictments outlining a massive insider trading scheme that allegedly netted tens of millions of dollars using nonpublic information about mergers and acquisitions worked on by some of the nation's biggest law firms.

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McDermott Is Cutting Its Associate Ranks

By Aebra Coe

McDermott Will & Schulte is downsizing its associate ranks less than a year after the firm was created via a combination of legacy firms McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel, the law firm confirmed Wednesday.

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Roberts Says High Court's Job Is To Make Unpopular Rulings

By Katie Buehler

Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that the U.S. Supreme Court often must issue "unpopular" opinions, as the high court faces widespread backlash over its recent ruling limiting the Voting Rights Act's use in challenging racial discrimination in congressional redistricting.

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The Top Law Schools For Every Career Path: Class Of 2025

Where do law school graduates end up once they dive into the job market? Find out which schools came out on top for job placements in BigLaw, federal and state court clerkships, and other legal industry sectors.

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Atty Sanctioned Over Bogus Citations In Forced Labor Case

By Jake Maher

A Maine federal judge has sanctioned an attorney for submitting court filings with fake legal citations to oppose the dismissal of a forced labor trafficking suit against a school, after using an artificial intelligence platform.

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Feds Say 4th Circ. ICE Ruling Doesn't Help Ex-Wis. Judge

By Ryan Boysen

Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah C. Dugan can't use a recent Fourth Circuit ruling to overturn her conviction for obstructing ICE officers, the federal government said Wednesday, calling that ruling "merely relevant" and not at all binding.

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NC Man Pleads Guilty To Doxxing Justice's Home Address

By Bonnie Eslinger

A North Carolina man who posted the home address of a U.S. Supreme Court justice online and suggested violence against members of the high court pled guilty Wednesday to a "doxxing" charge with the intent to "threaten, intimidate, or incite a crime of violence" against the justice.

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Judge Won't Force Hunter Biden's Foreign Agent Registration

By Jack McLoone

A Washington, D.C., federal judge won't force the U.S. Department of Justice to register Hunter Biden as a foreign agent, dismissing a suit brought by a group founded by now-Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller because it can't establish it suffered an injury.

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LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Beck Redden

Butler Snow LLP

Dechert LLP

Fleeson Gooing

Foulston Siefkin

Gimbel Reilly

Goodwin Procter

Jackson Walker LLP

Joffe Law PA

Justice Law Collaborative

King & Spalding

Kramer Nordling

Latham & Watkins

Lowther Walker

Lynn Pinker

McDermott Will & Schulte

MoloLamken

Murr Siler

Nelson Mullins

Norton Rose

Parker Poe

Parry Law PLLC

Polsinelli PC

Robinson Bradshaw

Sidley Austin

Sperling Kenny

Strang Bradley

Toberoff & Associates

Tripp Scott

Troutman

Verrill Dana

Wachtell Lipton

Weil Gotshal

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Actelion Ltd.

Affordable Care LLC

Amazon.com Inc.

American Bar Association

Anadarko Petroleum Corp.

Boost Mobile LLC

Candela Corp.

Duke University

EchoStar Corp.

Friends of Animals

Johnson & Johnson

Microsoft Corp.

NASCAR Digital Media LLC

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

OpenAI OpCo LLC

Permira

Tesla Inc.

TreeHouse Foods Inc.

UBS Group AG

eBay Inc.

iRobot Corporation

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Delaware Court of Chancery

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Trade Commission

Texas Judicial Branch

Texas Tenth Court of Appeals

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Navy

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the District of Colorado

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin