2nd Circ. Judge Flags 'Weird' Objection To $147.5M Deal

By Brian Steele

A Second Circuit panelist said Friday that an argument advanced by a group of objectors to a $147.5 million cost-of-insurance settlement is "weird," noting that its logic depends on securing an even better outcome in separate litigation.

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Pharmacies Stuck With CVS Arbitration Mandate At 9th Circ.

By Bryan Koenig

A Ninth Circuit panel refused Friday to let four independent pharmacies avoid arbitrating their antitrust claims that CVS exploited a Medicare loophole to charge them exorbitant fees, standing by a district court's conclusion that just because parts of the arbitration agreement were unconscionable doesn't negate the entire thing.

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FTC's Case Alleging Zillow, Redfin Pact Set For August Trial

By Nate Beck

A Virginia federal judge has set an August trial date after shutting down a bid by Zillow and Redfin to escape a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing the companies of sealing a deal to stop competing on multifamily rental listings with a $100 million payment.

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Alston & Bird, Banks Sued Again Over $328M Goliath Scam

By Jack Karp

Another proposed class of investors sued Alston & Bird LLP and a trio of financial institutions Friday over their alleged roles in a $328 million cryptocurrency scam orchestrated by Goliath Ventures Inc.

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Lender Vouches For Blank Rome In Cannabis Dispensary Suit

By Rose Krebs

A lender is urging a California federal court to deny an attempt to disqualify Blank Rome LLP from representing it in the company's fraud lawsuit over a $1.6 million loan for a cannabis dispensary, arguing the request is simply an attempt to delay litigation.

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Big E Operator Says Insurers Can't Reject MMA Death Claim

By Julie Manganis

The operator of one of the largest state fairs in the U.S., known as The Big E, alleged in a lawsuit removed to federal court Friday that its insurers are wrongly relying on a list of policy exclusions to deny coverage for a wrongful death suit brought by the family of a mixed martial arts fighter, who died following an event at the Massachusetts fairgrounds in 2022.

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Coach Not Covered In $10M Sex Abuse Case, NC Judge Says

By Danielle Ferguson

A North Carolina federal judge said a swimmer who won a $10 million judgment against a swim coach who sexually assaulted her cannot seek that payment from the coach's insurer because neither the coach nor the swim club he operated are covered under the policies.

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American Airlines Must Face Suit Over Teen's In-Flight Death

By Gina Kim

The Fifth Circuit partially revived a lawsuit claiming American Airlines caused a teen's death when an on-flight defibrillator used to shock his heart allegedly malfunctioned, ruling that a genuine dispute remains whether the airline equipped the flight with a working defibrillator as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Minn. Twins Doctor Can't Claim Immunity In Player Death Suit

By Mike Curley

A doctor employed by the Minnesota Twins can't claim immunity in a lawsuit alleging he failed to diagnose a heart condition in a ballplayer that led to his death, a Florida appeals panel ruled on Friday.

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Amazon Fights Revival Of Class Claim In Alexa Recording Suit

By Ben Adlin

Amazon on Friday urged a Washington federal judge to deny Alexa users' bid to reinstate a class consumer protection claim based on allegations the devices secretly recorded their personal conversations, arguing that the court correctly recognized the e-commerce giant "clearly" and "repeatedly" disclosed its data practices.

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Roundup

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

By Megan Norcott

The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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6th Circ. Won't Rehear Kellogg, FedEx Mortality Table Suits

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Sixth Circuit on Friday refused to rethink a panel's earlier decision that revived two proposed class actions against cereal giant Kellogg and transportation company FedEx in which retirees allege that their pension payments were lowballed due to outdated mortality tables used in conversions.

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Brief

Realty Co. Workers Lose Bid To Fight Collective Cert. Denial

By Abigail Harrison

A North Carolina federal court declined to let employees alleging a property management company shortchanged them on overtime wages haul a recent order denying a bid for collective certification into the Fourth Circuit. 

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Texas Atty And Firm Accused Of $1M Investment Scam

By José Luis Martínez

A New York couple have accused an of counsel at Texas-based firm Naman Howell Smith & Lee PLLC of duping them out of $1 million after being lured into a purported profitable investment program, a scheme the couple said has previously targeted other victims.

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Auto Dealer Accused Of Cooking Books Before Sale

By Chart Riggall

The buyer of a Georgia Ford dealership hit its former owners with a federal fraud lawsuit alleging that it was hoodwinked into overpaying for the business thanks to the seller inflating his on-paper profits by including revenue from a side business selling homes.

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Caitlyn Jenner Faces Fresh Suit Over Meme Coin Collapse

By Emilie Ruscoe

Media personality and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner faces potential class action fraud claims in California state court over the collapse of her meme coins after a similar action was tossed from federal court last month because a judge said the plaintiff couldn't sustain his securities fraud claims.

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Marketer Says It Was Pawn In Med Supplier's Crypto Pivot

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts marketing firm says a medical supply company used it to broker a $50 million deal with another supplier, touted the arrangement to investors, then abruptly turned itself into a cryptocurrency business, stiffing the plaintiff out of anticipated commissions.

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Judge Lets Landlord Rework Claims In Cannabis Lease Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

A Los Angeles County judge refused to issue a court order forcing a tenant to pay $58,000 it allegedly owes for overdue rent and parking lot improvements, telling the landlord it needs to refile its breach of contract claims if it wants to try to get the money.

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Software Firm Seeks Belgian Venue For Calif. Cannabis Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

A Belgian software company has urged a California state court to throw out a nearly $400,000 fraud and breach of contract lawsuit filed by the owners of the PlugPlay cannabis vape brand, arguing both sides agreed all disputes must be litigated in Belgium.

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3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

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ABA Section Votes To Scrap Law School DEI Standards

By Emma Cueto

The American Bar Association's legal education section on Friday voted to eliminate its requirements that law schools show a commitment to diversity in their student body in order to remain accredited, a policy that has been under fire since a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in higher education.

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Fed. Circ. Drops A Theme Song, Talks Guest Judges

By Dani Kass

The Federal Circuit's full lineup came together Friday to provide practitioners with insight about their experience sitting on other courts, in a conference where the chief judge dropped the court's first (and only) single.

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Fed. Circ. Urges Justices To Reject Newman Suspension Case

By Ryan Davis

The Federal Circuit has urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear Judge Pauline Newman's appeal targeting a suspension imposed on her by the court's other judges, arguing that a lower court correctly held that her challenges to the order are not subject to judicial review.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Haynes Boone lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts that have sent disputes to arbitration have jurisdiction to confirm or vacate subsequent awards.

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Brief

Colorado Passes Bill Banning Fee Sharing With Nonlawyers

By Emily Sawicki

The Colorado Legislature has approved a bill to bar attorneys and law firms operating in the state from sharing fees and revenue with non-attorney-owned firms, known as alternative business structure firms, making Colorado the latest state to tamp down the practice.

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Girardi Trial Judge Josephine Staton To Take Senior Status

By Ryan Boysen

The California federal judge who sentenced disgraced trial attorney Tom Girardi to prison for wire fraud last year has announced that she'll be taking senior status in the fall, allowing President Donald Trump to appoint her successor.

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Roundup

Balancing The Scales: Justices To Revisit Sentencing Rules

By Orlando Lorenzo

The U.S. Supreme Court will take a closer look at a circuit split over the deference that should be allotted to U.S. Sentencing Commission commentary, and a man convicted in the killing of an infant has been released after 27 years served over evidence that points to pneumonia as the likely cause of death.

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Atty Tied To Trump Pardon Headed For August Extortion Trial

By Stewart Bishop

A New York federal judge on Friday set an August trial date for a South Carolina attorney and lobbyist on extortion charges tied to his work as a purported go-between for people with serious legal troubles seeking clemency from President Donald Trump.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

PayPal settled with the DOJ to end a probe into what the government agency said was a discriminatory investment program for Black- and minority-owned businesses. Meanwhile, Meta's global head of legal operations during a panel discussion predicted that the billable hour will be the exception — not the rule — in five years. These are among the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.

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

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.

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