Analysis

CH Robinson's $604M Verdict Tests Freight Broker Defenses

By Linda Chiem

A Dallas County jury's $604 million verdict against C.H. Robinson over a fatal 2021 accident marks one of the first major tests of freight brokers' legal strategies since the U.S. Supreme Court reshaped their liability exposure, creating monumental stakes for the trucking industry's middlemen on how to navigate unpredictable duty-of-care standards and volatile verdicts.

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9th Circ. Reverses Hologenix CEO's Tortious Interference Loss

By Craig Clough

A Ninth Circuit panel reversed a $2.5 million judgment Thursday against Hologenix CEO Seth Casden by finding a district court erred in ruling the executive is not immune from a tortious interference claim while also reversing a Lanham Act disgorgement award totaling nearly $3 million.

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Fifth Third Beats $2.1M Wire Fraud Suit Over UCC Pleading

By Susan Smiley

A Michigan federal judge on Thursday tossed a $2.1 million wire fraud suit brought against Fifth Third Bank by nonprofit mental health services provider Hegira Health, ruling the plaintiff failed to state a valid claim under the Uniform Commercial Code.

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Roundup

Pa. Paraquat, Gov. Shapiro's Neighbors: A Midyear Report

By P.J. D'Annunzio

Mass tort and antitrust cases advanced this year in Pennsylvania, where attorneys await Philadelphia's first paraquat trial and more developments in the class action against the Law School Admissions Council over test fees.

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Del. Advancement Dispute Edges Toward Default, Sanctions

By Jarek Rutz

A Delaware Chancery Court chancellor has said she is considering entering a default against two entities tied to a Bahamas medical school and weighing sanctions against their controller, sharply criticizing what she described as years of discovery obstruction and apparent efforts to evade the court's orders.

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Colo. Judge Mulls Denver Firm's $1.3M Fees Bid Against Atty

By Rachel Konieczny

A Denver personal injury firm urged a Colorado state judge Thursday to grant its request for more than $1.3 million total in attorney fees and costs after the firm prevailed in litigation with its former class action department head.

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Niger Loses Bid To Shield NY Townhome In $7.6M Award Feud

By Caroline Simson

A New York federal judge has cleared a path for British aviation services company Menzies to seize a luxury town house on Manhattan's Upper East Side owned by the Nigerien government as it looks to enforce a 13-year-old, $7.6 million arbitral award against the West African country.

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Colo. Energy Firms Sue Over $79.5M Surface Use Dispute

By MJ Koo

Three Colorado energy and real estate companies have sued a Chevron subsidiary in Colorado state court over allegations that it repeatedly drilled oil and gas wells in a Greeley-area acquisition zone without using surface locations they were contractually entitled to provide or paying required compensation, seeking damages exceeding $79.5 million.

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Chubb Seeks Toss Of Costco's Customer Injury Coverage Row

By Hope Patti

A Chubb unit urged a Washington federal court to toss Costco's suit seeking coverage for a personal injury action under a home décor brand's policy, saying the retailer failed to state a claim for additional insured coverage because the underlying injuries are not related to the brand's products.

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Netflix Sued For $105M For 'Mishandling' Stolen Nic Cage Film

By Rae Ann Varona

The producer behind an unreleased World War II spy movie starring Nicolas Cage has sued Netflix for $105 million in California federal court alleging a copy of the film was stolen from Netflix's Hollywood office, while Netflix accused the law firm representing the movie's producer of trying to "extort" $165 million.

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Mets Become 1st MLB Team To Partner With Prediction Market

By Elaine Briseño

Sports trading app Novig announced Thursday that it has become the exclusive, official prediction market partner of the New York Mets, marking the first time a Major League Baseball team has collaborated with such a company.

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Polymarket Says Hidden Sports Bets Suit Must Be Arbitrated

By Hailey Konnath

Polymarket is urging a New York federal court to send to arbitration users' claims that the prediction market company disguises its sports gambling offers as sports event contracts to get around regulations, arguing that its terms of use include an arbitration provision.

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Dem Bill Would End Forced Arbitration In Workplace Disputes

By Anne Cullen

Democratic lawmakers reintroduced a bill Thursday that would eliminate mandatory arbitration agreements in employment contracts and enhance workers' ability to band together to challenge unlawful employment practices.

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9th Circ. Rules 401(k) Plan Arbitration Clause Unenforceable

By Kellie Mejdrich

A split Ninth Circuit panel refused Thursday to force individual arbitration of a former asset management company worker's proposed class action alleging 401(k) self-dealing, ruling that an arbitration provision in retirement plan documents was unenforceable because it sought to nullify rights guaranteed by federal benefits law.

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Ex-CEO Pulls Credit Union Subsidiary Into Firing Suit

By Brian Steele

The former chief executive of Sound Federal Credit Union can draw a management entity that he is accused of shortchanging into a lawsuit stemming from his termination, a Connecticut state judge has ruled, apparently as an alternative to dismissing portions of two counterclaims.

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BofA, Merrill Must Explain Missing $7.5B Transfer, Suit Says

By Kelcey Caulder

An Atlanta investment company asked a Georgia federal court to order Bank of America and Merrill Lynch to explain why they have not credited what the investment company said is a $7.5 billion wire transfer to its account, saying it needs details about where the money is.

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Valve Scores Quick Appeal In Gamer Arbitration Clause Fight

By Rachel Riley

A Seattle federal judge on Thursday granted Valve Corp.'s bid for a quick appeal of an order declining to halt antitrust arbitrations brought by hundreds of individual gamers, pausing the litigation for the video game developer to seek the Ninth Circuit's input on whether the arbitrations can proceed under its subscriber terms.  

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Heirs Seek Avis Avia Records Over $45M Jet Transfer

By Jarek Rutz

The sons of a deceased aviation entrepreneur have asked the Delaware Chancery Court to order Avis Avia Ltd. to open its books and records, alleging they need company documents to investigate whether a Gulfstream G500 worth $44.7 million was improperly transferred to an entity allegedly controlled by their father's longtime adviser.

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Cannabis Retailer Says Electrician Killed LA Store Buildout

By Jonathan Capriel

Cannabis retail chain Velvet Holdings Inc. claims it is out millions of dollars after a contractor abandoned a storefront project, resulting in Los Angeles building officials refusing to certify the location and leading to the loss of its lease and cannabis licenses, according to a California state lawsuit.

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Series

Teaching SEC Investigations Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Instructing a law school course on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations has made me a more thoughtful, deliberate practitioner because it requires me to continually reassess and challenge what I know about securities law enforcement, how I know it and how best to explain it, says David Chase at Miami Law.

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How Does In-House Pay Compare? Take The Law360 Survey

How do in-house salaries vary across industries, roles, and organizational revenue? What compensation tools are companies using to lure top talent? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's In-House Compensation Survey.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Andrea Keckley

Two Texas personal injury firms lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions for their work securing a $604 million verdict against a freight broker and logistics company for their roles in a deadly 2021 highway collision.

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Goldstein Launches Appeal Of Tax, Mortgage Fraud Case

By Jared Foretek

Imprisoned SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein is formally launching a Fourth Circuit appeal challenging his 12 convictions for tax and mortgage fraud, as well as his six-year prison sentence and the $3.1 million restitution judgment against him, according to a new filing from his attorneys.

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Judges Rip DHS GC's 'Worst' Posts As Intimidation Campaign

By Jake Maher

Sitting federal judges on Friday blasted the general counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for "painting a target" on judges' backs in a recent series of social media posts attacking judges who ruled against the Trump administration in immigration cases and called on him to take them down.

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NY Public Defense Org. Denies Union's ULP Claims

By Andrea Keckley

The Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem's leadership on Friday denied allegations from the union representing its more than 100 employees that it has offered unlawful incentives to break its ongoing strike.

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

By Laura Stewart Liberty

The past week in London has seen George Michael's estate bring an intellectual property claim against the late star's friend over footage shared online, collapsed law firm Axiom Ince sue the U.K. branch of State Bank of India and Ryanair face a group claim from 262 people. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

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Hub Hires: Pierson Ferdinand, Biogen, FisherBroyles

By Chris Villani

While not as sizzling as the temperatures or the Red Sox, the Boston legal market remained hot through the month of July, with Hogan Lovells Cadwalader adding a mergers and acquisitions partner, Pierson Ferdinand snagging a veteran litigator and Foley & Lardner hiring a finance attorney.

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Roundup

GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

By Michele Gorman

There has been a wave of cases alleging employers and their insurance brokers violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and experts say this marks an increasing litigation trend. In the meantime, the American Bar Association is eyeing the elimination of the first of multiple diversity-related law school standards. 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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