High Court Rejects Apple's Bid To Pause App Store Ruling

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Apple's request to pause a mandate in the case from Epic Games that directs a lower court to determine what commission Apple can charge developers for purchases made outside of its app store through links.

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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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Google Users Say DOJ Win 'Leaves Only Damages For Trial'

By Bryan Koenig

Consumers want a California federal judge to go straight to trial over the amount of damages Google owes them for illegally monopolizing online search, arguing the company's violation of antitrust law "is now an undisputed fact as a matter of law."

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Sony Reaped 'Windfall' From Illegal Tariffs, Gamers Say

By Dylan Moroses

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC retained a "substantial windfall" generated by illegal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, two Sony PlayStation console owners said Wednesday in a proposed class action in California federal court.

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Altria, Juul Ask For Stay During Antitrust Class Cert. Appeal

By Matthew Perlman

Altria and Juul are asking a California federal court to pause a case alleging the companies schemed to have Altria exit the e-cigarette market while they appeal a class certification ruling to the Ninth Circuit.

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FCC Dem Calls For 'Rigorous' Paramount, WBD Review

By Christopher Cole

The lone Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission is demanding close scrutiny of Paramount Skydance Corp.'s plan to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion, raising red flags about foreign ownership stakes in the resulting media giant.

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PayPal, Mastercard, Visa Targeted By UK Competition Probe

By Najiyya Budaly

The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday that it has launched an antitrust investigation into U.S. payment companies PayPal Holdings Inc., Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. linked to the funding and usage of PayPal's digital wallet.

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Polish Antitrust Arm Probing OLX's RE Listings Platform

By Isaac Monterose

Poland's antitrust authority is investigating OLX Capital Group's Otodom real estate listings platform after being notified about "significant" price hikes, the authority announced on Wednesday.

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Corcept Must Face Most Teva Mifepristone Antitrust Claims

By Hailey Konnath

A California federal judge on Tuesday once again mostly refused to throw out Teva Pharmaceuticals' claims that Corcept Therapeutics used patent system abuse, bribes and exclusive dealing to block generic competition to its cortisol disorder treatment, finding that at this stage in the litigation the allegations are adequate.

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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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Judge Won't Certify Minn. Fraud Question In Cancer Drug MDL

By Danielle Ferguson

A New Jersey federal judge won't ask the Supreme Court of Minnesota to weigh in on whether an insurer can pursue claims using a state law typically reserved for the attorney general in litigation alleging drugmaker Celgene used charitable donations to manipulate the price of cancer drugs.

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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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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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Mobile Industry's Pai Calls For More Exclusive Airwaves For AI

By Christopher Cole

Major wireless carriers are looking toward a future driven by artificial intelligence, but say its full potential can only be reached if policymakers give them more access to exclusive airwaves in the prime midband range.

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FTC Focus: Ad Deal Signals Viewpoint Suppression Is A Risk

The Federal Trade Commission's recent settlement of an antitrust case accusing major ad agency holding companies of colluding on brand safety standards underscores the risk of industry coordination on politically or socially sensitive issues and signals heightened viewpoint suppression scrutiny for companies and antitrust practitioners, say attorneys at Proskauer.

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Womble Bond Atty's 'Draconian' Penalty Gives 4th Circ. Pause

By Hayley Fowler

A Fourth Circuit panel seemed to struggle Thursday with what one judge described as a "draconian" contempt order against a Womble Bond Dickinson partner, with the panel nudging counsel for both sides toward a simpler solution that wouldn't force the court's involvement.

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Ex-Jackson Walker Atty Seeks Breakup With Romance Suit

By Adrian Cruz

A former Jackson Walker LLP partner said Thursday that she should be dropped from a suit accusing her, a former Texas bankruptcy judge she had a secret relationship with and multiple law firms of fomenting "mass corruption" in Houston's bankruptcy court.

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Comey Retains NC Criminal Defense Pro For 2nd Indictment

By Rachel Rippetoe

Former FBI Director James Comey has added a North Carolina white collar defense pro to his legal team fighting an indictment by the Trump administration over a social media post last year that prosecutors characterized as a threat of violence against the president, according to a court filing on Thursday.

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Toss Of Ex-Shkreli Atty's Deal May Be Error, 2nd Circ. Hints

By Pete Brush

A Second Circuit judge hinted Thursday that a trial judge may have erred in rejecting a retirement-fund garnishment deal that would have protected Martin Shkreli's convicted former lawyer from a potential $1 million "punitive tax event."

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Analysis

How Litigation Funding Disclosure Could Affect ITC Cases

By Ryan Davis

The U.S. International Trade Commission's proposed rule to require disclosure of litigation funding in intellectual property cases could bring more transparency to disputes and promote settlements, but it could also discourage some suits if it's not carefully tailored, attorneys say.

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NC Judge Tosses Atty's Suit Against State Bar Panel Member

By Andrea Keckley

A North Carolina federal judge dismissed a suspended attorney's lawsuit against a State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission member he accused of bias and due process violations, finding Thursday that the defendant is entitled to absolute quasi-judicial immunity.

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Analysis

Why Compliance Is Getting Complicated In Latin America

By Phillip Bantz

White collar compliance is getting trickier for companies that do business in Latin America, according to experts, who say they are seeing big shifts in the region connected to cartel crackdowns and efforts to strengthen corporate regulations, including relatively recent pushes for voluntary self-disclosure.

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