CVS To Split In 2, Unraveling Decade-Old Megamerger

By Al Barbarino

CVS Health said Wednesday that it plans to split into two independent, publicly traded companies, separating its Aetna- and Caremark-led healthcare businesses from its 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, reversing its nearly decade-old combination of the businesses.

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AGs Say Taro's $200M MDL Deal Doesn't Bar Their Claims

By Bryan Koenig

Dozens of state attorneys general urged a Connecticut federal judge Tuesday not to let Taro Pharmaceuticals block a swath of their price-fixing claims with a $200 million settlement it struck with plaintiffs in separate multidistrict litigation, arguing the claims and plaintiffs are too separate to bind one another.

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2nd Circ. Told To Not Expand Antitrust Patent Fraud Standing

By Bryan Koenig

A pharmaceutical industry trade group has backed Bristol-Myers Squibb and its Celgene subsidiary in the Second Circuit, warning that health plans asking the appeals court to reinstate a proposed class action against the companies are seeking to expand who can bring antitrust cases alleging fraudulently obtained patents.

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Brands Urge 5th Circ. Not To Revive X's Ad Boycott Suit

By Matthew Perlman

Mars, CVS, Nestlé and other brands have told the Fifth Circuit a lower court was right to toss X Corp.'s advertising boycott case, arguing the social media platform sued only because it lost customers to competitors after being acquired by Elon Musk.

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Anthem Fights Rework Of Neurosurgery Group Antitrust Case

By Matthew Perlman

A pair of Anthem units are pushing back against a Long Island, New York, neurosurgery practice's bid to file an amended complaint accusing the insurer of driving down reimbursement rates, telling a New York federal court the changes fail to fix the problems that resulted in a previous dismissal.

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Analysis

Attys Consider Corporate Implications Of Blue Texas

By Spencer Brewer

Texas attorneys have already started weighing new strategies in the wake of Texas' historic blue shift, led by a new attorney general and a new governor who have pledged to bring more industry regulation and consumer protections to the Lone Star State.

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Gov't To Probe Sky's £1.6B ITV Buy Over Public Interest

By Najiyya Budaly

The culture secretary said Wednesday that she will intervene in Sky Group's proposed £1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) purchase of the broadcast and streaming division of ITV to safeguard media plurality in the U.K.

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CMA Seeks Views On £86M Sale Of Paragon Fleet Unit Deal

By Dawood Fakhir

The U.K.'s competition regulator on Wednesday launched a probe into a car hire company's £85.6 million ($115 million) acquisition of a specialist vehicle and fleet business to see whether the merger could substantially reduce competition.

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'Clearly Sanctionable' Conduct Not Punished In Vape MDL

By Jonathan Capriel

Buyers of CCell-branded vape hardware escaped sanctions Friday after they repeatedly mischaracterized emails to suggest a distributor had an enforcement role in a price-fixing scheme, when the California federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation called the conduct "clearly sanctionable" but giving counsel "one last chance."

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Altria Tells 4th Circ. ITC Patent Cases Are Unconstitutional

By Elliot Weld

Altria has asked the Fourth Circuit to undo a district court decision allowing a patent case in the U.S. International Trade Commission brought against it by Juul to proceed, saying the Constitution dictates that private patent disputes belong in the courts.

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Fla. Jury Hears Suit Over Pact To Sell Mike Tyson-Brand THC

By David Minsky

A Florida state court trial commenced Wednesday in a dispute involving a company licensed to sell Mike Tyson-brand cannabis products, with former business partners telling jurors differing accounts on whether a valid agreement splitting ownership was formed. 

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Brief

Williams-Sonoma Drops Quince False Ad Suit

By Lauren Berg

Williams-Sonoma Inc. told a California federal judge it was dropping its lawsuit accusing online retailer Quince of trying to dupe consumers into believing its goods are the same as Williams-Sonoma's products at discounted prices.

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How Groq-Nvidia Suit Tests Venture Capital Exit Math

A recent Delaware Court of Chancery suit concerning Nvidia's acquihire of certain Groq employees highlights that when such deals are challenged, the economic dispute turns on reconciling technology, people, cash and continuing ownership rather than on the headline number, says Ben Dubin at VC Expert Services.

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Opinion

The Invisible AI Danger That May Undermine Legal Profession

A public database tracking cases involving hallucinations generated by artificial intelligence recently surpassed 2,200 entries, but the bigger risk underlying attorneys’ use of such tools is that they will slowly surrender their judgment to AI and lose analytical skills, says Massachusetts District Court Associate Justice Brian Palmucci.

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Faegre Drinker Hires Morgan Lewis Tax Specialist In Philly

By Jack Rodgers

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired a Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP tax associate to join its Philadelphia office as a partner working on federal income tax and other tax matters, according to a Wednesday announcement.

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Controversial DOJ Civil Rights Division Leader Steps Down

By Alison Knezevich

Harmeet K. Dhillon, a U.S. Department of Justice official who instituted dramatic changes as leader of the Civil Rights Division, has stepped down from her role.

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Analysis

Racing Against Whistleblowers Could Cost Companies

By Phillip Bantz

The U.S. Department of Justice's new cash rewards program for tips on criminal fraud threatens to ramp up the pressure on companies to hurry internal investigations and quickly report suspected misconduct to the government before whistleblowers do, which could backfire in some cases, according to experts.

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Which GCs Sold Stock In Oct.? Chevron, Micron & More

By Sue Reisinger

If Halloween threw a scare into legal chiefs, it didn't keep them from selling company stock in October. Chevron's R. Hewitt Pate and United Therapeutics' Paul Mahon each sold nearly $10 million worth, while Michael Ray of Micron was a distant third with $5.88 million in sales last month.

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Maynard Nexsen Adds 9 Constangy Attys Across 3 States

By Christine DeRosa

Maynard Nexsen PC said Thursday the firm has added nine labor and employment attorneys from Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP, expanding its presence in New York, New Jersey and Missouri.

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Sullivan & Cromwell Brings On Weil Capital Markets Leader

By Isaac Monterose

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has hired the co-leader of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP's capital markets team for a capital markets partner role in its New York City office, the firm announced Thursday.

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Toshiba, DTE Are Worlds Apart On Bond For $394M Judgment

By Melanie Dorsey

Toshiba Corp. urged a Michigan federal judge Thursday to limit its appeal bond to $37 million rather than the $549 million sought by two Michigan utilities, arguing that a state law capping appeal bonds should apply as the company challenges a $394 million judgment over a botched power plant overhaul.

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Trump's Hush Money Conviction Examined By Wary NY Panel

By Frank G. Runyeon

A New York State appellate court Thursday quizzed attorneys for President Donald Trump and state prosecutors over his hush-money conviction, exploring defense counsel's claims that the district attorney trespassed into federal jurisdiction by charging election violations and trampled on presidential immunity in a case "infected with multiple fatal errors."

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