Alphabet Investors Near Class Cert. In Google Probe Case

By Bonnie Eslinger

A California federal judge on Tuesday indicated she was leaning toward granting class certification for Alphabet Inc. investors in a suit against the Google parent company over an allegedly false statement CEO Sundar Pichai made to Congress in 2020 about the fairness of ad auctions.

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Mich. AG Says PBMs Can't Duck Drug-Pricing Suit

By Mark Payne

Two pharmacy benefit managers can't dodge an antitrust lawsuit accusing them of price-fixing reimbursement rates because Michigan has properly claimed an antitrust violation, state Attorney General Dana Nessel told a federal court, asking it to toss aside the PBMs' dismissal bid. 

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Agri Stats' Price-Fix Settlement Receives Chicken Judge's OK

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois federal judge overseeing broiler chicken price-fixing litigation gave his early blessing Tuesday to a settlement that end users struck with Agri Stats Inc. that calls for the data service to either cease or substantially change the reports it compiles for protein industry subscribers.

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OpenAI Says Musk Remedy Shift Leaves 'No Case Left To Try'

By Matthew Perlman

OpenAI is pushing back after Elon Musk said he would seek to have Sam Altman removed as the artificial intelligence company's CEO in a case challenging its conversion to a for-profit entity, telling a California federal court that the last-minute change adds a host of issues just weeks before trial.

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3rd Circ. Upholds J&J Injunction Bid Loss In Biosimilar Fight

By Adam Lidgett

The Third Circuit on Tuesday ruled that a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary couldn't justify its bid for an order blocking Samsung Bioepis from paving the way for a Cigna unit to launch a generic version of an anti-inflammatory treatment.

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Jeld-Wen, Steves Close The Door On 10-Year Merger Fight

By Nadia Dreid

The nearly decade-old fight between two doormakers, which resulted in the first-ever court ordered divestiture in a private merger challenge, is officially done and dusted after the Virginia federal court that has been overseeing the case granted Jeld-Wen's request to drop its claims.

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Google Sued By Rival Over 'Interrelated Web' Of Monopolies

By Rae Ann Varona

Google's "anticompetitive chokehold" over Android app distribution and in-app billing markets has kept Portugal-based Android app store alternative Aptoide from being able to compete with the tech giant, Aptoide alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday in California federal court challenging Google's "interrelated web" of monopolies.

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States Denied Time For Talks To Settle Drug Price-Fixing Suit

By Ben Adlin

A Connecticut federal judge Tuesday denied a request by dozens of U.S. states to freeze their antitrust case against generic-drug manufacturers, a pause the states argued would allow the parties to focus on settlement talks rather than pending discovery and motion deadlines.

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Paul Weiss, Skadden Lead Amazon's $11.6B Globalstar Deal

By Al Barbarino

Amazon.com Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to purchase Globalstar Inc. for about $11.6 billion, part of an effort to build out its nascent Leo satellite internet business, with Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP providing legal counsel on the deal.

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U Of Iowa Sees 4 Wins Erased For NCAA Transfer Violation

By David Steele

The NCAA put the University of Iowa on one year's probation and vacated four 2023 football victories Tuesday, as punishment for the head coach and assistant tampering with an opposing player before he officially declared his plan to transfer.

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Turkey Cos. Denied Response To DOJ Price-Fix Intervention

By Bryan Koenig

An Illinois federal judge refused Friday to let Agri Stats, Tyson Foods and other turkey producers respond to the Justice Department statement of interest weighing in on private price-fixing litigation against them, finding "no need" when the court is already obligated to consider the legal precedent the agency raised.

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No 7th Circ. Redux Yet For Comcast Against Ad Marker Suit

By Bryan Koenig

An Illinois federal judge refused to let Comcast seek immediate Seventh Circuit intervention against an order teeing up Viamedia's antitrust claims accusing it of forcing advertisers to use its internal ads system, concluding that nothing about the contested midcase question of market definition would speed up resolution.

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Westlake Inks $67M Antitrust Deal With PVC Pipe Buyers

By Hailey Konnath

Purchasers of polyvinyl chloride pipe urged an Illinois federal judge Tuesday to sign off on a proposed $67 million deal with Westlake Corp. that would put to rest allegations it and other PVC pipe producers conspired to fix prices, according to a motion filed in Illinois federal court.

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Apple Users Slam 'Distorted' Antitrust Depo Sanctions Bid

By Lauren Berg

Phone users who accuse Google of suppressing rival search engines with anticompetitive deals slammed Apple's bid for sanctions over their counsel's allegedly "unrelenting and increasingly egregious" subpoena efforts, telling a California federal judge that the tech company's motion is based on a "distorted account of the discovery record."

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Red State AGs Fight Bid To Trim Suit Against BlackRock

By Katryna Perera

Republican attorneys general are opposing a bid by BlackRock and State Street to trim a suit accusing the asset managers of driving up coal prices, arguing that the firms' assertion that the suit cannot get past the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on federal antitrust damages claims is incorrect.

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Trading Card Grading Deals Spark Antitrust Claims

By Matthew Perlman

Trading card collectors filed suit in California federal court Tuesday accusing Collectors Holdings Inc. of buying a pair of competitors in the trading card grading market in order to maintain its monopoly.

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Vertex Sues Former Exec To Block Move To Rival

By Julie Manganis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals asked a Massachusetts state court judge to bar a former executive from taking a virtually identical role at competitor Vera Therapeutics, citing a noncompete agreement he allegedly signed.

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Aerospace Firm Says Ex-Consultants Built 'Copycat' Rival

By Ganesh Setty

A woman-owned aerospace and defense manufacturing company accused its former business consultants in Colorado state court of conspiring to take its confidential information and form a "copycat" business, alleging they've deprived it of business opportunities and devalued its trade secrets.

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Wash. Appeals Court Revives Podiatrist Trade Secrets Case

By Elliot Weld

An appeals court in Washington state has reinstated a case brought by a Seattle-area podiatry practice against a former employee accused of stealing patient data for his separate practice.

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26 State AGs Urge FTC To Ban Deceptive Rental Fee Tactics

By Rachel Riley

A bipartisan coalition of 26 state attorneys general led by New Jersey and Colorado are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to adopt a requirement that residential landlords clearly disclose all costs to tenants up front, responding to the agency's notice last month of potential rulemaking to combat hidden rental fees.

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Rebuttal

FTC Case Reinforces Established Price Discrimination Rules

Far from redefining price discrimination, as contended by a recent Law360 guest article, the Federal Trade Commission's suit against Southern Glazer's falls squarely within the historical interpretation of the Robinson-Patman Act, says retired attorney Irving Scher.

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7 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Trial Graphics

With several federal district judges recently expressing frustration with the overuse of PowerPoint slides in trial presentations, now is a good time for lawyers to assess when and how they use visuals to make sure their messages are communicated as effectively as possible, say Mark Rosman at Proskauer and Dan Bender at Digital Evidence Group.

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Grassley Says Cruz And Lee Top His List If Alito Retires

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that if U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito were to retire then he would recommend the president nominate either Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

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Ginsburg Hack Conviction Upheld For Man Who Blamed Cat

By Craig Clough

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tuesday a former hospital transplant coordinator's conviction for illegally accessing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's healthcare records, upholding a ruling that the defendant was not improperly coerced when he told FBI agents a coworker or his cat may have been responsible.

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Judiciary Panel Backs Legal Finance Project, Subpoena Rules

By Jeff Overley

Federal judiciary advisers agreed Tuesday to develop transparency obligations for litigation funders despite "vehement" views in the defense and plaintiffs bars, while also advancing controversial subpoena rules involving remote testimony and process servers.

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Analysis

IBM's FCA Deal Creates Unease Over DEI Enforcement Scope

By Madeline Lyskawa

IBM's agreement to pay the Trump administration $17 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act with policies aimed at increasing the diversity of its workforce continues to raise more questions than answers about what the administration views as illegal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

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Mintz Can't Halt Texas Malpractice Suit For Fee Fight In Mass.

By Elliot Weld

A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday declined Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC's request to halt a former client's legal malpractice case against the firm in Texas federal court while the two fight over a $2 million "success fee" the law firm claims it is owed.

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DC Circ. Halts Boasberg's 'Unnecessary' Alien Enemies Probe

By Britain Eakin

A split D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday halted for the second time U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's criminal contempt probe of Trump administration officials for willfully violating his order barring removals of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

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House Dem Threatens Bondi Contempt Over Epstein Files

By Courtney Bublé

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is looking to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt if she does not appear before the committee to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files.

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Grassley Hits 100 Judge Confirmations As 2 Clear Senate

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the 100th district judge under Sen. Chuck Grassley's leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Investors Want Sanctions For Fake Citations In LGBCoin Suit

By Carolina Bolado

Investors in the "Let's Go Brandon" meme token urged a Florida federal judge Monday to issue "case-terminating sanctions" against the man behind the coin, saying he and his counsel have lied in discovery, disobeyed court orders and submitted fake legal citations in at least eight filings.

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Calif. Federal Judges Weigh Audio Access For Civil Jury Trials

By Dorothy Atkins

California Northern District federal judges are seeking public comment on modifying local court rules to allow jurists to audio stream civil jury trials in the district, which regularly presides over high-stakes courtroom fights involving tech giants such as Google, Meta, OpenAI and Apple.

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IOLTA Group Owed Notice Of Settlements, Mass. Justices Say

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court said Tuesday that a committee overseeing lawyers' trust accounts should have been given a chance to request potential leftover funds prior to a judge's approval of a class action settlement, but saw no reason to unwind the deal.

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