A claim by cocktail company BuzzBallz that its purchase of an upcoming rival's web domains was a "joke" is a shallow attempt to avoid responsibility for its anticompetitive cybersquatting actions, beverage company Patco Brands argued while urging a California federal court to deny BuzzBallz's motion for summary judgment.
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TOP NEWS

BuzzBallz Rival Says 'Joke' Domain Grab Not Funny Or Legal

By Craig Clough

A claim by cocktail company BuzzBallz that its purchase of an upcoming rival's web domains was a "joke" is a shallow attempt to avoid responsibility for its anticompetitive cybersquatting actions, beverage company Patco Brands argued while urging a California federal court to deny BuzzBallz's motion for summary judgment.

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Abbott Hit With $53M Verdict Over Baby Formula Harms

By Celeste Bott

A Cook County jury on Thursday awarded a total of $53 million in damages to four mothers claiming Abbott Laboratories' preterm baby formula contributed to their babies' development of a serious and often fatal gut condition, in the first of such claims to go to trial in Illinois.

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Judge Says Poultry Enviro Deals In 20-Year Suits Fall Short

By Elaine Briseño

An Oklahoma federal judge has rejected a bid by the state and several poultry companies to enter consent decrees in their two-decade-old dispute, finding the agreements did not go far enough to address pollution of the Illinois River Watershed.

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Mich., Animal Rights Groups Take Aim At US's Egg Price Suit

By Gina Kim

Animal advocacy groups and Michigan officials moved to end the U.S. government's federal lawsuit seeking to void the state's ban on eggs produced by caged hens, arguing Thursday the federal government lacks standing because it isn't the subject of enforcement, as it doesn't commercially sell, produce or distribute eggs in Michigan.

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Dunkin' Stores Cut $250K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

By Patrick Hoff

Fifteen Dunkin' franchisees and their management company will pay $250,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging they forced employees with disabilities and medical restrictions onto unpaid leave, according to a Thursday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

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LITIGATION

Fed Circ Probes Standing In Cocoa Import Child Labor Case

By Dylan Moroses

Federal Circuit judges challenged a labor rights organization's arguments for standing to force U.S. Customs and Border Protection's response to a petition to ban U.S. chocolate producers from importing cocoa from the Ivory Coast during oral arguments Thursday.

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Uber Fights Uphill To Ax FTC, States' Subscription Fight

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge appeared open Thursday to keeping alive the Federal Trade Commission and states' claims that Uber dupes consumers into its paid subscription service, doubting that Uber's disclosures clearly communicate its subscription practices "as a matter of law," and saying certain state claims are "on very firm ground."

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Restaurant Slams Sushi Chef's 'Soap Opera' Sanctions Bid

By Benjamin Morse

A Connecticut restaurant urged a federal judge to reject sanctions sought by a sushi chef alleging wage violations, arguing that the plaintiff's counsel has tried to turn a routine deposition dispute into a "soap opera."

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LA Cannabis Edibles Maker Settles Prop 65 Warning Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

A Los Angeles cannabis-infused edibles producer has agreed to pay $70,000 to end a Proposition 65 lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately hiding the state-required warning with a peel-back product label, with most of the money going to the plaintiff's lawyer.

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Welch's Maker Tells ITC Rival Infringing 2 Fruit Snack Patents

By Jack McLoone

The manufacturer of Welch's Fruit Snacks brought its fight against what it claims are patent-infringing yogurt-covered snacks produced by rival Cibo Vita to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the ITC said Thursday.

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Chancery Agrees To Fast-Track $58M Food Sale Fight

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday agreed to fast-track a dispute over a $58 million food distribution deal, finding that the buyer's claims of ongoing competitive harm warrant expedited proceedings and a near-term hearing on a preliminary injunction.

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DOL Urges 11th Circ. To Scrap ERISA Exhaustion Rule

By Kellie Mejdrich

The U.S. Department of Labor urged the full Eleventh Circuit to overturn precedent making it the only appellate court requiring workers to exhaust administrative remedies before bringing any statutory claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. arguing that the standard is unfair and in conflict with ERISA.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Chicago Suits Highlight Struggle Over Piercing Corporate Veil

A union's latest lawsuit against the owners of a storied Chicago bar and restaurant that closed in 2023 illustrates how doing business via a limited liability company does not necessarily protect owners' personal assets — but also that obtaining a judgment does not mean that collection is automatic, says James Trail at Ginsberg Jacobs.

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'Made In America' Rules Raise Stakes For Gov't Contractors

The convergence of widely varying "buy American" requirements, increased enforcement efforts and continuing regulatory attempts to limit foreign sourcing suggests that government contractors should carefully review their supply chain and country-of-origin compliance to remain competitive, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

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Series

Alpine Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Skiing has shaped habits I rely on daily as an attorney — focus, resilience and the ability to remain steady when circumstances shift rapidly — and influences the way I approach legal strategy, client counseling and teamwork, says Isaku Begert at Marshall Gerstein.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

The 2026 Law360 Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey

How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.

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Lewis Brisbois Accused Of Ignoring Racism, Unethical Billing

By Aebra Coe

A former national billing director of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP filed a lawsuit in California state court this week accusing the firm of ignoring racist conduct and sexual harassment by partners, and alleging unethical billing practices and even embezzlement.

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Trump Picks Ohio Ex-Solicitor General For 6th Circ.

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that he is tapping Benjamin Flowers, former solicitor general of Ohio, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

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DOJ Calls Immigrant Legal Aid Wasteful In Budget Push

By Courtney Bublé

Tucked into the Trump administration's budget request for fiscal 2027, the U.S. Department of Justice is trying once again to take an ax to a program that provides legal assistance to noncitizens.

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Analysis

Calif. AI Guardrails Split From Feds, Other States May Follow

By Madeline Lyskawa

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent executive order directing state agencies to implement guardrails for contracting with artificial intelligence companies marks a rift with the Trump administration's deregulatory approach that could proliferate across other states.

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Fed. Circ. Chief Feels 'Bright-Line Rule Coming' For IP Marking

By Dani Kass

As a Federal Circuit panel reprimanded embattled attorney William Ramey on Thursday for the "disrespect" shown in his failed 3D glasses patent litigation against Volkswagen, the Federal Circuit's chief judge suggested precedent may be needed to define the role of marking in admissionless settlements.

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'Mark Of Autocracy': Court Says Pentagon Defied Press Order

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Defense has not complied with a court order barring the Pentagon from taking press passes away from journalists who report on matters not authorized by the government, a D.C. federal judge ruled Thursday, saying the department's revised rules "achieve that same unconstitutional result."

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Trade Secrets Suit Is A 'Far-Flung Conspiracy,' Law Firm Says

By Adam Lidgett

A Georgia law firm wants a Nevada federal court to throw out a lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade secrets from litigation lead generator Archetype Capital Partners, calling the whole case "a far-flung conspiracy."

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MMA Law Accuses Lawyer, Insurance Co. Of RICO Scheme

By Emily Sawicki

Embattled Texas firm MMA Law has filed nearly a score of complaints amid an ongoing bankruptcy action, including accusing a Louisiana attorney, his wife and an insurer of working together to "target, dismantle and destroy" the firm in an effort to avoid sharing a cut of legal fees stemming from storm damage claims.

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COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Abbott Laboratories

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights

Animal Legal Defense Fund

Animal Outlook

Anthropic PBC

Cal-Maine Foods Inc.

Cargill Inc.

Center for a Humane Economy

Cibo Vita

Cobb-Vantress Inc.

Cosette Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Drummond

Elite

Google LLC

Learning Resources Inc.

LinkedIn Corp.

Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

Peterson Farms Inc.

Simmons Foods Inc.

State Bar of Texas

Sun-Maid Growers of California

The New York Times Co.

The Promotion In Motion Cos. Inc.

Tyson Foods Inc.

UNITE HERE

Uber Technologies Inc.

Volkswagen AG

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Ahmad Zavitsanos

Albright Stoddard

Alexander Morrison & Fehr

Arnold & Porter

Blank Rome

Bradley Arant

Buchanan Ingersoll

Conner & Winters

Croke Fairchild

Daniel Thomas

Dorsey & Whitney

Fabian VanCott

Faegre Drinker

Finnegan

Gibson Dunn

Ginsberg Jacobs

Greenberg Traurig

Haynes Boone

Jones Day

Keller Postman

Kirkland & Ellis

Law Group of Northwest Arkansas

Lewis Brisbois

Lynn Pinker

Marshall Gerstein

McCollom D'Emilio

McDaniel Acord

McDermott Will & Schulte

McDonald Carano

Melick & Porter

Motley Rice

Olson Grimsley

Perkins Coie

Pillsbury Winthrop

Ramey LLP

Reiner & Reiner

Rhodes Hieronymus

Riley Safer

Sbaiti & Company

Schlichter Bogard

Seyfarth Shaw

Sidley Austin

Stinson LLP

Taft Stettinius

The Monson Law Firm

Troy Law PLLC

Walker and Patterson

WilmerHale

Wimberly Lawson Steckel

Winston & Strawn

Womble Bond

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Alabama Attorney General's Office

California Department of Technology

City and County of San Francisco, California

Cook County Circuit Court

Delaware Court of Chancery

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Trade Commission

International Trade Commission

Louisiana Department of Insurance

Ohio Supreme Court

State of Michigan

Texas Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. General Services Administration

U.S. Government Accountability Office

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the District of Nevada

United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma

World Trade Organization