EPA Approves Controversial Pesticides For Agricultural Use

By Gautama Mehta

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized approvals for several pesticides for use on crops, drawing criticism from environmental groups who say some of them contain forever chemicals.

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Kroger Inks $1.65B Giant Eagle Deal With Planned Divestitures

By Al Barbarino

The Kroger Co. said Wednesday it will acquire regional grocer Giant Eagle in a deal worth $1.65 billion, with Jones Day advising Kroger and Giant Eagle tapping WilmerHale as lead counsel and Troutman Pepper Locke LLP as local counsel.

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US Not Renewing USMCA, But Deal Still In Force For Now

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. will not to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Office of the U.S. Trade Ambassador announced Wednesday, though the deal will remain in force as the three sides continue to negotiate.

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Alibaba Cos. Ink $600M Nonprosecution Deal Over Drug Sales

By Sarah Jarvis

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and its U.S.-based payment processor AUS Merchant Services Inc. will avoid prosecution and pay $600 million to end the U.S. Department of Justice's allegations that they allowed merchants to sell and import illegal pharmaceuticals and controlled substances into the U.S., the DOJ announced Wednesday.

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6th Circ. Backs Smucker In Salmonella Coverage Dispute

By Hope Patti

An alleged salmonella outbreak that potentially tainted peanut butter produced by J.M. Smucker Co. is a single occurrence under its commercial general liability policies, the Sixth Circuit affirmed Wednesday, saying Smucker's peanut butter production did not constitute 225 separate occurrences that are each subject to a $250,000 retainer.

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DC Judge Blocks More USDA Grant Terminations

By Ganesh Setty

A D.C. federal court has preliminarily reinstated U.S. Department of Agriculture grants totaling roughly $127 million under a program aimed at helping underserved farmers, finding the department's grant terminations likely flouted Congress' priorities under two Biden-era laws.

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Farm Says $99M Deere Right-To-Repair Deal Is Unfair

By Mike Curley

One of the farms suing Deere & Co. in federal right to repair litigation is objecting to a $99 million settlement that received preliminary approval in May, saying the deal provides minimal relief compared to what the class could have gotten at trial, especially since more than half of it may go to class counsel.

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Molson Coors Worker's Suit Over 401(k) Fund Falls Flat

By Grace Elletson

A Wisconsin federal judge shut down a worker's suit claiming beer manufacturer Molson Coors unlawfully kept a lackluster Fidelity investment fund in its $1.5 billion retirement plan, saying the worker hadn't identified a comparable fund that would have brought better returns.

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Fed. Circ. OKs Rejection Of 'Mon Ami' Dog Treat TMs

By Adam Lidgett

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive a bid to register "Mon Ami" as trademarks for dog treats, agreeing with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's finding that the marks were too similar to an earlier mark.

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5th Circ. Says Vape Co. Deserves Jury Trial For $19K HHS Fine

By Mike Curley

A split Fifth Circuit panel has thrown out a $19,192 civil penalty against a Texas vape seller issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, saying the company is entitled to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

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Bojangles Can't Duck Workers' Data Breach Class Action

By Hayley Fowler

Bojangles cannot free itself from a proposed data breach class action alleging the fried chicken fast food chain left employees' personal information vulnerable to Russian hackers, a North Carolina Business Court judge ruled in largely denying the company's bid for an early exit.

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Attorney Mental Health Is An Ethical Obligation In The AI Era

As attorneys cope with the increasing unpredictability that artificial intelligence and constant policy changes have created, particularly in practice areas where they carry the emotional weight of clients’ most consequential life events, otherwise soft discussions about self-care are a matter of professional competence, says attorney Jack Jrada.

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Legal Sector Jobs Spike With Work 'Churning Right Along'

By Aebra Coe

The legal sector added 5,100 jobs in June, the largest increase the industry has seen in more than two years, according to preliminary, seasonally adjusted data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday.

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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

By Kevin Penton

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the Asian Law Caucus and the Democracy Defenders Fund lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship.

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Feds Seek Up To 21 Months For Ex-Judge On ICE Obstruction

By Elizabeth Daley

A former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of obstructing ICE officers' courthouse arrest of a man facing misdemeanor charges by pointing him to a side door should spend up to 21 months in prison, the government said in a sentencing memo, recommending she be made an example.

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GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week 

By Sue Reisinger

Amid the changes coming for general counsel, the policies and enforcement priorities of federal regulators may fluctuate more rapidly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week that could dramatically remake independent government agencies. And the EEOC rescinded affirmative action documents that have guided employers for decades.

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Georgia Atty Can't Revive Defamation Suit Over Ethics Case

By Emily Johnson

The Georgia Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a Georgia attorney's defamation suit against two people involved in an unsuccessful disciplinary action against her, saying her rambling appeal failed to prove that the trial court erred in dismissing her claims.

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When Does A Firm's 'Breakup' Fee-Split Contract Go Too Far?

By Rachel Rippetoe

It looked like a win for plaintiffs' firms when the Kentucky Supreme Court recently upheld a firm's 75% claim on fees from cases an attorney took with him when he launched his own practice, but the narrow ruling may leave room for lawyers to challenge similar agreements as penalties for leaving their firms.

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Judges To Tour Rust Belt To Build Trust In Courts

By James Boyle

Days after the Fourth of July celebration of America's 250th birthday, a group of current and retired judges will lead a four-day bus tour through three states to promote one of the bedrock principles of the country's independence: the rule of law.

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Analysis

Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

By Jack Karp

The U.S. Supreme Court's stark ideological divisions were on full display this term, particularly as it issued long-awaited rulings in the last few days of June. Here, Law360 dives into the numbers behind this court term.

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Mass Tort Titan Paul J. Napoli Dies

By Daniel Moritz-Rabson

Paul J. Napoli, an influential plaintiffs attorney who worked on some of the nation's highest-profile mass tort matters in recent decades, died on Tuesday at the age of 58.

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Skadden Adds Mass Torts Litigator As Partner In Chicago

By Christine DeRosa

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP has grown its mass torts litigation offerings in Chicago with the addition of a Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP attorney, the firm said.

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'Embarrassed' Conn. Atty Details ChatGPT Briefing Errors

By Aaron Keller

With a sanctions hearing on the horizon, a Connecticut attorney has told the state's highest court he is "extremely embarrassed" by artificial intelligence errors in briefs filed in two recently decided cases, explaining he used ChatGPT to edit his research without knowing it could make "unprompted changes to the content."

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Del. Magistrate Orders JPMorgan To Advance Javice Fees

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court ruled Thursday that JPMorgan Chase & Co. must advance millions more in disputed legal fees to cover the appeal of the convicted founder of college financial aid startup Frank, concluding the bank failed to meet Delaware's demanding standard for withholding advancement by showing the billing requests reflected "clear abuse."

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Ex-DOJ Fraud Section Chief Joins Fried Frank

By Nadia Dreid

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP has added a veteran litigator from the U.S. Department of Justice who also brings more than a decade of experience representing financial institutions in white collar, enforcement and complex litigation spaces.

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Reed Smith Adds Ex-Norton Rose Partner, RE Atty In Munich

By Nate Beck

Reed Smith LLP has bolstered its private equity practice with the hire of a former Norton Rose Fulbright group leader in Munich.

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McCarter Atty Knew 'Magic Words' For $20M Deals, Court Told

By Brian Steele

If a onetime McCarter & English LLP partner had raised a single red flag about a Long Island town's legally flimsy agreement to repay $20 million worth of a businessman's loans, the ill-fated deals never would have gone forward, a Connecticut court heard Thursday.

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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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