JPMorgan Trims But Can't Escape ERISA Drug Costs Suit

By Kellie Mejdrich

A New York federal judge pared claims Monday against JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a suit from workers who alleged they paid too much for prescription drugs, but opened discovery on allegations that the bank's contract with its pharmacy benefit manager caused transactions prohibited by federal benefits law.

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Trans Patients Score Block On Aetna Facial Surgery Exclusion

By Grace Elletson

Aetna must reconsider whether two transgender women can receive coverage for their gender-affirming facial reconstruction surgeries, a Connecticut federal judge ruled, finding that a policy categorically excluding coverage for the procedure was likely discriminatory.

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Auto Insurer Gets NYC Construction Injury Dispute Tossed

By Hope Patti

A New York City contractor has no standing to sue its auto insurer over the carrier's coverage obligations to the city in a personal injury suit, a federal court ruled, saying the company is not a party to the underlying suit and hasn't established an injury that is "certainly impending."

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Jury Awards $175M In Real Estate Trade Secrets Retrial

By José Luis Martínez

A San Antonio jury awarded $175 million to real estate analytics firm HouseCanary Inc. in its claims accusing title company Amrock LLC of misappropriating proprietary appraisal technology and data, nearly eight years after the case culminated in a $706 million verdict that was later overturned.

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Insurers Ask NC Justices To Review COVID Coverage Suit

By Hope Patti

Two insurers urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to hear their appeal challenging a lower court's holding that North Carolina law applies to Tanger Outlets' suit seeking more than $50 million in pandemic-related coverage, saying the order violates the due process guarantees of the 14th Amendment.

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Kavanaugh, Jackson Debate High Court Emergency Orders

By Katie Buehler

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh pushed back Monday against critiques that the high court is ruling in favor of President Donald Trump in emergency appeals more often than it did for prior presidents, saying people who believe those allegations have "short" memories. 

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Ex-DLA Piper Atty Alleging Rape Can't Remain Anonymous

By Lauren Berg

A former Boston-based DLA Piper associate cannot use a pseudonym to pursue a lawsuit alleging she was raped by one of the firm's former partners, a Massachusetts judge ruled, noting that she already publicly revealed her identity in a related suit against the accused attorney.

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Employment Law Cases Have Rebounded Except For FLSA

By Max Kutner

Employment law cases overall have bounced back from pandemic-era lows, especially discrimination and disability accommodation suits, though a slump has continued for Fair Labor Standards Act claims, according to a report by legal analytics provider Lex Machina.

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NJ US Atty Trio Booted In 2nd Leadership Ouster

By George Woolston

A federal judge on Monday disqualified the three assistant attorneys overseeing the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, finding the "byzantine" leadership structure is unconstitutional.

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Brief

SCOTUSblog Founder Goldstein To Be Sentenced In June

By Emily Sawicki

SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein, currently under home confinement in Washington, D.C., after a Maryland jury convicted him on tax evasion and mortgage fraud charges, will face sentencing in June.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court's docket last week featured disputes spanning alleged forged board approvals at a telecom startup, evidence-destruction claims tied to WWE's blockbuster merger with UFC and investor scrutiny of a multibillion-dollar deal between Intel and the U.S. government.

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McGuireWoods Beats Sun Pharma's DQ Bid In NJ Suit

By George Woolston

A New Jersey federal court has denied Sun Pharmaceutical's bid to disqualify McGuireWoods LLP from representing pharmaceutical company Biofrontera in litigation over the alleged breach of a settlement agreement, ruling the firm's continued representation won't harm Sun Pharmaceutical and will avoid significant harm to Biofrontera.

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Lewis Brisbois Renews Bid To Force Paralegal To Arbitrate

By Adrian Cruz

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP asked a Florida state judge on Friday to have a former paralegal arbitrate her defamation claims that its actions tarnished her reputation and cost her a job at another firm.

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K&L Gates IP Atty Tapped For Wash. Supreme Court Seat

By Rachel Riley

A K&L Gates intellectual property litigator will become the Washington State Supreme Court's first justice of Middle Eastern descent, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Monday, announcing his pick to replace veteran retiring Justice Barbara Madsen.

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