Auto Parts Co. Workers Lose Class Certification Bid

By George Woolston

A North Carolina federal judge Tuesday declined to certify a proposed class of workers accusing an automobile parts company of shorting them on wages, but allowed a collective certification bid to stand for the time being.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Penn National Says No Coverage In Property Sale Fraud Suit

By Gina Kim

Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. told a North Carolina federal judge it should have no duty to indemnify a businessowner policyholder accused in an underlying lawsuit of knowingly hiding a water leak in a residential property to induce someone into buying it, arguing Monday there's no coverage for damages resulting from alleged misrepresentations.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Littler Hires Ex-Jackson Lewis Employment Atty In Charlotte

By Matt Perez

Littler Mendelson PC, which primarily deals in employment and labor law practice representing management, announced Monday the hiring of a former principal and office litigation manager at Jackson Lewis PC for its Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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 called on the Federal Trade Commission on Monday 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.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

4th Circ. Revives Suit Over Undercover Drug Bust Shooting

By Parker Quinlan

The Fourth Circuit has reinstated a civil rights suit alleging a Virginia police officer fired his gun into an immobilized vehicle during a drug sting operation, injuring the driver.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

4th Circ. Revives Pharma Bid To Block Maryland's 340B Law

By Lauren Berg

A split Fourth Circuit panel on Tuesday tossed a Maryland district court's order denying a preliminary injunction to pharmaceutical manufacturers that have challenged a state law addressing drug delivery in the federal 340B discount program, pointing to its recent ruling that West Virginia's similar statute is likely preempted.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

4th Circ. Won't Rehear Allergan Overcharge Suit

By Tom Lotshaw

The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday denied a rehearing petition lodged after a panel revived a whistleblower suit accusing an Allergan Sales LLC predecessor of overcharging Medicaid.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

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.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »