Ford Says Quill & Arrow Can't Escape Lemon Law Fee Fight

By Linda Chiem

Ford Motor Co. has told a California federal judge that Quill & Arrow LLP must face claims that it saddled Ford with high-priced legal bills for work purportedly handled by virtual assistants overseas or nonlawyers, saying the personal injury firm's "fraud factory" tactics cannot continue unchecked.

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Post-Cambridge Analytica Investigation Unserious, Jury Told

By Cara Salvatore

New Mexico jurors heard testimony Wednesday from a former Facebook employee that the social media giant's investigation of third-party app developers after the Cambridge Analytica scandal was weakened by executive anger over the cost and pressure for it to wrap up, among other things.

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Conn. Judge Trims Claims In 3M Firefighter PFAS Suit

By Katherine Smith

A Connecticut federal judge has dismissed some "forever chemicals" allegations lodged against 3M Co. by state firefighter unions and firefighters in a Minnesota multidistrict litigation concerning municipalities that purchased firefighting turnout gear, ruling that the unions lack associational standing over certain claims in the case.

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Muscular Dystrophy Drug Co. Beats Investor Suit Over Risks

By Sydney Price

A Massachusetts federal judge denied investors another chance to rework their suit accusing Sarepta Therapeutics and its executives of misleading the market about the safety and efficacy of their muscular dystrophy treatments, saying it fails to show they knew about issues with the products and trials when they made certain statements.

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Insurer Wants Back Kratom Co. Wrongful Death Suit Atty Fees

By Jonathan Capriel

Kinsale Insurance Co. is under no obligation to defend kratom-makers as they face a widow's lawsuit claiming her 36-year-old husband overdosed on Hydroxie-branded kratom products, with the insurer urging a California federal court to force the manufacturers to pay back attorney fees spent so far.

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'Disappointment' Not Enough To Sue Hershey's, Judge Says

By Rae Ann Varona

A Florida federal judge Wednesday again dismissed a proposed class action that accuses The Hershey Co. of misleading consumers into thinking its Halloween Reese's brand peanut butter pumpkins have carved-out designs, saying the plaintiffs' "subjective disappointment" was not an injury that gives them standing to sue.

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5th Circ. Says EPA Went Too Far With Chemical Ban

By Mike Curley

The Fifth Circuit has sided with a group of chemical companies and vacated a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that banned nearly all uses of methylene chloride, saying the agency went too far in evaluating the substance as a whole instead of its uses.

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Dow Pans 'Repackaged' Claims In Retooled NJ Pollution Suit

By George Woolston

Dow Chemical Co. and other manufacturers of a product containing a potentially cancer-causing compound urged a state court on Wednesday to toss for good a portion of New Jersey's lawsuit alleging widespread groundwater pollution, arguing that the state failed to cure deficiencies the court previously identified.

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GM Vehicles Have 'Shuddering' Clutch Defect, Suit Says

By Mike Curley

A California man is suing General Motors LLC in Delaware federal court, alleging in a proposed class action complaint that model year 2019 to 2025 vehicles shipped with a defect in their continuously variable transmissions that leads to shuddering and stalling.

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American Eagle Accused Of Infringing 'Overslept' TM

By Elliot Weld

A New York sleepwear company sued American Eagle on Wednesday over claims of trademark infringement after the apparel giant launched a line of sleepwear called "Overslept," a trademark that is already registered by the plaintiff.

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Analysis

6th Circ. Ruling Puts Cannabis Deals In Question

By Sam Reisman

The Sixth Circuit's decision reversing a $31.8 million jury judgment against cannabis giant Curaleaf on the grounds that marijuana is federally illegal is bound to have ramifications for industry players who seek redress in federal courts, attorneys told Law360.

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Solar Co. Users Seek OK On $15M Deal To End Defect Claims

By Mike Curley

A proposed class of solar panel users is asking a Wisconsin federal court to give final approval to a $15 million settlement to end claims that components of the solar systems are defective and prone to overheating.

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McGuireWoods Lands 2 Former Boeing Attys In Seattle

By Christine DeRosa

Two former senior product liability litigators for Boeing have returned to private practice, landing at McGuireWoods LLP, the firm said Wednesday.

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2nd Circ. Tylenol MDL Ruling Clarifies Court Gatekeeper Role

The Second Circuit’s recent decision in multidistrict litigation over alleged links between Tylenol and developmental disorders, holding that the trial court improperly excluded expert witnesses, preserves meaningful judicial gatekeeping while making clear that judges may not resolve legitimate scientific disputes themselves, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

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Draft Biosolids Guidance Illuminates EPA's Approach To PFAS

Recent draft guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on mitigating risks from two "forever chemicals" in sewage sludge is not legally binding, but its recommendations may help wastewater treatment plants operators, landowners, farmers, water agencies and the public understand the agency's current thinking, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Cultivating Good Judgment

Law schools generally overlook the role that solid judgment skills play in real-world practice, but attorneys can bridge the gap by strengthening their abilities to assess a case’s strengths and weaknesses, develop and execute effective strategies, and provide clear recommendations to clients, says Manny Caixeiro at Venable.

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Burford Exec, Holland & Knight Adviser Open AI-Native Firm

By Andrea Keckley

Two veterans of the legal industry announced on Wednesday that they have teamed up to launch FairPlay Law, an AI-native firm based in Manhattan and focused on representing employees.

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Michael Best Combines With NY-Based Kane Kessler

By Kevin Penton

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP announced Wednesday that it is combining with New York-based firm Kane Kessler PC, adding 36 attorneys and a Big Apple presence to a firm that ranked 143rd on Law360's list of the nation's largest law firms.

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Protesters Say Feds' Fight Shows Need For Misconduct Probe

By Lauraann Wood

The U.S. government's opposition to a special investigation of prosecutorial misconduct that "poisoned" a now-dismissed criminal conspiracy case suggests Chicago prosecutors are still shielding critical details regarding the extent of official communications preceding the prosecution, underscoring the probe's necessity, protesters argued Tuesday.

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Apple Backs Its $132K Fee Ask Over 'Bad Faith' Subpoenas

By Bonnie Eslinger

Apple has urged a California federal magistrate judge to grant its $132,700 attorney fee request as a sanction against plaintiff consumers' lead lawyer in antitrust litigation claiming Google muscles out rival search engines, but said Apple's counsel doesn't want to disclose their "highly and competitively sensitive" negotiated legal rates.

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Newman Saga Prompts Bill To Limit Judicial Suspensions

By Courtney Bublé

The long-running saga over Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's fitness to remain on the court has exposed "major flaws" in the judicial accountability system, according to a Republican member of the House who introduced a bill Wednesday to reform it.

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Brief

Senate Panel Weighs 6 Trump Judicial Picks From Red States

By Courtney Bublé

Six nominees for U.S. district judge appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for their nomination hearing.

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