Judge Will Reduce 'Shocking' $88M Mesh Bellwether Verdict

By Carolyn Muyskens

A Massachusetts federal judge said Tuesday she will reduce an $88 million verdict awarded to an Alabama couple in the first bellwether hernia mesh trial against Medtronic subsidiary Covidien LP, saying the award appeared to be "the product of passion."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Q&A

John Morgan On Why Luck Matters More Than Most Admit

By Y. Peter Kang

John Morgan, founder of personal injury giant Morgan & Morgan PA, built the largest personal injury firm in the U.S., with 1,110 attorneys in 140 locations. In his new memoir, "Life Is Luck," the attorney who Forbes estimates has a net worth of $1.5 billion argues that success is about more than talent, intelligence or determination. It is also about recognizing opportunities, taking risks and capitalizing on fortunate breaks when they appear.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Boeing Admits Liability, Seeks Appeal In 737 Door Plug Suit

By Ben Adlin

The Boeing Co. has acknowledged that a 737 Max jet manufactured in Renton, Washington, "was not reasonably safe in construction" when the plane left the aerospace giant's care — an oversight it said resulted in the blowout of the aircraft's door panel during a 2024 Alaska Airlines flight.

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

Judge Again Declines Recusal Over Wife's Blank Rome Ties

By P.J. D'Annunzio

The Pennsylvania state judge overseeing Philadelphia's Zantac mass tort litigation has again rejected claims that he might have a conflict of interest because his wife's firm represents a defendant in one of more than 500 such cases, pointing out that the case in question has been resolved.

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

Instinct Can't Get Pet Food Artificial Ingredients Suit Tossed

By Mike Curley

A California federal judge won't throw out a buyer's proposed class action alleging that Instinct Pet Foods misleads consumers by claiming its pet foods lack artificial preservatives, saying her complaint is enough to allege violations of state consumer protection law and fraud.

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

Costco Can't End Dog Food Heart Risk Suit Yet, Buyers Say

By Emily Field

Dog owners on Monday told a Washington federal judge that Costco's bid to dismiss their proposed class action alleging that its grain-free dog food contributes to canine heart disease ignores their factual allegations, saying that the company is cherry-picking from studies about the risk.

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

Woman Sues Amazon Over Ladder That Collapsed Under Her

By Mike Curley

A Washington woman is suing Amazon.com and home goods maker Diamondforge in state court, alleging a stepladder she bought on Amazon collapsed underneath her, causing her to break her ankle.

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

Gunmaker, Ammo Co. Settle Ga. Man's Exploding Bullet Suit

By Jonathan Capriel

Gunmaker Chiappa Firearms USA Ltd. and ammunition supplier Olin Winchester LLC have reached a deal ending a Georgia man's claims that they are liable for permanent eye damage he suffered when a bullet unexpectedly exploded in a pistol he was target firing, they told a federal court Monday.

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

Mass. Justices Say Gym's Waiver Not Valid In Child Injury Suit

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court ruled Tuesday that a children's gymnastics school cannot rely on a liability waiver to shield itself from claims brought on behalf of a child injured during a class, reviving a negligence lawsuit against the facility.

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

Trump Taps Consumer Protection Chief For FTC Spot

By Matthew Perlman

President Donald Trump nominated Christopher Mufarrige, director of the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Protection Bureau, Monday to fill a vacant seat on the commission, but it's not clear if he will be confirmed ahead of the lame-duck session in Congress.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bombardier Says Free Fix Moots Boat Buyers' Losses

By Carolina Bolado

Canadian boat manufacturer Bombardier asked a Florida federal court Monday to dismiss a proposed class suit over an allegedly deceptive safety recall on a line of vessels, arguing that the plaintiffs' claimed economic losses were remedied by the free fix provided in the recall.

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

Feds Swiped State Power For Calif. Pipeline, 9th Circ. Told

By Hailey Konnath

Environmental groups and the state of California have asked the Ninth Circuit to block the federal government's approval of a Texas company's restart plan for an oil pipeline system near Santa Barbara, arguing that regulation of the pipeline lies with the Golden State. 

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

Feds Seek To Lift Power Line Injunction After Further Review

By Ganesh Setty

The federal government has urged a Colorado federal court to lift a preliminary injunction partially blocking a utility's construction of a transmission line in the Nebraska Sandhills, arguing that the issues the court identified in an "incidental take" permit have been fixed.

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

How Product Recalls Expose Insurance Coverage Gaps

The recent Cyclospora outbreak in iceberg lettuce highlights the potential insurance risks of a contaminated ingredient or defective product creating a ripple effect throughout an entire supply chain, leaving companies with substantial costs that standard policies may not cover, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Planning Personal Phone Collections Before Discovery Begins

For counsel planning a personal phone collection as part of the litigation discovery process, it's important to take early steps to ensure that necessary information will be obtained without exposing unrelated information or running into access issues, says Jeremy Horowitz at MARA Forensics.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

How A Child Of Immigrants Defends Abrego Garcia

By Corey Rothauser

Hecker Fink attorney Jeffrey Then grew up translating English-language letters for customers at his Dominican immigrant family’s Bronx business. Decades later, he drew on that experience while defending Kilmar Abrego Garcia from federal human smuggling charges, becoming a lifeline for Abrego Garcia during his detention.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wachtell To Probe Nvidia CEO's Affair With Alleged China Spy

By Anna Scott Farrell and Sue Reisinger

Nvidia has hired Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz to lead an investigation into allegations that its founder and CEO had an affair with a business executive who U.S. intelligence believes is a Chinese spy, the artificial intelligence chipmaker said Tuesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Grassley Defends Rush To Confirm Trump Judicial Picks

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday defended how quickly the committee is moving to confirm President Donald Trump's judicial picks before Democrats control the Senate.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Swaps Out Blocked 8th Circ. Nominee With Ark. Justice

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump on Tuesday withdrew his pick for the Eighth Circuit and replaced him with a different nominee amid apparent opposition from Arkansas' senators. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Girardi Estate's $54M Claim Put Behind Other Creditors

By Craig Clough

The trustees overseeing Tom Girardi's and his former law firm's bankruptcies struck a deal to put their claims against each other behind other approved general unsecured claims, according to a California bankruptcy court filing, with the firm's trustee saying neither estate is expected to collect on those claims.

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