STB Denies Bid To Halt UP-Norfolk Southern Merger Review

By Linda Chiem

The Surface Transportation Board will press ahead with its review of Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, denying requests from rival railroads and major freight rail shipping customers seeking to have the board stop the deal in its tracks.

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

Tesla Atty Misled Witness Days Before Bias Trial, Judge Hears

By Dorothy Atkins

The California Civil Rights Department asked a California judge for a protective order Monday on the first day of a bench trial over claims Tesla Inc. fostered racism at its Fremont factory, after a witness testified that an in-house Tesla attorney recently called him and misled him into believing he represented the agency.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-NJ AG Platkin Says Suit Over RICO Case Still Falls Short

By Jake Maher

Former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin says an amended malicious prosecution complaint against him, filed by a former CEO indicted in a now-dismissed racketeering case against South Jersey power broker George Norcross, still misses the mark.

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

ICE Contractor To Pay $48.75M To End Family Separation Suit

By Tom Lotshaw

U.S. government contractor MVM Inc. has agreed to pay $48.75 million to resolve a proposed class action over its alleged participation in a policy that separated thousands of immigrant families during the first Trump administration, according to a motion for preliminary approval.

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

Brief

Chinese Brake Drums Developed To Dodge Duties, US Says

By Jack McLoone

A type of brake drum imported from China was developed in order to wrongfully evade duty orders on such products from the country, the U.S. Department of Commerce preliminarily determined Monday.

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

FedEx Seeks High Court Review Of 6th Circ. Pension Ruling

By Katherine Smith

FedEx has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Sixth Circuit's decision to revive two proposed class actions alleging Kellogg's and FedEx's outdated actuarial assumptions shortchanged joint-and-survivor benefits for retirees, claiming the circuit court's "erroneous" interpretation of federal benefits law warrants high court review.

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

Brief

US, China Officials Discuss Trade Ahead Of Trump, Xi Meeting

By Dylan Moroses

U.S. and Chinese officials held talks in New York to discuss trade matters ahead of President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting this week, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Target Says It Had No Duty To Investigate Formula For Taint

By Mike Curley

Target Corp. is again urging a Washington federal court to throw out a couple's claims that it sold tainted baby formula that gave their child infant botulism, saying it's protected by state law and had no duty to independently investigate its suppliers.

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

Honeywell Aerospace Sues Electric Car Cos. Over Patents

By Adam Lidgett

Electric carmakers Lucid and Rivian are facing lawsuits accusing them of infringing automotive patents owned by Honeywell International spinoff Honeywell Aerospace.

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

Insurer Beats Auto Parts Co.'s $50M COVID-19 Coverage Bid

By Hope Patti

A North Carolina federal court permanently tossed an auto parts manufacturer's suit seeking $50 million in coverage for COVID-19 losses, saying the manufacturer failed to show that access to any of its insured facilities was limited due to the actual presence of a communicable disease.

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

FERC Wrongly Segmented Pipeline's Water Eval, DC Circ. Told

By Keith Goldberg

Environmental groups have told the D.C. Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission botched its analysis of the effects of a Williams Cos. unit's pipeline expansion project on streams and other aquatic resources in Virginia and North Carolina.

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

Seyfarth Says Data Breach Exposed Social Security Numbers

By Hailey Konnath

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has disclosed a recent data breach that exposed the names and Social Security numbers of at least 300 individuals, according to notices filed with the Texas and California attorneys general.

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

Meta Celebrates 'Abuse' Of Atty-Client Privilege, Judge Told

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge ordered Meta on Tuesday to rereview privilege designations on 300 documents in social media addiction litigation, after plaintiffs' lawyers cited a "culture of privilege abuse" epitomized by Instagram swag hats embroidered with "a/c priv" — the shorthand used to log withheld documents.

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

Mich. Fed. Judge On 1-Year Leave Over Drunken Driving Case

By Jack Karp

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is taking a one-year paid leave of absence from the bench following his misdemeanor conviction for drunken driving, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday.

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

Womble Bond Can't Quit Dutch Client With TM Trial Looming

By Hayley Fowler

Womble Bond Dickinson can't withdraw from a trademark feud that's dragged on for more than five years between U.S. and Dutch software companies, a North Carolina federal judge ruled, saying the firm's exit at this late stage "would be completely disruptive."

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