Ohio

May 14, 2025
NC Progressive Customers Get Class Cert. In Car Value Suit

A class of Progressive Auto Insurance customers in North Carolina suing over the company's alleged practice of making adjustments that reduced their compensation for total loss claims has been certified by a federal judge.
May 14, 2025
FERC Chair Floats Plan To Slash Grid Project Perks

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of financial perks for $3 billion worth of transmission projects has prompted Chair Mark Christie to suggest a way to scale back the awarding of additional rate incentives to grid developers.
May 14, 2025
Ohio Water Utility Sues Chem Cos. Over PFAS Cleanup

An Ohio water utility has said some makers of fire fighting foam that contain so-called forever chemicals have known since the 1960s that the chemicals would contaminate soil and water but continued to sell the foam regardless, according to a suit filed against a dozen companies.
May 14, 2025
Judge Orders Boeing To Share Disclosures, Allow Depositions

A Virginia federal judge has said Boeing must share disclosures about its "false-stamping" of aircraft testing with three state pension systems that accuse the company and its executives of putting profits over safety, and that some board members must sit for depositions.
May 14, 2025
Squire Patton Adds Ex-SDNY Federal Prosecutor In Ohio

Squire Patton Boggs LLP has hired a former federal prosecutor who was on the team that handled the largest-ever public corruption case in Ohio history as a partner in the government investigations and white collar practice, the firm said Wednesday.
May 13, 2025
Zulily Can't Exit Laid-Off Workers' WARN Act Suit

A Washington federal judge declined Tuesday to throw out a proposed class action accusing online retailer Zulily of failing to provide advance notice of mass layoffs to remote workers in two states, finding the plaintiff workers had adequately alleged violation of the federal layoff warning law.
May 13, 2025
Grocery Giants Fight Washington's 'Redundant' $32.4M Fee Bid

Kroger and Albertsons are fighting a bid by Washington's attorney general to recover a record $32.4 million in legal fees for winning a lawsuit to block a $24.6 billion merger of the grocery giants, saying that the state's "go-it-alone" litigation was unnecessary and wasteful because of parallel antitrust action by the Federal Trade Commission.
May 13, 2025
Cannabis Water Co. Escapes $10M Fraud Charges With DPA

A cannabis-infused beverage maker on Tuesday inked a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges over its alleged role in a $10 million pump-and-dump scheme, with the deal including compliance provisions but no monetary penalty.
May 13, 2025
6th Circ. Clears Teacher To Fight Exclusion From Rehire List

The Sixth Circuit breathed new life into a teacher's lawsuit claiming a Tennessee school district unlawfully failed to place her on a reemployment candidate list after it eliminated her position, saying a trial court took too narrow a view of whether omission from the list caused harm.
May 13, 2025
IT Worker Accuses Feds Of Malware Trial Evidence 'Ambush'

A former IT worker at an Ohio power management company has asked for a new trial on charges that he intentionally corrupted his employer's computer system with malware, saying prosecutors withheld evidence until the last minute that directly rebutted a key aspect of his defense.
May 13, 2025
6th Circ. Demands New Atty Fee Calculation In Property Row

The Sixth Circuit has agreed that the state of Michigan and one of its counties are liable for attorney fees in a lawsuit alleging the county unlawfully kept proceeds from a tax-foreclosed sale, adding on Monday that the lower court must better explain why it slashed the victorious property owner's fee request.
May 13, 2025
6th Circ. Vacates Paper Cos. Superfund Liability Ruling

The Sixth Circuit sided with International Paper Co. and Weyerhaeuser Co. Monday and vacated a judgment holding them liable for future cleanup costs at a Michigan Superfund site.
May 12, 2025
Boeing Execs Say Cert. Appeal Warrants Stay Of 737 Max Suit

Boeing executives have argued state pension fund litigation accusing them of putting profits over safety should be paused while the Fourth Circuit reviews the certification of a class of investors who are accusing the company and its leaders of making false statements about the 737 Max.
May 12, 2025
Ohio AG Will Ask 6th Circ. To Revive Social Media Age Limit

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday that he is appealing a federal court decision blocking the state's law barring social media companies from allowing children under 16 to create accounts without parental consent.
May 12, 2025
Kraft Heinz, IPS Head To Trial Over $12.5M Project Dispute

Neither Kraft Heinz Co. nor contractor Industrial Power Systems Inc. can avoid continuing toward a trial in their dispute over cost and time overruns on a $12.5 million project to upgrade an Ohio production facility, after a federal judge denied both sides' motions for summary judgment Monday.
May 12, 2025
Wheelchair Restraint Co. Says Fla. Rival Misled Customers

An Ohio wheelchair restraint company accused a Florida competitor of false advertising, saying in a bench trial Monday in Florida federal court that it was damaged after the rival distributed a flyer telling dealers its products were the only ones that were federally approved for use in motor vehicles.
May 09, 2025
Real Estate Recap: 'Preposterous' Rule, MoFo On Debt, Big 4

Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney views of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule affecting real estate, one BigLaw leader's insights into new debt funds, and what the four largest brokerages said about 2025's first quarter.
May 09, 2025
Pa. Top Court Snapshot: Cap & Trade, Prosecutor Power

The scope of powers held by the Pennsylvania governor, the attorney general, and state and local utility authorities will take center stage in Harrisburg when the state Supreme Court convenes for its May session.
May 09, 2025
National Report Exposes Gaps In Missing Minority Cases

A growing number of minority groups, including Indigenous and Black people, have gone missing and remain unaccounted for around the United States, and systemic disparities contribute to the failure of law enforcement to track and resolve cases, a new report said.
May 09, 2025
6th Circ. Ruling Shows Toughening On ERISA Fiduciary Suits

A recent Sixth Circuit decision that backed the dismissal of a proposed class action against an auto parts maker demonstrates how appellate courts are raising the bar for cases alleging breaches of fiduciary duty under federal benefits law, experts say.
May 09, 2025
Souter's Clerks Remember Him As Humble, Kind And Caring

Former clerks of retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter are heartbroken over the death of a man many of them remember more for his conscientiousness, humility, kindness and disdain for the spotlight than for his undeniable brilliance as a jurist.
May 09, 2025
Hiker And 'Raconteur': Atty Recalls 50-Year Bond With Souter

Behind a towering legal legacy was a man who loved to hike mountains, could recall details of things he read decades ago and was always there for those he cared about, a New Hampshire attorney said as he reflected on a lifelong friendship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
May 09, 2025
A Look At David Souter's Most Significant Opinions

The retired Justice David Souter defied simple definition, viewed as a staunch conservative until he co-wrote an opinion upholding abortion rights in 1992. He did not hew to partisan lines, but reshaped the civil litigation landscape and took an unexpected stand in an extraordinarily close presidential election.
May 09, 2025
Justice Souter Was An Unexpected Force Of Moderation

Justice David Souter, who saw the high court as a moderating force apart from the messiness of politics, subverted the expectations of liberals and conservatives alike during his 19 years on the bench.
May 09, 2025
Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies At 85

Retired Justice David H. Souter, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1990 to 2009, has died at 85, the court announced Friday.

Expert Analysis

Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
Predicting Where State AGs Will Direct Their Attention In 2025

In 2025, we expect state attorneys general will navigate a new presidential administration while continuing to further regulate and police financial services, artificial intelligence, junk fees and antitrust, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
Roundup

Banking Brief: State Law Recaps From Each Quarter Of 2024

In this Expert Analysis series, throughout 2024 attorneys provided quarterly recaps discussing the biggest developments in banking regulation, litigation and policymaking in various states, including New York, California and Illinois.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Reviewing 2024's Evolving EdTech Privacy Regulations

Lawmakers are trying to keep up with the privacy and security risks of the increasingly prevalent education technology, with last year's developments including the Federal Trade Commission's proposed amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and the U.S. Senate passing two new children's privacy acts, say attorneys at McDermott.
Nippon, US Steel Face Long Odds On Merger Challenge

Following the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' review of Japan's Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, the companies face a formidable uphill battle in challenging the president's exercise of authority to block the deal on national security grounds, say attorneys at Kirkland.
Opinion

No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.
5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.
What To Expect From Federal Cybersecurity Policy In 2025

There are 12 cyber policy questions to keep an eye on as the new administration and Republican control of Congress present an opportunity to advance less regulatory approaches and revisit some choices from the prior administration, say attorneys at Wiley.
Series

Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw several significant developments in the fourth quarter of 2024, including a landmark Uniform Commercial Code ruling, adjustments to the state's Homebuyer Plus Program and the launch of the state's first women-led bank, says attorney Alex Durst.
7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.