Retail & E-Commerce

  • April 11, 2024

    3 Firms Guide Safety Inspection Firm UL's Upsized $946M IPO

    Safety inspection company UL Solutions Inc. on Thursday completed a larger-than-anticipated $946 million initial public offering near the top of its price range, guided by three law firms.

  • April 11, 2024

    Judge Tells USPTO To Hand Over 'Expanded' Panels List

    A Virginia federal judge has ordered the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to hand over a list the agency once made of how many Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings went before "expanded" panels, a practice that has since been abandoned.

  • April 11, 2024

    FTC's Bedoya Looking For Market Power In Pricing Cases

    Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Thursday he is most interested in bringing potential cases under the Robinson Patman Act when a company is using its market power to gain an unfair advantage over smaller rivals.

  • April 11, 2024

    Shops Fight Altria Unit's Bid To Block Flavored Vape Sales

    A group of smoke shops urged a California federal judge to reject a bid by vape manufacturer NJOY, a subsidiary of tobacco giant Altria Group, Inc., seeking to block the retailers from selling Elf Bar branded flavored vapes, arguing that consumers won't flock to NJOY's tobacco flavored products even if Elf Bar is off the market.

  • April 11, 2024

    Flopped Casino SPAC Investor Sues In Del. To Block Payout

    An investor in a special purpose acquisition company that made a doomed, $2.7 billion effort to buy a casino in the Philippines has asked Delaware's Court of Chancery to prevent the SPAC from redeeming its outstanding shares, arguing it would violate Delaware law because the SPAC is insolvent.

  • April 11, 2024

    AG Asked To Weigh In On Jack Daniel's TM Dispute

    An Arizona federal judge has certified a constitutional question from VIP Products LLC asking U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland whether the First Amendment supports the Lanham Act provision authorizing injunctive relief in cases of trademark dilution by tarnishment.

  • April 11, 2024

    Pool Co. Gets Rival's Assets Frozen After False Ads Verdict

    A North Carolina federal judge on Thursday temporarily froze the assets of a Chinese manufacturer of pool products and its American subsidiary after they were hit with a multimillion-dollar verdict for false advertising and unfair business practices, citing a concern they may move assets to try and duck payment.

  • April 11, 2024

    Nogin Can Get Another $3M In Ch. 11 Cash To Get Plan Done

    E-commerce company Nogin Inc. received permission Thursday from a Delaware bankruptcy court to draw another $3 million in Chapter 11 financing as it continues working toward implementing its court-approved restructuring plan.

  • April 11, 2024

    Insurer Drops Suit After Evidence Clears Stihl In Fire Case

    Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. agreed Wednesday to drop a lawsuit in North Carolina federal court seeking to hold Stihl Inc. liable for fire damages at a policyholder's home after evidence showed a hedge-trimmer battery didn't cause the fire.

  • April 11, 2024

    Judge Grants $3.2M In Fees For Wawa Class Counsel

    There is no evidence of side agreements or collusion between attorneys representing a proposed class in a suit against Wawa Inc. and the convenience store's defense counsel, according to a Pennsylvania federal judge's order approving $3.2 million in attorney fees following appellate court review.

  • April 11, 2024

    State Enforcers: Not Joining Fed Cases No Sign Of Opposition

    Several state enforcers said Thursday they choose which antitrust cases being brought by federal enforcers they join based on a number of factors, and it doesn't mean they are opposed to a case if they decide not to join.

  • April 11, 2024

    Exploding Shower Door Injury Suit Must Stay In Fed. Court

    A lawsuit seeking to hold a plumbing fixture company and Home Depot liable for injuries a child suffered when a shower door "exploded" will not be sent back to state court, a New Jersey federal judge ruled, saying an agreement to cap damages won't shake federal jurisdiction.

  • April 11, 2024

    1st Challenge To NLRB Structure Axed For Lack Of Standing

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge tossed a constitutional challenge to the National Labor Relations Board's structure filed by two Starbucks employees, ruling that the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation-represented baristas did not have standing to sue.

  • April 11, 2024

    Commerce Rebuked For Not Explaining Penalty In Duty Order

    The U.S. Court of International Trade ordered the U.S. Department of Commerce to re-explain a 10.54% penalty included in a Chinese ribbon company's countervailing duties, saying Commerce's latest defense relied on information unavailable to the court.

  • April 11, 2024

    Medical Cannabis Ads Are Lawful In Miss., 5th Circ. Told

    A Mississippi medical marijuana dispensary is urging the Fifth Circuit to find that state regulations restricting cannabis advertising violate the First Amendment right to free speech, and that the state cannot hide behind the drug's federal illegality.

  • April 11, 2024

    Jury Frees Urban Outfitters From Trade Secrets Suit

    Urban Outfitters on Thursday beat back a lawsuit from a bankrupt online fashion rental company claiming the retailer stole its proprietary information to set up a competing business, with a Philadelphia federal jury finding that the clothing chain did not misappropriate trade secrets.

  • April 10, 2024

    States, Wild Cards & Time: Hurdles Facing Privacy Law Push

    Congress has what many experts are calling its best chance to enact a national data privacy framework, after key leaders this week announced a surprising deal on the topic. But several factors could still derail the promising proposal, including influential stakeholders that have yet to weigh in, the upcoming election and the longstanding debate over who should enforce the law.

  • April 10, 2024

    DOJ's Apple Antitrust Suit Gets New Judge After Recusal

    The New Jersey federal judge overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice's recent iPhone antitrust case against Apple recused himself from the litigation Wednesday, according to a text order posted to the docket reassigning the case.

  • April 10, 2024

    US, Mexico Resolve Labor Complaints At Two Mexico Plants

    Workers at two Mexico automotive part facilities can now organize under a union of their choice after concerns of labor violations were resolved through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement's labor rights tool, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced.

  • April 10, 2024

    UGG, Wal-Mart Ordered To File More Details On Slipper Patent

    A California federal judge has ordered Deckers Outdoor Corp. and Wal-Mart Inc. to submit joint briefing on claim construction for an UGG slipper design patent that Deckers alleges the big-box retailer is infringing, saying there is insufficient information for the court to make a decision on summary judgment.

  • April 10, 2024

    Plastic Surgeon Owes $7.7M From Offshore Scheme, US Says

    A now-retired plastic surgeon owes the Internal Revenue Service more than $7.7 million after he ran an offshore employee leasing scheme and he and his wife transferred nearly all their assets to their then-11-year-old daughter, who is now a lawyer, the government told an Ohio federal court.

  • April 10, 2024

    Amazon Hit With $525M Verdict Over Data Storage Patents

    An Illinois federal jury on Wednesday found that Amazon infringed three of a Chicago software company's patents relating to cloud data storage technology, determining that while the infringement was not willful, Amazon owes $525 million in damages.

  • April 10, 2024

    Dormant Commerce Applies To Cannabis, 2nd Circ. Told

    A California lawyer whose companies have filed multiple lawsuits challenging state and local cannabis licensure programs has urged the Second Circuit to find that the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution applies to federally illegal marijuana.

  • April 10, 2024

    WTO Forecasts Global Trade Rebound But Warns Of Risks

    The World Trade Organization on Wednesday said it is forecasting an uptick in global trade this year and into 2025 following a decline in 2023 due to high energy prices and inflation, but warned that geopolitical tensions could hinder the rebound.

  • April 10, 2024

    Ex-CBD Exec Says He Was Duped Into Investment

    The former chief operating officer of health goods supplier and CBD seller Premier Beauty and Health LLC told jurors Wednesday that he was misled by the company's executives — who were also his family members — into investing in a company that was less profitable and stable than he had been told.

Expert Analysis

  • Vagueness In Calif. Climate Law Makes Compliance Tricky

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    California's recently enacted Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act requires companies making claims of carbon neutrality, or significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions, to disclose information supporting those claims — but vague and conflicting language in the statute poses multiple problems for businesses, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Series

    Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.

  • Opinion

    Nebraska Should Abandon Proposed Digital Ad Tax

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    If passed, Nebraska’s recently proposed Advertising Services Tax Act, which would finance property tax relief by imposing a 7.5% gross revenue tax on advertising services, would cause a politically risky shift of tax burdens from landowners to local businesses and consumers, and would most certainly face litigation, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • What Retailers Should Note In Calif. Web Tracking Suits

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    As retailers face a deluge of class actions alleging the use of conventional web analytic tools violate wiretapping and eavesdropping provisions of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, uncovering the path toward a narrow interpretation of the law will largely depend on how these cases proceed, say Matthew Pearson and Kareem Salem at BakerHostetler.

  • Chancery's Sears Ruling Clarifies Stockholder Duties

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    In a recent landmark decision involving stockholders of Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, the Delaware Chancery Court addressed for the first time what precise duties a controlling stockholder owes, highlighting that controller interference with board action is not per se invalid and that enhanced scrutiny is a reasonableness test, say Christopher Chuff and Taylor Bartholomew at Troutman Pepper.

  • What's At Stake In High Court NLRB Injunction Case

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    William Baker at Wigdor examines the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear Starbucks v. McKinney — where it will consider a long-standing circuit split over the standard for evaluating National Labor Relations Board injunction bids — and explains why the justices’ eventual decision, either way, is unlikely to be a significant blow to labor.

  • The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift

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    As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

  • Expediting Psychedelics Approvals In The US And Canada

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    Accelerated regulatory pathways for psychedelics in the U.S. and Canada play a pivotal role in the progression of drugs, devices and novel therapies toward commercialization, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell, and Ana Dukic and Sabrina Ramkellawan at AxialBridge.

  • Directors And Officers Face Unique AI-Related Risks

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    As privacy, intellectual property and discrimination lawsuits focusing on artificial intelligence increase, corporate directors and officers must stay aware of associated risks, including those related to compliance, litigation and cybersecurity, says Jonathan Meer at Wilson Elser.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • New Strain Of Web Tracking Suits Pose Risks For Retailers

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    Amid an ongoing surge of California state and federal lawsuits that are using novel theories to allege companies used certain recording technologies to illegally track website users, retailers should take steps to develop a potential argument that customers consented to any alleged uses of these devices, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Ex-OpenSea Staffer Case May Clarify When Info Is Property

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    In considering the appeal of a former OpenSea manager’s wire fraud conviction in U.S. v. Chastain, the Second Circuit may soon provide guidance about whether economic information is traditional property in certain insider trading prosecutions — a theory of fraud that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly narrowed, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Unraveling The Bundled Benefits Of Retail Memberships

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    The recent prevalence of paid retail memberships and the associated findings of a consumer survey suggest that assessing consumer preferences and welfare may be important when considering resolution mechanisms in antitrust contexts, say Rosa M. Abrantes-Metz at Berkeley Research Group, Mame Maloney at The Brattle Group and Jeff Brazell at the University of Utah.

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