Retail & E-Commerce

  • January 23, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Suit Over Veteran's Photo Is Time-Barred

    The Seventh Circuit has declined to reinstate a military veteran's claims that a photo of him on patrol in Afghanistan was improperly licensed and sold as a poster by online retailers, saying the case is time-barred since the statute of limitations clock began when the photo was published and not when he discovered it.

  • January 23, 2026

    Saks Gets OK To Start Liquidating Online Unit's Inventory

    A Texas bankruptcy judge gave one of Saks' online affiliates permission to get the ball rolling on an inventory liquidation after the retailer said a quick sale is needed to meet its lenders' terms for allowing it to use cash collateral.

  • January 23, 2026

    Latham, Davis Polk Guide Construction Gear Co.'s $747M IPO

    Construction equipment rental company EquipmentShare began trading Friday after raising $747 million at the midpoint of an expected range in an initial public offering guided by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and underwriters counsel Latham & Watkins LLP.

  • January 23, 2026

    Live Nation Antitrust Judge Wants To 'Punt' On State Claims

    A federal judge in Manhattan asked Friday whether federal and state authorities accusing Live Nation of stifling competition in live entertainment would consent to staying the state law claims and focus on federal claims in an upcoming trial so it won't end up "lasting five years."

  • January 22, 2026

    TikTok Seals Joint Venture Deal For US Operations

    TikTok's Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, has sold a majority stake in the video app's U.S. operations to a new U.S.-based joint venture managed by a group of non-Chinese investors in order to comply with a congressional mandate and avoid the app's shutdown, the company announced Thursday.

  • January 22, 2026

    Google, Epic Fight Uphill To Tweak App Antitrust Injunction

    A California federal judge indicated Thursday that he's unlikely to grant Epic and Google's request to modify a permanent injunction issued after a jury found Google monopolized the distribution of apps on Android devices, saying they have to show changed circumstances, and "I haven't seen anything change, other than a deal" between the companies.

  • January 22, 2026

    Smucker Pet Food Buyers Win Cert. In PFAS Disclosure Fight

    A California federal judge certified Thursday a class of Golden State consumers who accuse The J.M. Smucker Co. of failing to disclose risks of so-called PFAS forever chemicals in certain pet food packaging, rejecting Smucker's arguments, among others, that PFAS exposure is too individualized for classwide resolution.

  • January 22, 2026

    DoggyPhone Sues Again Over Furbo Pet-Comms Product

    Tech company DoggyPhone LLC again took aim at Tomofun on Thursday, claiming in Seattle federal court that the pet-toy maker's Furbo line of products infringes a DoggyPhone-held patent describing "systems and methods that enable remote human-pet communication."

  • January 22, 2026

    Ford, GM Industrial Bank Bids Get FDIC Approval

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Thursday that it has signed off on industrial loan company applications from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., clearing the two automakers to open federally insured banking units over objections from community bankers.

  • January 22, 2026

    House Report Claims Evidence of CVS Antitrust Violations

    House Judiciary Committee staffers said Wednesday that they'd uncovered "a pattern of anticompetitive activity" in CVS Health tactics aimed at coercing independent pharmacies into avoiding working with online services the company saw as a threat to its own pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager businesses.

  • January 22, 2026

    FTC Defends BOTS Act Case Against Live Nation

    The Federal Trade Commission urged a California federal court not to toss its case accusing Live Nation of deceiving customers and artists, saying the live events and ticketing giant failed to disclose the actual price of tickets and turned a blind eye to scalpers on its platforms.

  • January 22, 2026

    Investors In Korean Online Retail Giant Threaten Treaty Claim

    California investment firms that hold a $1.5 billion stake in online retail giant Coupang have threatened to bring a treaty claim against South Korea over "a whole-of-government pressure campaign" initiated against the company and have asked the Trump administration to intervene, as well.

  • January 22, 2026

    FDA Action Shouldn't Halt Amazon Labeling Suit, Plaintiffs Say

    Shoppers accusing Amazon of failing to make required disclosures on dietary supplement product pages told a Washington federal judge there's no need to pause their proposed class action amid possible rulemaking by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, arguing that the supposed rule change wouldn't negate the suit's claims under California law.

  • January 22, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Mower-Maker Toro Must Face Amputation Suit

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday reversed a win for The Toro Co. in a suit brought by a woman who lost a leg in an incident with a riding lawn mower, finding that one of her experts should be allowed to testify about brakes.

  • January 22, 2026

    Supplement Cos. Challenge FDA Health Claim Denials

    A group of health supplement companies hit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with a suit in D.C. federal court Wednesday alleging regulators wrongly denied them approval to make over 100 distinct claims concerning the health benefits of their products.

  • January 22, 2026

    Colo. Co. Can't Sue Target Again For Infringement, Court Told

    A Colorado-based clothing company cannot bring claims that Target infringed the company's registered copyright on several infant sleepwear products, the retail giant told a federal judge, arguing that a prior lawsuit against Target prevents the clothing company from suing it again.

  • January 22, 2026

    Walmart Broke Grocery Noncompete Promise, Court Told

    The owner of a suburban Pittsburgh grocery store told a Pennsylvania federal judge Thursday that a neighboring Walmart is in violation of a nearly 30-year-old deal not to compete for food sales, blaming a recent remodel for a drop in the grocer's sales.

  • January 22, 2026

    Designer Akris Settles FCA Claim Over Pandemic Loan

    The U.S. subsidiary of Swiss designer Akris AG has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle a False Claims Act complaint alleging the company improperly obtained a pandemic relief loan for which it was not eligible, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston announced Thursday.

  • January 22, 2026

    Drugmakers May Dodge Disgorgement In States' Antitrust Suit

    A Connecticut federal judge probed the limits of his equitable powers Thursday in a sprawling generic drug antitrust enforcement action, expressing doubt that he could order the drugmaker defendants to hand over their profits while also awarding multiplied damages and imposing civil penalties.

  • January 22, 2026

    NC Court Backs Asphalt Co. In $2.6M Tax Dispute

    A North Carolina asphalt company's transfers of property to its parent company aren't taxable sales because the state Department of Revenue failed to prove there was any form of payment for the products, the state business court affirmed, canceling a $2.6 million bill.

  • January 22, 2026

    Cooley, Jones Day Steer Clorox's $2.25B GOJO Industries Buy

    Cooley LLP-advised Clorox Co. said Thursday it has agreed to acquire Jones Day-guided GOJO Industries, the maker of Purell hand sanitizer, for $2.25 billion in cash.

  • January 22, 2026

    Patagonia Claims Activist 'Pattie Gonia' Rips Off TM In $1 Suit

    Patagonia Inc. has sued an activist who goes by the "Pattie Gonia" persona in California federal court, asking the court to block the drag queen from selling T-shirts and other merchandise and services that allegedly rip off its popular trademarks, while only seeking $1 in nominal damages.

  • January 22, 2026

    FTC Cites 'Serious Concerns' With Epic-Google Play Deal

    A settlement resolving Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Google that would replace the injunction Epic won against Google's Play Store controls has drawn pushback from the Federal Trade Commission, which is urging strict scrutiny of the agreement currently under the eye of an already skeptical California federal judge.

  • January 22, 2026

    Google Can't Duck Case Over Paid Search, Privacy Claims

    A California federal court has refused to toss a proposed consumer class action alleging Google's default search agreements block competition from rival search engines that could provide more privacy or even pay users to search.

  • January 22, 2026

    Meta Can't Arbitrate Suit Alleging Bias Against White Workers

    Meta Platforms can't arbitrate a former engineer's suit alleging it fostered a hostile work environment that discriminated against white male employees and job applicants for hiring opportunities, promotions and bonuses, according to a minute order issued by a California state judge.

Expert Analysis

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Dynamic Databases

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    Several recent federal court decisions illustrate how parties continue to grapple with the discovery of data in dynamic databases, so counsel involved in these disputes must consider how structured data should be produced consistent with the requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The Legal Issues With AI Agents In Consumer Transactions

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    Enabling artificial intelligence agents to handle not just research and recommendations, but the execution of purchases themselves, fundamentally alters commercial relationships and introduces new practical and legal questions for card issuers, merchants, acquirers and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Wash. Email Subject Line Ruling Puts Retailers On The Hook

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    The Washington state Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Old Navy, finding that a state law prohibits misleading email subject lines, has opened the door to nationwide copycat litigation, introducing potential exposure measured not in thousands, but in millions or even billions of dollars for retailers, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    Building With Lego Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Building with Lego has taught me to follow directions and adapt to unexpected challenges, and in pairing discipline with imagination, allows me to stay grounded while finding new ways to make complex deals come together, says Paul Levin at Venable.

  • How Banks Can Safely Handle Payments For Gambling Biz

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    As the betting market continues to expand, it's crucial for banks and fintechs to track historical developments in wagering and ongoing prediction markets litigation that can factor into a risk analysis for payment processing with respect to gambling operators, says Laura D'Angelo at Jones Walker.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

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    Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

  • Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

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    State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • AI's Role In Google Antitrust Suit May Reshape Tech Markets

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    The evolution of AI in retail has reshaped the U.S.' antitrust case against Google, which could both benefit small business innovators and consumers, and fundamentally alter future antitrust cases, including the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Amazon, says Graham Dufault at ACT.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: How It Works In Massachusetts

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    Since its founding in 2000, the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session's expertise, procedural flexibility and litigant-friendly case management practices have contributed to the development of a robust body of commercial jurisprudence, say James Donnelly at Mirick O’Connell, Felicia Ellsworth at WilmerHale and Lisa Wood at Foley Hoag.

  • Why Appellees Should Write Their Answering Brief First

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    Though counterintuitive, appellees should consider writing their answering briefs before they’ve ever seen their opponent’s opening brief, as this practice confers numerous benefits related to argument structure, time pressures and workflow, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • 2nd Circ. Peloton Ruling Emphasizes Disclosure Context

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision to revive shareholders’ suit alleging that Peloton made materially misleading statements makes clear that public companies must continually review risk disclosures to determine if previous hypotheticals have materialized, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

  • AI Litigation Tools Can Enhance Case Assessment, Strategy

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    Civil litigators can use artificial intelligence tools to strengthen case assessment and aid in early strategy development, as long as they address the risks and ethical considerations that accompany these uses, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Attys Beware: Generative AI Can Also Hallucinate Metadata

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    In addition to the well-known problem of AI-generated hallucinations in legal documents, AI tools can also hallucinate metadata — threatening the integrity of discovery, the reliability of evidence and the ability to definitively identify the provenance of electronic documents, say attorneys at Law & Forensics.

  • When Atty Ethics Violations Give Rise To Causes Of Action

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    Though the Model Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that a violation of the rules does not automatically create a cause of action, attorneys should beware of a few scenarios in which they could face lawsuits for ethical lapses, says Brian Faughnan at Faughnan Law.

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