Retail & E-Commerce

  • June 07, 2024

    Motley Rice Allocated Biggest Share Of $2B Opioid Fees

    A panel directed with allocating $2.13 billion in attorney fees stemming from opioid settlements has recommended awarding the largest shares of the pot to Motley Rice LLC, Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC and Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, according to a report filed Friday in Ohio federal court.

  • June 07, 2024

    Casper Investors Ink $3M Deal Over Mattress Co.'s Woes

    Investors in mattress company Casper Sleep Inc. have asked a Brooklyn federal judge for an initial nod for their $3 million deal that would end claims the company misrepresented its financial prospects in the lead-up to its February 2020 initial public offering.

  • June 07, 2024

    Texas Jury Clears Michaels In Paint-By-Number TM Suit

    Arts and crafts retailer Michaels Stores Inc. did not infringe a paint-by-number company's trademarks to create a competing product, a Texas federal jury determined.

  • June 07, 2024

    Don't Delay In-House Handbags Case For Fed. Court, FTC Told

    Federal Trade Commission staffers are urging the commission not to delay an in-house challenge to the planned $8.5 billion merger combining the parent companies of Coach and Michael Kors, arguing that a separate New York federal court fight won't automatically determine the deal's fate.

  • June 07, 2024

    Trade Commission Votes To Advance Solar Cell Investigations

    The four heads of the U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously Friday to continue anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into solar cell imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, finding evidence that the imports harmed domestic solar manufacturers.

  • June 07, 2024

    High Court's 'Narrow' Jack Daniel's Opinion Having Big Impact

    When the U.S. Supreme Court decided a year ago that the maker of a squeaky dog toy that looks like a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle had no free speech protections against trademark infringement claims, the justices described their holding as narrow, but lawyers and academics are now suggesting the opinion is having broader implications.

  • June 07, 2024

    3 IPEF Agreements Done, But Still No Sign Of Trade Pillar

    Three of the four "pillars" of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and the initiative's overarching agreement are now complete, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced, but there's still no timeline for finishing the deal's trade pillar

  • June 07, 2024

    NetChoice Challenges 'Onerous' Ga. E-Commerce Law

    NetChoice LLC, an industry group representing some of America's largest e-commerce platforms, filed suit hoping to block a new Georgia law they say "jumps the tracks" from reasonable oversight and monitoring requirements to laying down "impermissible investigation mandates."

  • June 07, 2024

    COVID Test Supplier Sees $1.4M Default Loss In Gopuff Suit

    A Connecticut federal court on Friday handed a medical supply company a default loss in a suit by online retail delivery service Gopuff alleging that the supplier failed to fulfill an order for nearly 106,000 COVID-19 test kits, ordering the company to pay roughly $1.4 million.

  • June 07, 2024

    Pilgrim's Pride Largely Can't Pause Chicken Farmers' Suit

    An Oklahoma federal judge largely refused Friday to pause a lawsuit accusing Pilgrim's Pride of conspiring with other chicken producers to suppress farmer compensation while Pilgrim's appeals certification of over 24,000 farmers, finding it does not matter if the $2.77 billion damages claim might pressure the company to settle.

  • June 07, 2024

    Rite Aid Can Borrow Another $75M In Ch. 11 Plan Pursuit

    Bankrupt retail drug-store chain Rite Aid Corp. received court approval on Friday in New Jersey for an amended debtor-in-possession financing package that provides $75 million in new-money financing as it moves toward confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan.

  • June 07, 2024

    Dreamland Falsely Touts Safe Weighted Swaddle, Parent Says

    Dreamland Baby Co. "boldly markets" its weighted swaddles and blankets as pediatrician-approved and safe for babies and toddlers, but medical associations and government regulators have condemned these kinds of weighted products as being harmful, according to a proposed class action filed Thursday in California federal court.

  • June 07, 2024

    GOP Sens. Look To Sanction ICC Over Netanyahu Warrant

    Following the House's passage of a bill to sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Senate Republicans are pushing for their chamber to follow the House's lead.

  • June 07, 2024

    GOP Lawmakers Want Chinese Battery Cos. Blacklisted

    Republican lawmakers urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to add two Chinese battery makers to an import blacklist for having ties to a Chinese government entity that the U.S. government has sanctioned for human rights abuses against China's Uyghur minority.

  • June 07, 2024

    Justices Are Asked To Ax 9th Circ. Price Discrimination Test

    A retail trade association is coming to 5-Hour Energy's defense, calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the energy drink-maker's petition challenging a 2023 Ninth Circuit ruling that revived claims from a group of wholesalers alleging that the company engaged in illegal price-fixing advantaging Costco.

  • June 07, 2024

    6th Circ. Sides With Hemp Co. In CVS Deal Commission Row

    The Sixth Circuit has sided with hemp producers operating under Ecofibre Ltd. in a dispute with a group of businesses that sought commissions for linking the hemp companies with CVS, saying the businesses' prior concessions at the trial court dooms their new arguments on appeal.

  • June 07, 2024

    Carhartt Heir's Atty Cleared On 2 Counts; Deadlock On Rest

    A Michigan state jury in Detroit on Friday partially cleared a Michigan attorney accused of stealing millions of dollars from his wealthy client, the late Carhartt company heiress Gretchen Valade, but jurors could not agree on two of four charges.

  • June 07, 2024

    Shein's Pursuit Of London IPO Proves US-China Rift Persists

    Online fashion giant Shein's expected pivot to London rather than the United States for its initial public offering — triggered by persistent tensions between China and the U.S. — will be closely watched by IPO prospects mulling where to list their shares in a dicey geopolitical climate, experts say.

  • June 07, 2024

    Bryan Cave, Goodwin Guide New Era's Merger With '47 Brand

    Acon Investments-owned New Era Cap LLC announced Friday that it agreed to buy fellow sports lifestyle brand '47 to create a merged business that brings in roughly $2 billion in annual revenue in a deal built by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP and Goodwin Procter LLP.

  • June 07, 2024

    Google Ad Tech Case Won't Go To Jury Due To Co.'s Payment

    A Virginia federal judge ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology will be heard by the bench, and not a jury, thanks to a $2.3 million check from Google covering the amount enforcers could be awarded if they prevail.

  • June 06, 2024

    Roundup MDL Judge Worries Plaintiffs Firms Overstretched

    A California federal judge presiding over multidistrict personal injury litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer expressed concerns Thursday that plaintiffs firms may be taking on "a whole bunch of cases" they don't have the ability to prosecute just to settle "on the cheap," calling the prospect "a little bit disturbing."

  • June 06, 2024

    FTC Says Kroger Hasn't Turned Over Promised Documents

    The Federal Trade Commission urged an administrative law judge on Tuesday to require Kroger to fork over documents related to negotiations for its divestiture plan amid the commission's in-house challenge to the grocer's merger with Albertsons, saying Kroger's prior representations that it would produce the materials "have proven false."

  • June 06, 2024

    In 13-Year Trademark Fight, Chicago Judge Says No More

    A Chicago federal judge brought to a close a trademark fight between two vaping companies surrounding the phrase "21st Century Smoking" that has stretched on for over a decade and led to millions of dollars in sanctions over thousands of deleted emails and long-hidden documents.

  • June 06, 2024

    Getty Images Removed From Barry Sanders Statue Suit

    The number of defendants in the copyright fight over a photo used to create the statue of legendary running back Barry Sanders has continued to dwindle, after the photographer dismissed Getty Images Inc. from the suit while he continues to pursue claims against the Detroit Lions and others.

  • June 06, 2024

    Garage Address Not Enough To Keep IP Suit In Texas, Biz Says

    A Chicago-based business software review platform has argued it can't be forced to face a patent infringement suit in Texas because a patent-holding company claimed it has a location in Austin, saying a "quick Google search" would have revealed the address is a parking garage.

Expert Analysis

  • Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ

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    Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.

  • Legal Battles Show Brands' Dilemma In Luxury Resale Trend

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    Recent litigation, such as Chanel's pending case against The RealReal, underscores the intricate balance luxury brands must strike between protecting their trademarks and embracing the burgeoning secondhand market that values sustainability, says Prachi Ajmera at Michelman & Robinson.

  • How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving

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    Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • Best Practices For Responding To CBP's Solar Questionnaire

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    U.S. Customs and Border Protection's recently introduced questionnaire to solar importers imposes significant burdens, with the potential for supply chain disruptions and market consolidation, but taking certain steps can assist companies in navigating the new requirements, say Carl Valenstein and Katelyn Hilferty at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

  • Calif. Web Tracking Cases Show Courts' Indecision Over CIPA

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    Several hundred cases filed to date, and two recent conflicting rulings, underscore California courts' uncertainty over whether the use of web analytics tools to track users' website interactions can give rise to a violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.

  • To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef

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    To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?

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    Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    US Solar Import Probe's Focus On China Is Misguided

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    The U.S. Department of Commerce's recent anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation focuses on the apparent Chinese ownership of solar device importers in four Southeast Asian countries — a point that is irrelevant under the controlling statute, says John Anwesen at Lighthill.

  • 'Food As Health' Serves Up Fresh Legal Considerations

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    The growth of food as medicine presents a significant opportunity for healthcare organizations and nontraditional healthcare players to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, though these innovative programs also bring compliance considerations that must be carefully navigated, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • FTC Hearing On Fake Review Rule Stressed Compliance Costs

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    The Federal Trade Commission is likely to finalize its proposed rule to prohibit marketers from using deceptive practices in their product reviews after an informal hearing covered arguments over whether costs of implementing the rule, such as review moderation and software maintenance, would be minimal, says Jeffrey Edelstein at Manatt.

  • Trending At The PTAB: Real Party In Interest And IPR

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    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s recent Luminex v. Signify decision, finding a complaint seeking indemnification may be treated as a public demand sufficient to establish a real party-in-interest, shows that the board continues to apply a broad and expansive definition to that term, say Yicong (Eve) Du and Yieyie Yang at Finnegan.

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

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    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

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