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Class Action
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September 26, 2024
En Banc 9th Circ. Doubts Dismissal Of Shopify Privacy Suit
Ninth Circuit judges sitting en banc Thursday appeared dubious of an earlier panel's conclusion that a California federal court lacked personal jurisdiction over Golden State consumers' privacy claims against Shopify Inc., questioning how internet companies could ever face tort claims if this were the law.
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September 26, 2024
Pa. Justices Say COVID Closures Aren't Covered Losses
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court shut the door Thursday on COVID-19 pandemic loss insurance coverage for businesses closed by government mandate, ruling that requisite physical loss or damage required tangible alteration to property, reversing a lower court decision that stated loss of use was sufficient.
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September 26, 2024
NY Lawmakers Beat ADA Suit Over Contentious Mask Ban
A New York federal judge threw out a challenge to Nassau County's ban on face masks worn by people trying to hide their identities in public, noting in an order Wednesday the plaintiffs lack standing since the ban doesn't apply to coverings worn to protect the wearer's health and safety.
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September 26, 2024
Nvidia Seeks 'Unworkable' Pleading Standard, Justices Told
Nvidia Corp. shareholders asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject the company's "unworkable" reading of the pleading standards under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, arguing that they've presented plenty of evidence to move forward with claims that the company hid its $1 billion exposure to the volatile cryptocurrency market.
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September 26, 2024
Arthur J. Gallagher To Pay $21M To End Data Breach Suits
Insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve several lawsuits consolidated in Illinois alleging that it failed to protect more than 3 million customers from a data breach that compromised their personally identifiable information, with an Illinois federal judge giving her initial blessing to the deal Thursday.
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September 26, 2024
4th Circ. Hints Rocket Mortgage Class Cert. Is On Shaky Ground
The Fourth Circuit on Thursday seemed skeptical that all potential class members who accused Rocket Mortgage of inflating their home values could prove they were injured under the U.S. Supreme Court's heightened pleading standard in TransUnion, putting the lower court's certification order on rocky footing.
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September 26, 2024
Apple Protests Atty Fee Bid In $35M Deal With Scam Victims
Apple Inc. urged a California federal court to limit the fee awarded to plaintiffs' attorneys from a $35 million settlement over allegations it did not stop scammers from tricking victims into using iTunes gift cards for payments, saying the 33% fee sought is too high for the "fair but unexceptional recovery."
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September 26, 2024
Atty Sheehan Owes $144K Fees For 'Frivolous' Big Lots Suit
Prolific New York-based consumer advocate attorney Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC must cover the approximately $144,000 tab for attorney fees incurred amid the "frivolous" coffee labeling suit he brought against national retailer Big Lots Inc., a Florida federal judge has ordered.
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September 26, 2024
Quest Diagnostics Escapes 401(k) Mismanagement Suit
A New Jersey federal judge tossed a proposed class action alleging Quest Diagnostics Inc. mismanaged its $5 billion retirement plan by failing to chop under performing investment funds from its lineup, pointing to proof that the company acted to rein in questionable funds.
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September 25, 2024
Ohio Train Derailment Plaintiffs Win Final OK Of $600M Deal
An Ohio federal judge on Wednesday gave her final blessing to a $600 million settlement resolving claims brought by residents and others affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, last year.
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September 25, 2024
Developer's NorCal Spree Ends With Fraud Claims In Ch. 11
Northern California real estate company LeFever Mattson stockpiled more than $400 million in real estate, including several local landmarks in a small town north of San Francisco. The firm now seeks bankruptcy protection amid claims following an alleged scheme by one executive to pocket millions by selling bunk equity stakes to investors.
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September 25, 2024
Ex-Cognizant Worker Says Co. 'Mandate' Was To Hire Indians
A former employee at Cognizant Technology testified Wednesday as a witness for a class of former employees alleging the company discriminates against non-Indian workers, and said he believes the company did not just have a preference for hiring workers from India through the H-1B visa program, but that it was "a mandate."
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September 25, 2024
Bumble Investor Says Dating App Overhyped Premium Model
A Bumble Inc. investor has launched a proposed securities class action in Texas federal court accusing the dating app's parent company of misleading investors about its financial outlook and success of a "premium plus" subscription tier, and causing a dramatic decline in Bumble's common stock price.
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September 25, 2024
Rent The Runway, Gwyneth Paltrow Can't Escape Investor Suit
A New York federal judge on Wednesday trimmed a proposed class action suit against actress Gwyneth Paltrow and online clothing rental company Rent the Runway Inc., claiming the company failed to inform investors about major challenges it was facing in the run-up to its 2021 initial public offering.
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September 25, 2024
Target Can't Escape Claims Over Deceptive 'Clean' Label
A California federal judge on Wednesday said that Target Corp. still has to face class claims that its Target Clean range of beauty products actually contain chemicals that harm humans and the environment, saying the allegations are a bit "unique" and are not typical product liability claims.
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September 25, 2024
Pa. Justices Urged To Reconsider Tossing Undated Ballots
Ten Pennsylvania voting rights groups on Wednesday urged the state Supreme Court to use its special "King's Bench" power and immediately take up arguments over whether throwing out mail-in votes that are missing handwritten dates on their outer envelopes violates the Pennsylvania constitution.
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September 25, 2024
7th Circ. May Seek Ill. High Court Input In Amazon Wage Row
A Seventh Circuit judge appeared inclined Wednesday to let the Illinois Supreme Court weigh in on whether Illinois' minimum wage law incorporates a similar limitation created by an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that clarifies preliminary activities like COVID-19 screenings aren't compensable.
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September 25, 2024
Ascension Must Face Additional Suit Over Vaccine Mandate
Ascension Health Alliance must face another proposed class action challenging its 2021 COVID-19 vaccination policy, an Indiana federal judge ruled Wednesday, holding that a group of workers who were suspended or fired after refusing the vaccine on religious grounds have a case against the Catholic healthcare system.
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September 25, 2024
City's Public Crash Reports Defy Privacy Law, NC Judge Says
The city of Charlotte violated federal privacy law by making car accident reports public such that law firms could use the disclosed data for marketing purposes, a North Carolina federal judge said in granting summary judgment and certification to a class of drivers.
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September 25, 2024
3rd Circ. Preserves Monsanto's Win In Cancer Warning Suit
The Third Circuit refused to reconsider its ruling that federal law preempts a more stringent Pennsylvania statute that mandates cancer warnings on chemicals, preserving Monsanto's win against a man who alleged the company's Roundup herbicide caused his illness.
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September 25, 2024
3rd Circ. Backs Tossing MetLife Suit Over Drug Rebates
The Third Circuit upheld MetLife's defeat of a lawsuit alleging it kept drug rebate profits for itself instead of lowering workers' health benefit plan costs, saying Wednesday the workers leading the suit hadn't shown they were harmed by missing out on speculative savings.
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September 25, 2024
Meta Wants 'License' To Cover Up Past Events, Justices Told
Meta Platforms Inc. shareholders say the U.S. Supreme Court should not be swayed by the social media company's attempt to shake off a proposed class action tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, warning a high court ruling in favor of Facebook's parent company could give publicly traded companies "license to intentionally mislead investors."
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September 25, 2024
Mass. Police Officers Sue Over Cost Of Prep For Biased Exam
A group of Massachusetts police officers say they should be reimbursed for the costs of preparing for 2022 promotional exams that were administered in the midst of a trial where similar tests were ultimately found to be biased against Black and Hispanic officers.
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September 25, 2024
Boies Joins Authors' Meta IP Suit After Judge Blasts Lead Atty
Veteran litigator David Boies and a top member of his firm have joined the team heading a proposed class action against Meta Platforms Inc. for allegedly using copyrighted material to train its artificial intelligence product "Llama" — days after a California federal judge told the lead plaintiff's attorney, "You are not doing your job."
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September 25, 2024
Poppi's 'Gut Healthy' Sodas Are Harmful To The Gut, Suit Says
The maker of Poppi-brand sodas misleadingly advertises the products as "prebiotics for a healthy gut," despite the fact that it's full of sugar, which is harmful to overall health and heightens the risk of obesity, Type II diabetes and other issues, alleges a putative class action filed in California federal court.
Expert Analysis
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Court Denial Of $335M UFC Deal Sets Bold Antitrust Precedent
A Nevada federal court’s recent refusal to accept a $335 million deal between Ultimate Fighting Championship and a group of former fighters to settle claims of anticompetitive conduct was a rare decision that risks the floodgates opening on established antitrust case law, says Mohit Pasricha at Lawrence Stephens.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions
Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.
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Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance
An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.
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Unpacking Jurisdiction Issues In 3rd Circ. Arbitration Ruling
The Third Circuit's recent ruling in George v. Rushmore Service Center could be interpreted to establish three principles regarding district courts' jurisdiction to enter arbitration-related orders under the Federal Arbitration Act, two of which may lead to confusion, says David Cinotti at Pashman Stein.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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What We Know From Early Cyberinsurance Rulings
Recent cyber disruption incidents, like the Crowdstrike outage and the CDK Global cyberattack this summer, highlight the necessity of understanding legal interpretations of cyberinsurance coverage — an area in which there has been little litigation thus far, say Peter Halprin and Rebecca Schwarz at Haynes Boone.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
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What BIPA Reform Law Means For Biometrics Litigation
A recently signed Illinois law amending the Biometric Information Privacy Act limits defendants' liability exposure on a per-scan basis and clarifies that electronic signatures constitute a valid written release, establishing additional issues that courts will need to address in future BIPA litigation, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
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Opinion
Litigation Funding Disclosure Key To Open, Impartial Process
Blanket investor and funding agreement disclosures should be required in all civil cases where the investor has a financial interest in the outcome in order to address issues ranging from potential conflicts of interest to national security concerns, says Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. House Representative for Virginia.
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RealPage Suit Shows Growing Algorithm, AI Pricing Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Justice's suit against RealPage for helping fix rental rates, filed last week, demonstrates how the use of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools to assist with pricing decisions is drawing increasing scrutiny and action across government agencies, and specifically at the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ, say Andre Geverola and Leah Harrell at Arnold & Porter.
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Comparing 5 Administrators' Mass Arbitration Procedures
Attorneys at DLA Piper compare the rules for mass arbitrations at five different arbitration providers — Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, American Arbitration Association, National Arbitration and Mediation, FedArb and New Era ADR — including their triggers, claim screening procedures, how and when they assess fees, and more.