Commercial Contracts

  • March 17, 2025

    Vague Settlement Can't Free Insurer From Asbestos Claims

    An insurer that says its policies' limits were exhausted while paying over $5 million toward an asbestos injury settlement on behalf of BNSF Railway failed to show it actually went over its limits, a Texas appeals court found. 

  • March 17, 2025

    Drake 'Lost A Rap Battle That He Provoked,' UMG Tells Court

    Universal Music Group urged a New York federal judge Monday to throw out Aubrey Drake Graham's lawsuit over the hit Kendrick Lamar diss track "Not Like Us," saying Drake cannot claim defamation for hyperbolic insults that came out of a rap battle "in which he willingly participated."

  • March 17, 2025

    Illinois Cannabis Social Equity Licensee Sued By Backer

    A company that backs entrepreneurs qualified for social equity cannabis licenses alleged in a new federal lawsuit that a business owner it partnered with reneged on their agreement when he attempted to sell his retail marijuana license to another party.

  • March 17, 2025

    Yale Says Researcher's Omissions Doom $28M Incubator Suit

    Yale University told a Connecticut state court that it sufficiently pled its counterclaims against a researcher who accused it of destroying his "life's work" by unplugging an incubator filled with $28 million in grants and private money's worth of genetic materials, arguing the researcher lied to get his job.

  • March 17, 2025

    Ex-Freshpet Seller Wins Breakup Fee But May Still Owe $8M

    Pet food maker Freshpet is liable for $5 million for aborting a distribution agreement it had with an animal food distributor, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Monday, reasoning that there was no dispute that the contract had been breached.

  • March 17, 2025

    Pot Staffing Co. Wants COVID-19 Relief Contract Wiped Out

    A cannabis industry online staffing company and its parent company are suing a consultant in Colorado state court, alleging that it failed to do any work on a contract to receive COVID-19 relief from the IRS but is demanding $474,000 in payments.

  • March 17, 2025

    Filmmaker Questions Netflix Defense In IP Suit Over 'Rez Ball'

    A filmmaker who alleges that Netflix, NBA superstar LeBron James and others lifted elements from one of his scripts to make the streaming service's movie "Rez Ball" has urged a California federal court to deny the defendant's bid to file an early summary judgment motion, saying comprehensive discovery is needed first.

  • March 17, 2025

    Yale Can Examine Student's Electronics In AI Cheating Probe

    Yale University can examine a laptop and other devices to defend against an injunction sought by a student who claims officials used unreliable artificial intelligence tools to catch pupils using AI to cheat, a Connecticut federal judge ruled Monday.

  • March 17, 2025

    4th Circ. Tosses HOA Closing Fees Suit

    The Fourth Circuit tossed a North Carolina property owner's proposed class action alleging that a property management company unlawfully charged excessive closing fees when she sold two properties.

  • March 14, 2025

    Fannie, Freddie Can't Avoid $612M Investor Win, Judge Rules

    A D.C. federal judge on Friday upheld a $612.4 million jury verdict against the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ruling that the jury was provided with "ample evidence" that reasonably led to its conclusion that FHFA improperly amended stock purchase agreements related to the companies.

  • March 14, 2025

    Williams Kastner Accused Of Malpractice After $128M Payout

    An insurer wouldn't have been forced to pay 64 times its policy limit after a deadly crane collapse in Seattle were it not for its attorneys at Williams Kastner, the carrier told a Washington state court, accusing its counsel of malpractice that caused it to pay $128 million.

  • March 14, 2025

    Antitrust Questions Earn Belt Line Deal A Deep Dive

    The Surface Transportation Board isn't going to let Norfolk Southern get away with calling its attempt to procure the remainder of a rail line a minor transaction, since it's been locked in antitrust litigation over the control of that line for years, according to an order Friday that deemed the transaction "significant."

  • March 14, 2025

    Texas Judge Rejects Ex-GloriFi CEO's Bid To Stop Claims Sale

    A Texas federal judge shot down an alleged attempt by the former CEO of bankrupt conservative-centered fintech startup GloriFi to preserve the ability to sue investors like Ken Griffin's Citadel LLC and Vivek Ramaswamy, saying Friday the bankruptcy judge got it right.

  • March 14, 2025

    PE Fund Accuses Ex-CEO Of Stealing To Pay Divorce Atty

    A former private equity CEO has been sued by a Denver-based fund in Colorado state court for allegedly using its money to pay his divorce lawyer and for other personal expenses, following a settlement earlier this year with federal securities regulators over claims he improperly charged two other funds.

  • March 14, 2025

    Boeing NASA Tech IP Claims Survive Dismissal In Wash.

    A Washington federal judge has narrowed a Colorado firm's suit accusing The Boeing Co. of using stolen technology to support NASA's Artemis moon exploration program, preserving some claims for copyright and trade secret theft while dismissing trademark and counterfeiting allegations.

  • March 14, 2025

    Judge Hands Landlord Win In Maryland Nurse's Eviction Case

    A Maryland federal judge mostly sided with a landlord that was hit with a nurse practitioner's $1 million suit, which alleged that the landlord wrongfully locked her out of her place of business when she wasn't there and evicted her.

  • March 14, 2025

    BNY Sued Over $17.7B Unregistered Barclays-Issued Notes

    A trio of investors has filed a proposed class action against The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. for allegedly failing to properly authenticate several exchange-traded note offerings from Barclays, leading to the sale of $17.7 billion in unregistered securities.

  • March 14, 2025

    US Trustee Pans Pump Co.'s $9M Asbestos Insurance Deal

    The U.S. Trustee's Office has challenged a proposed $9 million settlement between a Chapter 7 trustee for a bankrupt Connecticut pump company and two insurers, saying the agreement nonconsensually deprives third parties of their asbestos-related personal injury claims against the insurance carriers.

  • March 14, 2025

    DC Circ. Asks If FERC Oil Orders Are In Its Purview

    The D.C. Circuit is questioning its own decades-long practice of reviewing orders from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that help determine the cost of transporting oil through pipelines, asking litigants whether it has jurisdiction to consider an appeal nearing its conclusion.

  • March 14, 2025

    Brookfield Hits Peru With $2.7B Arbitration Over Toll Roads

    Brookfield Asset Management Inc. said it has initiated an international arbitration proceeding against Peru as the company seeks restitution of approximately $2.7 billion in damages over its operation of toll roads in the capital city of Lima.

  • March 14, 2025

    1st Circ. Asked To Look At Takeda Invoice Fraud Conviction

    The husband of a former Takeda Pharmaceuticals vice president is appealing his fraud conviction and 2½-year prison term over a $2.3 million bogus invoice scheme, according to a Friday notice filed to the First Circuit.

  • March 14, 2025

    Theft Ring Member Who Stole Warhol Paintings Gets 8 Yrs.

    A man who admitted to participating in a 20-year art and sports memorabilia theft ring targeting Andy Warhol paintings and Yogi Berra's MVP plaques across multiple states was sentenced to eight years in prison by a Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • March 14, 2025

    Kraken Beats Suit Over Crypto Scam Losses, For Good

    A California state judge permanently tossed a lawsuit Friday alleging lax security measures on the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken are to blame for a Los Angeles County man's loss of nearly $50,000 in a digital asset investment scam.

  • March 14, 2025

    Mass. Court Won't Lift Default Over Discovery Failures

    A California aerospace firm can't get a do-over after repeatedly defaulting on discovery obligations in a Massachusetts lawsuit over an unpaid bill from a tax consultant, the state's intermediate-level appeals court said on Friday.

  • March 14, 2025

    Off The Bench: Ex-Jet Sues Over Favre Clip, New Soccer Build

    In this week's Off The Bench, a retired football superstar claims an argument with icon Brett Favre should have never been aired on television, one trading card company gets the upper hand on another in dueling antitrust suits, and an English soccer club opts for a new stadium over a rebuild of the old one.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • Lessons Learned From SAS' Flight Through Chapter 11

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    Scandinavia's SAS is the first European airline to find its wings through the U.S. Chapter 11 process since COVID-19 rocked the aviation industry — and while the process involved some familiar steps, certain complex jurisdictional issues and non-U.S. stakeholders required the carrier to venture into uncharted airspace, says Emily Hong at Norton Rose.

  • Bankruptcy Ruling Provides Guidance On 363 Asset Sales

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    HE v. Avadim Holdings, a recent ruling from the District of Delaware, underscores the principle that rejection of executory contracts does not unwind completed transfers of property and the importance of clear and precise language in sale orders and asset purchase agreements in bankruptcy cases, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Anticipating Calif. Oversight Of PE Participation In Healthcare

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    A new bill recently introduced in the California Senate revives last year's attempt to increase oversight of healthcare transactions involving private equity groups and hedge funds, meaning that attorneys may soon need to assess the compliance status of existing management relationships and consider modifying contract terms, says Andrew Demetriou at Husch Blackwell.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • If Elphaba Had Signed A Restrictive Covenant In 'Wicked'

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    Following the recent big-screen release of "Wicked," employers should consider how the tale might have ended if the Wizard of Oz had made Elphaba sign a restrictive covenant agreement, which would have placed clear limitations on her ability to challenge his regime, says Emily Wajert at Sidley.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Antitrust In Retail: Rude Awakening For FTC In Tempur Sealy

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    A Texas federal court's recent denial of a Federal Trade Commision order to stop a giant mattress merger because of lack of evidence on market segments shows that such definitions are only a viable path for regulating vertical mergers if antitrust agencies provide adequate documentation, says David Kully at Holland & Knight.

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