Commercial Contracts

  • May 20, 2026

    Jack In The Box Can't Dodge Franchisees' Indemnity Claim

    A Washington state judge Tuesday denied Jack in the Box Inc.'s effort to sidestep liability for job postings that allegedly violated a Washington pay transparency statute, ruling that two franchisees suing the fast-food giant adequately stated an equitable indemnity claim under California law.

  • May 20, 2026

    Top 4 Most Surprising Moments In Musk-OpenAI Trial

    The high-profile trial over Elon Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion wrapped Monday with a quick jury verdict in favor of OpenAI and its executives, but the three-week trial drew some surprising moments for those in the courtroom who had front row seats to the fight between billionaires.

  • May 20, 2026

    Baltimore Bridge Wreck Civil Trial Will Stay The Course

    A Maryland federal judge on Wednesday refused an eleventh-hour request from the Dali cargo ship's owner and manager to delay a trial that's starting in less than two weeks to determine the scope of liability and damages over Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, according to an attorney for certain claimants.

  • May 20, 2026

    Salad JV Partner Sued Over Cash Distribution Freeze

    Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. sued Fresh Express Vegetable LLC in Delaware Chancery Court Wednesday, accusing its joint venture partner of improperly withholding millions of dollars in required cash distributions while trying to force out the venture's longtime chief executive.

  • May 20, 2026

    Pipeline Co. And JB Hunt Settle Easement Fight

    A pipeline company voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against J.B. Hunt in Illinois federal court Wednesday after accusing the shipping giant of planning to build a parking lot over its pipeline's right of way, saying they've reached a settlement.

  • May 20, 2026

    Colo. Fence Co. Says Rival Stole Trade Secrets, Customers

    A Colorado fencing distributor has alleged in federal court that a private equity-backed competitor, its subsidiary and a former sales manager orchestrated a scheme to steal the distributor's trade secrets rather than pay $7 million to acquire the company.

  • May 20, 2026

    Boeing Says NASA Program Contract Claim Came Too Late

    The Boeing Co. asked a Washington federal judge to dismiss a breach of contract claim as untimely from a Colorado aerospace company alleging theft of its patented technology, according to a motion for judgment on the pleadings.

  • May 20, 2026

    SpinX Says Social Casino Suit Belongs In Arbitration

    A Hong Kong company that publishes free "social casino games" has asked a California federal court to send to arbitration a proposed class action accusing it of violating state gambling laws, saying the lead plaintiff agreed to arbitrate when he first opened the apps.

  • May 20, 2026

    Armenian Game Maker Won't Give Up Source Code, Suit Says

    The parent of video game company Big Fish Games has sued an Armenian game developer in Washington state court, alleging that when it took ownership of Big Fish, it discovered source code missing from materials returned by the Armenian firm that it has not been able to recover.

  • May 20, 2026

    Error In Policy Doesn't Double Coverage, Insurer Says

    An insurer told a Florida federal court Wednesday that a clerical error in a property policy should not allow a waste management company to collect more than twice the coverage it bargained for after a March 2025 fire. 

  • May 20, 2026

    Ballot Group Backs Ark. In 8th Circ. Gaming Permit Dispute

    A ballot group at the center of a voter referendum that revoked an Arkansas gaming permit for Cherokee Nation Entertainment is backing the state's right to enforce the ballot measure in the Eighth Circuit, arguing that state and Prohibition-era Supreme Court precedent confirms there's no protectable property interest in the license.

  • May 20, 2026

    Lendlease Wants NC Military Housing Suit Tossed

    Lendlease Americas Inc. pushed for dismissal of a suit filed by U.S. military families who accused it and other companies of running uninhabitable homes on North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, arguing in North Carolina federal court that the plaintiffs are mistaken about the company's arguments for dismissal.

  • May 20, 2026

    Atlanta Law Firm Beats Attempt To Revive RE Malpractice Suit

    The Georgia Court of Appeals rejected an attempt to revive a malpractice suit filed against an Atlanta-based law firm for allegedly shoddy work on a title search in connection with a real estate property purchase, saying Wednesday the suit came too late.

  • May 20, 2026

    OpenAI Says ChatGPT Misuse Is Users' Responsibility

    OpenAI has asked a federal judge in Chicago to end an insurance company's suit alleging it practices law without a license, arguing the complaint should be directed toward individuals who misuse the company's ChatGPT bot to file faulty motions, and not the generative AI platform itself.

  • May 20, 2026

    Builder Not Covered In Home Construction Fight, Insurer Says

    A builder accused of causing significant delays and increased costs during the construction of a custom home in North Carolina is not entitled to coverage, the company's insurer told a federal court, saying the underlying suit did not allege bodily injury or property damage.

  • May 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Leans Toward FCC In Appeal Over SIM Card Beef

    The Ninth Circuit seemed to have its doubts Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission made the wrong call in finding it had no say over a Haitian mobile carrier's decision to deactivate SIM cards that were brought into the United States and used to evade international calling rates. 

  • May 21, 2026

    CORRECTED: Asus Reaches Deal To End Some Wi-Fi Patent Suits

    Sisvel's patent pool has reached a deal with Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Asus to license its standard essential pool of Wi-Fi multimode patents, resolving a swath of litigation but leaving at least one case pending in Texas federal court against an Asus subsidiary. 

  • May 19, 2026

    Davis Wright Adds Former Amazon Atty As Partner

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has recruited former Amazon in-house counsel Kevin Kramer to join its Seattle office, the law firm announced Tuesday, highlighting his track record of representing the e-commerce giant in consumer class actions and other commercial disputes.

  • May 19, 2026

    4th Circ. Revives Freight Broker Suit After High Court Ruling

    The Fourth Circuit on Monday revived a South Carolina widow's lawsuit alleging that freight broker Echo Global Logistics negligently selected the trucking company involved in the 2022 accident that killed her husband, days after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling established that freight brokers can face state-based tort claims.

  • May 19, 2026

    Colo. Co. Seeks More Boeing Discovery In NASA IP Fight

    A Colorado aerospace company claimed The Boeing Co. has failed to disclose numerous witnesses and records through discovery in the company's lawsuit accusing Boeing of stealing its patented technology to use on NASA's Artemis moon exploration program, according to a motion to compel filed in Washington federal court Monday.

  • May 19, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Rehearing Sought In $18M Penile Implant Dispute

    The Federal Circuit has been asked to have another look at a decision that largely reversed a California federal jury verdict that awarded $18.3 million to International Medical Devices Inc. in a trade secret case related to penile implants.

  • May 19, 2026

    Valve's Pivot On Gamer Arbitrations Gives Wash. Judge Pause

    A Washington federal judge Tuesday appeared conflicted over Valve Corp.'s bid for a court order to block hundreds of gamers from arbitrating consumer protection claims, pressing the game developer on its evolving arbitration stance while suggesting users agreed to updated terms requiring such disputes to be resolved in court.

  • May 19, 2026

    BU Says Insurer Wrongly Denied COVID Claims Defense Costs

    Boston University says its insurer is refusing to cover $1.76 million in legal fees for the school's successful defense of a series of pandemic-era class actions, improperly relying on policy exceptions for claims based on "wrongful acts," according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

  • May 19, 2026

    Ill. Justices Wary Of Uber's Push To Arbitrate Fatal Crash Suit

    Illinois Supreme Court justices on Tuesday pressed an attorney for Uber to explain how a widow's arbitration agreement through her own ride-sharing account is applicable to the wrongful death claims she has filed on behalf of her husband, who died as a passenger on a ride booked through his own Uber app. 

  • May 19, 2026

    Pa. Panel Won't Undo Arbitration In Airbnb Death Case

    The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by the estate of a man who died while staying at an Airbnb property, saying a recent state high court ruling bars it from reviewing a trial court's decision to send the case to arbitration.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • 2 Rulings Showcase Fuzzy Limits Of 'Related To' Jurisdiction

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    The Fifth and Ninth Circuits recently handed down decisions, in Sanchez Energy and Sawtelle Partners, respectively, reminding practitioners that bankruptcy court jurisdiction over lingering disputes is not guaranteed, regardless of whether confirmation orders contain specific "retention of jurisdiction" language, says Brian Shaw at Cozen O’Connor.

  • 3 Key Ohio Financial Services Developments From 2025

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    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw particularly notable developments in 2025, including a significant Ohio Supreme Court decision on creditor disclosure duties to guarantors in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, and some major proposed changes to the state's Homebuyer Plus program, says Alex Durst at Durst Kerridge.

  • AI Licensing Suit Exhibits Pitfalls Of Vague Contract Terms

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    Fastcase Inc. v. Alexi Technologies, a case in District of Columbia federal court, demonstrates the potential consequences of vaguely drafted contract terms amid unforeseen technological advances, but there is practical guidance parties may employ to mitigate the potential for similar contract disputes, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Playing Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    An instinct to turn pain into purpose meant frequent trips to the tennis court, where learning to move ahead one point at a time was a lesson that also applied to the steep learning curve of patent prosecution law, says Daniel Henry at Marshall Gerstein.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: January Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five rulings from October and November, and identifies practice tips from cases involving consumer fraud, oil and gas leases, toxic torts, and wage and hour issues.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

  • Navigating Battery Validation Risk In The EV Supply Chain

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    Vehicle electrification has moved battery system supply chains from a background component into the center of the automotive universe — and for legal teams, battery validation is now a driver of contractual disputes, regulatory exposure and even shareholder litigation, say Samuel Madden at Secretariat Advisors and Vanessa Miller at Foley & Lardner.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

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    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

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    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • Series

    Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

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