Commercial Contracts

  • 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.

  • March 14, 2025

    Hemp Farm's Fees Bid 'Excessive,' Colo. Judge Finds

    A Colorado magistrate judge has found that a hemp farm can collect reasonable attorney fees and costs from a business partner that breached a memorandum of understanding related to a mid-litigation audit, but scolded the farm for its "excessive" calculation, which includes hours billed long before the memorandum was even signed.

  • March 14, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen J.P. Morgan face action by the founder of Viva Wallet in an ongoing feud over the company's takeover, retailer Next Group contest a claim by the home ware brand owned by private members' club Soho House, and the venue of the Wimbledon Championships sue a local group opposed to its plans to build new tennis courts on protected land in Wimbledon Park.

  • March 13, 2025

    Springer Nature Planning 'Bait-And-Switch,' Court Hears

    Independent scientific journal publisher Pleiades Publishing is urging a New York federal court to bar Springer Nature from trying to use a "bait-and-switch" tactic with customers allegedly aimed at undermining Pleiades' reputation while the two companies arbitrate a dispute over a soured distribution deal.

  • March 13, 2025

    Public Broadcasting Sues FEMA Over Emergency Alert Funds

    The nonprofit responsible for providing funding to more than 1,500 U.S. public radio and television stations filed suit Thursday in D.C. federal court, accusing the Federal Emergency Management Agency of placing an unlawful hold on $40 million in grant funds meant to bolster the national's emergency alert system.

  • March 13, 2025

    Chinese Fund Opposes Businessman's Bid To Pause Award

    A Chinese investment fund has objected in California federal court to a businessman's bid to pause recognition of a $4.8 million foreign arbitral award against him, arguing that he lost his dispute in two venues and can't prevent execution of the judgment.

  • March 13, 2025

    Fanatics, NFL Cardinals Rookie Settle Contract Fight

    Fanatics has cut a confidential deal with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and his father to settle the company's contract dispute, resolving litigation that temporarily barred Harrison's jersey number 18 from officially being sold, according to court documents filed in New York state court Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

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    This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five federal appellate court class certification decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving breach of life insurance contracts, constitutional violations of inmates and more.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • Pier Pressure: Contract Takeaways From Pa. Ocean Liner Suit

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    The settlement that resolved the fate of the landmark SS United States ocean liner illustrates important lessons on managing contract disputes, illuminating common trade-offs such as the choice between deferred legal risk and the cost of legal foresight, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • How FAR Council's Proposal May Revamp Conflicts Reporting

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    The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recent proposal for updating organizational conflict of interest rules includes some welcome clarifications, but new representation and disclosure obligations would upend long-standing practices, likely increase contractors’ False Claims Act risks, and necessitate implementation of more complex OCI compliance programs, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Navigating Title IX Compliance In The NIL Era

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    As universities push to move more name, image and likeness activity in-house, it's unclear how the NCAA and its members will square implementation of the House settlement with Title IX requirements, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.

  • Series

    Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.

  • DeepSeek AI Investigation Could Lead To IP Law Precedents

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    The investigation by OpenAI and Microsoft into DeepSeek's artificial intelligence model raises interesting legal concerns involving intellectual property and contract law, including potential trade secret appropriation and fair use questions, say Saishruti Mutneja and Raghav Gurbaxani.

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

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    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

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    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

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